1. How long does project take?
    1. Average upgrade takes 2-3 months
      1. Download Sample project plan -> https://go.support.sap.com/roadmapviewer/#group/AAE80671-5087-430B-9AA7-8FBE881CF548/roadmapOverviewPage/MATS4HANA
    2. Prep work needs to be done
      1. CVI (Customer Vendor Integration)
      2. SAP Add-on Suport
        1. https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2214409
        2. Since partners receive SAP S/4HANA releases at the same time as customers, there isusually a lag between the release of a new release and the provision of a certified partneradd-on for that release. By the time FPS01 is released, most partner add-ons are available. o Customers are advised to check expected release dates of partner add-ons directly with therelevant partner organization.
      3. Custom Code Remediation
    3. Things that will impact your project timeline
      1. You need to upgarde from HANA 1.0 to 2.0
      2. Decide to change Fiori architecture from Hub to embedded
      3. You start on an initial shipment pack but plan to go-live with FPS01 or higher
      4. You have many integrated parralel solutions, which increase testing.
      5. You have parrallel integrated cloud solutions that plan to be updated during the course of your project.
      6. Due to simplifcation of tables to CDS views in critical reports/analytics you need to allocate more time to remediate them.
      7. Your business has strict SOD rules and require additional authorization testing
      8. You have more systems in your S/4 Landscape e.g. Training server
      9. You have remote or mixed onsite/remote team
  2. Key Lessons Learned
    1. s/4 is not a once off project
      1. Upgrades and continous improvement projects will become a normal part of keeping up with innovation
      2. Initial versions of S/4 are already going out of maintenance
      3. Customers running 1610 need to consider upgrading
    2. Create an internal knowledge center
      1. Consider creating a CoE
    3. Use latest release and not an “n-1” strategy as cloud has had the release running for a year already
  3. Upgrade Execution
    1. Start with a sandbox, before upgrading your development (DEV) environment.
    2. Downtime Optimization
      1. There are a comprehensive list of measures that can be taken to reduce the technical downtime of the system during the S/4HANA upgrade in SAP Note 2351294
      2. By performing your upgrade in a sandbox - which should be based on a copy of production – you can evaluate if the downtime window will fit into the business downtime window agreed with the business
      3. At the end of each upgrade run, the SUM logs should be used to investigate opportunities for downtime optimization.
      4. Use theSAP Technical Downtime Optimization app provided by SAP - Note 2881515
      5. The more you want to optimize the downtime, the more effort you have in the project.
        1. Standard: several downtime-optimizations (e.g. shadow system operations)
        2. near-Zero Downtime Maintenance (nZDM): downtime reduction by moving main import and table conversion partly into uptime. SAP Note 1678565
        3. Zero Downtime Option (ZDO): handling all update related changes in uptime. SAP Note 2707731
    3. Patch Strategy
      1. Contain bug fixes and performance improvements.
        1. Fiori FES, Server, UI5, NWBC
      2. Apply the latest patches immediately after upgrade, and prior to follow-on EXPLORE and REALIZE activities such as fit-to-standard of successor apps.
    4. Post Upgrade Activities
      1. Update Enterprise Search Content
      2. UX Upgrade programs
      3. Fiori Launchpad configuration, content, layout
      4. Adjust authorizations with new roles and objects
  4. Known Issues
    1. Add-on not available for target release
    2. Upgrade “stuck” due to non-released code and customizing requests (release all transport requests)
    3. DB Space runs out during upgrade +70% of your current DB size
    4. Long runtimes due to incorrect transport sequences
    5. Poor performance of Client Copy esp. with large volume of data
      1. Provision additional hardware
      2. Apply SAP notes to improve performance or apply parameters - SAP Note2550545
      3. Reduce dataset by archiving
    6. Technical errors in ACT_UPG phase, because of clashes in CDS view names - SAP Note 2050604
  5. Planning for Upgrade
    1. Identify Delta Scope
      1. Review Technical Architecture and patch FES, Kernel, ABAP, UI5, Unified Rendering
      2. Evaluate impact of simplifications against your existing processes
      3. Replace deleted functionality and Apps with successors (Fiori Apps, Classic UIs, Business Roles, Obsolete launchpad items)
      4. Review custom custom built UI5 Apps and ABAP Monoliths
      5. Review Authorizations
      6. Identify critical processes for regression testing
    2. Review your UX Strategy
      1. Review Fiori Coverage
      2. See SAP Lighthouse scenarios - https://www.sap.com/corporate/en/documents/2018/01/12b3dec4-ec7c-0010-82c7-eda71af511fa.html
    3. Recommended for Technical Upgrade
      1. If using Standalone Fiori server, migrate to embedded
      2. Review Launchpad and activate high value apps - e.g. New App support feature
      3. Move to latest best practice tools for managing Launchpad content, layout, authorisations.
      4. Review end to end performance and test automation options
      5. Consider extensions to solutions with “side by side” services and capabilities
    4. Recommendations for Functional Upgrade
      1. Replace standalone solutions with embedded solutions.
      2. Extend Fiori coverage - replace classic UIs with Fiori Apps, add embedded analytics and intelligent automation apps
      3. Consider SAP cloud extensions and SAP BTP offerings
    5. Identify Change Management scope with Readiness check
      1. Identify Add-ons and and business functions for target release
      2. Evaluate custom code for opportunities to “go back to standard” - align to SAP’s cloud strategy
        1. Use Standard Fiori App (F3191) Custom code migration available from 1809
    6. Technical Planning
      1. Every project should include performance testing and assume that authorizations will need to change
      2. Maintenance Planner is the key tool for updating an existing system that is performed by the Software Update Manager (SUM) tool
      3. Always recheck your sizing as part of an upgrade. If you intend to add new functionalities during or after upgrade, perform additive sizing using the SAP Quick Sizer Tool
      4. Consider Database versions. If you are upgrading from 1511 or 1610 this will also involve a upgrade to HANA 2.0
      5. Get Fiori FES set up, embedded is recommended incl. Web Dispatcher and associated Launchpad, Search, Notifications etc.
      6. Set up SAP Screen Personas to provide non-coding options to improve classic interfaces.
      7. Check supported browsers for business users, to ensure Internet Explorer support etc.
    7. Security
      1. If moving from intranet only to Internet access for the first time, allow additional time to ensure security has been appropriately considered -> https://blogs.sap.com/2017/12/15/considerations-and-recommendations-for-internet-facing-fiori-apps/
      2. New and changed authorizations are introduced due to: Fiori Apps, Catalogue assignments, business process changes and data extracts (e.g CDS Views)
        1. Prerequisites before the upgrade to repair inconsistent data, initialize timestamps, create backups.
        2. After upgrade there are a number of post processing settings for profile generator, business roles and customer tables.
        3. New Fiori Administration Roles to build and extend Fiori Apps
    8. Upskill your Team
      1. A number of open SAP course exist to cover key S/4 Topics Fiori, Conversions, Hyperscalar depoyment etc.
      2. openSAP microlearning video Finding delta simplifications between SAP S/4HANA releases - https://microlearning.opensap.com/playlist/dedicated/173270151/1_2mnya897/1_i7lj1d8z
  6. Upgrade Types
    1. Technical Upgrade
      1. Main Focus
        1. Get Infrastructure ready
        2. Upgrade of hardware and software
        3. Mandatory changes to custom code and configurations
          1. Custom ABAP code may need to be remediated due to simplifications in the ABAP Platform and changes in the database.
          2. From SAP S/4HANA 1809 or higher you can use the SAP Fiori app F3191 Custom Code Migration to assist code migration.
          3. See SAP recommendations https://launchpad.sap.com/#/notes/2190420
          4. Ability to perform semi-automatic code remediations - https://blogs.sap.com/2018/10/02/semi-automatic-custom-code-adaptation-after-sap-s4hana-system-conversion/
        4. Regression testing and remediation esp. for integration
          1. Check any integration to analytics platforms, such as SAP BW or SAP BW/4HANA.For BW Extractors refer to SAP Note 2500202
          2. If you are integrating to Cloud solutions, such as SAP cloud or 3rd party solutions, it is important to check for any shift in integration techniques due to the change in release
      2. Approach
        1. Start upgrade on an non-integrated Sandbox system
          1. Less disruption to business as usual landscape DEV/QA/PRD
          2. Delta simplifications, mandatory custom code corrections and perfomance optimizations can be done on “real” data
          3. Copy of production enables regression testing on realistic business data
          4. Identify fine detail in existing apps
          5. Quicker upgrades in your DEV/QA/PRD system, as early discoveries or corrections made in the sandbox can be factored into upgrade process
          6. Runbooks of all activities can be captured
          7. Test cases and test scripts can be identified and refined on sandbox
          8. Any test automation can be trialed on this system and used to speed up regression testing on later systems.
          9. Mandatory custom code corrections can be performed on a sandbox and optionally transported to DEV.
        2. DEV & QA is where you undertake integration testing
        3. Use latest Feature Pack Stack 1 or higher of current SAP release
        4. Ensure HANA DB is on 2.0
        5. Only Mandatory functional and technical changes applied i.e defer new innovations
      3. Project Resources
        1. Project Manager
        2. Solution Architect
        3. UX Expert
        4. Technical Basis Expert
        5. Functional SME
        6. Developers
        7. Business User Testers
      4. Drivers
        1. Stay in maintenance and current support incl. security
          1. tay current with corrections and security patches that are delivered with new releases, new Feature Package Stacks (FPS), and Support Package Stacks (SPS)
        2. Replace compatability packs which expire end of 2025
          1. https://blogs.sap.com/2020/04/15/the-future-of-compatibility-packs-in-sap-s-4hana/
    2. Functional Upgrade
      1. Drivers
        1. Take advantage of new business functionality immediately
          1. Group Reporting
          2. Central Procurement
          3. Demand driven MRP
        2. Move from side-by-side to embedded solutions within SAP S/4HANA
      2. See What’s new in the “what’s new viewer”
        1. https://help.sap.com/doc/474a13c5e9964c849c3a14d6c04339b5/100/en-US/8880de6dbfb94ea3b0de1f26b40816dc.html
      3. Main differences between Tech & Functional upgrade
        1. Timing
        2. Both require mandatory changes