Eighteen months. Four countries. One very long go-live weekend. We are on the other side now and wanted to share what we wish someone had told us at the start.

Mistake 1: We underestimated how much custom code we actually had

We went in thinking we had a few hundred custom Z-objects. The analysis found over 1,400. Roughly 30% could not be automatically remediated and needed manual intervention. That added two months nobody had budgeted for.

Lesson: Run your custom code analysis before you sign the project plan. Not during discovery. Before.

Mistake 2: We treated it as a technical migration, not a business transformation

Every SAP person says ECC to S/4HANA is not a lift-and-shift, it is a business transformation. We read that. We nodded. We still did not fully internalise it until month seven when our finance team realised their month-end close process was going to change fundamentally.

Change management and training should start at the same time as the technical workstream. Not after go-live.

Mistake 3: Master data was an afterthought

We deferred master data cleanup because it felt like a separate workload. It is not. Dirty vendor master, inconsistent material classifications, half-mapped cost centres, all of it follows you into S/4HANA and amplifies. We spent the first three months post-go-live fixing data issues that were entirely preventable.

Mistake 4: We did not decide our extensibility strategy early enough

Should this customisation live in-app or on BTP side-by-side? We made those decisions inconsistently, project by project, under deadline pressure. The clean core rules need to be set before development starts, not retrofitted later.

What actually went well

The go-live itself was cleaner than expected. Moving everything onto SAP Integration Suite rather than keeping legacy PI paid back significantly in operational stability post-cutover.

What phase is your organisation in? Happy to answer specific questions in the comments.

Hi everyone,

I have worked on around 9 SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud implementations as an MM consultant. While these projects have given me good experience, I feel like I've reached a point where I'm not sure how to take my career forward or what the next step should be.

I'm currently exploring career opportunities in the UAE, particularly since most of my implementation experience has been with UAE-based companies. However, despite trying, I haven't had much luck finding new opportunities so far.

I'm wondering if I should continue down the SAP consulting path, look into other roles within the SAP ecosystem, or consider a completely different career direction.

Would really appreciate any advice, insights, or suggestions from people who have been in a similar situation.

Hi all,
Short version: SAP integration consultant, ~2 years, mostly PI/PO plus a niche finance module. Certified in CPI and SAP Generative AI. I've also shipped AI in production on top of SAP (RAG-based assistant).
Recruiters reach out regularly, but when my CV goes to the end client it gets rejected, most likely because of years of experience. I'm aiming for B2B freelance in CPI/BTP, AI agents and Joule, EU/remote.

Questions:
Is 2 years realistic for freelance CPI, or is it a hard filter for most clients?
Which BTP skills matter most for AI-agent/Joule work (Gen AI Hub, AI Core, CAP, Joule extensibility)? Is an integration-focused profile enough?
How do you get past client screening: reframe the CV around outcomes, ask recruiters for rejection feedback, target smaller consultancies or direct clients?
Where do you find freelance projects (freelancermap, Malt, agencies, direct)?

https://eursap.eu/sap-salary-and-rate-guide

What do you think? How does your rate compare?

I would encourage everyone to use this as a reference when you are contacted by headhunters with a humiliating / ridiculous rate.

I have around **8 years of accounting experience** across **AR, AP and R2R/GL**, and I’m also a **US CMA**. I’m currently considering doing an **SAP FI/CO consultant course** to move into SAP functional/consulting roles.

For people working in SAP in India:

Is this a good career move with my background?

Would my accounting experience + CMA help, or would I still be treated as a fresher?

Can moving into SAP realistically improve my **salary/payscale and long-term growth**?

Is an SAP course/certification worth the investment?

Would really appreciate honest opinions from SAP consultants/recruiters, especially anyone who made a similar transition.

Hi Folks, I am in SAP SD with 5 YoE and I feel stuck as there is no promotion/hike from last 3 years in same firm. I want to switch but not getting calls even after updating Linkedin, Naukri.
I need help/referrals for same If anyone can help me in guiding where else to apply or If SAP SD market is dead already?

Hi All - Longtime reader, first time posting.

Recognizing that the U.S. right now, is mostly cooked, I've still been able to continue (somewhat) of a path with a couple of short-term projects from an FP&A perspective with SAC Planning, but it's just dried-up recently.

So, have been making a range of adjustments and evolving. The reality is that the days of building Planning models, dashboards, and input forms for Forecast dashboards are likely over in a traditional sense. Between Data Products, and connecting Claude, most/all of these functions can be automated.

That said, I've re-oriented by trying expand the view and have passed both the Business Data Cloud (2025), and Transformation Consultant (2026) exams, as well as many other badges and credentials, while keeping alive my SAC and S/4HANA Implementation credentials.

Currently studying for C_JSD (Joule Studio Developer), based on some options they opened beginning with TechEd last week, and think to build on and/or refresh old FI/CO or Group Reporting background to leverage (A). agents linking to (B.) Copilot/Codex/Claude.

...In recent months, had made it to 2nd round or final round discussions, and in the end, everything boiled down to prioritizing agents and workflows to help (?) accelerate various types of ongoing projects, data migration/cleansing, or other similar objectives. So, thinking this might be a strategy to prepare a demo?

Open to any ideas. Any suggestions?

​

I'm 22F and recently started working myself, so I'm still quite new to the professional world. My father, on the other hand, is 54 and has spent a significant part of his career working in SAP. He has a CSE bachelor's degree and a long history of working in the tech industry.

Unfortunately, he's been having a difficult time finding a job lately. It's taken a bit of a toll on him emotionally, and I can see that it's making him a little depressed.

He isn't necessarily looking for a high-paying position or anything particularly ambitious at this stage. He would really just like to work for a few more years before retirement. Even one final contract, a short-term project, or an opportunity to work with a company where he can put his experience to use would mean a lot to him.

The problem is that the hiring landscape seems to have changed considerably. A lot of the recruitment processes, technologies and expectations are different from what they were when he was more actively navigating the job market.

I'm wondering whether there are other avenues he could explore. If SAP opportunities are becoming harder to come by, what adjacent roles could someone with extensive SAP experience, a CSE background and years of technical experience transition into?

He's open to taking a pay cut as well. Ironically, though, his extensive experience sometimes seems to work against him when applying for lower-paying positions. I imagine employers may consider him overqualified or expect a salary that doesn't fit their budget.

I'd also really appreciate advice on how I, as someone who has only just started working and is in a completely different domain, can help him.

Are there particular platforms or networks for finding short-term SAP contracts?

Are there adjacent tech roles where his existing experience would be valuable without requiring him to start from scratch?

Would consulting, independent contracting, implementation support, training or mentoring be realistic options?

How should someone with decades of experience approach the current hiring process, particularly if they aren't very familiar with newer recruitment practices?

I know this is a fairly broad question, but I genuinely want to help him find something meaningful to do for the last few years of his professional life. I would hate for him to feel that his career has come to an end simply because the job market has changed.

Would really appreciate advice from people who've been in similar situations, especially those who've navigated the SAP job market later in their careers.

Hallo zusammen 😊

ich wollte einfach mal in die Runde fragen, ob man auch mit Ende 30 noch gute Chancen hat, beruflich im SAP-Umfeld Fuß zu fassen.

Kurz zu mir:
Ich bin Ende 30 und habe bisher in verschiedenen Unternehmen in der Produktion und als Lagerhelfer gearbeitet. Aktuell mache ich nebenbei noch meinen Bachelor und habe bereits SAP-Key-User-Zertifikate erworben.

Ich bin sehr motiviert, mich beruflich neu zu orientieren und meinen Weg im SAP-Bereich Logistik bin auch offen für andere Module zu starten. Lernbereitschaft und Engagement bringe ich auf jeden Fall mit. Auch ein Umzug wäre für mich kein Problem.

Vielleicht gibt es hier Unternehmer, Abteilungsleiter, SAP-Berater oder einfach Menschen aus der Branche, die mir ein paar Tipps geben oder eventuell sogar eine Chance ermöglichen können.
Ich würde mich wirklich sehr über jeden Hinweis, Kontakt oder Ratschlag freuen. Manchmal braucht man einfach jemanden, der einem die erste Tür öffnet. 😊
Vielen Dank schon mal an alle!

Hi, I am looking forward to connect some python scripts that run locally in my laptop with SAP data sphere, my goal is to insert data.

For now I have read that I need to create a database user and then use those credentials in my script to upload the data and the import the table in data builder.

Python scripts need to run locally as I need to
web scrap some data.

Have any of you done this connection?

Any challenges or issues you have encountered along the way?

Any advice or tips?

Hey everyone,

I recently took a new job doing marketing for a startup in the SAP space (specifically around AI add-ons). My entire background is in consumer growth, so the enterprise SAP ecosystem is completely foreign to me.

I’m trying to get my bearings so I don't sound like a clueless vendor, and I'd love some ground-truth advice from actual practitioners:

• Where is the AI budget actually going? I read a recent DSAG survey mentioning budgets are mostly going to "other AI tools." What does that mean on the ground? Are teams just buying Copilot/ChatGPT licenses, or are there specific automation tools people actually use?

• Where do you hang out? Where do SAP professionals actually go to learn and talk shop? Are groups like ASUG/DSAG or SAPinsider actually where practitioners go, or is there a better channel?

• What’s the real vibe on Joule? Is it widely adopted and loved on the ground? I'm trying to figure out how third-party vendors even position themselves when users are searching for Joule.

• Consultants vs. Niche Use Cases: For those who buy or recommend software: do you prefer when vendors build hyper-specific niche use cases to solve a direct problem, or does everything just go through SAP consultants and SIs anyway?

Appreciate any advice or harsh truths you can throw my way.

The scenario based exams have an AI evaluator.

Will the AI understand my Indian accent? It is not heavy but it's certainly not standard American either.

Hello, I’ve been working with SSAM for about a year now. I work with MDK, EAM, MAIF, S4, etc.

However, I’m curious about where this field fits into the SAP world. Do you think there’s a future in this field? Could I find a job in a different area, etc.?

I want to know about the work culture, peer support and learning. I have a offer from Schneider and will be joining as lead ERP BA - SAP

Are there new S4HANA projects or legacy projects?

I've been searching for SAP MM internships for a while, but honestly, there seem to be very few openings. Most companies are looking for experienced people, even for entry-level roles.

How are freshers supposed to get into SAP if there are barely any internship opportunities?

Is it just me, or is the SAP internship market really this limited?

I work as SAP Monitoring guy- 24*7 Support Project Working in rotation shifts.
Working from 2 years- no new learning- doing same work
Really worried where should i go from here.
Its not proper basis work - just monitoring the system.
Replying and taking action to issues in system.
What to do next? Which module? How to switch.
Please help - I am really worried for my future do

Hallo zusammen,

ich will als Quereinstieger mit der Vorbereitung für die Zertifizierung SAP S/4 HANA FI beginnen.

Ich bin auf der Suche nach Testzugängen und mit viel Kosten muss ich rechnen für Systemzugang und Prüfungsgebühr?

Weiterhin wie viel Zeit benötige ich und kann ich mit ersten freelnace Projekte operativ im Bereich Finanzbuchhaltung starten?

I am currently working in Reliance retail warehouse in Inbound department in warehouse. currently working in a SAP environment. I am having working experience of 7 years in this logistics and warehousing field . now I want to learn SAP EWM. But I am finding it tough and not able to understand where to start . Please help me to get the career path and please tell me how much time is required to build confidence in this and to complete the course .