In common SAP application service practice, the AMS provider takes over responsibility for a range of tasks related to the maintenance and development of the ERP system, user support in the form of troubleshooting reported errors or malfunctions, or resolving other problems with everyday work on the system. This may also include ensuring the full security of the entire system environment, managing authorizations, and many other operations or tasks associated with the operation of systems of this class, such as S/4HANA or its earlier generations, e.g., SAP ECC. Let's take a look at selected elements of this type of service using the example of our solutions.

SAP AMS - selected elements:

User support: KBJ specialists provide support to SAP system users, including assistance in troubleshooting problems and reported errors. The contracts define a number of parameters, such as the response time to a report, the deadline for implementing changes or corrections, the time to resolve a problem, or restore the state before the failure, and many others.

Application management: During the provision of AMS services, our team takes care of updates and patches for SAP systems, as well as their configuration and adaptation to the customer's needs. Our responsibilities may include technical maintenance, as well as the installation and configuration of various extensions, both those resulting from updates introduced by the manufacturer (SAP notes) and changes in the requirements of the law or the needs of our customers.

Monitoring and reporting: The AMS provider monitors the performance of SAP systems and provides the customer with reports on their operation.

Infrastructure management: The AMS provider is responsible for maintaining the IT infrastructure on which SAP systems operate, including servers, storage, networks, and operating systems. In the case of system installation in a cloud environment, such as SAP, Google Cloud Platform, Amazon, or Microsoft Azure, the AMS provider may be fully responsible for the configuration and technical maintenance of the system, or may only be responsible for user support or application development, while tasks related to server infrastructure, availability guarantees, and data security are taken over by the cloud provider.

Security: Here too, everything depends on the adopted system architecture. In the on-premise model, the AMS service provider is usually responsible for the security of SAP systems, including data protection and prevention of cyberattacks, while in cloud models (private or public cloud), the responsibility is distributed in different proportions between the AMS service provider, the ERP system license provider (SAP) and the cloud platform provider. The details, of course, depend on many variables described in SLA contracts or the adopted model of system use, and the KBJ team is currently implementing projects in almost every model: from "on-premise" to various cloud variants.

Benefits: Why use SAP AMS?

When discussing the main benefits of outsourcing ERP application service to an external company, it is necessary to distinguish two groups of them: The first is of a universal nature, which are independent of the model of access to the system, so they can occur regardless of whether it is a system installed in the owner's own IT resources or a cloud version, and the second group is reserved (to some extent) only for cloud solutions. So let's see what each of these groups may look like:

General benefits (On Premise and Cloud systems):

Reduced IT costs:

• Reduced spending on IT infrastructure, software, and licenses.
• Elimination of the costs of employing and maintaining IT staff.
• Access to the latest technologies without the need to invest in their implementation.

Improved performance and scalability:

• Access to a highly scalable infrastructure that can support growing business needs.
• Access to qualified IT specialists who can optimize ERP system performance.
• Regular updates and enhancements to the ERP system.

Increased security:

• Access to the most modern security solutions that protect data from cyberattacks.
• Continuous security monitoring and updates.
• Transfer of responsibility for system maintenance and development to an external provider.

Freeing up internal resources:

• Ability to focus on key business processes.
• Increased employee productivity.

Access to specialist knowledge:

• The team of IT specialists from the external provider usually has more experience.
• Increased level of system support and service.
• Certainty that the system is maintained and developed in accordance with best practices.

Benefits specific to servicing ERP systems in the cloud (e.g., SAP S/4HANA private cloud):

General Benefits mentioned above plus:

Availability:

• High system availability due to cloud infrastructure redundancy.
• Fast data recovery in case of failure.
• Continuous access to the system from anywhere in the world.

Flexibility:

• Ability to quickly scale resources up or down to meet business needs.
• Pay only for the resources you use.
• Easy adaptation of the system to changing business needs.

Innovation:

• Access to the latest cloud technologies and innovations.
• Ability to quickly deploy new features and system updates.
• Increased business competitiveness.

Risk Reduction:

• Reduced susceptibility to cyberattacks and their consequences.
• Increased system stability and reliability.
• Availability guarantees exceeding 99.6%.

In Summary: The SAP AMS services offered by the KBJ team can be a valuable solution for companies that want to optimize their use of SAP systems and reduce IT costs. We encourage you to contact us and discuss your situation with our specialists. We are confident that our extensive experience gained in implementing such projects for the largest corporations and public sector entities in Poland can be a valuable inspiration and source of additional benefits for you.

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