Want to know what it’s like working within an SAP consulting practice? We spoke to Deloitte’s Dirk Reuter to find out.
Major professional services firms are often looking for technology consultants across a wide range of areas to help clients.
One particular area of interest in tech consultancy is SAP consulting. But what exactly does an SAP consultant’s role involve? What is specifically different about SAP consulting?
We spoke to Dirk Reuter, director in the SAP consulting practice at Deloitte, to find out more.
“Depending on whether I’m on client side or in the office, my mornings are usually filled with managing emails and preparing for the day’s meetings,” he said. “At the moment, many of my afternoons and evenings are filled with phone calls with our US colleagues as we are working on a joint project, which gives the day a different dynamic.”
Deloitte’s SAP engagements focus on end results that support its clients’ business strategies. Reuter said the projects he works on vary and range from multinational SAP roll-outs with large teams, to internal projects focused on charity or talent development.
“Soft skills are just as important as technical skills, as you are engaging with senior client stakeholders or managing a project team,” he said. “I do enjoy delving into the detail of technical issues with the team to resolve the issues at hand.”
For Reuter, the toughest part of the day is closing his laptop in the evenings or at the weekend. “There is always something interesting to do or to prepare,” he said. “I like spending time on the couch to read up on latest trends or current topics – though much to my family’s annoyance!”
He said when trying to solve issues, he tries to have collaborative discussions. “You’d be surprised how much a fresh approach can change your own assessment of a situation and help resolve the issue at hand,” he said. “On a really challenging day it can become difficult to focus on what’s most important, so I try to block the mornings to address tasks that need immediate attention.”
Reuter said SAP projects have never been just an implementation of software. With new technology available, he said he and his colleagues have started thinking outside the box a lot more, focusing on the business process improvements rather than just solving a technical issue. “With the many options available around the various SAP offerings, we now have to think on a much broader scale to bring the best solutions to the table – which makes the job so fascinating, stimulating and rewarding,” he said.
Having worked at Deloitte before, Reuter said he has always been amazed at the sharing of knowledge and experiences across the company. “It really is the best way to stay on top of the game and provide the best service to our clients,” he said.
“Only recently, I spent a day with our global SAP leader to discuss our projects and to further tap into that vast knowledge pool. I can call a Portuguese colleague on a Thursday evening to help with a last-minute hardware quote and get it sorted by Friday night.”
Reuter said at home, he refers to his job as ‘the other family’. “That phrase encapsulates how I feel about working with my colleagues and clients, and the enthusiasm and passion that brings,” he said.