Long Term Maintenance Plan (LTMP) is a service provided by All for One Poland consultants. After a thorough analysis of the SAP environment, a plan of recommended changes, updates and actions is created, along with final deadlines for their completion, in order to ensure system security and keep the software up-to-date in the long-term with taking into account software vendor support deadlines.

The purpose of the LTMP is to ensure that the SAP environment is operating using a supported version of the software and, therefore, is secure and free from potential vulnerabilities in outdated software.
Not only the SAP system version is analyzed but also the versions of other components, such as the SAP kernel, operating system version and database.

This proactive approach allows for early analysis and planning of work in the SAP system environment, minimizing the impact on business operations. At the same time, the customer gains a guarantee of continuous support from software manufacturers, and thus comfort and security in case of unforeseen emergency events.

The service prepared by All for One Poland focuses on three basic aspects: security, functionality and performance, as well as availability.

Security aspect

The updates or new versions of software prepared by software manufacturers include security patches. Failure to update the system may lead to its vulnerability and consequently cause a risk of unauthorized access, loss or destruction of data.

By checking systems periodically for security, that is, for installed critical patches and any recommendations from the software manufacturer, we minimize the above risks, and thus increase the security of the business we run.

Functionality and performance aspect

Software patches and updates also include the code with improved performance, which can affect current resource utilization, user productivity and comfort, or the efficiency of background tasks performed by the system.

Patches affecting functionality and performance indirectly impact both the quality (or speed) of users’ work and the utilization of IT resources allocated for running SAP systems. This, in turn, translates into an overall, often reduced cost of the above aspects of doing business.

Availability aspect

Emergency situations, which can never be completely ruled out, are among those in which the importance of software manufacturer support is emphasized. This is when we expect the manufacturer to support us in solving the problem that has arisen and to understand the importance of restoring the availability of the affected system as soon as possible. Maintaining a system in a version that is not covered by the manufacturer’s support entails the risk of the manufacture refusing to provide assistance until the software version is upgraded to the one covered by support, even in the event of an error causing the system’s business unavailability, and thus in a situation potentially generating financial losses.

When providing the LTMP service, we make sure that each component of the SAP system (operating system, database, SAP application itself or accompanying software) is covered by the manufacturer’s support throughout its operational lifespan. In this way, we minimize the risk of hindered or delayed support from the software manufacturer when such support is needed.

The report received by the client includes:

  • Summary of current versions in use. This is a summary of the software versions currently used in the SAP environment. The summary includes the version of the operating system, the SAP kernel, the database, and the SAP version itself;
  • Software support expiration dates For each component, the manufacturer’s support expiration date for a given version is provided. Each system component has an independent support expiration date. For example – although a particular version of SAP is going to be supported for the next few years, it may turn out that the support period for the operating system on which the system is installed has expired;
  • Recommended actions. The SAP Basis consultant prepares recommendations for individual system components. In this process, it is important to consider the dependencies between the components. It may turn out that updating the operating system also requires updating the database version and in special cases – updating the SAP version;
  • Verification of the date of the latest disaster recovery test. As part of the report, the date of the latest disaster recovery test is verified. In order to maintain the security of the system, it is necessary to regularly test its recovery. It is recommended to perform such a test at least once a year. As part of the LTMP service, we verify if and when this test was performed.

Benefits for the client

The LTMP report is prepared once a year. The recommendations contained therein are the basis for developing a plan for changes in the next quarters and years. The plan of changes is jointly agreed upon by the client and the consultant preparing the report. As a result, the planned activities take into account both the needs and business plans as well as the requirements and risks arising from the findings included in the report.  Thanks to this approach, we are able to develop a “golden mean" and maintenance work deadlines that satisfy the business.

Taking a broader perspective on the horizon of necessary maintenance work enables the potential additional costs to be included in budget planning or necessary internal projects to be planned and created.  Maintaining the environment in supported product versions and its regular updates prevent “technical debt” from being created in the SAP environment, reduce accumulation of necessary maintenance work, and serve as an element documenting the state of SAP system environments, e.g. for current auditing needs.

Taking care to keep systems up-to-date and to perform regular recovery tests is also one of the key aspects reviewed by IT auditors. Many companies undergo IT audits on a regular basis and the presentation of an LTMP report addresses some of the issues raised in such an audit.