Reasons influencing an SAP upgrade:

End of maintenance: Every SAP release has a deadline, meaning that SAP will not provide additional corrections or fixes in Support Packages.

Superior functionality: The new release may contain new functionality that would solve some of the business or technical requirements.

Technical limitations: : Customers might find that the current release is limiting system's growth, compatibility with other solutions, or increased effort for evolving or adapting the business.

Standardization: Customers with several SAP systems can clearly see an improvement in efficiency, support, and maintenance costs when all their systems are on the same release.

Improved productivity: Improved productivity through 'self-service' and role-based, intuitive working environment.

Before starting an SAP upgrade, it is important to define the exact objectives, based on the organization's business process, and IT strategy. The typical starting point for a process-oriented SAP upgrade is defining the process architecture. This describes which process areas are directly impacted by the SAP upgrade and which process areas are only partly affected.

The system landscape and its planned transformation play an important role during an SAP upgrade.

Most important activity of the upgrade project is the gap analysis and adaptation of the current functionally with the features of the new SAP release. A new release might require additional infrastructure such as disk space or processing power. So the requirements of the new release have to be kept in mind and the current release has to be migrated to the replacement server before starting the upgrade. The amount of customization (developing or modifying ABAP programs, reports, transactions, etc.,) done in the current system should be made note of and the same has to be performed after the new release has been upgraded to.

Strategic planning of the SAP upgrade helps to determine the entire scope of the project and the impacted company assets, such as, processes, departments, and systems.

The design phase includes design of business processes in the newer release, the future IT infrastructure, the security concept, the test planning and the upgrade process design

The implementation phase is where the previous design is actually performed and implemented, normally in a test environment. The result is an upgraded test environment where all testing can be performed and the team can agree on the results, and avoid further problems in the actual upgrade of the productive systems. We may then replicate this in the production environment.

The final phase of the upgrade would be to provide post-implementation support, which includes providing support to the initial days of operation, specifically for end users, and other technical issues that are typical after changing a system release.

We recognize that very careful and proper planning, close coordination with various stakeholders, utilizing experienced business process stewards are the key to upgrade a live instance within acceptable downtime constraints.

The overall approach and plan to upgrade is to address the three dimensions - Technical, Functional and Deployment. In each of the dimensions, the impact to IT, Business and User is analyzed, risks are identified and mitigation plan is prepared.

• Smooth upgrade from the existing SAP R/3 version to the current SAP R/3 version.
• To eliminate the custom codes developed during the initial implementation within modules wherever possible in the upgraded environment.
• To maintain and continue integration with the interfaces.
• To ensure a smooth transition to the new system by imparting a meaningful training to the users and aptly handling the 'Change Management'.
• To ensure that the upgrade supports all existing supported business processes for their functionality in the new release.
• Minimum disruption and outage to the production system during upgrade.

• Follow ASAP Road map for upgrade
• Prepare a detailed project plan and analyze the ability of the new version to support existing business functions
• Prepare Workforce plan to meet the requirement.
• Use Quality Procedures as laid down in SAP QA Services.
• Follow the guidelines as laid out in clients Project Management Standards
• Periodic reviews by steering committee
• Establish project communication methods
• Deliver detailed Project documentation
• A well structured training on the delta functionalities to the project team
• Define a smooth & seamless working model with all responsible vendors
• Evaluate alternative solutions to provide better & efficient mechanism in the upgraded environment

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