A few weeks back, my training plans were thwarted when an SAP virtual education class was canceled for low enrollment. In the blog post "SAP Virtual Training Class turns into Physical Vacation" I shared my frustration, while turning cucumbers into pickles by going on holiday instead of sitting in front of a computer screen.
Well, SAP Education heard my pleas, responding with the following comment:
Hi Jim,
Thanks for being a good sport about the cancellation. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. Virtual training and sustainability are both extremely important for the Education business, and we’re going through a transformation process to align with these and other emerging priorities. Unfortunately, this particular course slipped through the cracks. Thanks for pointing it out. We’ll contact you directly to discuss a remedy.
Regards, Don Gosnell (Education Business Manager) |
As this showed up on my way to the seashore, I pinged Don back with a short note thanking him for his diligence and promising to get in touch as soon as I was back in the office.
Once the ball began rolling again, Don Gosnell let me know that a class previously set for a physical location was being converted to virtual, and they would make every effort to hold the class. Wow - what an extra effort! And another slight dilemma for me, as the prior plan to go to a local hotel for the days of the scheduled training, in order to concentrate fully on the material, yet enjoy some of the benefits of typical training classes, but without the fuel expenditure and resulting carbon emissions.
Join Me!
Here's where YOU come in. In order to make this class work, a minimum number of students must register. I registered today, possibly the first and only sign-up so far. The registrar wouldn't tell me the exact number, other than to say it was "low." I even tweeted about it (big surprise, right?)
Booked SAP Solution Manager training class (E2E100), again. Virtual class between August 9th and 13th. $3000 US. Join me so it stays online! |
Yes, it is a lot of money. But here are critical business justifications you could use to sign up for this training class:
- Solution Manager is a required part of any SAP environment (I'm pretty sure)
- Remote training classes don't cost travel, hotels, or meals (mostly)
- You'll be helping save the planet by lowering your carbon footprint
- You'll get to attend with me (I'll be in my usual spot, front row, on the left)
- There will never be another chance like this
- Um, I got nothing else.
Find the class this way:
http://www.sap.com/services/education/searchcourse.epx?context=[[E2E100|||||||]]|
Results Page: Showing 1-3 of 3
Code Course Name Version
E2E100 E2E Root Cause Analysis 081
E2E100 E2E Root Cause Analysis 084 <<<<br />E2E100 E2E Root Cause Analysis 072
Or, maybe:
http://www.sap.com/services/education/courseschedule.epx?context=[[|E2E100||3|084|US|]]|
Look for:
NA ET Virtual Classroom Aug 9 - 13 2010 3000.00 USD EN
E2E100: E2E Root Cause Analysis Virtual Class
(Tell them Jim sent you.)
Wait, wait, one more thing. I find it hard to do a blog post without an illustration. And this one will resonate with some.
I've been planting trees since I was, well, a little tyke. In addition to seeds and saplings, I find sprouts sometimes in unusual places and try to give them new homes. As an example, my sister's home had a Japanese maple tree; when we visited there about 20 years ago, I noticed many young shoots in the grass around the fairly mature tree (I remember the time period well as my son was very young). She said go ahead and dig up whatever I wished, as they would be cut down when the grass was mowed.
I took several; one survived in our East Baltimore backyard for several years, prior to being translated to a suburban front yard. I'll never forget digging up the roots the night before we moved, in order to rescue one of my adopted babies. It's now a large tree, not as large as the one it came from, but a decent size. The other day, as I was weeding and mulching it, I noted for the first time that it had sprouted those helicopter-like maple seeds. It's time for my youngster to propagate.