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This week I attended The Eventful Group’s "Mastering Supply Chain & Procurement with SAP", inaugural, South African conference.

Certification is a mechanism to confirm the skill-sets of individuals using SAP to manage your supply chain.

I have been off the talking circuit for some time – setting up a new company has not allowed for me to focus on that part of the contribution I make to the supply chain community – an activity I thoroughly enjoy.

Will the company that has reasonable material master data please stand up! SAP’s material master data, without a doubt, is the bane of any Supply Chain Manager’s existence. This will also not be news to the supply chain community, with most companies I engage with despairingly accepting that master data always has, and always will be an insurmountable problem. This after several failed attempts to fix the challenges that material master data presents.

I recently completed a Business Maturity Optimisation programme for one of my long-standing clients. On completion of his certification exam one of the participants sent me the email below. I share it reluctantly since it makes me feel boastful, yet I also know the overwhelming sense affirmation his gratitude gave me.

There is a common view held amongst many companies in the SAP install-base that their SAP systems fail to deliver the intended business value. Some even feel they are slaves to their SAP, and at best have a very expensive data capture tool.