Introduction:
Ever since I have started exploring the topic of Focused Build in SAP Solution Manager, I have got a lot of requests for role specific responsibilities and task of all the stakeholders in SAP Focused Build for managing a project.
So question is simple Who should do what?
But the answer to this is not simple, it needs simplified list of roles and responsibility of each stakeholder in running a project in Focused Build.
So here we go. I have tried to include all the stakeholders possible in SAP Focused Build as per the template users that we create while configuring Focused Build. These users have their own respective set of Fiori tiles based on the tasks and responsibilities they need to perform.
Focused Build - Tool Lead
Responsibilities:
– Empower Quality Manager to successfully deliver project with methodology and its tools based on SAP Solution Manager Focused Build solution
– Coordinate configuration activities around SAP Solution Manager, Focused Build and connected systems
– Support the planning and the initial execution of all training activities for the Focused Build methodology
– Act as single point of contact for all queries and issues for Focused Build and SAP Solution Manager
– Establish quality assurance procedures to safeguard the usage of Focused Build in SAP Solution Manager
Tasks:
– Prepare
▫ Initial configure for SAP Solution Manager & Focused Build
▫ Create FB prototype on development system
▫ Create users & authorizations for according to project org chart per roles
▫ Technical upload of Best Practice content
Outputs:
– FB Configuration Documentation
– Methodology FB process
– Roles and responsibilities
Focused Build - Project Manager
▪ Project roles: Program or Project Manager, PMO, TQM, Project Team Lead
▪ Responsibilities:
– Overall management of implementation projects throughout its lifecycle
– Participate in project planning activities and manage execution of projects according to plan
– Proactively identify changes in work scope and ensure appropriate planning measures are taken with internal and external stakeholders in order to reassess and amend the scope of work Requirements, budget, and timeline
– Manage the financial aspects of the project: budgeting and estimate to actual variance
– Decides about allowed customizing, like categories, customer fields or approval process for requirements
– Analyze risk, establish contingency plans and identify trigger events and responsibilities for initiating mitigating action
– Ensure proper use of project management methodology, standards, tools, processes and procedures
– Coach to clarify assignments and deliverables to project team, review quality of work and manage integration of team member's work, provide performance input to project team members’ functional management
– Monitor the status of the project and distribute information accordingly to respective team members
– Project controlling tasks including reporting/statistics
Tasks:
– Cross phase:
▪ Monitor the status of project
▪ Manage risk and issues
▪ Manage progress of Project tasks
− Explore:
▪ Approve/Reject Requirements
▪ Check Q-Gate for Explore Phase Completed
− Prepare:
▪ Project planning
▪ Create baseline build plan
− Realize:
▪ Track Build activities Status
▪ Track Project Progress
▪ Closing Sprint and Planning of Next Sprint
▪ Check Q-Gate for Wave-Exit
▪ Closing Wave and Planning of Next Wave
▪ Check Q-Gate for Realize Phase Completed
▪ Outputs:
– Project Plan
– Release, Wave and Sprint dates
– Optionally: Tasks, Risks and Issues
Focused Build - Business Analyst
▪ Project roles: Business Solution Architect, Test Case Designer, Subject Matter Expert
▪ Responsibilities:
– Accurately represent their business units’ needs to the Project Team, validate the deliverables that describe the product or service that the project will produce
– Work with users to ensure the project meets business needs – training staff as needed
– Functional Expert documenting business processes
– Participate in Fit-Gap workshops
– Documentation and analysis of current and future processes/systems
– Document Requirements
– Design and execute Acceptance Tests
▪ Tasks:
– Explore
▫ Run Solution Validation Workshop – Validate To Be processes
▫ Create Requirements from To Be processes
▫ Send Requirements for Approval
– Realize
▫ Review Functional Specs and SFTs (Single Functional Test Cases)
▪ Outputs:
– Process Description
– Definition of Business Processes BPML
– Application landscape
– Documented Requirements & Gaps
Focused Build - Solution Architect
▪ Project roles: Work Stream Lead, Integration Architect, Functional Expert
▪ Responsibilities:
– Create the best overall strategic system landscape, including legacy systems and modern SAP solutions
– Detailed design of processes that maps to the current or future process-, application- and system landscape, proposals for software-decisions
– Review of business processes and mapping into IT architecture, analyze Requirements for specific development needs or integration Requirements
– Design architecture based on process Requirements, application and system landscape
– Recommend improvements in the existing business process and define roles to execute the according process
– Support implementation phase and assist with the development of project Requirements, scope and acceptance testing
– Generate business cases and assists in defining project benefits/costs and participates in project reviews
▪ Tasks:
− Prepare:
▪ Decide on Best Practice content
▪ Prepare Process Structure for Fit/Gap workshops
− Explore:
▪ Import Requirements
▪ Approve/Reject Requirements
▪ Track Requirement Detailed info
▪ Define Build Activities based on Requirements
▪ Plan Release and postpone Requirements
▪ Check Q-Gate for Explore Phase Completed
− Realize:
▪ Plan build activities
▪ Create and upload Functional Specification
▪ Scope and distribute work details
▪ Trigger build activities to start
▪ Sprint Planning
▪ Sprint Review
▪ Upload reviewed Functional Specification and SFTs
− Realize:
▪ Update Work Package status when all related test cases are passed
▪ Test case preparation for FIT
▪ Process Defect
▪ Wave Q-Gate – Handle unfinished Work Packages
▪ Tidy up Solution Documentation
− Deploy:
▪ Set final status for the Work Items and DC
− Hypercare:
▪ Create Request for Change for urgent fix
▪ Process Standard Change
▪ Outputs:
– Work Packages
– Functional Specification
– Work Item
– Work Item/Task distribution to development
Focused Build - Developer
▪ Project roles: Developer, Consultant
▪ Responsibilities:
– Execute assigned development tasks.
– Perform Technical Design
– Start development
– Perform Unit Test
– Process assigned Defects
– Create Defect Correction if required and proceed
– Process urgent change
▪ Tasks:
– Realize
▫ Plan and document build activities
▫ Start build activities and document changes
▫ Perform Unit Test
▫ Process Defect Correction
– Hypercare
▫ Process Urgent Change
▪ Outputs:
– Technical Design/Specification
– Configuration document
– Development/Customizing objects in transports
– Defect Corrections
– Urgent Changes
Focused Build - Test Manager
▪ Project roles: Test Manager, Test Coordinator, Dispatcher
▪ Responsibilities:
– Reaching the defined and agreed test goals
– Set up a test concept, design of test strategy according the quality goals, test activities and responsibilities, test stages and methods as well as test case design
– Define Requirements and coordinate setup of the technical test environment, test data management, and test tool selection
– Review of project deliverables (test concept, test cases, scripts, test documentation, test reporting, error handling)
– Monitor and control test process quality and results
– Guide and coach by defining documentation policies and conventions
– Coordinate and manage all test activities including preparation of test data
– Plan automation of regression tests
▪ Tasks:
– Prepare
▫ Define Test Concept
– Realize – SFT/AT in QAS
▫ SFT Test Case Readiness Check
▫ End of Wave: AT Test Plan creation
▫ Assign Tester
▫ Dispatch Defect
▫ Monitor Defect and Defect Correction
▫ Track Test progress and generate test report
▫ Wave Q-Gate – Check AT Test Coverage
▫ AT before Q-Gate Handover to Release
– Realize – FIT in PRE
▫ Use Test Steps for FIT Test cases
▫ Prepare test data for Test Steps
▫ FIT Test Case Readiness Check
▫ Create FIT Test plan
▫ Assign Tester
▫ Dispatch Defect
▫ Monitor Defect and Defect Correction
▫ Track Test progress and generate test report
▫ Check Q-Gate for Realize Phase Completed
▪ Outputs:
– Test Plan(s) with different Test Classification (e.g. Single Functional Test, Acceptance Test)
Focused Build - Tester
▪ Project roles: Tester
▪ Responsibilities:
– Test the product or service of the project(s)
– Use and evaluate the product or service while providing feedback to the Project Team
▪ Tasks:
– Realize
▫ Execute Test, and provide test evidence
▫ Execute Test Step, and provide Test Evidence
▫ Report Defects
▫ Defect Retest and confirm
▪ Outputs:
– Test evidence
– Defects
Focused Build - Release Manager
▪ Project roles: Release Manager, Change Manager
▪ Responsibilities:
– Define and roll-out Release strategy
– Organize and prepare Quality Gates, e.g. Handover to Release
– Assign transports are part of a Release or are postponed to the next Release
– Decide if the solution documentation is sufficient for Go-live or move to the next Release phase
– Build Releases and switch the Release phases
▪ Tasks:
– Realize
▫ Review and define import concept and schedule import jobs
▫ Check the quality of the planned Release and Decide on Handover to Release
▫ Import changes to Pre-Production
▫ Build Release
▫ Switch Release phase to Test
– Deploy
▫ Prepare Release for Deploy
▫ Switch Release phase to Deploy
▫ Import all changes to production
▫ Switch Release phase to Hypercare
– Hypercare
▫ Check all the open Work Packages/Items in Release Dashboard
▫ Deploy Urgent Changes
▫ Deploy Standard Changes
– Run
▫ Create Continual Cycle for Enhance Pace
▫ Trigger import for Normal Changes to QAS and an optional PRE
▫ Authorize Urgent Change for PRD
▫ Deploy Urgent and Normal Changes to PRD
▫ Process Standard Change
▪ Outputs:
– Manage Q-Gates
– Build, test, and validate Release + Hypercare
Focused Build - Change Manager
▪ Project roles: Change Manager
▪ Responsibilities:
– Approve Request for Change
– Confirm Urgent Change and Request for Change
▪ Tasks:
– Hypercare
▫ Create Request for Change for urgent fix
▫ Approve Request for Change and release for development
▫ Confirm Urgent Change
▫ Process Standard Change
▫ Confirm Request for Change
– Run
▫ Validate and Approve Requests for Change
▫ Authorize Urgent Change for PRD
▫ Process Standard Change
Focused Build - Requester
▪ Project roles: Requester
▪ Responsibilities:
– Create Request for Change
– Perform Unit Test in related Change Documents
– Confirm Request for Change and related Change Documents
▪ Tasks:
– Hypercare & Run
▫ Create Request for Change
▫ Perform Unit Test in Change Document
▫ Confirm and close Request for Change
Conclusion:
So here it is, I have tried to list down all the tasks, roles, responsibilities and output expected from each stakeholder in Focused Build tool. So go and explore this wonderful tool from SAP which can be a game changer in your transition to S/4 HANA.
All the best and cheers !!!
Links to my other Focused Build blogs:
All About Focused Build in SAP Solution Manager 7.2
Streamline Project Management with Focused Build in SAP Solution Manager
Solution Readiness Dashboard in Focused Build in Detail
Thanks for all the support on my SAP Blogs !!! It has crossed 500k+ views on my SAP blogs.
Thank you 🙂
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