With around 90% of the Fortune 500 using some sort of SAP software, and more than $22 trillion touching an SAP system, it’s likely you’ll come across a job using SAP solutions sometime in your career. Or, perhaps you’re looking specifically for a job in the world of SAP solutions and software. If you’re thinking about getting started in the world of SAP and gaining SAP experience, it’s helpful to know what kind of jobs are out there.
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SAP offers many different functional solutions in the areas of finance, logistics, human resources, CRM, business analysis, and more. Below is a non-exhaustive list of the most popular solutions available to users.
In addition to these business solutions, there is a whole world of backend work that relates to them. Solutions can be extended and customized with unique apps and other developments, systems need to be maintained and secured to allow for smooth operation, and data needs to be collected and parsed to allow for smart business decisions. Below is another list of terms and solutions focused on the backend.
There are hundreds of different jobs that relate to SAP use and maintenance. While it isn’t possible to list them all, we can highlight a handful of those that are popular to break into with proper training and willpower.
ABAP developers focus on a number of different tasks, the most common of which include: creating executable programs for users, enhancing and customizing the SAP standard to make front-end functionality easier to use and understand, outputting forms, and creating web services to integrate on-premise systems like SAP ERP with other systems, oftentimes in the cloud.
For the longest time, ABAP developers were concerned that their job function was going to become obsolete with the advent of cloud development and cloud solutions. However, ABAP has made significant inroads into the world of cloud development over the last five years, and there is definitely a market for ABAP developers these days.
Learn more about being an ABAP developer here.
SAP consultants can perform a multitude of tasks for clients, including SAP system setup, optimization, troubleshooting, migration, and more. It’s important to understand the SAP system forward and backward, to stay up to date on all the different changes and new functionality introduced over time, and to have good interpersonal skills as consulting jobs can take you to many different clients with different working styles and expectations.
Since the world of SAP consulting is very competitive, it’s suggested to really focus in on one area, rather than trying to be a jack-of-all-trades consultant. Consider taking one or more SAP certifications to show off your expertise and make you stand out to potential clients or employers. You can also learn much about the different SAP modules and lines of business with these 35+ ways to learn SAP.
Learn more about being an SAP consultant here.
SAP HANA administrators focus on setting up and maintaining an SAP HANA system. For installation, they’ll need to load data, create a backup of everything, and see how smoothly the system runs in order to troubleshoot any issues. From there, backing up data and watching storage limits are key job functions of an SAP HANA administrator. And, of course, if things break or otherwise go wrong, the administrator plays a large role in diagnosing the problem, coming up with an action plan, and fixing the system so it can get back to work.
Learn more about being an SAP HANA administrator here.
SAP logistics consultants focus, as recommended above, on one area of SAP—the logistics modules and lines of business of SAP ERP and SAP S/4HANA. This includes the areas of warehousing, transportation, supply chain, material procurement, and more. Consultants in these areas help clients manage goods, match demand and manufacturing capacity, sell and distribute products, root out issues across the supply chain, and more.
Learn more about being an SAP logistics consultant here.
SAP SuccessFactors administrators focus on ensuring a smooth experience for those using the SAP SuccessFactors suite of products. Administrators perform a multitude of tasks including setting initial passwords and providing support when passwords need to be reset, adding announcements to the Home Page, upgrading to and launching new versions of the SAP SuccessFactors solution, importing data and monitoring existing integrations, planning for new feature rollout, testing everything, and helping users understand how to use and make the most of the solution.
Learn more about being an SAP SuccessFactors administrator here.
Want to learn more about how to do a specific SAP job or get certified for your job? Take a look at our resources.
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