How to select the best SAP managed services partner for your enterprise?

SAP applications are undoubtedly the core of every enterprises’ ecosystem. But managing and/or migrating them to the cloud is very challenging. That’s where an SAP managed services provider (MSP) can help. With an SAP MSP, you get various benefits such as ease of management, enhanced productivity, improved security, expert support, cost savings, etc. 
But you will be able to reap all these benefits only when you opt for the SAP Managed Services and go with the right SAP Managed Service Provider for your enterprise. With that being said, we bring to you some valuable tips that will help you choose the best SAP MSP for your business.

Selecting the best SAP Managed Services Provider (SAP MSP)

As the saying goes, well begun is half done; choosing the right SAP MSP will ensure your SAP landscape is being administered, managed, and monitored around the clock. From provisioning, migrating, and managing your infrastructure to new implementations, audits, security assessments, compliance, and governance, your SAP Managed Services Provider will take end-to-end ownership of your SAP environment. Hence, it is crucial to select the right partner unless you want to take the risk of hampering your SAP journey. The right MSP is the one who...

is adept at providing all SAP managed services

To be able to meet evolving business requirements, you will need to choose an SAP partner who offers a range of services that fits your requirements at every stage of your SAP journey. At one point, you might just want to consult, and at the other, you might need to migrate SAP to the cloud or conduct vulnerability assessments. Hence, always go for an SAP managed services provider who is adept at offering all the relevant services that fit your requirements.

Ensure that you can get the main SAP managed services that most of the best MSPs offer. For instance, the right SAP MSP can offer you all the primary services, from consulting to implementation and application management to data analytics.

… has proven experience, in-depth SAP knowledge, & strong technical skills

You can get the best of SAP managed services when an experienced and well-versed SAP team backs it. Ensure that your SAP managed services provider has a team of experts who are certified and highly-experienced with SAP as well as Cloud.  With their experience, the expert SAP MSPs can suggest the right methodologies, frameworks and recommend best practices that will help in implementing and managing your SAP systems.  Also, having industry-specific domain knowledge is a plus, as they will be able to understand your business process and goals better.

Opt for an SAP MSP who has a proven track record of managing several complex SAP environments.  Look at their service portfolio and customer testimonials to get a glimpse at their expertise and know their customer satisfaction levels.

… guarantees availability

Businesses can’t afford downtimes. Hence look for a partner who can assure high availability of SAP systems and guarantee SLA above 99.9%. Know their current incident response time, and understand how they provide support for fixing issues, etc. If these match with your expectations/needs, then they will aid in meeting your business goals.

Also, as SAP systems deal with business-critical data, organizations must have Backup and Disaster recovery plans. Check for an SAP managed services provider who can also offer data recovery as a service. Check their data recovery and backup solutions, know-how often they conduct drills or take backups, and where they store it.

...reduces costs

One main goal of every CIO would be to reduce costs. The right SAP managed services provider will reduce your Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and operations cost and let you and your team focus on your core business operations. They provide the required SAP expertise to manage your SAP workloads and take end-to-end responsibility. You will find many vendors who offer a standard package, including additional services that you might not even need but some of them provide a range of options to choose from and let you pay only for what you use. Based on your company's cost goals, needs, and budget, select an SAP Managed Service Provider.

… enhances security, compliance

Cyberthreats are on the rise, and you need to secure your SAP environment, especially if you on the cloud. Look for an MSP who can assess vulnerabilities, create and implement security strategies, and protect data throughout its lifecycle as a part of their SAP managed services. Also, every business needs to comply with region-specific and industry-specific, so select a Managed Services provider who offers SAP Security & Managed Compliance Services, ensure compliance to all regulations and standards, and ensure your audit-ready.

… is SAP-certified and has SAP Center of Excellence (SAP CoE)

The SAP landscape is vast. It requires complex technical knowledge to manage and excel in managing SAP applications. The best way to determine whether you will get the high-quality SAP managed services you are looking for from the provider is by checking for SAP certifications. The certification adds reliability and credibility to the MSPs and their skills. It also confirms that the SAP provider has proven expertise and experience with SAP Hosting Services, SAP Cloud Services, SAP Application Management Services, SAP HANA Operations Services, SAP Business Suites - SAP ECC, SAP S/4 HANA, products such as SAP SuccessFactors, SAP Ariba, etc., and have the capability to provide the best SAP managed services.

If an MSP also has an SAP Center of Excellence, it guarantees that you will be guided and supported by the best in the industry. So, pick a certified SAP partner who has all the relevant and necessary skills to manage your SAP systems seamlessly.

Get a headstart with the right SAP managed services provider

While the above list is not exhaustive, it will certainly help you pick the best SAP managed services partner for your enterprise. If you are currently looking for one such partner who can cater to all your SAP managed services needs, Cloud4C is the right pick for you. We offer everything you read in this list and much more to ensure your SAP journey is hassle-free. Our managed services are always focused on enhancing customer experiences. We are certified SAP managed partners who have all the expertise and resources to deliver the right services for your SAP requirements. Connect with us today to leverage our premium SAP managed services and get a competitive edge over your rivals.