Is there a simpler way to create multiple transports of copies in SAP?
Lately we are frequently dealing with this odd but seemingly unavoidable process. There are multiple projects going on plus some SAP system realignment, etc. As a result, we end up with a temporary, isolated sandbox-like SAP system where configuration/ABAP changes are made. Later those changes (=transports) need to be moved to another system.
Management thinks it's a piece of cake, but what happens in reality is: we send a list of transports to the hosting provider asking to move them. In response we get - bwahaha, the TRs are "local", there are no files, so create TOC and then we talk. And here we go - SE01 -> create TOC -> include objects, wash-rinse-repeat about 20-30 times. (Yes, technically we could combine multiple transports into one TOC, but for some reason consultants are very particular about the order in which transports need to be moved even though there seems to be no reasonable explanation why unrelated configuration has to be moved in this exact order. Can you tell I've just done 24 TOCs manually? 
)
I looked everywhere but other than creating LSMW don't see any easier option for such activity. Is this really all we have in 2015?
And for the bonus points could someone please explain why when we do 'include objects' and enter the transport # the objects are not actually included and we have to do that using task number instead? Or am I doing something wrong?
Thank you!