SAP R/3 Logo partners, Spearhead and Hewlett-Packard South Africa have launched a joint post-implementation support service for mid-sized South African companies looking for the highest level of SAP R/3 support without the high cost and management overhead an in-house SAP support infrastructure typically entails.
The core of the new Support-on-Tap for SAP R/3 initiative is an R3-million call centre facility, which is run by Spearhead and USKO. The centre is manned by consultants with specific R/3 module and technical expertise. They provide `super-user` front-line support with direct links to additional, higher-level, specialist support from Spearhead, SAP or HP if the problem needs to be escalated.
"One of the major concerns of companies implementing an enterprise system as comprehensive as SAP R/3 is that the expertise necessary to support and develop the environment in-house throughout its life-cycle is in short supply and comes at a premium," says Rob Hunter, manager Support on Tap, Spearhead.
Hunter maintains that mid-sized companies - a rapidly growing sector of the SAP R/3 market - in particular, are finding that they cannot afford to carry super user and R/3 support staff in-house. The high salaries they attract, the worldwide shortage for such expertise and the demands and cost of keeping up with rapidly changing technology, make it a difficult resource to manage and retain.
Ian White, Alliance manager, HP South Africa agrees. "Attracting and keeping SAP R/3 staff are among the biggest challenges facing mid-sized companies implementing SAP R/3. By providing a single outsourced support pool, these companies are able to benefit from economies of scale not only in terms of cost but, more importantly, in terms of the level of expertise that they can access.
"What they`re getting is a level of support that`s sustainable, predictable and consistent and at a known cost. What`s more, they can get on with getting the maximum business benefits out of SAP R/3 rather than worry about supporting the system," says White.
Service level agreements will ensure user expectations are met, says Hunter, who sees the centre being able to resolve 70% of problems directly from the call centre without having to escalate to consultants or going on-site. Dial-in facilities let technicians access systems remotely so that they can carry out checks and implement solutions directly from the support centre.
Support on Tap for R/3 includes options for third-party support as required. Under the initiative, SAP supplies product life-cycle and development support such as OSS, Going-Live check, EarlyWatch Alert and Conversion Services. HP, which has more than 5 000 HP SAP R/3 sites worldwide and has been the leading R/3 platform in South Africa for seven years, provides the platform, technology, operating system and Basis support.
In addition to providing super user and technical support, Spearhead provides on-going project support and system enhancement and development as well as a variety of services to ensure a stable SAP R/3 environment.
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