Are you new to SAP?
If so, you are going to want to know about the SAP Service Marketplace.
What is it?
It is, quite simply, one of the keys to success for both SAP Customers and SAP Consultants. It is also where you will find access to the SAP Partner Portal, and to the SAP Community Portal, which will get you to SAP Developer Network, which is a world unto itself.
What are the Keys to the SAP Service Marketplace?
- Access is your first key.
You will need to get a user ID for it, which is granted to Customers and consultants (who obtain a coveted “S” number). - Navigating around it is the second key.
Depending on your role, you may see different views of the marketplace.
SAP Employees have a completely different view of the content than either a customer or SAP consultant. - Whether you're a SAP Consultant or SAP Customer, learn to search for an use OKP or Online Knowledge Products
- Effective search strategies.
To leverage the SAP Service Marketplace, one of the keys to success is to understand how search works here.
All I can say is that practice makes perfect, but if you find something you need or like and may want to return to it, bookmark it. - Pay attention to the dates of any search results you may find.
If it is more than 4 years old, it most likely is out of date. - Not everyone in SAP post documents to the SAP Service Marketplace.
If you know someone inside SAP that you think may know or have the information you are looking for, ask them if you do not find it. For example, someone may have more detailed documentation about SAP RE-FX, a relatively obscure, yet critical SAP solution. You should try to get to know who within SAP is the keeper of all things SAP Flexible Real Estate (SAP RE-FX) - Quicklinks.
There are already many ‘bookmarks’ which are called Quicklinks.
Advice here is if you find one you want, bookmark it, as the quicklinks do in fact change, a lot. - Due to the shear size of the SAP Service Marketplace, if you find something you truly can’t live without, download and add it to your personal SAP library.
SAP BW Business Content frequently falls into this category - When creating your SAP personal library, use names that make sense to you.
Don’t try to stick with SAP’s as they change. - Be very clear that what is in SDN is different from what is in the SAP service marketplace and is curated differently.
SAP Service Marketplace - Where You Can Get Answers Fast
There you have it. Ten keys to successfully using the incredible resource that is the SAP Service Marketplace learned from my 25 years of SAP experience. Need answers fast about SAP, or SAP functional capabilities? Lost in the Service Marketplace? Start by downloading our SAP Mindmap, which will help you understand SAP and tell you what sort of questions you should ask of SAP Service Marketplace.
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