SAP Solution Manager’s End: What’s next?

As of 2027 Solution Manager will be out of support and only available to SAP customers under certain circumstances.? There are no plans for further releases after 7.2 and so effectively, Solution Manager is at end-of-life already.??

Unfortunately, many SAP operations teams have come to rely on Solution Manager functionality to help run their SAP infrastructure and so this could become an issue for those who lose access, and quite possibly, disruptive.?

So… where to now?

With Solution Manager going off maintenance from 2027 SAP operations teams will need to investigate replacements for a broad range of functionalities. Test data management, technical monitoring, change/transport management, security, process management, infrastructure management, landscape management and more. Functionality such as ChaRM, LAMA, QGM, TDMS, ITSM, Monitoring, and BPM will need to be replaced.?

Unfortunately, the successor to Solution Manager, Cloud ALM, is a long way off maturity and there is much to do to bring it to the same level as Solution Manager. For some areas, it may never become like for like. This leaves many SAP operations teams with an unexpected challenge.??

It would seem there are three possible ways forward.?

1. Hold, and ride Solution Manager out to its end,?

1. Migrate to Cloud ALM, or?

1. Evaluate and implement third-party alternatives.?

Riding Solution Manager out gives time to consider options. However, for some this might be difficult. Once migrated to S/4 HANA Solution Manager is only available under certain circumstances.??

And, for those who choose third-party maintenance, they won’t have the option.??

Cloud ALM is maturing but is still a long way off being a Solution Manager replacement. However, there may be some functional areas up to the task that could be used in the near term as replacements. It is unclear what functionality will be available in Cloud ALM by 2027. Fort those running with ChaRM, there is no path to migrate to Cloud ALM and only limited data migration opportunities. A complete rebuild is required.?

On the other hand, there have always been third-party alternatives to Solution Manager and so now is a good time to seriously consider investigating and evaluating the important ones.??

Third-party alternatives?

There are significant benefits in moving to third-party alternatives rather than wait in hope that Cloud ALM will mature in time.?

Here are a few.?

Firstly, third-party alternative solutions are built for purpose?

Third-party Solution Manager alternatives have been developed with a specific functional purpose in mind. Often based on the need to solve a specific SAP operational problem they tend to solve the problem far better than Solution Manager ever did or could.??

Secondly, third-party alternatives are mature.??

They are tried and tested and improving all the time. They are well supported and, in the case of Charm for example, do not require customisation (code remediation) but can be configured to individualised workflows, roles, and processes with minimal effort.?

Next, third-party solutions are flexible.?

Unlike most solutions within Solution Manager which insist on a particular approach, third-party alternatives are flexible and have been developed with the user in mind. Rarely does one need to change their process to fit the solution, rather, the solution can be moulded to fit existing processes and practices.?

Finally, third-party solutions TCO is usually always lower?

Most Solution Manager functionality is free of licensing fees often lulling one into a sense of low-cost ownership.? However, when one considers the base cost of running a fully featured Solution Manager instance, it doesn’t take long to realise it is not free. In fact, this is often the same for any ‘free’ Solution manager feature. The costs to weed and feed and administer soon add up.??

The way forward?

Holding onto Solution Manager for as long as possible may not be practical and it’s unclear what functionality will be available in Cloud ALM by 2027. Therefore, a serious consideration of third-party alternatives is required.?

There are alternatives for almost every Solution Manager feature. Some cover a range of areas, others several, and some are single focussed.?

Here some areas to start looking into.?

• Test Data Management??
• Landscape Management?
• Change and Request Management?
• ITSM?
• Monitoring?
• System automation?

There are other areas, but this will get you started.?

About us.?

Leg Up Software are experts in SAP IT operational and infrastructure software automation solutions, including those to support an enterprises’ transformation journey.?

We know the SAP operations and infrastructure automation solutions landscape and have already done the legwork identifying the best available solutions.?

We have excellent relationships with many software vendors, including the ones mentioned here, and can negotiate an evaluation process that best suits your circumstance and budget.?

Why not set up a time to get the conversation started by putting something in our calendar.?

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