Customer COE Team Accreditation - From the customer's point of view

[AnnetteMichel]

In customer projects, we often find that the success of implementing, using, and operating SAP products depends significantly on users having the necessary knowledge of the functionality of the deployed SAP solutions and upcoming product innovations, processes and their efficiency being transparent, and responsibilities being clearly defined. In addition, problems in the project and operation of SAP products are less of a technical nature and are mostly due to non-technical reasons, such as lack of solution acceptance, knowledge gaps, or communication problems.

This is precisely where the Customer COE concept from SAP comes into play: To establish an SAP team of experts across the business and SAP products that brings together the right resources and thus promotes a continuous exchange of information within the company.

In line with the SAP product portfolio, the Customer COE concept has also continued to evolve, but its intention has remained: to combine SAP expertise and competencies in the company and to bring togehter SAP experts across all areas. The resulting knowledge and network enable the Customer COE to continuously manage and drive improvements and innovations centrally – and the SAP product across and deployment independently.

Customer COE Team Accreditation from SAP - a summary

We have already reported in the Customer COE Community Blog on the added value of a Customer COE in the customer company and about the team accreditation mentioned in the same breath.

In summary, our team accreditation provides our customers every two years with guidance on which topics are well established as a foundation, which still need to be addressed, and which remain unanswered. Why every two years? Quite simply – nothing is more constant than change. A regular review is recommended, and every two years has proven to be a successful approach. Of course, an audit can also be requested during the year, for example, if business units are merged or other major organizational or technical changes occur. Here, too, preparing for team accreditation helps to sit down with the relevant SAP experts within the company - from IT and business - and coordinate the new structure.

In addition to the orientation of which topics are important, the result of the team accreditation can be used to measure the maturity of the basic criteria for a successful customer COE. In our experience, this is a good starting point for staying in motion in the continuous improvement process.

Another aspect is not to be underestimated, namely that of “internal marketing.” Too easily, the “stay on the ball” goes under and competes with prestigious projects. This is precisely where you should be supported by the certificate that you receive after a successful Customer COE Team accreditation and/or the top 10 customer award. In the following, we will discuss this again.

“Top10 Team Accreditation” - the perfect starting point to earn a gold star

As already mentioned, ongoing efforts and day-to-day improvements often go unnoticed, overshadowed by the spotlight on high-profile projects or urgent 'rescue missions' once problems have already escalated.

Let us celebrate and regularly showcase the achievements of your SAP expert team.

As part of the annual top 10 team accreditation, the audit results of a calendar year are evaluated globally. The winners of the “Top 10 Team Accreditation” achieved a very good overall result as part of the audit, some even the highest score – 200 out of 200 points. All Customer COE Top 10 winners in the respective calendar year will be contacted personally and will receive a Top10 certificate by post.

The very good performance of the Customer COE audit is a reason to celebrate. Take advantage of the award, pat yourself and your SAP team of experts on the back, and talk about what you can afford in everyday practice.

Use the Customer COE Top10 certificate and communicate your very good performance in your company. This is precisely the intention of the Top 10 award – in line with the principle "do good and tell people about it”.

Congratulations to all Customer COE Top10 winners of the past years!
You have decided to bring together SAP experts in the company to moderate the continuous change process, thus increasing transparency and efficiency in the implementation and the use of SAP software solutions and services.

In 2024, Customer COE were once again able to impress with their excellent audit results. The Customer COEs of the following companies have been recognized, to name a few:

BARMHERZIGE BRÜDER ÖSTERREICH, Cervecería Polar, C.A., Cotemar S.A. de C.V., Dataport, Evonik, Festo SE & Co. KG, KPMG IT Service GmbH, Nord/LB Norddeutsche Landesbank, RWE AG, Universität Basel, Vattenfall.

Experience of successful Customer COEs

Customer COEs – according to the intension of SAP – combine SAP expertise in the company and bring it together across all areas. In this way, the opportunities and challenges of emerging changes can be proactively shaped at an early stage

What have experienced Customer COEs learned, and how have regular team accreditations and other Customer COE services supported their success?

KPMG IT Service
“Accreditation offers us an excellent opportunity to work professionally with SAP at expert level, as well as to provide excellent support for our SAP applications and business processes and to develop them innovatively. The SAP award is a very great motivation for all our employees at KPMG Deutschland’s “SAP Center of Excellence”, a recognition of our performance, and proudly fulfils us.

Oliver Kuhne, Strategy & Service Management, KPMG IT Service GmbH
Top10 Winner 2024

Informations-Verarbeitungs-Zentrum (IVZ) /Kooperation von ARD und Deutschlandradio
“On the way to the S/4 world, we also reorganized ourselves and aligned directly with the Customer COE Framework. The framework and accompanying service from SAP Business Transformation (BT&A) helped us establish new collaboration models, strengthen governance, and strengthen processes, among other things. Meanwhile, we have also reached a very high degree of maturity here, which perfectly reflects the excellent result of our last team accreditation. But our journey is not over. The further expansion of cloud integrations and the inclusion of AI possibilities and the associated adaptation of our organization are only two of our future topics. “

Gil Ritter, SAP Applications, Head of Department / Customer COE Manager
Top 10 Winners 2024

Customer COE des Land Hessen (Hessisches Competence Center, HCC)
Customer COE of the German State of Hessen
SAP’s best-practice approach, now known as the Customer COE, has always provided us with important suggestions and decision support in setting up and developing our organization and processes in the HCC. It is a matter of course for us that we take the two-year Customer COE team accreditation, as we benefit greatly from it. On the one hand, the preparation contested by a large employee subgroup is a task that strongly promotes cohesion. With the activities, we also take stock of our activities over the past two years, as the audit measures our maturity level. On the other hand, there is the SAP Customer COE Quick Assessment Service (two-day workshop). Of course, we are on the test and are evaluated. However, we also receive incentives for reflection and sound comments, which in turn give us valuable impulses for our further development. Our serious approach has so far always been reflected in good results. The last six times, we each achieved the maximum number of points, which as a success of all employees also goes beyond the HCC.

Elisabeth Degoutrie, Head of Customer COE Management
Top 10 Winners 2023

Stadtwerke Potsdam GmbH
“We, from Stadtwerke Potsdam, are extremely proud and unbelievably happy to have received the award from SAP as one of the “Best 10 Customer COEs”. This honour is an exceptional recognition for the achievements of the entire team in recent years. Since 2004, we successfully undergo the certification/ team accreditation for SAP Customer COE every two years. The entire program provides us with valuable impulses regarding SAP’s strategy, new architecture concepts, and the modern operation of an SAP landscape. With these insights, we continuously evolve our organization and operations. Meanwhile, we have reached a highly professional level, for which we received this great award. It motivates all of us to continue along the path we have taken. “

Torsten Püplichhuisen, Head of Application Department, Stadwerke Potsdam
Top10 Winner 2023

Deutsche Rentenversicherung  (DRV)
“The SAP Customer COE program has always encouraged us to take new paths. No easy undertaking in the public sector. We are on the road with our Customer COE on these new paths – with agile approach, where it fits, with lived BizDevOps to realize our business requirements faster and with first steps to the cloud. The SAP Customer COE Team Accreditation (formerly certification), which lasts every two years, was awarded 200 points this time. It helps us – especially our customers – to position us as a competent team in the SAP environment.  Public service – and it’s all about it! “

Marko Stamatovic, IT domain personnel, German pension insurance
Top10 Winner 2023

regio iT gesellschaft für informationstechnologie mbh
“For us as a service provider, excellent service is very important. Our motto: “Delight customers! “. The renewed recognition of our SAP Customer COE in the top 10 is also important for our customers and a guarantee that you have chosen the right partner for all SAP matters and topics. For us! “

Daniel Geers, Center Manager SAP Platform & Operations, regio iT gesellschaft für informationtechnologie mbh
Top 10 Winners 2023

You’re curious now and want to start your own Customer COE journey?

Reach out to us anytime. In our Customer COE Portal Media Library, you can find support offerings for the setup and further development of your Customer COE under the chapter “Service”. Your SAP contacts and the SAP Customer COE program team  will be happy to help you find the right support for you.