SAP promises maintenance metrics 'soon' Disgruntled SAP users should next week find out how they can see whether its support is up to scratch, following a maintenance price hike. The software giant told The Reg Friday it's reached a "mutually acceptable agreement" with the SAP user group executive network (SUGEN) on a set of long-awaited key performance indicators ( …
"You gain the visibility to pinpoint inefficiencies – and the capabilities to transform them into competitive advantage. The foresight to identify new opportunities – and the agility to respond. The functionality to optimize your operations – and resources to extend best practices to your entire value chain."
This sounds so good (not) I'll have to bow to pressure from elsewhere and buy some of it.
"Disgruntled SAP users should next week find out how they can see whether its support is up to scratch, following a maintenance price hike. The software giant told The Reg Friday it's reached a "mutually acceptable agreement" with the SAP user group executive network (SUGEN) on a set of long-awaited key performance indicators (KPIs), to help measure the value of SAP's Enterprise Support service."
Oh.. so it's still my fault. Must have been using the wrong metrics then. Looks good though. I'll just pass the message on to the users and they will all become sweetness and light. Like this bloke,
http://www.sap.com/index.epx
That does not look right. Perhaps I should go back to the installation boxes and look for the pints of tranquilizers.
"Enterprise Support has been an unpopular idea since it was announced last Summer, as SAP combined separate support programs. Coming at a time of IT budget cuts, Enterprise Support smacks of insensitivity from an IT supplier many are dependent on to run their companies."
Once they've got you well locked in you are at their mercy and corporations have none.
Devil Bill...just to represent any corporations love of anything proprietary and getting you locked in.
"Disgruntled SAP users should next week find out how they can see whether its support is up to scratch"
Sorry, but I think we know already.
For me, the quality of support has been mixed. The Active support staff are generally well mannered, try hard to resolve issues, and those I have spoken to are reasonably knowledgeable about their specific areas. However, it does seem to take rather longer to resolve problems than I would like, and if you get the wrong person, it can take much longer still. We still get too many issues that take days or even weeks to fix.
In terms of the "mutually acceptable agreement", I'm still waiting to find out what this is; we were promised this information months ago, yet nothing has been forthcoming apart from some very generic and bland sound bites. We had no choice over the fee increase - so far nothing has given me any confidence that we will see any improvement in support service at all. In fact, in certain areas, it has clearly deteriorated.
In terms of KPIs, there will always be an issue between supplier and customer - there has to be a balance between the perfection that the customer wants and the actual level that the supplier can physically provide at a sensible price. However, their fees are significantly higher than any other company however they try to spin it. (And believe me, they spin like a top!)
However, as always, Walldorf will continue to ignore any comments that don't meet with their rose tinted view of the world - even when the majority of their customer base is clearly deeply concerned about interaction with the company.
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