SAP oil&gas - where to start - Any advice on manuals/guides

[cecil_dsouza]

Hello Gurus

I am new to Oil and gas and intend to pursue this segment for the future. I am an experienced computer professional (10+ years) I am fairly well versed with SAP-MM although experience is limited. I am keen to make a career in SAP Oil and Gas - possibly Upstream or Downstream whichever is possible to learn. I am in the midst of registering myself for a course  in Oil&Gas Accounting or Joint venture analyst. I have not found any course for Downstream. With that said, I have even rented a SAP Oil&gas server to practice. The problem is that I need to get some guidance as to how to go about this in a methodical way.

I have started to read the manuals along side the SAP - JVA guide that they use for training at SAP. However, there is no step by step guide/manual provided by SAP to really practice or build in order to learn and get a from grasp of the subject. I have found some configuration steps in the SAP Oil&Gas online help files or MySAPOil&Gas while reading. However, the reading of the manuals and online help is only theoretical. One needs some exercises to be performed in order to get a grasp of what is what. Where to start, what to configure outside of basic set-up and why?.

Would anybody be able to guide me as to how to pursue my goals?.

1. Is it possible to learn JVA by using the SAP training guide?.

2. Is it possible to learn TSW by using the SAP training guide?.

3. Does the system need to be configured and set-up before one can use the SAP Oil&Gas server?. - What specific configuration would be required for Downstream outside of the default configuration after installation.

4. What sort of configuration / set-up would be required for JVA?.

       (I am aware that every joint venture is different - partner, operator, Eguity group and even Equity)

   a. will the creation of company codes be the usual route as in other SAP modules?.

   b. Is there any special set-up or configuration within the JVA menu for this that is in addition to the normal creation of company code and Enterprise structure?.

5. Is there any book or manual that can provide additional information as to how to go about learning this subject in order to practice?.

6. What special requirements are required to learn the downstream module apart from the manuals?.

7. Can one really learn SAP upstream/Downstream in 30-40 hours being promised/provided by most so called training providers in Bangalore/Hyderabad?.

I am seriously looking forward to hearing from experienced professionals. I'd appreciate if contributors avoid one or two line statements as I would like to make the thread more meaningful for me and for others in a similar situation.

Thank you for you help and assistance.

Cecil

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Cecil,

You have fired too many queries at one go. .. but its good to know about your interest in IS Oil. i will try to answer most of your queries:

For quest 1,2,4 & 7, i would recommend you to enroll at SAP Education. That is the perfect and perhaps the only authenticated way to learn SAP. please refer to the below link for further details.

https://training.sap.com/in/en/curriculum/oil_downstream-sap-for-oil-gas-downstream-g-en

For Quest 3, to use SAP IS OIL, you will need to activate business function set OIL_&_GAS from transaction SFW5.

you will get User Manuals, Exercises and practice sets if you enroll with SAP Education. Else, it is extremely difficult to get any relevant study material.

There is no special requirement to learn SAP IS Oil. Although it will be an advantage if you are already familiar with Energy business processes.

If you have any more queries do let know.

Regards,

[cecil_dsouza]

Hi Rahul

Thank you very much for your help and insights into this subject. My apologies for the lengthy request but I had to lay it out in order that contributors would understand where I am heading and what my objectives are. At this time, I am interested in JVA/PRA and if possible PSA.

The link that you provided from SAP seems to cover the subject in 3 days which is too short to learn anything there. Even if I did the course, I would not be able to learn much in 3 days of training. That is the reason I rented a SAP Oil&Gas server to use and learn.

I agree about the energy business processes and I have started to read articles as well as the ones that you have been kind enough to publish on this forum. Also, you have been pretty helpful on this forum which is a good thing for people like me.

TY - Cecil

[Former Member]

I agree that the course duration is of 3-4 days. but i believe that counts to around 24-36 hours of extensive training including the excercises. in addition to that you have rented SAP Oil&Gas server. that will provide you to do adequate hands on. this will give you a sound base and will enable you to understand the system landscape.

Many thanks for your kind words Cecil

Regards,

[former_member601419]

Hi Cecil,

I created documents for JVA( step by step cofig/BPPs). I am planning to teach a class and supply the documents in the class. I will let you know when I start it.
Zaid

[cecil_dsouza]

Hi Zaid

That is pretty good. Please let me know when you are ready and I suggest that you let others know as well particularly on Linkedin.com. There are many people who will be interested to know what you have to offer.

Are you a member of the Group SAP Oil and Gas on Linkedin?. Please try and post it there and also post it on Udemy.com and Facebook.com. Take a look at Udemy.com and see how they have done the training videos. You will get a good idea and you can then influence a lot of people if the course is good. Otherwise, when you do a class please record it and upload to your website to replay.

Cecil

[cecil_dsouza]

Hi Zaid

How is the training material coming up and the classes?. If it is going to take some time, let me know as I can move forward. I have access to a server and I may be able to practice to an extent. I just need to plan this out correctly and if possible with some guidance.

Let me know when you are ready for SAP Oil and Gas JVA/PRA classes.

Thanks

Cecil

[former_member601419]

sorry for the late reply Cecil. I am extremely busy right now and don't plan to start this class anytime soon.
Good luck.
Zaid

[cecil_dsouza]

Thanks Zaid. I shall wait for you to let me know When you are ready. My email is open on my userid.

[former_member187652]

Hi Zaid:

I am very interested in JVA functionality. Would you mind sharing the documents you have prepared, or keep me in loop when you are giving ur class? appreciate it.

.

[former_member202824]

Hi Cecil,

I have written a blog to help with such querries, see if that helps http://scn.sap.com/community/oil-and-gas/blog/2013/12/09/why-does-anyone-with-no-background-wants-to...

Cheers,

Anubhav

[former_member187652]

Cecil:

each module inside has one sap training module linked to it. I believe the questions you are asking aren't really important when it comes to starting your career path in IS oil. Everything is possible, but to certain extent. You can learn the basic from the training, but to apply that to the business situation, industry experience is needed.

with training guide, you obtain the basic background and knowledge on terminologies. To become an expert, you need the working experience and lots of researching online.

Most times Oil and Gas companies use some of the modules provided by Is Oil, for example, TSW and MAP are common ones. If you have time, start with these ones before you lost yourself in all the modules.

I can ask the following questions.

5. Is there any book or manual that can provide additional information as to how to go about learning this subject in order to practice?.

Training is high cost but not necessary. The training manual starts with IOG follows with three digits, you can do some research and learn on your own. If you can't get your answer by searching online, then pay some money to let professionals lead you into the door

6. What special requirements are required to learn the downstream module apart from the manuals?.

knowledge on supply chain management, especially in Oil and gas industry. that being said, SAP SD&MM knowledge is often associated and required.

7. Can one really learn SAP upstream/Downstream in 30-40 hours being promised/provided by most so called training providers in Bangalore/Hyderabad?.

Define learn. enough to get yourself inthe door and equip you with enough knowledge to explore on your own? yes. enough to teach you enough to handle job tasks? no.

in SAP start up phase, learning is an endless topic, after two years, you are still learning.

Hope these helps

[Former Member]

Hi Everyone,

Thank you for opening a discussion for SAP Oil and Gas and also given some valuable suggestions on this particular sector. I am pretty much interested in the O&G Industry as well likeCecil D'Souza. However,

1. Can someone explain what is the Career Prospect for SAP OIL Consultant? and

2. What is the average rates for SAP Oil Consultant in the current market.

I would appreciate if someone could give some valuable opinions in this regard before investing all my efforts, time, training and money into this Industry.

I sincerely looking forward to your reply.

Thanks You in advance !

Gary

[former_member601419]

Hi Gary,

Career prospects in this field were pretty good and I had pretty much finished creating material for a class I was planning on teaching and then the oil market crashed which changed everything. Most oil and gas companies have a hiring freeze and we let go of a lot our contractors, so I don't think right now is the best time to get into this field. I would pray for the oil prices to go back up, and if they do, get into this field.

Thanks,

Zaid

[Former Member]

Hi Zaid,

Thank you for your reply. You mentioned that

most oil and gas companies have a hiring freeze and we let go of a lot our contractors

- Are you referring to the contractors of SAP Upstream Consultant or Downstream Consultant or both?

- Before the oil prices crash, do you mind sharing the average rates for SAP Oil Consultants?

- And if you are providing training, I would like to look into it. Mind to give me more info, eg your website or skype, etc.

You can email me at   fxgary [at] gmail com

Look forward to your reply.

Thank you,

Gary

[cecil_dsouza]

Gary, Let me suggest to you that there is better scope for SAP - PRA than SAP - JVA. With that said, one needs to have a good understanding or background of accounting. So, if you have not done accounts, I suggest that you start with SAP - FICO. In any case, even if you learn JVA, you will need to setup a company and configure it fully and for that you will need SAP-FICO.

A lot of the tasks in this subject has to do with configuration and there is no manual that gives that part of the subject to you. I guess one learns that on the job from other people like Zaid. Without the right configuration, nothing will work. I have rented a server and work with it now but without proper guidance, it is tough. I thought that Zaid would start a course but he did not make it.

[Former Member]

Hi Cecil,

Nice to meet you. I was in SAP for about 2 years and am making a Career switch and I think venturing and investing my time and education in the O&G industry is worthwhile.

Do you mind if we take our discussion further through Skype? You can add me. My ID : gariouslee

Look forward to your reply. Thanks.

[former_member601419]

Hi Gary,

i was referring to upstream and downstream. I agree with Cecil, Pra is slightly better. I am working on it now. If you are new to sap, FICO is the way to go.

Cecil- I did create a course, but it's not easy to get a job right now, so I didn't find any benefit in just teaching a course which didn't result in people getting jobs.

I will in the future once the market improves.

Zaid

[Former Member]

Dear Zaid

You mentioned :

Cecil- I did create a course, but it's not easy to get a job right now, so I didn't find any benefit in just teaching a course which didn't result in people getting jobs.

Correct me if I am wrong but looks like I have found plenty of jobs for SAP PRA/JAV Consultants from the link below.

sap pra/jva jobs, employment in USA | careerjet.com

Sap Pra & Jva Jobs

https://www.dice.com/jobs?q=sap+pra%2Fjva

Please advise. Thank you.

Gary

[former_member601419]

Hi Gary,

i didn't really search jobs online, but I can tell that the market isn't really good based on my meetings with the finance folks and discussions with my friends working for other oil and gas companies. Deloitte always seems to have requirements though, so maybe there are still a few opportunities out there. I was looking at it from a different perspective. Perhaps you can still find a job.

Zaid

[Former Member]

Thanks for your insight, Zaid, I am sure you have a broader view in this respective area. I am planning and am investing my time, education and money into a new SAP module/industry/area that could bring a promising future. I thought SAP Oil has it (since the Oil Industries are huge) but it looks unpromising after taking your acumen.

Do you think SAP SDMM IS OIL (Downstream Logistics) is badly hit as well?

[former_member601419]

the entire oil and gas industry is.

[Former Member]

Ok thank you. Appreciate your valuable answers!

[cecil_dsouza]

Zaid, I think that you should have just gone ahead and conducted the course, particularly the configuration part for posting method, posting rules, the posting keys, for various item types, manipulation rules and so forth. But one has to have a clear understanding of SAP FICO and how it ties in with SAP-JVA. There will always be some sort of Joint ventures between companies and it is not dead yet. However, SAP-PRA is a worthy field to pursue.

[Former Member]

Hi Gary,

Reading all the insights provided by all the members, i believe that though the industry is experiencing a low, the demand for IS-OIL consultants is not hit. The reason i say so is in most companies SAP is already implemented, so they require a dedicated team to look after their support projects. These companies usually have an inhouse IT team together with an outsourced IT partner. You can find your opportunities in both the areas. working in an inhouse IT team gives your job more stability and enable you to enhance your business knowledge. Working with a consulting firm gives you an opportunity to work with multiple clients.

As far as which area is having more opportunity and more rewarding, it is a very difficult aspect to measure. A company will require a significant number of all, JVA, PRA, as well as Downstream resources to manage its own operations. Also the demand in all these areas is adequate as skill set is quite niche. The key aspect to choosing your stream is your interest. If you are more inclined towards distribution, then i would suggest you to invest your time and effort in it. It will reward you much more in the long run. Learning something just for the sake for earning more money will not help you to develop key understanding on the subject. This is off course my personal viewpoint.