By Arturo Pinazo, SAP FICO Consultant, delaware United Kingdom ERP systems today are quickly moving to the cloud and SAP is helping to lead this movement. Customers are looking to reduce up front capital investment costs of deploying an ERP solution, and cloud (aka – Software as a Service) is the industry answer with licensing that is subscription based. Cloud solutions require that SAP consultants be versed in their traditional lines of business (LoBs) and functional areas of expertise. They also require an enhanced skillset that is cloud oriented and based on a continuous learning mindset to keep pace with software that changes frequently. For instance, SAP’s Cloud ES version provides quarterly releases containing great new features while Cloud EX version has semiannual releases with one upgrade required per year. This Q&A will help new and experienced consultants to map their own personal cloud learning journey resulting in successful certification. SAP notes that the most common reason for project escalations is a lack of skilled cloud resources. The prudent consultant will take notice and chart a course for personal and project success in the cloud. The wise project manager will also take heed because SAP’s deployment methodology has transformed into an agile, best practices based approach that uses the new activate methodology in cloud. Gone are the days of ASAP and business requirements led blueprint workshops. Q: What is SAP cloud certification and why does it matter to the SAP community? A: SAP cloud certification is an accreditation of excellence to validate one’s knowledge in a specific module, like Finance. With this certification, clients can be confident their project consultants and business users know their way around SAP Cloud. The classic skills learned from ECC implementations remain relevant, but additional learning is required to facilitate a successful go-live on a cloud-based solution. Q: SAP has always offered certification. What is different between getting certified today vs. in the past? A: SAP certification has always been a recognized achievement signaling that one’s core skills in a certification area are sound. However, cloud certification goes beyond the traditional LoB focus and includes cloud support and success essentials and cloud onboarding fundamentals courses that are essential for passing cloud certification for any functional area, including project management. A Learning Hub license is required for users to take these courses, take the related test, and earn a learning badge. Additionally, SAP’s free course “Intelligent ERP with SAP S/4HANA Cloud” on https://open.sap.com/ gives attendees core information on cloud basics, introducing SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS concepts that are the foundation of SAP S/4HANA. Q: I’m already certified on SAP ECC. Do I still need cloud certification, and if so, how will it help me prepare for my projects? As noted previously, SAP is moving fast with a “cloud-first” approach, and with this, they need to ensure a skilled population of business users and consultants are ready for this leap. The additional certification requirements for cloud didn’t exist before. Instead, tests were focused on LoB, solution manager, project manager, and technical areas in a siloed approach. This is no longer the case. Because cloud means SAP customers have a more rapid release cycle for new features and functionality, the new approach to certification includes delta test requirements to maintain and remain certified on the latest SAP software versions. As noted before, this requires the “continuous learning mindset” coined by SAP to keep pace with change. It’s not mandatory for every business user or consultant to be cloud certified, but it’s highly recommended for the reasons given. The learning journey and associated preparation will help the reader understand every phase of cloud projects, as well as recognize how different this type of project is from a traditional ECC deployment. Perhaps most importantly, the way configuration is performed in cloud and the way business activities are accessed using Fiori apps is different than ECC. Cloud projects require certified participants throughout the team to enable success. Q: I’d like to get cloud certified. Where do I start? A: The recommendation is to start with the Learning Hub to identify what SAP offerings are available for your interest area, then follow the respective learning journey that is already charted with the end goal of certification. Figure 1 contains a screen shot of a sample learning journey to associate finance certification. Not every journey will be the same length and duration given the varied skills, background, and experiences of those charting their course. Nevertheless, one should plan for 40-80 hours to complete all the pre-requisites and successfully take the test. Figure 1—Sample learning journey for associate finance level certification   Q: What is the Learning Hub and how can it help me prepare for my certification exam? A: The Learning Hub is an SAP training portal where you can find training courses for different certifications. The hub is a one stop shop to prepare you for a wide range of exams, depending on your needs. Note that an annual subscription is typically required that one’s company is often willing to fund in support of professional development and performance/career objectives. The cost varies by region. Included in the Learning Hub are links to free https://open.sap.com/ courses, live access sessions led by SAP experts on all aspects of cloud, trial access to cloud systems for hands-on usage, webinars, recordings, and more. You can be confident that completion of each step in the overall learning journey will result in successful certification. The SAP instructor-led live access sessions are especially helpful because you have direct contact with cloud experts that either have, or will secure, answers to any questions you pose. The importance of including these sessions in your learning journey cannot be overstated. Note that they are held once quarterly and are not recorded, so virtual attendance is highly encouraged. Q: Is there a cost associated with getting certified? If so, what if I am not successful on my first attempt? The short answer is yes. The certification exam requires an additional testing fee for recognition in one’s respective area. There is a test subscription to purchase, and with this you can take up to six exams in the same year. There is a maximum of three attempts per exam so if you’re unsuccessful on your first attempt, you have two more opportunities to pass. Because testing is subscription based, the eager learner can earn up to six different certifications with one subscription if time allows. Q: Once certified, what can I expect next? A: Once you are cloud certified, you will need to keep your certification up to date. Every quarter when SAP releases its latest cloud version, certificates have to be updated by taking a small delta test on new features. These tests are free, but if completion isn’t secure within a certain timeframe, then the certification expires and the core test must be retaken. Clearly, completion of the learning journey and certification is instrumental to becoming a valuable contributor to any cloud project. It also enhances your professional credentials and is a nice component for one’s annual performance objectives. Good luck, and know that SAP’s Learning Hub resource components will enable success on your journey.