Perform Manual Entries

Use

The purpose of this task is to manually enter data from legacy systems into the SAP production system, perhaps because there is only a small number of records to enter, or because converting data to SAP System structures is less efficient.

The procedure describes how to manually enter data to an SAP System client as part of the final preparations for going live. The process assumes that the data to be entered to SAP System is clean, or that the conversion process cleans the data while converting it to SAP System format.

The procedure is different, depending on a number of factors:

Manual data should be entered by the owner or user of the data, and data should be entered to transactions that have been grouped to reflect interdependency or a complete process. Ideally, each user should enter all the data he or she will subsequently use to perform business processes. This approach not only minimizes the data preparation effort, but also improves accuracy. Any problems with the data or the data entry process are quickly apparent to such a person, who can then contribute to the resolution of the problem.

The data needs to be entered manually. For example, is it master data, transaction data, updates to data already set up in the production client (such as changes to data frozen prior to Go Live), or a mixture of these types?

The data entry sequence must take into account the data and the transaction dependencies in the system. Packages of work must be identified for each data entry personnel that balance efficiency of entry with data and transaction dependency.

As a rule, master data entry should precede transaction data entry, and all updates to data already set up in the production system should be undertaken in a batch just before Go Live (for example, changes to salary details, or bills of materials already converted into the production system).

Procedure

  1. Prepare for the data entry task.
    Map the data to be manually entered to system transactions. Check that the data has been converted to the correct format, and that the correct field names have been identified.
    Confirm the data entry personnel, and ensure that the data entry material is presented in a manner that matches the abilities of data entry personnel.
    Data to be entered from source documents should be highlighted, and each data entry person should be provided with a field name conversion list and instructions that confirm the sequencing requirements.
    Where source documents are not available, data entry personnel who have not been appropriately trained should be provided with reports or a spreadsheet containing the data organized into entry sequence, along with screen prints of the system transaction with the data fields highlighted.
    A short training session for data entry personnel who have not been trained should precede the actual data entry. This session should demonstrate how to logon, how to navigate, how to enter data and how to back out of transactions.
    You must sort and sequence the data in a manner that recognizes data and transaction dependencies.
    Package the data to match the abilities of individual data entry personnel, that is, to reflect whether they have been trained, are users, and so on. Batch totals should be calculated for all monetary values.
    Confirm the availability of the production client, sufficient PCs and system resources for the manual entry task.
    Confirm the system backup arrangements to ensure that a balance has been achieved between the amount of time required to backup and the amount of time that would be lost if data were lost. Continuous (online) backup is preferable.
    Confirm if and how manual data is to be copied to the quality assurance system.
    Check the data entry authorization profiles against the data and transactions to be updated.
    Confirm the venue for the data entry task. Ensure that the room has a whiteboard or flipchart.
    Prepare a schedule for the data entry activity that identifies milestones (including progress points and backups).
    Prepare an introduction to the data entry task for all data entry personnel, covering the objective of the activity, planned times, how issues should be logged and progress recorded, and logon instructions.
  2. Perform manual entries.
    At the beginning of the session, ensure that all personnel are advised of the planned schedule, how to logon, how to log issues, and how to record progress.
    Check progress and any issues at regular intervals, and ensure backups occur as scheduled.
  3. Check manual entries.
    The need for checks of manual data entry should be balanced against the risk if data were incorrectly entered versus the time and effort required to carry out the check. The type of data entered is another important factor to be taken into account, for example, bank details should be individually checked.
    As a minimum, a 1% sample of every individual’s work should be checked by another data entry team member.
    Monetary data such as account balances, stock and work-in-process values should be checked by comparing the system totals with the batch totals of the original data from the legacy system.
    Collect and retain all manual data after the data entry exercise.
  4. Create ‘Transport’ package for the manual entries.
    Many times, it goes unnoticed that manual entries may be required in more than one system – like Development, QA and Production system. It is not convenient to enter the data manually more than once. Hence, we still need some automated way to repeat the manual entries more than once and in different systems.
    When implementing an SAP R/3 System, a good tool for subsequent automation is CATT. Please enter the manual entries once and get them recorded by CATT. Subsequently, just the run of the CATT script will load the manual entries. Additionally, CATT scripts are transportable from one system to another.

Business Process Procedure (BPP) templates can be modified to assist data entry personnel who have not been trained.