Optimum support - SAP Managed Services

Musashi is a customer of Claranet Addon GmbH, a Claranet Group company. This case study describes the benefits Musashi has realised by outsourcing support and monitoring tasks to Claranet. Musashi uses a three-tier SAP ERP 6.0 system, a two-tier SAP BW and SAP Portal landscape on SAP HANA and two SAP Solution Manager systems each on SAP ASE and Content Server. All systems are operated in a VMware vSphere virtualised environment.

Long-standing collaboration

The collaboration between Musashi and Claranet goes back more than 20 years. Back then, as the family-owned Johann Hay GmbH, employees were trained in Microsoft Windows topics by the former AddOn AG. Over the following years, AddOn consultants have supported Johann Hay GmbH in numerous SAP upgrade and migration projects. Since 2014, Johann Hay (renamed Musashi Europe GmbH in 2018) has entrusted AddOn AG with the SAP Basis operation of its SAP landscape in the form of managed services. This successful collaboration continues to this day.

Project goals

In order to ensure that the SAP system landscapes are optimally supported around the clock, seven days a week, while at the same time relieving the burden on IT, Musashi needs a reliable partner for the following areas of responsibility:

• Daily monitoring and troubleshooting of the SAP systems (SAP, operating system and databases)
• Execution of administrative SAP activities on call
• Automated monitoring 24x7
• On-call services outside of Musashi IT's core working hours

The solution

Claranet provides all the necessary SAP Managed Services. The following arrangements were made to cover Musashi's requirements:

During core working hours, Musashi's IT staff independently resolve any support requests that arise. During this time, they draw on the expertise of the Claranet Enterprise Support Centre to solve complex cases. Outside of core working hours and on Sundays and public holidays, support requests from Musashi employees are also forwarded directly to the Claranet Enterprise Support Centre by telephone and processed there immediately.

For automated 24x7 monitoring, Claranet uses the customer's SAP Solution Manager and operates the "Monitoring and Alerting Infrastructure" (MAI for short) there in order to be informed in real time about potential disruptions in SAP operations and to resolve them before the problems can have a negative impact on availability and performance.

In addition, certified SAP employees from Claranet check the SAP systems on a daily basis and analyse in detail any errors that occur as well as any anomalies in the area of SAP security.

Claranet not only provided SAP Managed Services for Musashi, but also supported the upgrades to SAP Enhancement Package 8 (EHP8) and the migration from Oracle to SAP HANA, ensuring that the project was completed smoothly and on schedule.

The results

• The SAP system landscapes show the highest performance and availability values.
• The customer's IT is relieved and, especially during the coronavirus pandemic and the frequently associated short-time working, the systems are still optimally supported.
• Musashi has not only found a reliable partner in Claranet for system support, but also for the implementation of complex SAP projects.
• Claranet was also able to successfully support cross-country and cross-time zone SAP projects within the Musashi Group.
• Over the years, a trusting relationship has developed between customer and service provider.

We were looking for someone who had the necessary experience and knowledge to manage a complex SAP landscape independently. Now that we no longer have to worry about operating our SAP systems ourselves, my employees can concentrate on new digitalisation projects."

"It's reassuring to know that the most important systems are in good hands."

"We receive support in the area of daily system operations as well as with upgrades and project maintenance."

Henk Kiewiet
Director IT Musashi Europe