In the first phase the IT team would move their current ERP to the new servers. The Windows Server would also be scaled up to a 64-bit environment and the database would be upgraded to SQL 2005. The second phase, led by the SAP COE Head, Neeraj Kukreti, would involve a combined upgrade of SAP environment and migration of the data code pages based on MDMP in earlier SAP R/3 to Unicode on the newer ECC6.While Windows and SQL were moved to the 64-bit platform and SAP R/3 made way for SAP ECC6, business warehouse and APO were integrated.

By September 2008, the maximum CPU utilization level at the database server dipped from about 100 percent in January 2008 to about 40 percent,. Similarly, the maximum RAM utilization level at the server slid from 74 percent to 48 percent.

Although Briskman had complete faith in the skills of his 20 plus-member SAP team, he felt that there were several ways the upgrade exercise could be derailed. He began by defining the results that were expected from the upgrade. Tempering unrealistic business expectations from the upgrade helped avoid undue pressure on his team. "We told the business that the systems were dying and needed an upgrade just to keep the lights on. That's it." In the meanwhile, he put his in-house team through all the appropriate SAP since this would be easier than bringing in a consultant and then training them on Ranbaxy's business. Briskman, Singh, Kukreti, and the rest of the team spent three months planning the entire upgrade exercise in conjunction with SAP, Microsoft and HP, before they embarked on the actual execution.

As they worked towards the actual upgrade, Briskman and his team undertook testing and carried out dry runs like a religion. Testing played a more crucial role at Ranbaxy's upgrade because compliance is key to the pharmaceutical major. Briskman says his team had the whole process detailed down to the minute.