Convening for its final meeting of 2024, the ASUG Carolinas Chapter recently returned to Fayetteville State University for a packed day of education, networking, and discussion around pressing SAP community topics such as RISE with SAP, skills building, and organizational change management.
The strongly attended October 11 meeting also brought into focus how FSU is joining forces with the SAP Next-Gen program to equip a new, multi-generational SAP workforce for the future of technology.
A gracious host, the university provided ample space for the meeting and additionally hosted a kick-off networking event the night before at AEVEX Veterans Club Lounge, on the upper level of Segra Stadium. In addition to connecting with one another, attendees could look out over the baseball field, home of the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, and take in the sights of downtown Fayetteville.
Long-time SAP professional VerNeil Mesecher, who recently departed the SAP Customer Evolution team and now focuses on enhancing member experience for the ASUG community, kicked off the event with a reflection on his experiences visiting ASUG Chapters around the country, sharing his perspective on the value of ASUG and conducting live audience surveys to better understand the background and interests of those in attendance at each event. The results of this survey are then provided to each chapter and used to inform the structure, content, and activities on offer at future ASUG Chapter events.
Following the opening presentation, Dr. Murat Adivar, Professor of Business and Analytics and Director of Center for ERP and Advanced Analytics (CERPAA) at FSU, was joined by Ulysses Taylor, Dean of the Broadwell School of Business and Economics, and Veronica Feliciano, Lecturer at FSU, to share updates on the SAP Next-Gen Program and CERPAA’s role at the university. Although unable to attend in person, FSU Chancellor Darrell Allison welcomed the Carolinas Chapter back to the campus via a video address, and several current and former FSU students were in attendance.
Dean Taylor provided insights into the school’s history as the oldest institution designated as one of the country’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), its status as the second-oldest college in the state of North Carolina, and its modern role in providing a quality, affordable education to students of all economic levels. Situated seven miles from Fort Liberty, the largest US military base in the world, FSU has become a key education provider to both active duty and transitioning service members, with a hybrid teaching approach that accommodates both in-person and online students.
SAP S/4HANA and RISE with SAP remain key topics for the SAP community, and Chris Perry, Senior Program Manager and SAP Solution Manager at IBM, was on hand to discuss IBM’s global journey with these solutions. IBM’s history with SAP dates all the way back to the mid-’90s and encompasses many different systems. The presentation highlighted how IBM, with its massive global scale, was able to leverage automation to deploy a single global SAP S/4HANA platform on a very compressed timeline, driving significant discussion from the audience.
Another highlight of the day was a panel continuing the skills gap discussion, with a focus on the importance of learning “soft skills.” I moderated this panel, which included the following members:
- Kristen Scheffler, Vice President – Customer Engagement North America at SAP
- Brandye Cropper, SAP Sales and Distribution Consultant at Accenture, a graduate of FSU and the SAP Next-Gen program
- Frederic Girardeau-Montaut – Managing Director, SAP Package Technologies at Deloitte
- Kim Belehradek – Chief of Staff at ASUG
In addition to a foundation of technical knowledge, the panel highlighted a number of skills necessary for success in the SAP community, including the ability to effectively collaborate and communicate, analytical and problem-solving skills, time management skills, and overall emotional intelligence. While all the panel members brought their own unique knowledge and experiences into the discussion, it was especially relevant for FSU students in attendance to hear Cropper, an FSU graduate, share stories of her transition from student to SAP consultant at Accenture.
A number of attendees joined Murat and other FSU students and faculty for a tour of the SAP Next-Gen Lab on campus. The state-of-the-art facility was built to accommodate maximum collaboration between faculty and students, with its ability to record and stream all classes accommodating both in-person and remote students. This is especially important for highly mobile active service members in the class, who may be called upon the deploy at any time; this remote teaching capability has allowed for service members to participate in classes from as far away as Afghanistan.
Following a presentation from the event’s Gold sponsor, CNT Management Consulting, the day wrapped up with another panel discussion around organizational change management led by myself and Kristen Scheffler of the SAP Customer Evolution team. This informal discussion posed important questions around change management, such as:
- What does successful organizational change management look like?
- How important is executive sponsorship in driving successful change initiatives
- How do you manage cultural change within an organization, especially when it requires shifting deeply ingrained behaviors and attitudes?
This topic drove a lot of participation around the room; after one particularly insightful response, Vineet Jain, AVP and Functional Head of Finance at Moody’s Corporation, was invited to join the panel for the rest of the discussion.
The combination of relevant industry presentations and discussion panels was well-received, and many attendees commented upon the inspirational nature of the SAP Next-Gen program, FSU’s service to the local and military community, and the students themselves in attendance – many of whom are active duty and transitioning service members. This made for a terrific conclusion to the Carolinas Chapter meeting schedule for 2024. The chapter looks forward to kicking off the 2025 meeting schedule at North Carolina State University on March 28.
Thank you to all this event’s sponsors—CNT Management Consulting (Gold sponsor), GROM Associates (Silver sponsor), and Titan Consulting (Silver sponsor)—for making this event possible.
Bob Bucy, IS Business Analyst, Business Solutions Supply Chain at bioMérieux, currently serves as the ASUG Carolinas Chapter Chair.