Changes, News and Annoucement
Dear all
Since there had been quite big changes happening to me (which will affect my engagement here on SCN) I thought I pen down a few lines about that.
Relocation (again)
Looks like I am not the person to stay put in one place for a long time.
But after my move from Austria to Germany in 2013 it was time for me to pack up everything again and board the plane with a one-way ticket to stunning Melbourne, Australia.
Besides the obvious change in my awake-and-working-time zone there’s this view when having a walk during lunch break:
😎 I love that!
My new (corporate) home: Custom Development
This relocation happened with the support and endorsement of SAP, the company I’ve been working for the last 12 years.
My current job here is actually not in SAP HANA development or support or anything like that, but on the other side of the solution building process.
SAP Custom Development is a software development organization within SAP. Sort of a sub-marine team 🙂
Where the large SAP standard software development builds highly standardized, reusable and to-be-configured solution platforms, we’re dealing with the customer requirements that need a different kind of care.
We do the customer specific innovation and deliver software just for that single customer.
Just like a tailer made suite or a bespoke pair of shoes.
This is very different from the standard business but extremely exciting as we get to look into all the stuff our customers are interested in that is just not possible with the standard solution. We get to use the latest and greatest platforms and processes from SAP – everything from design thinking, over Fiori or Big Data IoT technology. And we go back to the colleagues from standard development to align with them on features and road maps.
The outcome is high quality software that does exactly what you need and fits seamless into your SAP/IT landscape including support and maintenance.
I guess it’s obvious why I find this interesting.
Come and see me!
While I likely will have less time now to answer a lot of questions in the SAP HANA spaces (SAP HANA and In-Memory Computing, SAP HANA Developer Center) I don’t give up on knowledge sharing.
As TechEd’s are happening a bit far off from the Australian continent, there’s going to be a smaller more local event, that still covers the important topics and speakers.
I’ll have the pleasure to step in line with some awesome presenters (Bjoern Goerke, Thorsten Franz or Rich Heilman to just drop a few names) and will deliver some lectures.
If you happen to be in Sydney around 24/25. November 2015 and you’re interested to meet and talk to all those famous folks 🙂 follow the link and register!
Ok, that’s for today.
Enjoy your weekend folks!
Lars
Goodluck Lars on your new engagement.
I hope your new role doesn't make you to totally stay away from SCN 🙂
Benedict
Welcome to Australia!
I know a lot of my colleagues when I worked in Germany viewed Australia as a backwater a million miles from anywhere but I think you will be pleasantly surprised, we have the scenery AND the technology. And deadly wildlife, but let's not go there.
SAP has an enormous market share here, virtually all the big companies and all of the government.
Australians are very cutting edge when it comes to technology, when you see what organisations like NSW Fire and Rescue, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and La Trobe University, to name just a few, have been doing with SAP technology, it matches anything else in the world. My own company also falls into this category also but I don't like to boast, oh hang on, yes I do!
We might not have the big TECHED or SAPPHIRE events any more, but you will find Australia is bulging with SAP conferences. The Eventful Group have about ten big SAP conferences every year in Australia, each dealing with a specific aspect of SAP technology, and then you have the SAP Australia User Group (SAUG - pronounced 'sausage') main conference each year plus assorted regional ones.
The SAP Developer Conference you mention was wonderful last year, and I am sure it will be again, all the better for you being part of it.
Most SAP conferences are in Melbourne at the moment, due to the main exhibition centre in Darling Harbour in Sydney being knocked down some years back and still not rebuilt. Whilst in Melbourne watch out for a woman rolling round a really enormous ball of wool.
My former colleague Chris Peck used to head up custom development in Australia, I don't know if he still does.
Anyway, once again, welcome, and as a famous Australian Tourism advert (that was banned in the UK for being too rude) once said, we are glad you got the ****** *** over here.
Cheersy Cheers
Paul
Thanks for that Paul.
Having been to Melbs (and some other parts of Australia) a couple of times over the last couple of years made me aware of a lot of what you described (luckily none of the deadly animals crossed my way yet).
Australia is all but 'backwater' - after all my relocation is part of a stronger engagement of Custom Development in this corner of the world.
Hope to catch a cold one with you on one of the many events!
Cheers,
Lars
Sounds like a cool move, both location and topic focus. Many times I've thought about moving over to customer development. I miss ABAP.
Cheers,
Rich
Thanks Rich. I guess you'd enjoy this kind of work - and I know of a couple of really interesting projects we do in the US of A.
See you in Sydney!
Lars:
Best wishes to you; I hope you will continue moderating in here.
I've enjoyed reading your insights.
I was in Melbourne in 2012 -- it is a great city and Australia is a great country. I enjoyed my visit.
Tammy
Yes, Melbourne is awesome.
It took me some time to like it (unlike, say, Rome, which is love at first sight every single time I'm there 😘 ) but I really love it now. Living close to the beach, circled in by vineyards just an hours drive away and the summer just starting - hard not to love that!
Thanks for your wishes Tammy and I will try and not completely vanish from SCN.
But stepping back a little will surely make space for other community members to become more active, too.
There you go: a win-win-situation hahaha
Cheers, Lars
Welcome to Australia - we're lucky to gain you over here
I figure you're probably used to our sense of humour already but if not - if we insult you to your face (or take the p!ss and joke with/about you) then it means we like and respect you 🙂
Regards
Colleen
Got that by now Colleen, thanks 🙂
Lucky me, Australians have the tendency to be able to deal with German-style open communication a.k.a. sometimes a bit abrupt, without immediately feeling the urge to hide under their desks and cry for an hour hehehe... and well, up to now, the humour thing is working, well.
Cheers and all the best for your private little project!
haha yes - Germany open communication and Australian directness is quite a good fit. You save a lot of times in meetings as people get to the point immediately. You'll know if your suggestion is workable or has resistance.
For many other cultures/communication style it can be a bit of a shock. Also, we don't really care what level of management you are (to a point) when it comes to voicing such opinions.
Private little project going well. Just waiting for him to decide it's time to meet him. In the mean time, I can catch up on SCN work that I've neglected these past 3 months 🙂
Until July, I was almost going to be based in Melbourne. I had to suddenly move back to Brisbane (most upsetting is I never got to see the penguins). I'll have to find a reason to make it back there.
Regards
Colleen
Well, if you make it some day, gimme a shout!
I guess by the time you'll be able to leave Brizzy again, it's penguin season all over again.
Cheers,
Lars
I have found that senior management in Australia, right up to CEO level, don't like you getting down on your knees and bowing to them as if they were Lord God Almighty, they want to be treated like normal human beings. This is not the case in every country I have worked in.
We had a German consultant working with us recently, no-one could accuse him of keeping his feelings hidden, or saying things behind your back. If he thought I was being an idiot he would tell me right there and then. That goes down well in Australia.
None of this nonsense we had in the UK where someone says "with the greatest respect" at the start of a sentence, by which they mean "you are wrong/a fool".
What can be better then win/win? 🙂 Only win/win/win (where the last is a win for SCN still getting your contribution ;-))
Enjoy your new place - both geographically and organizationally, mate!
Thanks Witalij! I certainly feel like it's a win³ for me.
Funny enough we in SAP CD have a new development methodology in place called D³ (define - design - develop) that allows for agile development with Custom Development projects. I am really looking forward to all those innovative customers that embrace agile development for their innovation projects.
Anyhow, hope to run into one or the other SCN fellow some day at TechEd or some other event.
Cheers,
Lars