What is an SAP SuccessFactors Release?
SAP SuccessFactors is a leading edge Software as a Service (SaaS) solution which supports your end to end hire to retire employee experience. Users of SAP SuccessFactors operate on a shared code base, which is hosted and overseen by SAP. Within the subscription framework, SAP delivers updates, enhancements and new features to its Human Experience Management (HXM) suite of applications through bi-annual product releases.
Please note: For the context of this blog post, I want to emphasize the exclusion of Employee Central (EC) Payroll, which follows a distinct product update process known as HR Support Packs (HRSP). Further details on EC Payroll can be found here.
How often do releases occur?
SAP SuccessFactors undergoes product releases twice annually, with the first half release (1H) taking place in April/May and the second half release (2H) occurring in Oct/Nov.
Note: Validated Learning instances receive an annual release to allow software validation with regulators. Additional information on this process is available in this SAP blog here, and for the most recent release schedule, refer to this link.
What are the scheduled SAP SuccessFactors Release dates for 2024?
| Release | Preview | Production |
| 1H 2024 | 19 – 21st April, 2024 | 17 – 19th May 2024 |
| 2H 2024 | 18 – 20th October 2024 | 15 – 17th November 2024 |
Preview/Production – what is the difference?
SAP ensures that each customer has at least one non-productive instance within their system landscape . This is known as the ‘Preview’ instance. To facilitate effective organisational release management, the SAP SuccessFactors release is implemented in Preview instances approximately four to five weeks ahead of Production instances.
During this interval, customers are encouraged to review the new features and conduct regression testing on the automatically available changes using their test cases based on business scenarios.
Customers will maintain their production instance in the Production environment and at least one non-production instance in the Preview environment. If utilising a 3-tier (or more) system, the placement of additional instances in either the Preview or Production environment is determined by individual customer strategies.
As a general recommendation, placing the Test instance in the Production environment is advisable, ensuring a non-production instance is consistently on the same code base as the production instance for routine business as usual (BAU) support purposes.
Does that mean there are optional updates?
All instances will receive updates from the same code base. However, the release encompasses various functionalities and features, some of which are automatically accessible, while others require action to enable (or occasionally, disable).
This differentiation is communicated through a filter known as “Enablement,” introduced starting from the 1H 2023 release. The purpose of this filter is to provide information about the time investment required to derive value from a particular enhancement or new feature.
SAP’s own definition of the “Enablement” filter values is as follows:
| Value | Definition | Notes |
| Automatically On | The feature or enhancement is turned on in production environments at the Valid as of date. No configuration is required. | You get the value when it rolls to production by doing nothing, but you also cannot “configure it away” from your business. |
| Customer Configured | The feature or enhancement is available in production environments on the Valid as of date, but it requires self-service enablement by the customer before it can be used | Even if some parts of the feature or enhancement are automatically on, to get the full value of the feature we are describing, you have configuration work to do. |
| Contact Enablement Partner | The feature is turned off by default, and you need to contact your enablement partner to turn it on. | Even if some parts of the feature or enhancement are automatically on, and other parts are customer configured, to get the full value, you must contact an enablement partner. |
| Contact Product Support | The feature is turned off by default, and you need to contact Product Support to turn it on. | Even if some parts of the feature or enhancement are automatically on, customer configured, or require you to contact an enablement partner, you must also contact product support to get the full value. |
Features marked as “Automatically On” generally do not pose a significant change management impact on end users. These features may involve minor improvements or the addition of extra features that are not necessarily fundamental to a process but prove useful.
On the other hand, other Enablement types, such as optional updates, are more likely to have a noticeable impact, requiring additional steps for activation, testing, and seamless integration into your organisation.
In practice, it’s common for customers to review optional features but delay their activation until after the production environments have been upgraded. This allows organizations to assess and discuss these features with their business stakeholders before implementing changes.
Are these just “bug” fixes?
No, the release update primarily focuses on introducing new features and functionality for existing customers. However, the release update cycle also includes addressing a multitude of “defects and customer-reported issues,” referred to as “Fixed Issues”. As an illustration, in the 2H 2023 release, there were approximately 408 release updates listed in the “What’s New Viewer” and around 376 “Notable Fixed Issues” addressed and resolved.
Does everyone get the same updates? At the same time?
SAP SuccessFactors employs a unified code base for all its customers. Therefore, in a general sense, all customers receive updates simultaneously during the same release timeframe. To provide more precision, all instances within the environment undergoing updates (such as Preview or Production) receive identical release updates on the designated upgrade date, considering data center locations and time zones.
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SAP SuccessFactors 1H 2024 Release Key Highlights & Updates for HCM – Zalaris
What do SAP do to help me?
SAP disseminates a comprehensive range of information regarding the overall process and, in anticipation of each release, provides specific details about the upcoming release through the SAP SuccessFactors Community (accessible by logging in with an S-User). This includes:
- What’s New Viewer: An online list featuring details of all elements in the release, accompanied by notes, screenshots, and sometimes video demos.
- Release Q&A Series: Live sessions (also recorded) where product experts are available to address questions submitted in advance.
- Release Highlights: Both video and document formats offering a high-level summary of the key updates.
- Product Highlight: Videos showcasing the product highlights in each specific product area.
- Road to Release document: A comprehensive checklist of tasks, explanations of terms, and a timeline (also published independently as a standalone document – Release Timeline & Administrator Checklist One-Pager).
- Notable Fixed Issues: A list highlighting bug fixes implemented during the release.
- Known Issues: If any issues are identified in the release, they are published in this section to proactively address concerns and prevent redundant reporting of the same issues.
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What should I be doing to prepare?
The “Road to Release” document features a practical checklist and guidance for administrators, summarized as follows:
1. Learn what’s coming
2. Align Internally
3. Try out new features in your Preview environment
4. Carry out testing
5. Deploy and manage the impact of changes into your organisation
In my personal approach, I would recommend dividing some of these activities, with a primary focus on the “Automatically On” updates initially. It’s advisable to review, conduct regression testing, and monitor the system in the lead-up to the production release upgrade. Once this is confirmed, proceed to review the optional features, align internally, activate those of interest, and effectively manage the impact of these changes in productive use.
Where else can I get help?
SAP boasts a robust partner ecosystem where individual partners may exhibit varying degrees of proficiency in distinct functional areas such as Finance, Procurement, and HR, among others, and may specialise in different geographic regions. The SAP Partner Finder tool allows users to search based on these specific criteria.
Partners demonstrating a robust capability in HR typically feature SAP SuccessFactors certified consultants and may offer either broad consulting support or services tailored specifically to release management. Many of these specialised organizations also contribute to content publication or host webinars related to their expertise.
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What do Zalaris offer?
Zalaris, recognised as an SAP gold partner with Expert competency level in Human Capital Management, specialises in HR and Payroll solutions leveraging both SAP and SAP SuccessFactors. With a presence in 13 European countries and 3 APAC countries, our Professional Services consultants collectively hold over 150 certifications in SAP SuccessFactors.
For our existing clients across various geographies, Zalaris extends invitations to Release Webinars for each SAP SuccessFactors Release. During these webinars, we articulate the key elements of the release, contributing to a broader calendar of release updates that encompass HR, Payroll (inclusive of legislative updates), and mobile applications.
Complementing our webinars, we provide a series of articles for each SAP SuccessFactors Release, with one article dedicated to each product area. Authored by our consultants, these articles are consolidated into an eBook available for free download, serving as a searchable reference for the future. You can access all our SAP SuccessFactors articles through this link.
Furthermore, our Professional Services teams offer Consulting and Support services. As part of our support service for SAP SuccessFactors customers, we provide a release management service, customising content based on the customer’s solution and geographical spread. We deliver this tailored content to your stakeholders and implement the requested updates into your environment, overseeing the process through to productive use.
If you want to know more about Zalaris’ capability around SAP SuccessFactors or our release management service, then please contact our team of experts today.