In the face of a skills shortage, SAP AMS can effectively relieve the burden on internal SAP teams by having an external partner assume operational responsibility for clearly defined areas. Your internal team gains time to focus on transformation while retaining responsibility for processes, priorities, and corporate knowledge.
Why is the shortage of skilled workers putting more pressure on SAP teams?
Although the number of open IT positions has declined, many companies still find it difficult – or impossible – to develop the necessary expertise in the short term.
According to the Bitkom study on the IT labor market in 2026, Germany still faces a shortage of 79,000 IT professionals. The shortage has nearly halved compared to 2023. But that’s no reason to let our guard down: 97 percent of the companies surveyed that have IT positions open report difficulties in filling them.
This creates a double burden for SAP teams. Day-to-day operations require reliable support, while transformation and digitalization projects demand the same internal specialists. Support requests, minor adjustments, and peak workloads following a go-live can then eat into the time that would be needed for strategic tasks. If critical application knowledge is held by only a few people, this further exacerbates the bottleneck.
How does SAP AMS help your team cope with the shortage of skilled workers?
As part of SAP Application Management Services (SAP AMS), an external partner assumes operational responsibility for agreed-upon areas, rather than simply processing individual tickets.
It all starts with clearly defined responsibilities. Your company and XEPTUM determine which tasks are included in the service, what performance targets apply, and how collaboration and escalation will be organized. Responsibility for business processes, priorities, and key decisions remains with your company. XEPTUM handles the agreed-upon tasks related to day-to-day SAP application management.
Depending on the scope of services, this may include support requests, recurring maintenance tasks, or additional support needs following a go-live. Selected operational tasks can also be transferred in phases. This gives your company access to SAP expertise without having to maintain all the necessary in-house capabilities on a permanent basis.
SAP AMS in the Face of a Skilled Labor Shortage: Less Operational Burden, More Structure, and More Flexibility for Strategic IT Projects.
XEPTUM is an SAP Silver Partner and has been helping companies further develop their SAP environments for more than 25 years.
Does your SAP team need some relief?
We’ll work with you to determine which operational tasks XEPTUM can handle and which AMS scope best fits your needs. This way, you can free up your internal team without relinquishing control over processes and priorities.
Contact us now with no obligation
How does SAP AMS create room for transformation?
When clearly defined operational tasks are reliably handled, the internal IT department can once again focus more on business-related changes.
Additional capacity is only part of the benefit. What’s crucial is that day-to-day operations aren’t constantly competing with strategic initiatives for the same people. A tailored managed service can free up resources for:
- Strategic SAP Topics and Transformation,
- Digitization and Process Optimization,
- new business requirements and innovations,
- the further development of our own IT organization.
This flexibility does not arise automatically. The service requires a clearly defined scope, reliable collaboration, and regular coordination on priorities. Then the AMS model can continue to evolve in line with actual needs without first having to introduce new technology.
How do you get started with a predictable AMS model?
Predictability arises when the scope of services, responsibilities, and service goals align with the actual staffing shortage.
A phased handover makes the transition easier. Before getting started, it should be clear which tasks XEPTUM will handle, which decisions will remain internal, and who is responsible for answering questions. Documentation and established escalation procedures help ensure that knowledge remains accessible within the company.
For temporary spikes in workload, a flexible scope of services may be sufficient. If certain skills are consistently lacking, reliable responsibilities and appropriate service hours are needed. XEPTUM’s AMS service modules can be combined in a modular fashion.
Take a lasting load off your SAP team.
Is your SAP team lacking capacity or specific expertise? Together, we’ll identify which tasks XEPTUM can take on and develop an AMS model that meets your needs. Get in touch with our SAP experts and free up more resources for your internal IT team.
