SuccessFactors Release Updates – How to keep track

SAP updates modules of the SuccessFactors suite four times a year. It’s not easy to keep track with all the updates, bug fixes and new features. I talked with several customers, who find it challenging to review all the information and some don’t even know where to find them. I want to write this article to explain all the basics about the SuccessFactors Release Updates: the places you can find information’s and which tools SuccessFactors provides to help you managing it.

General Information about Release Updates in SF

SAP SuccessFactors Updates are called Release Updates and happen quarterly. There are two different dates to keep in mind. The first Updates is for the Early Test Environments and the second one for Production Systems. The Early Test Instance are released around one month before the production system. In this month, customers and partners can test new features, options and make sure everything else is working as it was before.

There are three different kind of updates I want to describe shortly:

Universal Updates are roll-outs for every customer. This updates contain mostly bug fixes, legal updates, small enhancements or extensions to existing options and functions.

Opt-In Updates are updates you have to agree with and / or activate them. Updates can be either installed via the Upgrade Center (I will show you how later) or need to be activated via Provisioning (the Backend of SuccessFactors and only accessible by implementation partners). Some of the Opt-In Features require some more configurations. These Updates can contain brand new features, design enhancements or news ways how to deal with things in SuccessFactors.

Opt-Out Updates are roll-outs for all Customers, but you can go back to the previous version. Normally you have this option for small enhancements or extensions for existing options and functions. Not all customers like changes, even if they are supposed to be better than before. Sometimes you also get extra options you didn’t have before but you don’t want to offer your manager, employees or HR these new things.

We have discussed now the basics and probably all important information you need to know about Release Updates. Now lets find out where you can find information about them.

Customers Place To Be – SuccessFactors Community

As a customer, the perfect place to be is the SuccessFactors Community. You will find tons of information like Product Information, the Release Update Schedule, information for each Release Update, discussions and problems with SuccessFactors and much more. It’s a nice platform to exchange information with other customers, the SuccessFactors Product Team and Implementation Partners. Not to forget that you can suggest new ideas and features for the product. If your ideas get enough support (kudos – a kind of like) SAP will consider implementing your idea into the solution.

Some customers are still skeptical about this, but I have seen several features in different modules which were suggested by the community.

It is a bit late to post the Release Updates for this year. But if you are searching for the Release Updates 2016 you will find them here. Update: New Release Schedule 2017 have been announced. Thanks Jamie for sharing!

Insider Tip: Did you know that SAP / SuccessFactors also update their Road Map regularly and upload it to the SuccessFactors Community? It’s one of the most asked questions I hear from customers: “How can I know what comes next and how I can ensure that our company strategy fits to the system?”. Well, check out what is planned and what is coming in the next year.

Details about the SuccessFactors Release Updates

We come to the most important point in this article. You understand now how often and when release updates are going to happen and you know how to find information about the quarterly Updates. To be more specific you should check the Product update site in in the SuccessFactors Community.

There are five different sections I want to tell you more about: Release Highlights, Release Information Summary, Release Information Details, Release Information Webinars and Archives.

Release Highlights

You will find the most important Release Updates here. It is more a high-level overview for good decision makers or stakeholders in your company. It is similar to marketing material: good enough to know what happened and learn the major themes.

Release Information Summary

Much more information and detail can be found in the Release Summary Section. It is an overview of new Features and Enhancements. You get the option to view a PDF, Excel or Online Version of the Release Update from SuccessFactors. It is separated and structured by module and you get a list of updates with a short description and type of update (universal, opt-in and opt-out). Perfect for your IT Department or SuccessFactors Admins.

Release Information Details

If you want to get to more details about each update or module you will find yourself in the Detailed Section. For each Module and Topic you can find a PDF document listing all the updates and explaining them; if necessary also with prerequisites or an explanation how to activate and configure the new features. These documents are perfect for IT or SF Admins if they need to go into detail, but also can useful for Key Users in each module, who also need a technical understanding of their product / module.

Release Information Webinars

I understand getting through all  these documents can be boring and some of the new features can be difficult to understand if you don’t see them in action. If you would prefer to have the releases explained to you, Release Webinars are for you. Product Managers explain every release, what was done and what comes with the Update. They show you with screenshots of how the new features or options look, and explain their functionality. You also can ask questions while participating in the Webinar.

Release Update Archives

You will find this section on the top right. You maybe don’t have time to check every release or just want to check again what happened in previous updates. You always can review all of above mentioned content for the past Release Updates in SuccessFactors.

You still have questions? SuccessFactors prepared a nice overview to explain how Release Updates work and how you can prepare for them. Again you find it in the SuccessFactors Community… You also find a short introduction in the video:

SuccessFactors Release Updates – Tools, Tips und Tricks

You have probably realised by now that this topic is bigger than expected. I haven’t even showed you yet where to do the updates in SuccessFactors. There are some more tools to use; the Upgrade Center is under Admin Tools and really intuitive, but if you want to read more about it, please wait for my second article, which will be published shortly…

Learn more about SuccessFactors Release Updates

A great start for the very basics for Release Updates is described in the article above. If you want to learn more have a look at the following parts of the series.

• SuccessFactors Release Updates – How to keep track
• SuccessFactors Release Updates – Tools, Tips & Tricks
• SuccessFactors Release Updates – Delta Content Exams for Partner