In this age of globalization business processes are becoming more and more complex with various interlinked factors and parameters. It is evident that every business has its own opportunities and challenges. But if you delve deep into any business you will find that the basic underlying process is quite similar for all of them. This initiated development of ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) packages that could change the way businesses used to be performed decades ago. SAP is one such ERP packages, which has not only helped many enterprises to transform but also helped them to achieve operational excellence.
The basic job of a SAP consultant is to implement Best Practices in enterprises from different verticals and add value to the bottom line of their respective businesses. The prime and most critical factor for determining how successful you will be as a SAP consultant is your understanding of business process. It is important for you to comprehend the business process in detail, and how each function is related and integrated with the other.
There are two types of consultants involved in any SAP implementation namely Functional and Technical Consultants. The functional consultants interact closely with the clients to study and understand the business process, find out the criticality of the business, and collate requirements from the clients. They map all aspects of business together and do Gap Analysis and prepare "As Is To Be" model to suit the business requirements.
Once these steps are over and the client approves the newly designed model, it is communicated to the technical consultants for development and customization of modules to meet the client's requirements. This process is known as knowledge transfer, and through this process functional consultants help the technical consultant to design the roadmap for development. The functional consultant customizes the package to suit the client's business requirements while the technical consultant takes care of the coding, programming, and data migration functions in the backend.
There are many modules in SAP like Sales & Distribution, Material Management, Purchase, Finance & Control, Customer Relationship Management, Human resource, which take care of all different function and domain of any business. Different consultants work in different modules in tandem with each other to ensure smooth integration of the process.
SAP consultancy is therefore a great career option having immense potential for growth. The market growth is simply phenomenal and poised to grow further in years to come since many enterprises are finding it difficult to sustain their leadership in this fiercely competitive age without having a proper ERP system in place.
Apart from the business process knowledge, it is imperative to know the package for becoming a SAP consultant. SAP is a very versatile product and has proven its credential in almost all businesses over the period of time. SAP development wing has come up with many IS (Industry Specific) solutions like SAP-IS Retail, SAP-IS Oil & Gas, etc., to address uniqueness of these verticals.
As you become a senior SAP consultant you would need to advise the company on growing demand and change in business practices taking place at the client's end and help the company to develop solution that is up-to-date and relevant. If you ever come across a business process or a business case that may not be handled with existing features of SAP you may suggest the company on developing add-on products accordingly to resolve those issues.
Although SAP consulting market looks rosy and promising, at times one may find entering this field quite difficult. There are many authorized training partners who impart training and offer certification on SAP. After successful completion of the course you become a Certified SAP Consultant. Once you get the first break and gather hands on experience of few end-to-end implementations, there is no looking back. A note of appreciation from the clients with whom you have worked may work wonders for your future endeavors.
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