Everybody has their versions of “the beginnings”.

2003–

I got my first look or sneak preview of the SAP Developer Network back in 2003 when I stumbled upon some really interesting “elearning” content on an SAP internal portal while teaching ABAP for SAP. This rich media video I had discovered starring Shay Barry and Etay Gafni  was actually a skunk works version of content that would later be added to an external content library.  But as an ABAP instructor and an employee with Community and Collaboration in her DNA, I knew that SDN was a place I wanted to be in.  Although from some historic error my present profile doesn’t reflect it, I immediately signed up and started lurking….and while I won’t take credit for being “the real founder” I certainly was working on a parallel path when it comes to knowledge share and remote learning content. 

Here’s a note from 5/15/2003 regarding my experiments with Remote Learning
and access to online content which I had engaged in with a fellow SAP Education
colleague from 2002-2003.

2004-

I tell my SAP Education Management that I will be hanging up my instructor hat and looking for work in the field of my Master’s expertise: Distance Learning and Adult Learning in an Online Environment.  I get a few internal offers but there is the one I can’t refuse.

11/22/2004

I’m hired as a “Community Manager” for SDN and my realm of editorial work includes editor of ABAP, Technology, XI (Process Integration), XApps(Cross Application Programs)  and in 2005 the Enterprise Services Architecture Page.

The plot thickens and so does my editorial load

2005-

I continue to look at the community side and tell Mark Finnern that I want to be him when I grow up. 

I volunteer to help him in May 2005 http://scn.sap.com/people/marilyn.pratt/blog/2005/05/31/why-dont-they-let-me-blog

2006-

My big “community advocate” break arrives. Ziv Carthy agrees for me to be the first:

BPX Community Evangelist.

As Audrey Stevenson , the editor, content strategist and original project manager of the BPX community has already outlined in her blog, #SCNIs10: A Chapter Begins, Another Page Turns—The BPX Community a “Sneak Preview” of the BPX community is introduced May 15, 2006 at ASUG / SAPPHIRE

The executive message stated:

“So we’re launching the BPX Community. We know it’s not enough to talk about the software and technologies offered by vendors. Business
process experts like you need an open, interactive community where they can connect, collaborate and contribute ideas. You need solid technical
documentation, educational articles, best practices, templates and how-to guides. And that’s what the BPX Community delivers.”

While Audrey works on the BPX pages and edits them, I begin to engage the community and work with the talented members of the community to create content that now goes beyond the technology realm of SDN.  I partner with SDN evangellist Craig Cmehil although sometimes it feels like our communities are not so “inclusive” of each other.

One of the first and most active supporters and promoters of the BPX community was SAP Mentor Richard Hirsch who together with Owen Pettiford
created a number of project scenarios illustrating the life of a BPX:

http://scn.sap.com/people/richard.hirsch/blog/2007/05/06/sdn-and-bpx-the-evolution-from-information-site-to-collaborative-platform

There were so many excellent contributors to BPX and BPM education.  Many folks even launched their blogging careers on SCN in the realm of BPX.

A small (and incomplete) who’s who of some of the voices that created the content include folks like:

Audrey Stevenson BPX Editor and co-owner who highlighted and featured the work of all on this following short list

Frauke Hassdenteufel Industry BPX Lead

Jon Reed Skills and Roles of BPX

Marc Dietrich Process Design Slam conspirator

Mario Herger Who is a BPX and BPX wiki master (introduced Geek Gap concept)

Ann Rosenberg Embedded BPX into BPM content and was powerful evangelist

Bob McGlynn Blogger, inclusive voice and Geeks vs Suits Radio Show host

Dennis Howlett BPX provocateur extraordinare

Ginger Gatling BPM expert and supporter

Alan Rickayzen BPM king and content strategist

Susan Keohan BPM goddess

John Harrickey BPX thought leader

Philip Kisloff Blogger and refiner of role of BPX in BPM

Paul Kurchina Championed BPX/ASUG activities/events

Helen Sunderland BPX poster child

Puneet Suppal Cafe Innovation

Paul Taylor Customer lead in forum conversations

Arun Varadarajan BPX and Business Intelligence top contributor

Yvonne Antonucci Academic views on BPM/BPX

Bhanu Gupta Co-conspirator in introducing BPX to ASUG

Vijay Vijayasankar Challenged and refined Process Design Slam

Richard Hirsch Blogger extradonarire and BPX Community Project Lead

Owen Pettiford Co-creator of first BPX Community Project

Kartik Iyengar Top BPX content creator

Greg Chase – Design Slam enabler and quality content generator

Jim Spath – Sustainability Champion and Advocate

Jim Link – A real live BPXer in action introduced by Jonathan Reed http://scn.sap.com/people/jon.reed/blog/2010/08/12/podcast-the-sap-business-process-expert-in-action–with-jim-link-of-forest-city

Marco ten Vaanholt – Head of BPX Team and Collaborative author of “Process First – The Evolution of the Business Process Expert” together with one of the SDN originals and one of my writing heroes Dan Woods

I’ll stop my brief history and narrative at 2006 and let others pick up the thread, but I believe that the inclusion of BPX, the creation of the Process Design Slam, which became Innovation Weekend, which became Innojam lay the foundation for a much more inclusive and collaborative participation of a wider spectrum of participants in what is now SCN.

While my heart is also deeply embedded in the SDN roots and my days as ABAP, Technology, Process Integration and Enterprise Services community manager and editor, I love how we expand and include new populations, geographies, roles and voices.

Can’t wait to see what the future will bring.  If you have a voice that you would like amplified and want to include new topics in our ever-growing environment, please see me at your service.

Yes, including new communities and populations in SCN…that’s in my DNA too.

Happy Anniversary SCN…SDN…BPX et. all.