Setting up SAP Support System - Are we following the right strategy?

Got a very good information posted by Infosys ...

Have we ever wondered why companies, who spend millions during SAP implementation, drastically reduce their IT budget, when it comes to supporting the same system, in a post go-live environment? The eventual outcome is that we find most of these companies struggling to keep their support system running successfully, just because they did not give it due importance, planning and requisite funds during inception. It is high time for us to realize that proper support setup is the catalyst for long term SAP success and builds the foundation for incorporating required functionality enhancements and knowledge amongst the business users. So, let us look at some of the critical factors that are instrumental in developing an effective strategy, which improves the support landscape and optimizes the SAP system.

First and foremost, would be to establish an SAP Center of Excellence (COE), which will act as the main building block, giving resources, fund and defining the roadmap required to launch and sustain a support system. So what else can we look forward to from an SAP COE? Most certainly this COE will provide necessary business and application expertise to support an organizations SAP implementation, by designing new processes, optimizing current ones, providing user support and training, and keeping the SAP system landscape up and running 24/7. In addition, it serves as the central point of contact for all SAP related matters, facilitating competency building, retaining key SAP resources, and reducing TCO.

Next, would be to partner with the right SAP support vendor, as an alternative to setting up an independent in-house support team, as this requires a specific methodology to be followed, and a minimum level of expertise and experience as well. So it is better to opt for vendors with proven strong track record in the SAP support area. Once that is finalized, next step is to conduct business workshops with the vendor to decide on the support procedures/processes. It is important to give attention to specific details like project management structure, geographical distribution, service levels, procedures, staffing, change control and enhancement requests. Other areas like quality assurance, testing and data management also needs to be finalized. All these will assist in arriving at the overall project scope, to be outlined in SOW.

Information gathered from the previous steps would help in designing the support model to be followed, covering support processes, organizational structure and RACI matrix. Having finalized the model, the next challenge will be to implement this by preparing an implementation plan, which should take care of the probable risks and constraints. Due importance has to be given to important areas like training and knowledge transfer. Also, cost-benefit analysis of this setup needs to be considered. Ideally this should be carried out as a joint exercise between the Vendor and organization's IT leadership.

If the above mentioned points are indeed considered, what are the possible benefits that an organization can look forward to? Definitely a clear picture of estimated costs, resources along with roles and responsibilities, and minimizing risk of budget and cost overruns. In a nut-shell, organizations can realize significant long term benefits by carrying out a well-planned Application Support Design and implementation.

So, irrespective of whether an organization is just going live, or has been running on SAP for some time now, it is never too late to have the proper infrastructure in place, to ensure a successful support environment. And we should not forget that this is only possible, when management starts viewing SAP as a long-term commitment.