Nakisa Certification in Visualization Solutions by Nakisa (VSN)

Certification is all the rage around here right now (thanks to the great work of the SAP Mentors) and recently Nakisa launched their Certification Programme. This is really designed to distinguish the better SIs from those that don’t quite have the knowledge to give clients the right service. While this is probably not essential for the best SIs and Consultants who can quite easily prove their worth, it will certainly separate those who are still learning from those that don’t have the required skillset. Having given input in to the Certification Programme, I thought I’d share some information around the programme and the benefits it provides.

The Certification Programme comes in 2 “flavours”: Technical and Functional. Nakisa have introduced a 4-step approach towards Certification that must be achieved before Certification can be awarded:

• Attendance of a 5-day Functional or Technical training course
• Implementation experience and/or shadowing a Nakisa consultant for a set period
• Taking the Certification exam
• Having the exam reviewed and getting the Certification!

Nakisa have revamped their training courses for 3.0 and have extended them to provide the best knowledge base possible. Of course, with any SAP Certification the training alone isn’t going to make you into a consultant. That’s why Nakisa have introduced a set period of shadowing a Nakisa consultant on a project in order for the aspiring Certified consultant to pick up practical knowledge and prove their ability. Once they have completed their shadowing they will be able to sit the exam and should they pass then they will get their Certification.

The one thing I like about this approach is how the Certification actually provides practical and real experience so that a consultant cannot be Certified without having actual knowledge. This provides real value in having Certification and provides trust to clients to invest in the right people.

Certification also helps reduce the workload on Nakisa Support, who often take calls related to configuration or consulting issues. This obviously stops Nakisa dealing with genuine bugs and product issues. It also stops consultants looking a bit daft when OSS come back and tell their client there isn’t a bug.

So, what does the Training provide me with? Well, for both types of courses it provides you with an understanding of all the standard features and functionality of VSN. For the Functional course it provides you with an understanding of:

• The AdminConsole – and for the Technical course an understanding of performing configurations using the tool
• Best practices for deployment
• Gathering and documenting client requirements
• Identifying project estimates and timelines
• Evaluating the scope
• Planning and resource allocation

For the Technical course it provides you with an understanding of:

• The AdminConsole  and how to perform configurations using the tool
• Performing non-AdminConsole configurations, such as creating new hierarchies and new tasks etc
• Application architecture and its relationship with SAP ERP HCM
• Installing and deploying the solutions using best practices
• How to troubleshoot common product and deployment issues

The benefits for Certified consultants, with exception of being Certified, include:

• Access to the latest product information
• Higher consideration for implementations in their region
• Participation in Nakisa events
• Visibility to Nakisa, SAP and clients
• Ability to provide feedback on Nakisa solutions
• Participation in Beta testing and premium access to new and forthcoming releases
• Regular access to a Nakisa expert to discuss common deployment subjects

For me I can see a big benefit of Certification and recommend it for anyone who wants to follow a career or have the ability to implement VSN applications.