Recently I taped a two-way discussion on careers in SAP sustainability with fellow SAP Mentor Jim Spath. Although Jim does not work in sustainability on a day to day basis, he's one of the most influential community voices in this area and has a 20 year background as an environmental engineer in his pre-SAP life. He is the moderator of the SAP Community Network Sustainability Forum. When we taped this thirty minute discussion, Jim and I were fresh off an SAP Mentor session on SAP's sustainabilty strategy with Jeremiah Stone of SAP. We wanted to react to that session - though some of it was "not bloggable" and we kept that content out. There were other SAP sustainability events to react to also, but mostly, we wanted to riff on SAP careers in sustainability and talk about the skills and the impact we can have by greening our SAP careers.

About Jim: Jim Spath is a Technical Architect with a global manufacturer. He's an SAP Mentor and a long time ASUG volunteer. He writes some of the most readable technical blogs on SCN. The views Jim expresses on this podcast are only his personal views and are not made on behalf of any of his organizational affiliations.

Show notes: This was not only a two-way discussion, it was a two-way taping. Jim posted a writeup with show notes and resource links on SCN that is his version of the recording. Each of our recordings had its tradeoffs, the one you are listening to here has an excellent recording of my voice and Jim coming through on speakerphone. My version of the sound file is cleaned up slightly and I have added musical intros and outros. I didn't feel that my existing JonERP podcast music was funky enough for Jim, so I have picked up a newer funkier edition in honor of his contribution. Final note: at the 5:00 minute mark, we talked about SAP's frequency of report updating. I did verify with SAP that the sustainability report will now be updated quarterly.

"Jon and Andy Interview Each Other on ASUG-SAPPHIRE Orlando 2010, SAP training trends, SAP certification, and other conference takeaways"
Podcast Interview Date: May 27, 2010
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Andy Klee of ERPtips is no stranger to ERP shows. He's a JD Edwards/Oracle industry veteran who has been publishing SAP content for the last seven years and blogging on SAP training trends for the last year. But ASUG-SAPPHIRE Orlando was Andy Klee's first SAP show. So what did he think of SAP culture? Was the food really better than Oracle shows? And what did he learn about training trends from his meetings with SAP customers and SAP Education leaders?

In this thirty-five minute podcast, Jon and Andy have their second two-way conversation (hear the first one here). Andy starts by putting Jon on the JonERP hot seat and getting his conference reactions to SaaS/Business ByDesign, Sybase, and certification, then Jon returns the favor with questions to Andy on his conference takeways. Jon also surprises Andy with a question about how Oracle/JDE and SAP consultants compare.

"An international roundtable on the pros and cons of Solution Manager, debated with grit and mutual respect"
Podcast Interview Date: May 9, 2010
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SAP Solution Manager is one of the most controversial topics in the SAP community. Though some see Solution Manager as the key to everything from post-go-live optimization to realizing the value of Enterprise Support, there is a noticeable gap between how SAP perceives Solution Manager and its customers' own experience. One way to close this gap is to bring honest discourse about SolMan out into the open. What better way to do that then a no-holds barred, roundtable podcast with three of the most influential voices in the blogosphere (and Twitterverse) on SAP Solution Manager?

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 Solution Manager conversation with new insights and a clash of perspectives, but you never know. The end result exceeded my own expectations. With good humor but a frank style that underscored their different perspectives, these guys nailed it. We taped this four way, fifty minute podcast on Skype, and while the sound quality is solid, there is the occasional piece of background noise. I think you'll find that any occasional sound blips are more than worth it for the caliber of the content. Read further to check out the speaker biographies, podcast notes, and links to additional Solution Manager content.

"On the customer perspective on SAP business process expert skills, Guy's take on soft skills in an SAP context, and the SAP consultant as midwife"
Podcast Interview Date: April 28, 2010
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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 talks with Guy Couillard, President of OTA. Jon was introduced to Guy by Andy Klee of ERPtips, and ever since that introduction was made, Jon was seriously impressed by OTA's role in the SAP soft skills and change management education space.

During this 40 minute podcast, learn why Jon thinks OTA is one of the best kept secrets in the SAP consulting space. Hear Jon and Guy talk about what customers are looking for from SAP consultants, how they fall short, and find out what to do about it. 

Podcast guest Jim Spath is a fan of the Bengies Drive-In Theatre.  And just like the drive-in, we've got a podcast double feature for you. In part two (the part in this description), Jim and I talk about our shared interest in improving the public discussion on SAP Solution Manager and why we think this public airing is important. In part one of our double feature, we talked about getting the most out of ASUG 2010. 

Jim Spath is a Technical Archictect with a global manufacturer. He's an SAP Mentor and a long time ASUG volunteer. He writes some of the most readable technical blogs on SCN. Jim is presenting at ASUG 2010 on compressing database objects. I tracked him down on Skype for a Sunday evening taping so we could talk about ASUG but also launch several upcoming discussions on SAP Solution Manager. Note: the views Jim expresses on this podcast are only his personal views and are not made on behalf of any of his organizational affiliations.

"On getting the most out of ASUG 2010, justifying your attendance, and greener approaches to trade show attendance"
Podcast Interview Date: April 29, 2010
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Podcast guest Jim Spath is a fan of the Bengies Drive-In Theatre.  And just like the drive-in, we've got a podcast double feature for you. In part one (the part in this description), Jim and I talk about ASUG 2010 Orlando and why the ASUG part of the show matters (Jim is presenting at ASUG 2010 on compressing database objects). In part two of our podcast double feature, we launch our first discussion on the pros and cons of SAP Solution Manager .

Jim Spath is a Technical Archictect with a global manufacturer. He's an SAP Mentor and a long time ASUG volunteer. He writes some of the most readable technical blogs on SCN. I tracked him down on Skype for a Sunday evening taping. During the ASUG part of the discussion, I asked Jim why he gives people like me a hard time when we talk about SAPPHIRE and don't mention ASUG. Jim also talks about how he reports back to his team and how to justify one's attendance at ASUG to one's employer. We also touch on the greening of conferences and how to have a greener conference experience in Orlando, including the use of Redi Pedi bicycle taxis. Note: the views Jim expresses on this podcast are only his personal views and are not made on behalf of any of his organizational affiliations.

"On the adventure of being an early Business by Design customer, how ByD impacts Johnson Products' business strategy, and what SAP can do to improve ByD from here"
Podcast Interview Date: April 14, 2010
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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. 

Brown talks about why his team chose ByD over other SME offerings, how they implemented in thirty days under intense deadline pressure, and what he thinks SAP can do from here to improve the ByD go to market strategy. Brown's entrepreneurial dreams would not have been possible with out a cloud-based ERP solution that could provide a major savings in cost and infrastructure without sacrificing functionality. Johnson Products is an ethnic hair care products company with a proud history. Brown shares his frank views on what it was like to purchase the company and lean heavily on By Design to get his business off the ground.

"On Matthias' keys to success an independent SAP Pricing consultant, and how to use The Ultimate SAP Pricing Guide to advance your (or your teams') pricing know-how"
Podcast Interview Date: March 23, 2010
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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. 

This podcast was taped not long after the release of Matthias' new book, The Ultimate SAP Pricing Guide. Originally inspired by a series of articles on SAP Pricing Matthias wrote for ERPtips.com, Matthias' SAP Pricing Guide is the book he wished that he had as a reference guide when he first got his start in SAP Pricing. During our interview, I ask Matthias about the changes in SAP Pricing functionality from prior releases, the importance of ABAP to SAP Pricing projects, and how to avoid costly project mistakes by going about SAP Pricing in the wrong way. Matthias also explains why mastering the Condition Technique, a cornerstone of SAP Pricing functionality, is also a great idea - whether or not you specialize in SAP Pricing.

"Guest Enterprise Geeks appearance on SAP Project Roles, the Impact of SAP BPX skills, and truth/fiction on emerging SAP job roles like 'Solution Architect.'

Podcast Interview Date: January 27, 2010
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In late January, I appeared as a guest on an Enterprise Geeks special edition on SAP Project Roles. My fellow SAP Mentor Leonardo De Araujo was also on the podcast to add his always-opinionated views to the discussion.

I didn't get a chance to post this link on my site until now, but the timing is good because I have now filmed another video that pertains to this topic also. Although our discussion was intended to cover a range of project roles and issues, not surprisingly, we gravitated towards the always entertaining topic of "BPX" flavored SAP roles and whether these roles are for real or driven by hype. To add some new content to this posting, I'll also include a new video I shot on the "SAP BPX skills: what's real and what's hype" topic here as well.

"Jon and Andy Interview Each Other on the Future of SAP, SAP Certification, the Impact of Virtual ERP Training, and the JonERP.com Business Model"
Podcast Interview Date: December 22, 2009
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What business trend 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? Oh, and how does Jon Reed make money anyway? What exactly is the JonERP.com business model? 

To get to the bottom of these questions and several more, Jon Reed of JonERP.com and Andy Klee of ERPtips.com taped an impromptu, unscripted thirty-five minute podcast where they each turned the tables on the other until they ran out of questions to ask - at least for this round. A couple features noted in the podcast: Andy Klee refers to ERPtips Express - a service that allows registrants to check out half of the new ERPtips Journal content free of charge. Andy also refers to the recent ERPtips SAP Training Survey. Jon's Twitter feed is @jonerp, Andy's is @andyklee.

"On the Changes in SAP Consulting, What Individuals and SAP Services Firms Need to do to Stay Relevant, and the Issues SAP Customers Face After Go-Live"
Podcast Interview Date: December 7, 2009
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What is the future of SAP consulting? Why do SAP customers struggle with SAP after go live? Where are the gaps in service that traditional Systems Integrators can't fill? To get to the bottom of these questions, I asked Greg Tomb, founder and CEO of Vivido Labs and former CEO of SAP North America, to join our podcast series and give us his take on how SAP consulting is changing.

During this thirty minute podcast, Greg also explains why he started a new company (Vivido Labs) in a recession and how companies like Vivido can impact SAP consulting and also knowledge on demand via knowledge marketplaces (in Vivido's case, the Knowledge Exchange). We also get Greg's advice on how SAP consultants should adapt to these changing circumstances.

"On How to Give Jon a Hard Time, See How He Handles Questions on his Feet, and a Meeting of the Minds on SAP Technical Career Success"
Podcast Interview Date: October 16, 2009
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At SAP TechEd, I was involved with numerous video shoots and podcast tapings. But my favorite from the conference stands out clearly: this live SAP tech skills chat with the Enterprise Geeks. What stood out about this taping? It was live, without a net, talking without any script or planning on the future of SAP technical careers - with a live audience asking us questions and watching to see if our material and views were credible.

To me, this 24 minute podcast really captures the spirit of TechEd and also gives a gut-level view of SAP technical skills at a crossroads - with unwanted "skills commotization" on one hand, and new opportunities with Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) and BPM/SOA-inspired approaches on the other. My partner in crime for the podcast is Enterprise Geek radio jockey Eddie Herrmann. It's a half hour of whatever sticks to the wall - and one of the best podcasts I've ever been a part of.

"On the Experience of Being a Demo Jam Finalist and How to Stay Marketable as an SAP Developer"
Podcast Interview Date: October 15, 2009
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Too often, realizing SAP career dreams is seen as a process of seniority: until you have paid your dues for many years, you won't see the payback. While hard work is never a bad thing, Brian Dennett of Colgate-Palmolive has a different story: just two years into his SAP career, he was a Demo Jam finalist at SAP TechEd Phoenix 2009 (link to full SAP DemoJam replay). This was a powerful reminder that SAP career success in today's market has as much to do with late night bursts of content creation as it does with cubicle-based dues paying. 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.  

During the 12 minute podcast, Brian talks about his Demo Jam experience and one thing that was unique about his performance: he is planning to give the code from his presentation away on EnterpriseGeeks.com. Speaking of Enterprise Geeks, I also asked Brian about his experience working for Enterprise Geeks podcast jockey Eddie Herrmann. Humor aside, Brian and I also talked about the serious topic of how to contend with outsourcing as a technical person by keeping your skills on the cutting edge. Brian had some important career insights as a result of his TechEd experience, and he shares those with us during this podcast.  

Reminder: JonERP.com podcasts are self-rated PG-13.

During TechEd, I was able to sit down with Greg Chase, who is the Director of Platform Marketing with SAP, covering BPM and CE (Composition Environment). We were joined by his colleague Patrik Fiegl, who is with SAP's Business Transformation Consulting Services Organization, driving BPM growth with customers. 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. The discussion points to new skills that can be added to existing roles, as well as an overall convergence of business and IT that is creating the need for new modeling tools experience and new scrum-inspired methodologies.

Note: we also debriefed on the Process Design Slam in Phoenix and why it charted new waters, and we talked about the SAP BPM curriculum that is part of SAP's BPX certification.

"On SAP customer attitudes on Enterprise Support, the value/hype of SaaS for SAP users, and SAP skills advice"
Podcast Interview Date: September 25, 2009
Podcast: Listen Now!
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One of the most controversial issues in the SAP community today is the question of SAP Enterprise Support and whether the support justifies the cost. In the flurry of blog posts on this topic, an important viewpoint can get overlooked: the day-to-day experience of SAP customers. Recently, Panaya, an SAP third party solutions provider, released their 2009 SAP Support Costs Survey. This survey put some meat on the bone of the hot topics in SAP support, such as the cost of support per user, the attitudes towards Enterprise Support, and the key support challenges that SAP users face.

During this twenty minute podcast, Jon Reed of JonERP.com interviews Amit Bendov, Chief Marketing Officer of Panaya, about what they learned from their recent Survey on SAP Support. Since Panaya's tools are all delivered via Software as a Service (SaaS), Jon wanted to get Amit's take on how much value there is in SaaS right now for SAP users based on what Panaya has learned. The podcast also covers the release of Panaya's new Big Book of SAP Upgrades and Panaya's presence at SAP TechEd Phoenix, including the Phoenix/Sedona bike trip Amit is organizing the Saturday after TechEd. (Find Amit on Twitter for more details on the bike trip). Editor's note: for more details on the challenges of installing SAP support packs and the specifics of Panaya's SAP support package automation solution, check out the additional podcast Jon and Amit taped with a focus on SAP support pack installation.

"On the 'Driven to Perform' Book, How it Translates into EPM and GRC skills needs, and how SAP will fare in an SaaS Economy"
Podcast Interview Date: September 25, 2009
Podcast: Listen Now!
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SAP is at a serious crossroads. The ERP market is in a state of significant disruption. The down economy has not only slowed sales; it's created a fertile ground for Software as a Service business models. As I say in the podcast, how SAP responds to these market challenges is going to have a lot to say about its future. Those of us who work in the SAP community have a lot at stake as well. On the consulting side, the commoditization of basic ERP skills is challenging consultants to find a "higher skills ground."

There is no one better to talk about these issues than Nenshad Bardoliwalla. A former executive from the SAP ranks, Nenshad is now heavily involved in SaaS technologies. He is also the co-author of the recently published book Driven to Perform: Risk-Aware Performance Management From Strategy Through Execution. In this in-depth, 50 minute podcast, which I consider to be amongst the best I have ever released, I talk with Nenshad about the book's approach to linking strategy to execution and how this can be leveraged in SAP environments.

The first half of the podcast is focused on breaking down how linking strategy to execution is driving skills demand in the SAP BusinessObjects EPM (Enterprise Performance Management) and GRC (Governance, Risk and Compliance) suites. The second half of the podcast moves into the impact of Software as a Service on the ERP market and how Nenshad thinks SAP should respond. We also get into how SAP professionals should approach SaaS from a skills perspective.

"SAP Mentor Abesh Bhattacharjee of SAP Labs on His New Book from SAP Press on SAP MII, Keys to Success as an SAP Developer, and BPX Skills Trends"
Podcast Interview Date: August 02, 2009
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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. In the debut of a podcast Jon and Abesh have been plotting since last December, Abesh shares the good news of the release of his new book on Implementing and Configuring SAP MII from SAP Press (co-authored by fellow SAP Mentor Dipankar Saha) and gives his insight on the importance of SAP MII and shop floor visibility to SAP users.

"Kevin Wilson of ERPGenie.com Explains Why SAP Event Management is the Best Kept Secret in SAP - and the Keys to Becoming a Visible Expert in the SAP Community"
Podcast Interview Date: August 21, 2009
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A handful of people in the SAP industry are distinguished by their truly outstanding contributions to the SAP community. Kevin Wilson, co-founder of ERPGenie.com and partner with Qdata USA, Inc, is one of those people. ERPGenie.com has supported the skills growth of thousands of SAP professionals. So what is the philosophy behind ERPGenie's success? And how has Kevin Wilson used those same principles to build his own SAP consulting career? What are his keys to finding a marketable niche in the SAP market and becoming a thought leader? 

Kevin remains a hands-on consultant with QData Consulting, and in recent years, he has become an expert in SAP Event Management (EM) implementations. Kevin has come to believe that SAP EM is one of the best kept secrets in SAP. But due to its powerful functionality and relevance to the "manage by exception" process philosophy, EM is not going to remain a secret for much longer. During this in-depth, 43 minute podcast, Kevin tells Jon about the opportunities in SAP EM consulting and how a range of technical and functional SAP professionals can potentially move into SAP EM work. 

"Thomas Wailgum on the Pros and Cons of SAP, the Impact of SaaS, and the Search for the Owner of the ERP License Plate"
Podcast Interview Date: August 1, 2009
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Thomas Wailgum, Senior Editor of CIO.com and the man behind the "Enterprise Software Unplugged" blog, is a self-described "wiseass." Those who follow his blog know that he isn't afraid to mix it up a little bit and poke a little fun at ERP heavyeights. What you might not know is that Thomas has been at CIO.com for 13 years - an amazingly long time given the ups and downs of dotcoms and online media. I wanted to get Thomas on a podcast and ask him how the ERP market has changed over his years at CIO.com, what he has learned from his interviews with CIOs, and get his take on the pros and cons of SAP in today's market. Thomas is also a fun ERP presence on Twitter, so you may want to follow him there.

"On SAP Project Success and Failure, The Fun (and Value) of Twitter for ERP Pros, and What Panorama's Research Says about the SAP Market"
Podcast Interview Date: July 27, 2009
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What's the best way to overcome inaccurate perceptions? By gathering comprehensive data. And what's the best way to put a vendor in context? Study the broader market. Eric Kimberling, President of Panorama Consulting, does both of these things in the ERP space. 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 to join me and to 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. 

During this twenty-five minute podcast, we also talk about the value of Twitter for ERP users and why Eric's experience as a popular ERP "Tweeter" has showed him that Twitter is for more than sharing classic rock music playlists. Eric also shares the keys behind Panorama's business model that includes plenty of information sharing with the ERP community (such as their well-attended ERP webcast series).