From cost-effective scalability to 24/7 support, seamless system management, and continuous optimization, SAP Application Management Services (AMS) help companies unlock the full potential of each customer’s SAP landscape beyond their initial implementation.

Keep reading to learn how SAP AMS can improve post-implementation support for your existing SAP applications and where our SAP consulting services can fit in your organization.

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What are SAP Application Management Services?

Application management services (AMS) are services that provide post-implementation application support for SAP enterprise solutions across a company’s full technical landscape, ensuring compliance with their SLA guidelines and facilitating a more efficient change management process over time.

With SAP Application Management Services, including system monitoring and maintenance, application support, security management, and performance optimization services, companies are enabled to manage their SAP modules and applications more efficiently across the entire organization.

By leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and other robotic process automation (RPA) capabilities, SAP AMS services make it easier to automate routine business processes, achieve strategic business objectives, and free up internal employees for more value-driven tasks.

Understanding Application Management Services (AMS)

SAP Application Management Service (AMS) provides the resources needed to help companies manage and optimize their full AMS lifecycle, including business strategy, build, innovation, and optimization functions, rather than only leveraging service level agreements (SLAs) and point-in-time metrics.

Here’s a closer look at some of the main application management services offered in SAP:

AMS for Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

When it comes to implementing enterprise software solutions, companies often face a few common challenges, including attracting and retaining the right talent to handle their ERP needs, maintaining predefined project budgets, and providing continuous improvement for your existing SAP solutions.

AMS services for Enterprise Resource Planning operations can help users:

  • Leverage SAP application development and services-oriented architecture design more efficiently
  • Choose and deploy specific service accelerators to meet ERP needs
  • Design, build, and run SAP S/4HANA applications on HANA and ECC platforms
  • Utilize SAP Center of Excellence for business operations and strategy design

AMS for SAP System Integration

SAP AMS for System Integration is designed to help companies leverage NetWeaver PI/PO capabilities to accelerate application implementation processes, reduce risks and costs across the entire organization, and improve overall IT performance and efficiency.

With AMS services for System Integration, companies are enabled to:

  • Conduct cross-platform custom development for new SAP applications
  • Facilitate full system lifecycle design, development, and implementation
  • Increase return on investment through ongoing system maintenance and support
  • Improve system operations, enhancements, and operations across teams
  • Leverage testing and migration tools to improve database administration

AMS for SAP Business Intelligence

SAP AMS offers a robust business intelligence solution designed to turn your company’s data intro a strategic business asset, making it easier to improve data resource availability and allocation, improve solution management, facilitate better data governance, and leverage support services more efficiently.

AMS services for SAP Business Intelligence enable organizations to:

  • Leverage advanced analytics and reporting capabilities for better data visibility
  • Facilitate more efficient enterprise content management
  • Improve master data quality, control, and management across systems
  • Increase support for enterprise data warehousing and integration functions

AMS for Digital Cloud Technologies

Most digital SAP platforms are client-facing, and they are forced to evolve as new SAP technologies, like SAP Concur, SAP SuccessFactors, SAP Ariba, and SAP Leonardo, are created and utilized across the complete SAP landscape.

With AMS services for Digital Cloud Technologies, companies can:

  • Leverage a one-stop-shop digital services agreement to improve functionality
  • Improve concept, design, and build experiences across a digital environment
  • Enhance client and supplier relationships
  • Utilize machine learning and the Internet of Things (IoT) for better mobile and web efficiency

Four Phases of Application Management Services in SAP

Let’s take a closer look at the four main phases of the SAP AMS process:

1) Transition Phase

The transition phase acts as a preparation phase in the process and involves the joint development of the tools, techniques, and roles required to deliver application management services across the SAP landscape successfully.

This phase comprises two basic steps: Transition Planning and Transition Execution.

The duration of each step of the transition phase is dependent upon the complexity of each AMS engagement, and each customer provides AMS teams with the knowledge needed to deliver and execute the services, including system information, process documents, test scripts, and functional specifications to prepare for the rollout of the new system.

Here are a few critical tasks involved in the Transition Phase of SAP AMS:

  • Outlining and designating the engagement manager
  • Engaging key users and stakeholders in the SAP Service Desk process
  • Facilitating SAP AMS knowledge transfer, customized at the client site
  • Ensuring contractors receive necessary access authorizations for the client’s SAP and non-SAP systems across their entire technical landscape

2) Stabilization Phase

The stabilization phase helps SAP AMS customers stabilize all aspects of their application management service solution and ensures that users are familiar with the requirements of their system landscape.

In this phase, SAP AMS messages are handled according to Incident Management, Event Management, Change Management, Problem Management, and Request Fulfillment, and productive SLA measurements are prepared for initiation in the operations phase.

Here are a few critical tasks involved in the SAP AMS Stabilization Phase:

  • Managing initiation activities for SLA measurements and other system metrics
  • Finalizing the documentation for the previous SAP AMS phases
  • Improving IT Service Management (ITSM) documentation
  • Outlining the actual end of stabilization through stabilization acceptance

3) Operations Phase

The operations phase involves the actual task of the contractor in the AMS engagement, including the information documented in the ticket system and the messages processed according to the Event Management, Incident Management, or Change Management process in the previous phase.

During this phase, all messages are processed according to the agreed-upon SLAs and resolution scope defined in the related scope document, and tasks are continuously monitored and maintained to ensure the system is appropriately controlled, and SLA violations are avoided across the board.

SAP AMS documentation is also regularly managed and revised, and advanced reporting functions help companies analyze AMS data at regular intervals and facilitate better identification, discussion, and agreement on optimizations across the entire system.

4) Closure Phase

The closure phase is the final step in the SAP AMS engagement, and the duration of this phase depends upon the timeliness and accuracy of task completion in the previous phases. This phase allows key stakeholders to jointly close the SAP AMS service at the contractor level by transferring responsibilities to the client level.

Here are a few critical tasks involved in the SAP AMS Closure Phase:

  • Processing messages in accordance with Event Management, Incident Management, Change Management, and Request Fulfillment procedures
  • Developing a joint project plan, or exit plan for the initial step of the closure phase
  • Engaging in discussions with clients, based on all services tracked throughout the phase
  • Transferring knowledge accumulated at the contractor level to the client through the AMS service provider
  • Accepting, or terminating, the AMS engagement through the client’s signature

Navigating the SAP AMS Project Lifecycle

Understanding the critical steps outlined in the SAP AMS project lifecycle can lead to improved efficiency, reduced operational risks, enhanced system performance, and better utilization of resources for companies relying on SAP AMS.

Here are the main steps involved in the SAP AMS project lifecycle:

Planning and Initiation

In the first phase of the SAP AMS project lifecycle, your project team will outline the scope of your SAP AMS project, define requirements for each key stakeholder, and establish the main goals and objectives for the project. The planning and initiation phase also requires project teams to create a well-defined project plan and assign roles and responsibilities for support personnel.

Discovery and Assessment

Next, the SAP AMS team will assess their existing SAP solutions to identify any critical areas of improvement across the system and evaluate the security, compliance, and performance of each SAP solution in their technical landscape.

Solution Architecture and Design

In this phase, AMS teams will develop a strategic solution architecture that addresses the identified system issues and improvements outlined in the previous assessment phase.

Users can also outline and design the necessary changes within their SAP systems and applications, making meeting system restraints and requirements easier.

Development and Configuration

This phase requires the AMS team to configure, deploy, and implement the predefined changes into their existing SAP solution landscape.

With this, project teams can configure existing SAP solutions’ capabilities, develop new functionality, and build customized features to meet specific business needs.

Testing and Quality Assurance

Once the changes are implemented, AMS teams must conduct testing and quality assurance tasks to ensure that new SAP applications and solutions operate as expected and meet predefined company and system requirements. This phase can include testing for individual business units, integrations, systems, and user acceptance metrics.

Go-Live and Deployment

In this phase, AMS teams will deploy the changes to the complete production environment, performing any necessary data migration or cutover processes and ensuring new functionality is operating as expected in the live SAP landscape.

Service Management and Maintenance

Once the new SAP applications are deployed, AMS teams are brought back in to facilitate the ongoing management and maintenance of each new SAP solution, ensuring companies can achieve agility and business value through continuous innovation over time.

AMS teams offer multiple AMS support services to ensure smooth system operations, including:

  • Problem management
  • Change management
  • Service request management
  • Incident management
  • Release management
  • Other functional support services

Continuous Improvement

In the final phase, AMS teams identify areas of continual improvement and perform regular system assessments to ensure functionality is kept up-to-date and business requirements are met over time.

Main Advantages of SAP Application Management Services

Here’s a list of the main advantages of Application Management Services in SAP:

  1. Cost Efficiency: SAP AMS providers offer cost-effective solutions by leveraging economies of scale, shared resources, and expertise. This can lead to lower operational costs than maintaining an in-house SAP support team.
  2. Scalability: SAP AMS providers offer flexible solutions tailored to your business’s specific needs and size. As your business grows or changes, the AMS services can adapt accordingly.
  3. Proactive Monitoring: AMS providers often implement advanced monitoring tools and processes to identify potential issues before they cause disruptions. This proactive approach helps prevent downtime and performance bottlenecks.
  4. Faster Issue Resolution: With experienced professionals and specialized tools, AMS providers can quickly identify the root causes of problems and provide effective solutions, reducing system downtime and business impact.
  5. Risk Mitigation: By outsourcing SAP management to experts, you reduce the risk of errors, security breaches, and non-compliance with regulatory requirements. AMS providers often have strict security protocols and disaster recovery plans.
  6. Flexibility and Customization: SAP AMS solutions can be customized to match your specific business needs. Whether you require essential support or comprehensive management, AMS providers can tailor their services accordingly.
  7. Continuous Improvement: AMS providers work closely with your business to optimize SAP systems and processes. Regular reviews and performance assessments lead to ongoing improvements and enhanced efficiency.
  8. Reduced Training Efforts: With an AMS provider handling your SAP systems, you can reduce the need for extensive in-house staff training on SAP management tasks.
  9. Transparent Reporting: Many SAP AMS providers offer detailed reporting and analytics on system performance, issue resolution, and resource utilization, providing insights into the health of your SAP environment.
  10. Vendor Management: AMS providers can handle interactions with SAP and other relevant vendors, including licensing, updates, and integrations, freeing your internal resources from these administrative tasks.

How Can We Help?

Whether you need help identifying the scope and requirements of your SAP service delivery model, additional support streamlining core business processes for your SAP and non-SAP technologies, or just an extra hand navigating complex SAP ERP upgrades, Surety Systems is here to help.

Our team of senior-level, US-based SAP consultants has what it takes to handle the entire process, from change request to implementation, integration, and more.

And, in the past three years, our team of SAP consultants has been engaged on more than 100 consulting projects, making us the perfect fit for all your unique SAP project needs!

Getting Started with Us

Interested in learning more about SAP Application Management Services or how our team of expert SAP consultants can improve the functionality of your SAP applications?

Contact us today to get started with our team!