Part 1 – Preparation Activities for and follow-up activities after system conversion to SAP S/4HANA, on-premise edition 1511
Preparation Activities for and follow-up activities after system conversion to SAP S/4HANA, on-premise edition 1511 – Technical and Application tasks outlined before and after a system conversion
If you are reading this blog, you are most likely considering to embark on a system conversion project from an ERP 6.0 release to the new SAP S/4HANA on-premise edition 1511. With the latest SAP S/4HANA product, significant simplification has been done with the data model, streamlined business processes leveraging in-memory computing. With this innovative product, we have streamlined the System Conversion process into phases. In Part 1 of this blog, we will cover the “Preparation Activities” in the Prepare Phase that needs to be completed before the system conversion is started. Then in Part 2, we will cover the “Follow-On Activities” in the Realize Phase immediately following the system conversion is completed. To view “Follow-On Activities”, see Part 2.
Part 1 – Preparation Activities (Prepare Phase)
Before a system conversion is started, there are several pre-check and preparation activities that are required to take place before the system conversion is started with the Software Update Manager (SUM). This blog will provide a high level overview of the activities that are typically done during conversion projects. Below is a table to illustrate the Preparation required from both technical and application teams during a system conversion project. Also note that the Technical and Application Activities during the Business Uptime can be conducted in parallel.
Technical Business Uptime | Application Business Uptime |
Run Maintenance Planner
Useful links for Maintenance Planner:
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Business Partner High Level Steps:
Additional information on the Customer Vendor Integration to Business Partners:
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Get transparency of your custom code with the custom code worklist
Related links on the custom code worklist:
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Material Master:
It’s not possible to use all materials for this check, so the recommendation is to limit to a range between 100 to 1000 materials |
Run report R_S4_PRE_TRANSITION_CHECKS Apply SAP Note 2182725 and run program R_S4_PRE_TRANSITION_CHECKS. Run the program first to check class consistency and afterwards the actual Pre-Transition Checks. It is recommended to run the Pre-Transition checks with the stack file from Maintenance Planner. Note that all errors have to be resolved before starting SUM. |
Simplification of Parameter Effectively In SAP S/4HANA 1511, the field KZEFF in table MARA is no more available. The current setting KZEFF is such that the field will be hidden only from the UI, but still continues to be available in the database. However, Assign effectivity parameter values/ override change numbers (KZEFF) impacts the parameter effectivity in BOM maintenance. Hence, the value of this field needs to be reset from ‘X’ to space to avoid adverse side effects. If the pre-check report R_S4_PRE_TRANSITION_CHECKS found MARA entries with field KZEFF set to X instead of space, the following message appears in the results of this report (among others): Action required: Table MARA has field KZEFF marked as ‘X’ for some of the rows. This should be set to space. Please see SAP Note 2207188 |
Perform Sizing for SAP S/4HANA
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Sales and Distribution – Foreign Trade You need to analyze all foreign trade processes currently in use. You can connect SAP Global Trade Services (SAP GTS) to SAP S/4HANA to run the respective foreign trade processes. These steps are only necessary, if you still have not switched to SAP GTS before starting the conversion to SAP S/4HANA |
Review central SUM/DMO notes.
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Revenue Recognition The SD-Revenue Recognition functionality is replaced by the new application SAP Revenue Accounting and Reporting. Before upgrading your system to SAP S/4HANA, a migration to “SAP Revenue Accounting and Reporting” needs to be done. Please refer to the SAP Note 2225170 SAP S/4HANA SD-Revenue Recognition
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Make sure that the following free space is available in the system to be converted:
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Sales and Distribution – Data Model Changes in SD Pricing Evaluate the Check Results of Custom Code Check. Refer to SAP Notes: 2220005 – S/4 HANA: Data Model Changes in Pricing and Condition Technique and 2188695 – WEGXX and STUFE fields are probably filled in the pricing table KONV |
Uninstall ABAP Add-Ons Not all SAP Add-Ons are supported in the SAP S/4HANA Conversion, see SAP Note 2011192. In case SAP Fiori apps are installed on the system, you have to uninstall them if they are not released for SAP_UI 7.50 Refer to SAP Notes 2034588 and 2200415 Ensure you have SPAM/SAINT at version 59 or higher. Ensure the installed add-ons are supported and certified for SAP S/4HANA On-Premise. For 3rd Party add-ons, the vendor has to provide one of the following solutions:
For the 3rd party certification process, refer to Certification opportunities for SAP S/4HANA, on-premise edition 1511 SCN article |
Materials Management – Data Model Changes in Inventory Management Manually add customer include CI_COBL structure NSDM_S_ITEM, so it will become part of the new table MATDOC (to be done during SPDD phase). See the following SAP Notes: |
Uninstall client 066 One mandatory pre-requisite prior to running SUM is to remove the client 066 from the system as it is no longer needed. To do so, refer to SAP Note 1749142 – How to remove unused clients including client 001 and 066. If you do not have the password for the Early Watch client, report RSUSR003 can be used to obtain the default password, in case it has not been changed. |
Production Planning – Storage Location MRP The SAP S/4HANA MRP only plans on plant and MRP area level. Planning on storage location level is not available in SAP S/4HANA 1511. Instead, planning on MRP area level has to be used. Materials with MRP-area-specific MRP type ‘ND’ (no MRP) can be used instead of materials with a storage location excluded from MRP. Materials with MRP-area specific MRP type ‘VB’ (reorder point planning) can be used instead of materials with separately planned storage locations.
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Check Pool and Cluster Tables With the migration to SAP HANA, selected pool tables are de-pooled into transparent tables and all cluster tables are de-clustered into transparent tables. As a result, the table cluster and the converted table pools must no longer be accessed directly. To avoid issues during the export, we recommend checking these tables beforehand using SAP Note 1784377 – Checking pool tables and cluster tables
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Environment, Health, and Safety If you have installed the component extension for SAP EHS Management and the check result list of the custom code check lists any ABAP development objects that are no longer supported in the EHS Management area, either adapt your custom code to no longer use these objects or copy these objects into the customer namespace and adapt custom code to use those copied versions instead. SAP Notes referenced for custom code adaption:
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Prepare User DDIC Unlock the user DDIC in client 000, set user type to Dialog and add the SAP_ALL profile. |
EH&S – Product Safety and Stewardship for Process Industries If you use the process industry solution of SPRC, you have to de-install SPRC since no successor exists. Refer to SAP Note 2298456 – Uninstall SAP Product and Reach Compliance (SPRC) 2.0 or Compliance for Products (CfP) 2.2. |
Release Open Repairs Release all open repairs before starting the conversion process. You can find the requests using transaction SE09 |
Ariba Network Integration The Supplier Workplace (SWP) as an E-commerce platform is no more available with SAP S/4HANA 1511. With Ariba Network a successor commerce platform is available. When preparing the conversion from the SAP ERP add-on Ariba Network Integration for SAP Business Suite to SAP S/4HANA, you have to perform the following activities 1) Un-schedule all reports that you have been using in the add-on Ariba Network Integration for SAP Business Suite and 2) Record all settings that exist in Customizing for SAP Business Suite Integration Component for Ariba. This allows you to compare the settings after the conversion and make adaptations, if necessary |
Requesting keys for the System Conversion
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New Assets Accounting Execute program RASFIN_MIGR_PRECHECK to check whether the prerequisites for new Asset Accounting have been met. Refer to SAP Notes: 2147666 – Assigned ledgers in FI-GL and FI-AA are inconsistent and 2220152 – Ledger approach and Asset Accounting (new): Non-calendar fiscal year variant for parallel valuation
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Prepare for New Depreciation Calculation Activation Activation of EA-FIN is needed within the Switch Framework SFW5. Refer to SAP Notes: 965032 – Differences between old and new depreciation calculation and 1498047 – Changeover from old to new depreciation calculation |
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Check Currency Settings and CO Configuration Run FINS_MIG_PRECHECK_CUST_SETTNGS program to check the consistency of your ledger, company code and controlling area settings to determine if a conversion to SAP S/4HANA Finance is possible. In addition, run FINS_PRE_CHECK_SFIN_1503 program to check the compatibility of installed components. Refer to SAP Notes: 2129306 – Check Customizing Settings Prior to Upgrade to S/4HANA Finance or S/4HANA and 2176077 – Check report for SAP S/4HANA Finance |
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Consistency Checks before Conversion and Migration FI Consistency Check (RFINDEX_NACC) – You use this program to check the consistency of the document views (BSIS, BSAS, BSID, BSAD, BSIK, and BSAK) with the line items in table BSEG. Comparison Document/transaction figures (TFC_COMPARE_VZ) if you are using new General Ledger; or SAPF190 if you are using classic General Ledger – This report compares the transaction figures with the total of the single documents. RAABST01 to analyze reconciliation problems between the value update in Asset Accounting and the account update in the general ledger (with reference to a certain account). RAABST02 selects the asset totals records (ANLC), summarizes the values at G/L account level and the business area level and writes these totaled values to the EWUFIAASUM table. This table is read and the values are reconciled with the general ledger accounts. Ledger Comparison (RGUCOMP4) – You can use this program to compare local ledgers, global ledgers, and ledgers with varying fiscal year variants and charts of accounts to each other. List of Stock Values (RM07MBST) – The report List of Stock Values: Balances is used to display the total quantity and value of the stock of one or more materials at plant and storage location level. MM/FI Balance Comparison (RM07MMFI) – This report compares the totals of the values from the material masters with the balances of the assigned stock accounts. The inconsistencies should be cleaned up or documented before the technical conversion. |
Thanks,
SAP S/4HANA RIG
Thanks for the details. Great document
Excellent!!
Nice document!!!
Hi Van,
thanks for sharing!
Do you really suggest upgrading to 1511? I would have thought going right for 1610 would be the thing to do?
Can you comment on that?
(I do notice your post is from the 25th of October (2016), so 1610 was not RTC then, yet - but I'm sure for such a big move, one could have waited 6 more days, to go for the newest product, S/4HANA 1610?!)
best
Joachim
Hi Joachim,
Thanks for asking this question and the answer would be “No” as you pointed out. Please note the blog was published before the release of 1610 was RTC. If a project is looking to implement SAP S/4HANA by means of the transition scenarios: New installation, System Conversion, or Landscape Transformation, 1610 would be the better version as it contains additional functional coverages, industries, and new Fiori UX (Please refer to 1610 Release highlights).
Thanks,
Van
Hi Van,
thanks for the clarification!
Maybe you'll write a simmilar blog for 1610, soon?
best
Joachim
Hi Van,
thanks for discussing Special asset accounting check 1939592
regards
Arvind Leo Pereira
Hello Van,
I was looking for information related to Preparation for SAP S/4 HANA and came across your blog. Very useful and detailed. Thank you very much for sharing this with us.
However, when i continued my search on the same topic, I was always getting information for the project teams. I could not find any information that helps business to get prepare for S/4 HANA... for example: master data preparation, get the processes aligned and sit with project team to understand how particular process can be implemented with std. functionality? Whether it is possible? Is there a need to tweak the process to remain with std. system? Or Std. system is not capable enough and need to tweak the std. system to implement the required process etc... likewise how should business be prepared for S/4 HANA before actual technical part of it?
Can you guide on this as well?
Rgds,
KK
Hi KK,
Have you seen the S/4HANA Readiness check? The results from the Readiness Check - Simpliciation Items does provide the impact results of functionality used in the source ERP to the impact from the simplification list of the target S/4HANA release you want to convert to. In the result, it will provide you the Simplification category along with the recommended notes to consider as next step.
Thanks,
Van