ERP: Short for Enterprise resource planning is a company-wide computer software system used to manage and coordinate all

the resources, information, and functions of a business from shared data stored. It is an electronic resource planning of an enterprise. It is useful as it saves lots of time of every individual within the enterprise. It is highly safe as data is protected in a particular server. Only individuals authorized to edit and save any data within the ERP system can do it and rest cannot. It is a fast electronic data processing program SAP stands for Systems, Applications and Products in Data Processing. First I will tell you about ERP and then you will easily understand what is SAP. ERP stands for Enterprise Resource Planning. It is a generic name given to a system in an organisation that integrates all the applications used by an organisation for resource planning. It is an integration of all the databases and application softwares used by an organisation in different departments to manage daily business. SAP is an ERP product from SAP, Germany. It is implemented in most of the multi national companies. A SAP consultant guides an organisation towards implementing SAP in the organisation. A SAP consultant has to check all the processes of an organisation so that SAP can be implemented without any hurdles. During SAP implementation some of the processes in an organisation may be modified or changed entirely. A SAP end user is a user in an organisation that has implemented SAP. For example, if Yahoo has implemented SAP, then Yahoo will not be an end user but an employee of Yahoo who is directly working on the SAP will be an end user. SAP: do you love Formula 1? maybe you could take a look at McLaren cars. Yurp, their sponsor is SAP. SAP originated from Germany (thus makes all of core database name in German), build by 2 ex-IBM programmer. What is SAP? An integrated business solution software which take care of your business just by using one software. need not for other system. It covers material management (procurement, purchasing, warehouse, contract etc), HR (payroll, remunation, staff information etc), Finance (FI Module (AP, AR, cost centre, inter company billing (specifically for big corporation), budget, treasury, taxation etc), Sales and Distribution and Production Planning.

Who use it? As integrated business solution, SAP are absolutely expensive due to integrated nature it have but big player in industry, an integrated system that could save lots of their money absolutely a good solution. Among notorious users of SAP are Shell, PetroBras, Exxon (they still using SAP R/2). SAP even specialized some of their system architect into Oil and Gas business nature which heavily use SAP for both upstream and downstream. If SAP is a software, what type of language use to write it? SAP use ABAP (Advanced Business Application Programming) which can be classified as 4th Generation Programming Language (that means this programming language are more English like like Java and HTML). ABAP is learnable but with quite expensive cost but you could obtain information regarding ABAP course from your local university. As for in Malaysia, you could learn SAP quite cheap at Multimedia University and University Technology of PETRONAS which offer ABAP course at affordable price. (of course you need to enroll to be a student there to able you to take the course). What so special about SAP? Beside it's integrated nature, SAP eliminated the cost for running different application at various servers which also need to consider the fact of data conversation from one application to another application. SAP is on shelf application (ready made with basic features) but for most company, they usually consider for tailoring/configuring the application to suit their business needs. What so NOT special about SAP? 1) Cost; a things that stop small corporation from acquiring SAP. 2) SAP is server based application which mean, when connection is down, no work could be done. Organisation with severe network problem are not advised to use SAP. 3) Unfriendly user interface. Without no doubt, SAP is among the best integrated business solution but the interface really give headache to user. we called it "SAP-face syndrome" which always frustrated users. Good career in SAP? Of course there are lots of good careers in SAP. You could choose either to be: 1) BASIS (involving network, configuration of hardware), 2) SAP Module - FUNCTIONAL (SAP module configuration - MM, FI, HR, SD, PP), 3) ABAPer (ABAP programmer) The highest paid amongst those 3 category? BASIS people cause you needed to standby during whole implementation process so almost no social life (imagine you need to troubleshoot the server while you have date to attend). You might also pickup career in IT Audit firm like Dylotte, KPMG, E & Y or even PWC since they always do IT audit on big corporation.Source(s): personal experience, friends experience