Can experience EHS professional work for SAP EHS

[Former Member]

Dear Experts,

I am EHS professional, having 14 years of work experience in Environment Health and Safety domain in Manufacturing as well as project industries. I would like to switch my career from Manufacturing Industries to IT industries - SAP EHS with the help of my core expertise in Environment Health and Safety domain. Request guidance on following aspect

Is it possible to changing career path from Manufacturing to IT ?

If yes,What avenues available for this change?

Can i able to use my domain expertise?

Is i need to take sort of education in SAP?

If yes, please elaborate

Regards!

Rahul

[former_member191252 · Accepted solution]

Hi Rahul,

Let me answer your question in detailed:

Pros:

Having domain knowledge is really helpful you anyone, in your case, i think you are like SME, an expert in EHS domain.

Hopefully you may have seen many solutions in EHS, technically in order to do EHS, we need to have some software, so SAP is one of the top notch solution provider in Environmental, Health and Safety Management, which is technically called SAP EH&S and newly EHSM component extension.

If you join a client that will add a value. Client may look for domain knowledge and IT experience.

Cons:

You need to have IT knowledge and also need to learn SAP / SAP EH&S.

Christoper (SAP EHS forum, one of the top notch forum contributer wrote many blogs for starters, one of the top one is So please go through it for help in detailed.

Software companies may hire some of the SME in EHS, but many may need some SAP experience and some may not prefer.

You will find many course in SAP in this like, you need to search for what you need https://training.sap.com/us/en/

In my opinion, i think even if you are SME in EHS, you need to under how the SAP tool works and you need to answer clients specific questions, like: Why SAP EHS, why not other EHS tools. What SAP EHS can do for them, how easy to do that one. So conclusion, you may need some time to learn SAP /SAP EHS.

Hope this is helpful.

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[former_member1313393 · Accepted solution]

now a days it is getting tough to get a SAP EHS consultant job from those who wanted to shift from domain.

[former_member1313393 · Accepted solution]

please tell me whether u got opportunity in SAP EHS

[christoph_bergemann]

Dear Rahul

only some minor add on hints: If you are "experienced" on legal etc. needs in EHS in most cases in doing the business you come in touch with IT software. Depending on your experience some minor hints:

- if you have no experience in using Microsoft Office solutions this might be a challenge for you

- if you have no exprience with the concept of an "ERP" software (SAP driven or not)  this might be a challenge

- if you have no experience at all with SAP (not even as an enduser) this might be a challenge

The challenge to start a SAP driven career is huge. There a lot of "career" paths/options to go "somethere". Before you check these options you need to have some kind of basic knowlegde of the options

- you could be an EndUser of SAP solutions

- you could be a SAP "technical" guy

- you could be a SAP "functional" guy

- you could lead etc. SAP driven projects as project manager.

- etc.

In your case the "best" option is to look for the "functional" carrier may be starting as "end user".

What kind of SAP expertise do you need? If you look for the "functional" career the EHS specific trainings are a "must" (refer to the link presented) but first you should have some"basic" knowledge about SAP etc. But using the same link as shown you wil get as well training options

A quite important question of "career" options is your current location. E.g. many companies do have "hubs" in India, China etc. and look for "technical SAP guys" (but functionals as well). On the top it is a kind of decision (and risk) about future options. EHS/EHMS as such will grow/change etc. A lot of business needs are outside there which "drives" as well the SAP strategy; therefore one basic skill is required: you must be flexible ! What was of interset yesterday is out of interest tomorrow (e.g. HANA ...).

In the document as cited you will find some links to other threads with same questions (what are career options); you find lot of more than that if you just search.

At least you will need something like 2 up to 3 years to "learn" and use EHS/EHSM solutions. And may be after 5 years you can really define: i a m now a kind of expert

One addtional complexity is: you need to know the integration options of EHS/EHSM. Therefore you need to acquire as well basic/good knowlegde in other SAP modules as MM, PP, SD etc.

Still EHS/EHSM is a kind of "special knowlegde; you will find lot of job options if you just use google.. This will not change; with the invention of the "Component" solution of EHS the interest might be bigger; but honestly; it is a "hard" work to learn and go this way if you have limited background (IT software skills)

C.B.

[Former Member]

Dear Christoph

Thanks for reply.

Can you guide me for organisation which are preferring SME - EHS. Also guide me for immediate steps to be taken.

Rahul