SAP and Enterprise Trends Podcasts from Jon Reed (@jonerp) of diginomica.com

In this very informal evening chat, Jon caught up with the inimitable Dick Hirsch to share what cloudy SAP insights they learned from their meetings and backchannel digging at Sapphire Now and ASUG 2014. Dick also shares what he's learned since the show, and the guys look to the future with cloud and developer topics, plus suite-versus-platform and other questions unanswered.

UPDATE: here's the link to slides that go with this audio on slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/jonerp/digging-into-hana-roi-and-biz-case-analysis In this informal but focused talk, Jon Reed talks through a HANA business case methodology with Tony Guetersloh of TekLink. The guys review how to move beyond HANA "speed hype" to build a project finance use case - informed by process owners. There will be a companion audio slideshare version released with the slides. Jon has no financial relationship with TekLink, this was just for fun because the content was worth a hard look.

In this informal chat, Jon talks with SAP SFSF cloud consultants Jyoti Sharma and Luke Marson about why customers are moving to the HCM cloud, why cloud consulting requires a different approach and value prop, and the do's and don'ts of successful SFSF Employeee Central implementations. A brief ASUG/Sapphire preview and SAP executive changes wraps the podcast.

In this (very) informal discussion, John Appleby and Jon Reed reflect on their 30 minute blogger conversation with Bill McDermott on the future of SAP and the departure of Vishal Sikka. (Den Howlett blogged about the call, as did John). During the podcast, John and Jon pull out the main themes from the call, and look ahead to the challenges SAP must tackle at ASUG/Sapphire - including cloud, HANA, and the field issues customers are facing, which may not be solved via HANA or cloud talk.

In this frank and informal - and informally taped - presentation at Western Mass Podcamp 2014, Jon Reed conducts an interactive discussion regarding the impact of (free) content and the limitations of social medial without such content. The impromptu title of the session was "Create (free) content that matters - before you do any social media". Note: this 40 minute recording is not an "enterprisey" conversation but has content strategy lessons for companies of all sizes.

In this informal HANA 2014 on-site chat, Jon talks with SAP Mentor Julien Delvat about the view on HANA from a financials/functional perspective, and what customers are telling him during his Orlando jaunts and conference presentations. The guys also talke about how firms can punch above their weight with the right use of experts and content.

In this very informal sit down, Jon and John talk about SAP HANA Insider Day 1, HANA's level of maturity, apps, and how John hacks through new SAP software. Different HANA use cases are covered, including those John sees in the field. There is some debate about BW on HANA as a starting point, and HANA as tech versus biz. Plus: John's selfie obsession.

In this frank, hopefully constructive, and informal conversation on ERP project failure and it's disturbing persistence, Jon Reed talks to Michael Doane about the problem and what solutions have a chance at closing the failure gap. There is a particular focus on the impact of independent advisors and how business benefits are quantified.

In this informal hangout session, Jon talks Hana Cloud Platform from the SuccessFactors side, with SAP HCM all pros and Mentors Chris Paine and Luke Marson. The guys talk about the potential of the HCP and also the issues SAP and partners need to overcome. The show wraps with a review of SAP's latest HCP announcements.

In the audio track from from this informal video hangout, Jon Reed of diginomica.com gets the real deal on SAP Fiori and SAP developer engagement with SAP Mentors Graham Robinson and Ethan Jewett. The guys talk about why developer engagement matters to enterprise software companies, and do a gut check on where SAP stands compared to their last report card 15 months ago.

In this informal Hangout on Air (audio replay) Jon Reed of diginomica.com (@jonerp) reviews new data on CIO disruptions with Sina Moatamed, cloud practictioner and blogger. The guys hit on everything from security to whether big data is overhyped, and how overworked CIOs and IT Managers can have business impact and (address skills challenges) before they face irrelevancy.​ The video replay of this talk is available on Jon's YouTube channel: /jonathanwreed.

In this informal evening discussion, Jon Reed talks all things BI with Derek Loranca in a buzzword-free environment.. Derek shares the story of his company's BI transitions as well as his own evolution to a BI architect in a changing market. The video version of this talk is running on Jon's YouTube channel, direct link: http://youtu.be/zpm7Q4tLEjs.

​In this impromptu and unscripted discussion, Jon talks with John Appleby and Ethan Jewett about the argument for open sourcing SAP UI5. The discussion hits on key issues with user experience and developer ecosystems that are suddenly center stage not only for SAP, for for most enterprise software vendors.​ There is a video version of this discussion on Jon's YouTube channel.

For the final edition of his "lost podcast series," Jon shares a frank summer podcast with Jarret that hits on themes of HCM lessons, blogging eithics, why independents matter, and some SAP HCM shop talk.

Jon has an in-depth talk with Sina Moutamed on the future of the cloud CIO and the real world impact of cloud. This is connected to a diginomica.com feature already published.

In the first of his "lost podcast" series, Jon talks devops and cloud disruptions on sys admins with Chris Kernaghan, SAP Mentor and outspoken/out-in-front devops dude. This is connected to a diginomica.com interview, and there is also a video version of this talk on jon's youtube channel..

This is the audio from an informal video hangout with John Appleby of Bluefin Solutions to talk about the HANA realities on John's current project and what HANA use cases are moving the needle with customers. The guys also hash out the strengths of HANA and what might be around the corner with HANA-as-platform. John also fesses up to why he missed SAP TechEd Las Vegas.

Jon hits the TechEd Expert lounge floor for his annual freewheeling talk on whether social media is BS - or has actual value for SAP professionals. Special guests include Joshua Fletcher, Karin Tillotson and Phil Loewen. WARNING: NSFW starting at 10 minute mark (PG-13)

In this live-without-a-net, slide-free discussion, Jon fields live TechEd questions and addresses the key skills issues facing SAP professionals. Karin Tillotson and John Moy chime in.

​Jon and HCM ninja SAP Mentor Mentor Martin Gillet review recent HR events, and dig into Martin's passionate views on training, talent, and SAP certification​. Shoutouts to SAP HCM kung fu artists Chris Paine, Sharon Newton, Luke Marson, Jarret Pazahanick and more are included.

During this non-controversial ByDesign discussion, Leo shares with Jon the insights he has on the ground at SAP TechEd. The focus is on practical considerations, cloud platform and roadmap topics, rather than a deconstruction of the current ByDesign news and how it was handled.

At the end of SAP TechEd 2013 day two, Jon sat down with SAP Mentor and intrepid blogger Dick Hirsch to kick around the day's events and make sense of SAP's HANA, cloud, and PaaS directions.

Jon and Chris kick around their SAP TechEd day one experiences and open questions over the course of a half hour of banter, critique and kudos.

In this "lost podcast", taped live at the TechEd Madrid Expert Loung, Jon Reed has an interactive discussion with attendees on the future of SAP tech skills in the outsourcing and cloud era.

In this "two for one" special podcast feature, recorded in two separate conversations, one for JonERP and one for JD-OD, Jon talks with Julien Delvat about the impact of HANA on SAP Controlling and how CO-PA on HANA is evolving.

In this "SAP Analytcs Throwdown", Jon hosts a no-holds-barred talk on whether SAP is innovating on analytics (outside of HANA) and how it can create a better analytics story in 2013. Guests Appleby, Oswald, Loranca and Voslloo join.

During this special Google Plus taping, Jon Reed of JonERP.com assesses SAP developer engagement with fellow SAP Mentors Graham Robinson and Ethan Jewett. The guys present their views on three points they determined to be crucial for SAP's success building an apps ecosystem: IP, licensing, and downloadable software. After some amusing early technical glitches, the discussion gives a clear sense of the work SAP has left to do and frames the developer themes for the TechEd 2012 season.

In this special SAP cloud assessment, Jon Reed of http://www.JonERP.com talks to fellow SAP Mentors Dick Hirsch, Leonardo De Araujo and Jarret Pazahanick to get their specific views on SAP cloud strategy from 3 different cloud areas: HCM (Jarret), ByD (Leo), and NW Cloud (Dick). Then the guys try to put the pieces together, hash the Ariba acquisition a bit, and share their SAP cloud expectations for upcoming events as we head into SAP TechEd season.

To reflect on the one year anniversary of the HANA GA, Jon Reed of http://www.JonERP.com talks with fellow SAP Mentors Harald Reiter, Vijay Vijayasankar, and John Appleby about what SAP has accomplished and the challenges ahead. The 51 minute video includes an in-depth HANA skills discussion and views on the HANA Distinguished Engineers program (all four are members of the Council). The good natured discussion finds Harald in his Vegas hotel room, John Appleby on his UK couch, and Vijay on his iPhone. But a good natured discussion ensued, including an worthwhile debate on the level of skills demand for HANA and whether HANA needs a "killer app" to succeed.

For this JD-OD.com special, Dennis Howlett and Jon Reed talk about consulting changes provoked by cloud computing, and how individuals and systems integrators can adapt - or fail.

In this post-Sapphire Now wrap, Jon sits down with Dick Hirsch to talk about the cloud questions from the event and answered learned. This is the full version.

Jon does the post-sapphire SAP BI wrap with Mico Yuk. They talk about the BI news from the conference and whether SAP is innovating in BI to the point customers are looking for.

During this taped Google Hangout, Jon Reed talks wiith John Appleby, John Moy and Oliver Rogers about SAP mobility from the vantage point of field experience and developer engagement. Pre-Sapphire questions are addressed.

During this landmark discussion, for the first time Jonathan Becher, SAP CMO, talks publicly about SAP's approach to sponsored content, transparency, + employee blogging. An impromptu debate with Jon Reed of JonERP.com for the JonERP videocast series.

During this videocast, Jon Reed has a frank talk with Prakash Darji of SAP about HANA, IQ, and the future of data warehousing at SAP.

Gateway has become a focal point for the issue of developer engagement at SAP, not to mention licensing models for customers. In this taped Google Plus Hangout, Jon Reed of http://www.JonERP.com talks to fellow SAP Mentors Graham Robinson, Ethan Jewett and Owen Pettiford on the myths and realities of NetWeaver Gateway, and the potential it may hold for new SAP development (and business) models.

In this international Google Plus Hangout, Jon Reed of http://www.JonERP.com talks SAP and Success Factors with three fellow SAP Mentors who have followed the scenario closely: Vijay Vijayasankar, Dick Hirsch, and Jarret Pazahanick. The guys hash the questions they will be investigating at Sapphire Now in Orlando, including HCM roadmap, overall cloud impact, and the cultural challenges of a cloud acquisition for SAP.

At the end of the ASUG Georgia chapter meeting in Atlanta, Jon Reed of http://www.JonERP.com caught up with Ryan Goodman and Mico Yuk to assess the BI themes from the event. The three discuss the controversy around Flash, BI 4.0, customer challenges around BI, and the real-life use cases customers are pursuing now. Jon also forces Mico and Ryan to declare who has the better dashboard.

In this informal discussion shot in Palo Alto, Jon Reed of http://www.JonERP.com talks with Jonathan Becher, Chief Marketing Officer, SAP, about the "new rules of marketing" and how this impacts not only software vendors but consumers. The guys talk about the impact of personalization, the limitations of a Klout-oriented view of Influence, and how a "pull" approach to marketing creates new challenges for all companies, SAP included.

I was fortunate to have three opinionated SAP virtualization die hards, Chris Kernaghan, Martin English, and Tom Cenens subject themselves to my first official Hangout taping (note that Tom's correct Twitter handle is @tomcenens). During the 40 minute video, we dug into some potent SAP virtualization topics.

With all the JD-OD.com videos posted, it's time to catch up with the best of the audio, including this session from SAP TechED Madrid, on "SAP Social Media: BS or Value." Taped live at my expert lounge session, this was a typical JonERP "unpresentation" with no slides, just an uncensored and hopefully valuable conversation. We talked for 25 minutes, digging into whether there is value in social media for SAP professionals and how you go about finding it.

Taped live at my expert lounge session on "SAP Tech Skills in the Age of Outsourcing," we had a great 25 minute discussion about SAP technical skills at the crossroads. The audience was about equally divided between Basis folks and ABAPpers, so we balanced the talk between SAP administration and development skills.

Straight talk about HANA is hard to come by - but not with the group I pulled together for this international call. I have rarely looked forward to a call as much as this one, because I didn't know where the discussion would lead. I suspected we would have some significant points of debate and disagreement - I was not disappointed. During this 60 minute podcast, you'll hear SAP Mentors and bloggers Vijay Vijayasankar, John Appleby, and Vitality Rudnytskiy talk HANA as only they can.

It's an annual TechEd tradition: my SAP TechEd skills chat, taped live from the Expert Lounge. Although there was some crowd noise, this recording came out pretty well and captured a range of views during a short 17 minute recording time. Since a major theme of the future of SAP technical skills is the convergence of functional and technical skills, I was fortunate to have SAP Business Process expert Jim Link amongst the participants in the taped discussion.

SAP Business ByDesign (and on-demand in general) was not a focal point of the keynotes from TechEd Las Vegas and Bangalore. To get a better sense of where Business ByDesign stands from a field view, I taped this 30 minute podcast with two ByDesign partners, SAP Mentor Leonardo De Araujo of Beyond Technologies and Ray Tetlow of Skyytek Corporation. Leo and Ray provided an honest view of the strengths of ByDesign and where improvements are needed to reach its potential.

During this 50 minute podcast, you'll hear SAP Mentors Vijay Vijayasankar and Harald Reiter give you their tips for getting the best HANA content in TechEd Las Vegas. The informal discussion then moves into the key news stories that might unfold at TechEd surrounding HANA, with the usual opinionated takes and views from the field. The last half of the podcast is an in-depth discussion of HANA skills issues based on what Harald and Vijay are learning from their work on HANA Proof of Concept (POC) projects.

Based out of Bangalore, Vijayan Venkataraman of ERP Logic is an expert in the ByDesign SDK who has more experience in the product than most people in the world. During our twenty minute talk, I ask Vijayan about the use cases for the ByD SDK, how difficult it is to train, the skills needed, and what features he's looking to see in future releases.

With HANA stealing most of the Sapphire Now headlines, important mobilty questions lingered after the event. To get to the bottom of those, I taped a three way video podcast with fellow SAP Mentors John Appleby and Kevin Benedict. During this 40 minute video spiced with a bit of sassiness, we hashed out the burning SAP mobility questions and also discussed what SAP needs to pull off in TechEd season for it to be deemed a success from a mobility perspective.

The story of SAP HANA is unfolding so rapidly that it's hard to keep up - even if you are following the developments closely. Too often, there seems to be a gap between the HANA buzz and the reality on the ground. Before the SAP TechEd season kicks into high gear, now is the perfect time to take the HANA pulse. Fresh off of several sessions with the SAP HANA team, including blogger and Mentor meetings, Jon Reed pulled together three SAP Mentors for an international call to get their views on HANA as it stands today.

At Sapphire Now 2011, the central importance of HANA to SAP's vision was made abundantly clear. But as a result, that made the questions raised by HANA's ascendancy that much more important to answer. The SAP Blogger Relations team proposed the idea of doing a HANA podcast with me as the moderator and referree and I agreed. During this 40 minute podcast, you'll hear SAP Mentors John Appleby and Ethan Jewett pressing SAP on some of the key HANA questions they have been hearing from SAP customers. I jump in once or twice with thoughts of my own - otherwise, after my intro, this is a free-flowing discussion with SAP's Jake Klein and Thomas Zurek providing in-depth answers and a good deal of useful context to the HANA discussion