FAQ

Frequently asked questions

System Prerequisites
What are the specific system prerequisites for hardware, database, operating system, etc.? Our software requires the same system prerequisites that SAP does for its software implementation. There are no additional requirements. Are there any limits to the volume of data permitted in one installation? No. We have customers with relatively minimal data volume (several hundred ideas per year), as well as customers with very high data volume (55,000 employees, 160,000 ideas per year, and 500,000 ideas in the database from transferred legacy data). What can I do if I use a previous release of SAP R/3? You can link your previous release of SAP R/3 to a higher release of the software using Application Link Enabling ALE. Where is the software installed? Almost all of our customers have installed the idea management software in their existing HR management system (where their HR, organizational management, time management, and payroll data, or elements thereof, are located). A few exceptions exist in companies that use SAP R/3 3.1 for their HR data, for example, where we had to set up a new system with SAP R/3 4.6C to run the idea management software. The systems were then linked using ALE. What SAP R/3 software release do I need? SAP R/3 4.5B release or higher software is required.

Do I have to use SAPs human resources management software (SAP HR)? Yes, however, our software only uses SAP HR minimaster records. It is advisable, but not mandatory, that you also implement SAP Organizational Management. Are there any additional requirements for disk storage? From our experience (particularly with Bayer AG), we can generally say that there will be no additional load on your system in terms of main memory, disk storage, and so on, when using our idea management software that would require you to resize of your system. Bayer uses approximately five gigabytes (5 GB) of disk storage (including log data and change documents). Their database contains several hundred thousand ideas and there have been no delays in transaction response times reported. Our cautious estimate per idea is a memory requirement of 10 kilobytes KB (not including electronic file attachments).

Installation
How is the software delivered? Every customer can download the software from the Internet, including documentation and training materials, using their own login name and password. This is also true for the Service Packs required for software maintenance. What is an idea group? The idea group comprises all improvement suggestions and ideas submitted by employees that based on your company policy - are to be handled in a similar manner. If you only use one company policy for all HR master records stored in one client, then you only need to create one idea group. How long does the installation last? Approximately 30 minutes. How do I install the software? Using the Workbench and Customizing requests in the SAP Transport Management System.

Do I need support from target during the installation? No. What do I do after the software is installed? By using the Quick Start guide, you can create your first idea in approximately 15 minutes using the default idea group in the standard software delivered.

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User Adminis tration / Authorizations

Does the software have a comprehensible, individualized, and system-driven authorization concept? You can have authorization protection for the application based on the function in the process. For example, you can differentiate authorization protection for an idea administrator according to activity (display/maintain), data group (basic data/valuation), and area in which the ideas were submitted. Standard functionality in SAP R/3 for user administration and the authorization concept eliminates any need for double maintenance in idea management.

Intranet
What technology does target use for its intranetbased solution? We use the Internet Transaction Server ITS, the same technology SAP uses for its Employee Self-Service (ESS ) applications. Analogous Optical Design in Customer Intranet You can access forms in our Web-based solution from a simple link on any site in a customer intranet or in an enterprise portal. Our forms are designed using the same style sheets as SAP. In other words: our intranet solution has the same look and feel as all other SAP employee self-services. In addition, the same modification options are available through the cascading style sheet. Do I need ESS licenses from SAP? That depends on what software you use for your company intranet. The Idea Browser does not require any individual log-on, that is, no specific ESS user is required. This is also the case for creating ideas. If decision-makers want to valuate ideas using the company intranet, however, then you will need ESS users. In most cases, however, these employees already have the applicable SAP licenses. You generally need an individual log-on (ESS user) for role-specific intranet services because the SAP software uses this information to determine the role of the user.

Software Maintenance
What services are included in software maintenance? We provide modifications that reflect any new technical requirements or developments as well as the latest SAP software updates. We also provide further development and telephone support when necessary. What do I need to keep in mind concerning SAP maintenance and software upgrades? Naturally, our software complies with SAPs maintenance strategy. We ensure that our software works with the latest SAP software at the time that the SAP upgrade is available to the general public. A software upgrade is maintained so long as SAPs software release is supported. How can you do that?

What are the costs involved for software maintenance? Maintenance costs are currently 3.75% of the contract price per quarter.

As software partners of SAP, we are generally kept informed of further developments by the company. We also receive the latest software updates from SAP as first customer shipment (FCS) customers. We have two of our own SAP systems for each software upgrade - one development system and one recipient system for changes and transports.

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Project Organization
What tasks do I need to carry out? You must first establish how you want to valuate ideas, what types of templates and reports you want to use, and the Workflow process. You then set up these specifications in the software. After these steps are completed, you then transfer the legacy data. Do you provide sample data? Yes, we deliver a completely developed and defined idea group, including sample templates and reports. What external resources should I plan for? From our experience, we estimate approximately five days of consulting. How do I modify the software to meet my requirements? We have described exactly how to configure the software as well as step-by-step details on what settings need to be made in our Implementation Guide (IMG) for the software.

What internal resources or expenditure will I need? From our experience, you will require approximately two people (one from a development/product area and one from IT) for three months, each working 50% of their working time on this implementation.

Return on Investment 1
How does the savings achieved contribute to Return on Investment (ROI)? The savings achieved result from eliminating expenditures and an increased use of the streamlined idea management process, more ideas submitted, and the reuse of ideas. Do you have any estimates (rule of thumb) on what administration costs were saved? Yes. One company with 15,000 employees has saved 1.5 employee full-time equivalents in administration annually by converting from a standard software solution to the target solution. Will the software ensure that more ideas are submitted? Naturally it still depends on a number of other factors whether the number of ideas submitted increases. But a new software that offers intranet access, transparency for all involved in the process, and immediate display and maintenance options clearly makes idea management more attractive to all involved the process - submitters, managers, reviewers, and decision-makers. As a result, participation can increase. How is the processing of ideas accelerated? We automate many of the steps and set up processes electronically. It is even possible to eliminate all paper altogether.

How does the software support the reuse of ideas? Because we use SAP software as our basis, we can handle large datasets or global access. We often replace several installations of the legacy system with one installation. The data is stored in one central database and can be used for reporting purposes. The intranet browser provides sophisticated search options. For example, manager can search the database for an existing solution to a problem. Interested parties can be informed automatically about ideas that have been realized and then decide whether they want to implement the idea in their area.

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Return on Investment 2
Existing Problems / Additional Efforts * - Creation and maintenance of automated interfaces to SAP applications in third-party software often leads to problems as developments in the individual SAP application is never identical to developments in the third-party software. - Maintenance of existing hardware, database, and operating system software - Maintenance, storage, and management of two databases with redundant HR master data and organizational data - Complex double maintenance of user administration and authorizations in idea management - Problems with subsequent maintenance of name changes, employee transfers, employees joining and leaving cost centers and departments (new hires, changes, deletions, and changes in areas of responsibility). The amount of decentralization, restructuring, fusions, mergers, and acquisitions in companies today can result in numerous changes to be made to the data. Solution / Potential Cost-Savings *: With Idea Management for SAP, you are working in the SAP R/3 environment, that is, with the same interfaces. Modifications or changes are integrated in the enterprise concept, resulting in significant savings since SAPs data and infrastructure. You do not need to run special programs or carry out manual tasks to transfer master data or organizational data from the HR system or to make premium payments from the payroll system. In other words, cost-savings are realized by the following: - No special interface required to SAP R/3 - No need to update HR master data or cost center and department directories - No need to re-key data, for example, premium assignments in payroll accounting - No need to operate your own system no additional database administration or data security required - No individual user administration required, an enormous task especially for the decentralized approach (Intranet) - Continuous high availability of the SAP system supported by IT - Consolidation of separate plants/sites in one shared system (per plant/site a savings of 0.5 person years)* - Centralized installation of idea management software on one computer reduces the administrative work/tasks of a local idea administration an average of 0.2 person years per plant/site

* depending on previous implementation projects

Transfer of legacy data

How do I automate the transfer of legacy data? We have provided specific data structures for Microsoft Excel files, for example. You must transfer your legacy data using these predefined structures. Our transfer program generates batch input sessions that create the data automatically in the SAP R/3 system. How do I convert my legacy data into the Microsoft Excel format specified by target? We have provided the necessary extractors required by certain standard products available on the market.

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Costs
What does the software cost? The costs depend upon two factors: the number of employees and the number of ideas submitted per year. For excample there are scales for 3,000 to 6,000 employees or ideas submitted annually. Is the license fee a one-time occurrence or is it paid continuously? Can you cite an example of the costs? There is a one-time cost of 14,000 euro for up to 1,000 employees and up to 1,000 submitted ideas per year.

Are there additional costs if the software is used for extremely decentralized idea management with access available to each employee in the company intranet? No. In other words, I only need to take into account the project costs and the software maintenance costs? Yes.

There is a one-time only fee. Are there any additional costs for programs for transferring data or other utilities/tools?

No.

What the Future Holds

A Future-Safe Investment Our Web solution is part of SAP Employee SelfServices (SAP ESS). All SAP ESS services in HR are based on SAP Internet Transaction Service (SAP ITS) until SAP R/3 Enterprise. mySAP ERP 2004 is currently in the ramp-up phase. As a ramp-up customer, target has already begun to make the required modifications in mySAP ERP 2004. The new Web Dynpro technology is available in this version, The first employee self-services have already been converted from SAP ITS to the new Web Dynpro technology. target will also modify the idea management self-services to the Web Dynpro. In this way, our developments will maintain their compatibility with further developments of SAP technology going forward. Benefits: A consistent software platform and release cycles as well as a consistent user interfaces for employees, administrators, and IT personnel alike. target provides additional functional enhancements in the form of Service Packs approximately twice a year. Our customers are generally able to keep their systems running productively as well as to carry out upgrades to the latest software versions. Operations and Support Embedded in SAPs Total Concept Through a maintenance contract, target guarantees you a future-safe investment with enhancements and modifications for the latest SAP software version available at the same time as the SAP software. As an SAP Software Partner, we are obligated to make our software compatible to a new SAP software version at the same time that SAP provides general availability for its newest version. Furthermore, we have the same upgrade schedule for our software as the SAP system. Our software is developed with tools in SAPs development workbench according to the standard SAP system and not a customer-specific project solution.

http://www.target-soft.com

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