5 Keypoints if you want to be a SAP Consultant

Many opinions have been written about working with SAP systems and, specifically, assuming yourself as an SAP expert or Consultant. If you’ve been working with SAP or envolved in other IT based Projects, for sure that you will have your own opinion and insights on this matter. In this post, I will share my own experience and 5 key points which I find of most importance for anyone who wants to prevail as a successful and long-lasting SAP consultant, advisor, expert, working as a permanent employee for a Company or as a Freelancer.

1. Choose your niche… wisely

At the end of the day, your work as a SAP Consultant will be to help and advise your clients, usually big companies, on how to implement highly dependable IT systems who literally help improve and run their businesses. I’d say that choosing your niche will depend on 2 distict factores: your background and opportunity. If you’re coming from a technical, computer engineering or networking background, SAP security and Basis can be a good area to bet on. This is a cross area to any SAP solution. On the other hand, if you’re coming from a business or even law degree, you can try SAP FI (Finantial Accounting), CO (Controlling) or even LO (Logistics General). There are several SAP Applications Areas which might be interesting, according to your profile and expectations. Just remember that as you grow in your SAP career, more and more you will be facing the client and acting as an advisor. The client might even depend on your judgement to choose which way to go or which solution to aquire. Besides having a good domain over the solution or industry you’re in, you must also be a good communicator and easy going with people.

2. Niche, not Narrow

Whether you work for a big consultancy firm, a medium size company or if you’re an SAP freelancer, odds are that you evolve and grow in a particular SAP Application Area. Perhaps you might even become an expert in a specific SAP Application Area within a particular industry. In my opinion, it’s ok to become a subject matter expert in your area of expertise. But it is crucial to keep expanding your knowledge and being able to look at the global picture. This means you should accompany SAP’s evolution in your area of expertise and try to be knowledgable about the connection of that area with other SAP subjects or even other suppliers. Remember: focus on your area but keep an open mind and interest at all times.

3. Money or evolution?

My opinion is that you should bet on less profitable but cutting edge projects that give you space to get your hands dirty and get paid experience. This is particulary important if you just turned a SAP freelancer. Of course at this point you have a great deal of knowledge and experience, but being a freelancer means that you’ll have to perform twice as more than a “regular” SAP consultant. So if you can choose between a solid project which gives you room to learn more, do it, even if the pay isn’t as much as other projects which aren’t big challenges to you.

4. One percent genious, ninety-nine percent perspiration

Recruiters usually say entering the SAP world is a very good learning experience and school for ambitioning to be a good professional, programmer or project manager for IT projects. Since SAP is so broad in it’s application areas and each one, by itself, is also such a big world, it’s natural that when we get used to working to SAP, we’ve travelled a step further. The important point to take home is that not only geniuses prevail. You will need to work harder though, being able to run the extra mile.

5. SAP vs IT

It is really important to understand until what extent we’re dealing with IT details and what relates to SAP and the client organization, business processes and business model. In fact, an SAP project implementation is not alone an IT Project. Of course there are several technological components, moreover with the maturation of Netweaver, but it is important to note that an SAP project is an organizational project, which impacts all levels of a company. It is crucial to have a clear commitment from every person involved, starting with the CEO, down to the managers and all the way to the key-users.

A SAP Consultant is someone who has the ability to speak the functional language in his area of expertise (e.g. FI/CO, HCM, MM, etc.). At the same time, he has to understand clearly how the company works, what is the business model, what are the client’s requirements, what does the SAP standard module cover, what can be extended and what can be done custom built (identifying the gaps). In parallel, it’s a plus if the SAP Consultant is able to get inside the system, not only knowing how every piece connects but also how to create what’s necessary to meet his client’s needs. For this reason, it is always a good idea to start your career with SAP by learning ABAP.

I strongly recommend you to take a look at Jon Reed’s blog “Career answers for SAP Professionals“. It is a full content, very complete blog about SAP careers. Inside you will find several Podcasts and Webcasts. Jon Reed also updates the blog regularly with SAP Job market information, trends and job opportunities.