Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Implementation of Service Desk Functionality using SAP Solution Manager

1. Service Desk functionality in SAP Solution Manager :
In today's challenging business and complex applications environment, companies have to bear significant cost of IT Operations in order to make sure all the end users problems are directed to responsible Support Team, and get resolved in time with least impact on business. SAP has Service Desk tool to minimize your IT Operation coast. It is well integrated with customer's SAP and non-SAP landscape. The moment end user encounter problem in SAP system, right from any transaction they are in, they can send problem messages to responsible support team by just clicking with mouse on SAP logo or selecting 'Create Support Message' option from Help Menu. Plus it has seamless integration with Business Process Monitoring, Change Request Management, SAP Service Market Place and SAP Support.

SAP Service Desk is a Trouble Ticket System. It is based on the CRM 5.0. User can able to create messages right from SAP application or from Web interface, Workcenter or by calling or emailing to Support Desk Team. When end users send messages from the SAP GUI, users have to just enter short text and description of problem. It automatically gathers all the system information like the Support Pack, SystemID, ClientID, Component, Maintenance number and UserID so on.

Based on the Support Team defined, the support messages are routed to responsible Support Team members, processor search the resolution within the internal database and the processor process the message and closed the message. If processor needs to investigate further, he/she can connect directly to SAP Portal to search SAP Notes. If still not resolved, same problem messages can be send to SAP Support. When SAP Support sends the solution, it gets updated in Service Desk automatically and support team can verify the status within the Service Desk

Service Desk can also be integrated with other 3rd party tools through web services and data is bi-directional. If the customer wants to use Service Desk functionality of SAP Solution Manager to process non-SAP application messages, they need to apply for extended license.


The advantages of having Service Desk:

  • End User can create messages right from any transaction they are in by just double clicking on the SAP Logo or from Help Menu and it gathers all the context data automatically which is very important when it gets processed by Support Team or when the same problem messages is sent to SAP Support.
  • You can integrate with Business Process Monitoring.
  • You can integrate with Change Request Management.
  • Get notification from SAP Support automatically
  • Escalation Procedures and Server Level Reporting.
  • Bi-directional integration with external Help Desk through web services.


2. Incident Management (Workcenter) in SAP Solution Manager:

Incident Management (Workcenter) is a user friendly web enabled interface for problem Reporter and Support Team Processor to access the Support Desk functionality of SAP Solution Manager. SAP recommends to use the Incident Management Workcenter.

Thus, Service Desk functionality of SAP Solution Manager in now accessible from the Incident Management Workcenter to create, view and reply Trouble Ticket Messages by end user and to process Help Desk Tickets by the Support Team.


3. Security Roles & Authorization:

SAP Security guide provides following authorization roles. Every client has specific security roles. SAP recommends to first copy these roles and modify them to meet clients specific requirements.

SAP_SUPPDESK_CREATE (Remote SAP System end user do not need this role)

SAP_SUPPDESK_PROCESS

SAP_SUPPDESK_ADMIN

SAP_SUPPDESK_DISPLAY

In addition to regular authorization, following are extra authorization roles required for Service Desk WorkCenter

SAP_SMWORK_BASIC (basic role for workcenter)

SAP_SMWORK_INCIDENT_MAN (Service Desk workcenter)


4. Main elements of Service Desk customizing:

  • The main elements of Service Desk customizing are SLFN (Transaction Type), Text Schema, Partner Schema, Action Profile and Organizational model.
  • SLFN is the main Transaction Type. Text Schema is mapped to Text Objects and assigned to SLFN. (Make sure to copy the Y or zSLFN and then start configuring)
  • Partner Schema determines the business partner using business partner functions. Business partners are Sold-to-Party (Customer who pay the bill), End Users(Message Creator) , Processors (Support Team Member) and Support Team.
  • Communication between the CRM service Transaction and basis message is controlled by Action Profile.
  • Organization Model is functional Structure of Support Team (firm)
My Blogs on SAP Solution Manager:



| © Copyright 2011 |
| SAP and the SAP logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and several other countries. |
| My personal contents may not be up-to-date and correct. Please check the latest info at SAP AG site. Thanks! |

Posted by at
Labels: , ,