Client's challenges
The client decided to migrate their SAP applications to a Cloud system, which would bring them the needed scalability in business operations. In order to perform this transformation successfully, the client had to do the migration, but also the testing of every system, to make sure that the functionalities are defect-free for 10,500 users affected by the transformation itself.
Had the migration gone unsuccessfully, that would have stopped the client’s production completely. That was the biggest challenge, posing many risks. That is why the whole process had to be strategically planned and well thought out.
Since the actual testing of the client’s system was done by the key users who are not professional testers, the client reached out to Sixsentix for support regarding test management on this migration project.
Sixsentix's solution
We can differentiate between two important phases of the Sixsentix’ solution:
1. Preparation phase for the migration that lasts about 8 weeks
2. The actual migration weekend
The preparation phase means that all departments in all client locations (20 client locations in Europe) working with this SAP system were asked to provide the test scope. The client's specific team in each of these locations had to be guided how to set their test scope and test plan. Sixsentix Test Manager coordinated this phase and tracked the test progress and results of the test system (Quality system).
The goal of this phase was to have everything properly and thoroughly set for the migration weekend, such as: test scope definition, identifying risks in testing aspect, nominating testers and setting their availability, test effort estimation, defining test environments. We have also supported key users in order to do the testing in controlled way.
On the migration weekend, the testing of the system to be migrated (Production system) took place and Sixsentix coordinated this process and prepared the reports for the Go/No-Go decision. The goal of the test management during the migration weekend was to align all activities, track all test results and enable the management from the client's Business and IT departments to make a sound, fact-based Go/ No-Go (migration roll-back) decision.
“In the last quarter of 2020, we placed our business focus on migrating all our production SAP applications to a cloud system. Accomplishing this with zero failure was a challenging task. We relied on Sixsentix experts to support us with the test management, and to help us structure our testing data and improve our migration testing methodology. Additionally, thanks to Sixsentix, our management was able to make a sound Go/No-Go decision. All of these exceptional efforts resulted in the complete success of the migration project.”
Senior Director IT Management
Value delivered
The most important goal of smooth transformation was accomplished, which brought a major benefit for the customer: flexibility regarding the scalability of the new SAP Cloud system.
Sixsentix Test Management thoroughly prepared all the testers so that the testing on the migration weekend was performed without any impediments, and they enabled the client's management to make the Go/ No-Go decision.
Results:
• Before the ‘Go/No-Go’ decision meeting in which the management decides whether to proceed with the migration or do the roll back, no defects were open – there were no failed test cases/applications in the migration
• There were 250 people involved in this project from the client side that Sixsentix coordinated
• There were 140 applications to be migrated
• 560 hours of tests were invested during the migration weekend
