SAP SuccessFactors Instance Strategy

Architecture Leading Practices

SuccessFactors Cloud Architects Community, SAP
1H 2021

PUBLIC
Disclaimer

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Agenda

▪ What is Architecture Leading Practice (ALP) ?

▪ SAP SuccessFactors Instance Strategy Considerations

▪ Instance Strategy – What’s New ?

▪ SuccessFactors Instance Management Tools

▪ Governance and Summary

▪ Additional Resources

▪ Appendix

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Introduction

Purpose Audience
The purpose of this The primary audience for this document are client team members who play a
document is to provide role in implementing the solution and need to make educated and informed
valuable, real-world decisions.
insight into how to deal
with the topic during the
implementation of SAP About the authors
SuccessFactors. It is This document is one of the series of Leading Practice documents were created
designed to promote an by the Intelligent Delivery Group Global Cloud Solution Architecture team.
understanding of key
concepts, options and
their pros and cons.

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What is a Architecture Leading Practice ?

Architecture Leading Practice (ALP) is a set of recommended configuration decisions

and guidance on topics associated with a SuccessFactors implementation, and are
recommendations to drive positive outcomes based on intended system design, proven
success from previous implementations, and avoidance of pitfalls.

Leading Practices are designed to help customers get the greatest benefit from their
end to end SuccessFactors HR Processes.

Architecture Leading Practices (ALP) are aligned with Implementation Design

Principles, SuccessFactors Process Library and Data Architecture and fit the SAP Model
Company for HR framework.

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Aligning Architecture Leading Practices

Prepare your customer and decide on

strategies ensuring Customer Success

Global view of Aligned with Model

approaches and Company for HR, IDP’s,
processes based on Architecture SuccessFactors Process
real life experience Library, and Data
Leading Architecture approaches
Practices

Easy to present building Re-usable content

blocks supporting both full in standard formats
scale as sales engagements

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Assets and Principles Including Deliverables and Distribution Channels
SAP Professional

Architectural Leading Practices (ALP) Process Library Leading Practices

Services

Management level overview on critical architecture topics conforming to guardrails and ▪ HR processes and related Leading Practices supported by
referencing IDPs for further details where applicable. Customer Community SuccessFactors.
Use-case: Provide introduction to SuccessFactors on architectural level for Discover and Prepare. ▪ Designed end-to-end across modules of the SAP SuccessFactors
SAP Activate
Audience: Chief architects, Project Leads, Program Manager, Customer Leadership (IT and HR) Suite.
Deliverables: PowerPoints. ▪ System relevant steps but also manual steps are depicted in
process flows.
Use-case: Provide insights into supported HR business process during
Discover, Prepare and Explore.
Audience: Configurators (partner), Designers (partner), Customer
Process Experts (IT and HR)
Deliverables: Leading Practices,
SAP Best Practices Process Diagrams and Process Summaries
SAP SuccessFactors Product

Proven set of HR business process configuration:

▪ Conforming to Implementation Design Principles and Process Library SAP Best Practices Explorer
▪ Supposed to deliver what most customers require Help Portal
Data
▪ Based on the experience and learnings from customer implementation projects Process Library SAP Activate
Partner Community Architecture
▪ Allowing automated and modular deployment
SAP Activate
Use-case: Implementation acceleration during Explore and Realize.
Audience: Configurators (partners and customers)
Deliverables: Configuration Blocks via SAP Upgrade Center and Documentation (Technical Process
Flows, Workbooks, Configuration Guides – getting started, Test Scripts, Interactive Process Simulations.)

Implementation Design Principles (IDP) Help Portal

Expert level guidance beyond Implementation Handbooks on implementation design and
Customer Community
strategy addressing how to leverage SuccessFactors in order to fulfill customer requirements
end-to-end while conforming to guardrails and product roadmap. Partner Edge
Use-case: Provide detailed advice on how to leverage product during Explore and Realize.
Deliverables: Documents, PowerPoints (as rare exception) SAP Activate
Documentation Deployable business
Audience: Architects, Designers, Developers, Configurators, Customer Experts (IT and HR) configuration

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SAP SuccessFactors Instance Strategy
Considerations
 ***Key 1H 2021 Updates***
➢ All versions of Jam are being removed (Adv, Adv+, Enterprise) from product packages. Only renewals and upsells allowed.
➢ Workforce Planning is being officially sunset.
➢ Customers purchasing the new EC SKU will receive 3 tenants for all SFSF platforms they’ve subscribed to; a Preview environment tenant, a non-prod tenant in
production stack and a Productive tenant.

➢ The above rule applies to new Employee Central, core HR option (8008640) purchases only. Included platforms are: BizX, Jam, LMS, VLMS, RMK, RPOS, WFA
and KMS

➢ New Configuration Center to View, download and move SuccessFactors configurations between instances

➢ SAP Cloud Platform Service is now known as SAP BTP (Business Technology Platform) Service
➢ SAP BTP is not a 1:1 replacement of SAP Cloud Platform. SAP Cloud Platform makes up only the application development and integration pillar of SAP BTP. On the
product level, the SAP Cloud Platform services are organized into two suites, renamed to: SAP Integration Suite (SIS) and SAP Extension Suite

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 Understanding SuccessFactors Terminology

➢ Data Center
o A Data Center is a physical location of server/s where SuccessFactors cloud application is hosted. The data
center is generally driven by the geographic location of the headquarters of customer.
E.g. DC04 –Arizona, USA, DC02 – Amsterdam, Netherlands etc.
➢ Environment
o An Environment is a set of servers hosting various SuccessFactors & HR Cloud solutions in a data center. Each
data center has 2 types of environments:
o A Preview environment is where the semi-annual releases are applied first, giving the customers thirty (30) days to test the
new functionality.
o A Productive environment is a stable environment which has been fully tested, has real live data and is used for business
operations. Customer production instance is always hosted in the Productive Environment.
➢ Instance (Tenant)
o Instance and Tenant are interchangeably used terms and refer to a single database schema of a platform (product
type) for example HXM Core (BizX), LMS etc. Each instance when provisioned for a specific customer is assigned
a unique identifier, called Company ID
➢ Client
o This term is primarily referred to in the context of EC Payroll and legacy ERP Payroll instances. A client is a
partition within an instance.

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 SuccessFactors Standard Instance (Tenant) Provisioning
➢ All products come with an Instance (tenant) in the Preview environment and a tenant in the Production environment.
➢ Employee Central is provisioned with three (3) instances:
o Non-Production instance in Productive Environment recommended using for QA/UAT
o Non-Production instance in Preview Environment recommended using for Development
o Production instance in Productive Environment

➢ Validated Learning comes with a 3rd Stage instance and a 4th Pre-Production instance. Validated Learning is on a separate
release schedule. Features from the prior 4 quarters are released in Q3 of each year
➢ Recruiting Marketing and Recruiting Posting are limited to one tenant in the Productive environment, for technical reasons.
➢ Validated Learning requires a JIRA ticket for tenants to be provisioned after the initial Test tenant is provisioned (it is not
automatic)
➢ ECP comes with 2 non-production instances for ECP, and allow multiple clients to be created :
o Development Instance can have 2 clients
o Test instance can have 3 clients
o Production Instance

Note : Software updates and upgrades are released in the Preview environment approximately 4 weeks prior to the GA release
in the Productive Environment

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 ***Important*** Naming of Instances
Historically when Employee Central was not in the picture, there were only 2
instances provided to customers, and used to be labelled as
• Test (which was in preview and used for both development & testing) and
• Prod (which was in production environment).
When Employee Central was introduced, a 3rd environment, which was called
Dev (in the production environment) provided to customers.

But the naming of an Instance as Dev or Test is notional.

When customers receive new Instances for SuccessFactors, often times the
naming convention of these provisioned instances may confuse the Instance
Strategy recommendation in this ALP. Please note that, the instance names i.e.
D or T are named as such in-line with overall S/4HANA Cloud Suite
terminologies and don’t define your instance strategy landscape. We suggest
following this ALP for guidance and associated IDP for your SuccessFactors
Instance Strategy Landscape.

The Non Productive instance in Preview is recommended to be used as the

Development System.

Additional instances may be procured by customers in either the Preview or the

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Production environment with additional cost. 12
Instance Strategy Consideration
Setting the Stage

Why does it When to work What are the results?

matter? on it?

▪ Manage multiple ▪ Discuss the Instance ▪ Inform stakeholders from IT and HR “what
streams that maintain strategy before to do where”
and implement SAP implementation start
SuccessFactors ▪ Ensure that project, training and
▪ Optimize existing maintenance team members know where
▪ Conduct evaluation- strategy, when adding to engage
and regression testing new initiatives or
of new features and solutions
solutions

SAP SuccessFactors Instance Strategy

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Instance Strategy Considerations - Project Implementation
Recommended Landscape Architecture (Without EC)

*Non Production Instance in Preview Production Instance in Productive

Environment- Development/Test Environment – Go Live
(DC# Preview) (DC# Production)

Social
Social Analytics Collaboration
Analytics Collaboration
Configuration Copy Path
Compensatio Succession & Performance
Compensatio Succession & Performance n & Benefits Development & Goals
n & Benefits Development & Goals

Refresh
Learning Employee Recruiting
Learning Employee Recruiting Onboarding
Central
Central Onboarding

*Releases are twice a year delivered 30-days before Production

Preview Instance

▪ Develop, Unit Test, UAT, and approving configuration

▪ Use this environment for Preview release validation
▪ Possibly connected to third party applications for integration and end-to-end testing
▪ Data can be loaded and/or refreshed from Production (may require data scrambling/masking)
▪ Used for testing/support of Production escalations
▪ Move approved configuration from Preview to Production
NOTE: Pay close attention to project timelines and release dates overlapping. Evaluation and migration of new features to Production may affect implementation project timelines.
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 Instance Strategy Considerations – Project Implementation
Recommended Landscape Architecture (With EC)

Production Instance in Productive

Environment - Go-Live
(DC#) Production
Refresh
Production Instance
▪ Environment for all live transaction and data
management

Non Production Instance in Preview ▪ Connected/integrated to all 3rd party

Environment -Development application
(DC# Preview)

Preview Dev Instance

▪ Develop, Unit Test, and approving configuration
▪ Use this environment for Preview release validation
▪ Possibly connected to third party applications for end-to-
end testing
▪ Move approved configuration from Preview to Quality
Assurance
▪ Data can be loaded and/or refreshed from Production
▪ Used for testing/support of Production escalations

QA/Test Instance
▪ Used for Payroll Parallel Testing
▪ Used for User Acceptance Testing, Integration Testing.
▪ Connected to all third party applications for end-to-end testing
▪ Data should be refreshed from Production.
▪ Configurations are migrated from Preview upon approvals
▪ Used for testing/support of Production escalations

Non-Production Instance in Productive Environment -

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(DC#) Production
 Instance Strategy Considerations – Business as Usual
Recommended Landscape Architecture (BAU with EC)

Production Instance in Productive

Environment - Go-Live
(DC#) Production
Production Instance
▪ Environment for all live transaction and
data management
Non Production Instance in Preview ▪ Connected/integrated to all 3rd party
Environment -Development application
(DC# Preview)

Preview Dev Instance

▪ Regression Testing for Releases
▪ Enhancement Development for Opt-In or New
configuration
▪ Unit Testing

QA/Test Instance
▪ Used for Payroll Parallel Testing
▪ Production Support
▪ Integration Testing (for any developments or changes)

Non-Production Instance in Productive Environment -

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(DC#) Production
SuccessFactors Instance Strategy Considerations
Without Employee Central Solution(s)

Social Social
Analytics Collaboration Analytics Collaboration

Compensation Succession & Performance Compensation Succession & Performance

& Benefits Development & Goals Move Configuration & Benefits Development & Goals

Learning Core HR Recruiting Onboarding Learning Core HR Recruiting Onboarding

Development and Test Production

▪ Deployed in SuccessFactors preview release environment ▪ Deployed in SuccessFactors standard release
environment
▪ Develop, test and approve functional configuration
▪ Run “Talent Management” processes here
▪ Use this environment for preview release validation
▪ Integrate with 3rd party applications (Prod Data)
▪ Leverage environment as validation base for net new
features ▪ Refresh Development/Test environment if needed
▪ Move approved configuration to Production
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SuccessFactors Instance Strategy Leading Practice
Including Employee Central Solution(s)

Move Configuration Move Configuration

Social Social Social

Analytics Collaboration Analytics Collaboration Analytics Collaboration

Compensation Succession & Performance Compensation Succession & Performance Compensation Succession & Performance
& Benefits Development & Goals & Benefits Development & Goals & Benefits Development & Goals

Learning Core HR Recruiting Onboarding Learning Core HR Recruiting Onboarding Learning Core HR Recruiting Onboarding

Development Test (QA) Production

▪ Deployed in SF preview release environment ▪ Deployed in SF standard release environment ▪ Deployed in SF standard release
environment
▪ Start all functional configuration here ▪ Develop and validate technical integration
▪ Run “Hire to retire” HR transactions
▪ Validate and approve functional configuration ▪ Validate end-end configuration (UAT)
▪ Integrate with productive 3rd party
▪ Move approved configuration to Test/QA ▪ Integrate with 3rd party applications (Test applications
Data)
▪ Use this environment for early release validation ▪ Refresh Dev and/or Test environments
▪ Move approved configuration to Production if needed
▪ Leverage as validation base for net new features
▪ Refresh from Production if needed
(anonymized)
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Payroll Process – Instance Strategy
EC Payroll

Development Test (QA) Production

Employee Central Employee Central
Employee Central

Config Move Config Move

Preview Preview Prod Prod

PTP
PTP PTP PTP

Config Move Config Move

Client 100 Client 200 Client 100 Client 200 Client 100 Production
Configuration Unit Test UAT / SIT Parallel Test
Employee Central
Employee Central Payroll Employee Central Payroll Payroll

CPI
CPI CPI

Config Move Config Move

S/4 or ECC S/4 or ECC S/4 or ECC

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Reasoning for
the Instance Strategy Recommendation
Why do we recommend this Instance Strategy ?
S/4HANA, SuccessFactors and other Cloud solutions are on a different Release schedule

• SuccessFactors doesn't have a transport system, unlike S/4HANA. There are instance management tools
available to support the selective move of configuration from Preview to QA or Preview to Prod.

• New enhancements are available in Preview 4 weeks before QA/Prod. That gives customers time to Opt-In
new functionalities, configure, test, and decide whether to roll out the functionality in Prod.

• Universal features in Preview give them time to ready with change management or communication strategy.

• Finally, most of the Integration testing and Payroll testing happens in the QA (prod stack) instance, i.e., an
instance closer to Prod in the same stack. It's not advisable to start new dev in an integration testing
environment.

• Payroll data can’t be stored in Preview environment as per the DPP protocols and can’t be used for Payroll
Parallel testing

• Learning data can’t be stored in Preview for various SCORM compliance reasons

• Just to add that a customer should be able to reproduce production issues on an instance on production
stack closest to actual config as well. QA on preview would mean they are out of sync for some time and the
Development instance might not be representative due to ongoing projects.

• Provisioning teams always start from their standard 2-tier landscape which is test and production. When EC is
in scope a 3rd instance is requested and provisioned, which is then many times incorrectly ending up as a
development instance on productive stack. This is an issue we also recognize, and have been fighting for to
correct for many years.
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 Why do we recommend this Instance Strategy ?

• An instance on preview stack should never include production like data as per sap policies. If an QA
instance would be on preview this would be violated.

• Customers with QA instance on preview would face twice a year a blackout period where they cannot
fix productive issues. When having dev on productive and QA on preview they are potentially even
hindered twice. Customers having QA however on productive stack always have the fallback scenario
to:
o have the opportunity to validate final configuration in an environment that is as close as possible to
production and therefore validate issues in QA based on productive like data
o be flexible in migration of issue fixes during black out periods.

• Customers would normally not test out new enhancements out of the release on an instance that may
also be integrated with payroll and other solutions. This is to be done on either a sandbox, or a
development instance. Only once enhancements are accepted through first testing, you would
implement them in an instance which is similar like productive.

• HR Processes and Schedules are different compared to Core S/4HANA processes and
schedule. There’s year-end activities and related testing with HR data. Performance and Goal has a
different schedule, which typically differs for every organization

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Instance Strategy Considerations
Justifications of Additional Instance Use

▪ Sandbox instances – used for research and other preliminary

activities prior to making changes in Development
▪ Deploying staggered global go-lives that have different
localization requirements i.e. Employee Central or Employee
Central Payroll
▪ For a similarly tiered landscape to match the client’s ERP
landscape and payroll testing
▪ Temporary data migration instances – used solely for practicing
data loads without frequent configuration changes adding
complexities
▪ Training instances – used as a dedicated Environment of end
user training activities, when the volume of such activities
warrants a separate environment
▪ Secondary testing instances (e.g. Cutover Test, Integration Test,
Pre-Production) – used for conducting targeted, isolated tests,
generally as part of the final stages prior to a production cutover

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Instance Strategy Considerations
Caveats of Additional Instances

▪ Consider that the more instances in use requires more work to

maintain consistent configuration setup and to keep the data up to
date.

▪ Additional instances are linked to a fee for procuring the

Environment. If the instances are to be used in the project
landscape additional fees to perform an additional cutover and
support to this new instances will also apply.

▪ Additional instance maintenance, update, and testing can

potentially result in additional time requirement for project duration.

▪ If the client requires additional configuration efforts to be done in

the additional instances, it is subject to resource availability and
additional fees applies as well.

▪ It is typically the client’s responsibility to maintain any additional

instance unless contract specifies otherwise – since customer does
not have the provisioning access required for various configuration
tasks, this will mean some requests for change would be done by
SAP SuccessFactors.

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Instance Management Tools
SuccessFactors Instance Management Tools

View, download, and transport of

Configuration configs stored in XMLs(data models),
Center application specific configs.

Selected “configuration push”

Instance
from one instance to another.
Sync

Instance Copy of configuration and data

Refresh from one instance to another.

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SuccessFactors Configuration Center
Configuration Center is an Agile model that helps to
ship incremental changes more often and through SF Configuration Center
reliable mechanism :
• Provide broader coverage for configs across HCM Suite
Transport Management
• View, download, and transport of configs stored in
XMLs(data models), application specific configs Landscape Configuration
o View configuration by
o Last modified by
D T Transport Route P
o Last modified date Transport
Node

Destination
• Transport routes and bundle management
• Transport forked into export from the source and import into
the target
• Identify transport nodes and define transport route within
two systems through source-target pairing

• Config change version management

• Rollback to previous version
Dev Instance Test/QA Instance Prod Instance
• Audit and compliance
Target Environment
o Intuitive error messaging and reporting

• Keep validating and fixing issues before the final import

• Pre-packaged bundle deliveries

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 Configuration Center
High level capabilities
Source Tenant Target Tenant

• Role-based permission(RBP) enabled Categorized View of Download

Validate Export
within Admin Center with the right Configs Configs
permissions given to team members.
Admin

Source-Target
Import Bundle
Pairing

Show Transport
Validation Check
Report

Export Bundle to
Target

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Governance & Summary
Governance

Maintaining multiple instances successfully will require

collaboration between several teams. To ensure that
everyone stays “in the loop,” a system governance
team is strongly recommended.

Successful system governance reaches well beyond

client team admins. Consider including
representatives such as HR program managers and
process owners, HRIS management, IT professionals
and Helpdesk representatives.

System governance teams should meet on a regular basis; quarterly is recommended as a

leading practice.

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Governance

Instance HR program and system project review – what is

Management currently happening/upcoming for each instance

discussion topics System Release notes review

often include Refresh frequency and timing

Data integrity practices

Instance user-access, data privacy and permissions

Downstream system impacts

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Activities and process in instance governance
Instance governance should provide guidance on the below strategies:

All initial configurations are completed in the Development instance. Once configuration is completed,
configuration is copied from the Development instance to the Test instance. In the Test instance, system
New implementations end-to-end testing, user experience testing and integration testing is performed, followed by parallel testing.
Once all tests are approved, the configuration can be copied to Production instance

In the event of a critical Production issue, other processes and/or projects may be halted. Testing and
potential configuration changes should be done in the Test instance where the code base is the same as
Testing Production issues Production (due to product updates release 30 days in advance in the Preview stack).
Once tested and approved, the configuration change is copied to Production instance and to Development
instance to ensure consistent configuration across the landscape.

The Development instance is used for the initial review and testing of new features. Once features are
selected for implementation, the initial configuration is done in the Development instance. The configuration
Evaluation of new features is then copied to the Test instance for regression testing and user experience testing before getting moved
over to Production.

For any screen captures needed for training material or user documentation, the Test instance should be
used if you are not in the midst of a testing cycle. Otherwise, the Development instance could be used,
Training (optional) ensuring that any new features being evaluated are not creating conflicts by being visible in screen shots.

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Configuration copy path
Recommended configuration copy path depending on business scenario:

New implementations and testing of new features: Fixes to production issues:

1 2 3
Preview Preview

Dev Test Prod Dev Test 1 Prod

▪ New configurations are done in Dev. Product release new ▪ Configuration to fix production issues is done in Test
features are tested in Dev (Preview stack)
▪ After thorough validation, configuration is migrated to
▪ Configurations are migrated to Test. Product release features are Production and to Dev simultaneously.
automatically available in Test (Production stack) on the Release
date. In case of optional features, they can be activated from
Upgrade Center.
▪ After additional validation in Test, configurations can be migrated
to Prod. Release updates can the activated in Prod.

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Instance Refresh Schedule (with EC)

It is recommended to periodically refresh the Development and Test instances from Production instance to secure 100
percent of configuration alignment. After the refresh, data scrambling or anonymization may be needed for data protection
reasons.

1 1
Preview
Instance refresh Instance refresh
DEV PRODUCTION TEST

2 Data anonymization 2 Data anonymization

Preview or Production
1 Instance refresh (optional)
TRAINING

2 Data anonymization

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Instance Refresh Schedule (without EC)

It is recommended to periodically refresh the Development and Test instances from Production instance to secure 100% of
configuration alignment. After the refresh, data scrambling or anonymization may be needed for data protection reasons.

1
Instance refresh
PRODUCTION TEST

2 Data anonymization

Preview or Production
1 Instance refresh (optional)
TRAINING

2 Data anonymization

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Summary

Instance Strategy development is critical to the success of any implementation. The strategy must
be designed, socialized, and agreed upon at the project onset to establish an adequate landscape
and collective understanding of its use.

In general, the following key ▪ Start planning early – do not wait until project kick off.
focus areas for Instance ▪ Understand the IT protocol/audit policies for the organization.
▪ Gain familiarity with the SAP SuccessFactors distinct platforms and
Strategy design are of great terminology.
importance to any project’s ▪ Document the required alignment of the SuccessFactors landscape to the
success: client’s ERP landscape.
▪ Know the requirements for the testing approach, mock cutovers, data loading
trials, etc.
▪ Involve the key stakeholders in documenting landscape needs and
expectations.
▪ Plan for how the instances will be used post go live, or during phased rollouts.

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Additional Resources
Additional Resources

▪ Instance Sync Tool documentation

▪ Instance refresh KBA 2791468
▪ SAP SuccessFactors Process Library
Links to other
▪ IDP: SAP SuccessFactors Learning: Impact of
SAP resources: Implementing SAP SuccessFactors Employee
Central
▪ IDP:SAP SuccessFactors Suite: Instance
Management to Support Project Implementation
Lifecycle
▪ ALP- Data Migration Strategy
▪ ALP – Integration Strategy
▪ ALP – Payroll Process Strategy

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Thank you.
Global SAP SuccessFactors
Cloud Architect Community

Contact us :[email protected]
Community Leads : [email protected] (NA/LATAM)
[email protected] (EU/MENA) [email protected] (APJ/APAC)
Version Control

Version Date Description Authors

1.0 30-JUN-2018 Initial Version Michael Kennedy

2.0 30-JUN-2019 Revision, Updates, Appendix slides Sameer Aimandi

3.0 30-JUN-2020 1H Version Joern Mergenthal/Pedro Bolanos

4.0 09-JUL-2020 Finalized with updates and formatting, Added Option#1 Slides set, Updated 1H Rinky Karthik
Release notes.
4.1 27-JUL-2020 Slide #17 with 1H 2020 updates Rinky Karthik

5.0 01-MAY-2021 1H 2021 related updates Rinky Karthik/Sameer Aimandi

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Appendix
 ***Important 1H 2020 Update***

1. Three Instances for non-BizX (HXM Core) modules

Effective July 20th 2020, when a new Employee Central, Core HR option is purchased, a Development tenant will also be
provisioned for the following products, provided the customer is licensed for them: Performance & Goals, Compensation,
Succession & Development, Onboarding, Recruiting, Workforce Analytics, Workforce Planning, Learning, Validated Learning, and
Jam.
Note :Employee Central is provisioned with three (3) tenants:
➢ A tenant in the Preview environment recommended using for Development
➢ A tenant in the Production environment recommended using for QA/UAT
➢ A Productive tenant in the Production environment

2. EC without Cloud Platform Integration (CPI)

➢ SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central, core HR option is now being offered without Cloud Platform Integration (CPI). CPI will
no longer get bundled with Employee Central licenses for new customers. Net new Customers will need to buy ‘SAP Cloud
Platform Integration Suite for SAP SuccessFactors solutions’ as needed.

Note: HXM suite is the official name instead of HCM suite, BizX is called HXM Core

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Instance Management Tools
Process of Requesting an Instance Refresh
Via Instance Refresh Tool (self-service)
▪ The Instance Refresh Tool allows you to create, monitor and cancel the schedule of your refresh requests directly
from the Admin Center
▪ For more details on the Instance Refresh Tool please refer to the SAP help Document - Instance Refresh Guide and
KBA 2791468
▪ Limitations of the Instance Refresh Tool in current release:
• The Instance Refresh Tool is available on all Datacenters except DC41, 42 and 47
• The SAP SuccessFactors Onboarding product can’t be refreshed using the tool
• Refresh is not supported from Preview to Production instances during the blackout period for Preview upgrade
• Refresh is supported only when the source and target instances are in the same data center
• Refresh is not supported when schema size of your source instances exceeds certain threshold limit

Via Support request ticket

When the Instance Refresh Tool cannot be used due to any of the limitations listed above, SAP Support team can assist
scheduling the refresh
▪ Customer to complete refresh request
▪ SAP to file an internal request for Instance Refresh
▪ SAP to take 2 weeks to perform the Instance Refresh from the Source instance to the Target instance
▪ Customer and SAP to jointly arrive at the checklist for the activities to be performed post the Instance Refresh.
▪ Perform activities post the Instance Refresh in the target Instance (~2 to 3 weeks).

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Understanding SuccessFactors Instances
Instance Terminology

Before developing a SuccessFactors Instance Strategy, it is important to understand the terminology

used to describe the distinct platforms of instances as described below. Knowing these terms will
help the team begin drafting their required landscape.

HXM Core Platform Distinct Platforms

• SuccessFactors platform and modules • Best in breed applications such as JAM,
suite Learning, Onboarding, Recruiting Marketing,
and Workforce Analytics/Planning
• SFSF platform inclusive of Admin Tools
(e.g., controls RBP settings, etc.) • Applications do not technically reside within
HXM Core instance
• Previous sales materials tend to refer to
all instances under the conceptual • Connectivity to HXM Core configured via
umbrella of ‘BizX’ or ‘Business Execution provisioning (e.g., use of APIs; appears
Software.’ Configuration documentation seamless in UI to end user)
uses a different conceptualization.

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Rules to be applied for HXM Core(EC)

▪ Typically requires 3 tenants – 1 for Dev & Test, 1 for Payroll Parallel Testing, and 1 for Production

▪ For larger customers with phased roll outs, new tenants can be introduced to handle System
Integration Testing, UAT, Data Loads etc.

▪ If extra instance are to be requested then follow the sequence

▪ 1st Extra instance is in the Preview Stack
▪ 2nd Extra instance is in the Production Stack
▪ Any further instances can be added to either stack

▪ More tenants under consideration, the more complex the landscape is going to be
▪ Try and not exceed 5 instances if possible
▪ Try and avoid multiple instances being used in parallel for Dev and Test

▪ If other modules are being implemented along with EC, the number of HXM Core instances will
always be driven by what’s available for EC.

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Rules to be applied for HXM Core(Non EC)
When implementing PM/GM, SUCC, CDP, CAL, 360

▪ Only 2 instances required for non EC implementation – 1 for Dev & Testing, and 1 for Prod
▪ If being implemented along with EC, then 3 environments are provided by default

▪ Additional instances only required for integrations to other downstream environments, or for having
a specific instance required for Testing / UAT etc.

▪ If using the standard connectors between SAP HCM and SF (Talent Hybrid), then depending on the
number of source instances in SAP connected to SF, and the instance policy being followed for the
on prem systems, a 3rd SF instance might be required.

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Rules to apply for HXM Core Tenants when implementing Pay for
Performance

▪ Typically requires 2 tenants – 1 for Dev & Test, and 1 for Production
▪ If being implemented along with EC, then 3 environments are provided by default

▪ Include a 3rd tenant only if there are multiple templates and complex integrations being run, or
multiple countries with a phased roll out.
▪ Then request for a 3rd Non Production tenant in the Productive Environment

▪ If using the standard connectors between SAP HCM and SF (Talent Hybrid), then depending on the
number of source instances in SAP connected to SF, and the instance policy being followed for the
on prem systems, a 3rd SF instance might be required.

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Rules to apply for HXM Core Tenants when implementing Attract and
Acquire

▪ Typically requires 2 tenants – 1 for Dev & Test, and 1 for Production
▪ If being implemented along with EC, then 3 environments are provided by default for RCM
▪ The extra instance is not available for RMK and ONB
▪ There will always be a single Recruiting Posting instance on Production

▪ To facilitate requirements of Integration, Data Loads, and Testing, an extra instance can be
requested. This would need to be requested for BizX, RMK, and ONB.

▪ If being implemented along with EC, then try and ensure the number of RMK & ONB environments
match BizX
▪ This might require additional instances for RMK and ONB to be purchased.
▪ Not having an additional instance means that in one of the instances, the end to end Hire to Retire process
cannot be tested, as it will lack the RMK and ONB presence.

▪ If using the standard connectors between SAP HCM and SF (Talent Hybrid), then depending on the
number of source instances in SAP connected to SF, and the instance policy being followed for the
on prem systems, a 3rd SF instance might be required.
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Rules to apply for HXM Core Tenants when implementing Educate &
Develop, WFA or JAM

▪ Typically requires 2 tenants – 1 for Dev & Test, and 1 for Production

▪ LMS / WFA / JAM have separate tenants that are provided in addition to BizX

▪ If Customer requests for a 3rd instance to be used in this project, they’d need to request instances
for BizX, LMS, WFA, and JAM
▪ Even if there are 3 tenants for BizX, LMS, WFA, and JAM can be implemented in a 2 tenant landscape.

▪ Only if there’s a specific requirement for a 3rd tenant, a Non Production tenant in Productive
Environment will be requested
▪ WFA can still be maintained as 2

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Rules to apply for HXM Core Tenants when implementing ECP / SAP
OnPrem Payroll

▪ Typically requires 3 tenants – 1 for Dev & Test, 1 for Payroll Parallel Testing, and 1 for Production

▪ ECP can have multiple clients on the Dev and Test environment.
▪ These multiple clients can be linked to a single HXM Core environment but not simultaneously

▪ When a customer requires additional instances due to size / complexity, they can be provisioned as
follows
▪ 1st Extra instance is in the Preview Stack
▪ 2nd Extra instance is in the Production Stack
▪ Any further instances can be added to either stack

▪ The total number of ECP instances plus clients must match the HXM Core instances. This is only
for those ECP instances that would need to be connected simultaneously with EC instances
▪ The same would be true for the SAP On Prem payroll instances as well

▪ If the customer has a 3rd party payroll system that they are integrating with, and custom integrations
being configured, the choice of using 3 instances, less or more can be taken by the project team,
depending on size & complexity
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