When it comes to managing SAP changes, things are beginning to look different for SAP IT teams. Building a DevOps capability is becoming important.
Reflecting the need to provide steady state, stable SAP enterprise systems, things like control, governance, cost reduction and stability have been important for SAP IT teams for a long time.
Other things, like speed, velocity, volume and flexibility although on the radar, have not been a high priority. However, with digital transformation being on every CIO, CFO and CEO’s lips, priorities are changing.
Methods and approaches unfamiliar to enterprise support teams are becoming important. SAP support teams are having to come to grips with what CI/CD, Agile Development and DevOps means for them. Essentially, speed, velocity, volume and flexibility are moving up the priority list fast.
Responding to the need for a change in approach
But delivering SAP change is generally slow and inflexible. By nature, care and concern around Production System breakage is very important. So how then should SAP support teams respond?
The first response is an acknowledgement that things do need to be different. Although an S/4 HANA system will never be as flexible an IOS based app, the business will be expecting much faster responses anyway.
The next response is to consider systems and processes. There has been a lot written about establishing a DevOps culture, and how to create an agile development environment. SAP support teams will need to figure out what DevOps means for them. Then they will need to determine what systems and processes they will need to change or develop.
Finally, in the words of a Rev-Trac Got A Minute presenter, automate, automate, automate!
The role of automation in building DevOps capability
Automation will not only enforce these new systems and processes, but enable multiple development methodologies to coexist as teams build DevOps and agile capabilities. Automation will also facilitate the increased velocity and volume of change delivery business will be expecting.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and although SAP IT teams have to work towards building DevOps capabilities there are many others on the journey too and a growing amount of experience to learn from.
To learn how Rev-Trac, the SAP change control automation platform from Revelation Software Concepts can help you on your journey, feel free to contact us.
