Milestone Map: Pt. 2:
 On April 23, we introduced the first two steps of the project using the Milestone Map above, Planning and Design. The next steps, Building and Testing are where things get really interesting!
Step 3: Building
We are solidly into the Building Phase of the project. As you know, the EBS Upgrade Team has been unit testing for the past few weeks. They have been running numerous test scenarios to make sure all of the items within specific task are working properly. When they find something that is not working -- it is called a bug. Finding and fixing these bugs has been the priority and as the numbers wind down, the team will widen their net to Integration Testing and start a brand new bug hunt.
During this phase the Team also started to take a look at the brand new functions offered by 9.2 and how they might be best utilized by our end-users. Both of these tasks -- Integration Testing and Configuration will cross over into the next step on our Milestone Map - Testing.
Step 4: Testing
Integration Testing involves knitting the entire system together to make sure everything ends up where it is supposed to end up. All of the various financial modules are tested together. This means the Upgrade Team will be looking for additional bugs and eliminating them.
New functions will also be tested and configured to best meet the needs of the majority of our end-users.
This is also a big development phase for training, as items that need to be brought to your attention come into focus. Delta Training -- or training about what has changed from 8.9 to 9.2 -- is the focus of all of the resources developed for the Upgrade Project. These resources are intended to educate exisiting users, already familiar with the system, in what has changed from 8.9 to 9.2. None of the training is required for access, as existing users already have access -- it is merely an "upgrade" to your existing user knowledge. (More on new user training in the new 9.2 environment later!) So look for new informational videos, like this one on 9.2 Navigation, job aids, and other items to assist you.
The final part of the Testing Phase is User Acceptance Testing. This is when the Upgrade Team starts bringing in users to test the system. Tons of scenarios will be run throughout the modules by users from large and small agencies alike.
More on Step 5: Go-Live in November! Watch this space!
Survival Guide to Go-Live - DON'T FORGET!
Winter is Coming! Hard Freeze August 29
Any queries -- public or private -- created, modified, copied, etc., after August 29, 2014, WILL NOT be available in the new 9.2 version when it goes live.
What You Can Do To Prepare:
- Mark your calendar NOW! "Aug. 29 - Query Freeze".
- Do NOT build, modify, or copy queries after Aug. 29.
- Understand that any queries you build, modify, copy, or receive after Aug. 29 will not be available once we Go-Live.
- For Query Managers, if you must build, edit, or copy, decide how you plan to handle those queries after Aug. 29.
- Notify people you regularly assist with new queries -- let them know how you, as a Query Manager, plan to handle your queries after Aug. 29.
- Do not wait until Aug. 29 to develop a plan or to execute a plan.
- If you MUST build, modify, copy, or receive a query after Aug. 29, record the information about it: the name, data included, where it came from, is it public or private?
Don't forget! Queries you provide to others after Aug. 29 will have to be rebuilt and tested thoroughly by you, as the Query Manager, once we are live. Because private queries, are just that -- private -- EBS is limited in what it can do to assist individual users with private queries.
REMEMBER: Public Queries that exist prior to Aug. 29 will be carried over into the upgraded environment, so keep notes on modifications and distribution you may do after Aug. 29.
Private Query Update
The EBS Upgrade Team contacted 511 users regarding mission critical queries. Users identified 1,527 queries they believe are mission critical. That's a lot of mission critical queries. The Team is currently looking at this number, and the queries themselves, to determine how to proceed. We thank you for your assistance and your feedback - watch this space for future updates!
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