Data Conversion Module
The Nexus Suite Data Conversion Module is a bolt-on product to the SAP system, which allows a business to move legacy data into SAP with minimal effort, maximum efficiency and unprecedented visibility. Every step of the conversion process is reportable, auditable and repeatable without the need for any other tools or for SAP client refreshing between trial conversions. Using the Nexus Data Conversion Module, your Data Conversion project becomes a simple manageable process – no manual data manipulation, no SAP ABAP code, no full time Data Conversion Team. All of your Data Conversion related cutover activities are able to be fully automated with comprehensive statistics, analysis and error reports being produced and processed (via emails, workflow etc)
Traditional Conversion Methods
Within SAP, Data Conversion activities may occur prior to and after an SAP ERP system has gone live. These data conversion activities generally fall into one of the following three categories:
loading data from your legacy system into the SAP system
loading additional transactional data into an already live SAP ERP system (e.g. for a staggered go-live type project, or when company acquisitions take place)
making mass changes to existing SAP data (e.g. Organisational restructures)
Currently each of the above data conversion activities requires the development of a data conversion mechanism which may be an ABAP program, an SAP LSMW or an SAP BDC session. Every organisation undertaking data conversion activities will effectively ‘reinvent the wheel’ by defining legacy system to SAP field mappings and translations, having the mappings/translations verified and checked off by the appropriate business experts, and performing test runs of the data conversion into one or more testing environments to ensure the accuracy of the data conversion.
Conversion through Nexus – stops having to re-invent the wheel!
Data Conversion using Nexus removes the need to start from scratch when defining legacy system to SAP system field mappings through the use of pre-defined and configured mappings, known in Nexus as Data Dictionaries. Pre-defined Data Dictionaries are already available within Nexus for a number of well known systems. New Data Dictionaries may be extracted from external systems and easily uploaded and mapped in Nexus and, if required, version specific Data Dictionaries are also available.
This significantly reduces the implementation time for data conversion activities, as default mappings have already been defined in Nexus. This means that you will only need to refine an existing Nexus Data Dictionary to achieve you data conversion goals!
Nexus provides extremely powerful, structured and streamlined processes for your data conversion activities, with all mappings, translations, reporting and load mechanisms performed within the SAP environment, using standard SAP processing.
Nexus greatly minimises the time and effort required during the definition phases of data conversion activities, and eliminates costly ‘idle time’ for data conversion technical resources. Also, the comprehensive reporting and reconciliation tools that are part of Nexus provide the mechanisms required for all your audit and sign-off requirements.
Nexus Data Conversion Reporting – it’ll write your Technical Specs for you!
All mappings and translations defined within Nexus are completely transparent and fully reported through the Nexus data conversion reporting tools.
The Mapping Summary Report that are available include:
The Detailed External System and SAP Mapping Reports that are available include:
Fully automate your Data Loads
One of the most painful aspects of Data Conversion is the process of running all of the associated Data Conversion loads during Trial Conversion phases and cutover. One of the main headaches for any project is ensuring that everything that has been identified within the cutover plan actually occurs (and in the correct order). For example, running SAP programs (i.e. PA and PD Integration, Payroll, Time etc), as well as ensuring that all manual steps (i.e. changes to payroll areas, features, validation checks etc.) that have been identified during within your cutover plan have occurred.
The Nexus Suite Data Conversion Module offers you an automated alternative. As part of the Data Conversion Module we’ve included the Process Automation Module which totally automates your Data Conversion related loads. The Process Automation Module provides your project with the ability to create an automated process to execute all of the Data Conversion related Interfaces and associated SAP reports and programs in a sequential order that you have identified through your Data Conversion Cutover planning. Within each step you are able to assign conditions and interdependences as well as report on all of the facets of the Process Automation Module configuration and provide comprehensive statistics, analysis and error reports (via on-line, emails, workflow etc) as well as associated timings to project management and reconciliation team members.
If you’re interested in finding out more about the Nexus Suite Data Conversion Module why not request a live demonstration and have one of our experts provide an end-to-end functional overview.