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By Dan Wilhelms
When it comes to fame, glory and an unlimited budget, there’s no question it’s better to be an explorer than a settler. Just take a look at history.
When Columbus, Ponce de Leon, Pizarro, Cortes and others needed money, they would go to the king or queen and explain how their exploits would bring power and riches to the monarch. Next thing you know, they’re on their way to the New World with anywhere from several to a fleet of ships outfitted with the best of everything for support. Need more? Just ask and we’ll send it.
But when settlers set out for the same lands the explorers had just “discovered,” they were mostly left to fend for themselves. About all they got from the king or queen was a hearty good luck and a reminder to send back their taxes on time.
More recently, the same scenario has played itself out in the world of IT and ERP generally, as well as SAP specifically. In the 20th century, ERP promised a brave new world of strategic advantage over the competition. Enterprises were eager to explore its seemingly unlimited capabilities, and so willingly invested millions or even billions of dollars to support IT’s efforts to unlock its potential.
Then came the 21st century, and suddenly IT was being looked at as a cost center rather than a value-add to the organization. The settlers had arrived and the days of unbridled exploration were over. Budgets were cut as demand for more computing power (and the services to support it) grew. IT was told to do more with less.
Yet there was a gap. SAP service providers were still operating as though the halcyon days of exploration were still in force. Premium support and expertise came with a high price, much of it coming in the form of travel budgets. Off-shoring was offered as a less-expensive alternative, although in recent years, the gap in the demands and standard of living between the rest of the world has closed to the point of making the savings far less significant. It also brought with it a whole new set of issues, such as time, language and cultural differences.
Neither of these models was positioned to help organizations do more with less. If anything it was the opposite -- they were spending more and receiving less, especially when it came to support.
In both the premium and off-shore models, individuals were often assigned to support calls randomly -- a costly proposition since it takes time for new individuals to learn the details of a specific system. Costly services claiming your support ticket would “follow the sun” compounded this problem with each hand-off to a new consultant. Both models are hampered by their consultants’ limited knowledge of SAP. If consultants found a problem outside their range of experiences, then the organization was forced to pay extra for a new, more experienced resource, or incur the time and cost of that individual’s “on-the-job” learning.
The bottom line is neither of these models work anymore. Instead, it takes a combination of access and communication skills, attitude and technical skills to deliver a 21st century client experience.
For example, organizations that purport to offer premium-level service must provide support on the same basis. In a world of mobile phones, text messages, instant messaging, etc., a true 21st century SAP support provider delivers one-call, 24x7 availability to a dedicated support team. It also links those primary support specialists to a larger group of full-time SAP experts with deep knowledge of ERP, CRM, PLM, security or other areas of SAP operations or functionality.
Modern technology should also enable the organization to provide domestic-based resources rather than having to look offshore to keep support costs in line. This strategy eliminates drastic time zone and language difficulties that can add further stress to the environment when support is required.
The 21st century support provider must manage its resources in such a way that cost to the client is acceptable and affordable. Contracts should allow for the relationship to be flexible enough to accommodate the client’s own resources and capabilities.
This arrangement is most readily accomplished through managed resources and fixed-price engagements. Client and service provider agree on the objectives, deliverables, schedule and terms, then proceed to accomplish the objectives together. No time or resources are wasted arguing over blame or responsibility. If unanticipated situations arise, the service provider and the client work together to resolve the issues and get the system back into operation as quickly as possible.
Finally, it’s important for the 21st century support provider to understand that SAP isn’t just technology -- it’s a business system, and it is the business applications that deliver value to the enterprise. Everything the support provider does, every process it sets up, every agreement it enters into must be done with the mindset of how best to support the business and keep SAP available and operating at peak efficiency on a 24x7 basis.
While the explorers may get the glory, one other thing history demonstrates is that it’s the settlers who deliver the greatest value from new discoveries. By taking a 21st century approach to SAP services, you’ll position your organization to get more out of this new world and derive the benefits at every level.
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is president and CEO of Symmetry Corporation, an SAP hosting partner.
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