Business leaders typically spend considerable time and effort before investing in the services of a software provider or partner to help ensure they acquire the service quality and performance they need. Certification quickly conveys that proof of competency since such technical accreditation is considered a direct stamp of approval.
Acquiring new customers is one thing; retaining them is another. In both cases, continuously attaining the latest certifications – from trending topics to specialized capabilities – reassures customers and inspires them to make that first contact and keep coming back. Compared to their noncertified counterparts, certified consultants speed implementation times by up to 15% and deliver projects with less rework and higher customer satisfaction, according to IDC.
Another advantage of certification is the potential to attract, develop, and retain the strong talent pool that customers expect. Pearson VUE’s global survey of more than 10,000 IT professionals indicated that the value of IT certification surpasses that of training alone. Benefits include a culture that promotes confidence in abilities, greater job satisfaction, increased respect among peers, more work autonomy and independence, promotion and advancement, and higher salary and wages.
A Competency Framework for Competitive Certification
When working with SAP, partners have the added benefit of fast access to the learning content needed to prepare for and attain certification. They are also rewarded with a visual badge that can be included in their marketing materials and on their Web sites.
In addition, through the recently announced Competency Framework, SAP partners can achieve competencies and specializations by certifying a required number of their consultants and developers, enabling them to reach essential, advanced, or expert competency tiers. These competencies and corresponding specializations are then visible on SAP Partner Finder to help prospective customers make informed partner selections based on the desired solution expertise.
SAP provides a broad set of certifications so partners can build specific skill sets and offer highly specialized consulting and implementation services. More than 100 certifications cover a wide range of expertise and skill levels across an expansive set of SAP solutions and services. In fact, eight dedicated certifications are available for SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP), including SAP Integration Suite, SAP Extension Suite, the SAP HANA Cloud database, the SAP Analytics Cloud solution, and low-code and no-code development applications and automations.
Partners can promote their certifications by using SAP Certification digital badges. This real-time verification demonstrates that the partner’s certification is valid and contains a description of the SAP-backed expertise.
Learning content for certification exams for SAP BTP is available free of charge on the SAP Learning site. And as SAP technologies, such as SAP BTP, continue to evolve and bring new capabilities, partners can keep skills current with certification training and exams continuously updated for every cloud release from SAP.
SAP partners can also attend partner certification academies for SAP BTP. The academies are online, interactive trainings delivered by SAP experts who guide you through the content of selected learnings for SAP BTP and help prepare partners to pass the associated certification exams. After completing an academy and passing the related certification, partners are equipped with the skills, knowledge, and tools needed to efficiently implement future projects on SAP BTP.
Proven Proficiency Drives True Transformation
Technology is advancing exponentially. This reality requires people of all experience levels to grow their knowledge and take stock of how these new skills might be applied to improve productivity and efficiency, resolve existing challenges, and produce transformative outcomes.
The more we share and grow our knowledge of technologies, tools, and platforms, the more significant the impact of innovation and the faster we can achieve our goals. But most importantly, our partners are well-positioned to drive future growth, better experiences, and more sustainable and profitable outcomes.
With SAP Certification, our partners have the power to innovate with SAP BTP, among other SAP technologies, in ways that lead to true business transformation with unparalleled skill, confidence, and trust.
If you have not done so already, please join us on the journey with SAP BTP, attend the partner certification academies, and get certified today! You can also engage with your peers through the partner community for SAP BTP (login required). We look forward to driving successful business outcomes together.
- Access to SAP BTP, including free tier services (available to SAP partners only)
- Enablement path for SAP BTP (available to SAP partners only)
- Top 10 SAP BTP partner enablement resources (available to SAP partners only)
- Software partnership opportunities through SAP PartnerEdge – Build
- SAP Learning Journey guides, including certifications
- Partner certification academies for SAP BTP (available to SAP partners only)
- The Competency Framework
Pavel Penaz is global head of Partner Solution Adoption Strategy and Execution for SAP Business Technology Platform at SAP.