The global company has been outsourcing the support of SAP BPC for several years and has recently outsourced the hosting as well. “One of the reasons that we’re outsourcing is that when there are issues, we want to be able to have support as soon as possible,” says Khalid Belhadj, Reporting Manager at BrandLoyalty.
BrandLoyalty provides short-term loyalty programs that impact consumer behavior on a mass scale. The company is owned by Alliance Data Systems, a global provider of data-driven marketing and loyalty solutions for over 1,000 consumer-based companies across all industries.
Expertise needed to support SAP BPC
Initially, BrandLoyalty outsourced the hosting and technical support of SAP BPC to a large, global consultancy firm. However, this turned out to be unsatisfying. “They do not have the expertise needed to support SAP BPC,” says Khalid.
"We want to work with experts in the area of planning and consolidation. Now, we have a partner that knows exactly what to do."
Simon Green - BrandLoyalty
Also, the response time was low. “It took too much time to get support during the month-end,” says Khalid. “We felt that we were not that important to them, as we did not fit in their desired client portfolio that aims for larger companies,” says Simon Green, Senior IT Project Manager at BrandLoyalty.
Dissatisfied with the service the global consultancy firm provided, BrandLoyalty changed to Swap Support. “We want to work with subject matter experts, in this case, experts in the area of planning and consolidation,” says Simon. “Now, we have a partner that knows exactly what to do.”
Various options for outsourcing hosting SAP BPC
As the company was growing fast, Simon and Khalid also wanted a long-term collaboration with a company that could support the growth. “We were looking for a partner that can help us scale up. Swap Support can provide us with the support we need during our growth,” says Simon. “This is not the end phase for BrandLoyalty; we have future plans and need to take more steps.”
Simon and Khalid looked at various options for outsourcing the hosting: the Azure platform offered by Microsoft, the Swap Support Azure platform, and dedicated hosting at Swap Support.
“We chose the dedicated hosting option. Expert understanding and cost management were the main reasons for this decision,” says Simon. “It’s a PaaS (Platform as a Service) solution that fits our needs. Also, out of all the options, most SAP BPC expertise can be found here. We feel very comfortable with it.”
Smooth migration of hosting
The migration to Swap Support was completed within 6 weeks. “Moving quickly was important for us, as we did not want to be vulnerable during the quarter-end reporting period. At the same time, we wanted to move as soon as possible,” says Khalid.
“The migration was unbelievably smooth, with a clearly understood migration path. Swap Support used experienced, dedicated personnel and led the way,” says Simon.
"As we have a single point of contact for all our questions regarding SAP BPC, we do not have to think about who we ask which question to anymore."
Khalid Belhadj - BrandLoyalty
Single Point of Contact for hosting and support of SAP BPC
Both Khalid and Simon are enthusiastic about outsourcing the hosting and support of SAP BPC at Swap Support. “As we have a single point of contact for all our questions regarding SAP BPC, we do not have to think about who we ask which question to anymore.”
The user experience and performance have improved. “Before, the consolidation run took 40 to 50 minutes, now it takes us only 20 to 25 minutes,” says Khalid. “This is very helpful; as a result, we do not have to work extremely late during the closing periods.”
Tight reporting schedule
The global company works with a tight reporting schedule, making a reliable system even more essential. “As we are reporting to our mother company on workday 4, it is important for us that the system works as it should. Especially during our month-end close, we need fast answers. During the day, but in the evening as well. At Swap Support, we can always get the right type of support.”
