copyright © 2003 americas’ sap users’ group microsoft’s sap upgrade based on the quarterly...

Copyright © 2003 Americas’ SAP Users’ Group

Microsoft’s SAP Upgrade based Microsoft’s SAP Upgrade based on the Quarterly Release Strategyon the Quarterly Release Strategy

Scott BaxterLead Program Manager, EAS

Becky MoeSenior Program Manager, CAIT

Tim GaleProduct Manager, Corporate Accounting

May 19th, 2003

Key Learning Points

Leveraging Microsoft's Quarterly Release framework to minimize impact of SAP Upgrade on organizations

Importance of strong communication and resource planning

No “One Size Fits All” approach to training and documentation

Company Profile

Employees:

US 39,640

International 14,726

Total 54,366

Vendors WW 19,757

Agency Temps WW 4,500

Total 24,257

Contingent Staff:

SAP at Microsoft

General Facts 400 company codes (180 with headcount) 15,000 active cost centers (5,500 with headcount) 140,000 active internal orders

User Numbers 2,000 named; 50,000+ total users 600+ concurrent users

Modules Implemented SD, MM, FI, CO, AM, HR, BW, APO, RE, PS

System Information 950+ GB in single, central database 6.25 GB growth per week 99.9+% availability (excluding quarterly releases)

Microsoft’s First and Best Customer

Upgrade – Objectives

“Just Another Quarterly Release”

Upgrade SAP to Enterprise by August 2003

Minimize production downtime

Keep performance similar or better

Reduce number of repairs

Identify and retire obsolete custom objects

Quarterly Release/Upgrade Resources

Continuity maintained from release to release

Quarterly release resources utilized for Upgrade

Enterprise Application Services (EAS)

SAP Program Management

SAP Product Management

Business Unit IT Partners


Enterprise Application Services (EAS)

Perform all custom SAP programming (ABAP) and related unit testing

Support conceptual stage of design phase

Perform functional and performance testing

Maintain stable and cost-effective SAP environment

Manage production issue resolution

Review and analyze Hotpacks


SAP Program Management Manage SAP change request process

Support envisioning process from an IT and SAP perspective

Drive design process for SAP changes

Complete SAP configuration activities

Support functional and regression testing processes

Serve in a consulting role for escalated production issues

Review and analyze Hotpacks


SAP Product Management Manage SAP change request process

Manage CR prioritization for each Release

Liaison to Business Representatives

Assist business in development of requirements

Manage User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and Business Process Regression Testing (BPRT)

Training and rollout

Communication


Business Unit IT Partners

Responsible for integrated tools and applications Examples:

Web Extensions

Data Warehouses

Partner with SAP teams on envisioning process from an IT perspective

Support Upstream/Downstream Testing Activities

PreliminaryPreliminary AnalysisAnalysis

Business Business AnalysisAnalysis

IT Costing &IT Costing &PrioritizatioPrioritizatio

nn

DevelopmeDevelopmentnt

TestTest

Preliminary Preliminary candidate cutoffcandidate cutoff

Code Code completecomplete

UATUATBPRTBPRT

CandidatCandidate e

cutoffcutoff

Requirements Requirements deadlinedeadline

Quarterly Release Phases/Milestones

Business Need Identified &Business CaseDevelopedStakeholder

Requirements DocumentationStakeholder Product Mgmt

IT Work Effort EstimatedProgram Mgmt

Technical Spec CompleteProgram Mgmt

User Acceptance TestingProduct MgmtStakeholder

Product Studio Item (for tracking) & Candidate List CreatedProduct Mgmt

Candidate PrioritizationAll StakeholdersProduct Mgmt

Effort Adjusted Final Candidate ListAll

Configuration & DevelopmentProgram MgmtIT Development

Business Process TestingProduct MgmtStakeholder

Preliminary Work Effort EstimatedProduct MgmtProgram Mgmt

Quarterly Business Review“Draw the Line”Executive Sponsors

IT Resources Assigned

IT Unit TestingProgram MgmtIT Development

GoGoLiveLive

Quarterly Release Schedule FY2003

Milestone Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

Preliminary Candidate CutoffPreliminary Candidate Cutoff BizCase DueBizCase Due

5/03/02Fri

8/02/02Fri

11/01/02*Fri

N/A*

Requirements DeadlineRequirements Deadline Detail requirements dueDetail requirements due

5/24/02Fri

8/30/02Fri

11/29/02Fri

N/A

Candidate cutoffCandidate cutoff Effort adjusted request listing Effort adjusted request listing

6/07/02Fri

9/06/02Fri

12/06/02Fri

N/A

Specification CutoffSpecification Cutoff Spec reviews completeSpec reviews complete

6/21/02Fri

9/20/02Fri

12/20/02Fri

N/A

Code CompleteCode Complete Development and Unit testDevelopment and Unit test

7/05/02Fri

10/04/02Fri

01/03/03Fri

N/A

UAT CompleteUAT Complete Stakeholder buyoffStakeholder buyoff

7/19/02Fri

10/18/02Fri

01/17/03Fri

N/A

BPRT CompleteBPRT Complete Business Process Test Business Process Test

8/02/02Fri

11/01/02Fri

01/31/03Fri

N/A

Release to ProductionRelease to Production Production handoff Production handoff

8/09/02Fri

11/08/02Fri

02/07/03Fri

N/A

*=Q3-Contingent on complexity of the SAP upgrade: Pre approved items only; Q4-Closed-SAP upgrade

Upgrade Timeline

Scoping & Planning

Roles & Responsibilities replicated from Quarterly Release process, simplifies process of organizing upgrade project team

Plan for 6 month black-out for change requests

Give sufficient lead time to allow critical business and IT changes to occur before the blackout

Executive sponsorship for project plan and resource requirements

SAP technical enhancements considered where processes and support can be simplified

Scoping & Planning

System Landscape designed to minimize need for dual maintenance

DEVDEVMS2MS2

PRODPRODMSSMSS4.54.5

4.74.7

ADJADJMSVMSV

TESTMSU

TESTT02

TESTMST

DEVDEVMS1MS1

TESTTESTMSTMST

PRODPRODMSSMSS

ADJADJMSYMSY

TESTTESTMSXMSX

Analysis and Design

Necessary configuration and programming changes identified

SAP RBE tool used to build inventory SAP transactions & programs being used

Inventoried items reviewed and tested by Program Management

“Broken” items categorized in Timeboxes

Obsolete programs eliminated

Significant changes between SAP releases identified and communicated

Delta documentation

Navigational instructions

Development and Test Timeboxes

Four Timeboxes to organize effort and impact Core Transactions, Repairs & User Exits

Inbound and Outbound Interfaces

Reports/Security

Contingency

Clearly Defined Deadlines Program Specifications

Configuration

Testing

Testing: UAT & BPRT

User Acceptance Testing: ALL SAP transactions, reports and programs used

All bugs should be identified and fixed prior to BPRT

Broad security access assigned to prevent impact on user acceptance testing

Security Roles tested centrally by small teams

Business Process Regression Testing: Occurs over 10 weeks beginning 5/19

Follows guidelines used for normal quarterly release process

Comprehensive End to End testing including tools and upstream/downstream systems

Broad Security Role testing

Testing: Inventories & Scripts Existing Quarterly Release test inventories leveraged for

Upgrade Project

Updated to reflect new and retired transactions Opportunity to enhance for existing transactions

Business Units own and maintain independent repositories of test cases and scenarios

Various tools used (Access DB, Excel, SharePoint)

Users are critical in defining scope and documenting test cases

Global Testing Networks developed to support ongoing regression testing

Detailed test scripts required and used in many operational groups

Other groups identify test cases only and rely on subject matter expertise for testing

Testing: International Scope Regional Product Managers/Coordinators - Critical

Manage International testing effort

Regular meetings with Corporate team

Evangelists and communication liaisons for their regions

International Finance/Procurement resource constraints required focus on “Unique” requirements Examples:

Country specific Statutory Reports

Country specific tax calculations (e.g. VAT)

Accounts Payable processing in each subsidiary

SAP allocations executed by subsidiaries

Subsidiary specific output requirements such as Dunning or Purchase orders

International Fixed Asset Depreciation

Testing: Issue Management

Effective Issue/Bug Management Tools are Essential

IT Teams Share Bug Tracking Tool (Product Studio) Enhanced visibility and reporting

Efficient status tracking

Maintain IT & Biz Contacts, Steps to Reproduce, Dev Status, Testing Status…

Relevant documents such as specifications are attached or linked

Business groups maintain independent issue tracking tools Examples:

Excel

SharePoint

Product Studio

Product Studio for Bug Tracking

Communication and Coordination Establish communication framework early Evangelize SAP Upgrade Benefits regularly Schedule project kick-off meetings

Set expectations Confirm support

Maintain Team Web Sites (SharePoint) Communication Store Project documentation Contact information Issue and Risk Management Links to other sites and information

Hold Frequent Status Meetings Team specific and cross organizational Schedule Brown Bag Sessions

Send Weekly Status Reports and Meeting Summaries

Documentation & Training Business Units determine own documentation and training

strategy Common themes across organizations

Web Based Self-Help Training & Documentation Delta documentation & training to support testing Train the trainer approach widely used Workshops Limited End User Live Training

Factors resulting in different strategies Centralized versus decentralized users Size of user groups Cross organizational considerations Extent that Web Tools are used Resources Distributed Project Management Turnover considerations Use of Vendors to initiate transactions

Documentation & Training

World Wide Operations Widely distributed user community

Domestic and International Cross Organizational

International scope requires Regional Coordinators Broad Range of Training & Documentation Products

Step by Step Procedures Quick Reference Cards Mandatory workshops with workbooks Online quizzes testing proficiency

Web Based Training and Documentation Live Training Two Weeks prior to Go-Live Train the Trainer approach


Finance Widely distributed user community

Domestic and International Cross Organizational

International Scope Requires Regional Product Managers Communication, coordination, education

High use of Web Tools minimize training requirements Reporting Posting Journal Entries Master Data Maintenance

Web Based Training and Documentation Live Workshops Formal Training Focus Several Weeks Prior to Go-Live


HR/Payroll Small, centralized user group Limited training required Preliminary delta training provided to support testing Existing Online Documentation Manual Updated

Procurement Centralized domestic Accounts Payable Limited training needed for domestic team High use of Web Tools minimize training requirements

International and Domestic Some international subsidiaries require training and

documentation Where web tools not implemented Regional Product Managers key to success

Lessons Learned “Technical” does not necessarily = “Simple” EARLY analysis of Security

Impact from new and retired transactions EARLY analysis of new, changed and retired transactions

User education and documentation requirements Impact on security profiles Old versus New decisions for similar transactions Impact on RFCs

Plan for EARLY development RFC impacts Internally released function modules Unicode enabled programs

Good documentation for custom programs is important Provide sufficient user education early to support testing Make sure ALL groups budget project support capacity

Wrap up

Project Status: All analysis, development and unit testing complete in

test environment 5/19 Business Process Regression Testing beginning 5/19 Formalized training for most groups starting in July On schedule for release to production 8/8

Summary: Upgrades are unique so start assessment early Cannot over communicate Get Executive Sponsorship from all teams participating Effective Cross Organizational Partnering is Critical Limit scope if possible Flexibility is a must!

copyright © 2003 americas’ sap users’ group microsoft’s sap upgrade based on the quarterly...

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