Chris O’Brien and June Henning outlines activities for applications managers to consider when integrating Enterprise Support services.
Enterprise Support fees can be a significant investment for many businesses, though not all organisations are able to maximise their financial commitment. Some of the reasons can be as simple as time pressures, information overload or relevance and specifics required for the in-house environment.
This article presents a grassroots approach to integrating the use of Enterprise Support services into Standard Support operations through the implementation of a variety of simple activities.
First things first
Begin with the following activities:
- Build your Application Lifecycle Management model (ALM) based on the SAP model. This provides a high level understanding of areas of Enterprise Support services relevant to you. Where improvements are unnecessary, replace SAP services with in-house services and retain only the SAP services and tools that add value. Review the decisions around services annually.
- Build a roadmap outlining how to proceed from the current situation to the new ALM model, as this may be a larger and more significant change than anticipated.
- Maintain the currency of the Solution Manager environment by installing the most recently released version 7.1 patches. This enables the utilisation of all support services and self-service tools. Progression to this stage may be included in the building of the roadmap.
- Agree on a patching, Enhancement Pack (EP) installation and test data refresh cycle with business stakeholders, in order for business resources to be made available.
- Build a prototype environment where new functionality can be reviewed without impacting on the core SAP environment.
- Begin regular communication with all stakeholders to map progress and maintain their buy-in.
- Once the core structure is in place and regular patching and Enhancement Packs installed, further progress can be made through an in-depth review of a variety services and identifying when, where and how these will be of assistance in ALM.
Added value for all environments
Enterprise Support can add value to all environments when installing and reviewing Enhancement Packs.
The Enhancement Pack methodology was introduced to curtail the necessity for large upgrade projects – though application managers would be well aware that two to three years without scheduling of patching or installation of Enhancement Packs carries workload similar to that of a small upgrade project. So there is significant value in negotiating a regular patching and Enhancement Pack installation agreement with the business in order to ensure the currency of the system.
Enhancement Packs are now making their way into the system on a regular basis. The functionality of each requires assessment supported by a plan to actively implement their release.
There are several additional services and tools available, and we recommend considering the following as a starting point:
Identify beneficial functionality
- Business Function Prediction: This tool creates a high level view of the environment identifying the areas where utilisation of new functionality would be of benefit. A review of transactions used in the system will show the relevant functionality improvements.
- Enablement Session: There are a multitude of teleconferences and webinars presented by an SAP expert.
- Meet the Expert: Once potential areas of functionality have been identified, an SAP Expert can be contacted by telephone to discuss the value that the identified functionality may bring to your environment.
Present ideas to the business
- Solution Browser: This will assist in identifying SAP presentations and information about changes which can be re-used in presenting enhancements to the business and avoids duplication and engages effective time-management.
Throughout the SAP Enablement or SAP Expert sessions, valuable materials and content are provided which can be re-used in the compilation of the business case.
Prototype the change
- Prototype Environment: The Switch Framework allows technical installation of Enhancement Packs, so a prototype environment is mandatory for testing and demonstrating functionality. This avoids unforeseen issues, because once new functionality is turned on, it often cannot be turned off.
A cost-effective method to facilitate a prototype environment for testing and demonstrating functionality is to re-use old hardware or a cloud commodity computing service.
Implement and test the change
- Refresh and Patching Cycle: Once identified, presented and approval has been received for the release of new functionality, an implementation plan is needed to fit in with the regular patching cycle in order to maximise the already agreed business testing window.
- Business Change Analyser: A key piece of Solution Manager functionality and significantly improves visibility to changes in the SAP environment. This tool creates business confidence as it creates visibility around testing requirements.
The last word
The Enhancement Pack methodology is a significant cost saver and minimises interruption to the business, in particular, when well planned and regularly implemented. Get more out of Enterprise Support by spending a little time reviewing the ALM and support process, as well as taking advantage of Enhancement Packs to maximise your investment in SAP.
Chris O’Brien is head of application management services and June Henning is marketing, media and communications manager at Harms Consulting. This article was first published in the Inside SAP Yearbook 2014.
