Patch management in new revenue accounting systems: PwC

Shifting to high gear: The patch management race in new revenue accounting systems

Patch management complications

To correct RMS software defects and incorporate new functionality, solution vendors recommend installing the most current patch at the time that it’s provided. The benefits of prompt upgrade are substantial: companies can take advantage of the latest functionality, receive updated vendor support, and facilitate implementation of future patches.

Immediate application of the newest patch is impractical because companies simply cannot keep up with the churn of new patches, which may be released quarterly, monthly, or even more frequently. Moreover, by the time companies complete the testing and implementation of one patch, a new patch has typically been pushed out, causing many organizations to fall one or more patch levels behind. Also, the installation of a new patch may unintentionally decrease functionality in an area that previously worked fine.

High patch frequency

Patches are released quarterly or more frequently, which may not allow sufficient time for testing, patch deployment, testing execution, and patch validation prior to implementation in production.

Impact:

Defects detected on a company’s patch level may already have been resolved by a future patch release. The vendor cannot fix the issue on a company’s current patch
Movement to the new patch level requires regression testing to confirm new and existing functionality
Executing patch testing and implementation requires significant business and IT involvement
Code freezes can cause organizations to fall even farther behind

Instability

The solution’s maturity level is low, and patch releases involve fixes that may affect existing functionality.

Impact:

Patch releases may go to market with improvements as well as new defects. In other words, fix one thing but break another
Business users should conduct and confirm core scenario testing and reporting prior to patch implementation

Extensive testing

The scope of testing to confirm both existing and new functionality can be extensive for each patch release.

Impact:

Testing and confirmation can raise resource management challenges due to the heavy demands on both business and IT
Providing coverage for the majority of scenarios and functionality is complex. For companies with customized core RMS solutions, determining the right scope may become even more complicated

Business operation impacts

RMS regression testing requires business involvement to confirm accounting accuracy. Testing should be part of the ongoing business process, and business users must be trained to use new functionality.

Impact:

The timing for testing and implementing a patch could affect the timing of financial-close and financial-reporting activities
Patch implementation should be aligned with patch applications for other IT solutions
Resources must be allocated to train users on an upgrade’s nuances
Updating desktop manuals and related process and control documentation is also important prior to upgrade