More about Bernhard in SAP Community
In May 2020, I took on the role of an SAP Champion, where the SAP Technology Ambassadors found their new home. See more and meet me also Elsewhere!
Bernhard, tell us about yourself.
Who are you, what do you like to do, what is important to you?
Hi all, I am Bernhard. I was born in Germany, studied Physics after high school, and started as SAP Basis at a German customer – in 1995 😉 . Since 1998 I live in Madrid, working at SAP Spain as Consultant, Support Engineer, Support Team Manager, Customer Success Manager, Support Center Manager, and now Product Family Head in Support – see more at LinkedIn. In between I had the luck and opportunity to go to Brazil with my family (beloved wife and two daughters) to Brazil, where I build the then new Support Center Brazil up from scratch.
I like to live and to work. I like to learn, every day. In life, at work. To travel, to read, to watch a good series, to listen to music, to know new people. To enjoy food, to go to a live concert, to the movies, to have a good time with family, with friends, I´m interested in music, history, geography, politics, art, literature, languages, … I could go on for a while. Might sound impressive, but it´s a “Jack of all trades” thing – not a deep expert in any of the fields. Well, maybe classical music (but I don´t practice). I´m quite active on Social, mainly LinkedIn & Instagram, a bit of Facebook, and recently started on Bluesky and Mastodon as I had to leave, sadly, Twitter. I love to share, and I love to get inspired by the contributions of others.
At work, nowadays it´s all about achieving the best results in the most rewarding way for the people, and most effortless way for my manager (that´s what is rewading for him 😉 , and have the fastest and most impactful progress with change. It´s that simple 😉! My family is an essential pillar of my support system (and at the same time so much more!)
What is your area of expertise?
What does a usual day at work look like for you?
I believe I have made quite a journey, and during each step, other areas of expertise were key. For some of the earlier the expertise is fading away, but remains entangled and entrenched somehow on your mind. Physics is what I studied, I think it’s a great way to develop strong analytical and problem solving skills. Next steps where databases, operating systems, upgrades, but also support users – that requires very specific skills. Being a consultant I learned to learn – on my own, targeted, fast absorbing. And, to deal with very different customers and partners – well, humans, right? To develop as a team manager was a completely different part of the journey. It only an be learned by doing. Switching from case support to engaging with to key accounts was a change I had not expected to be so dramatic. I had to acquire mindfulness and resilience skills to manage the pressure from CIOs and directors. And learnt to understand the power games and different interests in companies. The last years brought a huge progress in intercultural skills, although I had already worked in Germany, Spain and Brazil. To work with great colleagues from China, India, Hungary, Ireland, and Canada every single day, and to lead them to success, was a challenge but a rewarding experience also.
If you look from outside on a typical day of work of mine, it´s basically down to meeting people or teams – 90% virtual - , reading or writing mails, analyzing data and the essential “think time”. It´s not easy to convey why I perceive it as very rewarding and exciting, it´s a mix of many elements that count: delivering support to thousands of customers with complex business processes, through supporting a global team of significant size, always driving change and innovation, having the opportunity to award many achievements, but also the need to jointly face and overcome challenges. Enjoying deep psychological safety at work. Living “Tell it like it is” and “Do what´s right” at work.
What inspired you to become an SAP Champion in SAP Community?
I love the SAP Communities and communities in general. Helping each other, sharing. From the very first day I loved the possibility to bring all stakeholders of the SAP ecosystem together: customers, partners, SAP employees – as equals. I saw the immense value opportunity when we started to build the SAP Community, and it was great to watch how it actually materialized. I am also proud to see via the SAP Community how many people, all around the world. actually found and find a rewarding job due to the mere existence of SAP software and SAP as a company. Last but not least the (ever growing) vastness of the SAP “universe” in terms of software and solutions is also tangible in the SAP Community. All of us know that we know so little – every day I know about another star in the galaxy I am most familiar with in the SAP universe 😉. From experience that to become an SAP Champion was somehow the logical step. I saw the opportunity to do more, to create value in a specific way, through the specific role of the SAP Champion.
How do you learn in SAP Community?
What is your daily/weekly routine in SAP Community?
I mostly learn from blogs. As my teams deliver support to the SAP S/4HANA Sales and Procurement processes, I subscribed to notifications about new blogs in that space. I take time to check new blogs out; I like, and possibly follow, to receive notifications about comments. I evaluate whether it´s of value to share the blog with SAP colleagues that should be aware of the content. Also, I evaluate whether it´s worth to share the blog on other social media channels to increase the reach.
I have a similar procedure with YouTube videos of the SAP Community. I subscribed to the SAP Community Channel, and similarly like and share depending on content and my judgement about relevancy for “my” audience. Then, I am also participating in a few of the groups, which is great for learning and sharing in bits and pieces, often with a bit more fun and personal touch. Love it!
Regarding creating content, I have not managed to establish a solid stream; that said, some of my teams have started to create blogs in the SAP S/4HANA space, with thousands of views.
Besides, the events are key IMO – it´s when the community manifests itself. The SAP TechEd, of course, but also the smaller events like SAP Inside Tracks, or even more small scale “Stammtische”. The smaller, the higher the opportunity to deepen connections of your personal network. And often they will develop into true friendships!
What is your suggestion to get the most out of SAP Community?
I don´t think I have a master recipe. I´d usually propose to be “targeted”, to select your home turf, your areas of expertise; and add one or two areas you are not yet familiar with bit want to grow into.
Join some of the generic groups! Join the global, virtual events, and the local events close to you. It can help you to develop and grow a very rewarding sense of belonging!
What are your thoughts about the future of human-to-human interactions in our work?
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