We recently implemented the first live SAP Commerce Cloud V2 website in the UK and Ireland for a well-known high street retailer. Following this successful implementation, and with two more projects inflight, James Johnstone, our Lead SAP Commerce Solutions Architect, shares some insights into the new solution.
What are the key benefits of SAP Commerce Cloud V2?
Self-service. The main benefit of SAP Commerce Cloud V2 is the increased self-service that it provides. There is reliance on the SAP support team every time a change to the platform infrastructure is necessary. Tasks that previously would have required support engineers to action and perform can now be carried out via the portal, providing one point of contact for the customer. This means less “three–way conversations” between the customer, SAP, and the systems integrator, enabling changes to be made faster and more efficiently.
Zero downtime deployments. The platform’s move from manual to automated is also a massive benefit to customers. Deployments were previously carried out manually, which resulted in website downtime and potential lost revenue. SAP Commerce Cloud V2 makes these deployments automated and scripted, eliminating the necessity for human involvement at any stage.
Scale. Customers can also benefit from the elastic-scaling that Commerce Cloud V2 provides, enabling websites to react to an unexpected spike in traffic that could result from a television advertising campaign or sales event. Environments are now auto-scaled dynamically rather than there being a need for systems to be delivered with extra capacity built in.
Why is this important and what does it mean for businesses?
Being the first to implement and launch a Cloud Commerce V2 website, our team has gathered the necessary knowledge and skills to setup very quickly. The relationship we have developed with SAP allows us to provide continued feedback to ensure that V2 provides our customers with the best experience possible.
With any new solution deployment, there are expected teething problems and “gotchas” that will be experienced. We have the benefit of understanding these issues and knowing exactly what to look out for. We understand exactly what is and isn’t possible in Cloud V2, which is something that can only be gathered on the frontline through implementations.
We also have the experience of monitoring and maintaining a live Cloud V2 website, including the rollout of new zero-downtime deployments, something that no other systems integrator has. Our team has also developed our own modules that monitor Cloud V2 sites to ensure the site is functioning optimally at all times.
Our knowledge of SAP Commerce Cloud V2 is already benefitting two of our clients who will be live on Cloud V2 soon and making the process smoother and more efficient – one is in the process of upgrading from Cloud V1 and the other is a B2B implementation. I will share learnings from these in due course.
In the meantime, if you’d like some expert advice on SAP Commerce Cloud V2 and whether it is right for your business, speak to one of our experts on 020 3326 1900.
