The SAP world is changing. In addition to the many comprehensive products and services they offer, the German giant is pushing the adoption of S/4HANA Cloud Edition. Considering that edition’s private and public cloud permutations plus the persisting on-premise solutions – not to mention extra functionalities like SuccessFactors and Fiori – errors can quickly amass if one is unfamiliar with SAP systems or lacks the time to stay on top of the latest innovations and security patches. As such, identifying a SAP Support Partner is highly important.
Finding a suitable partner, however, is comparable to finding a four-leaf clover. Once found, it bares one with luck and prosperity, though with so many clovers out there, identifying the one that best aligns with your business needs amidst the field can be a challenge. This article outlines the key characteristics that make a well-optimised SAP support partner, why you may want to consider one over a standard SaaS offering, and how Absoft meets the criteria.
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Table of Contents
What is Their Expertise as a SAP Support Partner?
It naturally goes without saying that an SAP support partner should be composed of a concerto of expert technical consultants. With so many options, however, it can be hard to know which have the relevant expertise for your business case. As such, you should check to see what expertise and certifications the partner’s consultants have via the SAP Partner Finder tool. Further, accreditations in ISOs 27001 and 20000, along with other industry-standard credentials from groups like Microsoft, are encouraging signs becoming of an ideal and expert partner.
A long and storied history is another positive sign of a potential provider. These teams have had many years working directly with SAP and have developed a concrete understanding of the modules and their business cases. SAP has also been known to turn to these partners when developing new products and solutions to help iron out any kinks and receive feedback.
Are They UK-Based?
To bring costs down, it would not be unreasonable for businesses to utilise offshore labour from countries with a cheaper workforce to perform support functions. Whilst this would remedy worries about financing, these businesses can and do face diminishing returns. The physical distance disconnects them from the client’s core activities and needs as well as making it difficult to schedule meetings. Overall differences in communication can make legal compliance hard to attain.
In this case, a UK-based business partner presents itself as the best way for companies to make the most of their money. Their quick communication, integration with the company, and proper legislative compliance will allow them to solve any issues swiftly. Moreover, a partner that primarily works out of one office rather than remotely is preferable as they more quickly resolve problems within their team and their solution and support one another during a project.
Are Their Prices Reasonable?
High-quality support shouldn’t be tantamount to daylight robbery, especially in this epoch of apparently unstoppable inflation and increasingly unattainable cost of living. The service ought to be cost-effective and flexible, so it pairs up precisely with your needs. Flexibility in this regard is paramount so it can bend like a blade of grass when the winds of the economy blow across it and consequently stay rooted to your ever-evolving business needs. In essence, you should only pay for what you use and a support model ought to best focus on service requirements instead of hours per month.
Find out more about the benefits of a cost-effective and flexible solution in the case study below:
Do They Have Trustworthy Reputation?
A partner’s ability to communicate the core challenges and opportunities is paramount. IT can be complex. SAP is similar with its environment necessitating several assets working in tandem for smooth operation and running. Communicating any trouble areas to their clients is a priority for the top support partners and their capabilities in resolving such issues. Transparency in this way helps build trust between the partner and their clientele.
We are delighted to have Absoft onboard to assist us with the ERP transition work. We look forward to completion of the transition scope and working together to develop and support this important business system.
We are a family-owned business and Absoft has proved itself to be more than a technology provider. They are a trusted partner, with whom we can communicate openly and who we know always has our company’s business interests at heart.
Can They Build Personalised Relationships?
Perhaps, however, the most crucial component when considering the compatibility of an SAP consulting company is their capability to form a personalised approach. Such a third-party partner should feel like a mere natural extension of an in-house team. This manifests with the partner giving you the greatest degree of control possible over the application support package to supplement with suitable components. Further, it’s in their best interests to aspire towards open-mindedness and a propensity for scaling skills and know-how from previous projects to new challenges and applications.
What are the Benefits of Having a Support Partner with a SaaS System?
Of course, SAP’s focus on S/4HANA Cloud – particularly its public permutation – should also be considered. Coming out of the box with S/4HANA Public Cloud Edition, Software as a Service (SaaS) is a fit-to-standard process that can be hosted and managed by SAP or one of its cloud partners, such as AWS, MS Azure, or Google. It follows the best practices and guidelines of SAP, having limited customisability and integrability with some flex in leaving certain features on and others dormant. The overall aim of SaaS is to streamline a user’s systems. This subscription-based model is designed to automate and maintain the core solution, empowering all users with a degree of control over their systems. SaaS is ideal for customers who desire simplicity and convenience in their SAP services.
A SaaS solution can offer a different kind of solution and service to customers depending on their needs and preferences for their SAP systems. Should you feel that it’s the best option for your systems, a support partner can help you configure a SaaS offering and decide which features are most appropriate for your needs. Further, regardless if you pursue a SaaS implementation or not, they can provide ongoing support with a technical managed service offering.
Is Absoft Your Four-Leaf Clover?
In conclusion, Absoft meets all the above criteria for an exceptional SAP support partner. With an Aberdeen-based office and team of technical consultants, we ensure swift communication, integration, and compliance. Our cost-effective and flexible approach prioritises transparency and trust-building by efficiently resolving any issues in your solution. Most importantly, we offer a personalised approach that seamlessly syncs up with your team and empowers you with control over your SAP support.
To learn more about our team’s experience, tools, and capabilities, please reach out to us now!
