Think groups, not modules, when venturing into ERP

Q. I have five years of experience in marketing research, which includes B2B research (agency side), media research and IT research.

I am now working for an IT company in Dubai as a market research executive. My work profile in this company is not a technical one, it's pure marketing research.

I have been thinking of a career shift to ERP (functional module) for some time. But since my experience is in marketing research, I am unsure about the module I choose. Expert opinion says that relevant domain experience is essential to select the module in ERP.

I have been browsing over to match my work experience with certain functional modules but I couldn't find a related match.

I am an electronics engineer and have an MBA degree too.
I am not so keen on finance modules since I don’t have much interest or skill in it. Could you suggest the right module for me? Could project portfolio management or strategic enterprise management be the right choice?


Career advice from Richard Talbot, general manager of IT recruitment specialist,
Sapphire Technologies Singapore:


Most of the major ERP systems installed have the financials modules at their core. So although this area is not the one of most interest to you, it is where much of the demand for staff comes from.

More important than the module, in our opinion, would be the ERP product that you choose to move into. The major market products are SAP, Oracle and Peoplesoft.
Commercially, SAP is the product with the greatest skills shortage in the Asia-Pacific region. This would be the one we would suggest to you, as it's easiest to get an opportunity to work with (supply and demand).

In relation to the specific module you are interested in, you should be aware that organizations that implement these systems rarely have consultants with skills in just one module--more often the modules are generally requested in groups.

The primary groups that consultants have experience in are:
• Financials • Supply Chain • HR/Payroll • CRM • Manufacturing

Rather than choosing a specific module it's better to choose an "area" to work in, then attempt to get training/experience in the core modules that fall into that area. The consultants most in demand are capable of conducting functional analysis around the major core modules in these areas.

More Links:

• Is a short course on SAP good enough?
  Earning potential of SAP functional consultant
• Will a Java expert need to learn ABAP to get into SAP?

Source: ZDNetAsia

Will a Java expert need to learn ABAP to get into SAP?

If I am a well-experienced Java Web-based Programmer and want to get into SAP environment, do I need to study ABAP? Or do I need to get the ABAP certification?

Certification is a "nice to have" in the SAP market, nothing more. What matters more to you is this: What kinds of skills do the best SAP programmers have? In past columns, I've noted that the SAP programmer of the future is going to be a "hybrid" of Java, XML, and ABAP. That's a little simplistic, because SAP has all kinds of proprietary, Web-based tools you'll need to keep an eye on as well. However, I don't think you have to have ABAP to succeed as an SAP programmer anymore (though it's always helpful). What you really need to do is find a way to tie your Java skills into SAP-related technologies. That means getting yourself in on some type of SAP implementation. I recently did an interview with an SAP Enterprise Portals consultant who had a lot to say about the potential of Portals. Portals is one area where Java skills will come into play during mySAP product installations, but there are others. You may be able to find your way onto an SAP project based solely on the skills you have now. If you think training and certification might help you, you might look into getting training in something specific to SAP's web-based initiatives, such as Enterprise Portals, Unification Server, BAPIs, SAP Java Connector, etc. That kind of training might be even more valuable to you than ABAP exposure. What you need is a clearer understanding of how your Java skills tie into mySAP project needs, and that's going to take legwork. Formal training is one possible aspect of that, but online resources like SearchSAP.com also have a lot to offer you.

By Jon Reed

Related link:
Philippines: It Pays To Get Tech Certified
What is the future of a SAP technical/ABAP programmer?

What The Differences Between ABAP and HR-ABAP

The ABAP HR is an integral part of ABAP. Generally in ABAP the following are done:

1) Table development
2) Date Processing
3) Report developing
4) BAPIs /RFC s
5) Data base update
6) Screens development/enhancement
7) Scripts and smart forms.
8) Function Building
9) Java connectors etc.

This is basically done through the PROGRAMMING in ABAP builder by using ABAP 4th generation language. This may be related to any module of my SAP ERP 2004 like HR, FICO.SD,MM,CRM Etc.,

Now when it is said ABAP HR. It is the development of ABAP in the area of HR to meet the clients requirements according to the functional specifications .They may be in any area of HR like in the areas of time aspects ,pay aspects, OM aspects and Self Services like E-recruitment, ESS etc.,

In HR ABAP you use select statements significantly less than in other areas of ABAP development. Logical databases have limited applications in other modules but are very useful in HR. Also, you really need to understand the infotype time constraint concept. When you cannot get the information that you need out of the logical DB look at the function modules starting with HR* and RH*. These function modules will provide you with multiple ways of accessing data to save time. Worst-case scenario, use a select statement.

Why do you use infotypes in HR ABAP programming, and how is it different from other modules?

Infotypes are the only way to pull current HR data from a screen in HR. Other modules only utilize screens; however, in HR the same screen can be utilized multiple times for different reasons (i.e. New Hire, Termination and Leave of Absence). ABAP programming must utilize Infotypes to capture accurate information.

Related link: What The Differences Between ABAP and HR-ABAP?

ABAPers on Beach

Just wanna share this picture, nice edit! hehe

More Links:

• What is ABAP?
• What is the future of a SAP technical/ABAP programmer?
• Which one to take: SAP ABAP, Oracle DBA or CCNA?

Where to enroll for ABAP courses in Manila ?

Check out these prices on this ABAP Courses from SAP Philippines.

TAW10_54 ABAP Workbench Fundamentals
Start Date: 24.03.08
End Date: 04.04.08
Days:10
Fee / Person: P 204,000.00

TAW12_B32 ABAP Workbench Concepts
Start Date: 07.04.08
End Date: 25.04.08
Days:15
Fee / Person: P210,000.00

TAW12_B32 ABAP Workbench Concepts
Start Date: 14.04.08
End Date: 02.05.08
Days:15
Fee / Person: P210,000.00


I think you can inquire in University of Asia Pacific in Ortigas as they have ABAP course offered on their curiculum. Also with KAISA Philippines.


To view the complete list of courses click here.

For other countries, click here.

An ABAP-trained MBA holder eyes an SAP-based job

Q. I have an MBA in marketing and engineering in computer science. So far, I don’t have any great career growth probably due to a lack of planning or implementation. I did engineering in 2002 and the MBA in 2007.

Before doing the MBA, I had training in SAP ABAP, but couldn’t be placed anywhere due to lack of opportunities for "freshies" in SAP. Again after doing MBA, I want to go into SAP. ERP is my dream job. Currently I am a sales manager.
Please suggest how to enter into an SAP functional job and which module training will be best according to today's trends.
rahul

Career advice from Stella Thevarakam, regional HR director of management and technology consulting firm ISS Consulting (M):

Since you had some SAP ABAP training, I would advice you to continue with ABAP and get certified and then have cross-functional training into a logistic module based on your background.

There will be a sharp learning curve for you and probably a salary cut as you are going into a completely different career path and your past experience cannot contribute much to the SAP path.

You need go into an organization as a freshie and go through their "freshies" program to pick up the SAP skills. Then, after about a year, move into actual implementation, still as a freshie and grow from there.

What is ABAP?

ABAP (Advanced Business Application Programming) is a high level programming language created by the German software company SAP. It is currently positioned, alongside the more recently introduced Java, as the language for programming SAP's Web Application Server, part of its NetWeaver platform for building business applications. Its syntax is somewhat similar to COBOL.


History

ABAP is one of the many application-specific fourth-generation languages (4GLs) first developed in the 1980s. It was originally the report language for SAP R/2, a platform that enabled large corporations to build mainframe business applications for materials management and financial and management accounting. ABAP used to be an abbreviation of Allgemeiner Berichtsaufbereitungsprozessor, the German meaning of "generic report preparation processor", but was later renamed to c. ABAP was one of the first languages to include the concept of Logical Databases (LDBs), which provides a high level of abstraction from the basic database level.

The ABAP programming language was originally used by developers to develop the SAP R/3 platform. It was also intended to be used by SAP customers to enhance SAP applications – customers can develop custom reports and interfaces with ABAP programming. The language is fairly easy to learn for programmers but it is not a tool for direct use by non-programmers. Good programming skills, including knowledge of relational database design and preferably also of object-oriented concepts, are required to create ABAP programs.

ABAP remains the language for creating programs for the client-server R/3 system, which SAP first released in 1992. As computer hardware evolved through the 1990s, more and more of SAP's applications and systems were written in ABAP. By 2001, all but the most basic functions were written in ABAP. In 1999, SAP released an object-oriented extension to ABAP called ABAP Objects, along with R/3 release 4.6.

SAP's most recent development platform, NetWeaver, supports both ABAP and Java.

Too late to start a programming career?

Q. I have been working as an accountant in a food manufacturing company for eight years now. I have an interest in programming, though I don't have any experience. Last year, I decided to take up courses in C++ and Visual Basic.

What are my chances of having a career in IT? Does age matter to recruiters nowadays? What type of programming should I pursue in order to use both my accounting and IT skills?
Career advice from Roger Olofsson, associate director of executive recruitment agency Robert Walters: A. I would say it is definitely not impossible to shift to an IT career after eight years in accounting, however, it is important that you realize that it will require hard work, a lot of commitment and potentially sacrifice in terms of career and salary regression in the short term. I wish I could say age doesn't matter but unfortunately often it does. Nevertheless, skills, capabilities and attitude accounts for a lot and can definitely swing the pendulum in your favor. I am not so sure about your choice being C++ as that is a very technical form of programming with very little relevance to your field of expertise, accounting. I would strongly recommend you to have a look at gaining technical expertise in financial modules of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software such as SAP and Oracle as you then could combine your technical interest in programming with your functional expertise in accounting.

John Brand, director of IT analyst house Hydrasight: A. Hydrasight observes that there are some regional differences when it comes to workers' ages in IT. In Australia, for example, age tends to go against people quite significantly in the more technical side of IT. Recruiters of more business-centric IT roles (project managers, business analysts, IT executive management) have a fairly ambivalent view. They certainly don't seem to disadvantage the older workers but don't seem to favor them either. In Malaysia and Singapore, and in other parts of the Asia-Pacific region, age tends to be associated more with wisdom and experience, and is quite often highly valued. It doesn't seem to matter quite as much in these regions whether you're an IT executive or technical specialist, it's your skills that matter foremost.

However, the biggest impact to programmer roles generally is the affect cheaper labor is having on the market. China and India are now having a much greater impact at all levels of the IT industry--not just the "top end of town" with major outsourcing or help-desk deals. You now regularly hear of stories of small and medium-sized businesses using online sites where you can source very cheap programming skills from overseas simply by uploading your specifications to them to bid on. The total cost of ownership, however, still isn't clear as the life-cycle management of applications over the longer term is likely to less favor this very tactical approach.

Regardless, programming skills are still desired in the domestic market but more often for maintenance and integration tasks rather than full application development as in days gone by. The real hot jobs though are in the business of running IT, such as executive management, project management, architects (though becoming less so) and business analysts. As far as the type of programming you should be going for, it's not really the type so much as the field. Without having seem your resume, my guess is a supply chain focus is most likely to make the best use of your skills.

Source: ZDNetAsia

Related Links:

Career Shift: Which would be the best option: Oracle or SAP?

Can a Computing graduate go into SAP?

Career Shift: Which would be the best option: Oracle or SAP?

Strong demand for SAP skills in Asia

Regional job prospects are looking good for SAP consultants, with hiring companies willing to offer attractive compensation packages just to get the best talent.
According to Kelly Chua, consultant for the IT and telecommunications practice with Hudson Singapore, demand is "strong" in Singapore, Malaysia, China, Thailand and Australia for SAP functional skills such as financial accounting and controlling (FICO), materials management (MM), and production planning (PP).

"Overall, the demand for such expertise is higher in discrete and process manufacturing industries, where the companies usually utilize a wider spectrum of SAP modules for different business areas," Chua said in an e-mail.
Although there is little difference between entry-level positions across the different technology areas, experienced SAP consultants generally command higher paychecks than the average IT professional, she said.

"SAP consultants are paid a premium for their specific SAP project experience," said Chua. "Career prospects and development are good since there is a demand for these skill sets and companies are willing to pay good money for the best consultants."

How much one earns depends on several factors including the specific modules of specialization, as well as market demand and supply.
"In Singapore, for example, an SAP HR (human resources) consultant may be in the lower payscale compared to SAP SD (Sales and Distribution) where the general demand for SAP SD is higher," said Chua.

There is also a difference between working for an IT consulting company and in an end-user environment, and compensation also depends on the amount of travel required and the country of work.

Chua said a consultant can choose to continue to specialize and hone his skills as a SAP subject matter expert, take up managerial responsibilities, or even lead a team and work his way up to senior business or application management.

"If you are already in an organization that implements SAP software, you can explore opportunities for internal transfers to get the relevant experience. Once you have clocked one to two full-cycle implementation projects, you can be considered as an experienced SAP consultant," she noted.

Manvinder Malik, assistant sales director for IT consultancy Genovate Solutions, said SAP consultants can hail from different walks of life; one can have functional skills or domain expertise.

"A HR manager can take up a course, and find a job as a SAP HR consultant either in an end-user environment or a consulting company," said Malik. "As you gain project experience, say, six months to a year, you can expand into other areas."

Career advancement opportunities are also not limited to the SAP field. "A consultant can take on a project lead role and later move on to become an IT head or CTO," said Malik.
And how important is obtaining professional certification? Chua said: "SAP certification is definitely nice to have, but it does not guarantee a smooth transition to a SAP career.
"Ultimately, companies are still looking at specific and related work experience in SAP," she explained. "Strong communication skills and industry background will serve as a good foundation for an SAP consultant."

According to SAP, there are more than 8,000 SAP customer installations in the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan, and the German software giant has about 1,600 SAP consultants based in this region.
Senta Ritter, who oversees SAP's global HR field services, said the company continues to ensure it has a strong pool of consultants who can serve the market. Training is also provided at boot camps where participants pick up tips on strategy, consulting and change management, Ritter said.
"Every region has a training budget that ensures re-skilling and training," she said, adding that new roles and career paths are continuously defined and mapped out for SAP staff.

source: ZDNetAsia

Related links:

Philippine faces IT Skills Shortage

SAP Consultant Asks Pay Questions


I'm an Accenture employee, if you're interested to pursue your career in SAP or in IT, you can leave your email addresses in comments, I'll try my best to refer you.

Move to SAP field not a bad idea

Q. I have completed my Bachelor of Commerce degree and will be through with my Executive MBA in December 2007.

Prior to my current job, I spent eight years in various sales roles with highly reputed organizations and my last held position was assistant manager of sales in one of the leading telecom companies in Bangalore, India. My last drawn salary was Rs 520,000 (US$13,198) per annum, which got revised after appraisal to Rs 800,000 (US$20,304) per annum.
Due to an interest in the SAP field, and to gain global exposure and to earn more money, I took on a role with one of the major Indian software companies two months back, taking a pay cut as a Junior SAP CRM functional consultant with an annual salary of Rs 300,000 (US$7,614). Of course, I did my own analysis of the new career prospects before taking up the offer, but after joining, I am now confused and wondering if I made the right decision.
Some unanswered questions are: How long will it take, or how many years of experience do I need to have before I can hope to command the previous annual salary package of about Rs 800,000? When will I get an on-site opportunity, or when will I be eligible for applying jobs in Singapore or the United States? Will my eight years of domain (sales) experience be considered during my next career move and will it help improve my earnings? Or should I shift back to sales for better career prospects? Since I am new to this industry, things look vague, at least at this point.

Career advice from Stella Thevarakam, regional HR director of ISS Consulting, a technology consulting company with operations in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia:A. You would need at least five full cycles of complete SAP implementation experience before you can command a salary of Rs 800,000. Your sales experience maybe taken into account in the SAP line when, and if, you are required to do presales for SAP implementations. Otherwise, the answer is no.

To be able to work in Singapore or the United States in the SAP line, you need to have the above-mentioned experience before an employer would consider it a viable proposition to bring in foreign expertise into these two countries. If you are keenly interested to pursue SAP, then you should stay and be patient to get to that salary level. I would recommend staying in the SAP line, as this is a much sought-after skill and, therefore, very valuable.

Career advice from Shashi Bhushan Rai, managing director of Brahmrishi Technologies, a Singapore based IT services company. He specializes in IT consulting, enterprise system architecture, as well as software product development in various application areas.A. The reader's choice of a career switch seems okay considering industry trends. Therefore, I won't recommend a rollback since the future is more promising with solid sales experience in the telecom sector, SAP training backed by an Executive MBA. You can develop expertise in Business Support Systems or Operations Support Systems to be able to secure a good position. Gaining skills is totally different from making money. As for working abroad, it depends on the needs of the specific country and industrial sector. Companies like Bristlecone specialize in SAP implementation in Singapore and other countries. I believe salaries for SAP functional consultants in Singapore fall within your set goals.

Source: ZDNetAsia

Related Links:
- SAP Consultant Asks Pay Questions
- Too Late To Start a Programming Career?
- Can a Computing graduate go into SAP?



I'm an Accenture employee, if you're interested to pursue your career in SAP or in IT, you can leave your email addresses in comments, I'll try my best to refer you.

100 Best Companies to Work For 2007

Here are the top 10 from the top 100 Best Companies to work for 2007.
1.Google
What makes it so great?Our new No. 1 sets the standard for Silicon Valley: free meals, swimming spa, and free doctors onsite. Engineers can spend 20% of time on independent projects. No wonder Google gets 1,300 resumés a day.Headquarters: Mountain View, Calif.Top 3 (of 16) U.S. locations: Mountain View, CA, New York, NY, Kirkland, WA2005 revenue ($ millions): $6,138 Website: http://www.google.com/


2.Genentech (DNA)
What makes it so great?Biotech leader has uncommonly loyal staffers. “Wild horses could not drag me away,” says one employee. Last year 537 employees took a six-week paid sabbatical, which is available for every six years of service.
Headquarters: South San Francisco
Top 3 (of 9) U.S. locations: South San Francisco, Vacaville , Oceanside

2005 revenue ($ millions): 6,633



3. Wegmans Food Markets
What makes it so great?Private grocery chain gets thousands of letters every year from shoppers coveting a Wegmans in their neighborhood. The chain, founded in 1916, now operates in 71 stores in five states.
Headquarters: Rochester, N.Y.
Top 3 (of 93) U.S. locations: Rochester, Buffalo Grove , Syracuse

2005 revenue ($ millions): 3,820
Website: http://www.wegmans.com/


4. Container Store
What makes it so great?Storage retailer pays sales employees 50% to 100% above industry average. Nearly one-tenth of all employees take advantage of “family friendly” shift, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., allowing for school dropoffs and pickups.
Headquarters: Coppell, Texas
Top 3 (of 38) U.S. locations: Coppell, New York , Houston
2005 revenue ($ millions): 441
Website: http://www.containerstore.com/






5. Whole Foods Market (WFMI)
What makes it so great?Whole Foods has long had a salary cap limiting pay of top execs, currently at 19 times average full-time pay. But founder and CEO John Mackey went further, reducing his salary to $1 and forgoing all future stock options.
Headquarters: Austin
Top 3 (of 223) U.S. locations: New York, Austin , Washington
2005 revenue ($ millions): 5,607
Website: http://www.wholefoods.com/




6. Network Appliance (NTAP)
What makes it so great?Data-storage company climbed 21 spots as employees cheered enhanced benefits for parents of special-needs children, widespread use of flexible schedules (95% of employees), and a soaring stock (up 50% in 2006).
Headquarters: Sunnyvale, Calif.
Top 3 (of 50) U.S. locations: Sunnyvale, Research Triangle Park , Mclean
2005 revenue ($ millions): 2,070
Website: http://www.netapp.com/



7. S.C. Johnson & Son
What makes it so great?This household-products company subsidizes hotel stays for employees who live 25 miles or more from work and offers discounts at its newly expanded child-care center for families making under $60,000 a year.
Headquarters: Racine, Wis.
Top 3 (of 15) U.S. locations: Racine, Bay City , Fresno
2005 revenue ($ millions): 7,000
Website: http://www.scjohnson.com/



8. Boston Consulting Grp.
What makes it so great?Employees working more than 60 hours a week at this management consultant are placed in a “red zone” and advised by a career mentor. A push to hire more women resulted in a 25% rise in female consultants from 2004.
Headquarters: Boston
Top 3 (of 14) U.S. locations: Boston, Chicago , New York
2005 revenue ($ millions): 1,505
Website: http://www.bcg.com/



9. Methodist Hospital Sys.
What makes it so great?As gas prices soared last year, Methodist sent employees (everyone except top execs) a $250 gift card for use at Chevron stations, prompting more than 500 staffers to e-mail thank-yous to CEO Ron Girotto.
Headquarters: Houston
Top 3 (of 9) U.S. locations: Houston, N.A., N.A.
2005 revenue ($ millions): 1,413
Website: http://www.methodisthealth.com/


10. W.L. Gore & Associates
What makes it so great?Great ideas (Gore-Tex, Glide dental floss) come from all corners at this nonhierarchical Delaware company, which prefers to promote from within. (CEO Terri L. Kelly joined Gore as a process engineer in 1983.)
Headquarters: Newark, Del.
Top 3 (of 28) U.S. locations: Elkton, Flagstaff , Newark
2005 revenue ($ millions): 1,984
Website: http://www.gore.com/







16. Starbucks Coffee (SBUX)
What makes it so great?The java king steamed ahead in 2006, adding 28,000 jobs globally. Though 85% of “partners” (Starbucks-speak for employees) are part-timers, they’re still eligible for full benefits if they work 240 hours a quarter.
Headquarters: Seattle
Top 3 (of 5,414) U.S. locations: Seattle, New York , Chicago
2005 revenue ($ millions): 6,369
Website: http://www.starbucks.com/


44. Yahoo (YHOO)
What makes it so great?Fun’s a core value for Yahoos, more than half of whom are age 34 or younger. At five years of service employees get a gumball machine, at ten years an espresso machine, and at 15 years (not possible until 2010) a foosball table.
Headquarters: Sunnyvale, Calif.
Top 3 (of 25) U.S. locations: Sunnyvale , Burbank , New York
2005 revenue ($ millions): 5,300
Website: http://www.yahoo.com/


50. Microsoft (MSFT)
What makes it so great?New perks in 2006 included free grocery delivery, dry-cleaning service, and valet parking (it’s a big campus!). Annual summer picnic drew 30,000 employees and family members to the Cascade Mountains.
Headquarters: Redmond, Wash.
Top 3 (of 169) U.S. locations: Redmond, Issaquah , Mountain View
2005 revenue ($ millions): 39,788
Website: http://www.microsoft.com/


69. Nike (NKE)
What makes it so great?The Oregon campus is a sporting paradise, with tennis courts, indoor and outdoor tracks, soccer fields, running trails, two sports centers, an 11-lane pool used for swimming, scuba, and kayaking lessons.


Where's ACCENTURE? :-)