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author's profile photo Peter Monaghan
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Peter Monaghan
Feb 26, 2015 at 04:46 AM

How do I apply SAP's mantra, "Run Like a Factory" to my Basis/Security team?

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I will preface this by stating that I am a newbie to SAP, and I am not technical. Currently I manage a Basis/Security team, albeit understaffed.

For the past 5 years I have been charged to:

  • Organize the team into a highly-performing department. (Done!)
  • Leverage existing SAP (and non-SAP) tools to drive up the performance and availability of our SAP landscape. (Currently on SolMan 7.1, SP12. Early Watch reports for 17 instances. Crank out CQC's like they are free candy)
  • Take full advantage of our SAP Enterprise Support. (Monthly calls with our Ent. Support Advisor. Burn through our EGI's, AEI's, and Road Maps. Training curriculum built around the Ent. Support Academy offerings, etc.)

But there is a part that is missing, and this is where I need guidance. What I am referring to is the integration and synchronization of my team with the abundance of proactive services of SAP's MarketPlace (MP) and Enterprise Support (ES). Here is what I mean:

So I am subscribed to umpteen SAP "MP" & "ES" newsletters and RSS Feeds, I occasionally browse the Security Portal (because I can't find where to subscribe to an RSS Feed), I receive the "SAP Support Notification" email every couple of days, I am connected to their Social Media presence,and there are a few other communication channels I am connected to. But from all of this what I am missing is... Continuity!

I have had this nagging feeling that I am missing, or not yet fully aware, of some basic elements within the "MP" or "ES" that I need to address so that the steady flow of information from these channels are relevant and substantial. Here is my best example:

Every few days I receive the "SAP Support Notification" email. At first the email was basically empty. I figured out that I had to choose my instances within my subscription so that I receive relevant information. I accessed my instance list and found it was a mess. So I had my architect remove all obsolete instances. The contents of the email is now more substantial, but there is more to the email that I don't understand the relevance of.

Another example is the SAP Security Portal. I can't figure it out. Updates, announcements, etc. aren't sent out. I have to remind myself to visit the Portal.

I have a few more examples, but this post is already too long. I need help with the manipulation of the basic elements of "MP" and "ES" to start receiving more substantial, and actionable, proactive support. Once I have this I can integrate this support into the daily administration of my SAP ecosystem, as well as define KPI's and metrics to strive for improved performance and availability.

So what am I missing?