Knowing Your Upgrade Cycle

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to discuss the importance of timely upgrades and the different phases and teams involved in an SAP S/4HANA Private Cloud upgrade cycle.

Upgrade Types

There are two upgrade types:

- Technical Upgrade

- Functional Upgrade

Technical Upgrade

A technical upgrade ensures your software remains compliant while improving infrastructure, systems, and technology. This type of upgrade focuses on enhancing performance, security, compatibility, and scalability, without introducing new features or changing the functionality of the SAP solution.

Functional Upgrade

A functional upgrade, on the other hand, unlocks numerous new capabilities, enhances the user experience, and addresses various business requirements.

How is the Software Upgrade Cycle?

The software upgrade should be treated as a small project. Typically, this involves creating a business case and an effort estimation. Your upgrade drivers are based on understanding the benefits of upgrading and mapping those benefits to both the expected business and technical value.

Diagram of SAP Activate for RISE with SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition – Upgrade, illustrating six phases: Discover, Prepare, Explore, Realize, Deploy, and Run, with corresponding activities across various workstreams.

The generic phases and tasks that a functional upgrade project entails are as follows:

Discovery Phase

The Discovery phase helps the customer understand RISE with SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition, its features, and benefits. By the end of this phase, the customer and sales team will agree on the implementation scope, project timelines, and target solution model.

Prepare Phase

The objective of the Prepare phase is to initiate the project with thorough planning and preparation. During this phase, the project commences, plans are finalized, the project team is assigned, and preliminary work is undertaken to ensure an optimal start for the project. This phase is considered successfully completed and may now be formally closed with the Quality Gate (Q-Gate) known as 'Prepare to Explore'.

Explore Phase

The Explore phase aims to create detailed plans for all implementation workstreams to be executed in the Realize phase. These plans should cover scoping, testing, end-user enablement, operations, and configuring and extending the solution.

The Explore phase has been completed and can be closed with the Q-Gate Explore to Realize.

Realize Phase

The objective of the Realize phase is to implement the plans formulated and approved during the Explore phase. The solution is configured in alignment with the previously collected and validated backlog. Users are adequately prepared for the transition, with comprehensive end-user training organized and delivered. Additionally, the productive environment is meticulously prepared for cut-over.

In the Realize phase, the team configures, extends, integrates, tests, confirms, and documents the solution in iterations. They develop data conversion programs and ensure alignment with business requirements. Early releases provide users with quick access and value. Each iteration undergoes thorough integration and user acceptance testing. This phase concludes with the Q-Gate Realize to Deploy.

Deploy Phase

The objective of the Deploy phase is to transition to the production system. Upon verifying organizational readiness, both business operations and procedures are transferred to the new system.

The implementation project ends with the Deploy phase, followed by a transition to the Run phase where all project deliverables are handed over to the customer.

Run Phase

The purpose of the Run phase is value generation and continuous learning.

Upgrade for SAP Transportation Management

These are the main points to bear in mind for an upgrade for SAP Transportation Management for S/4HANA Cloud, private edition, extra stack:

Major System Upgrade:: Every two years, one major system upgrade is released, which brings new features. During this two-year period, three feature packs are released.
Upgrade Requirement:: To stay within mainstream maintenance, at least one upgrade must be installed every seven years.
Upgrade Support:: The upgrade project for S/4HANA Private solutions is supported by the SAP ECS team.
Transport Request Freeze:: During the upgrade period, there will be a Transport Request Freeze. All teams involved should be informed about this. Additionally, the upgrade project will occur within a timeframe defined by the customer.
3-Layer Landscape Upgrade:: In a 3-layer landscape, the upgrade sequence starts with the Development (DEV) tenant, followed by the Quality Assurance (QAS) system, and finally, the Production (PRD) system is upgraded.

Additional Information

For additional assistance with release planning and the various phases, refer to the following resources:

Conclusion

An SAP upgrade can be a technical upgrade (focusing on performance, security, and compatibility) or a functional upgrade (adding new features and addressing evolving business needs). In both cases, successful upgrades require clear business goals and adherence to distinct project phases to ensure a controlled transition.

For SAP Transportation Management in a Private Cloud environment, a two-year major release cycle, accompanied by feature packs, ensures consistent enhancements to system functionalities. There is a requirement to upgrade at least once every seven years to stay within mainstream maintenance. Additionally, upgrade projects involve collaboration with the SAP ECS team and occur within timelines defined by the customer, with staged rollouts from DEV to QAS to PRD systems. Adhering to this structured approach minimizes disruptions, safeguards performance, and keeps systems aligned with both technical and business objectives.

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