SAP Mass Transport (Sony UK 2012 to 2016)

 In the context of SAP (Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing), a "mass transport" refers to the process of moving changes or developments from one SAP system to another. This is typically done using the Transport Management System (TMS), a tool provided by SAP for managing the transportation of changes across various SAP landscapes, such as development, quality assurance, and production environments.

Here's how the process generally works:

Development: Changes are made in the development environment, such as creating or modifying programs, reports, configurations, or customizations.

Transport Request Creation: Once the changes are completed and tested in the development system, they are bundled together into a transport request. This request contains all the necessary information and objects required to implement the changes in other systems.

Release of Transport Request: The transport request is then released by an authorized person. Releasing the transport request signifies that the changes are ready to be moved to other systems.

Importing into Other Systems: The released transport request is imported into other systems, such as quality assurance or production environments, using the Transport Management System. During this process, the system checks dependencies and ensures that the changes are applied correctly.

Testing: After the changes are imported into the target systems, thorough testing is performed to ensure that the functionality works as expected and that there are no adverse effects on other processes.

Approval and Confirmation: Once testing is successful, the changes are approved, and confirmation is sent back to the development team.

Documentation: It's essential to maintain proper documentation throughout the process, including documenting the changes made, the transport requests created, and any issues encountered and their resolutions.

By using mass transport, SAP enables organizations to maintain consistency and integrity across their SAP landscapes while facilitating efficient development and deployment processes.