Managing SAP changes effectively requires a structured approach that connects development work with business requirements, testing, and governance. A single SAP change may often impact multiple Jira issues, ServiceNow records, or automated test scripts, making it difficult to track progress and ensure alignment.
Here is where Rev-Trac’s new Enhanced References feature is of benefit. The feature, which is integrated into the Rev-Trac WebCore, combines functionalities to help manage SAP changes more effectively.
It introduces a more flexible and automated way to link multiple artifacts – such as Jira subtasks, ServiceNow records (incidents, changes, defects, bugs), and test cases, to a single SAP change request. The feature supports many-to-one mappings, which allows organizations to simplify changes through smarter Jira and ServiceNow integration, reducing complexity and improving efficiency.
In this blog, I will explore how Enhanced References can optimize SAP change management by providing a consolidated approach to handling multiple endpoints and enabling more advanced CI/CD strategies.
How Enhanced References improves SAP change management
- Many-to-One Linking for Jira subtasks
Jira user stories are often broken down into multiple subtasks assigned to different developers. With Enhanced References, these subtasks can be linked many-to-one under the same Rev-Trac Request, grouping all related work.
Here is an example of how you can use Enhanced References
A Jira user story describes an SAP enhancement that requires:
- A UI change in SAP Fiori
- A new ABAP function module
- A workflow update
Each of these tasks is assigned as a Jira subtask to different developers. All these subtasks are linked to the same Rev-Trac Request, allowing teams to track progress while maintaining a single source of truth for the SAP change.
The status attribute (To Do, In Progress, Done) ensures that teams can monitor each subtask’s completion without needing to check Jira separately.
2. Simplified ServiceNow defect and change tracking
SAP change requests are often related to multiple records in ServiceNow, including change requests, incidents, defects, and bugs. Enhanced References allows organizations to link different ServiceNow tables to a single Rev-Trac Request, ensuring a clear connection between IT operations and SAP development.
Example Use Case:
A single SAP bug fix might resolve the following:
- A ServiceNow Change Request (tracking governance approvals)
- An Incident (raised by end users)
- A Defect (identified through testing)
- A Bug (logged during development)
Instead of handling each record separately, all related ServiceNow entries are linked under one Rev-Trac Request, allowing IT teams to track progress in one place.
This approach reduces redundancy, improves visibility, and streamlines approvals, as all related incidents, defects, and bugs can be closed automatically when the SAP change is deployed.
3. Automated test case execution and tracking
Testing is a crucial part of SAP change management. Automated test cases can be linked many-to-one to a Rev-Trac Request using Enhanced References, providing a real-time view of test execution status.
Example Use Case
A security patch for SAP requires validation through five different test cases. Instead of tracking them separately, the test team links all test cases to the Rev-Trac Request and updates their status dynamically.
This ensures that SAP change requests can only be approved when all related test cases pass successfully, reducing deployment risks.
4. Enhanced References, SAP DevOps and SAP Cloud ALM
Enhanced References is built into Rev-Trac WebCore, an integration hub that extends SAP change management across DevOps, ITSM, and Cloud ALM environments. By leveraging REST API capabilities, organizations can:
- Sync Jira subtasks and ServiceNow records (change, incident, defect, bug) with SAP changes
- Track test automation results alongside development progress
- Improve governance with a consolidated audit trail
Is this the missing piece in your SAP change strategy?
Managing SAP changes requires a structured, automated approach that connects development, testing, and IT operations. With Enhanced References, organizations can:
- Link multiple Jira subtasks to a single SAP change request
- Sync different ServiceNow tables (change, incident, defect, bug) for better ITSM tracking
- Track automated tests within the SAP change process
Would consolidating multiple tickets, test cases, and user stories under a single SAP change request improve your workflow?
Enhanced References is a step towards full SAP DevOps automation, ensuring greater efficiency, visibility, and control over your SAP change process.
Contact our in-house experts for a live demo or to discuss how Enhanced References can help to optimize your SAP change management strategy.
