Videocast: Do SAP Mentors Impact Culture Change at SAP? With Sanjay Poonen
I had a lively conversation with SAP's Sanjay Poonen and Mark Finnern on culture change at SAP and Sanjay's views on the SAP Mentor Initiative. Check it out. Feb. 2, 2012
Comments: 4   Rank: 20580   Page Views: 336 (Stats updated nightly)

SCN Podcast: Using Idea Place to Crowdsource SAP Mobility Apps Ideas
To find out what inspired the "suggest mobile apps" section on Idea Place and how to get your mobility apps ideas considered, Jon Reed talks to SAP's Nick Brown and Clemens Suter-Crazzolara.  Nov. 29, 2011
Comments: 0   Rank: 20910   Page Views: 280 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast: HANA TechEd Preview and Skills Discussion - SAP Mentor Style
Here's an in-depth HANA skills podcast to get you geared up for TechEd and beyond, with fellow SAP Mentors Vijay Vijayasankar and Harald Reiter.  Sep. 8, 2011
Comments: 1   Rank: 15733   Page Views: 1060 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast: SAP HANA in Action - Customer Stories with SAP's Thomas Torf
Here's the latest installment in my SAP Community Network podcast series: a HANA podcast with SAP's Thomas Torf. The theme? Lessons learned from HANA customer engagements.  Sep. 2, 2011
Comments: 1   Rank: 12176   Page Views: 1828 (Stats updated nightly)

SCN Podcast: Two-Tier ERP and SAP Business ByDesign for Subsidiaries
To understand how SAP Business ByDesign fits into the two tier ERP picture. we've got a very interesting podcast with Claus Gruenewald and Siva Darivemula of SAP. As the Vice President of SAP Business ByDesign, Claus has been heavily involved in ByDesign for subsidiaries. Aug. 24, 2011
Comments: 0   Rank: 17553   Page Views: 761 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast: Straight Talk about HANA with SAP
There are plenty of practical questions about HANA that need more detailed answers. In that spirit, here is a 40 minute podcast with three SAP Mentors posing some key HANA questions to Jake Stein and Thomas Zurek of the SAP HANA team. Jun. 22, 2011
Comments: 15   Rank: 10310   Page Views: 2418 (Stats updated nightly)

BAC Podcast: National Vision's SAP EIM Journey
During this Business Analytics Community podcast, I talk with Louann Seguin, VP of Information Technology and Strategy at National Vision, about their journey with SAP Enterprise Information Management (EIM).  Jun. 1, 2011
Comments: 1   Rank: 18684   Page Views: 588 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast: SAP BI Thorny Questions - Eve of SAPPHIRE NOW Edition
On the week before SAPPHIRE NOW, I went after some very thorny SAP BI questions with my semi-regular SAP BI podcast co-host Vijay Vijayasankar. To spice things up, we brought in special guest James Taylor of Decision Management Solutions. May. 13, 2011
Comments: 0   Rank: 18003   Page Views: 690 (Stats updated nightly)

SCN Podcast: SMEs, Clouds, and the Impact of SAP Business ByDesign
For the latest SCN podcast, we have a dandy with Sina Moatamed, the former CIO of an early SAP Business ByDesign customer. Sina has developed a clear case for how "the cloud" helps SMEs become more agile - perhaps even giving them a leg up on large enterprises that must contend with their legacy IT systems.  Apr. 12, 2011
Comments: 1   Rank: 17978   Page Views: 694 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast: Road Ahead for SAP Consultants - The SAP Mentor View
Every year I look forward to Vijay Vijayasankar's Road Ahead for SAP Consultants blog post. This year, I thought it would be fun to get Vijay together on a podcast to talk about it. Even better, we pulled fellow SAP Mentor Leonardo De Araujo onto the call to share his take on the hot SAP skills of 2011 as well.  Mar. 18, 2011
Comments: 3   Rank: 16749   Page Views: 880 (Stats updated nightly)

Sol Bros Episode 5 - Solution Manager 2011 Shop Talk
Here's our SolBros SAP Solution Manager podcast - episode 5, including reader questions, Solution Manager shop talk, myths/realities, and a few wisecracks. Some early ASUG Orlando SolMan topic content from the approved sessions is also noted, as well as a number of SolMan skills development resources.  Mar. 1, 2011
Comments: 4   Rank: 15113   Page Views: 1182 (Stats updated nightly)

SAP Business Objects 4.0 Preview and More - A BusinessObjects Community Podcast with Ingo Hilgefort
To get a better understanding of what's new in BO 4.0 and how the SAP BusinessObjects Community can help with understanding the new tools, Jon Reed talks with SAP's Christopher Kim and SAP Mentor Ingo Hilgefort. Feb. 3, 2011
Comments: 2   Rank: 10766   Page Views: 2262 (Stats updated nightly)

SAP Community Podcast: Talking SAP On-Demand with SAP's John Wookey
What is SAP doing to create on-demand applications that are in line with the collaborative workstyle of today's "social workforce?" And why is the upcoming Business ByDesign release (2.6) a key milestone for all SAP customers? In this special SAP Community Podcast, Jon gets into these questions (and more) with John Wookey, EVP, Large Enterprise OnDemand at SAP. Jan. 18, 2011
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Video Blog: Talking SAP OnDemand Strategy with SAP's Peter Lorenz
This is the final installment in my SAP Influence Summit Video series - this one with SAP's Peter Lorenz - previewing his keynote for the On-Demand day. Also included: holiday shout-outs and short rant on transparency. Dec. 23, 2010
Comments: 2   Rank: 14065   Page Views: 1414 (Stats updated nightly)

Video Blog: Talking Business ByDesign and On-Demand Strategy with SAP's Rainer Zinow
Here are my "grab a corner and shoot" Influencer Summit videos with Rainer Zinow on SAP's OnDemand strategy and Business ByDesign. Dec. 15, 2010
Comments: 1   Rank: 15094   Page Views: 1193 (Stats updated nightly)

Video Blog: Interview with Vishal Sikka at the SAP Influencer Summit
During this video, recorded live at the SAP Influencer Summit 2010, I asked SAP Executive Board Member Vishal Sikka to explain the significance of "core and edge," as it relates to SAP's Platform as a Service (PaaS). Vishal also touches on the significance of HANA and in-memory in this new on-demand landscape. Dec. 13, 2010
Comments: 0   Rank: 15364   Page Views: 1147 (Stats updated nightly)

Video Blog: ByD SDK "Deep Dive" Reactions with SAP Mentor Leonardo De Araujo
On our way out of TechEd Las Vegas Friday morning, I shot this video with SAP Mentor Leonardo De Araujo. I wanted to get his reactions to the ByD SDK "Deep Dive" he attended on Thursday afternoon, and to get his take on how hard it was to work with the SDK and how other SAP developers can transition to ByD. Oct. 29, 2010
Comments: 3   Rank: 13914   Page Views: 1463 (Stats updated nightly)

Video Blog: SAP Solution Manager Reactions/Preview Live From TechED Las Vegas
On the last full day of SAP TechEd Las Vegas, 2 of the four "Sol Bros" (Tony D and @jonerp) did a freewheeling video and podcast shoot on their reactions to SolMan topics at TechEd with special guests David Hull of Walt Disney and Marc Thier, Solution Manager Wizard at SAP. Oct. 27, 2010
Comments: 2   Rank: 12891   Page Views: 1658 (Stats updated nightly)

Video Blog: The Future of SAP Java UIs - Breaking News and Customer Dialogue from SAP TechEd Las Vegas
Rumors swirled about SAP's Java strategy at Teched, particularly the future of Web Dynpro Java and VC. To get some background on the story, I sat down with fellow SAP Mentor Karin Tillitson and SAP's Yariv Zur. Karin and Juriv discuss the dialogue with SAP and its customers on Java and the latest news.  Oct. 24, 2010
Comments: 7   Rank: 1462   Page Views: 7924 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast: SAP BI Burning Questions - TechEd Pre-Flight Discussion
What are the burning questions about SAP BI as we head into SAP Teched season? Will the keynotes answer questions about in-memory and accelerated data access? And how do you get the most out of the show and justify your attendance when budgets are tight? As we continue our "sporadic SAP BI podcast series," I dig into these questions with two fellow SAP Mentors: Vijay Vijayasankar of IBM and newly-named SAP Mentor Greg Myers. Oct. 9, 2010
Comments: 0   Rank: 13288   Page Views: 1573 (Stats updated nightly)

Certification Five: Get our updates on SAP certification talks live at TechEd (or virtually!)
With TechEd right in front of us, there will be chances to catch up with members of the "Certification Five" in both Berlin and Las Vegas. And the meetings promise to be very interesting, with new developments to report. I'm also conducting some additional SAP skills related sessions in Las Vegas, including the second annual "Tech Skills Chat" recorded live with the Enterprise Geeks. Following in this blog is all the links and info you'll need to track these activities live or virtually. Oct. 8, 2010
Comments: 0   Rank: 15282   Page Views: 1159 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast: Implementing SAP Business ByDesign - Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt's Story
In my second podcast with an SAP Business ByDesign pilot customer, I talk with Judson Wickham of Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt about their ByDesign implementation process. During this 22 minute podcast, Judson explains why Pinkberry chose ByDesign and what issues they overcame along the way.  Oct. 7, 2010
Comments: 0   Rank: 15274   Page Views: 1160 (Stats updated nightly)

Video Blog: Rant on Video, Creativity, and Use/Misuse of Social Media
With the SCNotty and SCN Video Choice submission deadlines rapidly approaching, I've been thinking a lot about video and about creativity (and the use and misuse of social media). One reason I continued with video is I've learned from the trials of my writing career that you embrace the learning curve. The more publicly you can embrace that curve, the faster you will progress.  Sep. 29, 2010
Comments: 2   Rank: 16400   Page Views: 952 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast: Making Sense of SAP BI Consulting
This was a fun podcast - I pulled together BI expert (and SCN rock star) Vijay Vijayasankar and SAP BO expert Kevin McManus to get their take on the skills needed for success in SAP BI consulting, making sense of the SAP BO roadmap, and aligning strategy amidst BI tools confusion. Sep. 16, 2010
Comments: 7   Rank: 10314   Page Views: 2427 (Stats updated nightly)

Video: Interview with SAP CTO Vishal Sikka: Reflecting on the SAP-Sybase Event
At the tail end of our blogger session with SAP CTO Vishal Sikka during the SAP-Sybase event in Boston, I had the opportunity to shoot an on-the-fly video with Vishal where he fielded some online feedback on the event and offered his vision of the SAP-Sybase acquisition. Aug. 20, 2010
Comments: 4   Rank: 6998   Page Views: 3547 (Stats updated nightly)

Video Rant: Why SAP TechEd is Relevant to Business Users
Every year around this time, I find myself in arguments with folks who don't see the relevance of SAP TechEd to business users. So I decided to tape a video rant about it, and share a few ideas for building a business case for SAP TechEd, since nobody flies for free these days. Aug. 17, 2010
Comments: 15   Rank: 14179   Page Views: 1386 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast: The SAP Business Process Expert in Action - with Jim Link of Forest City
During this 20 minute podcast, Jim Link of Forest City gives gives me the project-tested scoop on many key SAP Business Process expert issues based on his on-the-job experience, including: how does a BPXer justify their value to the business, who do they report to, what role do process modeling tools play, and what SAP technical and functional skills do they need to succeed in the SAP Business Process Expert role.  Aug. 12, 2010
Comments: 0   Rank: 13406   Page Views: 1541 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast: Analyst-Author Vinnie Mirchandani on The New Polymath and Its Relevance to SAP Professionals
I've had some fascination with Vinnie Mirchandani's new book, The New Polymath, ever since I first hear about the project. So for this edition of The ERP Lounge podcast series, I had a chance to ask Vinnie about The New Polymath and how it relates to the career dilemmas of SAP professionals. Vinnie is well known in our community for his strong takes on SAP's overall direction, so I worked some of his views on SAP into the podcast flow as well. One topic Vinnie and I both have strong interest in is the SAP services ecosystem. Vinnie doesn't see enough innovation in this space and I wanted to dig into his views on that as well.  Jul. 16, 2010
Comments: 3   Rank: 14122   Page Views: 1409 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast: SAP Business ByDesign Skills and SaaS Consulting Changes (with Ray Tetlow)
During this forty-seven minute podcast, Ray Tetlow of Skyytek hits me with some rapid-fire answers to a slew of key Business ByDesign skills questions, such as how he intends to train ByD professionals and why SaaS consultants are easier to bring up to speed in ByD than "on-premise" SAP consultants. Jul. 6, 2010
Comments: 0   Rank: 13793   Page Views: 1474 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast: SAP Skills Outlook with 3/5 of the Certification Five (and special guest)
What are the keys to navigating a successful SAP career in the midst of technical change and skills commoditization? For this live SAPPHIRE NOW taping, four SAP Mentors, including three members of the "Certification Five" gathered in the Mentor meeting room to give you their best ideas (and a few off color comments) on SAP skills trends.  Jun. 24, 2010
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ASUG/SAPPHIRE 2010 Video Grab Bag - SAP Certification and Other Conference Reflections
I am now in the process of compiling my own content from the ASUG-SAPPHIRE 2010 conference. Let's kick it off with this annotated JonERP video grab bag of videos I shot and/or appeared in from the SAPPHIRE Orlando show.  May. 23, 2010
Comments: 3   Rank: 13871   Page Views: 1481 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast: SAP Solution Manager Roundtable - Hype Meets Reality
When you begin a podcast, you never know how it will turn out. I had high hopes that the combined voices of Jim Spath, Tony de Thomasis, and Phil Avelar would advance the SAP Solution Manager conversation with new insights and a clash of perspectives, but you never know. The end result exceeded my own expectations. May. 14, 2010
Comments: 1   Rank: 11850   Page Views: 1932 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast: SAP Soft Skills - Myth Versus Reality - with Guy Couillard of OTA
How is the SAP consultant skill set changing? Do companies really want "SAP Business Process Expert" skills or is it a top-down invention? And why are "soft skills" becoming more important to SAP professionals? And what does "soft skills" mean anyway? To get to the bottom of these topics, Jon Reed of JonERP.com talks with Guy Couillard, President of OTA.  May. 11, 2010
Comments: 1   Rank: 12739   Page Views: 1688 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast: Business by Design - Eric Brown of Johnson Products Shares Their SAP ByD Story
In a milestone podcast for JonERP.com - the first about a small enterprise SAP solution - Jon Reed of JonERP.com interviews Eric Brown, CEO of Johnson Products, about his company's experiences as an early Business By Design (ByD) customer. During the thirty-five minute conversation, Eric gives the background on the Johnson Products story that captured the audience's attention at the SAP Influencer Summit in December 2009.  May. 3, 2010
Comments: 1   Rank: 12301   Page Views: 1799 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast: Become an SAP Pricing Expert - Advice from the Author of the Ultimate SAP Pricing Guide (plus video)
Establishing yourself as an independent SAP consultant is no easy project. Today's interview subject has pulled it off. Matthias Liebich, senior SAP Pricing consultant, has expertise in SAP Pricing that dates back to the R/2 days. During this special 16 minute podcast, which I recorded live with Matthias in his home office in Atlanta, Georgia, I ask Matthias about why SAP Pricing consultants are necessary and how he has managed to keep himself marketable over the years.  Apr. 26, 2010
Comments: 1   Rank: 12700   Page Views: 1703 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast: Interview with Craig Cmehil on the SAP Community Path to Recognition
In the past few years, no one has influenced my thinking on SAP career paths more than SAP's Craig Cmehil. I'm pleased to have a chance to share an in-depth podcast on Craig's view of the "SAP community path to recognition" and how he has handled his own career changes. I also asked Craig about his Friday Morning Report live video show, now entering its third year, and how that project has impacted his own career growth. Mar. 23, 2010
Comments: 6   Rank: 12546   Page Views: 1749 (Stats updated nightly)

State of SAP CRM - SAP Mentor Podcast
For the sixth edition of the ERP Lounge podcast series, I had the pleasure of sitting down for a bigtime SAP CRM consulting and skills discussion with SAP Mentors Stephen Johannes and Vijay Vijayasankar. Mar. 17, 2010
Comments: 1   Rank: 8559   Page Views: 3041 (Stats updated nightly)

SAP Career Outlook 2010 - Lessons Learned (plus videos)
Recently I released a two part white paper series called "SAP Career Outlook 2010: The Intersection of Talent and Community." It's been amazing to get so much feedback since the papers were released. In this blog post, I’ll share a few lessons from this effort that I'm going to try to follow in the future and try to blow up a few misconceptions. I also have a couple of videos to embed. Mar. 5, 2010
Comments: 6   Rank: 1786   Page Views: 7236 (Stats updated nightly)

SAP Salary Outlook in 2010: Panaya SAP Salary Survey Analysis
Recently, I collaborated with Panaya on an SAP salary survey. The results of that survey are now out, and show some "cautious optimism" for 2010 and highlilghts the skills SAP professionals are seeking. In this blog post, I'll analyze some of the significant survey results. Feb. 12, 2010
Comments: 20   Rank: 4830   Page Views: 4441 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast: Two Way Interview with Andy Klee on SAP Market Trends, Training, and Certification
What business trends will SAP have to tackle in 2010 to stay relevant? And what is the future of ERP training amidst all the virtual training hype? How does SAP certification impact the SAP hiring process and, and how are new "social networking" sites like LinkedIn making their presence felt when consultants are evaluated? To get to the bottom of these questions and several more, Jon Reed of JonERP.com and Andy Klee of ERPtips.com interviewed each other during an impromptu, unscripted thirty-five minute podcast. Jan. 25, 2010
Comments: 0   Rank: 12990   Page Views: 1630 (Stats updated nightly)

New Videos: SAP Career Planning Parts One and Two
The other night, I got my new Enterprise Geeks truckers cap in the mail and I decided to capture it on video. I ended up taping a two part series on SAP career planning. In the end, I decided that the content in the videos overruled the fashion disaster, so I went ahead and posted them.  Jan. 15, 2010
Comments: 2   Rank: 10771   Page Views: 2260 (Stats updated nightly)

Craig Said Share, So I Did - JonERP 2009 in Review Video
In this impromptu, seat-of-the-pants SAP SCN video, Jon Reed of JonERP.com reflects on the year 2009 and the lessons learned in his business during a year of adversity and reinvention. This video, which contains many glaring fashion mistakes, was taped in response to SAP's Craig Cmehil's end-of-year SCN video challenge. Dec. 30, 2009
Comments: 4   Rank: 13115   Page Views: 1605 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast: Livin' The Demo Jam Dream - An Interview with Brian Dennett of Colgate-Palmolive
Just two years into his SAP career, Brian Dennett of Colgate-Palmolive was a Demo Jam finalist at SAP TechEd Phoenix 2009. To find out more about Brian's great story and get a view into his own career path, I had the opportunity to tape a live podcast with him at SAP TechEd 2009.  Nov. 19, 2009
Comments: 0   Rank: 11861   Page Views: 1924 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast: The Emergerce of the SAP BPM Skill Set
At SAP TechEd Phoenix, I was able to sit down with Greg Chase, and his colleague Patrik Fiegl. During this 19 minute podcast, we were able to examine the relevance of SAP BPM to today's project environments, and take a closer look at some of the skills that are needed as BPM intersects with IT. Nov. 12, 2009
Comments: 0   Rank: 9970   Page Views: 2552 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast: Amit Bendov of Panaya on SAP User Attitudes Towards SAP Support
Recently, Panaya conducted a survey which asked SAP customers exactly these kinds of questions - about issues with SAP support and SAP support packs. I thought this survey had some interesting results. To get a better feeling for the survey results and also for how Panaya's content sharing approach works for them, I recently issued a twenty minute podcast on this topic with Panaya's Chief Marketing Officer Amit Bendov. I'm now sharing that podcast with the SCN community. Nov. 6, 2009
Comments: 2   Rank: 11006   Page Views: 2192 (Stats updated nightly)

Video Shoot: Ann Rosenberg on SAP BPM's Impact on Skills and Consulting
To get to the bottom of the impact of BPM on SAP's tools, skills, and consulting approaches, I managed to get the "Goddess of BPM," Ann Rosenberg, otherwise known as the Global Practice Owner for Business Process Management at SAP, to sit down for a live video shoot at SAP TechEd Phoenix. Oct. 21, 2009
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Video Shoot: Sue Martin at SAP TechEd on SAP Certification Changes
During SAP TechEd Phoenix, I shot a couple of live flipcam videos with Sue Martin, Global Director of SAP Certification. During the videos, we talked informally about the changes underway within SAP Education. We discussed the perception of SAP certification as largely unchanged through the years and why that is no longer true. Oct. 20, 2009
Comments: 2   Rank: 11627   Page Views: 2004 (Stats updated nightly)

Video: SAP Mentors - Making the Business Case
Recently, the SAP Mentors were challenged to create videos for the upcoming Influencer Summit in Boston on December 8. We were asked to submit a video on a compelling story from the SAP ecosystem with a business case - something with real meaning to SAP customers. I believe the SAP Mentor Initiative is such a story - during this video, I make my case. Oct. 7, 2009
Comments: 1   Rank: 12884   Page Views: 1650 (Stats updated nightly)

How (Not) to Behave on Twitter - The JonERP Perspective
In this unforgiving yet low key rant, Jon Reed of JonERP.com presents, for Twitter users, how "not to behave" on Twitter if you want to use it for business - either for your employer or yourself.  Oct. 5, 2009
Comments: 9   Rank: 11335   Page Views: 2072 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast: The ERP Lounge - Ranking the SAP Business Suite Skills
Recently on JonERP.com, I launched a new long form SAP podcast series entitled The ERP Lounge: Misadventures and Opportunities in SAP Consulting. I wanted to share our third edition with SCN, which features an opinionated and detailed ranking of the skills demand in the four SAP Business Suite apps areas: SCM, SRM, PLM, and CRM. Oct. 2, 2009
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Join me at my SAP Skills Networking Sessions at TechEd Phoenix!
This year at TechEd 09 Phoenix will mark a new era of Jon Reed at TechEd: for the first time, I'll be doing my own Expert Networking Sessions on SAP skills trends. I'm one of many SAP Mentors (and other SAP leaders) who are conducting these 30 minutes sessions. Here's some detail on the three SAP skills related sessions I am conducting. Sep. 24, 2009
Comments: 4   Rank: 8501   Page Views: 3053 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast: SAP Mentor Abesh Bhattacharjee on SAP Development Skills and SAP MII
What are the keys to becoming a successful SAP developer? Why is SAP MII becoming such an important piece of functionality? And what do technical SAP folks need to learn from functional specialists and vice versa? In this podcast, Jon Reed of JonERP.com gets the answers to these questions with SAP Mentor Abesh Bhattacharjee of SAP Labs. Sep. 10, 2009
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Responding to SAP’s Social Media Guidelines for Employees – Riffing on Their Blogging Suggestions, Part Two
In part one of this blog post, I shared some responses to the blogging advice SAP provided in its Social Media Guidelines for Employees. In part two, I'll jump right into some of the additional blogging guidelines I didn't have time to comment on in the first part before the post got plenty long. As in part one, SAP's guidelines are in italics, then my comments. I will also include SCN examples of people who I think are doing things in the right way. Sep. 1, 2009
Comments: 3   Rank: 12748   Page Views: 1681 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast: Eric Kimberling of Panorama on SAP Implementation Trends and Project Success Factors
To get a better handle on keys to SAP project success (and how to avoid failure), as well as the impact of SaaS and the key skills ERP users should be cultivating, I invited Eric Kimberling to join me and share Panorama's findings with JonERP listeners. I also put him on the JonERP hot seat and asked him to make his own recommendations for SAP's future direction.  Aug. 12, 2009
Comments: 0   Rank: 12711   Page Views: 1688 (Stats updated nightly)

Responding to SAP’s Social Media Guidelines for Employees – Riffing on Their Blogging Suggestions, Part One
SAP spent a considerable amount of revision time on its Social Media Guidelines for Employees, and frankly, it shows. In this piece, I'll riff on SAP's new blogging guidelines and provide a few additional thoughts on them that may be applicable to those who are thinking about blogging but are looking for more encouragement/strategy, or who already blog but want to improve what they do. Aug. 10, 2009
Comments: 5   Rank: 11575   Page Views: 2004 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast: Building a BPX Business Case for TechEd
Recently, I wound up in the middle of a discussion on my Twitter Feed about "Building a BPX Business Case" for SAP TechEd. What began as a conversation with one "BPXer" trying to understand the value of TechEd became a bigger story. I wound up doing a podcast on the value of SAP TechED for BPXers on my web site. I want to share this podcast with the SCN community also. Jul. 9, 2009
Comments: 1   Rank: 12463   Page Views: 1756 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast: SAP Mentor Gretchen Lindquist on ASUG 2009 and SAP Security Trends
To learn more about why the ASUG part of ASUG/Sapphire matters - not only to SAP users, but to industry analysts -I invited Gretchen Lindquist, SAP Mentor and stalwart ASUG volunteer, to share her views on ASUG/Sapphire 2009 and the pros and cons of co-location. I also had the opportunity to ask Gretchen about trends in SAP Security from the vantage point of her work as chair of the SAP Security Interest Group (SIG) for ASUG. Jun. 24, 2009
Comments: 0   Rank: 12516   Page Views: 1738 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast: On ASUG/Sapphire, Run SAP and Solution Manager Skills Trends
In today's economy, none of us can afford to pursue skills that are not economically viable. We need to make sure that our long term strategy is grounded in the pursuit and acquisition of skills that are in need now. For that reason, I was glad to have a chance to sit down again with Ajay Vonkarey of AlphaSirius to continue our conversation on Run SAP and Solution Manager skills trends. This time, the podcast conversation takes place live in Orlando on the last day of the conference. Jun. 12, 2009
Comments: 0   Rank: 12390   Page Views: 1770 (Stats updated nightly)

What Should a Blogger's Terms of Discourse Be?
In my own work inside and outside of SAP, there are two things I am often reflecting on: How should I balance what I love about blogging: the immediacy and the (often) outspoken nature of an entertaining blog, with the need for intellectual and factual rigor?And how should I conduct myself online, particularly in situations where I strongly disagree with someone else in a community, or when I feel I have been unfairly criticized or attacked?  Jun. 8, 2009
Comments: 3   Rank: 11905   Page Views: 1914 (Stats updated nightly)

Podcast - Sapphire 2009 in Review Interview with Michael Krigsman
In the first installment of his "Sapphire in Review" podcast series, I welcome special guest Michael Krigsman, President of Asuret and popular ZDNet blogger. During this twenty-eight minute podcast, I get Michael's take on how the issue of project failure applies to ERP vendors and SAP specifically. I also gets the skinny on Michael's investigations of Business By Design at Sapphire.  Jun. 3, 2009
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Sapphire '09 in Review - Links to my Blogs and Podcasts
On this SCN page, I will post links to all my Sapphire-related content, including all the blogs and podcasts I produced during and after the conference.  May. 29, 2009
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SAP Certification Survey Results - Data Matters
I was really excited to get my hands on the survey results collected by Michael Koch (@pixelbase on Twitter), who conducted a survey of 130 SAP contractors and freelancers. I’m hoping to do a podcast with Michael soon to delve further into his results, which were compiled with the help of other SAP Mentors like Nigel James and presented at SAP Inside Track London on March 4, 2009.  Apr. 9, 2009
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SAP Skills Trends and Podcast - What Are Your Thoughts?
I wrote this blog entry to hopefully get some feedback from you on a recent podcast I hosted on SAP skills trends. But before we get into that, a bit of context: I've been involved in some aspect of the SAP services market since 1995, and from what I have seen so far this year, this looks like the most difficult SAP consulting market I have seen to date.  Mar. 12, 2009
Comments: 7   Rank: 4195   Page Views: 4814 (Stats updated nightly)

Reflecting on Yesterday's Business Suite 7.0 Event in NYC
Before I journey back from New York City to even colder weather up in Massachusetts, I want to offer up a few reflections on the SAP Business Suite 7.0 event that I attended in New York City. Setup: I attended the morning press conference, and I also attended three blogger sessions in the afternoon: one customer session with Jennifer Allerton, CIO of Roche Pharmaceuticals, and then two meetings with SAP executives: one with Richard Campione, SVP of Business Suite Solution Management, and one with Leo Apotheker, Co-CEO of SAP AG. The latter two sessions got a bit chippy, but in a good way that brought out some useful clarifications.  Feb. 5, 2009
Comments: 10   Rank: 4682   Page Views: 4516 (Stats updated nightly)

So What Does it Take to Become an SAP Business Process Expert?
I recently posted a long-winded piece on JonERP.com about SAP BPX skills and what it takes to become an SAP Business Process Expert. In this BPX blog entry, I’m going to summarize the key points from the second article and share a chunk of it verbatim. I will also include a couple of handy BPX skills graphics that were kindly shared with me by folks at SAP. Hopefully this will result in a breezier version that is just as useful but which can be read over a single coffee break rather than a full lunch.  Jan. 28, 2009
Comments: 7   Rank: 1716   Page Views: 7382 (Stats updated nightly)

Are BPX Skills Relevant to SAP Professionals? Questions and Answers
Recently, I decided to try out LinkedIn's "Question and Answer" functionality. I decided to give it a shot with a question to SAP professionals about how relevant BPX skills (and the BPX web site) is to their skill sets. I got some really good responses from a range of SAP professionals that I'll share with you here.  Dec. 4, 2008
Comments: 7   Rank: 4641   Page Views: 4534 (Stats updated nightly)

Looking Back at TechEd Bangalore: Three SAP Mentors Share Their Experiences
I was unable to attend TechEd Bangalore, but having covered both TechEd Las Vegas and Berlin in SAP TechEd podcast series, I was determined to provide some coverage on Bangalore as well. What better way than to ask three SAP Mentors who were there to share their first hand views? So, I invited Abesh Bhattacharjee, Somnath Manna, and Dipankar Saha to respond to a series of questions I posed to them. Nov. 20, 2008
Comments: 2   Rank: 3417   Page Views: 5320 (Stats updated nightly)

What is the Impact of the Downturn on SAP Consulting? Tim Shearer of B2B Workforce Shares his View
These days, I'm always looking for insight on how the economic downturn in impacting SAP consulting. In this blog entry, I'll share the views on this topic from Tim Shearer, President of B2B Workforce, as well as a few of my own. Oct. 30, 2008
Comments: 6   Rank: 3620   Page Views: 5156 (Stats updated nightly)

"TechEd Vegas in Review" Podcast with Marilyn Pratt (and TechEd Berlin Preview)
In this thirty-five minute podcast with BPX Community Evangelist Marilyn Pratt, hosted by Jon Reed of JonERP.com, we take a look back at TechEd Las Vegas 2008 and talk about what worked and what could be improved. Marilyn shares the keys to why the Clubhouse worked so well by shifting from "talking heads" to "lounge conversations." We also review BPX Community Day, the roots of "green conference trends" at SAP, and we preview some exciting events coming up at TechEd Berlin. Marilyn also turns the tables on me and asks for my reactions in this interactive podcast. Oct. 1, 2008
Comments: 0   Rank: 6280   Page Views: 3831 (Stats updated nightly)

Will BI (and BO) Be Relevant to all SAP Functional Consultants? (and post TechEd updates)
Since BO was such an important theme of TechEd 2008, I wanted to share an email interaction I had with Nathan Genez, an experienced SAP functional consultant who is an active player in SAP's online communities. The focus of the exhange is this key question: will all SAP functional consultants be impacted by BI (and BO)? A few other links to my TechEd '08 content are also included. Sep. 26, 2008
Comments: 12   Rank: 2457   Page Views: 6234 (Stats updated nightly)

What I Learned from the SAP BO Summit in Boston
On Tuesday, August 12 in Boston, I had the opportunity to attend the SAP BO Summit. The Summit was an opportunity for so-called “Influencers” to learn more about the SAP BO Roadmap and the value proposition that SAP/Business Objects provides to SAP customers. In this blog entry, I'll share what I learned. Aug. 18, 2008
Comments: 6   Rank: 3172   Page Views: 5503 (Stats updated nightly)

Will ASUG EDGE Have an Impact on How Companies Rate and Hire SAP Talent?
Recently I had the chance to talk with ASUG CEO Steve Strout about ASUG EDGE, ASUG’s new searchable online directory of SAP consultants and consulting firms. With its new ASUG EDGE offering, ASUG is hoping to have an impact on how SAP skills are sourced and evaluated. In this special blog entry, I'm going to share what I learned from Steve about ASUG EDGE. I will also offering my own preliminary take on how I think ASUG EDGE might impact SAP staffing, and the pros and cons of this service as I see it so far.  Jul. 16, 2008
Comments: 6   Rank: 7471   Page Views: 3372 (Stats updated nightly)

Webinar Follow Up: Questions on "Best Practices for Building a Successful SAP Consulting Business"
Recently I appeared on a webinar for SDN Subcriptions entitled “Best Practices in Building Your SAP Consulting Business.” The focus of this webinar was how to take your SAP career to the next level as a consultant, and how SDN Software Subscriptions (and SAP’s online communities as a whole) can play a role in this. In this blog entry, I’m going to answer all the questions directed towards me on the webinar that I wasn’t able to answer live at the event itself. As you’ll see, the topics are wide-ranging, but all of the questions do pertain to some aspect of SAP consulting “best practices.”  Jul. 9, 2008
Comments: 4   Rank: 6464   Page Views: 3752 (Stats updated nightly)

Is SAP Certification Worth the Money?
The value of SAP certification has been a continuously hot topic in my email inbox since I started writing SAP career newsletters in 1995. I think this issue has come to a head a bit lately because SAP is moving to enhance its certification program through a new three-tiered certification strategy. In this blog entry, I’ll link to some of the most recent discussions on SAP certification and then provide my own views. Jun. 8, 2008
Comments: 10   Rank: 2845   Page Views: 5830 (Stats updated nightly)

Is There Really an SAP Skills Shortage?
Every time I get back from SAPPHIRE or TechEd, one story remains a constant: What are we going to do about the so-called SAP skills shortage? In this blog entry, I'm going to call attention to a few misconceptions that surround this skills debate, and hopefully reach a greater understanding along the way.  May. 13, 2008
Comments: 3   Rank: 7317   Page Views: 3434 (Stats updated nightly)

Is it True That ABAP and SAP Configuration Jobs are Going Away?
Is it true that ABAP and SAP Configuration jobs are going away? I don't think so, but it's important to frame this discussion so we can look at how SAP skill sets are changing in the eSOA era.  Apr. 11, 2008
Comments: 17   Rank: 3215   Page Views: 5478 (Stats updated nightly)

How is the SAP Functional Skill Set Changing?
In this blog entry, I briefly introduce myself and my JonERP.com web site to the SAP BPX community, and then I go on to share a summary of wrote of BPX Director Marco ten Vaanholt's keys to becoming a Business Process Expert. I also share some interesting comments I got on this topic from my blog when I posted the original entry.  Mar. 24, 2008
Comments: 6   Rank: 2452   Page Views: 6233 (Stats updated nightly)