SAP

CURRENT MARKET

mySAP technology has recognized the heterogeneous landscape existing within companies, addressing Web services demands via its NetWeaver initiatives. SAP’s push to reinvent itself into a platform vendor providing everything from application servers, on through middleware, and all the way to Web services will attempt to put SAP at the center of customers’ applications, services, and business-process sets, as well as a customer’s other application and integration platforms. While many of the eventual composite applications (SAP xApps such as xPD, Product Definition) may remain less robust than competitive best-of-breed, SAP seeks to offset any perceived shortcomings through simplified and tighter integration with its core ERP foundation applications.

Yet, despite interest for the more competitive offerings, as well as the increasing necessity for client SAP upgrades to mySAP ERP, the SAP market will not be fully able to ride those particular waves of interest to significantly stronger demand for some time. And as stated in the last few reports, there will be no return soon to the super-heated demand of the late ‘90’s. Forecasted client profit / Earnings per Share (EPS) pressures remain intense, and the short-term emphasis of the Boardroom requires more than significant ROI. Likewise, clients are also seeking to consolidate potential gains from earlier initiatives. The resulting dearth of large projects and initiatives will continue to moderate SAP (and all ERP) activity.

SAP does, however, appear to be responding, belatedly, to its new world, where budgeting is highly susceptible to economic pressures - i.e., the proverbial reversal of fortune from when ERP was a mission-critical initiative immune to the elements. Recent indications of a clearer focus upon applications which can deliver attractive ROI (SAP SRM, PLM, ERP, integration, BW, and Composite Applications, i.e., xApps) will help in the current tepid market, as will certain Industry Solutions, eg., SAP IS-Utilities CCS. Overall full-time opportunities will remain modest. Contracting will lead slightly in demand, but volatility will require ever more careful planning. SAP NetWeaver Exchange Infrastructure (SAP XI,) SAP CRM, SAP ISU CCS, Web Dynpro; SAP xApps, SRM, SCM, PLM, SAP BW, Enterprise Portal, SAP Analytics, and mySAP Business Suite / my SAP ERP migration experience should find the strongest demand. Business Process Platform, Business Process Execution Language (BPEL), and MS Duet skills may offer additional new possibilities. SAP consultants with active security clearance, especially, TS-SCI, will have some additional opportunities available.

LOCALES

Overall demand remains modest across all U. S. and international locations. Highest demand currently exists in the following areas (which can translate into minimal travel requirements for local project consultants and deep-skilled full-time candidates):

Europe	Chicago
Mid Atlantic	Texas
Southeast	Atlanta

FORECAST

On-going modest demand through most of the year. Increasing demand in several select sectors.

LINKS

SAP
SAP Service Marketplace
SAP Developer Network
Teched
SAP for Utilities

 

 

 

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