The question is now: Where do we go from here?
So now that everybody knows there are reports that are needed that are
missing from the new system. Is there a team and process in place to
collect those reporting requirements and develop the reports?
Or is the end user stuck with dumping to a spreadsheet and deleting the
extraneous columns they don't need, formatting and then printing out?
It sure would be nice to see a list of the reports to be developed along
with the descriptions and the time to implementation.
LD
> From: Patrick Bills <[log in to unmask]>
> Reply-To: Patrick Bills <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:51:23 -0500
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: [MSUNAG] SAP GUI on Macs
>
> I am in the same boat as our chair is a mac user. I also don't post much
> here. I'm sorry if the following is long but hope it continues a good
> discussion.
>
> Timo is correct that there were meetings and lots of notice of the system
> requirements. Many of us saw this coming but also saw it as inevitable. What
> I didn't see happen was an active interest in what we really wanted in the
> units. Perhaps a survey of client requirements or what we wanted ( over email,
> this listserv etc). Mac compatibility would be one of those things. Or did I
> miss something?
>
> That goes not just for this issue of OS support but for the greater issue of
> user interface or reporting requirements. Not one staff person I've spoken
> with is happy with the UI on any platform. My job now is to fiddle with the
> SAP web interface to help people get there work done. These are folks who took
> all training they could get their hands on and still could not print without
> my help (and I had no training, folks like us just know what to look for). We
> knew this was coming and it would be hard but not to the extent that it is.
> But no one asked our staff about their processes. Everything seems to take
> more clicks, more data entry, more work. The cost of the time spent just
> trying to get useable reports to find out if employees got paid is way more
> than $140, and that's the real burden on the staff I'm sure the back-end
> databases are awesome and will be great for reporting but that doesn't help my
> folks now.
>
> I can see why supporting a java client is problematic. The way to help users
> then is to write web apps against the API that are tailored for the user, as
> Alexander Hawley suggests. To that end (and on another thread) I would like
> to know who is working on web apps against EBS api's for staff daily
> activities. I hear there is a team at AIS and they are prioritizing. What
> about outside of AIS? And what is the timeline? Who will be allowed to
> write such apps? ( any of us?) That would be a great topic for the IT
> conference. Perhaps this was discussed at the meetings I couldn't attend.
> The staff is really miserable right now.
>
> For the near term however, and back to original question, I would be happy to
> help build a reference XP system for Virtual Box that has the installs needed
> to access SAP that we could all share. Virtual Box is not as slick as the
> other VM apps but works fine for occasional use. We would each be responsible
> for our own licensing on an honor system. If you want to change the UIDs or
> whatever windows wants for proper replication then go ahead. I'm finding that
> not much is necessary. This may be heresy in the windows world but works for
> me to deal with this issue for now.
>
>
> ---
> Patrick Bills
> [log in to unmask]
>
> On Jan 27, 2011, at 3:30 PM, "Vasquez, Timo" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> I agree with Dennis and a few others, as to why not ask these questions about
>> MAC compatibility over the past three years during the development. That
>> isn't fair of me to ask because I am sure others did inquire. However was
>> the answer shared, displayed, to those of you who have "MAC" offices? I am
>> not sure.
>>
>> I do know the last year EBS(P), had clearly posted client requirements, ran
>> trainings created an information portal, was available via email, phone
>> directory and in person visits. We as an IT community has several IT
>> summits, where Bruce Alexander presented the status of the "project" as we
>> knew it back then; and all of us had opportunities to ask questions about
>> desktop requirements.
>>
>> I am just miffed we are at this stage in the post go live date and have
>> departmental setup questions as it pertains to clients.
>>
>> I pre apologize now if I offended any of you.
>>
>>
>>
>> Timoteo "Timo" Vasquez; MCTS, MCP
>> Client Services - Network Security Team
>> [log in to unmask] - 517.884-3082
>> Administrative Information Services
>> (where ever we hang our hat is home...)
>> East Lansing, MI 48832
>> "but our computer room is in your office!"
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Jim Leikert [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>> Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2011 2:31 PM
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: [MSUNAG] SAP GUI on Macs
>>
>> Hi All,
>>
>> Ok, normally I keep quiet about this kinda stuff. But I digress...
>>
>> Yes, I inquired about the SAP GUI for Java since our department has pretty
>> much standardized on OSX, but it's not a 'feasible business approach', as
>> referenced below. Cheap, good, fast- anyone? Interesting how they are
>> targeting 'ongoing activities' to support running the GUI for Windows _ON_
>> OSX when they could just pool their resources and support the Java GUI to
>> begin with. $140 end user Microsoft tax- *approved*.
>>
>> Ok, rant off. Sorry, feisty today... after spending the entire morning
>> wrestling with this. Imagine when a non-technical staff member does
>> *everything* in OSX and has to transpose little bits and pieces back and
>> forth between their native OS and and one application running in a VM.
>>
>> Jim
>>
>> High Performance Computing Center - Institute for Cyber-Enabled Research
>> Michigan State University
>>
>>
>> /* begin snip - names removed to protect the innocent */
>>
>> While I can certainly understand your predicament with SAP access on Macs and
>> other OS, enabling SAP GUI for Java client is not a feasible business
>> approach, for several reasons:
>>
>> 1. Portal would need to be reconfigured to accept SAP GUI for Java
>>
>> 2. New Access/Security roles would need to be created and issued
>> to those using SAP GUI for Java (or we would need to redeploy the GUI to all
>> users [switch them from current SAP GUI for Windows])
>>
>> 3. EBS infrastructure would need to be verified/changed to use the
>> SAP GUI for Java (changes to development, applications, etc.)
>>
>> 4. Changes would be required to online and hard copy user
>> documentation of the system (screens look and sometimes behave differently
>> between the SAP GUI clients)
>>
>> With these changes there would need to be full regression tests of the SAP
>> links and workflow processes to make sure all functionality works under the
>> new configuration. This change would likely require a new project be invoked
>> (with the major cost and time implications that come with it).
>>
>> There are ongoing activities by the portal/infrastructure teams to
>> continually search for patches, updates, even different browsers, that could
>> be applied or used by Mac and Linux users under the current SAP GUI client
>> for Windows that more fully support the current environment/configuration. I
>> will also pass your name on to these areas if there is something that you
>> could help beta test before it is deployed to the University as a whole.
>>
>> Until then, you are limited to what features/functions you can access and
>> use, unless you are a Mac user and proceed with adding a Virtual Windows
>> environment (which runs around $140).
>>
>> /* end snip */
>>
>>
>> Michael Hoxsey wrote:
>>> It won't work, the EBS Portal was built to only interface with the
>>> SAPGUI for Windows, not the SAPGUI for Java.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Michael Kramizeh [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>>> Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2011 1:01 PM
>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>> Subject: [MSUNAG] SAP GUI on Macs
>>>
>>> Has anyone had any experience with using the SAP GUI on a mac with EBS?
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