Get the mother of all certification
September 22, 2015

Michael wasn't exactly ecstatic about his job at the transnational company he was working with. For one, he was into HR, and as he perceived the situation, wasn't getting a promotion anytime sooner. A few months later, his company decided to sponsor one employee from every department for a SAP training session. Unfortunately, Michael's name was not included in that list. Undeterred, he decided to pick up the tab on his own at Lithan for SAP training and soon, he got his SAP HCM certification.

Michael made the best use of his training in implementing SAP at his job. At the end of the performance year, his seniors were happy with the outcomes he delivered and when his appraisal was due, Michael got not just one but a double promotion.

SAP or "Systems, Applications & Products" in Data Processing became hot and popular in 1972 when companies started migrating to advanced software solutions to run their businesses. Today, SAP is the world leader in Enterprise Applications. Although the initial consumers of SAP were big businesses and A-listed companies, today almost every business needs an ERP system for streamlining its internal and external operations. This has created an incredible increase in the demand for SAP-certified professionals that's acknowledged as one of the most sought-after certifications in today's world.

SAP Modules
Over the years, a number of SAP modules have been developed to focus on the various aspects of a business operation.

• SAP FI Module: For Financial Accounting
• SAP CO Module: For Controlling
• SAP SD Module: For Sales & Distribution
• SAP MM Module: For Materials Management
• SAP PS Module: For Project Systems
• SAP HR Module: For Human Resources
• SAP PM Module: For Plant Maintenance
• SAP PP: For Production Planning
• SAP QM: For Quality Management
• SAP ABAP Module: For Advanced Business Application Programming
• SAP Security

SAP caters to almost all activities of all businesses, across domains, across industries. So much is the craze for SAP Certification that even if you have the actual technology skills in SAP, you still feel the need to be industry-certified to validate your skills in the professional world. Most head honchos prefer to hire SAP Certified professionals over those who do not have a certification to flaunt. Even if this means sitting for one of the toughest online exams that demands a lot of effort, time and commitment from working executives. The reasons are not difficult to guess.

Advantage SAP Certification

• Global Recognition: It has global recognition. Once you are SAP-certified, you can land a job anywhere in the world.
• Job Opportunities: SAP programmer, SAP consultants, SAP security analysts, SAP ABAP specialists are sought after in almost all industries.
• Money: SAP professionals are well paid in the industry so it's easy to recover the cost on your training within the first two or three years.
• Promotions: It's easier getting a promotion in your existing job and improve on your current prospects if you are looking for a shift.
• Better Job Profile: You can choose the module that fits in with your job profile. For instance, an HR professional may pick SAP HCM, while a finance guy may opt for SAP FICO, and a sales executive for SAP SD.

Although self-study is an option, SAP training is very important if one wants to attain SAP certification. Beginners might find SAP implementation very challenging and self-study may do little to help them face this challenge successfully. Another reason you may need a trainer is that a SAP certification may not necessarily make you a master in the use of an SAP tool. You might still need some hands-on experience in handling SAP systems. Choose a SAP training institute that provides adequate hands-on experience with SAP knowledge. It's an investment worth your time and effort, if you want to climb up the corporate ladder faster.