Introduction
If you’re an SAP Consultant or Manager working in an IT services company, you’re likely deep in the world of SAP modules, complex implementations, and client solutions. And rightly so—your SAP certifications are your badge of honor, proving your deep product knowledge. But here’s the kicker: to truly shine in the fast-paced world of IT services, simply focusing on SAP isn’t enough. It’s like having a top-of-the-line engine but no steering wheel or brakes.
The reality of IT service delivery goes way beyond just software. It demands a well-rounded skill set that includes project management, agile methods, cloud savvy, DevOps principles, and killer communication. This is where non-SAP certifications come in. They’re your secret weapon, giving you the complementary skills that will seriously boost your impact and make you stand out from the crowd.
The IT Service Journey: More Than Just Tech
Think about how an SAP project unfolds in an IT services company. It’s a journey with many stops:
- Presales & Solutioning: This isn’t just about knowing SAP; it’s about understanding a client’s business pains, seeing the bigger picture, and clearly explaining how your solution helps.
- Project Planning & Execution: Every project, regardless of the tech, faces challenges with timelines, budgets, resources, and risks.
- Cross-functional Collaboration: SAP projects often need to talk to other systems (CRM, SCM, etc.) and involve working with diverse client teams, external vendors, and your own internal tech experts.
- Change Management: Rolling out a new SAP system changes how people work. Guiding this transition smoothly requires specific skills to manage that change.
- Service Delivery & Support: After launch, keeping the system humming and users happy involves following IT service management best practices.
- Cloud & Infrastructure: Most SAP implementations today are moving to the cloud (think S/4HANA Cloud, SuccessFactors). Understanding cloud basics isn’t optional anymore.
For an SAP professional navigating this complex environment, relying only on your SAP product knowledge leaves you unprepared for many critical aspects of the job.
Key Non-SAP Certifications for IT Service SAP Professionals:
Here are the certifications outside of SAP that will make a massive difference in your career:
- Project Management Professional (PMP) / PRINCE2:
- Why they’re essential: These are the gold standards for project management. They give you a structured way to plan, execute, and close projects, dealing with stakeholders, risks, and budgets along the way. If you’re an SAP manager overseeing big implementations, PMP or PRINCE2 is pretty much a must-have. For consultants, it makes you a much more effective team player in any structured project.
- Benefit: Better project success rates, efficient use of resources, clearer communication with everyone involved, and fewer project headaches.
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) / SAFe Agilist:
- Why they’re essential: Agile methods are becoming super common in SAP projects, especially with cloud solutions and continuous updates. Certifications like ScrumMaster (CSM) or scaled agile frameworks like SAFe Agilist teach you how to lead or participate in iterative development cycles, manage work backlogs, and quickly adapt to changing needs.
- Benefit: Clients get value faster, you’re more flexible, teams collaborate better, and you can react quickly to evolving business demands.
- ITIL 4 Foundation (Information Technology Infrastructure Library):
- Why it’s essential: If you’re involved in post-implementation support, service delivery, or managing IT operations for SAP systems, ITIL is your guide to IT service management (ITSM) best practices. It covers everything from handling incidents and problems to managing changes and service agreements.
- Benefit: More efficient IT service operations, better service quality, IT services that truly align with business needs, and robust ways to fix issues.
- AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner / Azure Fundamentals / Google Cloud Digital Leader:
- Why they’re essential: With so much SAP moving to the cloud, having a basic grasp of cloud computing principles is crucial. These foundational certifications, whether vendor-specific or general, prove you understand cloud concepts, services, security, and even how billing works.
- Benefit: You’ll communicate better with cloud architects, make smarter decisions about cloud deployments, understand costs, and be ready for hybrid or cloud-native SAP environments.
- DevOps Fundamentals / DevOps Institute Certifications:
- Why they’re essential: DevOps is all about bringing development and operations closer, leading to faster, more reliable software delivery. In the SAP world, this means quicker deployments, automated testing, and continuous integration. Understanding DevOps principles helps bridge the gap between building and running SAP solutions.
- Benefit: Faster deployment cycles, improved collaboration between development and operations teams, higher quality releases, and increased automation in the SAP landscape.
- Change Management Practitioner (e.g., PROSCI):
- Why it’s essential: Putting an SAP system in place isn’t just about the tech; it’s hugely about people and processes. Organizational Change Management (OCM) certifications give you methods to minimize resistance, maximize adoption, and ensure the new system actually delivers its promised benefits to users.
- Benefit: Smoother transitions, higher user adoption rates, lasting benefits from your SAP investments, and fewer headaches after the system goes live.
- Cybersecurity Certifications (e.g., CompTIA Security+ / ISACA CISM/CISSP – depending on role):
- Why it’s essential: Data security is absolutely critical, especially with sensitive business and HR data in SAP systems. While hardcore security roles need specialized certs, everyone in IT benefits from a foundational understanding of cybersecurity to spot risks and follow best practices. For managers, a CISM/CISSP gives you a strategic security viewpoint.
- Benefit: You’ll be more aware of data protection, help ensure compliance with security rules, and contribute to designing and operating secure SAP solutions.
The Undeniable Benefits:
- A Complete Skill Set: You become a true all-rounder, able to grasp the entire project journey, not just your specific SAP module.
- More Value to Clients: You can have bigger, more strategic conversations, offer more complete solutions, and deliver projects more predictably and successfully.
- Better Career Opportunities: Employers in IT services love pros who combine deep SAP smarts with strong project management, agile, cloud, and DevOps skills. These certifications unlock doors to leadership roles, solution architecture, and strategic consulting.
- Superior Project Outcomes: By blending best practices from these different areas, you help deliver projects on time, on budget, and exactly what the client needs.
- Clearer Communication: Understanding these broader frameworks helps you talk more effectively with everyone, from business users to infrastructure teams.
- Future-Proof Your Career: As technology evolves and SAP itself transforms (hello, S/4HANA Cloud!), these fundamental non-SAP skills ensure you’re always adaptable and relevant.
External Links :
- Link to the official PMI (PMP) website: https://www.pmi.org/certifications/project-management-professional-pmp
- Link to the official AXELOS (PRINCE2) website: https://www.axelos.com/certifications/prince2
- Link to the official Scrum Alliance (CSM) website: https://www.scrumalliance.org/certifications/practitioners/csm-certification
- Link to the official Scaled Agile (SAFe) website: https://www.scaledagileframework.com/
- Link to the official AXELOS (ITIL) website: https://www.axelos.com/certifications/itil-certifications
- Link to the official AWS certification pages: https://aws.amazon.com/certification/
- Link to the official Azure certification pages: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/certifications/browse/?products=azure
- Link to the official Google Cloud certification pages: https://cloud.google.com/certifications
- Link to the official DevOps Institute website: https://www.devopsinstitute.com/certifications/
- Link to a reputable source for change management (e.g., Prosci): https://www.prosci.com/
- Link to CompTIA for cybersecurity certifications: https://www.comptia.org/certifications
- Link to ISACA for cybersecurity certifications: https://www.isaca.org/credentialing/certifications
So, while your SAP certifications prove your technical genius, these extra non-SAP certifications show you can lead, manage, and deliver in the complex, ever-changing world of IT services. They prove you're not just an SAP expert, but a complete, invaluable asset to any IT company and its clients. Go on, invest in them—they're your golden ticket to unlocking your full potential!
