Spotlight on Braniff Bonaventure: B2B Workforce SAP Resource Manager and a Coach on and off the Field.

The air around B2B Workforce's headquarters in Alpharetta, Georgia is thick with the excitement of college football season in the South. Most folks around here are talking about the strengths of their favorite team's line-up and exactly what to prepare for the tail-gaiting feast. We recently sat down with Braniff Bonaventure, B2B Workforce Resource Manager to discuss his impression of the SAP and Oracle markets as he has recruited for both. While we did not touch on college football, we did talk about how his experience as a football player and coach is helpful off the field as he strategizes the best career moves in the consulting game for our B2B Consultants.

B2B Workforce- How long have you been in the recruiting and staffing industry?

Braniff- I've been recruiting about 3 and ½ years total and have been with B2B over 2 years. Before I got into recruiting I played professional football.

B2B Workforce- When you started with B2B you were recruiting in the Siebel and EAI areas. Now that you are on the SAP side do you see any across the board trends in the skills our clients are seeking in a consultant?

Braniff- In both SAP and the new combined Oracle world the proper training and hands on experience with the latest platforms is crucial in getting solid project roles. With the emerging skill sets in the Oracle world it may be possible to break in with less experience than you would need to work with some of the more established core modules in SAP. Most of the roles I fill in the core SAP Logistics area require a minimum of 5-6 years of solid experience.

To read more of Braniff's thoughts on how to be successful in today's ERP market: Click Here

SAP in the news

BNSF Railway on Track With SAP: Click here

SAP to decrease capital stock by cancelling 23 mln treasury shares: Click here

SAP offers best practices for GRC platform: Click here

New podcast! Jon Reed Interviews Suresh Sreenivasaiah of YesJ Expert, Presented by B2B Workforce. "An inside view of the SAP Retail Consulting market"

Jon speaks with Suresh about his current SAP Retail project with B2B Workforce and the lessons he has learned from working on SAP Retail projects since 1998. Suresh shares his view on why the SAP Retail market has heated up and what skills are needed for successful SAP Retail implementations.

To listen Click here

Ask the Expert

In each edition of the B2B Workforce Consultant Newsletter, Jon Reed fields questions from B2B Consultants on SAP career issues. If you'd like your question featured in an upcoming newsletter, email us

My brother is trying to pursue his career in SAP-FI. He has over 20 years of Banking Experience. Do you think his domain knowledge in Banking will help him to progress in a SAP career. He is very much interested to make a shift to some kind of SW related job. Your suggestions please.

JR: I like your question because it pertains to consultants with a wide range of experience. Obviously, your brother does not yet have SAP experience, but the question of industry experience is becoming more common for senior SAP consultants also.

In terms of your brother's background in banking, I like how he is pursuing SAP Financials - obviously the logical choice for someone with a banking background. It's possible he could get even more specific in his SAP pursuits, and he could see about moving into areas pertaining to SAP Treasury and Cash Management.

To read the rest of Jon's answer to this question and more: Click Here

Oracle in the news

Solution Beacon and Oracle Team to Deliver a Highly Differentiated Solution for the Advertising Industry: Click here

Oracle Opens Nominations for Oracle Innovation Award: Click here

Oracle Buys Bridgestream: Click here

From a PeopleSoft Consultant’s Point of View- PEOPLESOFT, FUSION & SAP

by Robert Patti, Certified PeopleSoft Consultant

Over these past three years, I have witnessed a change in the attitudes that corporations have had toward implementing the PeopleSoft ERP Solution. There seems to be a trend throughout the corporate world that their Human Capital Management solution needs to be the same solution that supports all of the company’s financial applications. Previously, this “one size fits all” approach was being driven by the functionality of the products. Now it is being driven by a “One Vendor Solution” giving the corporations more leverage during the tedious negotiating process.

Oracle has tried to divert this trend by keeping their “Fusion Product Line” in most client and perspective client communications. I have had many discussions with high level corporate executives that have advised me that Fusion will look a great deal like their current HCM PeopleSoft product line except that the underlying technology will be quite different. On the Financial side of the house, it appears that Oracle is reviewing all of their products including JD Edwards, PeopleSoft and Oracle trying to determine whether they will be competitive with product offerings of SAP and the balance of their competitors.

PeopleSoft’s future will highly depend not on enhancements to the HCM product line but the ability to offer similar services currently being offered by their competitors.

Have a comment on Robert Patti’s “Point of View? Please email it to comments@b2bworkforce.com. Selected comments will be published in the next month’s newsletter.

Do you have a "Point of View" on the Oracle, PeopleSoft, Siebel or EAI:BI marketplace? Send your submissions to Katie Kaduk at kcaruso@b2bworkforce.com.