Welcome to the new Inside SAP Labs page here on SCN. The idea for this space actually came from two different sources at the same time (from the great team here at SCN, and also from the Labs group) who both saw the awesome potential of a site dedicated to Labs life. When the stars align in such a sign (especially before the start of the Christmas season), there’s very little to do but to jump in and get started on the journey.
If you’re a developer or a student, and have visited an SAP R&D location for an ecosystem event or on-site training, then there is a 74% chance it was in one of our 14 Labs (which house that percent of our dev teams). You might have asked yourself while there if this is what all of SAP’s locations are like, and of course the answer is no. Each location has its own unique blend of talent, product focus, and experts that serve the needs of the local environments. However each Labs is connected to the global ONE SAP team as part of its distributed-development model. The concept of Labs and the network that has been built up around them is something that is uncommon in IT companies of SAP’s size. The model is super complex, and the attempt to manage this is not for the faint-of-heart. But it’s a set-up that has worked very well for SAP over the years and is something that we are proud to promote as one of our unique and most important competitive advantages. [see list of SAP Labs worldwide]
So why are we here on SCN and what can you expect from this site? The info & discussions that will happen here will connect you to the local scene in the Labs. Have you ever wondered why many of the JAVA questions being answered by SAP employees come from Bulgaria, or why the Vancouver teams keep popping up in the BI discussions? It’s because the topics are part of the Labs’ missions and they are super proud to be associated with the products and topics in “their” locations. This local flavor & pride will come across every 2 weeks in an ever-changing Labs spotlight section that will be hosted by the local teams. The site will also be used by the Labs to promote the local ecosystem events that are coming up and where you can get involved.
So the site is about connecting and helping you, the SCN community, understand what exactly is happening in that location down the road, or across the world, and to connect to experts without the intimidation of approaching the leading global business software provider worldwide at the corporate level to know what is happening locally (sorry for the shameless marketing reference … it’s was just too good of an opportunity to pass-up).
So thanks a lot for joining the conversation and looking forward to seeing how this evolves.
Michael Dalgleish
SAP Labs Network
(SCN newb)
