Solution Manager Enterprise Edition - Creating Service Desk

[Former Member]

Hi All...

Being a Channel Partner of SAP we have authority to sell sap licenses to our customers.

Now we want to setup a service desk for them in our Solution ManagerEE.

Could you please help me to understand....

1> I am not able to understand the extra functionality of SolMan EE with respect to Service Desk creation.

Do we really required EE for Service Desk? or with just normal SolMan we can setup that?

2nd is...

2> I am not able to understand how do I can create system in SMSY, because possibility of having same SID for any of our customers.

I am not sure how do I can setup a Service Desk for each customers separately.

If any one of you guys have did same kinda config. before, please guide me....

Thanks!

Amit

Edited by: amit bhisekar on Oct 28, 2008 7:12 AM

[markus_doehr2]

> 1> I am not able to understand the extra functionality of SolMan EE with respect to Service Desk creation.

> Do we really required EE for Service Desk? or with just normal SolMan we can setup that?

SolMan EE has some additional functionality but that is not related to the service desk. A "normal" solMan is enough.

> 2> I am not able to understand how do I can create system in SMSY, because possibility of having same SID for any of our customers.

You can use SIDs like "SID_A" and "SID_B".

> I am not sure how do I can setup a Service Desk for each customers separately.

Follow the IMG - and note 1023598 - SAP Solution Manager Service Desk for service providers

Additional info:

Out of my experience with the service desk: We are using it since SolMan 2.2 and if we could choose again we would definitely use a different product because

- as soon as you drift away a little bit from the standard configuration, that you can use by default (but often needs adaption) it becomes really complex. Support desk is based on CRM so make sure that you have CRM knowledge (including PPF) in house if you want to do the configuration alone

- after each service pack/support stack installation something is not working and almost each time we need help of the support (OSS/CSS) to get things fixed again

- Bidirectional communication is not possible, you can send answers/inquiries to the message creator but answers are not "automatically" put back into the system (e. g. Mail parsing). That is the biggest drawback

- The UI (if you use the GUI) is.. well... not really intuitive

Markus

[former_member209604]

>

> Additional info:
> Out of my experience with the service desk: We are using it since SolMan 2.2 and if we could choose again we would definitely use a different product because
...
> - Bidirectional communication is not possible, you can send answers/inquiries to the message creator but answers are not "automatically" put back into the system (e. g. Mail parsing). That is the biggest drawback
> - The UI (if you use the GUI) is.. well... not really intuitive

Hi Markus,

thanks for your answers. I will like to add the following:

The message creator can process, answer, see responses from Support Team through Work Center "Incident Management". The Work Center can be accessed via Web Access.

Bidectional communication is easily possible and already used by VARs.

(Mail parsing should be no longer required for this purpose).

Amit, see also [http://www.service.sap.com/var-partner |http://www.service.sap.com/var-partner] for VAR specific configuration guide.

Best regards,

Ruediger

Edited by: Ruediger Stoecker on Oct 28, 2008 2:02 PM: Link added

[markus_doehr2]

Hi Rüdiger,

The message creator can process, answer, see responses from Support Team through Work Center "Incident Management". The Work Center can be accessed via Web Access.

...which implies a user (SU01 - not only a BP) on the system to logon.

There is no automatism to

- easily create users and assign appropriate profiles (SU01)

- assign them to the BP and the support organization

- sync them to the connected satellite systems (e. g. BI, CRM, SRM etc. - not to start with LDAP)

One can´t even use batch input to do that since the CRM transactions use Windows controls.

It also does not take care of "non-SU01-users" which are used in e. g. ESS/MSS scenarios. It is also very difficult and complex to integrate non-ABAP SAP systems (e. g. MDM) or even components that are not SAP related (supportdesk for network, printers, etc.).

One can, certainly, do all that manually using self written programs, investing money for consultants and internal resources, no doubt, I know a few names of customers doing that successfully.

Markus

[former_member209604]

Hi Markus,

I am with you, in most of your points (and I remember the troubles you had.).

For Channel Partners, the setup is easier, because user data (user, customers, installations, ....) can be downloaded from SAP Suport Backbone and automatically created in Solution Manager..

Best regards,

Ruediger

[markus_doehr2]

> For Channel Partners, the setup is easier, because user data (user, customers, installations, ....) can be downloaded from SAP Suport Backbone and automatically created in Solution Manager..

So that means the functionality of downloading and creating and synchronizing users is (technically) already there?

Markus

[former_member209604]

>

> > For Channel Partners, the setup is easier, because user data (user, customers, installations, ....)  can be downloaded from SAP Suport Backbone and automatically created in Solution Manager..
> 
> So that means the functionality of downloading and creating and synchronizing users is (technically) already there? 

Yes, most is (or will be) available also for non-Channel Partners.

(Special function as automatic forwarding of Very High message outside business hours of partners is not relevant for non-Channel Partners.)

See documentation / SAP Notes for job REFRESH_ADMIN_DATA_FROM_SUPPORT.

Best regards,

Ruediger

[Former Member]

Thanks you Markus and Ruediger for your replies.

It was really helpful...

I am still trying to make service desk setup , it was really complicated process, but interesting.

Well, I am not a CRM guy so trying to understand CRM terminologies.

Till now I have setup Basic Solman settings and RFCs,Message Processors,Key Users,Number range setup using IMG.

1. I am able to send message from my external system to the solution manager but in the message I cannot see the Sold to Party not even Message Processor.

I have assigned my organisation to IBase as a Sold to Party in IB52 correctly.

2. Also I am not able to create Message from web because I cannot see the external system components.

Even if I have correctly added my RFC connection in BCOS_CUST table in Satellite system.

I am confused about Msg.Processor and Key user configuration...

As per my understanding both should be same with different Roles i.e. BP (Gen.) and Employee respectively.

Do I have to create separate BP for MsgP. and Key User? ( I tried that but it gives error)

Any thoughts... if I am missing something.

Thanks!

Amit