SharePoint Business Analyst

This week, I started what could probably be one of my toughest challenges to date as a SharePoint Business Analyst. SharePoint (MOSS) 2007 and SAP Integration.

Now effectively, this should not be too much of an issue. I’ve read every white paper and blog there is to read on this subject (and trust me there are quite a few!)and in the main it seems pretty simple.

1. Install Lightning Tools BDC Metaman (Nick you can have that one for free!)
2. Find a way of connecting SAP and SharePoint (hardware or software)
3. Configure the SharePoint BDC and also SAP

Easy as that! Or so the research would lead you to believe! The fact remains that there are not thousands of success stories of SAP and SharePoint integration out there. So why is that?

This could be for a number of reasons.

The main problem is that all of the solutions I have looked at, from 3^rd party vendors through to creating your own, require someone with a very good technical knowledge of both SAP and SharePoint.

The other challenge I have had was actually testing /evaluating this solution. One vendor even asked if we could take a box down to Microsoft with SAP installed so we could test it! The reason for this was their solution was hardware not software so we needed to plug this in! Can you imagine sitting on the tube with a box full of confidential data under your arm on a server??

The other factor I am guessing is that it probably needs a company with deep pockets to even test the different solutions. I am guessing that it would require roughly 20 total days of effort to even to a proof of concept. If you know what a good SAP Developer / SharePoint Developer costs these days, you know that will not be cheap, just to test if something works or not!

I may be way off the mark here, but I need to do some more digging and talking people of both sides of the SharePoint and SAP fence! Surely there has got to be an easier way and a guide to planning this type of project?

I would love to hear from anyone reading this who has some good tips regarding this matter.

Meanwhile, I will keep everyone updated with my progress and pass on any tips along the way! I’ll maybe even do a Top 10 if I have time!

First post in a long while but pleased to say that I’ve been using my time wisely and was revising hard for the SharePoint 2010 MCTS Configuration Exam (70-667). Pleased to say that I passed this last week.

I did some studying but did the bulk of my studying for 7 days solid ‘boot camp’ style at a purpose built learning centre near Bedford. This was pretty intense. Things kicked off on the Sunday night, with a 700 page book to start reading. This was followed by 5 days of 12 hour classroom sessions with more studying periods at night. I finally sat the exam on the last day. I would definitely recommend who I did this with as it was great to immerse myself in a SharePoint learning environment (without a screaming baby and wife – no offence Mrs S!).

Now to start putting the learning into practice!