The organization of application management for SAP is one of the pillars of effective use of the system and the resulting smooth flow of business processes. The models of providing users with assistance in their daily work can vary and depend on many factors. The service of SAP application management at BCC is addressed to those companies that expect the possibility of composing the service according to their needs, flexible forms of billing and readiness to apply an unconventional approach to challenges.
For large and small
The customers of SAP application management at BCC are both large companies with hundreds of users in distributed locations, as well as small and medium enterprises, where only a few or a few dozen people log into the system and it is uneconomical for them to invest in SAP expert competence. The outsourcing of SAP services is suitable for companies of any size.
At a corporate and local level
The service is used by groups with companies in Poland and abroad. The customers include branches and headquarters located in many countries in Europe, the United States, China and Argentina. For Polish branches of companies that use corporate (usually non-Polish) system support, we have prepared the SAP Assistance service. This is a kind of "lifeline” that can be used when it is difficult to get quick help in corporate structures in the Polish language. SAP Assistance is especially useful when the local SAP installation must be adjusted to legal changes.
Support for two SAP systems
BCC supports users of two ERP systems provided by SAP: SAP ERP and SAP Business One. The latter solution is dedicated to small and medium enterprises. It is also successfully used by large international companies, e.g. to manage small sales branches in various countries. In this model, it is usually strongly integrated with the corporate SAP ERP solution. The access to remote support for users of both systems from a single provider gives the company a guarantee of a comprehensive approach to any problem.
Support in Polish and English
Consultants of support teams communicate with users in English or Polish – according to the customer’s preferences. The access to SAP expert support in native language is especially appreciated by the staff of Polish branches of corporations. In the case of the customers for whom we provide support for users in other countries, requests are handled in English. At the request of customers we can also communicate in German.
The whole system or selected areas
The user support service can be provided for the whole SAP installation at the customer’s site, including Basis support, or for selected functional areas only. An example is a separate maintenance agreement for SAP HR support, which is often a separate installation in companies and is not covered by the corporate SAP template. Another model involves entrusting the BCC consultants with support in areas that require frequent updates and adjustments to legal changes.
Flexible working hours
Standard working hours of consultants of application support can be extended at individual requests of customers and upon agreeing the terms. Extended support (till 10:00 p.m. Polish time) can cover all areas of the SAP ERP system. The handling of requests in non-standard hours is a response to the expectations of international companies in which SAP users work in non-European time zones, as well as Polish companies working on a shift basis.
A pool of hours and ad hoc
The distinguishing feature of SAP application mamagement at BCC is also a flexible formula of contracts and billing. We offer our customers three basic models of billing. Firstly, support for a fixed monthly fee, not limited by the number of requests or working time (the so-called flat rate). The support comprises the agreed scope of activities within specified system areas.
The second variant is the support with a pool of hours. As part of the subscription, the customer is provided with an agreed workload to be used in the billing period for any maintenance work. Any work beyond the time limit is billed separately. These models are provided with the SLA resolution time guarantee.
The third option is ad-hoc support. In this model, there is no fixed monthly fee for the readiness and provision of the support, but each request is subject to valuation and billing, e.g. collectively at the end of the month.
The customer decides which SAP support model best fits their needs related to SAP support at optimum cost for the service. The customer can also propose their own billing model.
An example of flexible adjustment of the service to meet the needs of customers is the cooperation with international companies for which requests are supported in three languages, for users in different time zones.
Since January 2016, the company Jacob Holm, an innovative nonwoven manufacturer, has been using the SAP application management at BCC service for its branches in Europe, the Americas and Asia. The service is provided for two integrated management systems: SAP ERP and SAP Business One. In the SAP ERP system, the support covers finance and controlling, sales and distribution as well as materials management and production planning areas for branches in Switzerland, Spain, the USA and Japan. The support for SAP Business One users is provided for branches in Argentina, Mexico and China. In subsequent phases, the service will cover companies of the Group in other countries.
Another customer who uses the support provided by BCC consultants also outside our country – in Germany and Romania – is an international company from the FMCG industry. BCC provides support for finance, materials management and production planning areas.
