Running Successful Projects in SAP Cloud ALM

SAP Cloud ALM comes preloaded with SAP Activate Roadmaps and Accelerators.

SAP Activate is a methodology created by SAP to ensure that all SAP products have a harmonious implementation cycle and experience.

When an SAP Activate Roadmap is selected, an actionable and trackable task list is generated.

Roadmap Content:

• The list of supported templates is growing.
• The content is kept up to date.
• The content comes preassigned to roles.
• The content also includes Roles and Workstreams.

Start with SAP Standard Content (Best Practices and Intelligent Enterprise scenarios)​.

Process-based scoping for Fit-to-Standard Workshops.

Model additional custom solution processes​ if required.

Capture the Requirements.

Task content can be updated to provide the latest information on how tasks can be carried out.

If a content update modified a task, then the task history shows what was updated.

An update can result in a task getting restructured, merged, split, or deprecated. If this happens:

• A prefix [Obsolete] is added to the task.
• Task attributes will no longer be editable.
• Comments are still permitted.

Tasks can be of different types:

• Roadmap Task:
  • Provided by SAP.
  • Description cannot be edited.
• Project Task: Created by Project team.
• User Story: Created to detail out a Requirement.
• Sub-Task: Child of a parent element.

Tasks can originate from various sources. Examples:

• SAP Cloud ALM Setup
• SAP Activate Roadmap
• SAP Central Business Configuration
• Scoping events
• SAP Readiness Check
• Release Assessment and Scope Dependency Tool for SAP S/4HANA Cloud
• Manually created tasks (Excel upload, API, project tasks, and so on)

The best way to keep track is the Gantt-Chart View of the Task List.

Timeboxing is a time management technique that helps defining the time your team needs for particular tasks.

Phases are provided by the SAP Activate methodology.

Phases can be deactivated (except the Prepare Phase, which is mandatory).

Custom Phases can be created and are highlighted as such.

Custom Phases for example: Hypercare Phase, Discovery Phase.

Facts about Sprints:

• Maintaining a sprint schedule is optional.
• Mainly used for agile project setup.
• It is recommended to create a sprint schedule aligned to the phase schedule.
• The relationship between sprint dates and phase dates is implicit, not explicit.
• Sprints can be locked so that no further objects can be assigned.
• Sprints automatically show as past when the calendar date is passed.

Facts about Milestones:

• Maintaining a project Milestone is optional.
• Default Milestones are Kickoff, Planned Go-Live, Actual Go-Live.
• Custom Milestones can be created.
• Start Date or Planned Completion Date of a task can be linked to a Milestone.
• If the Milestone Date changes, the assigned task’s date is adapted accordingly.

A Custom Milestone for example: Q-Gate for Prepare Phase.

Facts about Project Roles:

• A project in SAP Cloud ALM comes with a set of predelivered project roles.
• Based on the desired team structure, one or multiple users can be assigned a project role and the same user can be assigned to multiple roles.
• Custom roles can be created based on project needs.

Facts about Project Teams:

• A team is a group of project roles or responsibilities.
• A PMO team is created by default and cannot be deleted, and it is the only team that contains the role "project lead".
• One or multiple teams can be assigned to a project based on the project needs.

Facts about Responsible and Involved Parties:

• Responsible is a Person who is assigned to a certain task.
• Depending on the access level of the project, users can be assigned to a task as the responsible.
• Involved Parties can now be assigned to items to keep users updated on the progress.

Facts about the Overview Page Task Distribution Card:

• Provides increased visibility and assessment of the task performance in one view.
• Review status of tasks that are assigned to different teams:
  • Teams
  • Scopes
  • Responsible
  • Workstreams
• Choose the header to navigate to full-page view in the Task Distribution app.

Facts about Workstreams:

• Workstreams represent a logical grouping of a working area.
• They are used as an attribute to indicate in which area of the project the work will be done.
• SAP Activate provides a list of Workstreams.
• Workstreams are project-agnostic.
• Create Custom Workstreams in the Project and Setup UI.

Facts about Deliverables:

• A Deliverable is a group of related tasks representing an outcome.
• Each phase contains deliverables that are produced during the phase, for example, Production Cutover in Deploy Phase.
• SAP Activate provides a list of Deliverables.
• Deliverables are project-specific.
• Create Custom Deliverables in the Project and Setup UI.

Facts about Tag Management:

• Use the Central Tag Management Application to create tags and tag groups, edit, delete, merge, and analyse usage.
• Tags are project-agnostic.
• Tags come from:
  • SAP Activate
  • Custom (End-User)
  • Custom (Admin)
• Create a tag group to offer multiple tag values for a specific aspect: tag name is displayed in the form <group>: <tag>.
• Use Enterprise Search to find all Objects with a specific Tag or Filter, for example, Task List or Overview Page by Tags.

You can now create tag groups to offer multiple tag values for a specific aspect.

A tag group is an optional property of a tag. If the tag belongs to a tag group, the tag name is displayed in the form <group>: <tag>.

Merge: Rename the Tag to an already existing Tag name, then choose the Confirm Merge button.

The figure illustrates an example of a project schedule.

Facts about the Deployment Plan:

• The Deployment plan is collection of timelines and System Groups that can be assigned to multiple Projects.
• It consists of multiple Releases.
• It contains the landscape defined by the assigned System Groups.
• When assigned to a project, it brings the Landscape information to the Project.

Facts about the Deployment Landscape:

• The Landscape assignment to a Project is called Deployment Landscape.
• System Groups can be assigned to a Project via a Deployment Plan.
• In the Deployment Landscape tab, you can view and modify your deployment landscape.
• All Projects which belong to a Deployment Plan (which share the same "Heartbeat") is visible.

Releases that are assigned to items or features now remain assigned when a deployment plan is removed or switched.

Facts about Releases:

• A Release is scheduled with a start and an end date.
• A Deployment event is planned at the end of Release.
• Releases are created within a Deployment Plan and they can be assigned to Requirements, User stories, and Features.
• A Deployment plan can have overlapping Releases.
• A Deployment plan (hence the Release schedule) can be assigned to multiple Projects.
• A Project inherits the Releases from the Deployment Plan assigned to it.

Purpose of a Release:

• Assigned to Requirements by Business users indicating expected availability.
• Assigned to Features for Deployment planning and execution.

A Gantt chart shows a Hierarchy-based view of the project tasks:

• Task durations can be adjusted.
• Task relationships and other task attributes can be maintained.
• Task association to Timeboxes, Milestones, and Release timelines are visible.
• Summary of Story Points and Effort (Hours) is displayed.

Requirements, Tasks, User Stories, Sub-Tasks, and Defects can now be displayed in a Kanban-like view.

Each card shows the ID, priority, planned completion date, and the responsible person.

Drag and drop the task card to update the status.

Release and Timeline App are renamed to Cross Project Analysis.

The following topics are discussed as next:

• Overview Page
• Analytics Apps:
  • Project Progress Reporting
  • Task Trend Analysis
  • Traceability Views
  • And many more
• Recommendations

Project Card: Get a quick impression about a projects performance through this card.

Project Progress Card: Get an overall or phase-wise progress percentage in terms of task completion. Choose the bars to review the corresponding task list.

Based on your role, the overview page can be personalized to show and hide the cards to suit your needs.

Ready to use reports for project progress in terms of task completion:

• per Phase
• per Sprints
• per Deliverable

Outlines planned, completed, overdue, and remaining tasks.

A burn down chart to focus on the remaining work to be done.

Download, share by e-mail, or print reports directly from the app.

This analytical page covers agile reporting needs and is available in the Analytics Overview.

This chart helps project leads to visualize the trending task progression on a timeline.

It is possible to visualize a chart for a specific or multiple timebox/es.

By default, it displays the task progress of the current phase.

Create view variants with preferred filters.

Story Points Completion/Burn Up Chart:

Provides insight about how tasks have been progressing over a period of time in terms of Story Points.

Requirement Traceability:

Analyze readiness of your Requirements in a detailed matrix which demonstrates status of related tasks.

Solution Process Traceability:

Review readiness of scoped Solution Processes based on the status of related Requirements and Test execution.

Recommendations for project leads in the form of:

• Warnings to highlight areas that need attention.
• SAP Project Guidance.
• Tips for proper tool usage.

The following list provides a lot of tips and tricks:

• Bring your own content.
• Adjust settings:
  • Add a custom phase.
  • Add a custom workstream.
  • Add a custom deliverable.
  • Add a custom role.
  • Link Tasks.
  • Create Tags.
• Customize views:
  • Adjust filter settings.
  • Adjust column settings.
  • Save views.
  • Save tiles.
• Use APIs.
• Use Excel Upload.
• Use Gantt Chart and Cards View.
• Use Releases and Timelines App.
• Use Enterprise Search.
• Use in-app and mail Notifications.
• Follow in-app Recommendations.
• Visit the Help Portal.
• Visit Expert Portal.
• Keep visiting Whats New in ..".