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Newsletter 04/2020

    SAP Key User Supportmodell with ServiceNow – The SAP Support Module from SAP KeyUser Pro

    This article introduces the support module of the ServiceNow app “SAP KeyUser Pro”, which implements all processes and governance required to operate the Key User Model. The functionality is explained in detail using a use case.

    But first let’s discuss the Key User model in a little more detail.

    With the Key User concept and in opposite to standard IT support, the 1st level support will be delivered by Key Users, working in functional departments instead of working in a helpdesk. This means, that SAP support tasks will no longer only be delivered by the SAP department.

    To make the Key User concept a success, the organization, governance and processes need to be set up properly. The sustainability can be assured by guiding the SAP users and the SAP support organization through the necessary processes by implementing them in a software-based, technical solution.

    Key success factors for the Key User concept are:

    • adapt existing job description of Key Users, associated by Key User trainings
    • implement SAP support processes considering that Key Users still have their daily work
    • tool support to fix the governance and processes within the organization

    SAP KeyUser Pro implements out-of-the-box the required processes and governance to assure a successful Key User concept implementation. Although the solution supports also Service, Change and Project Requests, the focus in this article will focus on the Support Request.

    A typical example – processing an error in a SAP report

    For a better understanding, a typical use case will be taken that may occur in every SAP support organization to explain the support flow. Although in most cases support requests will be solved in the first level by the Key User, the described use case here is a little more complex. An error occurs in an SAP application that contains customization implemented by a third-party external supplier. This error now needs to be handled by the SAP support organization. The use-case looks as follows::

    1. An SAP user gets an error in an SAP report and sends support request directly from SAP
    2. A Key receives the support request and tries to solve
    3. The Key User recognizes that it’s not only a functional, but a technical problem and involves the SAP department
    4. A responsible employee from the SAP department analyzes the problem, based on the information available in SAP KeyUser Pro.
    5. The SAP specialist recognizes that the error is caused by a third-party customization and involves that external company into the flow
    6. The external company can access the support request and solves it quickly, based on the existing information. After completion, he finishes the support request.
    7. The SAP user can finally review the solution and closes the request.

    Because all information on such requests are stored in the system, they can be used to fill a Knowledgebase and for reports to analyze e.g. the efficiency of the Key User concept, training requirements, external support efforts and much more.

    1. SAP User named Leng Song works in SAP and calls a report that displays the list of Sales Orders by partner. Leng recognizes, that all planned dates in the last column of the report are the same.She knows that this must be a mistake and opens a Support Request directly in SAP. She pre-classifies the request as best as she can and chooses the appropriate Business Process and SAP Role as well as the Key User that may answer this question best – Tim Simpson. (Please note, that the “language of the business” is used)
    2. Tim Simpson, the responsible Key User, received a notifying E-mail, that Leng had a problem with the Sales report. Because he’s already working with SAP KeyUser Pro, he navigates to the request via the ServiceNow Service Portal.…and opens the request. He has all the required information already available in the Support Request. SAP information is automatically populated by the SAP GUI Adapter to the request (more of this a little later).
    3. However, he has also no explanation for that error but assumes that it might be related to a previously installed customization. So, he wants to involve the SAP department.
      For consulting the SAP team, he chooses “Consult SAP CC” and assigns Sabrina Sperling, the person that was responsible for implementing the Change in the SAP report (in case that he hadn’t known the responsible person, this field could have been left empty and the request would be sent to the appropriate SAP team).
    4. Sabrina Sperling receives a notification, that she is required to help in a support request. She opens the request and reviews the available information. She looks on the attached screenshots as well as looking into the SAP information that was attached to the database. Fortunately, she needs not to reproduce the case in the SAP system because the attached information is enough to evaluate the reason. Some days ago, she had ordered customization from their preferred external supplier for SAP reports and she could immediately involve the supplier.
    5. Sabrina creates a request to their contracted SAP partner b-rightsource that they should fix the error in the report. Ueli Fankhauser did the report and is notified after creation of the request (If no-one would have been assigned, a coordinator receives the notification so that he can dispatch in his outsourcing team).She configures the External tasks with appropriate information and also set an expected budget of 2 hours to fix that.
    6. Ueli Fankhauser, the external developer, receives a notification and opens the request immediately to fix the problem. He did it within the given 2 hours and finishes then the request.
    7. After work has been done, Leng Song as the requesting SAP User can finally review the request and close it, because she’s now happy with the solution. She can also see that the total resolution time was 2hrs. 30 mins.

    In further processing, such kind of Support Requests will be used for statistical reasons. For example, it can be analyzed; how much support efforts were taken over time and which external partners were mainly be involved in SAP operational support. Because financial information will also be calculated, the statistics can e.g. also be used for invoice reconciliation.