There is a logic to running a business: plans are made and strategies are drawn up; the team is assembled; now, all that is left is to execute. We win when we can deliver more value to the customer than our competitors can. Simple.
The devil is in the details, of course. People and processes need to be coordinated and organized; with one eye focused on improving current operations, we must continue to look to the future - to innovate - or risk being caught flatfooted when markets change as they invariably do. Managing all of this complexity is challenging - that is why we invest in enterprise software solutions.
Software solutions can add their own complexity to the equation, however. There is a logic to it: systems are designed and implemented; it needs to operate right; there is always new innovations that must be delivered to the business units. Managing this complexity is IT's responsibility.
If IT talked openly about their anxiety dreams, it would probably sound something like the plot of The Sorcerer's Apprentice - processes running amok while they frantically try and provide patches before the brooms flood the entire room...
SAP Active Global Support (SAP AGS) delivered support helps companies address these tensions proactively - ensuring that IT always serves the needs of the business throughout the design, implementation, operations and innovation cycles rather than the business accommodating to the demands of the technology.
Behind all SAP support is a simple idea - business is hard enough; technology should be an ally.
Westcon Group's use of SAP AGS support really helps illustrate these points.
NY based global communications wholesaler Westcon Group runs SAP Business Suite for various procurement and logistics functionalities and SAP NetWeaver Business Warehouse. Their plan was the global roll out of several SAP solutions, including SAP Global Trade Services for legal control and customs declarations and integrating its order processing with an eCommerce platform that is linked to the SAP system to track online customer transactions. The complexities in Westcon’s landscape will only increase once SAP Extended Warehouse Management (SAP EWM) and SAP Advanced Planning & Optimization (SAP APO) are integrated with their global SAP ERP 6.0 solution. In order to ensure the success of these rollouts, Westcon will need to prepare their existing landscape so that any new solution can work with their legacy systems and optimize business processes all with minimal disruption to their day to day business.
Westcon engaged SAP AGS delivered SAP ActiveEmbedded support, a premium support engagement that is designed to seamlessly integrate with the company’s project teams and system integrators to support customers throughout the implementation, operations and innovation lifecycles, and help them prepare for the implementation projects. As one of the first steps, the company first needed to increase their visibility into their existing landscape so, they used SAP Solution Manager, a tool that provides the integrated content and methodologies that you need to implement, support, operate and monitor your SAP solution. The tool also helped them run Run SAP Like a factory (RSLF) and Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) methodologies. And through SAP ActiveEmbedded support, the company was able to leverage the expertise of a Technical Quality Manager (TQM), a designated support engineer to help Westcon through the different SAP lifecycle stages.
With the help of SAP ActiveEmbedded support and SAP Solution Manager, Westcon’s IT team was able to show their VP system pain points and identify inefficiencies which will help them prepare their systems for their global implementation projects, improve operational efficiencies and lower overall costs.
Bottom line, with SAP AGS delivered support at your side, you can sleep easy*.
*Unless you are still worried about the 'monster' under the bed...we don't have a solution for that yet – you’re on your own with that.
For more on Westcon's SAPinsider article click [here]
For more on SAP ActiveEmbedded support, click [here]
For more on Run SAP Like a Factory (RSLF), click [here]
For more on Application Lifecycle Management (ALM), click [here]
For more on SAP Solution Manager, click [here]
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