Necessity for a Scenario Based Training Approach

[kiran_kodre]

It's hard for SAP ecosystem as a whole to transition to open source. In old days you spent $2500 for a week for all important SAP learning courses. Your best option was an SAP manual from that training session. There were informal demo examples for how to do basic stuff in the system. But the core knowledge about architecture of the data dictionary or Function Modules that could manipulate them was all proprietary. Enhancing SAP application was primitive and Project managers discouraged and hence custom new solutions had to be built.

SAP now owns the whole stack (Database + Application). SAP is also transitioning as a cloud company. At the same time there are these on premise SAP systems that are transitioning to hybrid cloud solutions. SAP's client (frontend) used to be primarily a Windows based SAP GUI. Now it is the Internet browser. That transition impacted the SDK environment as well SAP application access by the end user.

SAP also consolidated Analytical system technology into its transactional technology. Since now SAP also owns the database stack (HANA) it is pushing technological solutions at the database layer from the application layer. SAP is also delivering solutions to the Mobile client for both on Premise systems and Cloud systems. The result is a complete CHAOS as far as learning new technologies for SAP veteran consultants. Don't even get me started on the re-engineering of the ECC functionality with S4/HANA. Thats a whole another discussion.

An application that has undergone changes to it's database stack, application stack, infrastructure stack as well as consolidation of its functionality stack, puts a tremendous toll on veteran SAP consultants as far as learning is considered.

SAP is also facing a new competition to it's existing supply chain solutions. The evolution of AI technology with it's earnings power tied to the CRM solutions for it's competitors is a growing threat. Sales Order revenue generation or Purchase Order materials procurement is being heavily influenced by AI technology.

 

SAP should invent new type of training for technology consultants to help during this transitioning period.

The idea should be delivering  Scenario Based Training for technology consultants. Both for application developers or for Infrastructure audience

• A typical scenario could be how to convert legacy master data into SAP system. SAP's training should teach how to do that using established best practices with the latest technology.


• Another scenario could be how to enhance  an existing SAP application screen for new data entry elements to resolve a custom functionality expectation that is missing in the default screen.


• Another scenario could be how to process files as batch data processing for posting transactions from non-SAP system into a SAP system.


• Another scenario could be how to process transactional changes as an interface between two systems in near real time.


• How to develop a custom report that can be delivered to a mobile client and also a desktop client as one solution.


• How to build a whole custom transactional solution that will gather data from an end user and integrate it with a SAP application Module. How to save that data using best practice for locking tables before data can be saved.

In a 24/7 connected world, if we have scenario based learning videos coupled by just-in-time access to a training system, that could revolutionize training as we know it.

Just imagine you are at an airport or a train station and you play a certain training scenario that you are interested and you get sufficient knowledge and this all happens right before that important client brain storming session that was schedule to solve a complex problem. Just imagine how much productivity that could revolutionize. And then imagine a SCN type community that revolves around these problem solving sessions where people can share how they provided solution for that same issue and how different it was and how client specific it was...

This will definitely revolutionize how we learn and deliver solutions with ever changing technological landscape..

Will love to know your thoughts/comments...