yea. rite. felixv

I work @ d s/w subsidiary of CWG where the SAP dept is located. itz good to know they r consultin for a few coys in lagos.

tho' am @ d oracle dept, am taking my path on the SAP BASIS module. i 'ope to get on wiv this as i know it is quite taskin'.

God help me!

Tousen

Hi All,



FELIX

There is NO misconception here, whatsoever.  Impossible!

Can I say that working for SAP does not mean that the one understands SAP's technologies or product offering better than anybody who doesn't work for SAP AG.  It ain't a big deal working for SAP either, if I may add.  It's just a luck of the draw as to where you find yourself working.  Most SAP professionals work as Independent Consultants.

You said:

I need to correct a couple of misconceptions I have read about here,

Enterprise portal is NOT SAP BASIS, actually we now  call SAP BASIS , SAP NETWEAVER.This is a dual stack system,i.e JAVA AND ABAP.
Enterprise portal is pure Java,managing this software is through our  java tools, or the solution manager diagnostics which has the wiley tool

SAP is always evolving with new technologies in line with market demand.  This means that older products are either dropped, re-packaged or new ones added to the existing 1012 modules.  In its new guise:

1.  ABAP (SAP's programming language) is now called NetWeaver 

'SAP NetWeaver includes a comprehensive set of components and tools'

http://www.sap.com/platform/netweaver/components/index.epx

Note:

Inorder to pass the NetWeaver exams, the one needs to be competent in the following technologies, when learning from the official TADM courseware:

ABAP/Java
Oracle/BRTools


2.  SAP BASIS is now called Enterprise Portal

SAP Enterprise Portal solution is part of the NetWeaver platform but most definitely NOT NetWeaver.  A part of it, yes, but not it.

'SAP® Enterprise Portal is a key component of the SAP NetWeaver™ platform. SAP Enterprise Portal is the industry’s most comprehensive portal solution, providing a complete portal infrastructure along with bundled knowledge management and collaboration capabilities. It provides people-centric integration of all types of enterprise information, including SAP and third-party applications, structured and unstructured data, and Web content. It is based on open standards such as Web services and supports both Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) and Microsoft .NET technology'.

http://www.sap.com/search/index.epx?q1=Enterprise%20Portal

Quote:

I also read someone mention APO, this is now called SCM and that comprises of a couple of modules,i.e

Demand planning --this uses infocubes so it's  used with BW/BI
SNP  -supply network planning, planning across a whole network
PP/DS -production planning, planning for each plant
SPP -spare parts planning, this is a new module,
etc

Correction:

APO (Advanced Planning and Optimisation) is NOT the same thing as SCM (Supply Chain Management).  These are two different things.  Neither is CRM (Customer Relationship Management) the same thing as SCM.

APO is a tool that's used in SAP.  It is used for example, in PP - Production Planning, amongst others.

Oracle and SAP are very much together,most of the implementations of SAP is on Oracle and we at SAP actually have an Oracle competence center,yes,it is true that you can
use SAPDB, WHICH IS NOW CALLED MaxDB,or MSSQL.ORACLE is still the preferred database,

Correction:

Oracle and SAP can NEVER be 'very much together', considering that Oracle accused SAP of stealing its intellectual property rights.  SAP AG admitted to it and the whole industry knows about it.  The last time I read about it, Oracle was going to sue SAP AG for serious damages.

You have an Oracle Competence Centre because most of the global SAP implementations (at least before the big scandal) had Oracle database as a backbone.  These clients need supporting and SAP BASIS Consultants need to be trained in Oracle database administration as part of their SAP implementation work as well as day-to-day duties.

I doubt it very much as to whether Oracle database would still be the preferred choice for new implementations, in view of the scandal.  Put it this way, the relationship between Oracle and SAP have been badly strained.

The role of a modern day basis administrator is alot deeper than my friend described. First you need to know Unix and Windows,at least one database management system,Java---at least know how the garbage collector works,know what a Java instance is made up.Know software logistics,RFCs,ABAP DEBUGGING.And performance tuning

I totally disagree:

You do NOT need to know UNIX except where it's used as the platform to implement SAP.  As an example, I never knew anything about UNIX or Oracle before implementing the SAP R/3 4.6C IDES (4.7D kernel) on my PC at home.  Why on earth would anybody need to know UNIX if the one were implementing the product on a Windows platform?  Neither do you need to know Java or ABAP and all what you've mentioned above.  Indeed, I only had to read up on Oracle database administration just enough to enable me administer the database after implementing the product - such things as database sizing, tablespace re-organisation, optimisation, and so on.  

Our people MUST be encouraged to get certified instead of being discouraged or frightened-off by such statements. 

I don't come from a database or programming background, yet I'm able to administer my own SAP R/3 IDES 4.6C system, including the database.  By the way, I'm self-trained and FI/CO certified.

actually one of the best modules to learn is BI/BW,there is always work in this area and i know SHELL in Nigeria uses this module.

I'm not so sure:

My advice as always is that prospective SAP Consultants should ONLY train into a module that best matches their professional or academic background.  It doesn't matter how lucrative a module is, the key thing is relevance to the one's background, full stop.   

Now that we've cleared the air and given far less importance to terminology, I'd like to ask you this important question:

WHAT HELP CAN YOU OFFER YOUR FELLOW-NIGERIANS SO THAT THEY COULD GET QUALIFIED AND GET EMPLOYED IN THIS LUCRATIVE FIELD?

Is it the case that you'd rather keep it all to yourself because you don't want anybody to make as much money as you are?

Personally, I've done my best for my fellow country-men and women.  The evidence is all here for everyone to see.


COLA

You're welcome.  Good luck to you.


AIIJAY

No probs.  Just keep asking and somebody would be willing to help you.


SCORP

All the best with exams.

Just remember that you'd need to certify in a specific module, as you know that what you are studying at the moment is just the SAP basics.



kiwi992.

@kiwi992
This link does not work lxxt://wemvmpsvihir.mfpsk.gsq/tswx/231857/493619. Can you help. i know you said we should crack it but how to get the basis of what to crack is an issue.

Thanks for your sharing you advice.

Hello Kiwi992,
I can see from the posts that you contributed immensely to this discussion,and I am in no way discrediting your input.I really should know the difference between SAP TECHNOLOGIES,and I sure do.
but I dont think it is right to get into that discussion,

Helping our people,sure thats the whole idea of this forum,but the truth has to be laid down as well,for a basis perspective it is extremely important that the guys get OS/DB level skills.
if anybody wants to take the basis exams then I can certainly help, i also used to be ccnp routing and switching and ccp security, got the mcse and solaris exams as well,

APO 3.1,APO 3.5 , EVOLVED TO SCM 4,SCM 4.1 AND NOW SCM 5, For these guys we use LiveCache!!!

fvincent50@gmail.com

we can discuss offline,

thanks
F

hey Tousen,
i heard you guys implemented a couple of Oracle RAC systems for some client.Yeah I DID VISIT CWG,and they do have a group of guys managing their SAP practise,they
were offering $500 a day for basis consultants.
These are tough climes,economically their is a downturn.people are losing jobs and companys are downsizing, that means there are alot of people out there with good SAP
skills.I KNOW THIS AS A FACT,

To progress to basis admin from Oracle is always interesting,actually you would probably just have to learn the transactions available to manage the database from a sap perspective.
we have the trial version of netweaver which you can download for free,but it is bundled with Maxdb.

the basis exam itself is tough and am sure you can pass it,

http://searchsap.techtarget.com/loginMembersOnly/1,289498,sid21_gci1259203,00.html?NextURL=http%3A//searchsap.techtarget.com/tip/0%2C289483%2Csid21_gci1259203%2C00.html&referrer=SEO_MO|search.yahoo.com_TI_1259203


thts the link to the sap netweaver software,.You should also look for the java instance and study it,
there are also some downloads at

https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/nw-downloads

you might need to register at the SDN first,

tc

f

@ MARKOS



I would have sent you an email but your email address was hidden and unfortunately the private messaging function in this forum is not active.

Hey Brodas, Someone praise d lord with me, I passed my certification exams and am so glad.
Pls more experienced brodas, Kindly advise on the way to follow and where i can get a job with my current certification now while i study to specialize(Hopefully in PLM or BI), My shout out to everyone who's been there for M.!!!

My email addy is scp0_01@yahoo.co.uk

@Briz,
how are you,so am assuming you are an ORACLE DBA,how far have you gone with oracle,have you done the latest Certification,10g/9i.Have you any plans to reach the Master DBA level.I think there are more job opportunities for jobs in naija as an Oracle DBA than with SAP at the moment.You can always join an SAP ongoing implementation as an Oracle expert.And then cross-train to SAP BASIS.

@Scorpio01,
congrats on your success,i guesss the next step is hitting the job market,

@mowaa,
there seems to be a lull at the moment,the SAP group is a tight one in naija,they keep stuff to themselves.I have not heard of any new projects.But dont forget that there is also support.
so i will advice you to send your CV to any company you know that uses SAP.there used to a group of guys in ikeja who owned a consulting firm called SERVE.This is their website

http://www.serveconsulting.com/

they should know whats in the market,accenture was also recruting SAP consultants a while ago.
But with this credit crunch only the Lord knows whats happening now,

,
F

Hi Scorp,


Well done mate, very well done. 

Listen - just persevere and keep looking.  You'll definitely get your foot in the doorway, no matter what. 

You mustn't forget to network with others in Nigeria, including your lecturer at uni who taught you SAP.  I'm sure he or she must know of some openings somewhere.  Just go and ask.  Oh yeah, get yourself a professional-looking CV as well. 

Personally, I'd advice you to get in touch with the SAP consulting firms or indeed, the oil companies (or the other 50 or so companies) which I understand have got SAP implemented.

Please do not forget to certify in the module of your choice, other than what you've achieved at the moment.  Do it as soon as possible, if you can.  It's always good to strike whilst the iron is hot.

All the best.



kiwi992.

To the user that asked how it was possible to help other users with limited SAP experience get roles, maybe i should have pointed out, these friends i helped, both of them have at least 5 years SAP experience but not on a consulting level, they were end users or super users so to speak but i helped them to re-structure their CV and send it to UK based IT consultancies who helped them to get a foot into SAP consultancies

they do earn good rates now they have been consultants for 2-3 years

one girl, i taught her everything she needs to know about SAP, within a year she was already working for good company in the SAP project team

one thing to be pointed out though, i cannot help Nigeria based SAP consultants get jobs, if you are in the UK, thats another question, i have no links whatsover with Nigerian trends in SAP and its consultancy market

any questions, feel free to send a mail to marks30@hotmail.com

markos i have sent u an email

well MM ( SRM supplier relationship manager) definitely a good skill to have but at the moment there are not many jobs going in europe, check www.jobserve.com

not many companies use this ERP module whiles some are still in the process of implementing this solution, we use SRM though in my company

according to the ERP skills ''to have'' ranking SAP MM is not ranked highly, reason being most industries, well least the ones i know source their materials through a 3rd party vendor, they do not manufacture their own goods, so basically they only use a limited version of MM as in setting up the material master, maybe invoice verification, purchasing, it is quite good to expand your skills and possibly add SD ( sales and distribution) to your skill set as these days, most clients expect you to know the integration points between all ERP modules

adding SD will surely make your skills stand out, about joining SAP consultancies in europe from Nigeria, well i am sure european consultancies will prefer to hire consultants and would-be from the UK or EEC  or maybe as far as India, this is what i have noticed in the last 10 years

They also prefer SAP consultants with experience, maybe in your case with certification, id rather be honest, the likelihood of a european consultancy recruiting a consultant from Nigeria rarely happens, if you were in the UK, that will be another case

having said this, SAP in Nigeria is growing by the day, you can certainly carve out a niche for yourself, there are definitely more opportunities to get a SAP role in Nigeria than in the UK, maybe you should build a profile for yourself in www.monster.com choose Nigeria as your country, most agencies use this website to find SAP talent and you never know if your CV stands out, you will certinly get a call

@ Mowaa.
am not too sure but they r ready to take dt category now. but i know presently som1 that is not certified but about to be and is working @ d dept but can demonstrate the hands-on-skill knowledge.

@felixv
yep,. i am an Oracle DBA. i wrote the 10g Certification last year. am workin on migration to SAP BASIS

Briz:


@ Mowaa.
am not too sure but they r ready to take dt category now. but i know presently som1 that is not certified but about to be and is working @ d dept but can demonstrate the hands-on-skill knowledge.

@felixv
yep,. i am an Oracle DBA. i wrote the 10g Certification last year. am workin on migration to SAP BASIS

Britz can i get a phone number or the email addy of any one in the sap dept or the non-certified sap consultant?
Thanks

@mowaa
i think you should consider the three courses, adm505,adm506 and adm315.For every large SAP installation there is always a Oracle/performance management team.These guys mainly focus on
tuning the SAP SYSTEM.And the relevant skills are Oracle cache analysis,SAP basis memory management,sql tunning,analyzing wait events, etc.
You are almost there,so rather than do a complete migration to SAP basis,i will suggest you leverage your oracle skills and improve on them.Areas you will need to build on will be sql tuning.As you might already know abap is normally embedded with open sql code.this is then converted to oracle native sql by the database libraries installed on the sap instance.
It is these oracle sql statements that we spend time tunning,it is fun,exciting and it pays well.Am not sure there is any certification available for that,but its not realy needed,experience is what counts.

check the sap south africa website for jobs,

thanks

Felixv:

@mowaa
i think you should consider the three courses, adm505,adm506 and adm315.For every large SAP installation there is always a Oracle/performance management team.These guys mainly focus on
tuning the SAP SYSTEM.And the relevant skills are Oracle cache analysis,SAP basis memory management,sql tunning,analyzing wait events, etc.
You are almost there,so rather than do a complete migration to SAP basis,i will suggest you leverage your oracle skills and improve on them.Areas you will need to build on will be sql tuning.As you might already know abap is normally embedded with open sql code.this is then converted to oracle native sql by the database libraries installed on the sap instance.
It is these oracle sql statements that we spend time tunning,it is fun,exciting and it pays well.Am not sure there is any certification available for that,but its not realy needed,experience is what counts.

check the sap south africa website for jobs,

thanks

You must have mistaken me for Britz, i never intended to do sap basis only sap srm (supplier relationship management)

@
my apologies for that,

thanks

Felix

@ felixv,

yep. i got that. you must have mistaken mowaa for me.

@ mowaa,

i wud hv to talk 2 him b4 i release his mobile is given out. which i dont think he wud luv to.

Hi Guys

I am a sap consultant working in the UK, if anyone needs FICO training let me know? I can come to nigeria.

oga kiwi
abeg put that thing for my door mot nahhh, i come meet una late but abeg no vex. U don tooo try for us o for nairaland. my door mot nah
rocafella1981@yahoo.co.uk

Hey Shawn,


You've already got it!

Please refer to your posting on page two of this thread.  You were one of the first people to crack the code.  There isn't anything new to give, sorry.

Indeed, I thought you'd been very busy preparing for the Consultany exams.  Looks like you haven't.



kiwi992.

@kiwi,
I absolved as much as could and U particularly wow me with your knowledge of the topic. And to think that U taught yourself, says something of your mental and intellectual strength . I want to join as others to thank you and to plead for any material via my email, talenthome@yahoo.com.

Abeg I no fit eat garri without sugar.

bẹlẹma

Hi Belema,


A ke i firi ma te.

A don doo am - mkae yoo luuk inside yuua domot fo Internet.



kiwi992.

oga kiwi, you are the man, thank you for all the exposition and your precious time.
Infact only God can bless you and  put more light in every area of your life.
thank you once again.
pls i need detailed installation of ides 4.7, as i have tried installing it  couple of time, but met with error
am installing on xp
thank you once again

Bro Kiwi,
na sugar u thro me so now i go drink garri and belle go sweet me.
na so so goodness go dey follow u.

Hi,



NOBIGOD

Make we thank God.

A beg make you try well, well.  De garri wey you go drink when you pass de Consultancy exams e go big pass de one wey you dey drink now, a guarantee you.  Na dat time you go be propa oga kpata kpata.


C1

I refer to your posting on page five of this thread, which is exactly the same request as this one.   

Can I just say that implementing SAP is never like your Windows installation.  Far, far from it.  It isn't something that one would talk you through just like that.  It's a very complex process that requires a lot of background reading and indeed, research before the implementation actually begins.

The BASIS Consultants that specialise in this aspect of SAP R/3 don't get paid bucket-loads of money for nothing, I can tell you.

There is no cutting corners or indeed, spoon-feeding.  You've got to do it yourself, I'm sorry to say.  It's either you:

1.  Do the leg work and implement it yourself, just like I did.

Please go to the link that I gave to you ages ago.  USE IT!  Good things in life don't come easy to anyone.  There's a flash file that details the implementation for you on a step-by-step basis. 

Surely, it can't be that difficult to implement it such that you've been struggling with it for this length of time.  Oh, yeah, you MUST read-up on the hardware requirements as well, to ensure that your system meets the minimum requirements, in addition to the memory and operating system requirements.  You simply can not plonk SAP R/3 ony any PC.  This is why you need to research it properly before plunging into it.

2.  Pay someone to implement it for you.

In my case, being new to SAP at that time, some Canadian guy offered to implement it for me as long as I paid his return air fare to the UK and back, as well as hotel expenses.

Needless to say, I decided against it, fully aware of the benefits of implementing it myself.  I swotted, researched on the Internet, visited many Forums, read the implementation guides as well as many sleepless nights reading up on Oracle database administration, project managment and so on.  This, in addition to building a new computer that met the minimum hardware and software requirements so as to implement the IDES. 

It wasn't easy but I got there in the end and indeed, implemented it that many times on my PC, it became second-nature to me.  The most rewarding thing to do if you ask me 'cos that is the only thing that makes you really get to know SAP R/3 inside out.

3.  Buy pre-installed IDES ECC 6.0 from eBay and install the hard drive on your PC.

I warn you - you might come unstuck!  Ensure you get the necessary instructions from the seller.  Go to the link that I gave to you and read up on others' experiences before you go down this route.

4.  Get online access to SAP R/3 IDES ECC 6.0

Using this method, you just pay for x number of months (or weeks), to enable you access to the IDES online, inorder to train for the module of your choice towards the Consultancy certification.  All the necessary information that you require to do this is all in here as well as in that link.   

Finally, as I said in one of my earlier postings on this thread, SAP is NOT for the faint-hearted and that includes the implementation as well as studies for the Consultancy certification.

I'm afraid, I won't be in a position to get into any further communication with you on this specific subject.  I think I've given you enough advice on what to do.  Sorry!  I hope you understand.



kiwi992.
_{Nigerian jobs for Nigerians}

yea, got it.As a certified OCP, i would love to install the application myself
whatever it takes.
I had offers to buy the pre-installed ECC 6.0
but i wouldnt be fulfilled if i cant install it on my machine, as being  a technical and functional  consultant is my target
it isnt the steps really, its the installation of the database, of which i have installed lots of database instances on unix and other platforms, so windows database installation shouldnt be a problem at all.
i guess it would be the ides software am using.
will update u sha as time goes on.
thank you

to Kiwi, well said, SAP is not for the faint hearted, it takes years of dedication and training, for people looking to make a quick buck, SAP is not for you, if you are chasing the money and not the skill, your career will nose dive, i can tell you that much

you have to use your background to identify where you fit into the SAP world

@ Kiwi, markos, and dem other gurus in da house.

Plz brothers in da house, is there anyway to get to practice how to install an ECC 6.0 when i buy a pre-installed ECC 6.0

I mean, a way to copy d files from the pre-installed system and practice installing on another system.

There's no time for time.


Thanx for da anticipated reply.

Tousen

@kiwi
sorry i thought it was some other info that was being shared, trust me i have gone far, i will give testimonies soon, not mid way but when am all the way, it seems am just hungry for info thats all , very iquisitive if i might say, Thank you sooooooooooo much man,

Hi All,



C1

Yeah, you're right, as an Oracle Certified Professional (OCP), installing Oracle database on a Windows platform should never be a problem to you.

Indeed, I'm surprised that it's causing you problems.  Anyway, it's not such a big deal that you are stuck.  Not to worry - these things do happen and are here to test us.

Can I just say that installing the database is really the easiest part of the implementation.  It takes just a few minutes - maybe 20 minutes, if that.  The bugbear is the SAP R/3 implementation itself.

Please strategise as follows, towards the implementation:

   -  Planning
   -  Preparation
   -  Installation
   -  Post-Installation

You said that the problem could be with the IDES you are using.  Sorry, but I don't quite agree with you on that.  Please ensure that:

1.  You are using the right version of Oracle database that's specific to the IDES that you are trying to implement.  Not all versions of a database can be used with an IDES release.

Note:  NT_ORA -> i386 (as well as patches).

2.  Your machine - ensure you've prepared it to meet the MINIMUM requirements for:
   -  Hardware
   -  Software
   -  CPU
   -  RAM

On a Windows platform, SAP R/3 should be implemented on Windows 2003 Server (with the latest service packs) - English Language edition.  This is the official line by SAP AG.  However, some people have successfully implemented it on Windows XP Professional as well as XP with SP2.  I implemented mine on Windows 2000 Server and Windows NT.

3.  Registry:
   -  Ensure that you can safely edit the registry.
   -  Whatever you do, please do NOT render your computer useless as a result of changes made to the registry.  Please back it up first, before ever editing it, just in case anything goes wrong.  You've been warned!   

4.  Files - editing the hosts file for the:
    -  Transport host
    -  IP loopback address
    -  etc

5.  NT Services
    -  You'll be stopping and starting various services as well as priortising them, so, ensure you are comfortable doing that.

6.  Check the:
    -  Error logs (whenever there is a problem with the implementation).

This is a must!  It gives you pointers as to why the implementation has stopped. You can not move on with the implementation until the problem has been solved!  This could take many hours (or even days) to sort out.

Embrace the error log during this phase of the implementation.  Analyse it because it definitely pin-points the errors in amongst the long error report.

Do not get frightened because this is a good training ground for you.  Please make copious notes as you go along.  This would be essential for future reference.  I've still got mine up 'til this day.   

FINALLY:

If all else fails, buy the pre-installed ECC 6.0 and just press on with the training.  Don't waste too much time battling with the implementation.  It might not be the right course of action for you to follow.  If you can, set yourself timelines and adhere to it.

All the best to you.


MARKOS

Thanks for re-enforcing that view.  I hope our people would train because of a genuine interest in the technology and not simply for the money.


BRIZ

Sorry but I don't think that's possible.

A pre-installed ECC 6.0 is not there to teach you how to implement SAP R/3.  Rather, it makes it much easier for you to obtain the crucially important hands-on skills because the IDES comes already pre-installed on a hard drive, thereby saving you the hassle of having to implement it yourself.

The only way to pracise implementing it by yourself is to do exactly that, without having to resort to buying a pre-installed ECC 6.0.


SHAWN

You're alright man.  All the best with the training.  Just keep working hard.




kiwi992.
_{Nigerian jobs for Nigerians}

Kiwi,

I beg make you helep your sister. Ekele m gi na inye aka gi nile
What would life have been w/o you. Any materials will help. Joined late but abeg you any links will help.

e-mail na lemonpiesap@gmail.com