Every organization starts with implementing SAP ERP, but gradually the landscape grows and complexity arises with the addition of CRM, SRM, BI Portal, PI, and other products. SAP Basis administrator plays an essential role in administrating the entire SAP landscape.
In simple words, SAP Basis administration is a critical part of your SAP landscape, which manages essential functions like the maintenance and monitoring uptime, evaluating upgrades, planning, user and system administration along with several other tasks. Without it, an enterprise would find it difficult to manage its SAP systems.
SAP Basis administration is performed by a certified SAP Basis Administrator who is responsible for monitoring the system, server-side JavaScript and ABAP scripting, Solution Manager Administration etc.
Responsibilities of an SAP Basis Administrator
Going beyond the monitoring, and troubleshooting of SAP systems, the Basis administration team has several key responsibilities including:
- Identifying resources for successful SAP installations and upgrades
- Plan for the future
- User administration: Provisioning roles to new employees in your organization, rescinding access to those who leave, and fulfilling another user management tasks
- Review transport requests, configure and test transports, collect signatures and install transports
- Scheduling and running of SAP background jobs and manage the burden on the system resources
- Monitoring and optimizing system performance
- Backing up and disaster recovery
- Implementing best practices to drive efficiency
Does Your Business Need SAP Basis Administration?
Yes, it is a critical requirement. And as said earlier, without it your SAP systems run the risks of failure. For companies with a huge SAP landscape, Basis is the most important tool for SAP support. Many companies feel that they don’t need SAP Basis administrators after the arrival of SAP HANA. However, that’s not a correct conclusion.
SAP HANA has made SAP administration much easier. A lot of monitoring tasks are automated. However, this has only changed the role of SAP Basis administrators. They are now required to play a more strategic role than a technical role. More so in organizations with a bigger SAP landscape as small issues can result in huge losses.
Should You Build In-house Team or Outsource?
There are 4 key elements to SAP Basis administration. In order of importance, the elements are:
- Response Time: An issue can arise anytime and requires an immediate response.
- Technical Expertise: The team needs technical expertise to quickly solve the problem.
- Value for Money: The team must justify the expenses incurred.
- Functional Expertise: They also need functional expertise to efficiently run the system.
However, SAP Basis administration is not a regular 9 to 5 job. Your SAP systems run round-the-clock, and issues can arise anytime. So, your team should be available 24/7. If you build an in-house team, you will also need a few resources on the bench to fill-up when your team members go on leave or not available. This can be expensive. Outsourcing it to a vendor with a good pool of resources and a reliable track record is much more economical and effective.
SAP Basis administration is the key to the success of your SAP systems. At Gemini Consulting & Services, we understand it perfectly and that’s why we offer dedicated SAP Basis administration services to organizations. We’re a global SAP partner with a pool of certified and experienced SAP Basis administrators and consultants who can help you in managing your SAP landscape. Click here to know more about our SAP Basis administration services.
Finding an SAP Basis Service Provider
Outsourcing SAP Basis administration work is the smartest and the most cost-effective way. It also frees up your IT staff who can then work on more strategic tasks. However, you need to find the right SAP Basis service provider. Here are a few considerations.
- Avoid selecting a service partner solely on price
- Understand your requirements and choose a partner that best fits your need
- Look for both technical and functional expertise in the provider
- Check their resource pool and reliability
- Make sure the provider is experienced working in your industry
