Using .NET experience in ERP
Hi, I am a .NET developer and am interested in moving to an ERP field where I can use my .NET expertise. Could you please guide me?

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All the major ERP packages, SAP included, are supporting .NET environments. So, that's your obvious entry point into SAP, as a developer who can work in a .NET/SAP setting. If you read the NetWeaver promotional materials, you'll see that SAP makes a pretty big fuss over its .NET compatibility. Now, the reality of performance within .NET settings may or may not live up to the hype. But the fact is that there are very few traditional SAP programmers who are skilled working in .NET environments, so that seems like an entry point for you.

The trick there is to find SAP customers who have a need for additional .NET expertise. This kind of information is hard to find - but you can start with the job boards and try to find situations that combine SAP and .NET. Remember that you may not be able to work heavily on the SAP side right away. But just getting your feet wet in a .NET setting that runs on SAP would pay off, and as you gain seniority within the project, your ability to move into the SAP aspects of the project will increase. Remember that another way to break into ERP is to find companies in industries where you have previous experience. The more you can offer companies in terms of your previous skills and projects, the more likely you are to get on board.

This was first published in March 2005