The document discusses the importance of identifying the root cause of SAP major incidents by asking "why" multiple times. It provides an example of an interface failure and the series of "why" questions that uncover the true root cause was a lack of validation requirements in the system specification. Finding the underlying root cause allows organizations to prevent similar incidents from occurring again in the future.

1. Why did
your last
SAP Major
Incident
REALLY
happen?

2. WHY?
First, pretend you’re a kid again
and ask…

3. WHY
WHY?
? WHY?
WHY?WHY?
HY?
WHY?
WHY?

4. We know, it’s extremely annoying.

5. But after a SAP Major
Incident, it’s crucial to
get down to the REAL
root cause of the
issue…

6. If you don’t do this,
you’ll never be able
to fix the underlying
problem...

7. Which means the
Major Incident will
happen again.

8. WHY?
So you need to ask

9. WHY?
5 TIMES

10. Only then will you get down to the
root cause responsible for the
pain of your Major Incident.

11. Like toothache,
SAP Major Incidents really hurt.

12. Take this example…
OUR
INTERFACE
HAS FAILED!

13. WHY

14. Why did the interface fail?
Because there was a iDoc
error.

15. Whywas there an
iDoc error?
Because a legacy system sent
the wrong data.

16. Whydid a legacy system send
the wrong data?
Because there was no validation
on a data input screen.

17. Whywas there no
validation?
Because it wasn’t in the spec.

18. Whywasn’t it in the spec?
Because our requirements
specification doesn’t mandate
that validation must be designed
into system changes.

19. Take this example…
BINGO!

20. Take this example…
Because our
requirements
specification
doesn’t mandate
that validation must
be designed into
system changes
Now here’s your real
underlying root cause.

21. Take this example…
And more importantly,
You’ve identified something you can actually fix.
Because our
requirements
specification
doesn’t mandate
that validation must
be designed into
system changes

22. You’ve now found a way to stop similar
incidents like this disrupting your
business operations again in the future.

23. And you can go back and identify other
validation issues that may cause
interfaces to fail.
You’ve now found a way to stop similar
incidents like this disrupting your
business operations again in the future.

24. We’ve got a ready-made
template for reporting on
SAP Major Incidents…
DOWNLOAD

25. basistechnologies.com
A faster, better way