annamichelle2310

Hi
I'm trying to find out about courses in Melbourne for SAP software.
I am finding that lots of employers are asking for it.
Can anyone help please?

Deancm

There are course you can do but they can be very expensive. SAP is extremely complex and there is a high demand for it. It also pays extremely well. Most people that get into SAP are usually working for (and lucky enough) a company that decides to implement it and they get placed on the implementation team and learn on-the-job.

As much as you can do courses and read, every implementation is bespoke depending on the clients' needs and this is what the courses don't give you.

Without SAP experience, you would probably be best to look for a systems accountant role that will provide superuser experience. Once you have got that you can then get config and implementation experience.

Also worth a look would be Oracle Financials. Oracle is SAP's main competitor. A lot of SAP customers are not happy with SAP at the moment and they are losing market share to Oracle.

jsm66

You may find that courses are cheaper in India than anywhere else.
I am studying for Oracle OCP here in UK and its basically easier than SAP.

Deancm

And they are not well regarded by employers in Australia or the UK.

annamichelle2310

It sounds like a no go.
Not all employers are asking for it, I just thought, as with MYOB, I could do a course and get accredited.
But sounds like a minefield.

Any advice on getting even just a basic knowledge of what it is, what it does etc would be much appreciated so I am not totally clueless!

capetosydney

You can try SAP PRESS web site, they have a selection of SAP books for the beginners, this one could give you some more insight into SAP, what it is and how it fits together. Hard copy is about US $39,but you can also choose and pay for online access instead of hard copy, same price though, but instant access.

http://www.sap-press.com/products/Di...dition%29.html

GoldCoastOrBust

I got into a different and popular ERP via an employment and later via a business partner, 14 years later I'm still in the business although its been tough in the UK, very busy in Aus - one of the primary reasons we want to go back.

When I was in Aus we were supporting the University of Melbourne than included an ERP suite in its MBA programme, that can be a route in - if you are prepared to do an MBA.

ERP = Enterprise Resource Planning, which basically means the software that runs a business within a single suite, comprising modules such as financials, purchasing, sales order, general ledger, manufacturing, retailing, warehousing distribution, fixed assets etc etc etc.

Broadly speaking careers are in three categories:

1) Business Analysts - tend to specialise in a certain module
2) Developers - programming
3) Technical and infrastructure - for SAP its SAP BASIS

Then on top of that are Project Managers, Trainers, Support, etc.

Right now my organisation is implementing two modules and has a team of around 80 working on it.

The key Tier 1 players are:

SAP
Oracle with Oracle Ebusiness Suite, Peoplesoft and JD Edwards
BAAN - although they have been taken over and don't appear very much

Tier 2, well have a look at this url:

http://www.erpandmore.com/2005/10/28...er-are-you-in/

Microsoft are up and coming with MS Dynamics, if I were starting again I would bet on this one, as MS have a habit of getting there in the end.

Deancm

Well that all depends on how far you want to go with it. Need more informaton.

Do you want to be a user, superuser or go the whole hog and implement/configure it?

As a user it just an accounting system similar to MYOB and that can easily be done with on the job training. A super user does a lot of what a user does but can also administer it. A SAP consultant will do all the customisation and implementation work.

For an accountant it is a good area to get into. For example a good SAP FI/CO consultant can earn arond $130K/year +. A SAP Contractor can earn around $1000 - $2000/day depending on market conditions (right now due to the GFC the contract market has taken a hit).

Have a look at www.sap.com.

Deancm

Good info. Yes, BAAN are a dead duck. MS Dynamics is mainly for the small to medium enterprise. Nowhere near as complex or powerful as Oracle E-business Suite and SAP. Salaries aren't as high either.

Oracle's the one to watch right now. In WA in the resources sector, Oracle E-biz contractors were earning $2,500 per day before the GFC.