SAP REFX scope can take large proportion if you do a deep dive due to the functionality and the field level possibilities. Trying to implement all at once the sub modules which composed SAP REFX is not something advisable.
Following our requirement workshop, you will have a better understanding of all the pieces which compose SAP REFX.
What we have seen from working in the last 10 year in the REFX space on previous project is a phase approach with a Road map guiding you from Scoping to Go Live for each modules selected at the time.
Step 1 To define the scope is in relation to your Master Data answering questions as follow:
- What is your Master Data and its volume?
- Are you a Land owner/manager or are you a Building/Property Owner/manager or both?
- Is your Master Data only Real Estate or do you have Movable objects?
- Do you have 100% of your Master Data in one environment?
- What is your Master Data format?
- How clean are they?
- Where does it reside? Paper file/excel/access/other system?
Step 2 Once we have an idea of what is your Master Data volume or a very close estimation, the next step will be to look at the data itself.
What do you collect today as information, is it complete enough? What can go in SAP at field level?
We usually take a small representative sample and try to see how much of this can be find a space in SAP REFX selected section.
Step 3 Base on your answers and data above, we can select a path together such as:
Do we go land base?
Do we go building base?
Do we go Neutral i.e. everything that is not Real Estate; or everything which is movable.
Once a path is chosen, then we can prepare a plan based on a series of releases; usually 3 is the number which has shown over the years to work well.
Step 4 has to do with addresses and customer vendor,
How do you manage addresses today?
What type of addresses do you need?
Do you rely on internal solution or are you linked to an external solution?
Do you want to use the SAP standard or would you prefer the enhanced version?
Customers and Vendors do exist in your organization and if you are live with an SAP system you are probably running the Classic Vendors/Customers?
For REFX you will need to open Business Partners which is an all-new level of functionality.
Who own Customers/Vendors in your organization?
What is the volume and how are we planning the transition and change?
Step 5 As the direction of the project falls in place, component become clearer:
Do you have an interest in the Legal part of it?
Do you want or need to track your ownership on each parcel of Land?
Do you need to know the basic details of a mortgage or its financing on a parcel of Land?
Do you need to know encumbrances or restrictions?
Do you have a joint venture?
Do you track your assessment notice?
Do you have an interest in the Geographical part of it?
Where is it located?
Building geography is more complex than land as building geography refers to floor plans to a very details level
What kind of building do you have office tower/condo tower/warehouses/malls?
Do you have signage on the roof or an helipad available for public use?
Do you have underground parking?
Do you have a need for the Finance view?
Which property has Expenses?
Which property has Revenues?
What other type of Revenue or expenses are related to your property?
If it is a movable object what expenses or revenues do they incurred?
Which property will require one or multiple contracts?
What type of contracts?
Do you bill for services or other to your Tenant?
Are you yourself a Tenant somewhere and are you getting billed?
To give you an idea one of our client owned 4,000 pieces of properties and on each of them he has the potential to received 8 rent checks from various parties.
Step 6 Considering the integration within SAP is also an important factor of the project.
What do you do with Fixed Assets, do you want them to be auto created from REFX to AA in order to eliminate data entry error or re-keying or nearly the same info?
What do you do with Maintenance, do you use SAP Plant Maintenance and Service management, do you want the Functional Location in PM to be auto created from REFX to PM in order to eliminate data entry error or re-keying or nearly the same info?
What external systems are you not going to retire and will need to be connected to SAP REFX?
Do you want auto feed from other government system if you are a Public Sector organization?
Step 7 What integration with go spatial software are you interested?
What would you like to present to your end users?
Is Google map sufficient or do we need a more robust solution like ESRI Enterprise?
Which drawing software are you using either internally or externally for floor plan, land design and likes; AutoCAD or something else?
Would you like to have it integrated in SAP making the data image visible to the end user?
Where do you keep your document related to your property? Do you have a Document Management System? Do you have a strategy for one? Does the current one serve the entire organization or is it just for a department?
How would you like to see it integrated within SAP?
These are some of the points we touch in our REFX Scoping/Requirement workshop.