What Makes a Rockstar SAP Consultant?

The diversity of talent within the SAP community is remarkable, from technical specialists and industry experts to problem solvers and instructors. We were recently speaking with a customer about his experience with SAP consultants, and I started thinking about what distinguishes the truly great ones. Obviously this depends to some extent on what you value in a consultant (again, there's so much diversity) but four attributes of SAP Rockstars stand out.

1. Rockstars are technically and functionally competent. They know all of the relevant coding languages used to solve SAP challenges. ABAP, BAPI, Java, WSDL, and Object Oriented Programming fly from their fingers. They understand SAP functionality and know how to configure many modules, too. Because they can pick the right tool for the job at hand, their solutions not only work well, but also are often more elegant.



2. Rockstars aren't fazed by vague requirements. In fact, they may even relish the challenge of developing a detailed spec or proof of concept based on an unwritten request mentioned in passing by the water cooler. This skill comes from a learned and/or intuitive awareness of what end users really want to achieve, and how to accomplish that in SAP.



3. Rockstars communicate effectively with everyone. When they're across the conference table from a Director, they talk ROI; an hour later over lunch with a developer, they get into coding and assurance tests. Both audiences feel understood.



4. Rockstars increase productivity and efficiency. As a result of their knowledge, flexibility, and communication skills, Rockstars make a hugely positive impact on a project's outcome. They may cost (a lot) more than less experienced counterparts, but their strengths translate into far more efficient decision-making and productive development. And that often pays for itself many times over.

The next time you're evaluating a team of SAP consultants, keep an eye out for the Rockstar among them; he or she could be just the candidate your project needs to succeed.