Interview with Ulli Hoffmann about the Community

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Location: Edenkoben, Rheinland-Pfalz
Role: Freelancer
Focus area: ABAP development, SAP MM/EWM/SRM, Software development in general
Interests: business models, Micro-ISV founding & funding
Hobbies: Mountain biking, Skiing, SUP

How did you learn about SAP Community and what made you want to join?
I’m a member of SDN/SCN from the very beginning. At that time I’ve worked together with Brian McKellar of SAP SE who was one of the top contributors in the early days. Major focus at the beginning was blogging in the area of BSP development and supporting the growth in that particular area.

How do you personally benefit the most from being an SAP Community member and/or SAP Mentor?
SCN helps me in my daily work by providing access to knowledge and expertise of other members.

How do you see the community supporting your business?
So far two projects were offered to me since people found the content that I’ve provided and discussions I was involved in on SCN very helpful.

What motivates you to contribute actively in the Community?
Sharing of expertise is the major key.

Have you experienced the Community helping you drive innovation topics?
With the help of contributions of community members in the area of BOPF on SCN I was able to convince a customer to use this new framework.

Why would you encourage professionals to join the Community?
SCN is essential for working successfully in the SAP eco system.

Finally, any advice for us? How can SAP help strengthen the Community?
– improve the usability of the SCN web space and provide mobile access to the content.
– provide an API to access content and allow developers to develop new experiences.
– implement quality measures/metrics for publishing in areas like blogs and documents