SAP Cloud ALM: Transformation Suite

SAP Cloud ALM – Much More Than Just ALM?

At present, almost every company is facing mounting challenges as a result of ongoing digitalization. SAP Cloud ALM provides you with an opportunity to manage this growing complexity through its open approach.

The advent of new technologies in an ever-changing economy is providing companies with many opportunities but is not without risk (see also our article "Ensure Your Company's Success with EAM"). Previously, some companies implemented SAP Solution Manager as their tool of choice for application lifecycle management. Now, SAP Solution Manager itself is undergoing change. Official maintenance will cease in 2027 while extended maintenance will continue until 2030. SAP Cloud ALM is ready for take-off, but companies are unsure about how and, above all, when to make the transition. The ALM Summit EMEA 2023 held in Mannheim from 10 October 2023 to 13 October 2023 was the first gauge of current sentiment

What Are the Main Features Offered by SAP Cloud ALM in Combination with SAP Signavio and LeanIX for the Management of SAP Software Projects and Systems?

SAP announced a number of new features in SAP Cloud ALM at the ALM Summit EMEA 2023. Among other things, SAP's is strongly focused on expanding the integration aspects of SAP Cloud ALM. The acquisition of Signavio in 2021, along with recently announced plans to acquire LeanIX, reinforces SAP's strategic intentions. SAP Cloud ALM will not only serve as a signpost for ALM, it will also be integrated into a holistic approach that SAP has entitled the Transformation Suite Approach. This will also clarify how SAP Cloud ALM relates to Enterprise Architecture Management (EAM). The purpose of this approach is to provide a holistic solution from the strategy stage right through to execution.

SAP Cloud ALM: Transformation Suite
Transformation Suite Approach (Source: SAP SE)

LeanIX is therefore the centerpiece of EAM in terms of defining the strategy, roadmap and actual/target architecture. The derived capabilities can then be used to analyze, update or even completely redefine business processes in SAP Signavio. Within this overall construct, SAP EnableNow also provides a key aspect – its platform can support change management (People Change) through new/existing training materials. The derived business processes can then be used to define beneficial new requirements in SAP Cloud ALM where they can be processed further in an ALM context right through to the operations phase. However, the current state of development is not yet optimal for some application scenarios. Nevertheless, the focus is clear: SAP Cloud ALM is an integrative tool for use in a holistic EAM context within an integrative OneSuite. Therefore, through this holistic and structured approach, EAM also provides valuable support during the transition to SAP S/4HANA.

 

SAP Cloud ALM: Transformation Suite
Extended Capabilities (Source: SAP SE)

In addition to the core attributes of the Transformation Suite Approach, integration with other external tools is also possible (e.g. ServiceNow for ITSM and Tricentis for test automation), which will facilitate seamless collaboration between business and IT. This, in turn, will lead to faster, more agile projects. SAP Cloud ALM's open API also provides an opportunity to develop new features that previously did not exist in SAP Solution Manager.

How Can Companies Benefit from the Combination of SAP Cloud ALM, SAP Signavio and LeanIX Especially in Terms of Efficiency, Cost Reduction and Risk Management?

SAP Cloud ALM provides many opportunities to become a better tool than SAP Solution Manager. The open interface, together with the idea to define a transformation suite as a holistic approach, makes SAP Cloud ALM an interesting successor to SAP Solution Manager. The combination of individual tools provides companies with an opportunity to ensure a fully traceable approach from strategy definition right through to ongoing operations, all with a single toolchain. This holistic approach also provides an opportunity to shape and accelerate change more efficiently through leaner workflows and processes. By doing so, project lead times can be shortened and optimized, which, in turn, will ensure a reduction in the costs associated with project delays. Traceability also helps to minimize risk because all of the necessary data is seamlessly available within the process from start to finish. This data can be used to plan a more purposeful adaptation of the system landscape. Moreover, the impact of such change can be closely analyzed in order to avoid the risk of a critical (follow-on) error.

When Does It Make Sense for a Company to Switch to SAP Cloud ALM?

There is no single answer to this question. Some features relevant for specific sectors such as the pharmaceutical industry do not exist yet (e.g. digital signatures) or are simply only planned for the years ahead (e.g. attributes for GxP). It therefore always depends heavily on the business context. SAP Cloud ALM provides a solid basic framework – nothing more, nothing less. If, for example, you are currently using SAP Solution Manager for monitoring/operations purposes only, you can already consider making the move to SAP Cloud ALM today. If, however, you use other features such as Solution Documentation, Testsuite or ChaRM, it would make more sense to keep an eye on the Cloud ALM roadmap.

Our experts will be happy to assist you with the transformation to SAP Cloud ALM.

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