QUESTION POSED ON: 20 December 2005
First let me provide some background to help you with my question. I have been in a business analyst role for about 15 years, first supporting planning and logistics groups on legacy systems and more recently providing the same support on SAP and i2 products. I have about three years of experience providing support for a planning group using SAP SD and MM and manage a small group of business analysts. We also use i2 for our planning engine and forecasting, which I also support. So, my experience is with maintaining BOM's and i2 supply chain data, troubleshooting supply chain problems in i2 and SAP -- SD and MM, processing workflow, and providing some reports using Focus and Business Objects, mostly from a functional standpoint.
I think my current job is limited as far as further developing more technical SAP training and experience. My soft skills include managing a small group of analysts and project management skills from managing the end user side of the SAP and i2 implementations, as well as other projects.
I really would like to get more technical SAP knowledge, so I can add this to my functional supply chain experience and hopefully land a SAP job. I am wondering where to go from here and what modules would be best for me to learn. Here are my three main questions:
1. Where can I get more training? Should I take it from SAP directly, or any other training companies or other options, such as CBT's or books? (I am located in Silicon Valley).
2. Where should I start? Should I start with SD and MM, and learn about configuration, then go into CRM or BW? Or maybe with my i2 experience, I should learn APO -- but I don't see many jobs in APO. Should I try to get certified and in what module(s)?
3. How can I solve the catch-22 problem of needing more experience to land a new SAP job, yet having to have a job to get the experience? Do you think taking training classes from SAP directly and certification is worth the high cost?
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