Product life cycle management

As of 2020 we are using the following Version number concept:

Beas manufacturing yyyy.mm[.rr[.bb]] [Database Type][BETA]

Example:

Beas manufacturing 2020.02 for MSSQL > Version from February 2020

Beas manufacturing 2020.05.01 for HANA > Version from May 2020, Release 1 for HANA

Beas manufacturing 2020.02.00.05 for MSSQL (Beta) > Beta Version from February 2020, Build 5  (compilation number)

In Help > "About Beas" you can always see the complete Beas Version number.

In the Debug log the system always inserts the complete Beas Version number.

Version

A version defines a certain patch level, e.g. Beas manufacturing 2020.02
A version may be subdivided into sub release (hotfix), which do not contain program extensions e.g. Beas manufacturing  2020.02.01

BETA – Version  (During development)
From start of development, quality is checked based on tickets. You may request a BETA Version, but it is not allowed to run it in productive environment.

One week before a release the development is finished, and a one-week extended quality check is performed. At this point, the development of the next version starts.

Released – Version: Release

After the successful completion of quality checks, the version is released.
Then it receives then version number: Beas 2020.02

Usually, all 6 weeks a new version is made available.

Release / Subsequent corrections

If severe errors are found after the release, a Hotfix is created and released.
New functions or extensions are generally not included into a Released Version.

Characteristics of severe errors:
- reproducible at several clients

- cannot be avoided using workaround

- productive use is impossible for several clients

There is no release process for a Hotfix. Only changes are checked..

Supported Version

As soon as a new version receives the status "Released Version", the preceding patch level receives the status "Supported Version". This means, for this version, full support is provided.

Unsupported Version

A Beas - version is always compatible with a SAP Business One version (see Compatibility of Beas with SAP Business One). If SAP terminates the support of a SAP Business One - version, the Beas - version receives the status "unsupported Version". At that point, the claim of free support expires.

As the flowchart below indicates, the release of new Beas Manufacturing versions is scheduled every 1.5 months.
The first release of the calendar year is scheduled for mid-February, and each new version is released with a 6-week interval, until the end of December, counting 8 releases per year: