Planning Your 2023 SAP IT Initiatives

Planning Your 2023 SAP IT Initiatives

So here we are, at the beginning of 2023. It’s the time we all tend to plan our year ahead and give thought to things we might like to do or achieve.

A pattern I am finding among IT teams is that this time of year is when a team thinks about its own initiatives; before the business loads the team up with its list for the year. IT Teams don’t get a lot of headspace to think, they are constantly in ‘do’ mode so now seems to be one of the few periods in which some thinking can be done.

Current events and often dictate what initiatives need to be included, but there is usually some space for a few additional ones.

2023 initiatives

If what I heard from team members last year is any indication, it's likely that 2023 initiatives will include several of the following.

• S/4 HANA transition timing and a scoping
• Reducing reliance on hard-to-retain and challenging-to-recruit skilled resources
• ITSM support ticket quality and resolution time reductions
• Job scheduling and process automation
• Increased SAP system refresh cadence
• Optimising SAP user roles and licensing
• Increasing the speed of software delivery
• Cost reduction

S/4 HANA transition evaluation and planning seems to be the highest priority for many this year, with data security and resource management coming in a close second.

2023 priorities

S/4 HANA transition

Although S/4 has been on the table for some time, many teams struggle to understand the value proposition and the best way to go. There are quite a few things to consider, for example:

Which ECC processes do we keep, and which S/4 processes do we implement?\

Which S/4 processes do we implement as is and which do we modify?

Where do we host – on-premise, in the cloud, or with SAP RISE?

And then, there is the scope of work for your SI. Difficult to prepare without a good understanding of the above leaving you open to signing risky open-ended contracts.

The good news is that there are tools and services that can help- FusionGraph from Resulting IT. It might be worth a look.

Resource challenges

Risk mitigation becomes a priority when highly skilled resources are critical to system success and become hard to retain and attract.

Automating processes normally performed by a skilled professional saves time and costs and reduces reliance on those skills. It also guarantees consistency and ensures critical processes always run.

There are a plethora of solutions available but for a start perhaps consider Libelle SystemCopy and Stonebranch Universal Automation Center.

Data security

It's unlikely there will be any reduction in data breaches this year so securing your data is important. Unfortunately, it is expensive. Must-have software usually comes at a premium price.

However, securing non-production data can be achieved simply and cost-effectively.
Losing data to bad actors is not something you want to happen to you so take a look at the data masking option available from Libelle AG.

About Leg Up Software

Our objective at Leg Up Software is to identify and make automation software available to regional APAC SAP IT teams that can make a real difference.

The right software combination automates and simplifies repetitive system management tasks. Complex tasks are completed faster with greater consistency; the software does the work. It eliminates human error and oversight, helping IT teams better meet business expectations.