Tackling the Challenges of Transition from SAP SolMan to Cloud ALM with the Help of ITSM Connector Tools
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Key Takeaways
⇨ The end of maintenance for SAP Solution Manager is scheduled for 2027 and the clients are advised to transition to Cloud ALM.
⇨ Companies should be aware that Cloud ALM does not provide ITSM and prepare a strategic integration plan to a third-party ITSM platform provider.
⇨ Equipping themselves with add-ons like STA’s ITSM Connector can help companies make that transition smooth and seamless, saving time and moving one step closer to a full SAP S/4HANA implementation.
In the efforts of ongoing modernization, it is important to stay alert and aware of changes in all aspects of a company’s operations. This is especially the case in cloud migration – with the remaining three years before SAP ECC 2027 deadline, organizations need to undergo an enormous transition that will concern every part of their ERP systems. That includes the transition from SAP Solution Manager (SolMan) to Cloud ALM.
The transformation promises a variety of benefits, including less customer effort for updates, ease of use and consumption, simplified monitoring without agents, and even help complete the move to SAP S/4HANA. However, while many benefits should be expected, it is also important for the companies to be aware of primary changes that are going to occur, as well as if there are functions that are going to be substituted, such as IT Service Management (ITSM).
Last year, SAP announced that SAP Cloud ALM does not provide ITSM, and therefore it is recommended to plan a transition to a third-party ITSM tool for those users who have used ITSM in SAP SolMan. Choosing the right third-party provider for a new ITSM platform is not an easy task, and the companies are advised to conduct thorough research that would help them find a compatible option.
To make the transition as smooth and easy as possible, some providers offer ITSM add-ons. Among them is STA Technologies, an SAP-certified ITSM Connector provider. STA’s ITSM Connector provides the same process as SAP SolMan but with additional benefits.
Thus, when using the tool, SAP users can go to the Help menu and press Create Support Message, but the ITSM Connector will be started instead of the standard SolMan popup. The tool allows users to create tickets of different types, for example, a service request for additional authorization and incidents for program errors. When the user presses the Send button, the ITSM Connector creates a ticket in a new ITSM platform, be it ServiceNow, Jira, 4me, or any other.
The ITSM Connector automatically routes the tickets to the relevant support team, based on transaction code, module, error message, or any other criteria. It also attaches all relevant information to the tickets, saving time for support teams from getting the required information from the end users.
Therefore, when undergoing cloud migration, companies that normally use ITSM platforms must develop a strategic integration plan. Equipping themselves with add-ons like STA’s ITSM Connector can help make that transition smooth and seamless, saving time and moving one step closer to a full SAP S/4HANA implementation.
