By Nathan Dukes
SAP User Group Executive Network (SUGEN) and SAP Australian User Group (SAUG) representatives have expressed their satisfaction at SAP’s decision to reconsider their Enterprise Support strategy.
SAUG Operations Manager Kim Salter said SUGEN has been collaborating with SAP to make sure the proposed changes to SAP support agreements offered tangible value for customers.
“I think it’s been a fantastic response from SAP that they have put off the price increase until they can scrutinise the program a bit further. There is nobody on SUGEN who isn’t happy with that result,” she said
SUGEN had provided SAP with information suggesting more time should be taken to review the KPIs from the benchmarking study, prior to SAP putting the brakes on the program.
“SUGEN don’t have any influence on whether SAP put their price up or not,” Kim said.
“But in this case they’ve looked at the program that is running and said they’ll hold off on the price increase.”
SAP now await the findings of a new taskforce who will drill further into the Enterprise Support model and all SAP support offerings.
Even now though, both SAP and Australian SUGEN representative – SAUG Chairman Grahame Reynolds, agree customer value from Enterprise Support is being demonstrated.
“The SAP press release says that the people are seeing value in enterprise support. We’ve confirmed that. Now we’re in the process of quantifying that value,” he said.
Following SAP’s announcement last July to introduce a single Enterprise Support model, with a single price figure of 22{db8ca4bbfe57dc8f9b6df9233a3a6c04f4968125edf9bb330d4f787c3a87cd09} of maintenance base, a joint SUGEN and SAP initiative was set into motion to benchmark the new model with customers from around the world.
The process includes 10 SAP customers from Australia.
So far, the customers involved have indicated that based on the KPIs for the benchmarking process, Enterprise Support does offer them value.
“Its probably no surprise to you that nobody likes a price rise, but what the participants are finding is that SAP are providing some value behind the new support offering,” Grahame said.
The SAUG is pleased they have been able to play a role in negotiating with SAP through SUGEN.
“This is something that SAUG has been able to be part of, and it’s a situation where we can provide tangible value back to our members and the SAP customers at large,” Grahame said.
While this is good news for both SAP and customers, SUGEN will continue the benchmarking study into next year, when the SUGEN taskforce will hand down their complete findings.
If Enterprise Support resumes in its current form, existing customers can expect to pay 22{db8ca4bbfe57dc8f9b6df9233a3a6c04f4968125edf9bb330d4f787c3a87cd09} for SAP support from 2015.
