Look Beyond the Headlines When it Comes to Change Management in the Cloud

⇨ Organizations need to prepare for the end of maintenance for SAP Solution Manager (SolMan) in 2027, which will significantly impact their IT service management (ITSM) strategies.

⇨ SAP Cloud ALM is not the only solution for ITSM integration; alternatives like REALTECH's SmartChange offer flexible transport management and may address gaps left by SolMan.

⇨ SAP professionals should proactively research and plan their next steps for change management well before the end-of-maintenance deadline to avoid last-minute transitions to new solutions.

The ERP Roadmap has a big milestone ahead, with end of maintenance on the horizon for various on-prem services. SAP ERP Central Component (SAP ECC) is the obvious headliner in this regard – but there has been comparatively less noise made when it comes to SAP Solution Manager (SolMan).

The upcoming end-of-maintenance of SolMan in 2027 means organizations will have to reconsider their IT service management (ITSM) strategies. Departing with SolMan are tools such as SAP Request and Change Management (SAP ChaRM), with SAP Cloud ALM (Application Lifecycle Management) positioned by the vendor to current SAPinsiders working on change management in their organizations.

There are two things to note though when it comes to this particular juncture on the ERP Roadmap. Firstly, as leading provider of innovative SAP add-ons and consulting services REALTECH will cover in an upcoming webinar, SAP Cloud ALM is not the only answer when it comes to integrating SAP into ITSM tools.

Secondly, SAPinsider recommends SAP professionals need to already be on their next steps when it comes to end of maintenance for SolMan – instead of waiting for 2026 or 2027 to arrive first. This means they won’t feel compelled to rush into SAP Cloud ALM at the last minute – especially if they have researched market alternatives in the change management and ITSM space.

Beyond SAP Cloud ALM

In aid of that research, September 18th will see Alexander Frei, Senior SAP Consultant, REALTECH, equip IT and SAPinsiders with insights to enhance their change management practices and maintain operational efficiency. His webinar session will cover common challenges and benefits of SAP-ITSM integration, including a live demo of REALTECH’s SmartChange offering at work, through ServiceNow and SAP Change Management integration.

Positioned as an alternative to SAP Cloud ALM, SmartChange is designed to offer more flexible transport management into ITSM platforms – such as ServiceNow – than SAP’s SolMan successor. Also, as Alexander Frei will demonstrate, SmartChange can fill in other gaps in the realm of SAP ChaRM. Think less lenghty implementation times, less need for outside support in the form of expertise for SAP Solution Manager, and zero need for enterprise support.

Sign up here for REALTECH webinar SAP Change Management after Solution Manager, taking place September 18, 2024 at 4PM CEST, for an expert look beyond the headlines – and “cheerleading choices” – when it comes to Cloud and change management.