An RBE Plus Benchmarking Analysis zeroes in on inadequacies and areas potentially in need of improvement in SAP system operation by comparing yours with other SAP systems. Founded on the long established RBE Plus Analysis, RBE Plus’s benchmarking approach offers a fresh contrast to classic benchmarking projects. By providing a panel of comparable companies, it delivers a swift and affordable way for you to see how your SAP system configuration and usage stack up against the competition.
 

HOW DOES AN RBE PLUS BENCHMARKING PROJECT WORK?

An RBE Plus Analysis furnishes you with an ABAP program that extracts relevant data from your SAP system. The resulting key performance indicators (KPI) are compared with corresponding averages from a panel of similar companies. These are then checked in the KPI Library – a database containing KPIs from over 500 SAP clients (kept anonymous).
You can compile a customized panel for benchmarking your specific key performance indicators. Based on your company’s criteria (industry, region) and system aspects, such as number of users and functional scope, you can select relevant projects from the KPI Library to assemble a panel specially tailored to your company. To help you assess your own key performance indicators, the reference panel’s average values, as well as its lowest and highest ones, are presented for direct comparison.

 
WHICH KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS DOES IT IDENTIFY?

RBE Plus Benchmarking currently identifies 25 KPIs regarding costs, system usage and quality.

Costs

The Costs category helps you pinpoint the key figures that have a direct impact on your running SAP system expenses. Emphasis is placed on your own, custom-made developments that may promise higher productivity, but result in high development and maintenance costs. While examining any custom transactions and reports, the tool also analyzes modifications, enhancements and interfaces, determining their number and usage intensity when compared with corresponding panel figures. The bottom line is whether your system is above or below average. So, for example, a higher than average proportion of custom developments that are seldom used would be one indicator of poor cost efficiency. 

System Usage

System Usage analyzes the extent to which available functions are utilized. Standard software is most productive when its standard capabilities are being used to their full potential. The degree of standardization describes the proportion of standard transactions used in relation to all transactions used; this ratio provides valuable information on how you can intensify your use of standard features in each of the application areas. Another focus is usage intensity (the number of transaction calls) and usage range (the number of different transactions) in correlation with users and application areas. The central question posed here is: does my system exhibit an above or below average usage intensity and range? A higher than average number of sporadic users or a lower than average range of usage in designated areas shows that your system is not being used effectively. 

Quality

This category deals with qualitative aspects of the SAP system and its usage. One priority is the analysis of risks associated with data misuse. Here the KPIs classify all authorizations and access rights as critical transactions. System stability (e.g. monthly runtime errors) and performance (transaction response times) are also examined. Transaction usage profiles are used to determine how many different users execute transactions in order to facilitate the calculation of risks during employee absences. Using benchmarks as a measuring stick lets you know when to take action and when quality improvement dictates that you act immediately.