BusinessHub's Release Readiness Program

Get ready for your next major upgrade of MYOB Advanced with BusinessHub

Purpose

This article provides an overview of the MYOB Advanced twice-yearly, major upgrade process and how BusinessHub can help you prepare for your next major upgrade, including:

• About MYOB's Upgrade Deployment Process
• Upgrade support from BusinessHub
• About your pre-upgrade sandbox
• Top 10 Release Readiness Tips
• Opting out of upgrades
• Check you have access to our KnowledgeHub
• MYOB Advanced Version Numbers and Release Notes

About MYOB's Upgrade Deployment Process

MYOB Advanced upgrades are scheduled twice a year as part of your subscription and are necessary for compliance and security reasons. Upgrades also offer new features and improved functionality. All upgrades occur from approximately 10pm NZT on your scheduled upgrade date.

Admin users in MYOB Advanced will receive in-app upgrade messages 30 days before and 7 days after their upgrade if they have opted to receive these communications (click here for further details on managing MYOB's in-application notifications).

MYOB's upgrade communications plan is summarised below.

Upgrade support from BusinessHub

• Book a Pre-Upgrade Review for personalised upgrade assistance (allow for 30 minutes of Support Service time).
• We arrange to complimentary sandbox so you can conduct pre-upgrade system testing.
• We republish your customisations (if any) in your sandbox for early identification of upgrade-associated validation errors, and then we republish those customisations in the morning after your upgrade (included in Premium Success Plan Support, otherwise allow 30 minutes of Consulting Service time).

• Book a System Review to identify the new software features that would most benefit your organisation and make a plan to deploy them (included in Premium Success Plan Support, otherwise allow for 3 hours of Consulting Service time).
• We provide a template Release Readiness Test Plan on request that you can further tailor to suit your requirements and distribute pre-upgrade testing amongst your team members (included in Premium Success Plan Support, otherwise allow 30 minutes of Support Service time).

About your pre-upgrade sandbox

Your sandbox is a copy of your live MYOB Advanced site upgraded to the Latest Release Version, provided for pre-upgrade preparation and testing purposes.

You should limit pre-upgrade testing to running reports/inquiries and processing transactions within MYOB Advanced. When testing, do not attempt to:

• upload any payment files to your bank account
• apply for bank feeds in your sandbox, or download bank feed data
• submit any super batches via PaySuper or your superannuation clearing house
• send emails, payslips or notifications from your sandbox
• send STP reports (see below for how to disable STP reporting in your sandbox).

Top 10 Release Readiness Tips

1. Check your upgrade date does not occur on a day that you will have an open pay run.

2. Book a Pre-Upgrade Review with our Support & Operations Team for personalised assistance with your upgrade, including guidance on testing, a review of your customisation packages and integrations, and how to deploy the new upgrade features.
3. Plan your Testing and start your testing as soon as you receive your sandbox. Plan your testing by distributing it among users who usually perform those transactions in MYOB Advanced. This way, issues are more likely to be picked up as users know what results to expect and testing can be completed more quickly with more users. Focus on custom integrations, workflows, reports, forms, and inquiries. BusinessHub can help you here by preparing a template test plan (included with Premium Success Plan, otherwise allow 30 minutes of Support time).
4. Republish your current customisations in your sandbox before testing. Unpublish All and Publish the relevant customisation packages on the Publish Customisation screen (SM204505).  This service is included with Premium Success Plans. If you experience any validation errors, please let us know ASAP so that we can assist you further. 
5. Ask us to upgrade your custom workflows for the new release.  For example, where we have added additional forms or processes on the standard actions (ellipsis) button.
6. Ensure STP reporting and email processing is disabled in your sandbox before testing. This is usually completed by MYOB, but worth checking before you start testing.
   1. To disable STP reporting: Deselect 'Enable STP' on the STP tab of the Payroll Preferences screen (MPPP1100) in your sandbox and save. 
   2. To suspend email processing: Select 'Suspend Email Processing' on the Email Preferences screen (SM204001) in your sandbox and save.
7. Update your customisation packages for the Latest Release Version. If you have a customistion that was prepared by a third party or add-on provider, ask them for an an updated customisation package.  If the customisation package was prepared by BusinessHub, we can arrange for it to be updated.  BusinessHub will deploy the current WFM customisation package upon request.
8. Advise your add-on solution providers of your upgrade date. If you use any third party applications in connection with MYOB Advanced, advise your add-on provider of your upgrade date.  Your add-on provider may be able to supply a website staging instance for testing API integrations with your sandbox or give you further instructions on testing.
9. Book a System Review so we can help you to take full advantage of the new features and enhancements (included in Premium Success Plan Support, otherwise allow for 3 hours of Consulting Service time).
10. Just before your upgrade, Suspend Email Processing in your live site.  After your upgrade, review your pending emails and notifications as well as your automation schedules before recommencing your email processing.  

Opting out of upgrades

There may be some instances where you need to opt out of or reschedule your upgrade date, such as you identifying a software error or issue that would have a material adverse impact on your business and that you do not have time to address, despite commencing your testing promptly after receiving your sandbox.

It is important that you review your upgrade date and undertake sandbox testing as early as possible.  MYOB requires aleast 14 days' prior notice is required to reschedule your upgrade date.  Please call us on 1300 733 071 or email us for assistance with rescheduling your upgrade.

Check you have access to our KnowledgeHub

Our KnowledgeHub of support resources is growing every day.  But if your view of the KnowlegeHub ONLY shows the Introduction to the KnowledgeHub, you're not seeing the full picture.  Either Sign In with your user name and password, or click the Chat Bot icon and select Client Support, and request your personalised invitation to the KnowledgeHub to be resent.

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