Jon Reed Interviews Michael Doane on the State of the SAP Consulting Market

Listen in with Jon as he talks with one of the most influential and compelling voices in the SAP community, Michael Doane. Along with Jon, Michael is the co-author of The SAP Consultant Handbook, and his recently updated SAP Blue Book has become the industry standard for all business readers looking to get a handle on SAP. In this in-depth, 45 minute interview, Jon and Michael sit down for a frank look at a changing SAP market full of new opportunities but plenty of challenges. During this "state of the industry" discussion, Jon asks Michael for his take on a number of key questions facing SAP professionals, including: - How the SAP market rebounded, and what factors contributed to SAP's market surge. - Michael's work at Performance Monitor and why Performance Monitor is uniquely positioned to monitor SAP (and Oracle) consulting trends. - Why Michael updated the SAP Blue Book and what has changed in the SAP market since his first edition. - The drivers that will push the SAP market forward in the next five years. - What key skills SAP consultants are lacking now and what skills they will need to add to stay competitive. - Why "offshoring" has had such a big impact on SAP consulting and why Michael thinks that "ABAP is dead" as a good consulting niche. - Why Michael is a bit skeptical of "Business Intelligence" hype. - How SAP and Oracle are positioning themselves as they battle for the mid-market. - The importance of choosing skills over rates.