If we want to carry out the conversion to S/4 Hana we must bear in mind that custom code migration is part of the process. In this context, the question still remains of how to undertake a project of this kind, with the least possible impact on business processes.
In the search for reliable alternatives we come across the solution: Focused Build for SAP Solution Manager. With this solution, it is possible to manage the whole project including the system testing process. We must emphasise that it isn’t necessary to use the whole solution provided by SAP, rather we can make less extensive use of this tool, for monitoring the tests associated with customer code.
As a starting point, we need to know which code will be affected in our tranformation to S/4 Hana. For this, SAP provides the following tools:
- Abap Test Cockpit (SAP GUI)
- Custom Code Migration (Fiori app)
In order to obtain reliable information in both tools, it is recommended to have the usage statistics activated, for at least one year using the ABAP Call Monitor (transaction SCMON) or Usage Procedure Log (UPL) in our productive system. The aim of activating the usage statistics is to detect the used and unused codes in the production system. It is better to use SCMON given that, besides detecting the use of the object it also detects in which business process it was used. It could be said that SCMON is the “evolution” of UPL.
Thanks to the activation of the usage statistics, we can see which code isn’t used in our production system and thus eliminate it even before carrying out the conversion to S/4 Hana, doing so will save time and money in the process, given that there will be less custom objects to modify.
Of the two tools we have for detecting the code affected in the conversion process, we recommend using the second: Custom Code Migration, given that, with this tool, apart from obtaining the code we need to modify, we obtain a series of entry points which we will use at a later stage in order to do the system test plan. That is, once the analysis has been done, we will obtain the custom code that we need to adapt in our transformation and it will also indicate in which transactions, reports, jobs etc this code has been used in our production system. In addition, we obtain the number of times each transaction, report, job, etc. has been used, so that we can then choose the best option for executing the tests.
It must also be highlighted that with the Custom Code Migration tool we have the option of deleting the Z code, which isn’t used in the system directly with SUM on carrying out the conversion to S/4 HANA.
With all the information obtained from our system analysis and with the aim of ensuring the continuity of our project, we can use Focused Build for Solution Manager for managing test cases. In this tool we will create a test plan where we will add all the transactions, reports, jobs, etc. that we have obtained from the previous analysis and this way we will be able to check that our system functions correctly after the conversion to S/4 HANA. Within the test plan we have created, we can assign the different tasks to the users who are going to test the system. In addition, these users can access the backend system directly, where they must check that everything functions correctly. Once the test is completed they can add comments to their tasks, upload documents and assign the status of the test they have performed.
With all this we are able to see the general status of the project with one single tool, which tests have been satifactory and which need to be reviewed. Therefore, Focused Build can be a good tool for managing our conversion to S/4 HANA project.