For organizations aiming to excel within the SAP ecosystem, understanding the landscape of Sap Partners and available programs is crucial. This article serves as a guide for SAP partners, particularly focusing on opportunities within the SAP Cloud Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) framework. SAP Cloud ALM offers a suite of solutions designed to streamline SAP cloud implementations and operations. For partners looking to enhance their service offerings and gain recognition, SAP provides distinct partnership avenues within this domain. Let’s explore these key programs:
SAP Cloud ALM Reference Partner Program
The SAP Cloud ALM Reference Partner program is designed to showcase partners who have demonstrated success in leveraging SAP Cloud ALM to deliver exceptional customer outcomes. This program emphasizes real-world achievements and allows partners to highlight their capabilities through customer success stories.
To qualify as an SAP Cloud ALM Reference Partner, the primary criterion is having a successful customer reference. This reference should be publicly accessible, either on the partner’s own portal or, ideally, published on the official SAP portal. By sharing these success stories, partners gain credibility and visibility within the SAP ecosystem, demonstrating their expertise in utilizing SAP Cloud ALM for effective customer solutions.
Becoming an SAP Cloud ALM Extension Partner
The ALM Partner Hub serves as a central platform dedicated to showcasing “SAP Cloud ALM extensions.” This hub provides a valuable opportunity for SAP partners who offer solutions that extend the functionality of SAP Cloud ALM. Listing within this hub elevates a partner’s profile and connects them with a wider audience seeking complementary solutions.
To be listed as an SAP Cloud ALM Extension Partner on the ALM Partner Hub, several prerequisites must be met:
- Market Readiness: Your solution must be commercially available and fully documented. This documentation should clearly define whether the offering is a service or a product subscription.
- Capability Alignment: The solution must demonstrably fit into one or more predefined capability categories. These categories ensure that listed extensions provide relevant and valuable additions to SAP Cloud ALM (detailed categories are listed below).
- API Integration: Solutions must be built upon APIs. This integration can be in the form of a completely new application or as a standard integration within an existing third-party application, ensuring seamless interoperability with SAP Cloud ALM.
This program welcomes all partner types that meet these criteria. It’s important to understand that SAP does not assume ownership or liability for the listed partner solutions or any commercial agreements formed between partners and clients. While promoting your solution through the SAP Store isn’t mandatory for participation in the ALM Partner Hub, it is a recommended pathway to further enhance market reach and can be pursued through a separate SAP Store application process.
Partners applying for the SAP Cloud ALM Extension Partner program need to provide the following information for their application:
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Company Logo & Contact Email: Essential for identification and communication.
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Solution Name & Documentation Link: Clearly identify your offering and provide access to detailed information.
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Solution Type Statement: Specify whether your solution is a standard integration or a newly developed application.
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Capability Category Selection: Choose one or more categories that best describe your solution’s functionality from the following list:
- Operations Analytics Packages
- Operations Event Integration Packages
- Monitoring Adapters and Content for 3rd Party Systems
- Operations Automation Packages
- Test Management
- Change and Deployment Management
- Documentation Management
- Agile Project and Task Management
- Collaboration and Notification
- Process Management
- Regulated Environment
- IT Finance and Resources
- Partner Delivery Suite
SAP will review each partner solution application to ensure it aligns with the chosen capability category before approval.
The SAP Cloud ALM Extension Partner program offers tiered status levels based on partner commitment and achievement:
- Bronze Level: Granted to partners with available and documented extension solutions that meet the basic prerequisites.
- Silver Level: Awarded to partners who not only have a documented solution but can also provide an official customer reference demonstrating successful implementation.
- Gold Level: The highest tier, achieved when a partner’s solution successfully completes the SAP Store validation process and becomes available on the SAP Store.
To initiate the application process for the Extension Partner program, interested SAP partners should send an email to [email protected]. This email should include all the required information and documentation outlined above.
Powered by SAP Cloud ALM Partner Commitment
The “Powered by SAP Cloud ALM Partner” initiative is a commitment-based program. It recognizes SAP partners who pledge to prioritize and utilize SAP Cloud ALM as their primary delivery tool for SAP cloud application implementation and operations services.
This program is built on a commitment to using SAP Cloud ALM across all relevant SAP cloud projects. Partners participating in this program demonstrate their dedication to SAP’s ALM strategy and their proficiency in leveraging SAP Cloud ALM for service delivery.
Participating partners are expected to annually self-report the total number of active customers they serve and the number of those customers for whom they utilize SAP Cloud ALM for implementation or operations. To formally commit to this program and request listing as a “Powered by SAP Cloud ALM Partner” on the ALM Partner Hub, partners need to take the following action:
- Send an email to [email protected] with the subject line “Partner powered by SAP Cloud ALM – Community”. The email body should include a commitment statement confirming the partner’s intention to use SAP Cloud ALM for all applicable SAP cloud ALM services. A template for this commitment email is provided below for convenience. Partners should also include their logo (preferably in png, svg, or jpg vector format with transparency) in the email.
Commitment Email Template:
Dear ALM Partner Hub team,
We, [Partner Organization Name], hereby commit to use SAP Cloud ALM in all our ALM services for SAP Cloud solutions, delivered to our customers, whenever it’s applicable. As such, we request to be listed as a SAP Cloud ALM committed partner on the ALM Partner Hub showcasing us (along with our logo); for our ability to support our joint customers leveraging SAP Cloud ALM solutions to implement and/or operate SAP applications.
Kind Regards,
[SAP Partner representative]By participating in this program, SAP partners signal their alignment with SAP’s strategic direction for cloud ALM and gain visibility as committed practitioners of SAP Cloud ALM.
Conclusion
The SAP Cloud ALM partner programs provide valuable opportunities for SAP partners to enhance their market presence, demonstrate their expertise, and deepen their engagement with SAP’s cloud ALM solutions. Whether through showcasing customer success, extending SAP Cloud ALM capabilities, or committing to its use as a preferred delivery tool, these programs offer pathways for partners to grow and thrive within the SAP ecosystem. By actively participating in these initiatives, partners can strengthen their position in the market and contribute to the collective success of the SAP community.
