Brief Summary
This session covers key aspects of SAP SuccessFactors, focusing on release management, certification, and related processes. It explains the types of release functionalities, how to access release information, and the implications of deprecated features. Additionally, it provides a detailed overview of the certification process, including exam structure, content areas, and the importance of keeping certifications active through Learning Hub.
- Business owners provide requirements, typically from HR or IT departments.
- Releases happen twice a year (1H and 2H) with three main types of upgrades: automatically on, customer configured, and contact enablement partner.
- Release information can be found on community.successfactors.com, including release schedules, documents, and webinars.
- Certification for Employee Central is TH HR81, consisting of 80 multiple-choice questions with a cutoff score of 69%.
- Keeping certifications active involves stay current assessments in Learning Hub, with validity now extended to one year.
Business Owners and Data Centers
Business owners, typically from HR or IT, provide requirements for processes like transfers, terminations, and hiring. Data centers are split into preview and production environments for release management. Configurations remain the same during releases, but additional features are added.
Release Management Overview
Releases occur twice a year, referred to as 1H (first half) and 2H (second half), and include three types of upgrades: automatically on (universal changes), customer configured (admin options), and contact enablement partner (provisioning ops). Automatically on features apply to all customers globally without requiring any configuration. Customer-configured options require admins to enable them, often with prerequisites. Provisioning ops are similar to admin ops but are done in the provisioning system.
Accessing Release Information
Information about release features and schedules can be found on community.successfactors.com. The release schedule for 2024 indicates that the 2H preview will occur on October 14th, and production will happen from October 15th to 17th. SuccessFactors updates release documents and "What's New" viewers about a week before the release. The portal allows filtering by module (e.g., Employee Central) and enablement type (e.g., customer configured, automatically on).
Filtering and Understanding Release Features
The community portal allows filtering of release features by module and enablement type. Each release feature includes a title, description, product, sub-module, lifecycle (e.g., general availability, deprecation), and enablement type. Some features also include video demos. Deprecated features are functionalities that SuccessFactors will remove, with announcements made well in advance, including end of development, maintenance, and deletion dates.
Customer Configured Features and Release Transport
Customer-configured features may require specific actions to enable them, such as setting up complex pay structures with more fields and validations. Release is separate from transport; releases are done by SuccessFactors, while transport is moving changes from quality to production. Releases introduce new updates and functionalities, similar to updates in applications like WhatsApp.
Release Updates and Patches
Release changes can be universal, admin-configured, or provisioning-based. SuccessFactors provides updates at the data center level, not at the individual application level. Patches are applied first in the preview environment and then in production. Notable fixed issues, identified by SAP or customers, are also included in the release.
Employee Central Certification Overview
The certification code for Employee Central is TH HR81. The certification consists of 80 multiple-choice questions, some with multiple correct answers. The exam can be taken from home with a webcam, internet, and headset, monitored by a proctor. Certification details are available on training.sap.com.
Certification Costs and Structure
There are two subscription options: one exam attempt and six attempts. The one-attempt option costs around 19,000-20,000 INR plus taxes, while the six-attempt option costs about 45,000 INR plus taxes. The six-attempt subscription allows for multiple certifications across different SAP modules. The exam includes theoretical and scenario-based questions, with a cutoff score of 69% (56 correct answers out of 80) and a duration of 3 hours (180 minutes).
Sample Questions and Scoring
The exam includes both theoretical and scenario-based questions, with multiple-choice answers. There are no negative marks. After submitting the exam, the score is immediately displayed, showing overall and individual module scores.
Certification Validity and Stay Current
SAP recommends staying updated with new functionalities through stay current assessments (Deltas) in Learning Hub. Certifications are valid for one year, requiring completion of stay current assessments to remain active. The process has been updated, and now certifications are valid for one year, with a stay current needed in the subsequent release to maintain validity.
Learning Hub and Certification Attempts
Unused certification attempts are not transferable to Delta assessments. Learning Hub subscriptions are typically provided by implementation partners. The certification is global, with the same questions and setup worldwide. SAP tracks IP addresses to prevent fraudulent certifications.
Learning Hub and Certification Resources
Certification is done through training.sap.com, while stay current assessments are done through Learning Hub. Individuals can subscribe to Learning Hub, but it is more expensive than certification. Learning Hub offers various content and materials beyond Delta assessments.
