Support Levels

The role of the channel partner is to provide first and second level support to the end user, while Eralis is responsible for providing third level support to the channel partner. Below are definitions of each of these levels.

1. First Level Support – First level support involves analyzing the problem that the end user is encountering and understanding what they are trying to achieve with a particular process to ensure that the root cause of an issue can be identified rather than just a potential symptom. This may require the consultant to work through the potential issue with the end user to establish if it is a business process issue, as well as review the self-help and training materials available to establish if there is relevant information on the topic.
   
   
2. Second Level Support – If an outcome cannot be established at the first level of support, then the issue should be escalated to a second level of support involving potentially a more experienced consultant carrying out more detailed analysis of the issue. In this level it is important to review any customizations that may have been applied to the end user site, which may be impacting the issue and compare the results of the process achieved in the end user system with the results of the same process carried out in a standard database.
   
   
3. Third Level Support – Eralis is responsible for third level support relating to Eralis products which involves detailed analysis of an issue potentially at the code level of the application to establish the root cause of an issue. Where possible, we will try to establish a solution that does not involve significant disruption to the end user; however, if changes to the application need to be carried out, a new version of the software will need to be applied to the end user site by the channel partner.

For Eralis to carry out the third level of support, the results and information that have been gained in first and second level analysis will need to be provided and it is the responsibility of the channel partner to provide all such information when logging a support request with Eralis. This may involve emailing attachments to Eralis using the address outlined in the Eralis Support introduction.

Where changes need to be made to the application, the support issue will be transferred to development and will be scheduled accordingly based on the development cycle and priority of the issue. Eralis will provide updates regarding the issue when it is scheduled for development, along with updates when the development has been completed and a version released. It is the responsibility of the channel partner to update the end user as to the progress of the issue along with applying the version when it is available.

Support Priorities

When entering a support issue in the online system, the partner can enter a priority level for the support issue. This priority level relates to the impact that the issue is having on the end user; while every issue generates a level of frustration, it is important to set the priority level in a responsible manner. Eralis will alter the priority level if it is deemed appropriate.  If sending an email to support, the priority can be included in the subject line of the email.

The response time outlined in the priority definitions below indicate the maximum time during standard business hours in North America that Eralis will take to update a support ticket. This does not include an automated acknowledgement of the support ticket. The response time does not indicate a resolution time for the ticket which will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

1. An urgent priority support issue indicates a scenario where a system function cannot be carried out affecting a critical business process and no workaround exists for the issue.
   
   The response time for an urgent priority ticket is immediate by way of a phone call through to the Eralis 24 hour support line. In such a scenario, the issue must first be logged in the partner support site.
   
   Eralis offers 24 hour support assistance for urgent issues. If an issue needs to be dealt with on an urgent basis outside of standard North American business hours, once you have logged a ticket, please contact Eralis on the number outlined in the Eralis Support introduction and follow the prompts for after-hours support on SAP products.

2. A high priority support issue indicates a scenario where a business critical function is affected, however a workaround, even though it may be cumbersome, does exist.
   
   The response time for a high priority support issue is within 24 hours.

3. A medium priority support issue indicates a scenario where a disruption to the business workflow has occurred in a business non-critical process and a workaround does exist.
   
   The response time for a medium priority support issue is within 24 hours.

4. A support issue of low priority is a general query of no urgency. These are generally product related queries.
   
   The response time for a low priority support issue is within 48 hours.

Support Category

The support categories are used to outline the nature of the support ticket that is being logged. Four standard categories are available:

1. Bug Report – The Bug Report category is used to indicate a failing in the product where the product is not working as outlined in the documentation or is carrying out a process incorrectly. When logging a bug report, it is extremely important to ensure that all self-help options have been reviewed and to outline:
   1. The steps involved in replicating the issue.
   2. The impact that the issue is having on the end user.
   
   During the course of working on the support ticket, if we feel that the issue may be due to incorrect configuration of the system or environment, or that the issue may be due to a customization that has been applied to the site, Eralis may indicate that there is potential that the issue is of a consulting nature. Please review the section on Support and Consulting for the implication of this.

2. New Feature Request – The New Feature Request category is used to record requests relating to changes and enhancements to the existing functions within the application or to add support to an Eralis product for a business process that is not currently covered or supported, or to include a new feature or function into the product. This may include adding new fields or extending the function to complete a business process.
   
   These support tickets will generally always involve development and as such, Eralis can choose not to incorporate the requested enhancements or new feature, or to carry out the enhancements in a slightly different manner to accommodate the overall plans for the product. If Eralis does agree to carry out the development work, then the ticket will be passed over to development and will be scheduled for development based on the current Eralis development schedule. The ticket will be updated once it has been assigned to a version and updated again once the version has been released.
   
   Please contact Eralis should the end user be prepared to contribute toward the development cost of the enhancement in order to have the work carried out sooner.

3. Product License Request – Any issue related to product licensing, be it a request for a new or upgraded license, or an issue with applying a license should be flagged under this category.
   
   
4. Support Question – The Support Question category is a general category that covers support requests that do not fit into any of the other categories. When entering a support question ticket, please ensure that all self-help options have been reviewed, along with training and product documentation.
   
   During the course of work on the support ticket, if we feel that the topic is covered in either the self-help or other supporting documentation, Eralis may indicate that there is potential for the issue to be of a consulting nature.