As part of their drive to improve user adoption across systems such as SAP Ariba and S/4HANA, SAP have created SAP Companion as their solution to reduce the impact of change and to deliver better business outcomes, faster. However, for many organizations, this out-of-the-box solution is causing many headaches.
What is SAP Companion?
SAP Companion is the digital adoption layer of SAP’s browser-based applications. It supports real-time, continuous learning by providing direct, context-sensitive access to training and support content from within the corresponding applications. SAP Companion’s mission is to makes it fast and easy for end users to locate bite-sized pieces of information, without leaving the screen, so that they can learn as they work.
As part of SAP Enable Now and integrated into more than 70+ of SAP’s browser-based applications, SAP Companion helps users drive their own enablement to make them more satisfied and productive.
Sounds great, so what’s the issue?
As a concept, Digital Adoption Platforms (DAPs) such as SAP Companion are an invaluable tool to support post go-live adoption goals. Through a combination of proactively pushing communications such as Help Topics, Guided Tours, What’s New and Learning, they provide a combination of valuable on-the-job learning, and ensuring system users are aware of changes to their systems and ways of operating.
However, the current ‘out of the box’ SAP Companion solution presents the following challenges:
SAP Companion Content is Generic
SAP Companion only provides generic in-application support content. Many organizations often customize their solution design to match their in-house processes, and so the generic support content could easily confuse users, or worse still, provide them with incorrect instructions.
SAP Companion is Either On or Off
SAP Companion is either fully activated or switched off for each specific application. There is no in-between option where you can specify which elements you would like to be enabled and which parts you don’t; so you may be in a position to where you are forced to disable as some content is not relevant, even though some elements would be useful.
SAP Companion Coverage is Limited
SAP Companion support content is currently not available across all modules within SAP Ariba and S/4HANA and the depth of content within in each module varies quite dramatically, therefore creating an inconsistent end-user experience across the system.
Help Community due to be Deprecated
SAP have just suspended the decision to switch off the SAP Guided Buying Help Community (due Aug 2023) and replace it with SAP Companion. When this does happen, any existing links you may have already built to tailored learning and support content will be lost and replaced with the generic content.
How can we help?
The good news is that the standard content is built into a tool called SAP Enable Now (SEN), and this content can be amended or added to, so your users get tailored in-application help and guidance when they need it. To do this, your organisation will need to purchase SEN licences for the relevant user population.
As an SAP SEN Partner, excelerateds2p can provide you with comprehensive and tailored in-application support in three simple steps:
Provide you with the SEN licences to enable content to be updated/added
Set up your SEN environment across all relevant SAP applications
Build your tailored learning content to replace and/or complement the generic content
SAP Enable Now – a Comprehensive Learning Management System
With your SEN licences you gain more that just in-application support, you have access to the the full system. SAP Enable Now has been developed specifically to work with the SAP technology ecosystem. With SAP Enable Now, you can enhance the user experience while creating, maintaining, and delivering in-application help, learning materials, and documentation content, all accessed through a single source.
Consisting of 3 core elements, Formal Learning, Informal Learning and On-the-Job Support, it covers both pre and post go-live learning and support to maximise user adoption and the return on your investment in technology.
Formal Training
Building comprehensive interactive learning journeys for system users, with the ability to track and test knowledge throughout the process.
Informal Training
Delivering a wider suite of on-demand learning material that can be accessed ‘as and when required’ to improve knowledge and competency within a specific area.
On-the-Job Support
In-application, tailor-made learning content, delivered in conjunction with SAP Companion, embedding help and process guidance to users in real time.
Contact us for more information
To find out more about how our experts can help you maximize your investment through a comprehensive approach to learning and support, please complete the form opposite and one of our consultants will be in touch.