Role Specific Responsibilities and Tasks for Project Management in Focused Build

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

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