Controlling Change in an Agile SAP Development Environment FNL

Controlling change in an agile SAP development

environment

Copyright © Revelation Software Concepts All Rights Reserved [2]

Introductions

Host:

• Stef Pinto

Speakers:

• Rick Porter (VP Business Development)


Controlling change in an agile SAP

development environment

Overview and introductions (5 min)

Seminar (40 min)

• What is agile and where is it used?

• Agile and change control

• Controlling agile change with Rev-Trac

Q&A (10 min)

• Please feel quite free to enter questions into Q&A

area at any time during the seminar


Revelation Software Concepts

We specialize in Simplifying SAP Change Control

In doing so reduce the risks and lower the costs

associated with delivering support and project

changes to SAP systems.

Developers of:

Market leading SAP change control technology




Overview and introductions

What is agile and where is it used?

Agile and change control

Controlling agile change with Rev-Trac

Q&A




Agile development is about

working software made available

quicker



In May this year – SAP reported that it had

succeeded in reducing its innovation cycles

from 15 months to between six and nine

months using agile development methods



Waterfall method

• Classic linear approach

• One phase follows another with no

going back

• Relies on documentation and rigid

specifications

• Structured > easily measured >

easily managed


Requirements

Design

Build

Test

Deploy

Maintain


Advantages of the waterfall

method

• Design errors are captured before

any software is written

• Excellent technical documentation is

part of the deliverables

• Very structured and it is easier to

measure progress

• The total cost of the project can be

accurately estimated

• Testing is easier


Requirements

Design

Build

Test

Deploy

Maintain




Manifesto for agile development

Less reliance upon predefined documentation and

more reliance on iteration and collaboration


Agile Waterfall

Responding to change Following a plan

Individuals and interaction Processes and tools

Working software Comprehensive documentation

Customer collaboration Contract negotiation



Agile model

• Smaller units of work over relative

short time periods

• Iterative and collaborative

• Requirements can change as needs

become clearer


Extreme Programming (XP)

Test Driven Development (TDD)

Scrum

Lean Development

Crystal

Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM)

Feature Driven Development (FDD)

Agile Modelling

Adaptive Software Development (ASD)

Agile development methods


Features / requirements in priority order

Delivered in short bursts or 30 day iterations called

sprints

Sprint contains features deliverable within the time

frame

Agile development methods: Scrum



Scrum process

Release/Phase Sprints

Requirement 1

Requirement 2

Requirement n

Sprint 1

Sprint n

Requirement 2

DEV QAS PRD

Build / Test / Deploy Deliver









Controlling Agile change with Rev-Trac

Q&A



Change control

Change request Transport deployment

Notification workflow Transport sequencing

Approval workflow Target system selection

Process selection Object collision protection

Record keeping / audit trail Retrofit processing

Help / Service Desk referencing Transport dependency management

Process enforcement (ITIL or Other) Failure alerting

Process Control Technical Control

Costs and Risks = Volume x Complexity x Control

+


Status steps / approval process

• What status steps will each requirement / feature of each

Sprint go through?

• Development / testing / impact analysis

Management

• Who will sign off each step?

• Will this be the same for each requirement?

• Who will be sent what workflow messages when?

Iteration

• How will requirement changes be recorded?

• How will the iterations be handled?

Documentation

• What documentation is required?



Process control requirements


Phase Element Status / Approval Steps

Planning Phase Requirements planning 1. Requirements approved

Sprint Phase

Development 2. Approved for development

3. Development reviewed

4. Development complete

5. Development tested

6. Development testing approved

7. Development finalised

8. Development documented

Post Sprint Phase Testing 9. Approved for integration testing

10. Integration testing completed

11. Integration testing approved

Implementation 12. Development approved for implementation

13. Development implemented



Standard SAP change control challenges

• Managing parallel development

• Managing overtaking and / or overwriting

• Managing dependencies within and across solutions

• Managing transport sequencing

• Managing iterations



Single DEV system / single SAP solution

• Parallel development risks

• Overtaking and / or overwriting risks

• Transport sequencing

Agile development and change control

DEV QAS PRD

Sprint 1

Sprint 2

Sprint 3

Maintenance

Sprint 1

Sprint 2

Sprint 1


Single DEV system / multiple SAP solutions

• Parallel development risks

• Overtaking and / or overwriting risks

• Controlling dependencies across landscapes and

technologies


DEV QAS PRD Sprint 1

Sprint 2

Sprint 3

DBW QBW PBW

DEP QAP PRP

Maintenance



DEV QAS PRD

Sprint 1

Sprint 2

Sprint 3

Maintenance

DV1 QA1

Parallel DEV system

• Retrofitting maintenance changes into DV1

• ‘Back-flushing’ Sprint changes into DEV and QAS

Sprint 1 Sprint 1

Sprint 2








Q&A



Achieving full control through repeatable processes

TMS / CTS (transports, objects, tables)

Process

control

Technical

control



Change control automation benefits:

• Process enforcement

• Accurate transport sequencing

• Overtake and overwrite prevention

• Transport dependency management

• Cross team communication

• Flexible process configuration (traditional plus agile process)

• Audit ready information

• Removal of manual tasks

• Reduction of human error


Rev-Trac overview

Leading SAP change control technology

• Powerful, highly configurable, change control solution for

SAP change request and transport management

• Mechanizes or Industrializes SAP change control through

automation

• Manages single ABAP or dual ABAP/Java stack SAP®

solutions. (CTS, CTS+)

• Enforce any combination of change request, approval, and

migration processes

• SAP certified ABAP add-on for SAP Basis 4.6, 640 and

now NetWeaver 7.0

Rev-Trac lowers the costs and reduces the risks of

managing agile developed SAP changes


Agile change and Rev-Trac

Organizing the work: Process control

• Rev-Trac request system

• Rev-Trac project and work type concept

• Rev-Trac master / child request process

• Rev-Trac enforcement

Controlling the developments: Technical control

• Transport deployment automation

• Overtake and Overwrite Protection System (OOPS)

• Multiple source transport management

• ALM integration


Agile change and Rev-Trac

The process

• A ‘Project’ or release is created

• The requirements to be delivered are listed

• Requirements are collected into deliverable units of work

• Sprints are created for each unit of work

• Rev-Trac Master Requests are created for each Sprint

• OR

• A single Rev-Trac request is created for each requirement

within the Sprint


Screen shot of a Rev-Trac request

Rev-Trac change request

Requirements

descriptor

‘Project’

assignment

Sprint’

assignment

‘Sprint’ delivery

date


Create one request per Sprint requirement

OR

Create a master request per Sprint and child

requests for each requirement

Process control: Master / child request

system

Rev-Trac ‘Master’ Request (Sprint 1)

Rev-Trac ‘Child’ (Requirement 1)

Rev-Trac ‘Child’ (Requirement n)

TX1

TX2

TX3

TX2

TX1


Every transport must be related (attached) to a

Rev-Trac Change Request

Rev-Trac change detection

Rev-Trac captures every change every time providing

total change control

DEV QAS PRD

No Rev-Trac request … ?

Then no change is

allowed.

Transport

creation

Rev-Trac

Request


Once request is completed Rev-Trac enforces a

predetermined approval process and workflow...

Rev-Trac process enforcement

DEV QAS PRD

Transport

creation

Rev-Trac

Request

The correct disciplines are assured for every sprint

Transport

Directory

Not complying with the

process...?

Then the change will not

progress!


Each request is assigned to a ‘Project’ and ‘Work

type’

This combination will evoke a predetermined change

control process enforcing both the approvals and

rules associated

Rev-Trac process enforcement

Status / Approval Steps

1. Requirements approved

2. Approved for development

3. Development reviewed


5. Development tested

6. Development testing approved

7. Development finalised

8. Development documented

9. Approved for integration testing

10. Integration testing completed

11. Integration testing approved

12. Development approved for implementation

13. Development implemented



All and any change control documentation is

attached to the Rev-Trac request

Additional forms and form fields are customisable

Completion rules can apply – documents / fields

Rev-Trac documentation enforcement

DEV QAS PRD

Rev-Trac

Request

Required documentation

not in place...?

Then the change will not

progress!


Keep the work flowing with highly configurable

automated workflow...

Rev-Trac automated workflow

You determine who

needs to know what and

when…

and then Rev-Trac keeps

them informed IS manager

Basis team User Team leader

Project manager

DEV QAS PRD

Rev-Trac

Request

Everyone is kept in the loop – the work continuously flows


Safely auto-migrate transports from any system to

any system/client upon electronic approval...

Rev-Trac transport deployment automation

A conflict, overtake or

overwrite?

Transport is not migrated!

Massive opportunity for human error is totally eliminated

DEV QAS PRD

Transport

creation

Rev-Trac

Request

Transport

Directory


Eliminate production incidents due to sequencing

errors or overtake and/or overwrite errors...

Rev-Trac safety

Preventing parallel development and overtaking and

overwriting accidents

DEV QAS

Version 1.1

Version 1.2

Version 1.1

Version 1.2

Version 1.1

Version 1.2

PRD

1.1

1.1

1.2

1.1

1.2

Level 1

Locking

Level 2

Overtaking

Level 3

Overwriting

OOPS

1.2

1.1

1.2


Automatic propagation of groups of transports to

ensure synchronicity - from any group of source

systems to any group of target systems/clients

Rev-Trac automated quality assurance

QAS PRD

ECC

TX1 [ABAP]

BI

TX2 [Java]

TX3 [ABAP]

Portal (EP)

TX4 [Java]

TX1 [ABAP]

TX4 [Java]

TX2 [ABAP]

TX3 [Java]

ECC

TX1 [ABAP]

BI

TX2 [Java]

TX3 [ABAP]

Portal (EP)

TX4 [Java]

Rev-Trac

Request


Automated retrofit and N and N+1 transport

management

Complex SAP Landscape Support

Significant human effort and error potential is eliminated

DEV QAS PRD

Rev-Trac

Request

Transport

Directory

DV1 QA1

Rev-Trac

Request

OOPS

Extended Locking OOPS

Request

Clone

Auto retrofit


SAP Third Party ALM Integration

A single line from requirement to SAP code via Rev-Trac

QAS PRD

Change

Request Approved Reviewed Closed

Rev-Trac

Request Rev-Trac

Request

DEV

Build Test Deploy

Requirements

and/or

Testing

Impact

Analysis

Updated Updated


Agile software development stresses…

• rapid iterations,

• small and frequent releases, and

• evolving requirements facilitated by direct user

involvement in the development process.

Rev-Trac provides a framework to automate and

control mundane and repetitive development tasks,

and enforce process.

Rev-Trac is methodology neutral and can be applied

equally well to agile as well as more traditional SAP

development processes

Agile development and Rev-Trac

Rev-Trac: an ideal solution for managing agile

changes


Q&A

Please put questions into Q&A area – they will be

answered as fully as time allows.

www.xrsc.com

Reference: AGILE: IMPLEMENTING SAP STEP BY STEP

http://www.sap.com/netherlands/services/consulting/pdf/Whitepaper_Agile_ENG.pdf

Q&A

Reducing the risks and lowering the costs of

delivering agile SAP solution changes

http://www.xrsc.com/



Documents

Controlling Change in an Agile SAP Development Environment FNL