1. What Is SAP?
SAP — Systems, Applications and Products — is the most popular and widely-implemented enterprise resource planning system in the world. SAP is the software as well as the name of the company, a European multinational that was founded by five former IBM employees. According to the company website, 77% of the world’s transaction revenue touches an SAP system.
As a software, SAP helps companies keep track of their clientele, business functions and interactions. To optimise its SAP-based functioning, an organisation always hunts for skilled professionals to be able to adapt to their business models to compete in the digital era. Some of the top names that use the software include Apple, Hewlett Packard, Jaguar, Kellogg’s, Mitsubishi, Nike, Pepsi, Red Bull, and Unilever.
2. What Do SAP Professionals Do?
Since the software is not one-size-fits-all, the skills required for building and tweaking SAP systems are quite wide, covering most business processes:
- Finance
- Retail
- Manufacturing
- Life Sciences
- Healthcare
- Defence
- Energy
- Education
- Pharmaceuticals
- Telecommunications
SAP professionals can either serve in a technical or a functional role.
The former involves working in areas such as programming and software development and serving as a consultant for software deployment and integrations. A technical consultant is responsible for installation, maintenance, performance tuning as well as upgrade of SAP servers and databases.
On the other hand, one with a finance background is expected to take care of the functional aspect or configuring and customising systems. They must collaborate with developers for coding custom ABAP or advanced business application management programs for the client.
3. What are the different modules in SAP?
There are over 25 modules in SAP, broadly categorised under three heads — technical, functional and industry-specific. All SAP modules are not applied in a single company, but there are a few that are widely implemented and have the maximum job opportunities. The choicest modules include FICO (finance and control), PP (product planning), MM (material management), SD (sales and distribution), HR (human resources), CRM (customer relationship management), XI (exchange infrastructure), ABAP (advanced business application management), BIW (business information warehousing), Basis and Net Viewer.
4. Are there any SAP Training Courses?
SAP, the company, offers a variety of training courses that can make you job-ready, help you brush up on your skills or even update you with their latest software. They also have partner institutes through which you can gain access to industry-relevant training. You can also opt for distance learning. A job at a big consultancy might open a window of opportunities for you to take up the certification courses, which would have otherwise been expensive to fund on your own.
5. What are the minimum requirements to get SAP jobs?
There are no specific qualifications required other than a graduation degree, but large companies expect employees to have knowledge of at least one module of SAP. Irrespective of the entry-level, an IT qualification and formal training is always an advantage.
An international trade degree or commercial background can propel you to a career as a SAP Sales & Distribution Consultant, while an accountancy or finance background can lead you to a SAP Financial Accounting & Cost Controlling Consultant role. If you have a sociology or HR degree, you can always strive for an SAP Human Resources Consultant job.
If you do not have a sound educational background, you can take up the role of a system user or junior consultant.
6. What is the average salary for SAP Professionals?
The demand for SAP jobs has constantly been soaring and the average salary has remained more or less stable in the past few years. Career platforms peg the average annual salary for SAP-certified professionals at S$72000, across 300-plus profiles.
If you are looking for a career in SAP in Singapore, the package could go up to S$100,000. If you are a fresher, you can expect a pay package starting from S$45,000 annually. Those with a few years of work experience can aim to achieve salaries upwards of S$ 1,45,000 a year.
7. What can you expect during a SAP interview?
One of the most sought-after requirements from a prospective SAP consultant is the ability to configure systems. If you have a SAP certification, make a mention of it, but remember that it is not the sole eligibility criteria. Try to impress your would-be employer with your understanding of systems and desire to keep building on the knowledge.
You can expect the head-hunters to pose questions about ERP or enterprise resource planning software, and also the functions of SAP and why companies prefer to implement it. Confidently discuss what makes SAP such a highly configurable software that enables secure data management and maintains maximum consistency while reducing redundancy to the minimum.
Given that SAP has wide-ranging utility, there is a multitude of roles based on your domain experience, aptitude and inclination that you may consider taking up. The scope of career opportunities in this field is only poised to grow.
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