Success Stories

Automated and simple: Smart tool from REALTECH

ArianeGroup GmbH has been successfully using the continuously developed Transport Manager (now known as the SmartChange Transport Management module) since 2005. The customer had to manage a large number of transports, particularly in the SAP controlling modules, which was consequently time-consuming. “However, the SAP standard (STMS) offered rather rudimentary options for this; the REALTECH solution with its convenient automation options, on the other hand, appealed to us right from the start,” says the customer about the decision to opt for the REALTECH solution.

The implementation of the lean add-on for SAP then also went quickly, conserved resources and without any notable problems. Since then, the solution has been stable and has made the customer’s working life easier. “In contrast to SolMan ChaRM, the REALTECH software, which has also greatly simplified the release and approval process for us, is small, fine and flexible.” REALTECH always provides the necessary updates for SAP releases shortly after they have been released – implementable quickly and without major downtimes.

The customer says that in their daily work they also and above all benefit from the automatic overtaking check, the almost completely automated operation and the time-saving option for easily controllable system copies. The fact that the developer team can test their developments immediately also makes ArianeGroup’s work much easier. Customer’s conclusion: “All in all, a smart tool from REALTECH!”

Avoid short circuits in SAP applications

Critical system conditions previously caused by overtakers or collisions were nearly eliminated with the use of REALTECH SmartChange. Special checking procedures, an alerting system, and carefully defined release workflows ensure that all transports are imported into the target systems completely and in the correct order.

“Until now, it was difficult for us to assess the impact of transports on the SAP systems. If there was an unstable system, we had to spend a lot of time resetting the systems to the status they were in before the transport was imported. The REALTECH solution gives us the security and transparency we need for our international development projects,” concludes Andreas Reisinger.

Relieve of the SAP Basis teams by automated processes

“For several three-tier ABAP system landscapes, we have been using the Transport Manager (TM) for years”, explains Polina Klibanova, SAP Basis Administrator at C&A Services. “With the conversion to SAP S/4HANA, we wanted to connect the new systems to the TM as well.” The advantages are obvious: automated processes relieve the SAP Basis teams, overtakers and collisions are avoided, while all transports are traceable and documented in an audit-proof manner.

Health care for SAP-development

Thanks to the implementation of Transport Management from REALTECH SmartChange, CSS’s SAP specialists are now able to import transports into the SAP landscape more securely, efficiently, and transparently and traceably at all times. Completeness and collision checks now run automatically and reduce the risk of system failures to a minimum. Thanks to a comprehensive authorization concept and complete documentation of changes, change processes are securely documented for auditing.

The implementation also enabled CSS to meet all central requirements for SAP Transport Management. For example, the change and release processes were standardized with the involvement of the specialist departments and an individual authorization concept for releases was introduced. The availability and consistency of the SAP systems is now significantly higher, as collisions and overtaking in the SAP transport system are avoided.

Transparent, efficient and secure SAP changes

Gebr. Heinemann SE & Co. KG uses the SmartChange Transport Management module in a complex SAP landscape with about 40 SAP instances. The customer sees the great added value in the fact that the software enables him to centrally control authorizations and, in particular, project-related transports in a simplified manner. This creates transparency, increases efficiency and security of SAP changes, and thus reduces costs. Another plus for the customer acquired in 2013: “The REALTECH solution is also indispensable for system copies.”

Central control of global SAP transports

Before the introduction of REALTECH Transport Manager, all transports in the 14 SAP system landscapes at HDM were processed manually using SAP Standard TMS. The actual import into the production environment was carried out by the outsourcer responsible for SAP operations.

“REALTECH’s Transport Manager played a decisive role in the reorganization of our Change Management. Thanks to the flexibility of the software and the very good cooperation with REALTECH, we were able to implement a perfect integration of the software into our overall Change Management solution.” – Director IT Enterprise Services at Heidelberger Druckmaschinen.

Save with the automation of SAP transports

“There were some situations that the REALTECH team had not encountered with any customer before. But the close collaboration and flexibility of Transport Manager allowed us to customize it to our processes and workflows,”confirms the SAP Basis Manager.

Using the data recorded by the new system, the “Six Sigma” process determined that SmartChange Transport Manager reduced the average lead time per transport by 3.2 days. This translates into savings of 2,200 person-hours or $112,000 per year for the company because they no longer have to manually locate and execute transports. “What used to be a manual process is now done automatically with REALTECH tools”, explains the team leader.

More productivity for transport specialists

Since the beginning of 2002, all SAP transport requests from developers or users at MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG have run directly through the Transport Manager. Based on complex distribution scenarios, the solution automatically distributes all software changes in currently five transport landscapes to the various development, consolidation and production systems and their total of around 65 clients. Three further transport landscapes are already awaiting installation. Intervention by the base administrators is only required in the event of unusual or problematic transports.

Implementation within a very short time

The days when the introduction of a Change and Process Management tool in SAP landscapes took many months or even years are over. Microsoft also took advantage of this. The software group implemented REALTECH’s modular SmartChange solution in a very short time and has since been able to better plan, implement, and manage changes and functional enhancements in its SAP landscapes. Even the alignment and synchronization of parallel development systems is easier. Synchronization Management reliably analyzes all workbench and customizing objects that leave the development system in the maintenance landscape by releasing and exporting a transport request.

Investments amortized in the shortest time

Before the automation of the SAP transport system, half a man-day was needed every day to manually check and import the transports into the three SAP system landscapes “FICO”, “SUS”, and “RETAIL” with approx. 80 clients.

REALTECH Transport Management has significantly simplified the day-to-day work in Migros Aare’s SAP Basis administration. Today, one hour per week of personnel resources is sufficient for SAP transport management. Only for emergency transports additional resources of 1 to 2% are kept available. The remaining time can now be used for IT projects. Since REALTECH Transport Management was introduced in 2005, the IT landscape at Migros Aare has grown to six SAP system landscapes. Without REALTECH Transport Management, a full-time SAP Basis administrator would be busy manually processing SAP transports.

From Ticket to Assignment Management to Successful Change

MVV Energie AG uses SAP HCM (Human Capital Management), among other tools, for its diverse internal HR processes and HR-near tasks. This results in a lot of changes. Their implementation and management had to become optimized, simplified and more efficient. Due to the easy combinability of its SAP add-on SmartChange with SmartITSM Ticketing, REALTECH was able to satisfy these requirements quickly and cost-effectively.

Thanks to this project, which has been completed in a short time, the customer benefits from an easy-to-use and neat overall solution for its HCM processes – from the end user’s assignment request as a ticket to automated change deployment.

“The REALTECH all-in-one solution can be quickly adapted and makes it easy to capture and process daily requests and incidents related to time management, SAP permissions, and technical billing”, the customer feedbacked.

Cost savings by automating all software changes

Since 2002, REALTECH’s Transport Management is in use at ANDREAS STIHL AG & Co. KG. The SAP add-on, which can be implemented quickly and is easy to handle, automates all software changes within a complex, heterogeneous, multinational SAP landscape. This has not only led to direct and ongoing cost savings, but also to more efficient, transparent and secure SAP operations, both immediately and in the long term.

Stephan Walter, IT Basic Technology Team at STIHL: “We can look back on a very good collaboration with short communication lines. Specific adjustments can also always be implemented quickly. We are continuing to rely on SmartChange Transport Management from REALTECH in our current SAP transformation process as well.”

More efficiency in maintenance & development processes

By using REALTECH’s software components, the regional utility company was able to fulfill the documentation requirements of the unbundling and increase the efficiency of the maintenance and development processes. The automation of synchronization work gives IT developers new scope for the strategic further development of the application landscape. At the same time, the number of incidents was reduced by more than half, significantly increasing the security and stability of the production systems. Thanks to the rapid deployment of the software and the simple installation, the investment has already paid off in full for SWM in the first year.