Describing the Service Process Flow

Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Illustrate the service process flow for SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition.
Explain the use of different Service Request categories.

The General Service Process Flow

Whenever you want SAP to execute a standard service (such as the copy of a client within one SAP system), you need to create a Service Request first.

For RISE with SAP Private Cloud Edition customers and for selected services, SAP ships service process flows that are available on SAP Help Portal for RISE with SAP Private Cloud Edition (authentication required that checks for an existing RISE with SAP contract).

Note

A service process flow is a visual representation of how a service is delivered, and maps out the required information, touchpoints, and major process steps between SAP Enterprise Cloud Services and customers. The goal of the service process flows is to set and manage expectations on what is required from customers and what is expected from SAP Enterprise Cloud Services.

Service process flows provide customers clarity and standardization regarding how a service is delivered.

Most service process flows are broken down into specific phases: Prerequisite Checks, Preparation, Execution, and Post-Processing. Sometimes the execution of a service requires a period of downtime.

Let's understand the basic process flow for a service request in the following video.

Note

From time to time, SAP initiates one-time changes in SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition systems in accordance with the contract framework of SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition to stabilize and improve services. These changes do not require a Service Request. They are covered by SAP’s change and quality management processes, so an audit of these changes in individual customer systems is not required.

Examples of this proactive maintenance are online patches for the operating system or an update of the database software to a newer version.

Creating Service Requests

Service Requests can be created in SAP for Me. SAP for Me is a customer-facing portal and the single point of access for all SAP Enterprise Cloud Services customers. The SAP for Me portal acts as a companion to SAP customers, providing personalized access and a transparent view of their entire product portfolio. SAP for Me is accessible via the website https://me.sap.com. You need to use your S-user ID to sign in.

Note

New customers will get an S-user or the super administrator account. The super administrator is a representative from the customer who can create new customer S-users and assign proper authorization.

For more information on authorizations in SAP for Me, see the section About the User, Authorization and Administrator Concept on SAP Support Portal.

On the Home page, you can use the Customize Home Page icon to adjust your Home page according to your needs. For example, you can add the Quick Access Private Cloud Services and/or Quick Access SAP Cloud ALM cards that in turn provide links to ease the navigation within SAP for Me. The Quick Access Private Cloud Services card, for example, contains direct links to the Private Cloud Landscape and the Private Cloud Workspace area as well as to the SAP EarlyWatch Alert Dashboard.

On the Services & Support dashboard, you can manage and request your cases/incidents (Cases tab) and Service Requests (Services tab):

Case means you have an unexpected issue – it is not a request/change/activity that can be planned. They can be created by using the URL https://me.sap.com/app/casecreate (URL requires authentication and authorization).
Note
In the context of SAP Enterprise Cloud Services, cases must be opened under the XX-HST-OPR-INC component. The documentation for creating a case can be found in the section Get Support on SAP Support Portal. For more information, see SAP Note 1296527 - How to create a support case for SAP Support - SAP for Me (requires SAP Universal ID).
Service Request means you have a request/change/activity that can be planned.

To create a new Service Request, switch to the Service Requests tab and choose New Service Request. On the following popup, select Private Cloud.

Screenshot of the 'Service Requests' area in SAP for Me (area 'Services & Support') showing open service requests and highlighting the 'New Service Request' button.

Hint

Selecting Required Authorizations (note that you have to select … first to see this option) shows the SAP for Me authorization needed to work with this tab. For Service Requests, there are authorizations to:

Create Billable Service Requests (SRV_BIL_AD)
Create Service Requests (SRV_CREA)
Display Service Requests (SRV_REQ)

Note

The documentation for creating a Service Request can be found in the section Service Requests Tab on SAP Support Portal. For frequently asked questions, see SAP Note 3380895 (requires SAP Universal ID).

For more information about which ticket type to use in the context of SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition, see the infographic that is available for download from the Private Cloud Customer Center.

The Private Cloud Workspace tab contains information for SAP Enterprise Cloud Services specific applications, such as the Backup Status or the Security Compliance Status.

Screenshot of the 'Private Cloud Workspace' area in SAP for Me (area 'Services & Support') showing overview tiles

Note

The online help for SAP for Me is available on SAP Support Portal. SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition customers can find a guideline for the use of the SAP for Me Portal in the context of SAP Enterprise Cloud Services here (requires authentication and authorization).

The component to report cases for SAP for Me is XX-SER-FORME. For applications related to SAP Enterprise Cloud Services, like the Private Cloud Workspace and all applications accessible via the Private Cloud Workspace, cases shall be created on component XX-SER-FORME-ECS.

Hint

To get started with SAP for Me, access SAP for Me and check if your S-user has access to all relevant information. Make yourself familiar with the Private Cloud Workspace and check all information from your systems, In addition, check if everyone from your team who needs to interact with SAP Enterprise Cloud Services has all the proper roles inside SAP for Me.

Service Request Categories

There exist Service Request templates for many services (such as Assist with OS Tasks or Implement SAP Note Correction). In the case that no suitable template exists, you can choose to use the Assisted Service Request template.

The following figure explains which kind of Service Request template is to be used:

Flow Chart showing the decision tree which kind of Service Request to choose. The decision depends on whether it is a cloud infrastructure ECS service / change request, whether Standard Service Request template is available and whether it is a billable service.

The Assisted Service Request template is to be used by the service requester when there is no existing Service Request template available in the Service Request Application catalog, and therefore it's a generic request, also called a "normal change".
The Assisted Chargeable Service Requests template is to be used by the service requester when there is no existing Service Request template available in the Service Request Application catalog, and therefore it's a generic request, but a billable service.
Hint
If you are uncertain if the required service is billable or not, refer to the Roles and Responsibilities document for details, or reach out to your relevant contacts from SAP Enterprise Cloud Services.

Note

In this context, cloud infrastructure or SAP Enterprise Cloud Services support includes anything related to the server, such as memory usage, database capacity, system performance, network connectivity, and SAP basis settings.

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