Which one is good for me to be an SAP expert? Customer side or Consultancy side?

[Former Member]

Which one is right for me to be an SAP expert? Customer side or Consultancy side?

This question may not be the most common question in many young and talented SAP beginners' mind. Because they are very much busy with to find an opportunity to touch an up and running SAP system. However, being an SAP expert is very much caotic journey, this means, it is very much depended on the inital values. In otherwords if you start in the wrong place it will be a hard journey to achieve the goal. Let me open this.

Customer Side

Let's assume that you have started to work on customer side as an SAP specialist: This is very good for talents who want to built a career on enterprise ERP support or governance. You'll be part of an enterprise and there will be a long journey interms of career path. This might end, at CIO or CTO level, which is dreamy position for a young talent.

However, you'll be part of a well defined and controlled framework and business rules, this means you may not face different cases. Your SAP expertise will be limited in this enterprise's boundary. If you are working for an FMCG giant, you may never get expertise about IS-Utility for instance.

If you are a person who likes well defined, secure and governed environments and organizations, let's look from a different angle, if you like to have your own desk and to go everyday to the same location, your place is customer side.

Consultancy Side

You must prepare yourself to be the part of the main business and operation, this means you are the main stream of an organization. Your career will be shaped by the success of delivery of your company. Once you achieve a sucess, this will not only impact your career but also will impact over the reputation of your company. You will have chance to built your own network. Market will personally know you and your sucess stories. Many different cases will wait for you to be faced, each and every project will be an independent battle and challenge. Day by day, project by project you'll learn and face new things even you have 20 years of experience.

Depending on the consultancy company's customer portfolio, you may have chance to visit different countries, industries and business cases. Travel is worst case in this option, you have to prepare yourself to be happy in airports and to be prepared as a professional passinger. You need to be your own doctor, security stuff and legal advisor in order to survive in different geographies.

At the and of your journey you may be the partner of the consultancy company that you have started your career or you may establish your own.

Finally, most important thing is to evaluate your passion and your personality, otherwise it will be life long torture for you.

Cheers,

Sarhan.