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SuccessFactors Training and Certification FAQ: 2015 Edition

lukemarson
Active Contributor
‎07-14-2015 2:56 PM

My blog SuccessFactors Training and Certification FAQ that was published back in December 2013 provided all of the relevant information relating to SuccessFactors training and certification and has been viewed over 40,000 times to-date. With rapid and big changes taking place over the last year, I thought it was time to update my blog to include latest and greatest information and also answer some of the questions as below:

  • How can I obtain the training?
  • Where can I get the training from?
  • As a consultant, what should I do in order to get certified, either as an Associate or as a Professional?
  • How do I make the transition to SuccessFactors?

How do I get trained on SuccessFactors?

Training courses are available to all SAP Learning Hub subscribers with one of the following subscriptions:

  • Customer Edition (HUB020)
  • Partner Education (HUB030)

SuccessFactors trainings are available only via SAP Learning Hub or SAP Education Webshop, which are accessed with the URL http://training.sap.com. Any trainings offered by any party other than SAP are not authorized and authenticated by SAP, so these should be avoided.

Are there prerequisites for me to take a SuccessFactors course?

The prerequisite course for all SuccessFactors training is the Introduction to SuccessFactors HCM Academy course (course code THR80). This must be completed before any subsequent training can be taken. Some courses have an additional prerequisite:

What courses do SuccessFactors offer?

The following courses are offered on SAP Learning Hub (click the link to see the course path and view the individual courses for each path):

Career Development Planning (course code THR95) is due to be launched later in 2015. All courses for Human Capital Management (HCM) - including other SuccessFactors courses - can be viewed here.

How does the training work?

Training is offered as self-learning or as Virtual Instructor Led Classes (VLC), which is delivered virtually. There is also a strong emphasis on collaborative learning via SAP Jam and you will be expected to actively participate in the SAP Jam group. SuccessFactors holds regular check-in meetings via Adobe Connect.

Self-learning courses are offered as part of the SAP Learning Hub subscriptions mentioned above while the VLC is an additional paid fee. The VLCs include the following:

  • 1-3 weeks of live instruction, delivered virtually
  • Training systems for hands on practice and completion of assigned exercises
  • Daily Q&A session
  • Best practices

Does completing the training make me “certified”?

Once you have completed the training you need to take and pass the certification to become a Certified Application Associate (see below for more detail). Only employees of official SuccessFactors partners are eligible to take the certification exam.

Why are only partner employees allowed to take certification?

This is because there are a number of systems provided by SAP to partners that are required to implement SuccessFactors and access to these are part of the Partner agreement between SuccessFactors and partners. These systems include the SuccessFactors LMS, SAP Jam, SuccessFactors Partner Portal, Provisioning, and SuccessFactors demo systems. In future SAP are planning to open this to customers, but the revamping of the program is still in its early days.

So once I’ve taken the exam, that’s it?

Not exactly. Taking and passing the certification gives you Certified Application Associate level. However, in order to retain this certification you must take delta exams within 6 months of the exam’s availability date. These ensure that you stay up-to-date on the latest releases and understand the ever-changing functionality and concepts of the SuccessFactors systems. If a delta exam is not completed by the deadline then certification will expire. By registering for SAP Credential Manager once you pass the Certified Associate certification exam, you will be notified of a Delta exam availability and deadlines.

I’m a Certified Application Associate, so I’m “certified” right?

Yes and no. There are two levels of certification with a clear distinction that customers look for.

Certified Application Associate means that the consultant has successfully passed the training exam. It does not mean that they have any implementation experience. Many consultants and/or consultancies refer to Certified Associate as “Certified” as a colloquialism or – in some cases – to hide the fact that they may be inexperienced.

Certified Application Professional means that the consultant has reached Certified Associate level and – in addition – has successfully led at least two lifecycle customer implementations with hands-on experience, which SuccessFactors has verified with the customers. These consultants typically are experienced enough to lead a customer project or act as a solution architect of some variety.

If I take the training do I get Provisioning access?

As with becoming “certified”, only employees of SuccessFactors partners can get Provisioning access. This is one of the many areas that are provided as part of the Partner agreement between SuccessFactors and partners.

What sort of experience do I need?

There is no particular experience required, but it does help to be familiar with the module you are taking and to have knowledge of XML. Business process experience is not required for the training, but it helps to understand the various functions of the application that you are training on.

Can I just take a course with a 3rd party instead?

SAP Learning Hub is the only location to take trainings and become a Certified Application Associate. Trainings offered by any other providers are not official and should be avoided. They do not count towards SAP courses or certifications.

Do I need training? Can't I just learn on the Job?

SuccessFactors training equips you with the fundamentals of each application, but much of the real learning happens on projects so it is advised to shadow an experienced consultant on your first few projects. Like with any software, there are many nuances and caveats that you cannot learn in a training course and there is no substitute for experience.

Although this practice does occur with SAP ERP HCM, without taking the training it is not possible to get Provisioning access or to have the customer instance mapped to your Provisioning account. In addition, there are many nuances to each solution that would not be known without taking official training.

Customers need to understand that it is the Wild West out there right now and it is important to follow some of the tips in Jarret Pazahanick’s Seven Tips to ensure you hire the Right Consultant as well ensure that your SuccessFactors Consultant has the appropriate training, certifications, and experience as without it they are not going to be able to help you sufficiently. Customers also need to understand that implementing Cloud is different from implementing on-premise.

What does a course entail?

Each course varies in format, length, and delivery. I’ll cover each of them briefly:

Generally each 5-day course has a 2-hour check-in meeting each day. Each 10-day course generally has 5x 3-hour check-in meetings. There will be 3 meetings in the first week – which includes the introductory meeting on the first day of the course – and 2 meetings in the second week. The Employee Central Academy (THR81) course has an additional 2 check-in meetings in the third week. The check-in meetings enable the trainer to cover a number of topics, test the participants on their learning and request demonstrations, track progress, and answer any questions.

Why are only employees of SuccessFactors partners allowed to take training?

As mentioned above, there are a number of different systems required to take training and it can be difficult to provide access to non-partners. I am hopeful that this will change over time once the sheer demand for training subsides but in the interim think it is smart to limit it to ensure that unauthorized training centers don’t open up as this has historically been a problem in the SAP ecosystem. At present, there is a huge demand for training from existing partners and courses fill up quickly.

How much does it cost?

Both the customer edition (HUB020) and the partner edition (HUB030) subscriptions cost EUR 2,500 per year. The Certification Hub subscription – which is required to take Cloud certification exams (up to six Associate and delta exams per year) – costs EUR 500 per year.

Do customers need to hire Certified Application Professional consultants?

Although it is not mandatory, project success always depends on experience. Having a Certified Application Professional leading your project is the only way to ensure that you have the genuine expertise. It is ok having a Certified Application Associate on the project, as long as they are working for an experienced lead. Whether the consultant is a Solution Architect or Functional Consultant, they need to have hands-on experience to truly know the solution they will implement for you.

Customers should make sure to have consultants clarify which type of “certification” they have and to ask consultants to provide a copy of their certification certificate.

Disclaimer

It's important for me to point out that courses are updated quarterly and that course modality, duration, and titles are subject to change based on business demand. Anything I have written here is subject to change at any point by SAP, as clearly was the case between the previous blog and this updated edition!

Key resources

There are some key resources that you can use to help learn about SuccessFactors and SuccessFactors training:

Summary

Much like SuccessFactors in general, SuccessFactors training and certification is not the same as what SAP HCM consultants will be used to and is constantly evolving. There are different methods and formats required and the outcomes are different. While training is now open to everyone, certification and Provisioning access is still only available for SuccessFactors partners. This may change in the future as the current changes become tried and tested, but in the short-term customers can at least get trained and provide hands-on support to both implementations and post Go Live activities.

To stay current on this topic and SuccessFactors in general I would highly recommend joining the SAP and SuccessFactors Linkedin Group.

77 Comments
lukemarson
Active Contributor
‎08-25-2015 1:41 AM
0 Kudos

Hi Syed,

CDP comes later in the year. All courses listed under "What courses do SuccessFactors offer?" are available under HUB020 and HUB030.

Best regards,

Luke

Emad
Participant
‎04-07-2016 2:20 PM
0 Kudos

Hi Luke

I need to ask a question please

I am about to get the certificate for SuccessFactors Performance & Goals, there is a prospect customer who might be interested in implementing Performance & goals, Compensation and Recruiting Management. If I obtained my certificate will I have the Provisioning Access and be able to implement the three modules or this is not possible and the provisioning is provided by module so we have to hire 2 certified consultants for Recruiting and Compensation

Thanks

Emad

ChrisSolomon
Active Contributor
‎04-07-2016 4:24 PM
0 Kudos

You are only certified on the module you got certified for....kind of makes sense. Also, you can't just jump from "certification" to project by yourself.

Emad
Participant
‎04-07-2016 4:38 PM
0 Kudos

Thanks for reply

Do you mean I need to shadow with an expert first?

What about Provisioning, is it given per module or one for all

Thanks

Emad

lukemarson
Active Contributor
‎04-11-2016 2:44 PM
0 Kudos

Hi Emad,

You get provisioning access once you have completed the Foundation course. However, it is highly advised to be the shadow consultant on your first project under an experienced lead. And I would never recommend someone to implement a solution if they have not at the very least taken a training course. Even passing the exam is not enough if not training has been taken.

Best regards,

Luke

Former Member
‎07-01-2016 11:51 AM
0 Kudos

Hi Luke,

I have just joined an SF partner company and they have registered me for the SAP learning hub. I have no previous experience in SAP or any enterprise application for that matter.Which module do you suggest I should get certified in first? Also is it necessary to understand/get certified in EC first to undertake certification in any other module ?

Thanks,

Bibek

Former Member
‎07-07-2016 4:58 PM
0 Kudos

Does SAP HCM Experience Count to become as SF Consultant?

Why there is segregation of SAP and SF?

Though SF and SAP HCM are independent product. Still SAP HCM   is dependent on SF for cloud . With out subject on SAP HCM for SF Certification. Definitely there will be  impact on SAP HCM Product .

SAP should look in to this and should add SAP experience to take in to consideration to become SF Consultant

lukemarson
Active Contributor
‎07-10-2016 6:52 PM
0 Kudos

Hi Bibek,

It's difficult to choose which application(s) to study first as you have no experience. I would just evaluate your persona skill set with your manager and look at the business needs before choosing. I would also ensure that you get some training on business processes, as the technology alone isn't enough to help you be a consultant.

EC is not a requirement for other modules.

Good luck!

Luke

lukemarson
Active Contributor
‎07-10-2016 6:54 PM
0 Kudos

SAP HCM can be useful. The most useful skills from SAP HCM are the process knowledge (most important!) and technical knowledge you'll need when supporting data migration and integration.

SAP HCM and SAP SuccessFactors are independent of each other - SAP HCM is not dependent on SAP SuccessFactors. You don't need one certification to have the other or have experience of implementing one to implement the other.

Former Member
‎07-25-2016 8:20 AM
0 Kudos

Could you please share perfomance and goals managment video on you tube ℹ :smile:

lukemarson
Active Contributor
‎07-31-2016 2:48 AM
0 Kudos

Could you please search for performance and goals management video on you tube?

Former Member
‎08-01-2016 6:18 AM
0 Kudos

Dear Luke Marson

Yes i serched but could not find,whereas find the other modules

lukemarson
Active Contributor
‎08-01-2016 2:04 PM
0 Kudos

I just did a search and found some hits:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=successfactors+performance+and+goals

Former Member
‎08-04-2016 6:05 PM
0 Kudos

Luke: couple of questions i wanted to ask you and thanks in advance:

1) If i create a tile on my instance - how can it be copied to the rest of the employees?

2) With people profile and time off when we assign LOA, we will hit app error if we have catch all in the event der rule?

Thanks in advance ..

Former Member
‎08-10-2016 4:06 PM
0 Kudos

Hi Luke,

I heard that there are still some modules (for example Recruiting Management) for which we can get certified in Learning hub.Please let me know if this certification in learning hub a valid SF certification.

If yes,please let me know that are delta exams required to be taken even after the certification from learning hub.

Thanks

lukemarson
Active Contributor
‎08-10-2016 6:09 PM
0 Kudos

These questions aren't relevant for this blog, so really you should raise a discussion on the SAP ERP Human Capital Management (SAP ERP HCM) space.

lukemarson
Active Contributor
‎08-10-2016 6:26 PM
0 Kudos

You can view the current list of certifications at https://training.sap.com/shop/certification/

Here is the direct link:

https://cdn2.training.sap.com/cdn/static-pdf/Valid_Cert_Exams_27_07_16.pdf

former_member211991
Participant
‎12-14-2016 2:06 AM
0 Kudos
Hi Luke,

I would like to confirm that, Is SAP SuccessFactors certification is open for all now ?. One more question to ask is if I got training from third party and apply for SAP Certification on SAP certification cloud than would it be any issue ?

Regards
MWK
lukemarson
Active Contributor
‎12-25-2016 10:35 AM
0 Kudos
Hi MWK,

SAP SuccessFactors training has been open to all for some time. Third party training is not considered valid by SAP. Any unofficial courses should be avoided.

Best regards,

Luke
algrigoryev
Associate
Associate
‎01-27-2017 9:19 AM
0 Kudos
 

Hi Luke,

Could you please help me to clarify a certification question?

I have completed and successfully passed the exams for SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Academy in Oct 2014 but I can’t see this certificate in my Credential Manager

I have submitted several tickets to Credential Management team with no result.

Can I somehow migrate my certificate in Credential Manager?

 

Thank,

Kind regards,

Alex
SteffieD
Explorer
‎02-15-2017 11:36 AM
0 Kudos
Hi Luke,

Until recently there were a few SuccessFactors modules wherein if you answer the final exam of the Academy course from Learning Hub, an associate was given a certification in that module. Example: WFAP

Could you please clarify a bit on which modules are currently available for certification from Learning Hub?

Thanks in advance

Steffie
former_member225892
Explorer
‎05-30-2017 12:56 AM
0 Kudos
Hi Luke,

 

Any idea whether consultant can take an exam and certify themsleve on SuccessFactors Employee Central Payroll.

 

Regards

Sanjay
lukemarson
Active Contributor
‎07-24-2017 5:11 AM
0 Kudos
There is no course available yet for Employee Central Payroll.
Former Member
‎02-22-2018 10:38 AM
0 Kudos
Hi All,

I am very new to this field planning to give certification, could you please guide me how to proceed and what are prerequisites.
lukemarson
Active Contributor
‎04-07-2018 3:39 PM
0 Kudos
You need to get a subscription on SAP Learning Hub to be able to take training and certification. Look for the Line of Business subscription for Human Resources. There are no prerequisites from training.
lukemarson
Active Contributor
‎04-07-2018 4:59 PM
0 Kudos
Hi Alex,

Usually you just send an email and they will transfer them. Did you get it resolved?

Best regards,

Luke
lukemarson
Active Contributor
‎04-07-2018 5:05 PM
0 Kudos
Hi Steffie,

All should be available except for EC Payroll.

Best regards.

Luke
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