Multiple Change Documents in a single Request for Change(RfC)

Customer’s of SAP Solution Manager have been demanding from a long time to have a concept where we can have Single Change Request capable of combining multiple changes or change document types.

With SAP Solution Manager 7.1 it is now possible to create a  single Request for Change(RfC) with multiple change documents

In addition, we can not only create them in sequential way i.e. one by one it is also possible to create them in parallel.

I am assuming readers are aware or had implemented Change Request Management in Solution Manager 7.1. For setting it up check the below configuration guide

http://service.sap.com/~sapidb/011000358700001056012011E

In case, you would like to configure ChaRM for PoC can try blogs/articles mentioned below:

How To – Configure ChaRM on Single Managed System with multiple client for PoC(Part1)

How To – Configure ChaRM on Single Managed System with multiple client for PoC(Part2)

Handling of multiple changes is an excellent feature because we can combine 2 Urgent Corrections or 2 Normal Corrections or 1 Normal or 1 Urgent Correction in the same Request for Change(RfC)

In addition, before proceeding I am assuming you have all the relevant roles for change manager as per security guide ( provided link for SP08 version so check in Marketplace as per your requirement)

e.g.

Change Manager composite role  (SAP_CM_CHANGE_MANAGER_COMP) or relevant as per your case, I am showing a sample for change manger authorization as below

Sequential Development Requests

Let us say, our Change Manager wants to create a Urgent Change for an existing Request for Change for which General Change is implemented and status of RfC is Implemented as shown below.

Click on the Request for Change(RfC) and enter edit mode. Click on action’s Tab and choose EXTEND SCOPE, this will enable a state to create another Change Document.

As shown below status will be reset to EXTEND SCOPE, now insert new Urgent Change (for example) into this same RfC. Perform action Release For Approval as shown.

Now status will be set again as TO BE APPROVED and requires Change Manager approval.

Post Change Manager approving it and releasing it for development, we can now see 2 Change Document which are of different types as i.e. One Urgent Change and General Change are getting developed.

Parallel Development Requests

So next question might be is it possible to have multiple development or change documents in parallel for the same Request for Change(RfC).

Answer is Yes

Let us choose the same RfC on which Urgent Change is getting development and not yet completed.

In the same Request for Change(RfC), choose again action EXTEND SCOPE save it. The status will be now set back to EXTEND SCOPE from BEING IMPLEMENTED.

We now have again the opportunity of adding new change document. Let us add new Urgent Change and release it for approval as shown.

Now status will be set again as TO BE APPROVED and requires Change Manager approval.

Thus above will enable us to implement multiple changes in parallel for same Request for Change(RfC).

Also we faced an issue with date and time post approval so implemeted below note. Kindly check based upon your version.

Note 1810064 – Approved at date and time not cleared with extend scope

Also, some more useful notes we applied like

Note 1770274 – Approval Procedure won’t be locked after intial save

Note 1799372 – Resetting status the approval procedure remains closed

Note 1703790 – When status is reset approval procedure stays closed