SAP Cloud ALM – The essential tool for any SAP Cloud implementation

After more than 20 years working closely with SAP products and platforms, 12 of them at Realtech, I’ve had the privilege of guiding numerous organisations through complex SAP implementations.

Over the years, I’ve witnessed firsthand how the right tools can make or break a project.

Lately I’ve been very impressed with the capabilities and tools available in SAP Cloud ALM, providing out of the box options to help users manage the entire lifecycle of SAP systems, from implementation to decommissioning, by providing tools for monitoring, troubleshooting, and ensuring smooth operations, adding a modern approach to application lifecycle management tailored to the world of SAP S/4HANA.

I have recently participated in several SAP S/4HANA Cloud deployment projects, and I have found that the Project Management collaboration tool delivers excellent visibility, control, and collaboration. This tool will be our preferred solution for all future SAP projects.

A native solution for a complex landscape

Historically, SAP customers had SAP Solution Manager to lean on but typically employed third-party project management tools like Microsoft Project to manage their SAP deployments. While functional, these tools were never integrated into the SAP ecosystem. They operated in silos, requiring manual updates and constant reconciliation between the project plan and the actual state of the SAP landscape.

SAP Cloud ALM changes this paradigm entirely. It is a native SAP tool, designed from the ground up to work seamlessly with both SAP S/4HANA Cloud and other SAP cloud solutions like SuccessFactors and Ariba. This means you gain a unified, real-time view across all your SAP IT assets and projects, eliminating the disconnects and inefficiencies of external tools.

Purpose-built project management

One of the standout features of SAP Cloud ALM is its robust project management capability. It comes pre-loaded with templates aligned to SAP’s Activate methodology, tailored for both public and private cloud deployments. These templates cover every phase of a typical SAP project, from digital discovery to go-live and beyond. The tool allows you to plan, schedule, and assign tasks across all areas—technology, application, and business process—ensuring that every deployment step is tracked and managed.

Crucially, both customer and partner teams have access to the same dashboards and status updates. This transparency fosters true collaboration and enables everyone, from project leads to steering committees, to see exactly where things stand. You can drill down to the individual level to monitor task completion, identify bottlenecks, and reallocate resources as needed—helping ensure projects stay on track and on budget.

SAP Cloud ALM has effective project management tools built in.

Ease of use and rapid deployment

Compared to its predecessor, Solution Manager, SAP Cloud ALM is remarkably easy to set up and use. Where Solution Manager might have taken several days to configure and connect to relevant systems, Cloud ALM can be up and running in half a day. Its intuitive interface and flexible template system mean you can start with SAP’s best-practice approaches or import your own templates, adapting the tool to your organisation’s unique needs.

Value beyond go-live

The benefits of SAP Cloud ALM don’t end at project completion. The tool retains all project data, providing a valuable reference for ongoing system management, future upgrades, or additional projects. Its monitoring and alerting capabilities ensure you stay ahead of critical tasks—such as certificate renewals or system updates—helping maintain the health and security of your SAP landscape over time.

Cost-effective and inclusive

Perhaps one of the most compelling aspects is that SAP Cloud ALM is included for customers with an active SAP subscription. There’s no need to pay for additional third-party project management licenses when all the capabilities you require are already built into the platform you’re deploying. This not only reduces costs but also simplifies your technology stack and support arrangements.

SAP Cloud ALM features dashboards that give all stakeholders visibility into progress.

A tool for modern SAP delivery

With many New Zealand SAP users planning or in the process of implementing SAP S/4HANA, SAP Cloud ALM serves as a free tool that shouldn’t be overlooked. At Realtech, we now recommend SAP Cloud ALM for every SAP cloud project. Its collaborative, transparent, and easy-to-use approach represents a significant leap forward from previous tools and sets the standard for modern SAP project delivery.

Its easy-to-use approach represents a significant leap forward from previous tools and sets the standard for modern SAP project delivery.

Learn more about SAP Cloud ALM here and get in touch with Realtech to find out how to apply it to your SAP cloud projects.