May 21, 2020 | Larry Goldman | Senior Director, Product Marketing
Third-party software support is different from SAP-provided support in many ways. One is that each customer is assigned one or more named support engineers. Unlike the randomly appointed junior engineers you receive when entering a ticket with SAP, our engineer gets to know you and your technical stack over time. This is why Spinnaker Support engineers are often described as a natural extension of the in-house customer IT team.
Spinnaker Support launched our SAP practice in 2012 for SAP ERP and Business Objects Support and Managed Services. Over the ensuing years, we’ve built a tremendously talented team of engineers, analysts, and developers to serve our global customers. We hire staff carefully in all of our global offices based on criteria that include technical experience, critical thinking skills, and an aptitude for customer service.
In this second post in our employee spotlight series, we are pleased to introduce you to an SAP Architect.
Priyanka Ravishankar, Senior Technical Architect, SAP
Greetings, Priyanka. Tell us about your role at Spinnaker Support.
I provide all aspects of technical support in relation to SAP Software to all our customers. This includes giving advice to customers on solutions analysis, design, and implementation and supporting their day-to-day activities.
What is your background?
When I started my career, I worked as an SAP Basis consultant with IBM, and over the next 12 years I climbed up the ladder as Application Architect in companies like Hitachi, Deloitte, and IAS IBM. I have worked on both Implementation and support projects for various customers in the Aerospace, Mining, and Pharmaceuticals industries. Prior to joining Spinnaker Support in July 2017, I was part of the in-house SAP support team for a company in the semiconductor industry.
When and why did you first get involved with SAP?
After graduating in 2003 and while working with Dell, I could see the potential of ERP solutions as a potential career track. I was trained in SAP, and in 2006, when I was offered work with IBM, I joined them as an SAP Consultant.
Do you have an SAP specialty?
The responsibilities of an SAP technical consultant like myself include configurations, monitoring, tuning, and troubleshooting the different products of SAP Applications where one must constantly upgrade and stay up to date with the rapidly changing and evolving technologies. Two new technologies that I find very fascinating now are SAP HANA and Cloud solutions for SAP systems.
What do you most like about working with Spinnaker Support customers?
I most enjoy engaging with customers, solving their issues with innovative solutions, supporting their project implementations, and using my skills and confidence to empower other SAP users. While I have a more technical background, I’ve benefited from our distinct, broad support model. It’s given me a huge insight into functional domains, broadening my general knowledge in various other domains as well.
Do you have a recent example of going “above and beyond” to help a customer?
I am particularly proud of the time when one customer reached out after having spent almost 12 hours trying to bring its system back up and running. As soon as they logged the ticket, I jumped on the case, and we resolved the issue in under 3 hours. The customer was highly satisfied by the quality of my work and impressed by the high level of commitment we brought to resolving their ticket.
What is one piece of support advice you would give to an SAP user?
I’d recommend several activities: (1) schedule monitoring and alerts in all the layers where SAP Application is running, (2) back up the database and file systems/folders at regular intervals, and (3) schedule time for regular maintenance and the testing of backup/restore or DR-related activities. There’s no better way to avoid unwanted downtime.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I live in Singapore, and during my spare time, I enjoy running, cooking, and gardening the most. In the week, I like to stay local, but during the weekend, I usually complete a more scenic and challenging running route. I love learning new cooking techniques and dishes. With staying indoors and at home as the new norm, I’ve been engaging my 6-year-old daughter in gardening, which has become more fun as it’s also a hands-on nature activity.
