Additional Blogs by Members
cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Former Member
0 Kudos

coding

Two years ago, the idea that SAP Mentors would attend SAPPHIRE in any numbers was about as likely as my drawing pleasure from a root canal filling. The most common thought went something like this: "Why would I turn up to a customer sales pitch. I'm a geek, I do code. Sales/marketing is irrelevant to me."

Wrong on every point but perfectly understandable. SAP is, after all, the company that prides itself on world class engineering. In that world what would something as mucky as 'marketing' have to do with the more cerebral and luxuriously satisfying world of writing 'that' near perfect piece of ABAP code? 

The point that SAP Mentors are missing is the reason they were chosen in the first place as Mentors. Because SAP thinks they are among the best of the best. Is that not worth something to you? Should there not be a quid pro quo? 

The way I sum it up comes in the Hugh MacLeod cartoon 'Quality' where the real story is that SAP is not just about the quality of what it delivers but the amazing things it enables. Sure - there are plenty of naysaysers (heck - I'm one of them) but at the individual and sort-of-collective level, Mentors bring value and change to SAP. When that happens then god-dammit, you deserve the opportunity to shout it from as many rootops as you can find. But how, without appearing like you're selling your soul to some low ball marketing sleaze scheme?

That's remarkably easy. The story around 'Quality' and its immediate results will soon be told at the upcoming SAP Inside Track in London where I will explain what happened, how it works and how you can benefit. Even if you are not an SAP Mentor but just someone who is passionate about SAP (we want to hear you dude) then I would encourage you to attend. I'd go so far as to say that if you don't attend then you are likely to be leaving money on the table of your next SAP engagement.

The only way that SAP remains a great organization is through the great people it has internally and around it. It is time to celebrate the value delivered.

My question to you - are you in or are you out?

Illo credit to @Blag - I laughed my *** off when I saw it.

19 Comments