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PeopleSoft Upgrades Best Practices

Tom Reznicek and Patrick Savage

QuestDirect.org

APRIL 7-11, 2014Sands Expo and Convention CenterLas Vegas, Nevada

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Agenda• Introduction of Speakers and Emtec• Project Success• Project Shortcomings and Solutions

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Project Successes

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On Time Within Budget• Kept a detailed project plan so people knew

what was expected of them and when• Had regularly scheduled meetings to review

plan, risks, and resolve issues• Kept upper management involved in project

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Final Move to Production on Time• Developed detailed task list for go-live weekend• Leveraged PeopleSoft Change Assistant• Had specific call-in times for progress reporting• Used production like hardware on the final test

move to production to get accurate timing for the real move to production

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Latest User Data Security Migration• Developed method to migrate permission lists

and roles separate from user data• Created diagrams and client deliverable to

explain security migration plan

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Trained Two Client Resources• Resources had PeopleSoft Upgrade experience

but did not execute test scripts• Allowed upgrade weekend tasks to be split

between 3 people• Documented manual steps• Documented common issues and resolutions

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Reduced Data Conversion Time (72 hours to 42 minutes)

• Identified slow processes by running Application Engine tracing and data conversion steps report

• Tech leads tuned slow processes

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Move to Production Completed On-Time• Used job properties in Change Assistant to record

time, file name, and issues• Let Change Assistant accept errors (i.e. duplicate

keys) and clean after scripts run• Created go-live spreadsheet with pre and post steps• Bypassed some backups saving hours

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Knowledgeable Team• Technically strong and larger than previous

upgrade teams• Two Emtec resources to go to with concerns• Knowledgeable Emtec PeopleSoft Upgrade

Specialist• Cyber Source configured without additional Cyber

Source specific consultants

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Prepared Microsoft SQL Server• Turned off database logging before scripts started• Monitored database file size• Added memory to database server• Set maximum memory usage on database to

allow for other processes on server

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Updated/Validated User Guides• Guides consolidated multiple documents into one

document per business area• Created process flow diagrams for requisition and

PO entry• New testing documents for requisition and voucher

approval, GL reports, and other processes• Created technical check printer setup document

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Minor Post Go-Live Issues• Extensive testing:

– Leveraged existing test scripts by updating menu navigation and business process changes for version 9.1

– Last round of testing done on production hardware– End users involved in system and user acceptance

testing

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Went Live On-Time & Within Budget• Managed issues with Excel worksheet, included

owner and resolution • Assigned close action, which identified resolutions

required for production and how to apply to production

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Functional Ch. 2 & 6 Steps Completed Quickly

• Functional users completed Ch. 2 tasks to reduce the number of transactions processed

• Wrote SQL statements to perform validation checks before conversion

• Identified Ch. 2 & 6 steps that had to be performed for A in test moves to production

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Project Shortcomings and Solutions

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Test Scripts Not as Usable as Thought

• Review test plans and scripts upfront in project• Review any work already done

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Canadian Payroll Customization Removed and Later Re-Added

• Verify removal of customizations with the business

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Differing Data Conversion Hours

• Ensure final test move has as much in common with eventual go-live as possible

• Should have ensured three data conversion processes were able to run error-free prior to go-live to accurately gauge run time

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Applied Large Maintenance Pack Taking Longer in Production

• Keep more careful track of how much time it takes to apply large Maintenance Pack post-upgrade so more accurate estimate could be made

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Initial Upgrade Pass Overlaid Delivered V9.1 Objects with V8.9

• Confirm initial upgrade pass is correct• Confirm filter that removed non-customizations is run• Confirm compare report is configured properly

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Go-Live Move to Production Fell Behind in Day 2

• Escalate issues faster when processes run behind schedule

• Document how performance issues will be investigated and have required tools ready

• Do not apply new patches after last move to production• All hand-offs should be done by phone call and e-mail

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Identified PM Areas for Improvement

• Keep checklist from RFP to make sure everything taken care of

• Some deadlines missed by project phase• Assign 1-2 people to check with everyone

regarding environment restarts and refreshes

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Longer Testing Than Estimated• Test check printing earlier for MICR and signature fonts• Test nVision reports earlier in process• Have Hyperion environment refreshed and ready for

PeopleSoft testing• Test credit card transactions through to Cyborg • After initial install, test system while consultants on-site• Test on same operating system (64 bit) as production

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Open Billing and Payable Transactions in Database from 2001

• Identify open transactions early in upgrade process and clean up transactions before go-live

• Run Ch. 2 tasks to identify open transactions to clean up

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Environments Required and Migration Path Not Communicated

• Define environments and naming at the start• Define migration path and how environments will

be validated and kept up to date• Do not build test environment too early in upgrade• Define how performance issues will be debugged

and have proper tools installed on database

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Wrong Initial Move to Production

• Confirm the “Initial Alter Audit” is complete before starting to use an environment

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Application Engine Jobs Run Manually Instead of Running Change Assistant

• Install PeopleSoft Change Assistant on Windows Admin Server

• Workstation version does not allow for automatic processing of application engine jobs

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Security Migrated Twice and Custom Objects Built Twice

• Apply the security after migration of custom code• Build database objects after migration of custom

code

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Knowledge Transfer Not Completed between 1st Team and Current Emtec Team

• Document what was completed by first team and what will need to be completed by second team

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Thank you for listening.

Questions?