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SAP / SAP Senior Level (10+ yrs) Interview questions

What is the difference between a "big bang" and a phased/wave-based go-live approach?

A big bang go-live cuts every business unit, module, or geography over to the new system simultaneously, in one event. A phased/wave-based go-live moves subsets (by business unit, region, or module) over sequentially across multiple separate cutover events.

Big BangPhased/Wave-Based
One cutover event; entire scope goes live together. Multiple sequential cutover events, each a smaller scope.
Higher risk concentrated into a single event. Lower risk per event, but extended hybrid operation between waves.
Avoids running old and new systems in parallel for long. May require interim integration between not-yet-migrated and already-migrated units.

The choice interacts directly with the earlier phased-vs-big-bang architectural decision discussed for the overall transformation — a program that chose a phased transformation roadmap naturally implies a wave-based go-live approach as its execution consequence, rather than these being entirely independent decisions.

What happens in a big bang go-live?
What extra complexity does a wave-based go-live introduce that big bang avoids?

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