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Join this free online course to learn how Focused Build for SAP Solution Manager can guide project members through the entire lifecycle of an implementation project such as SAP S/4HANA on-premise or private cloud. After completing this course, you’ll have a good understanding of how the basic features of Focused Build can be used from the different perspectives of the implementation project members.

This course is an updated version which includes new functionality from the latest support packages for Focused Build.

Self-paced since November 17, 2021
Language: English
Subtitles (auto-generated): Deutsch, English, Français, Español

Course information

Course Summary

This course will give you an introduction to the basic processes and functionalities of Focused Build for SAP Solution Manager, an add-on solution that supports SAP implementation projects such as those around SAP S/4HANA. The course will enable project teams to use the basic functionalities of Focused Build through the whole project lifecycle.

SAP Solution Manager is designed to support the entire lifecycle of SAP solutions and is available to every customer with an SAP maintenance contract. SAP Solution Manager offers several tools to support individual project tasks, such as business process documentation, test management, and software deployment. As of version 7.2, it also offers the Focused Build solution, which enables a preconfigured requirement-to-deploy process within SAP Solution Manager. It includes business demand and requirements management, integrated risk management, and collaboration features that help business and IT work more closely together to manage global development teams. Focused Build follows an agile implementation concept and is very aligned with the SAP Activate methodology.

Using a tool with guided project procedures decreases the risk of deployment failures, enables a real-time status view of all project activities, and helps you keep a centralized source of truth for business processes and documentation.

In the first week of this course, we’ll give you an introduction to Focused Build and guide you through all the tasks of a project manager.

In Week 2, we’ll talk about the Explore phase and you’ll learn about solution documentation and how to use this in a fit-to-standard workshop.

Week 3 will focus on the core of Focused Build, including requirements, work packages, work items, and the integration of SAP Readiness Check.

In Week 4, you’ll learn about the functionalities that Focused Build provides for test management and how to execute tests.

Week 5 is all about release management. In this week, you’ll learn how to manage your releases and how to deploy your software on different system landscapes.

Week 6, which is the last week of this course, will focus on the enablement of Focused Build coaches and consultants, and you’ll learn how to set up SAP Solution Manager.

Course Characteristics

Course Content

Week 1: Project Preparation and Management
Week 2: Explore Phase (Process Expert/Analyst)
Week 3: Realization (Architect/Developer)
Week 4: Test Management
Week 5: Release Management
Week 6: Focused Build Enablement
Week 7: Final Exam

Target Audience

  • Project members who will use Focused Build as an implementation tool
  • Consultants
  • Project managers
  • Agile methodologists and tool coaches

Course Requirements

  • Basic understanding of the activities in an SAP implementation project
  • Some basics about agile project management
  • No coding skills are required!

Development Systems

If your primary interest in taking this course is getting an overview about Focused Build for SAP Solution Manager, you don’t need access to an SAP system. However, we realize that many of you will be interested in gaining some hands-on experience with Focused Build based on the instructions in the course. Therefore, we’ll provide you with scripts for all the demos presented in this course and we’ll grant you access to a public, free-of-charge, SAP Solution Manager system.

About Further Content Experts

Henrik Zimmermann

picture Henrik Zimmermann

Henrik Zimmermann is an expert support engineer for Focused Build, Focused Build process owner, and product manager for Requirements Management. In this role, he is responsible for the design and continuous improvement of the application. Henrik started at SAP Development in 2000, joined SAP Solution Manager Product Management in 2001, and the Regional Implementation Group in 2010. He was involved in the design and development of Focused Build from the beginning, supported many implementation projects using Focused Build, and designed services and trainings.

Reiner Markheiser

picture_Reiner_Markheiser

Reiner Markheiser works as a support architect for application lifecycle management. As product owner, he is responsible for innovations in Focused Build – Project Management and Solution Readiness Dashboard Reiner started at SAP in 1999. Before joining the application lifecycle management team in 2008, he worked as project lead in SAP Business ByDesign – Release Management and Delivery Architecture and as team lead in Technology – Center of Expertise. 

Course contents

  • Week 1:

    Project Preparation and Management
  • Week 2:

    Explore Phase (Process Expert/Analyst)
  • Week 3:

    Realization (Architect/Developer)
  • Week 4:

    Test Management
  • Week 5:

    Release Management
  • Week 6:

    Focused Build Enablement
  • I Like, I Wish:

    We Love Your Feedback … And Want More
  • Final Exam:

    Good Luck!

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Learners

Current
Today
13,965
Course End
Nov 17, 2021
7,851
Course Start
Sep 28, 2021
5,224

Rating

This course was rated with 4.64 stars in average from 177 votes.

Certificate Requirements

  • Gain a Record of Achievement by earning at least 50% of the maximum number of points from all graded assignments.
  • Gain a Confirmation of Participation by completing at least 50% of the course material.

Find out more in the certificate guidelines.

This course is offered by

David Birkenbach

David Birkenbach is the go-to-market lead for SAP’s application lifecycle management (ALM) products in the EMEA & MEE regions. His main focus is on driving the adoption of SAP tools such as SAP Solution Manager, SAP Cloud ALM, and in particular Focused Build.

David has worked in product management for SAP in Walldorf, Germany for 14 years and was product owner for ITSM topics before taking on the responsibility to roll out ALM into the project build market. He is well known as a speaker at events and as a trainer of the Focused Build coaches.

David's SAP Community Profile

Joerg Marenk

Joerg Marenk works as an expert support engineer for SAP Solution Manager and the Focused Build add-on. As product owner and product manager he is responsible for the continuous improvement of these application lifecycle management (ALM) products.

Joerg started at SAP Support in 2006 before joining the SAP Solution Manager Consulting Team in 2010, delivering implementation projects and services around the world for change control management and IT service management. Since 2016 he has taken part in different SAP S/4HANA implementation programs, working as a Focused Build tool coach.

Stefan Koerner

Stefan Koerner works as an ALM expert for SAP Solution Manager and the Focused Build add-on. Together with his team, he implements application lifecycle management (ALM) processes and tools, especially SAP Solution Manager and Focused Build.

Stefan started in SAP AMS in 2005 before joining the SAP Solution Manager Consulting Team in 2008, where he delivers implementation projects and services for IT service management, process management and testing. Since 2016 he has taken part in different SAP S/4HANA implementation programs working as a Focused Build tool coach.

Michael Skiba

Michael Skiba is a support architect for SAP Solution Manager and the Focused Build add-on, and product owner for process management-related topics. In this role, he is responsible for the design and continuous improvement of these applications.

Michael started at SAP Support in 2002. Before joining the SAP Solution Manager Regional Implementation Group, he delivered implementation projects and services around the world for process management and solution documentation, and designed services for these areas.

Christina Pickhardt

Christina Pickhardt works as senior support engineer and product owner for Test Management in Focused Build for SAP Solution Manager, and is responsible for the design and continuous improvement of this application. 

She joined the SAP Solution Manager Consulting Team in 2012, delivering implementation projects and services around the world for Test Management and Test Automation. 

Oliver Schleicher

Oliver Schleicher works as a support architect for SAP Solution Manager and the Focused Build add-on, and is product owner for change request management-related topics. He is responsible for the design and continuous improvement of Work Package, Work Item, and Fix Pace, and the applications and guides around setup and configuration.

Oliver started at SAP Support in 2007. Before joining the SAP Solution Manager Regional Implementation Group, he delivered implementation projects and services around the world for root cause analysis and operational excellence, and designed services for these areas.