Study course to SAP

Q. I have roughly one-and-a-half years of post MBA (Marketing) experience in IT procurement and client servicing with a software development company (400 people) in Delhi. What will be best-suited module with regards to my present job profile: I prefer SCM-procurement (MM) or sales distribution or CRM.

I am not comfortable with programming and the other related IT skills. Please let me know whether I need to go back to the basics or not?

Now the most important aspect: the choice of learning center. As I understand it, SAP has partnered SISL and Genovate to provide education in India. A rough idea of the certification and course fees in those learning centers will help me to manage my finances.

Nirupam Bhowmik

Career advice from K Srini, human resources head-strategy of global consulting and IT services provider, Satyam Computer Services:

Hi. You can look at both SCM (MM) and CRM as options.
You might not necessarily have to go back to programming days but there would be a bit of technology learning on the module(s) that you choose.

Genovate has a 24-day certification course which costs about INR300,000 (US$7,500). As this is an approximate figure, you should check the cost directly with the provider.


More Links:

What is the future of a SAP technical/ABAP programmer?
Can a Computing graduate go into SAP?
SAP vs Oracle

Source: ZDNetAsia

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

SAP brings hosted ERP to Asia

SINGAPORE--SAP has brought its hosted ERP (enterprise resource planning) suite to the region.

Announced Tuesday, the company is releasing its Business ByDesign product to Singapore--the sixth country globally to receive it. The product is currently available in Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and China.

Hans-Peter Klaey, president of SAP's SME division, said at the launch event that Singapore was chosen because many regional offices are headquartered in the country.
SAP is targeting the suite at SMBs (small to medium sized businesses) employing between 100 to 500 staff.

Klaey said that a hosted solution "makes the most sense" for an SMB, because it takes the burden of building expensive infrastructure off the shoulders of the companies that may not have the capital freely available.

Historically, SAP has been in favor of on-premise installations. However, it launched a hosted CRM service in 2006, in a bid to capture the growing hosted CRM market.
Similarly, the company is eyeing the growing SMB SaaS market, which it estimates to be worth some US$15 billion.

According to Klaey, 74 percent of SAP's customers are SMBs, with this proportion expected to go up in the years to come. Having offered only on-premise ERP products till this, Klaey said that he expects this to fill the void in the market for a hosted ERP service that is "end-to-end".
Eric MacDonald, SAP Asia-Pacific and Japan president and CEO of South East Asia, said: "[Business ByDesign] addresses the 'testing out' market--the users who don't have the bandwidth to take on huge IT projects but are interested in trying out a product which gives them improved control."

Klaey did not comment on whether SAP's acquisition of Business Objects would see business intelligence functionality added to the product.

Presently, users' data on the system is hosted in Waldorf, Germany with prices beginning at US$149 per user, per month, for a minimum of 25 users.

Source: ZDNetAsia