Anyone Know About ERP?

[Techforcer]

There's two different areas of ERP.
Technical systems (implementation of the technology) and the business process side.
If you know technology, then you could probably go in via that route.
If you know business processes and/or understand an operations manager's role and the role that the tech can play in running a (large) company, then you can go in via that route.

Which are you?

I suppose probably somewhere in the middle... I guess the issue there could be "Jack of trades, master of none"...

[darrylmg]

There's two different areas of ERP.
Technical systems (implementation of the technology) and the business process side.
If you know technology, then you could probably go in via that route.
If you know business processes and/or understand an operations manager's role and the role that the tech can play in running a (large) company, then you can go in via that route.

Which are you?

[malvolio]

Totally understand... Thanks for the input.

Out of interest, what was your route into ERP?

Mostly via my Transition Management experience, where I get them from project to BaU. To do that means I understand how they work and how the relate to the business, and obviously I have to deal with the dev teams so get a good insight into the underlying mechanics of them to define the support models. I've worked with Oracle Financials, SAP and JDP over the years.

But don't ask me to build one...

[Techforcer]

Waste of time, IMHO.

ERP systems run entire companies. The people implementing them are both risk averse and very aware of the potential for damage that comes from a botched implementation. They want people who know the issues, understand the business processes in the tool and how they map to the real world and who can prove they know what they're doing and won't kill the company.

Put it this way - I've migrated half a dozen ERPs to new platforms, I've worked on two implementation programmes and one major upgrade and I've been the equivalent of a senior PM for around 20 years. I don't go for ERP implementation roles, my skills aren't good enough where it matters. Those high rates are there for a reason.

Totally understand... Thanks for the input.

Out of interest, what was your route into ERP?

[malvolio]

Fair advice Murder... I suppose those would be a couple of routes in.

I've been looking at online training courses... Could they be worth a punt? It'd mean I could pop ERP training on the CV, even if the experience isn't practical/work based yet...

Waste of time, IMHO.

ERP systems run entire companies. The people implementing them are both risk averse and very aware of the potential for damage that comes from a botched implementation. They want people who know the issues, understand the business processes in the tool and how they map to the real world and who can prove they know what they're doing and won't kill the company.

Put it this way - I've migrated half a dozen ERPs to new platforms, I've worked on two implementation programmes and one major upgrade and I've been the equivalent of a senior PM for around 20 years. I don't go for ERP implementation roles, my skills aren't good enough where it matters. Those high rates are there for a reason.

[rurffy]

Um, do you even have the first idea what ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is and means......

NOPE! (thats why there are loads of "if"s in my comment). - And also my last sentence.

[eek]

If you have no knowledge regarding ERP then yea you could go for the training - but i think you could learn everything on the training on your own(Books and Video tutorials) - If "ERP" is homelab buildable - then get your home lab - practice practice practice practice - Look at ERP technical forums to have an idea of real life problems.
By the time you dedicate a considerable amount of time on learning - automatically that turns into few months experience

(just a general advice - getting into a new tech.)

Um, do you even have the first idea what ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is and means......

[rurffy]

If you have no knowledge regarding ERP then yea you could go for the training - but i think you could learn everything on the training on your own(Books and Video tutorials) - If "ERP" is homelab buildable - then get your home lab - practice practice practice practice - Look at ERP technical forums to have an idea of real life problems.
By the time you dedicate a considerable amount of time on learning - automatically that turns into few months experience

(just a general advice - getting into a new tech.)

[northernladuk]

Training is a very poor second next to experience though. If you can't deliver the goods from day one you are next to useless to your client. Having the training may allow you to slide into any oportunities at a client that may pop but you are going to need a huge dollop of luck. You are only as good as your last contracts.

[Techforcer]

Fair advice Murder... I suppose those would be a couple of routes in.

I've been looking at online training courses... Could they be worth a punt? It'd mean I could pop ERP training on the CV, even if the experience isn't practical/work based yet...

[SussexSeagull]

Fanfare for the Common Man was an epic tune.

[Murder1]

Pretty much... With PM'ing being generally a lot of common sense and people skills, I'd hope to be able to work on ERP (maybe at a lower level at first), without being exposed to it first... But I don't want to go and blag a job, saying I've got ERP experience when that's not the case.

Most of the ERP roles I've seen say that ERP experience is essential, which makes breaking into this area a little tricky.

Working as a dev on a project that's running in parallel with an ERP migration I can see why the experience is required. Like with any other skill/niche the issue is how you get practical experience if you first need that experience to get the role - if you don't feel up for blagging I'd then say you're left with the other two options of permie job or hope to work somewhere that allows you to get your feet wet.

[Techforcer]

Pretty much... With PM'ing being generally a lot of common sense and people skills, I'd hope to be able to work on ERP (maybe at a lower level at first), without being exposed to it first... But I don't want to go and blag a job, saying I've got ERP experience when that's not the case.

Most of the ERP roles I've seen say that ERP experience is essential, which makes breaking into this area a little tricky.

[Murder1]

When you say you want to get into ERP what do you mean, are you hoping that your PM skills are generic enough to be able to manage a new SAP/Oracle/Sage implementation/migration project without having done one in the past?

Like with any other role/skill you either go permie to try and get the experience before going contracting, blag your way into a role despite having little to no experience and hope you don't get found out or you hope that your current role expands to cover this area allowing you to take that skill/expertise elsewhere.

[Techforcer]

Hi All,

I've been PM'ing for about 6 years now, with a lot of this implementing new clinical systems in the NHS. Some of these have been really big systems, which span whole organisations and departments.

In the future, I'm like to use this experience to get into ERP, but I'm unsure how to make that first break into ERP as a whole.

The jobs that come up seem really interesting, and you certainly can't argue with the rates available... As I say, the issue is getting that first bit of experience...

Is anyone working in this field at present, who can share how they got their first experience in ERP at all?

Many thanks!