Focused Build, the Third for SolMan

The idea behind Focused Build is a pre-configured solution, based on SAP Solution Manager 7.2 and implementing Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) as project method. The configuration is based on SAP’s experience, offers a best-practice approach, and depicts the requirement-to-deploy (R2D) process in its entirety. Consequently, e.g. S/4 Hana implementation projects with best-practice models by SAP Activate can be made agile.

Project Management

In project management, integration was further improved. For example, the project overview page has been extended by improved filter options and variants. In addition, it is now possible to mark and store projects as personal favorites, which makes it easier for managers to find their own. The Gantt diagram has been extended to include phases and Q gates, so that these can be displayed in the diagram. In addition, the project risks have been integrated into the diagram. This allows project risks to be maintained and viewed directly in Gantt. The greatest simplification of work in project management, however, is the direct navigation to the associated work packages and work items.

Process Management

In process management, the handling of documents has been greatly improved. In Service Pack 3, conflicts in a document are directly displayed in the DropDoc. For example, a conflict always arises when a document has been processed in different branches.Now, this conflict situation is displayed directly in the DropDoc area and the possibility to resolve these conflicts is offered. In addition, DropDoc has been integrated into the work package and work item display. For example, the required documents are automatically created based on defined KPIs as soon as a new work item is created. In combination with the MyDocuments app, this makes work much easier, as you can directly identify which documents (e.g. requirements, specifications, etc.) are still missing and by when they must be created in order to adhere to the project plan.

Requirement Management

Requirement management now offers an upload function. This means you can upload requirements from another system or sample content from the model company. So, you don’t have to start your project on a greenfield site but can make use of SAP’s project experience and use it as a basis for your own project. The long overdue e-mail notification is now also available. For example, developers are notified by e-mail when a work item is assigned to them. The tester is notified when a work item reaches the “To Be Tested” status.

Defect Corrections

In addition to email notification, the handling of defect corrections has also been simplified in the third version of Focused Build. During the sprint, defect corrections can be created directly from the work item without a test plan or test package. This automatically sets the work package to the status “in Repair”. This means you can also manage defect corrections without Test Suite Integration. Defect corrections with low priority are automatically transferred to the next wave when the release cycle is set to the status “Hypercare”.

Test Management

Integration with Test Management has also been improved with the third version of Focused Build. In the work package display, there is a new tab page Test Management, in which the test packages and test plans for this work package are displayed. The display itself is linked so that, for example, you can jump directly to the test plan. A search field has been implemented in the “My Test Execution” app to make it easier to find a specific test case. In addition, the displayed columns are configurable and can be extended by up to six customer columns. Since this release, automated test cases can also be executed from the app.

New functions

An upload function has been added to the “Test Step Designer” so that you can upload test cases to the Solution Documentation. The ScrumBoard API has been extended by defect corrections. You can now create a Kanban board for a change cycle and, for example, edit defect corrections easily and efficiently during the hypercare phase of the project. The Service Pack 3 consists of many small extensions that make the work of the project management, the developers and the testers easier. All this is preconfigured and free of charge for all customers from 2020 onward.