SAP RISE managed services limitations

💭“𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗘 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗔𝗣 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲… 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗔𝗣-𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀.” Most organizations moving to RISE assume: 👉Audit, compliance, & logging are “covered by default” But the reality is more layered especially when you look at how 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗟𝗼𝗴 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀. 🔍What SAP provides (on paper): From SAP’s Audit Log Service structure: ✓Designed for compliance-grade logging (security, configuration, DPP logs) ✓Supports long-term retention ✓Tamper-proof architecture ✓Accessible via APIs (REST / CAP / BTP services) 👉Sounds complete…right? ⚠️𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘂𝗽𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁: Looking deeper into how it operates: ❌No strong UI for analysis (API-driven access) ❌Not meant for frequent operational access ❌Business context (process-level visibility) is limited ❌Custom apps require explicit integration to log data 👉Meaning: Audit is technically available…but not business-ready out-of-the-box 💰𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 (𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹): To actually use audit logs effectively, you need: 👉SAP Audit Log Service (base + premium tiers) 👉API-based extraction (technical effort + tooling) 👉External tools (SIEM like Splunk/Sentinel) 👉Extended storage beyond default retention And here’s the key: 📌Audit log storage is long-term →directly impacts database/storage cost 📌High-frequency logging →rapid data growth 📌Accessing & analyzing logs →often requires additional paid services 🤝𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼: In one RISE program: Audit logs were enabled(Security + Change logs) Later extended to include read access + integration logs Within a few months: 👉Log volume increased significantly 👉Standard retention was insufficient 👉Needed: Additional storage External monitoring tool API-based extraction 💥Result: Unexpected cost + operational dependency on SAP services 🔗The dependency shift (most critical part): In on-premise:👉You control logs directly In RISE:👉Logs are managed within SAP-controlled layers Which means: Access depends on SAP services & APIs Deep visibility requires integration with SAP BTP services You are dependent on what SAP exposes vs what you need 🧠The real insight: Audit in RISE is not just a feature 👉It’s an architecture decision Because you need to design: What to log How long to retain How to access How to analyze How much you are willing to spend 🔥“Having audit logs doesn’t mean having audit control.” In RISE: 👉You don’t just enable logging 👉You design it, integrate it…& pay for it ❓Question to leaders: How are you planning audit in your RISE journey? Standard logs only? Full compliance logging (with cost impact)? Integrated SIEM strategy? Because what I’m seeing clearly is:👉RISE shifts audit from IT responsibility→ to a strategic business decision.

In 2023, 70% of SAP customers were considering RISE. By mid-2024, that number dropped into the low 40s. The shift raises a big question: what made so many rethink the move? I’ve supported RISE customers around the world — from North America to Europe to APAC. And the patterns I’m seeing? They’re consistent, and a bit unsettling. Here’s what’s driving the hesitation: 1. Service Level Disappointment - 99.7% uptime sounds fine until it hits your critical workflows. 2. Hidden Complexity - What looked like a bundled solution often turns into 100+ pages of service exclusions. 3. Slow Execution - Simple tickets take weeks. Why? Lack of automation and fragmented delivery teams. 4. The Premium Paywall - Want the service you thought you were buying? There’s a premium tier for that. What started as a CFO-friendly commercial model has hit resistance from Ops teams who are left holding the bag. RISE isn’t failing. But the experience gap is real. And for many customers, that’s been enough to hit pause...or backpedal entirely. If you’ve evaluated RISE or lived through the shift, what was your biggest surprise? I’d love to hear it in the comments.

"RISE with SAP": A New Name, Same Old Challenges 🤔 When SAP introduced the "RISE with SAP" offering, it was marketed as a comprehensive, 𝗮𝗹𝗹-𝗶𝗻-𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 that simplifies your path to the cloud. One contract, one predictable price. But as many of us in the industry know, the reality is often more complex. 🔄 𝗔 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀: While "RISE with SAP" promises a single, streamlined contract, the reality is that it often doesn't cover everything. As your business needs evolve, so too will the requirements for your SAP environment, leading to billable changes that weren’t part of the original agreement. This lack of flexibility can quickly turn a predictable cost structure into a moving target. 🚨 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: Managed service providers (MSPs) have been in the SAP game for years, supporting large clients with their SAP environments—sometimes for decades. These MSPs have faced significant challenges in establishing near- and offshore delivery centers that meet client expectations and quality standards. It’s been a long, arduous road with many lessons learned along the way. 🛠️ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹: SAP is relatively new to the managed services arena, and they’re facing the same challenges that MSPs have already battled: inconsistent quality, unmet client expectations, and growing frustration. Clients need reliable, high-quality service, and when this isn't delivered, it can lead to dissatisfaction and even contract termination. 😕 𝗡𝗼 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝗘𝘅𝗶𝘁: With traditional MSPs, if the service quality didn’t meet expectations, clients had the option to export their SAP landscape and move to a different provider or bring the systems back in-house. Unfortunately, with "RISE with SAP", there's no straightforward exit scenario. While it's not impossible to switch to a different MSP, the process is far from easy. 🚪 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀: If SAP doesn’t improve the quality of its managed services, they could risk losing customers not just to other MSPs, but to entirely different ERP competitors. Companies that have spent years perfecting their on-premise SAP environments need more than a catchy tagline—they need real, reliable service that justifies the move to the cloud. 🔍 For decision-makers in companies that currently run SAP on-premise, it’s critical to weigh these factors 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 to "RISE with SAP". The promise of simplicity is alluring, but the execution is where the real challenges lie. 💡 Is "RISE with SAP" truly a step forward, or just a rebranding of old struggles? The decision to move to the cloud should be made with eyes wide open. What’s your take? Share your thoughts in the comments below! (* picture from Stephanie Klepacki on Unsplash)

Cost of Scaling with RISE with SAP #RISEwithSAP offers a seamless cloud experience, bundling infrastructure, software, and services into a single contract. But when it comes to #scaling up server resources, organizations may face an unexpected #challengeoncost escalation.  As I encountered this challenge to upscale my storage, I got a surprise #StorageBundlePackage instead of a simple incremental upgrade! This means paying for more than what I actually need, leading to #HigherCosts and #Lessflexibility.  #Whydoes this happen? Unlike a hyperscaler setup where you can scale resources flexibly and pay based on usage, RISE with SAP operates on a #fixedResourceAllocation model. If your system outgrows its allocated capacity, scaling up can be:  1. #Expensive – Additional resources (CPU, RAM, storage) come at a premium compared to direct hyperscaler pricing.   2. #Complex – Scaling requires contractual adjustments, often leading to negotiation delays.   3. #Rigid – No instant scalability; organizations may need to overprovision in advance to avoid performance issues.  #KeyTakeaway    For businesses expecting #RapidGrowth or #FluctuatingWorkloads, this can be a significant constraint. Before committing to RISE with SAP, it's crucial to assess long-term scalability needs and compare cost models with direct cloud providers.  #Haveyou faced similar challenges with RISE with SAP? Let’s discuss in the comments! #SAP #RISEwithSAP #Cloud #Scalability #SAPBTP #SAP #SAPTips #SAPGUI #SAPFiori #EndUserExperience #DigitalTransformation #SAPCPI #SAPAPIs #EnterpriseSecurity #SAPSecurity #SAPCloudALM #BusinessProcessMonitoring #DigitalTransformation #SAPInnovation #SAP #SAPMobility #RISEwithSAP #SAPSTART #ProjectSuccess #Innovation #HigherManagement #SAPSupport #BusinessContinuity #SAPCommunity #SAP #ODataServices #Troubleshooting #SAPGateway #SAPRAC #RemoteAccess #SAPPartners #Innovation #CloudSolutions #ERP #SAPBasis #SAPFiori #SAPSupport #SAPConsulting #SAPSecurity #SAPAuthorizations #Fiori #S4HANA #SAPGUI #SAPBasis #SAPIDM #SAPCommunity #SAPConsultants #SAPHANA #SAP_Basis_Solutions #risewithSAP #SAPS4HANA #KSA #sapbasisconsultant #saudiarabia #CIO #ITMANAGERS #SAPPROJECTMANAGERS #sapbtp #SAPABAP #SAPBI #SAPFICO #SAPMM #SAPSD #SAPPP #SAPQM #SAPPM #SAPHCM #SAPHR #SAPSF #Vision2030 #SaudiArabia #SaudiTalent

SAP is positioning RISE as the easy, preferred path from ECC to S 4HANA. But easy does not always mean right. What SAP does not emphasize is that with RISE, you are not just moving to the cloud. You are shifting control. Infrastructure decisions. Escalation paths. Negotiating leverage. Future flexibility. When SAP manages more of the environment, you may gain simplicity. But you may also give up optionality and influence over how your deployment evolves. RISE is not just a hosting decision. It is a governance decision. Before you commit, make sure you understand what you are gaining and what you may be giving up. Watch the full breakdown on YouTube where I walk through the trade offs and how to decide what is right for your organization.