Important updates in Solution Manager

SBN’s SAP Solution Manager Roadshow – June 12^th at Bouvet, Oslo

Important updates from SAP and Coop with Focused Build Solutions

It may be that many of our members feel they receive regular updates on what’s new and improved in Solution Manager. However, the key advantage of attending a roadshow in person is that you have the opportunity for a face-to-face clarification on points that are not immediately clear and it really helps when you have a presenter from Walldorf of the calibre of Ben Schneider. Let’s face it, much of the information coming from SAP requires further clarification.

Some of the key points that I noted from this year’s roadshow were (apologies to those who already know all of the below):

• Your Solution Manager systems also need to be GDPR compliant and to have the latest aids from SAP you need to be on version 7.2 SPS 07.
• For those who need online help to build a business case to upgrade, implement a new version or to implement a new functional area in SAP Solution Manager it is possible to order and receive a free Value Report, which provides, guidance, help, tools and examples.
• I’m sure you’re all aware that to keep your Solution Manager or Focused Run systems connected to the SAP Support Backbone you need to transition before Jan. 1^st 2020. For Solution Manager this effectively means moving to version 7.2 SPS 08 (SPS 07 still requires manual additions) and for Focused Run to version 2.0.
• Small, standardised customers who have not moved to Solution Manager 7.2 and only use SAP Service and Support Delivery features that are available as cloud extensions could forgo an upgrade or reimplementation in favour of going to SAP Solution Manager cloud extensions
• no extra charge. Focused Run will still require an additional licence fee.
• The task of upgrading and maintaining Solution Manager is to be simplified by replacing the manual addition of notes with the possibility to transport them instead.
• SAP is now focusing on a simplified application lifecycle management tool called SAP Cloud ALM. Initially SAP are positioning this tool as being primarily for cloud based SAP customers while on-prem customers will continue with Solution Manager. There is a 3-year plan for SAP Cloud ALM where it seems that the aim is to transition many of the hybrid SAP customers over to SAP Cloud ALM.

A fair portion of the Roadshow was on selling the merits of the increasing Focused Build opportunities in Solution Manager 7.2. We were incredibly lucky to have a great, customer demonstration from Endre Rasmussen at Coop Norge on their use of Focused Build in developing a project manager tool and methodology, which Coop is currently piloting in three separate projects. The methodology is based on Agile and uses a digital scrum board, which is an add-on to Focused Build from bsc solutions. It was clear from the demonstration that Coop have struggled at times due to bugs and errors that still are to be found in the Focused Build solutions. However, the product that Coop have come up with looks great and I’m sure it will fully transform project execution and follow up within Coop. Even better news is that SBN is planning a deeper look at this project management product during our Projects Day, which is planned for September 17^th at IBM in Oslo.

I’ll just conclude by extending my thanks to Bouvet who hosted the event in their superb facilities and made sure we had everything we needed to make the event a success.

Link to the event

Link to pictures from the event

// By Martin Brownsword, SBN-Adfahrer.
Phone +47 917 11 593   e-mail mb@adfahrer.com