Public Sector Consulting

The primary aspect to consider when discussing SAP solutions for the public sector is the increase in the degree of satisfaction at the taxpayer level. One needs to perceive SAP consulting services for public sector as a method of upgrading of public administration and its functions. In other words, we are talking about solutions that smooth the progress of communication and relationship of public administrations with citizens, with other administrations and with their own employees.

SAP applications, put up around their most modern R/3 method, make available the capacity to deal with economic, asset, and cost accounting, fabrication procedures and equipment, human resources, and archived papers. The R/3 method functions on several platforms, counting here Windows 2000. The system makes perfect use of the pattern client/server. Some of the most recent issues of the R/3 model contain complete Internet facilitated equipment.

R/3 is a full package of combined industry functions from SAP. R/3 substitutes a previous method, namely R/2. However, even if R/3 is already on the market, R/2 is still operational. The R/3 system employs, as we have already mentioned it, a client/server pattern of functioning. The system offers the possibility to accumulate, recover, investigate, and manage in a number of ways business data for economic examination, production procedures, human resources supervision, and the majority of the rest of business practices. Current issues of R/3 facilitate the access of the R/3 record and operations by means of the Internet. For instance, a seller is now able to open the procedures for a sales demand by completing an electronic form, available, for the sake of illustration, on a laptop. This electronic form will form the object of a subsequent transfer into input for the R/3 method. In addition, another current issue of the R/3 system provides a series of elements targeting the speeding up of merchandise supply. How does it do that? It offers assistance in the supervision of the supply string.

To what concerns the client/server pattern, this model outlines the correlation between two workstation programs. However, we are not talking about any type of correlation. In this particular rapport, one program, which is the client, issues a service demand from a different program, which is the server. The latter will execute the order. Even if programs comprised within a single workstation are able to employ the client/server pattern, it is will function, nonetheless, with greater efficiency within a network. Integrated with such a system of operations, the client/server pattern supplies an opportune manner of intersecting programs that benefit from competent sharing across various sites.

For instance, computer businesses that employ the client/server pattern are a regular phenomenon. For the sake of illustration, let us assume that you intend to verify your savings account from your computer. When you initiate the request, a client program integrated in your computer advances your demand to another program, i.e. the server, located at the bank. It is likely for the server program to advance the demand, in its turn, to its corresponding client program. This one will take on the request and convey it to a database server at a different bank computer to recover your savings balance. In a subsequent stage, the bank data client retrieves the balance. Then, in its turn, it sends it back to the client program integrated in your own workstation. This one will then provide the information you have requested.

Of course, the implementation of such a system as SAP R/3 is will necessitate a series of costs. Subsequently, one needs to take care of the costs of hardware, costs of SAP R/3 software, costs for the instruction of system operators, costs for the implementation process as such, costs of any potentially necessary add-on software. Even more, one needs to consider the costs of system maintenance, of system upgrading (upgrade procedures should take place periodically), and of lost opportunity in the cases where it happens for the system to fail.

Thus, as hinted at previously, this system will need both servers and personal computers. The real-time circumstances in which the SAP R/3 system is operational also entail reliable network connection from end-user computers to the server. To what concerns the costs associated with SAP R/3 software, the entities that need it will have to purchase it from SAP AG, Germany, which holds the patent for this particular type of program.

Constant costs will come in the form of personnel training, particularly when new staff substitutes former employees, thus involving the instruction of those that do not have the experience in working with the system. The costs of the implementation procedures as such involve the expenses needed for the testing of the system, for the providing of the necessary documentation, for the obtaining of expert assistance and for own resources to use specialized staff.

It may happen for some public administration networks to find it mandatory to employ add-ons. For instance, such add-ons could include barcode scanners to SAP. In this respect, it may be necessary for some networks to purchase additional software on the market and combine it with the SAP R/3 system.

In the costs for system maintenance, we refer to the need to maintain the system for any potential bugs or supplementary constraints. Moreover, the system will need professionally instructed staff to supervise maintenance aspects. To what concerns the requirements for upgrades, they will occur because SAP R/3 is a system that registers progresses, new additions or new features once every several months. In the case where you want to obtain the best advantages from the system, you will need to take care of the expenses necessary for upgrades. Finally, lost opportunity expenses include prerequisites for the cases where a downtime of the system takes place. Keep in mind that we are talking about an integrated structure, and downtimes could come out as extremely costly. To prevent such events, public administration networks will have to secure – by paying them – maintenance services that preserve high up times.

Even if the costs associated with the purchase, implementation, and maintenance of the SAP R/3 System may seem a bit high, this type of software solution is worth the trouble. It will manage successfully communication and commercial procedures, specific for your domain of activity.