Is it worth doing a certification?

[kaiser78]

Generally it is not a must have but could be the difference between you with the certification being put in front of the client ahead of another applicant who doesn't have the certification.

Agents do use certifications as one of the early factors to put forward an applicant to the client, for example PRINCE2 in PM roles.

[Bee]

Generally it is not a must have but could be the difference between you with the certification being put in front of the client ahead of another applicant who doesn't have the certification.

Agents do use certifications as one of the early factors to put forward an applicant to the client, for example PRINCE2 in PM roles.

It depends the years of experience that you have as a PM not the certification itself.

[cntl1]

It depends the years of experience that you have as a PM not the certification itself.

I have many years of experience as PM but in a very niche ERP system. I have a question about it, but I think it justifies yet another thread

Many thank to all who replied. It seems the consensus is (if I can call it that) "it depends". I will do 70-461 SQL exam, just because I can sit it without much preparation, but won't bother with more for now, unless I see evidence to the contrary.

[MrMarkyMark]

I have many years of experience as PM but in a very niche ERP system. I have a question about it, but I think it justifies yet another thread

Many thank to all who replied. It seems the consensus is (if I can call it that) "it depends".

But then you say you were a DBA as well.........not criticising but you need to focus your skills on the specific roles you are applying for.

[kaiser78]

It depends the years of experience that you have as a PM not the certification itself.

Generally yes, although the agents don't always see it this way. In some cases if you don't have PRINCE2 for example your CV gets binned, regardless of how many years experience one has.

[cntl1]

But then you say you were a DBA as well.........not criticising but you need to focus your skills on the specific roles you are applying for.

I was initially brought in to implement an ERP system (winman, winman.com). I climbed to that position internally from a non tech role after the company found out I did a small project for Starbucks (an inventory management system) on my own initiative and own expense, to gain experience, and that I had programming experience from earlier years in Poland where I did C++/MFC certification. They had someone who managed IT but who lacked sufficient programming backround, hence an opportunity arouse. I was quite lucky, looking back at it.

At that point in time, the company used a bunch of disjointed applications written by the former director (who had by that time left the company), in something ancient, can't remember now (Delphi? or such) with dbf files that got locked in read-only mode each time one person opened the app. Plus a good amount of work was done in Excel... It was a nightmare, the company was growing and they needed an ERP system.

I migrated all the data into SQL Server (I written by own converters in C# that read the dbfs and automated the migration, as much as possible, by putting the data in relations (what SQL calls 'tables'), this included bills of material, engineering change notes, the ledger, etc.

I was the only person allowed to touch the servers but I would struggle to classify me role. I managed projects on my own, which I spec'ed and designed on my own, and programmed on my own. To give you an idea of the scope of my role:

I customised the ERP system. The customisations were achieved via a combination of:
o SQL-based ‘process events’ and stored procedures,
o .NET/C# DLL plugins,
o .NET/C# win32 applications that were integrated with the ERP system,
o ERP-integrated ASP.NET/C#/T-SQL webpages,
o MS Reporting Services

Just a highlight of things I've done:

• Exposure of production schedule and other relevant data to trusted customers and suppliers via web services (ASP.NET, T-SQL),
• an Electronic Kanban system (ASP.NET, C#, T-SQL). Replaced a manual, paper-and-fax based Kanban. A process which previously took many hours each week to manage was fully automated,
• an Electronic Purchase Orders system (supplier side) (ASP.NET, C#, T-SQL),
• an RMA module (.NET, C#, T-SQL). A custom RMA process tailored specifically for repairs,
• an Engineering Change Note system (.NET, C#, T-SQL). The standard standard ECN system did not fit their requirements. I wrote a custom module that replaced it.
• a Rejects and QA system (.NET, C#, T-SQL) – a module that replaced and simplified WinMan’s standard Rejects system. Introduced automated Quality controls for the goods-inwards process.
• a Free-Issue system (.NET, C#, T-SQL) ,
• Manufacturing Orders “Job Pack” generation and production flow controls,
• product labelling and tracking (C#, T-SQL, Reporting Services)
  
  etc., etc. And I've done BI on top of that, designed new databases, implemented and managed a separate IIS server, and so forth.

So who am I?

[eek]

I was initially brought in to implement an ERP system (winman, winman.com). I climbed to that position internally from a non tech role after the company found out I did a small project for Starbucks (an inventory management system) on my own initiative and own expense, to gain experience, and that I had programming experience from earlier years in Poland where I did C++/MFC certification. They had someone who managed IT but who lacked sufficient programming backround, hence an opportunity arouse. I was quite lucky, looking back at it.

At that point in time, the company used a bunch of disjointed applications written by the former director (who had by that time left the company), in something ancient, can't remember now (Delphi? or such) with dbf files that got locked in read-only mode each time one person opened the app. Plus a good amount of work was done in Excel... It was a nightmare, the company was growing and they needed an ERP system.

I migrated all the data into SQL Server (I written by own converters in C# that read the dbfs and automated the migration, as much as possible, by putting the data in relations (what SQL calls 'tables'), this included bills of material, engineering change notes, the ledger, etc.

I was the only person allowed to touch the servers but I would struggle to classify me role. I managed projects on my own, which I spec'ed and designed on my own, and programmed on my own. To give you an idea of the scope of my role:

I customised the ERP system. The customisations were achieved via a combination of:
o SQL-based ‘process events’ and stored procedures,
o .NET/C# DLL plugins,
o .NET/C# win32 applications that were integrated with the ERP system,
o ERP-integrated ASP.NET/C#/T-SQL webpages,
o MS Reporting Services

Just a highlight of things I've done:

• Exposure of production schedule and other relevant data to trusted customers and suppliers via web services (ASP.NET, T-SQL),
• an Electronic Kanban system (ASP.NET, C#, T-SQL). Replaced a manual, paper-and-fax based Kanban. A process which previously took many hours each week to manage was fully automated,
• an Electronic Purchase Orders system (supplier side) (ASP.NET, C#, T-SQL),
• an RMA module (.NET, C#, T-SQL). A custom RMA process tailored specifically for repairs,
• an Engineering Change Note system (.NET, C#, T-SQL). The standard standard ECN system did not fit their requirements. I wrote a custom module that replaced it.
• a Rejects and QA system (.NET, C#, T-SQL) – a module that replaced and simplified WinMan’s standard Rejects system. Introduced automated Quality controls for the goods-inwards process.
• a Free-Issue system (.NET, C#, T-SQL) ,
• Manufacturing Orders “Job Pack” generation and production flow controls,
• product labelling and tracking (C#, T-SQL, Reporting Services)
  
  etc., etc. And I've done BI on top of that, designed new databases, implemented and managed a separate IIS server, and so forth.

So jack of all trades - master of none. You really do need to find a permanent job its unlikely that a company will want a contractor with your CV...

[cntl1]

So jack of all trades - master of none. You really do need to find a permanent job its unlikely that a company will want a contractor with your CV...

Possibly. However.

There might be a something here. The way I look at it, I am an expert in a somewhat niche ERP system, with little competition, but not that niche to have no potential. I am thinking about targeting all companies that use WinMan as independent contractor. I can bet whatever is left in my bank I could walk into any of them and I find things to automate or such, if I could get through the door, that is.

[eek]

Possibly. However.

There might be a something here. The way I look at it, I am an expert in a somewhat niche ERP system, with little competition, but not that niche to have no potential. I am thinking about targeting all companies that use WinMan as independent contractor. I can bet whatever is left in my bank I could walk into any of them and I find things to automate or such, if I could get through the door, that is.

The thing is that you won't do that as a contractor unless you are very lucky. You will have a lot more chance doing it as a freelance consultant. Knock up a website with some details on it and then use google adwords to try and target possible customers when they search for answers to problems....

[MrMarkyMark]

Possibly. However.

There might be a something here. The way I look at it, I am an expert in a somewhat niche ERP system, with little competition, but not that niche to have no potential. I am thinking about targeting all companies that use WinMan as independent contractor. I can bet whatever is left in my bank I could walk into any of them and I find things to automate or such, if I could get through the door, that is.

As well as being a professionally qualified BA, I specialise in a product / system and it has done me very well.
The important thing, in the terms of contract roles, its fairly niche, but it is still very widely used.
If the product ever dies, I could easily revert to being a BA, given its usually a large part of my role anyway.

Unfortunately, your skill sounds a lot less in demand, I was very careful with the route I chose and hence I'm still doing it 13 years later.