Transition to SAP Cloud ALM for Implementation*

Transition to SAP Cloud ALM for implementation when the available functionality fulfills your needs, or if you plan to implement SAP's cloud solutions within your landscape.

Functional comparison and transition guidance

Functional comparison: Process Management

SAP Solution Manager

SAP Cloud ALM
Process Management and Solution Documentation

Describe business and IT perspective on processes, applications and system landscapes in one place

Solution concept to cover whole corporation

Lifecycle handling based on branch concept

Comprehensive library concept to avoid redundancies

Limited SAP Best Practice content available

Fixed semantic of process structure

Optional usage of Process Modeling

Process Management

Manage your Fit-to-Standard Workshops

Process based scoping for Fit-to-Standard Workshops

Extended SAP Best Practices available

Detailed access to SAP Standard Process Models, Test Scripts

Less restrictions in Process Hierarchy

Create own Processes with integrated Process Modelling capabilities

Enhanced Process Modeling based on SAP Signavio*

Common directory for business processes associated documentation

Based on SAP Knowledge Warehouse with comprehensive document management capabilities

Documentation

Document your processes in context of your project via notes

Store and manage external documents*

Work on documentation collaboratively*

Transition Guidance

For Process Management, SAP is currently working on tools and methodologies to support the transfer of business processes and documentation from SAP Solution Manager to SAP Cloud ALM. This is planned as a one-time content data transfer including different steps for content migration.

Please see the table at the end of this page for the scope planned to be available for transition.

Additionally, concepts for the transfer of large amounts of documents are evaluated.

Functional comparison: Project Management

SAP Solution Manager

SAP Cloud ALM
Project Management

Optional usage for ALM processes

Based on the project management functions of SAP Portfolio and Project Management (SAP PPM)

Limited SAP Activate content

Loose integration into other ALM functions (ChaRM, SolDoc, Focused Build)

Project & Task Management

Mandatory usage for ALM processes

Extended content from SAP Activate Methodology available including Roles

Customer own work breakdown structure available

Tight integration into other ALM functions (Onboarding, Requirement, Feature, Process)

Work with releases to drive a deployment plan to production

Transition Guidance

Project Management is provided in SAP Solution Manager and SAP Cloud ALM.

From a data transfer perspective, you can manually export Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) from SAP Solution Manager and import them into SAP Cloud ALM. Transferring further project-related is not supported.

SAP recommends to finish running projects in SAP Solution manager and start new projects in SAP Cloud ALM after the transition.

Functional comparison: Test Suite / Test Management

SAP Solution Manager

SAP Cloud ALM
Test Suite

Business process- based testing

Determine the scope of testing 

Central planning and execution of tests

Manual test capabilities (document based)

Automated test capabilities (Script based)

Defect Management

Test Step solution via Focused Build

Test Management

Prepare and manage functional test cases based on your requirements

Activity and action-based testing

Test Automation handled by Tricentis Test Automation  for SAP integrated with SAP Cloud ALM or external tools

Assign requirements and user stories to test cases

Track the progress of the test preparation

Transition Guidance

For Test Suite, SAP is working on tools and methodologies to support the transfer of test cases and Focused Build test steps from SAP Solution Manager to SAP Cloud ALM.

Transition of BPCA content and TBOMs is not planned. 

Transition of Scope and Effort Analyzer (SEA) content is not planned. 

Transition approach for automated tests

Current tool and transformation use caseTransformation approach

Any Test Automation Tool (CBTA and 3rd party)

  • Move to S/4HANA public cloud
No transition required as standard test cases are provided for most SAP Best Practice processes by S/4HANA Test Automation Tool

Any Test Automation Tool (CBTA and 3rd party)

  • Move to S/4HANA private cloud or on premise and Fiori apps

Any Test Automation Tool integrated with SAP Cloud ALM

  • New Test Cases to be created due to major UI changes

Tricentis Test Automation with SAP Solution Manager

  • Move to S/4HANA private cloud or on premise and staying on SAPGUI applications

Before 2025:

  • Keep Test Cases in Tricentis Test Automation with Solution Manager

Starting at 2025*:

  • Migrate existing Test Cases to Tricentis Test Automation with SAP Cloud ALM*

Functional comparison: Requirement Management

SAP Solution Manager

SAP Cloud ALM
Requirement Management

Requirement Management enables you to handle demands for software innovations used throughout your business, including SAP and non-SAP products.

After identifying the need for a new function or feature, business departments (lines of business) can submit a business requirement and detail the necessary changes.

Requirement Management

Create requirements as part of Fit-to-standard workshops

Mass edit, mass download, and mass upload of requirements

Assign requirements to user stories and project tasks

Create one or several features in relation to your requirement

Transition Information

Requirement Management is provided by SAP Solution Manager and SAP Cloud ALM. 

From a data transfer perspective, you can manually export requirements from SAP Solution Manager and import them into SAP Cloud ALM. 

SAP recommends to finish running projects in SAP Solution manager and start new projects in SAP Cloud ALM after the transition.

Functional comparison: Change Control Management / Deployment Management

SAP Solution Manager

SAP Cloud ALM
Change Request Management

Comprehensive workflow to control and document changes in system landscapes

Request changes, implement, and test them

Perform change control activities across technology stacks and application components

Fiori-based work package and work item in Focused Build

Change Enablement

Release and Deployment Orchestration

Allows you to stay on top of your adjustments to production systems hence ensuring stable and reliable daily operations

Uses Features to document and deploy your software or configuration changes and to record the changed objects

Assign transports as containers of your software and configuration changes

Quality Gate ManagementIntegrated and consistent quality process to manage changes and their deployment over all operational units across the various organizations of a companycurrently not in scope 

Transition Information

Transition of Change Control Management - related data from SAP Solution Manager to SAP Cloud ALM is not planned.

SAP recommends to close open change cycles in SAP Solution Manager, then activate Deployment Management in SAP Cloud ALM.

 

To learn more about the details, please see the following recording: https://youtu.be/uHfWbaWWAxQ?si=uHELUeM_FJJZak5Y

 

Functional comparison: Reporting

SAP Solution Manager

SAP Cloud ALM
Reporting

Comprehensive reporting for all capabilities

Solution Readiness Dashboard for project governance in Focused Build

Includes risks, issues, status on availability of documentation, and more

Cross-project analyses

Analytics

Integrated Analytics per capability

Additional cross analytics provided

Transition Information

Reporting capabilities are provided in both SAP Solution Manager and SAP Cloud ALM.

Transfer of reporting and analytics data is not provided - after activating reporting capabilities in SAP Cloud ALM, new reporting data is collected.

Functional comparison: Focused Build

SAP Solution Manager

SAP Cloud ALM
Focused BuildReady-to-run and integrated, tool-supported methodology to manage requirements and software development in large, agile projects.SAP Cloud ALM

Adoption of Focused Build methodology planned to support customers in the implementation of cloud centric and hybrid solution landscapes.

Learn more about Focused Build in SAP Cloud ALM from this presentation (Video | PDF).

Transition Information

Transition of Focused Build test steps is planned.

Functional comparison: IT Service Management

SAP Solution Manager

SAP Cloud ALM
ITSM 

Central message management and processing

Allow to connect to an external help desk, set up service connections, and access SAP Service & Support.

IT Service Management functionality is not in scope.

Transition Information

SAP Cloud ALM does not provide IT Service Management, therefore no transition is required.

If customers have used ITSM in SAP Solution Manager, SAP recommends to plan a transition to a 3rd party ITSM tool.

SAP Solution Manager

SAP Cloud ALM 
Custom Code ManagementCustom Code Management is the central point of access for all functions that you use to monitor and manage the complete lifecycle of custom developments from requirement to retirement.Custom Code Clustering*Planned functionality

Transition Information

No transition required.

Learn more about the planned Custom Code Clustering here.

Learn more about the transition to SAP Cloud ALM for Implementation

Learn from this session about the concept and detailed aspects for the transition to SAP Cloud ALM for implementation. Understand the differences in functionality between SAP Solution Manager and SAP Cloud ALM, get to know which content is planned to be transferred, and learn how the selective data transfer process will be designed.

Selective data transfer from SAP Solution Manager to SAP Cloud ALM

Discovering the capabilities of SAP Cloud ALM before transitioning to it from SAP Solution Manager is a critical step in ensuring a successful migration. It provides insights into how the new system aligns with business goals, supports functional enhancements, integrates with existing systems, and mitigates risks. Additionally, it aids in effective resource allocation, change management, cost-benefit analysis, strategic road mapping, enhancing user experience, and meeting regulatory requirements. By investing time in this discovery phase, you can pave the way for a smoother, more efficient, and more successful transition to SAP Cloud ALM.

ALM processPlanned transition aspects
Process ManagementTransfer of process hierarchy (folders and scenarios), libraries (executable, configuration, interface, development, process steps), process content (business processes and diagrams), process elements (including test steps and process documentation)
Test SuiteTransfer of manual test cases and Focused Build test steps
Project ManagementManual upload
Requirements Management
General remarksOut of scope for selective data transfer
  • No bi-directional synchronization of content is planned between SAP Cloud ALM and SAP Solution Manager 7.2.
  • The selective data transfer is a one-time activity consisting of multiple steps.
  • SAP plans to provide specific reports in SAP Solution Manager 7.2 (SP15 and higher) for selective data transfer to SAP Cloud ALM.
  • The SAP Readiness Check for SAP Cloud ALM provides relevant information to define the scope of your Selective Data Transfer.
  • Master data (e.g. Business Partners)
  • Transactional and project related data (e.g. test plans, change documents, Focused Build data)
  • Analytics data (e.g. Readiness Dashboard)

Transferring data from SAP Solution Manager to SAP Cloud ALM is planned as a one-time activity with multiple steps.

The table below shows which data from which area in SAP Solution Manager can be transferred to the respective area in SAP Cloud ALM,

StepAreaData transfer from SAP Solution Manager to SAP Cloud ALMAvailability
Step 1Process HierarchyFolder / Scenario / Org. Unit / Master DataProcess Hierarchy NodeAvailable
Step 2LibrariesConfigurationConfigurationon roadmap
DevelopmentDevelopmenton roadmap
ExecutablesApplicationon roadmap
InterfacesInterfaceson roadmap
Process Steps Solution Activitieson roadmap
Step 3Process ContentBusiness ProcessesCustom Solution Processeson roadmap
Process DiagramsSolution Process Flow Diagramson roadmap
Step 4Process ElementsDocuments & Test DocumentsDocumentationon roadmap
Test StepsTest Caseson roadmap

You can find more details about the planned availability in the respective roadmap item in the SAP Roadmap Explorer.

 

Learn more about the planned selective data transfer from this recording.

*This is the current state of planning and may be changed by SAP at any time.