Significant changes are taking place in the world of SAP that are worth following in order to keep systems at the highest level of security and performance. Another issue, no less important, is the ongoing transformation of SAP from solutions traditionally maintained in an organisation’s own data centres (on-premise) to hybrid solutions, or ones based entirely on cloud computing, along with the broader aspects of such a transformation. Adapting to this trend, SAP has its own cloud solution, RISE with SAP.
What exactly is RISE with SAP?
RISE with SAP is a comprehensive “Business Transformation as a Service” model that transfers many infrastructure maintenance responsibilities directly to SAP and the chosen cloud provider. This is, of course, a significant shift, since in the traditional model SAP BASIS specialists controlled virtually every element of the infrastructure, from the server right through to the database.
This comprehensive cloud solution is designed to simplify the business and technological processes of enterprises. However, in the context of this evolution, a question arises: how does RISE with SAP affect the roles of SAP BASIS specialists?
The impact of RISE with SAP on the role of SAP BASIS administrators
The emergence of the RISE with SAP offering, which moves many traditional SAP BASIS tasks to a cloud managed by SAP, has sparked discussion about the future of SAP BASIS administrator roles. Some fear that this may reduce demand for traditional SAP BASIS roles within companies. However, even though RISE with SAP takes over many responsibilities, there remains a need for experienced SAP BASIS specialists on the team to manage the more complex aspects of the systems and their integration with other applications.
The traditional role of SAP BASIS
Until now, SAP BASIS specialists have been responsible for a wide range of tasks, such as:
· Managing server infrastructure.
· Installing and configuring SAP systems.
· Monitoring performance and optimising systems.
· Managing security and updates.
Their work spanned both the technical and application layers, making them key players in maintaining the stability and efficiency of SAP systems.
Changes introduced by RISE with SAP
The introduction of RISE with SAP brings significant changes to how systems are managed:
· Transfer of infrastructure management: SAP and the chosen cloud provider take on responsibility for the infrastructure, including hardware, operating systems and databases.
· Automation of many processes: Many routine tasks, such as updates or monitoring, are now automated or managed centrally by the service provider.
The new role of SAP BASIS specialists
Despite these changes, the role of SAP BASIS specialists is not disappearing – it is evolving:
· Focus on the application layer: SAP BASIS specialists can now focus more on configuring and optimising SAP applications, adapting them to specific business needs.
· Security and compliance management: Monitoring and ensuring that systems comply with regulations and internal security policies remains crucial.
· Coordination with service providers: Collaborating with SAP teams and cloud providers on incident, problem and change management becomes an important part of the job.
· User support and change management: Helping users adapt to new solutions and managing the organisational change process remains an important task.
New competencies and skills
Let us be honest – the SAP BASIS role is evolving, but it is not disappearing. SAP takes over tasks related to the physical infrastructure and updates to core components. However, this is only a fragment of the entire SAP ecosystem. To meet new challenges, SAP BASIS specialists now have the opportunity to focus on the issues that matter most from an organisational perspective.
Which competencies matter most now?
· Knowledge of cloud technologies (AWS, Azure, GCP) and hybrid environments
· Automation at the infrastructure layer (automation tools such as Ansible, Terraform)
· Automation at the application layer (intelligent automation systems such as UiPath)
· Application-layer optimisation – adapting systems to real business needs.
· Data analytics – skills in analysing large data sets to optimise system performance and security (SAP Analytics Cloud, BTP, application monitoring)
· System security and compliance – controlling systems’ compliance with regulations and safeguarding against threats.
· Collaboration and coordination – actively managing collaboration with cloud providers and project teams.
· Soft skills: Effective communication and collaboration with different teams, and managing change within the organisation.
The conclusion is simple:
The introduction of RISE with SAP does not mean the end of the SAP BASIS specialist role, but rather its transformation. Transferring part of the responsibilities to the cloud service provider allows SAP BASIS specialists to focus on more strategic aspects of system management, such as optimisation, security or business support. The key to success in this new environment is continuous skills development and adaptation to the changing technology landscape.
RISE with SAP does not eliminate SAP BASIS specialists. On the contrary, it gives them the opportunity to develop towards more strategic roles. SAP BASIS is not a threat – it is an opportunity for the next step in a career!
How do you see the future of the SAP BASIS role in the era of RISE with SAP? Share your experiences and thoughts!
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