SAP ChaRM

Unplanned outages or system disruptions can have a significant impact on business operations. SAP ChaRM (Change Request Management) provides companies with a central solution for planning changes in SAP systems in a structured manner, managing them efficiently and implementing them securely. Get to know the functionality and benefits of SAP ChaRM – and find out how you can optimally prepare for the upcoming end of maintenance of SAP Solution Manager.

What is SAP ChaRM?

SAP Change Request Management (ChaRM) is a central component of SAP Solution Manager. It supports companies in managing changes in their SAP systems throughout the entire lifecycle – from request to productive implementation. ChaRM enables efficient automation, seamless documentation and traceability to ensure compliance. In addition, SAP ChaRM can also manage changes in non-SAP systems.

Functionality and advantages of SAP ChaRM

How does SolMan ChaRM work?

SolMan ChaRM enables structured management of change requests and integrates all necessary processes and stakeholders. The central functions include:

Change Requests

A change request records all the necessary information for the approval of a change. Requests can be prioritized so that urgent changes are given priority and can be transferred to the target system before the end of the current production cycle.

Change Document

The approved change request leads to the creation of the change document, which describes the tasks for developers, testers and administrators. It explains which changes need to be made and who is responsible for implementing them.

Automated Workflows

Change requests run through predefined approval processes that can be adapted to specific requirements.

Transport Management

The CTS+ (Change and Transport System) is used to transport changes through the various phases such as development, testing and production. Change Request Management complements classic Transport Management and ensures efficient planning by enabling central control and monitoring of the entire change process.

Clear responsibilities in SolMan ChaRM are the key to an efficient and smooth change process. The requester creates the change request and justifies the change. The Change Advisory Board or the Change Manager checks and approves the request. After approval, the developer implements the change while the tester checks the functionality. Finally, the administrator takes care of the transport and implementation in the target system. These roles ensure that the entire process runs smoothly and transparently.

Advantages of SAP ChaRM

There are several advantages to using SAP ChaRM:

Increased efficiency: by automating processes, changes are implemented faster and with fewer errors.
More transparency and control: all changes are traceable and provide a complete overview, which is particularly important for companies with complex SAP environments.
Better compliance: by fully documenting the changes, companies can ensure that all regulatory requirements are met.
Project and status monitoring: SAP SolMan ChaRM allows you to check the progress of individual change requests and monitors the overall project status in real time.
Integration with ITIL processes: SAP Solution Manager (and therefore also ChaRM) follows ITIL best practices. This means that ChaRM can be easily integrated with other ITIL Incident Management processes.

Disadvantages of SAP ChaRM

However, there are also disadvantages to using SolMan ChaRM:

Complexity: implementing ChaRM can be a complex task and often requires specialized knowledge. You also need trained personnel to operate the extensive tool.
Costs: using ChaRM may involve additional expenses, such as training and consultant costs.
Flexibility: although ChaRM can facilitate Change Management, it brings with it limitations in terms of flexibility. As a standard solution, ChaRM is difficult to customize to individual requirements.
Compatibility: it is important that ChaRM is compatible with existing solutions to ensure enterprise-wide processes. However, integration with other tools is usually complicated.

Overall, using Solution Manager requires expertise and many resources in order to use the tool efficiently and benefit from its features.

ChaRM and SAP Solution Manager

SAP ChaRM is a central module in SAP Solution Manager and benefits from its extensive Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) functions. Solution Manager allows you to seamlessly link SAP Change Management with tools for monitoring, test management and documentation. This makes it easy to control and track changes in the entire SAP environment.

The end of maintenance for SAP Solution Manager and ChaRM

SAP has announced that SAP Solution Manager 7.2 will reach its end of maintenance in 2027. This means that ChaRM will also no longer be supported from this date. Companies that continue to work with SAP ChaRM must therefore prepare for a changeover. The choice of the right platform depends heavily on the individual strategy:

Cloud Strategies

SAP Cloud ALM is the obvious choice for companies that want to switch to a fully cloud-based architecture, even if the range of Change Management functions could be more comprehensive.

On-Premises

If you continue to operate on-premises environments, solutions such as SmartChange could be an option. With the REALTECH solution, you don’t have to worry about your change documents either. SmartChange is not only a successor to ChaRM, but also supports you in the migration process.

Conclusion: Future-proof SAP Change Management

SAP ChaRM offers a proven solution for structured Change Management in SAP systems, but should be replaced by companies with the end of the Solution Manager. It is best to switch to alternatives such as SmartChange at an early stage to ensure efficiency, compliance and flexibility in the long term.

FAQs: SAP Change Request Management

SAP ChaRM (Change Request Management) is a component of the Solution Manager and supports companies in managing change requests by providing a structured process for planning, approving and implementing changes in the SAP system. It ensures transparency, traceability and compliance in SAP Change Management.

SAP ChaRM enables the creation and management of change requests that go through a flexible approval workflow. Changes are transported by Transport Management (CTS+) across all phases of the development, test and production cycle.

A change document documents all tasks and responsibilities associated with a change request. It describes the changes to be made and who is responsible for the respective steps.

In this article:

ChaRM & Solution Manager

Conclusion

FAQs

SmartChange