Customer Success Through Trusted Partner Support Expertise

SAP cloud customers can benefit from implementation and operations services from SAP’s partner ecosystem, where an effective support collaboration between such partners and SAP is one essential element of customer success. Therefore, customers are encouraged to select and manage partners also based on their effectiveness in support collaboration.

Usually in the cloud, SAP partners provide implementation and operations services that complement SAP cloud services. In such scenarios, partners utilize support services from SAP on behalf of the joint customer. Typical scenarios include, for instance, requesting support for a technical issue by creating a support case with SAP or leveraging SAP Cloud ALM in an implementation project.

As partners regularly request support, SAP closely collaborates with its partner ecosystem along all dimensions of support and equips partners with the tools, insights, and self-services they need to deliver consistent, high‑value services alongside SAP. This includes:

• Best practices for partners to self-sufficiently handle common consulting and “how-to” questions from customers
• Data insights and dashboards, such as the customer insights dashboards and Support Collaboration Analytics (for partners) in SAP for Me, to help monitor performance, identify trends, and proactively realize quality improvements
• Best practice guidance embedded in SAP Cloud ALM with the opportunity for partners to enhance process content and methodologies represented in the solution
• Support Accreditation training that can guide partners to efficiently engage SAP for support
• Enabling transparency on partner action on customer’s behalf through dedicated partner S-users

Partner selection based on trusted support expertise

Customers can now receive higher value from partners with trusted support expertise. Partners that have built strong capabilities for an effective support collaboration can accelerate project execution and reduce risks. For example:

• Partners that self-sufficiently address customers’ consulting and “how-to” questions can resolve inquiries much faster, as it avoids involving SAP in the process.
• Partners that use SAP self-services or automatic responses to support inquiries as the default without creating redundant cases can minimize delays and disruptions.
• Partners that effectively follow SAP’s best practices, for example in SAP Cloud ALM and the SAP Activate methodology, can be better equipped to help mitigate project risks and escalations.

Customers are therefore encouraged to review partners’ support capabilities when selecting and working with partners. Effective partners apply SAP support best practices to help resolve issues and self-sufficiently handle customers’ consulting and “how-to” inquiries. As a target for showing trusted support expertise, no more than 30% of partner-created support cases should fall into these categories. High-performing partners will establish standard operating procedures and continuously optimize service delivery by leveraging SAP’s data-driven support insights. Such partners also engage more efficiently with customers and SAP by speaking the same language because consultants are qualified on support offerings, channels, and best practices through the Support Accreditation training. They can also deliver best practice-based implementations by applying SAP guidance available through SAP Cloud ALM.

To simplify partner selection, also based on their trusted support expertise, SAP will show such qualified partners in SAP Partner Finder from March 2026 onwards.

As a prerequisite for showing such trusted support expertise, customers need to ensure their partners are working with partner S-users.

Customer action recommendations to realize incremental value when engaging partners

When seeking a partner, select those with trusted support expertise, visible from March 2026 onward in SAP Partner Finder through a support proficiency designation.

When working with your partner, enable transparency by authorizing partner S-users for support case handling via the service partner user management application and leverage the customer insights dashboard in SAP for Me for transparency on partner support collaboration effectiveness.

Jens Bernotat is head of Strategy, Portfolio, and Ecosystem Management for Global Customer Support at SAP.
Marcus Blaesi is head of Global Ecosystem Programs for Global Customer Support at SAP.