Key to the success of any SAP software implementation is to employ solutions that fully address the unique business requirements of each customer while ensuring the solution is supportable on an ongoing basis in the production environment. This requires a synergistic relationship between technology and business. Below are links to several case studies where The Hermosa Beach Consulting Group integrated efficiencies through technology along with business process requirements to meet our customers’ needs:

Case Study: Security Automation
With a high-volume of security change requests, our client sought to implement a security governance process to minimize the number of security support resources, decrease errors caused by manual processing, and integrate business process controls for Segregation of Duties and redundant functionality assignment. This Case Study describes how The Hermosa Beach Consulting Group assisted the client to realize an automated security governance process.

Case Study: Regulatory Required Controls
With a backdrop of high profile corporate scandals the Sarbanes-Oxley act went into effect requiring all publicly-traded US companies to comply with Federal Regulations. These regulations require the incorporation of effective business process controls and security measures with which The Hermosa Beach Consulting Group has in-depth experience. In addition, some industries have historically been subject to further regulations and require additional security and controls. The Hermosa Beach Consulting Group has vast experience with the Aerospace & Defense and Pharmaceutical Industries, both of which operate under stringent Federal Regulations. This Case Study highlights one of our experiences in assisting an Aerospace & Defense client comply with its customer contractual obligations and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).

Case Study: Bringing Business into Security
If there is one hard lesson learned by most companies implementing application security, it is the necessity to obtain business involvement and realize ownership of security. An understanding of the functional requirements by the technical security team, the understanding and buy-in of the authorization concept by the business, and the ability to translate business requirements and controls into application security are critical for a successful implementation and controlled production environment. The Hermosa Beach Consulting Group knows this to be essential and endeavors to establish this cross-functional coordination in every implementation. In this Case Study, the client encountered security issues in the first phase of a multi-phased implementation. We assisted in bringing business involvement into the current security implementation methodology to resolve issues and assisted in making concurrent phases successful.

Case Study: Simplify the User Experience
The average end user is typically more concerned about getting his or her job done efficiently and effectively and less concerned with the implementation methodology, business process controls, Segregation of Duties, roles, Federal regulations, security governance, etc. The Hermosa Beach Consulting Group works with its clients to simplify the end users’ interface with the business application while ensuring appropriate controls are in place. This Case Study demonstrates how we worked with our client to leverage cutting edge technology to simplify the user’s experience.

Case Study: Enterprise Reporting Solution
SAP implementations are expensive. Adding to the expense and complexity of an implementation are requirements for custom developed reports. One way companies are minimizing their expenses and reducing complexity is to implement Business Warehouse (BW) as an enterprise reporting solution. BW is a highly configurable reporting tool which does not contain any standard delivered data-level security objects. Any data-level security required for the BW system must be configured. The Hermosa Beach Consulting Group works with the business to establish and configure a role-based security model to match the application security model of the data source system. This ensures that the BW system is controlled in the same manner as the source system. The objective is for users have identical access to data in both their BW reports and core system transactions. This Case Study showcases one of our most complex BW security implementations where SAP R/3 (including all FI modules and HR), BCS, EBP, CRM, and SEM-BPS, were all source systems for a single data warehouse instance.

Case Study: Enterprise-Wide Financial Planning
Two of the greatest benefits of implementing an integrated SAP system are the standardization of business processes across all of an enterprise’s various business units and the consolidation of enterprise information under a single application that can easily be shared, accessed, and consolidated across the business. SEM leverages the centralization of data by providing business planners the ability to create more accurate forecasts utilizing forecasting processes that are standardized across an enterprise. Businesses can more tightly control their forecasting methods to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and consistency. Similar to BW, SEM does not contain any standard delivered data-level security objects. SEM must be configured to appropriately restrict user’s access to information. This Case Study exhibits how The Hermosa Beach Consulting Group supported one of its clients to implement a secure and controlled enterprise-wide Financial Planning System utilizing SEM-BPS.

Case Study: SOD and Controls Monitoring
With increased scrutiny of companies’ financial statements by stakeholders as well as Federal regulations imposed by the U.S. Government through Sarbanes-Oxley, publicly-traded companies and their management are being held accountable for the business processes and the controls that protect those processes. Companies have reacted by strengthening business process controls monitoring (detective controls) and evaluating areas to implement preventative controls. The Hermosa Beach Consulting Group has assisted companies in monitoring software package selection process, the implementation of controls monitoring software, and the implementation of workflow processes as preventative controls. This Case Study describes one of our experiences where we assisted a client through the review and implementation of Approva’s BizRights Rule Book content.

Case Study: Tailored HR Security Solutions
Many companies agree that their most valued assets are their Human Resources (HR). Implementing a centralized SAP system offers numerous advantages in the manageability of human capital. At the same time, a centralized system introduces particular data security concerns. SAP security for HR can be complex to configure, especially for companies who have unique security needs. In this case study, The Hermosa Beach Consulting Group assists a global enterprise in tailoring security to meet their HR needs.