Guiding Implementation

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to explain the data migration process, the tools available, and the software integration options for SAP Transportation Management.

Planning Data Migration

Data migration is a critical process during an SAP implementation. The key steps involved in supporting you through data migration are:

Identify: Determine the data to be migrated, along with the source and target systems.
Extract: Extract data from the source system.
Transform: Convert the extracted data into the correct format for the target system.
Load: Load the transformed data into the target system.
Validate: Test and validate the data to ensure accuracy and integrity.

Definition of the main steps in a data migration process.

Data Migration Process for SAP Transportation Management

For SAP Transportation Management (SAP TM), SAP has provided a migration tool to facilitate the migration from standalone SAP TM 9.5 or 9.6 to SAP TM for SAP S/4HANA, supporting both deployment options— Embedded and Standalone (also referred to as extra stack). You can access it through transaction /SCMTMS/2S4H.

Migration tool to facilitate the migration from standalone SAP TM 9.5 or 9.6 to SAP TM for S/4HANA.

Note

The migration tool does not transfer any transaction data. Additionally, the tool is applicable only for SAP TM 9.5 or higher versions and is not compatible with SAP TM 9.4 or earlier releases.

For more details on the migration tool, please refer to SAP Note 2769186.

For SAP Transportation Management Master Data Transfer Tool: SAP Note 3048402 (Transfer Transportation Management Master Data).

Migrating guidelines to migrate from an older SAP TM version.

If you are using SAP TM 9.4, you should begin at step 2, where you first need to upgrade to a newer release before proceeding with the migration.

If your version is earlier than 9.4, you will need to make a copy of the production system, upgrade to a newer release, and only then can you proceed with the migration.

Planning Data Integration

Data integration plays a crucial role in project implementation by ensuring seamless communication between different systems. By facilitating the exchange of data, effective data integration streamlines workflows, reduces manual efforts, ensures error handling, and improves overall operational performance.

Key stages of the data integration process include:

Assessment and Planning: Identifying integration needs, reviewing system compatibility, and defining scope and resources.
Designing the Integration Solution: Developing an integration architecture, mapping data, and selecting appropriate tools.
Development and Configuration: Configuring the necessary communications between systems, transforming data, and implementing business logic.
Testing: Testing individual components of the integration (Unit Testing), verifying if the integration flow works (Integration Testing), and validating that the integration meets the entire business processes (User Acceptance Testing).
Deployment: Deploying to production, monitoring performance, and ensuring smooth operation.
Post-Integration Support: Troubleshooting issues, monitoring, maintaining, and optimizing the solution for long-term success.

Note

Data integration can often become a bottleneck in project implementation; ensure all integration-related activities are planned well in advance to avoid delays.

Relevant questions about integration to help preparing the data integration activities

Integration with SAP Transportation Management

SAP Transportation Management (SAP TM) can integrate with both SAP and non-SAP systems and applications. Typically, SAP TM integrates with an SAP ERP/S/4HANA system, where it receives demand requirements. These requirements are then converted into transportation requirements and orders within the SAP TM system.

In addition, SAP TM commonly integrates with SAP Extended Warehouse Management (SAP EWM) and Business Network for Logistics (BN4L). However, the specific integrations depend on the customer's unique requirements and business needs.

In SAP Note 2197051 you can find an SAP Transportation Management (SAP TM) Quick Reference Guide with links to other FAQ notes regarding integration.

Furthermore, check the Community Content section to see questions that already have been answered regarding integration topics.

Preparing for Testing

Testing during project implementation ensures that business processes are verified and validated as initially agreed upon during the design phase. Establishing a clear test strategy is a critical component of the project plan.

Three key focal points when preparing for testing phases are described below:

There are three focal points to prepare for testing: Plan & Prepare, Execute, Analyze and Monitor.

WHO Will Be Testing?

A test management team will oversee the process in collaboration with project management to define the testing scope. Testers should include participants from the design phase, as well as business experts and end users.

WHAT Will Be Tested?

Identify in advance which business scenarios, master data, and transactional data are relevant for testing. Key areas include:

Roles, permissions, and authorizations.
Business elements such as countries, regions, products, customers, and locations.
Specific scenarios that require targeted data.

WHERE Will Testing Be Performed?

Select the appropriate testing environment, whether it’s Development (DEV), Quality (QA), or a production-like environment (PROD).

HOW Will Testing and Issues Be Managed?

The test manager will assign test plans with specific test packages and communicate schedules. A structured approach to issues reporting is essential, using a tool to document issues or needed changes, including details such as the tester assigned, issues owner, and resolution priority.

WHEN Will Testing Occur?

Testing phases should have clear timelines in the project plan, typically starting during the realization phase after the design review is completed. Different teams in the project will conduct various types of testing:

The implementation team handles unit and integration testing.
Business users are responsible for User Acceptance Testing (UAT).

Note

The testing strategy and phases are mutually agreed upon by the implementation partner and customer and must be adapted to fit each project plan and its requirements.

Testing Types

Understanding the types of testing is crucial to ensure that the configuration and integration align with the initially agreed business requirements. There are several test types, and the most common ones include:

Unit Testing.
Integration Testing.
User Acceptance Testing (UAT).

	Unit Test	Integration Test	User Acceptance Test
Purpose	Test configuration	Confirm the interfaced data is being exchanged with other systems	Validate E2E processes to meet the approved design requirements
Owner/ Tester	Functional & technical teams	Key users	Key users and end users
Data	Sample data sets	Combination of user-created data and sample migrated data	Combination of user-created data and sample migrated data
Outcome	Configured solution is validated; critical & high priority defects resolved	Integration of the E2E scenarios function as per requirements	Business E2E scenarios function as per requirements

Each test type involves different roles. For example, UAT is typically conducted by business users who ideally participated in the design phase. Their involvement ensures they can effectively validate whether the designed solution aligns with the agreed business requirements.

Conclusion

Data migration and system integration work together to keep an organization’s technology ecosystem modern, efficient, and aligned with business objectives. They enable seamless transitions to new systems while unlocking the full potential of integrated technologies.

A successful testing phase requires a clear definition of the purpose and scope of each test type, the assignment of teams based on expertise and involvement in earlier phases, and a structured process for tracking and resolving issues that arise during testing.

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