Cloud ALM, with its provided APIs, is suitable as a central hub for a Best-of-Breed IT strategy. Learn why.
Monolithic on-premise systems are effective as long as they are not abandoned. All functionalities seamlessly interlock, objects reference each other, and this generally results in excellent end-to-end traceability. However, problems arise as soon as you move away from the monolith. This can be due to insufficient functionalities or the unavoidable use of additional systems. A classic example of such a monolithic system is the SAP Solution Manager. The often not entirely incorrect verdict was: ‘The Solution Manager can do everything, but nothing well.’
The Solution Manager allowed for process management, integrated document management, test management, incident management, and more. All these functionalities were present and served their purpose. However, for each of these functionalities, a competitor would have offered superior performance. The challenge, however, was connecting these competitors and numerous systems. This involved countless interfaces and custom developments that incurred significant costs and risks not only during creation but also in ongoing operation. The Best-of-Breed strategy was simply too cumbersome and expensive with the Solution Manager, which is why few companies adopted it.
What are the advantages of a Best-of-Breed approach?
The benefits are clear. For each area of application, the most suitable tool with the appropriate functionalities is used. This ensures that each tool provides optimal results for every user group in their respective areas, leading to high acceptance and satisfaction. Unless required by process, the interoperability of different tools is secondary.
Best-of-Breed Approach with Cloud ALM
How does SAP Cloud ALM support a Best-of-Breed IT strategy?
With SAP Cloud ALM, a Best-of-Breed approach becomes significantly more interesting and realistic. Similar to the SAP Solution Manager, Cloud ALM also offers a wealth of different functionalities, including project management, test management, process management, and more. The fundamental difference between Cloud ALM and the Solution Manager is the constantly growing number of provided APIs. This significantly facilitates the connection and data exchange between Cloud ALM and other systems.
Thus, Cloud ALM is not just one of many puzzle pieces in a Best-of-Breed strategy; SAP Cloud ALM is perfectly suited to be the central hub where all deployed and connected tools converge. While the challenge of implementing interfaces still exists, the multitude of already provided and continuously developed APIs makes Cloud ALM the optimal platform for implementation. The standardized APIs enable the development of interfaces between SAP Cloud ALM and other tools in the IT landscape with reduced effort.
Do you already have a Best-of-Breed IT strategy and are looking for optimization opportunities, or are you planning to introduce one? Contact us; we would be pleased to support you with our expertise.
