For those of you who aren't programmers, I wanted to explain the SAP vs COBOL dynamic. When SAP consultants come to a company to install SAP, they get paid lots of money. This is because once they are done, the company can get rid of all the COBOL programmers who maintained their legacy systems all these years. That is why COBOL programmers and SAP programmers will never get along no matter how hard we try to make them. Just wanted to make sure you understood the dynamic.

-- Amy Leone (leoneamy@aol.com), January 05, 2000

Answers

Thanks for the update Amy!

-- Larry McMurtry (lmcmurtry@dove.com), January 05, 2000.

"Can't we all just get along?"

-- Rodney King, Jr. (old@tired.joke), January 05, 2000.

Everyone keeps on misquoting my pal Rodney. He really said, "Can't we all just get a Long Island Ice Tea."

-- Herbert (drunk@aaa.com), January 05, 2000.

if your ever able to get sap up and running correctly before you go bankrupt.

-- cobol joe (sap@ratts.nest), January 05, 2000.

Amy,

Is that like robots going into General Motors and replacing the employees? Much more efficient, no?

-- (I'm@pol.ly), January 05, 2000.

Amy,

I really believe that the level of commitment from Management is one of the bigger reasons that SAP installs; or any other large project of that type fails or comes up slowly. Company personnel are usually pushed to the back while the consultant types get the gravy. Most company management types never learn that their current employees are smart enough to learn the new stuff and make better long term developers (SAP or otherwise). It used to be MRP(manufacturing resource planning) systems that were the hot item. I have worked in several companies in the past that tried to put these puppies in and most were failures. The level of commitment (and the associated dollars) was not really there past a certain point. SAP (or MRP) really do require a hugh commitment. Most companies usually fall down in that area.

Your point is true though. There is really no reason for the old guard to be happy about being pushed aside. I have been on both ends of this practice.

Wally

-- wally wallman (wally_yllaw@hotmail.com), January 05, 2000.

Amy - Learn SAP, sell yourself as a SAP consultant back to your company at twice your previous salary. ;)

-- KatInSeattle (YouC@ntSpamMe.com), January 05, 2000.

Hoffy will be so tickled that you are talking about this.....lol

-- karen (karen@karen.karen), January 05, 2000.