SAP applications are essential for running business-critical processes. Hence, almost every organization is bound to have SAP applications for efficiently running their daily operations. But implementing and managing these SAP applications is a hectic process. It requires immense knowledge and domain expertise, especially to implement, migrate, or run the applications on the cloud. Hence, most businesses need expert help for SAP application management services. That’s when businesses turn towards SAP Managed Services Providers.

Who is an SAP Managed Services Provider?

As Gartner describes, Managed Service Providers (MSPs) are the ones who deliver complete IT services and administration either on the client’s premises, in their data center, or a third-party data center. They help in efficiently managing customer’s IT infrastructure with constant monitoring.

Considering that, SAP Managed Services Providers are the ones who deliver services specific to the SAP landscape. The SAP landscape is wide, and you will find different MSPs offering various services depending on their expertise. Despite the diversity of the offerings and the landscape itself, there are some significant services that every right SAP Managed Services Provider will offer.

What are the Major Services Delivered by SAP Managed Services Providers?

Apart from knowledge, certifications, tie-ups, and proven experience, apt SAP Managed Service Providers will also have the following offerings on their list. These services usually focus on ensuring infrastructure administration, disaster recovery, cost optimization, and seamless SAP operations.

Managed SAP Infrastructure Administration

Regardless of the platform where SAP applications are hosted, an SAP MSP should offer top-notch infrastructure administration. This includes all the SAP basis services that can ensure seamless operations with close to zero if not zero, downtime. The SAP Managed Services Providers will use the best tools and leading industry practices to optimize overall SAP infrastructure according to your business needs.

Seamless Migrations to Public and Private Clouds

Cloud adoption is growing significantly, and it does not come as a surprise considering the numerous benefits you can get from cloud-native features. Hence, it is evident that you would be looking to jump on the bandwagon too. However, shifting your SAP applications to the cloud can be challenging and time-consuming. In fact, if done wrong, it can do more harm than good to you. An SAP Managed Services Provider can help you strategize the migration to seamlessly migrate and leverage the benefits of an SAP cloud platform.

New Implementation and Support

Changing customer demands require modifying or implementing new SAP solutions. Hence, great MSPs will always offer support for new implementation as a part of their SAP Managed Services. Certified experts working for the providers will help you plan the roadmap and strategy to implement your solutions with the right SAP technology.

Multiple SAP Suite Support

SAP Business Suite includes multiple variants that you as a business operator can select from. For instance, you can have SAP HANA or S/4HANA. It is also possible that you might have to use multiple variants simultaneously for running your business efficiently. Just so that you don’t have to go to another vendor for a different variant, most SAP MSP’s provide support for multiple suites.

Constant Monitoring, Audits, and Quality Checks

SAP applications hold critical data. Even a few minutes of downtime can lead to a significant money loss. Hence, an SAP Managed Service Provider will always aim to administer the entire SAP environment to identify and eliminate any potential vulnerabilities that can lead to downtime. It is also the MSP’s responsibility to run audits and quality checks on the overall infrastructure, including SAP Database and applications, to ensure that they are running as intended.

Ongoing Vulnerability Assessments and Security

According to Accenture’s report, cybersecurity is a major concern for 68% of business leaders, and it is no surprise. Data breaches and cybersecurity attacks can cost you a fortune. If you think that on-premise SAP applications are safe from cyber attacks, you are wrong. Whether done intentionally or unintentionally, internal threats are more dangerous than external threats. Hence, it is essential always to get vulnerability assessments done for your SAP applications, and an MSP will always have this service as a part of all their offerings.

SAP Managed Service Providers will identify any loopholes in the security infrastructure, especially on the cloud. They will also collaborate with your high-tier managers to provide your employees with role-based access to critical data.

Governance & Compliance

By following a robust governance model an SAP MSP ensures enhanced protection for your SAP workloads. They monitor your systems 24/7 and ensure role-based access controls are provided to the required stakeholders. They also maintain dashboards for alerts & events, to be able to take action on them on time.

In addition to this, they help in adhering to any geographical and industry-specific compliances assuring enhanced SAP security.

Efficient Outage Handling

Although SAP MSPs provide constant audits and system checks to prevent an outage, there can be scenarios where you may encounter one. That’s when the services for SAP outage handling comes to the rescue. Backup & disaster recovery will certainly be a part of every MSP’s services as it is critical to ensure business continuity.

Choose your SAP MSP wisely

Domain expertise to provide full-fledged SAP Managed Services like the ones mentioned above is what makes a great SAP MSP. The apt SAP MSP will be able to cater to all your needs by managing your SAP applications wherever they are hosted. By choosing the right SAP MSP, you can focus on your core business functions rather than cloud management.

Cloud4C is one such SAP MSP focusing on delivering enhanced customer experiences. We are a certified SAP Managed Services Provider having direct tie-ups with SAP and public cloud providers such as AWS, Azure, and GCP. With years of experience and a proven track record, we ensure to provide our SAP customers with the best SAP services for their unique business needs. Contact our expert team today and find a one-stop-solution for all your SAP MSP needs.