The world’s spinning too fast – so get up to date! – But when?
Introduction
Many SAP consultants work at end-customers (like me). This means spending all day answering the phone, sending/receiving mails, educating users, and trying to review the processes of our company in order to try to improve them – and then implement these enhancements into SAP.
This can be (and in fact is) very time-consuming. Overtime is the rule nowadays.
I began as an SAP analyst-programmer, and then moved onto SAP consulting. That was about 13 years ago.
What is somehow disappointing is that the programming and developing techniques that I learnt when I was young (well, younger) have become obsolete, or at least superseded by more modern techniques. Just for the sake of examples, compare BDC to BAPI, or SAPscript to Adobe Forms, classic reporting to ALV, and so on.
My two cents
Now the problem is – I can hardly understand all these new technologies and concepts. I must admit that it took me a couple of months to grasp what the ** SOA was – ah yes, that has something to do with webservices.
When I began with SAP, I was educated in interactive lists, BDC sessions and so on. BAPIs were like ‘the future’.
When we moved on to ECC6.0 – wow! WebDynpro for ABAP, for Java, dynamic programming… everything’s very well explained in the eLearning section of this SCN.
That means: self-learning.
24 hours a day is not enough?
It’s a pity that my initial education (and I guess that happens to many other people like me) has become obsolete so fast. Yeah, the net offers you a ton of material to upgrade your knowledge… but it’s quite hard to search, and most important, to pick up the resources that are the best or most suitable for you.
How can we cope with daily workload and trying to be updated on these new topics?
Thanks for your reply.
I quite agree, FI component is the very basis of every R/3 system (at least IMHO), but still it can be improved - just check out the New General Ledger. So, no matter on what topic, we always have to upgrade our skills (as Graham says).
Kind regards,
Alvaro
your post got me thinking about one I did last year and prompted me to reread it. How much do you invest in You?
Perhaps you will get something out of it as well?
Cheers
Graham Robbo
First of all, thanks for your reply.
Second, I'm afraid that I missed your blog post... sorry! But hey! now I've had a look at it.
Third, in my particular case, the main problem is to find some free time to get some education, when you spend all of your worktime on solving issues and so on. Maybe the solution is to be my own boss, and thus being able to manage my time? Don't know quite sure...
Kind regards,
Alvaro
Thanks for your comment.
The point is (IMHO) that we have time to be awared of what are the new technologies, but still have little time to **learn** these new technologies.
It seems to be a problem without an easy solution...
Kind regards,
Alvaro
Thank you for the link to SCN training. It's something I use a lot. I think it's a strong point for SCN!
Michelle
Thanks for your post.
In my particular case, I have little problem with my employer to let me attend educations on SAP, **provided that** they are regular educations, meaning going to SAP offices, or attending degrees at the University.
But we all know that many of the information you'd like to get in order to learn new technologies are in the net --SCN is an excellent example for that. So sometimes it's hard to combine working and learning from the net if you spend your time at your workplace.
Don't you agree?
Kind regards,
Alvaro
I usually wake up early in the morning and take my time on it. HOWEVER, when I'm on a large project, and it's at the end. I don't keep up with blogs, training, etc. I am too busy working off hours on my real work.
It's a balancing act. Some of it I can, and do take the time to do it during regular working hours. Some of it is during my off hours. I just lose a little sleep. (Not a big deal for me.)
Also you have to love what you do to take the time to find some learning, and do it. I love what I do - most of the time. So taking my "free" (non-work hours) to do some of this isn't that bad for me.
For example - Chicago SAP insider track - that's all my "Free" time. I'm taking a vacation day just to be there.
BR - and I really like this blog,
Michelle