Build a career in ERP

Build a career in ERP

ENTERPRISE Resource Planning, or ERP for short, denotes a software application that allows an organisation (or enterprise) to effectively and efficiently manage its resources. The resource could be manpower, raw material, vehicles, equipment and finances to name a few. Some leading software solution providers have developed ERP packages, which now form the backbone of several large organisations. ERP packages comprise several modules that can be used either in a stand-alone mode or in conjunction with one or more of the other modules. Oracle 11i, SAP, J D Edwards and People-soft are some of the popular ERP applications. These packages have found ready acceptance amongst several large and medium enterprises, and in return have helped the organisations achieve an optimal level of performance in their respective areas.

Demand for these applications is increasing by the day, primarily because of the huge potential they hold out for users. Such an exponential growth has created job opportunities for professionals opting for a career in ERP Package implementation and maintenance.

The ERP scenario primarily offers two types of job options -- that of the Functional Consultant and the Technical Consultant. There would also be other parallel openings in the fields of database administration, systems administration, software testing and network administration. Barring the first two, all the other jobs are more generic in nature and pertain to the software field as a whole.

Functional Consultant: These professionals require a fair understanding of and experience in a particular physical process. For example, an ERP package implementation in a pharmaceutical company would require functional consultants experienced in finance, HR, pharmaceutical manufacturing processes, procurement processes, inventory management, customer relationship, supply chain management, etc.
The functional consultant would thus be a person who analyses the business process of an organisation and designs the process flow of a particular business area.

A functional consultant should ideally be an MBA in the business area he is functioning in; and should have undergone a training session in the ERP, which he is implementing. Solution providers hold training sessions in their respective areas. For example, SAP conducts training modules for functional consultants in all the different business areas involved in a programme. These courses are, however, costly. A minimum of two to three years' experience in the relevant functional area is mandatory. As for monetary benefits, pay scales start from about Rs.15,000+ per month.

Senior consultants may also be employed as architects to design and implement the entire ERP package for an organisation. Pay scales for seniors are generally very high, ranging between 500,000 and a million rupees per annum.
Technical Consultant: Technical consultants basically are software developers or IT professionals. Their task involves development of forms and reports based on inputs provided by a functional consultant. These professionals need to code the business requirements into the software and integrate them to form a contiguous package.

Typically, you should be a graduate in computer sciences to qualify for the position of a technical consultant. You should also have taken part in a training programme conducted by the respective ERP developer. Experience is not an issue at the entry level. However, senior developers and system integrators need to possess at least 5 to 7 years of experience in development. Pay scales vary from about 12,000 rupees per month at the entry stage to 50,000 rupees at the senior level.

A very senior IT professional may qualify as an architect to work along with a functional consultant in designing and implementing the application.
Many job opportunities also exist in the US and other developed countries, where there is a high demand for experienced ERP professionals with good communication skills.

The career benefits
If you are considering making a career move and becoming a consultant, a self-motivated ERP education is self-justifying. You will simply be more attractive to a larger number of potential clients if you are ERP-knowledgeable than if you're not. While many available ERP consulting positions seem to want at least one implementation experience, this isn't a big hurdle. You can overcome this issue by pursuing certification or simply marketing yourself at a bargain rate. Having an ERP knowledge base but no practical experience is certainly a much better skills position than not having any ERP knowledge at all.
If you realise the probability that your company will soon go to ERP, then a proactive approach to learning the ropes will make you the point person when the CIO begins putting the program plan together. There could be no better career move than to be three jumps ahead when the reinvention of your company gets under way. You'll be indispensable to the CIO and CTO and a tremendous aide to all your peers.
And keep in mind that even if you go to the trouble of learning ERP only to find that your company won't be converting anytime soon, your career and potential advancement have been greatly enhanced and will prove beneficial despite your company's ERP setback.
Unless your company is some kind of unusual standalone that just doesn't work with vendors or customers, your non-ERP shop is still required to work with partner companies that are. The tasks involved in this kind of relationship include setting up portals, designing shared B2B apps, and, in general, accommodating the partner company that is into integrated and distributed processes.
Once again, you will become the go-to staffer if these tasks are on the table and you're the one with some ERP know-how.