SAP BW - learning path and Estimated time line.

Question

Hi,
I am working with Business Objects for few years. I am interested in learn SAP BW and start my career in SAP BW with Business Objects. I would appreciate if you could please let me know the learning path and approximate time line.
Thanks,
Mike

Answer 1

Hi Mike:
I see your concern.
BO is primarily a front end tool and it is simple to learn. So new developers can pick it up easily and start delivering business needs quickly.
In fact I believe front end tools these days are so user friendly that even Business Users can learn fast and adapt and get really good at it.
I think learning and understanding the back end data warehousing tools with specialized skills in Data Modeling and ETL will be extra added value to employers in today's market. Plus Interpersonal skills and interfacing with business users is not a function that can be easily outsourced.
If you already have expertise in Bus Intelligence, I would recommend staying in BI and learning the back end tools. Learning Other SAP modules should supplement your BI skills and not to replace your BI focus.
BI as an Industry is still evolving and growing. Plenty of room to grow. BI can deliver business critical decision support.
Knowledge of Business Intelligence functions (Functional knowledge) will come in especially handy for employers when designing back end (data modeling) and suggesting the right course of action for designing back end. Your existing front end knowledge will be a great help for data modeling recommendations.
I am actually pursuing a second MS in ERP at http://dce.mst.edu/. I take classes on line since i live 100 miles from the university. I sometimes am busy at work and cannot attend live classes. So i listen to the recordings after work hours and do my assignments and tests and exams after hours as well.
The best thing about being in school, is i switch to learning mode and set aside my past experience and become a student willing to learn from the professor and the other students.
Link to SAP University Alliance -
University Alliances Overview
University Competence Centers in the America's - Univ Comp Centers in North America
http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/uac
I personally see a need in the Industry for highly engineered BI Solutions. Quiet a few SAP Clients today have experienced not so well engineered BI solutions from less skilled BI resources leading to poor performance and poor user adoption.
Thats why i feel there is a great need for qualified BI resources to deliver optimal BI solutions and drive greater user adoption. The more users adopting SAP BI and BOBJ, the better opportunities for all of us.
Concerning your comment about ABAP - I know minimal ABAP learned on the job as a BW developer / analyst. I tend to find solutions through data modeling as opposed to using ABAP. SAP BW has standardized many many common reporting functions and on occasions i write some ABAP lookups. But during the initial stages of my career as a BW Analyst i used to have the ABAP team write any code i needed.
I even developed an ABAP report in ECC by providing the ABAP team with a detailed flow diagram of the logic. But lately i have learned to write some ABAP code myself. 
Good Luck.
MP.