Preparing for Cutover

A cutover plan should describe all required tasks and activities that must be performed before the go-live. It includes timelines, responsibilities, resources required, and contingency plans to ensure a smooth and successful transition.

Key Components by SAP Activate Phase

The cutover execution should be performed in the days prior to the go-live date, and after completing the end-to-end integration tests and User Acceptance Testing (UAT).

After the cutover activities are executed, the customer needs to sign off on the go-live. To support this decision, the customer can define and validate go-live acceptance criteria before making the final Go/No-Go decision.

Go-live acceptance criteria are a set of predefined conditions that must be met before a new solution can be officially launched. These criteria ensure that the system is ready, functional, and reliable, thereby minimizing risks and disruptions to business operations.

Here are some common go-live acceptance criteria:

• Successful Integration & Testing: Complete an acceptable percentage of integration tests or validate a sufficient number of User Acceptance Testing (UAT) cases.
• End-User Training: Ensure that a specified number of users complete the necessary training to use the system.
• No Critical Issues: Assess open support cases, with attention to their priority levels.
• Data Integration Validation: Validate the accuracy of master and transactional data loaded into the new system.

To ensure a smooth and successful go-live with SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition, SAP offers two essential Continuous Quality Checks (CQCs). These remote services are included in your cloud subscription and aim to minimize risks and optimize performance based on SAP Best Practices:

1. Private Cloud Go-Live
   • When: Delivered remotely in one or two sessions — Analysis (3–4 weeks before go-live, in specific cases) and Verification (for all customers, ~6 weeks after go-live).
   • Purpose: Check system stability, performance, and optimization potential based on SAP best practices.
   • Benefit: Reduces go-live risks, increases technical stability, and ensures a holistic health check.
2. Business Process Performance Optimization (BPPO)
   • When: Can be delivered anytime after go-live, based on customer need.
   • Purpose: Analyze and optimize the performance of your key business processes to ensure optimal execution of business-critical steps to support operational excellence.
   • Benefit: Enhances process efficiency and system responsiveness, ensuring the solution supports effectively business outcomes.

Both services are delivered by SAP experts and result in a detailed report with findings, improvement recommendations, and a prioritized action plan.

For more information and instructions on how to request a Continuous Quality Check service, please visit the Continuous Quality Check and Improvement Services page.

The successful execution of cutover activities and the establishment of well-defined go-live acceptance criteria are critical to ensuring a smooth transition to a new system. This process requires detailed planning, effective communication, and well-coordinated execution. Such an approach minimizes risks and disruptions, enabling a confident Go/No-Go decision and supporting a successful deployment to achieve business objectives.