SAP Career Questions for B2B Workforce, August 2007 edition Can you please let me know how the current SAP BW market is and what is the minimum wait time to get a job? Also if you don't mind, can you let me know what module is the best to work with right now in conjunction with BW? JR: The current SAP BW market is hot enough that I'm tempted to use "explosive," but we're not there yet. Perhaps we should err on the conservative side and say, "plenty warm." So why is BW so hot? Consulting markets are always a function of supply and demand. The short version of this answer is that demand for BW consultants has increased as BW has increasingly become part of the core SAP solution and the de facto reporting environment for more and more SAP users who are looking to standardize on one enterprise solution. Can you please let me know how the current SAP BW market is and what is the minimum wait time to get a job? Also if you don't mind, can you let me know what module is the best to work with right now in conjunction with BW? JR: The current SAP BW market is hot enough that I'm tempted to use "explosive," but we're not there yet. Perhaps we should err on the conservative side and say, "plenty warm." So why is BW so hot? Consulting markets are always a function of supply and demand. The short version of this answer is that demand for BW consultants has increased as BW has increasingly become part of the core SAP solution and the de facto reporting environment for more and more SAP users who are looking to standardize on one enterprise solution. Then, just when the number of skilled BW consultants increases, SAP rolls out the BI 7.0 architecture, and even many skilled BW folks don't have BI 7.0 experience yet. This kind of fast-moving product evolution, combined with a high level of product acceptance, always creates a heightened level of demand. And that demand can create opportunities for consultants with all levels of experience. But to be fair, it's a lot easier to capitalize on a hot BW market if you already have a good level of BW experience. I can't really comment on the minimum wait to obtain a BW job because it all depends on how you fit into the marketplace. Senior BW consultants probably don't see any bench time these days unless they want a breather. But if you're newer to the BW market it might take longer to find the right project situation. It seems to me from your question that you might be newer to the BW market. Perhaps you can find ways of landing a BW project by "packaging" skills that are relevant to BW and presenting yourself as someone with a deep background in say, data warehousing, database management, or enterprise reporting. As far as which module is best to combine with BW, I don't think it's a matter of picking just one module anymore. There are a number of core SAP modules that companies are using in conjunction with BW now, and it's not just limited to the core either. For example, earlier this week, I listened to a presentation from a company that was leveraging their APO supply chain environment using BW. Because BW has such broad integration with the SAP product, I would suggest a different approach: pick the functional area within SAP that is closest to your professional strengths, and look to find the integration points between the area you are strongest in and BW. I'm sure you'll be able to find them. I have domain knowledge of about seven years, and I am currently doing a project with reputed concern as support consultant as team member. What is the scope for me once I complete the project - will I get a job or how it will go about? JR: I emailed this individual for more details about his background and learned that he had been working in the context of logistics and distribution project roles, and some of his industry experience was also in petrochemicals. The great thing about SAP is that the product is so broad in scope that it provides a variety of entry points for new consultants. But here's where a lot of folks get stuck: they get obsessed with whatever skill is hot and lose sight of something more important: finding a way to make their current background relevant in an SAP context. Let's take this individual for an example. He has a logistics background prior to SAP. Now, strictly speaking, of the core SAP areas, financials is probably the hottest of the three currently, with a lot of emphasis on the new General Ledger in ECC 6.0, as well as financial compliance, and the hot phrase of the day, "financial supply chain management." Logistics areas within SAP are also hot, and they are getting hotter as more and more companies move from best-of-breed shop floor and distribution systems and standardize on SAP. But SAP Financials is still more common. As a test, I typed in the phrase "SAP Financials" into Dice.com and got 985 job openings. I typed the phrase "SAP Logistics" into Dice and got 425 job openings, or half as many jobs. I think that's a fairly accurate reflection of the comparative level of demand between the two areas. So how does this relate to this person's question? This individual happens to have a logistics and distribution background. You can see where I am headed - I am recommending that he head towards SAP Logistics areas as he tries to break into SAP. Yes, SAP Financials is hotter on an objective level. But on that all-important level of how his skills can help a company's SAP implementation, he is much more of an asset on the logistics side where his previous industry experience can be brought to bear. Of course, within every larger area of SAP there are some areas that are in more demand than others. So once you pick out an area to focus on, such as logistics, you want to find a couple of emerging areas within logistics to add some sizzle to your skill set. Examples might be: SAP bar coding, perhaps combining some RF and RFID training, and/or Warehouse Management, which is becoming a more important module now that more companies are looking to SAP for their Warehouse Management functionality. So it may be savvy to combine a bit of training or SAP product know-how in a growing niche that lies within a broader area of expertise such as logistics. Another way to sharpen your marketability is to look to your industry background and market your skills to SAP companies in that industry. This person has a petrochemicals background, and that's an area where SAP has a lot of installations running. So adding an industry-focused angle to your job search can also reap dividends in terms of project opportunities. I've emphasized these points because I think they are just as relevant to seasoned SAP consultants as they are to those trying to break into the field for the first time. Good luck! Ask the SAP Career Expert Archive