Eursap's Ask-the-SAP-Expert – Wouter van Heddeghem

Eursap's Ask-the-SAP-Expert – Wouter van Heddeghem.

This month, we feature Wouter van Heddeghem. There are few people in the SAP world who are not aware of Wouter. When LinkedIn is mentioned by SAP consultants, Wouter’s name is always at the top of the list. He has a staggering amount of followers – well over 722,755 – making him the most followed SAP consultant in the world by a long way. What makes Wouter so beloved by his audience? Let’s deep-dive… 

Wouter, thank you so much for talking to us. You’ve been in the SAP world for many years now and have become SAP royalty — how did your journey into SAP consulting begin? 

My father was an accountant using SAP R/3 Financials at the European Patent Office for over 40 years.  My first SAP role was as a junior project manager for SAP financials, at Dutchtone in the Hague. Following this role, I joined the consultancy firm CMG Zoetermeer as a Junior SAP FI/ABAP consultant. As a 24-year-old, I did the SAP R/3 4.6b Academy at SAP Education Den Bosch, then the ABAP Academy at Capgemini Sloterdijk. My first Manager was Jaap van der Meer and my first customer was TNO Delft and at this point, I was an ABAP consultant. It soon became clear that I would be much better suited to being a functional consultant. My second project was START Gouda, where I worked for Jennifer Gopal and then I went on to work for the Ministry of Justice in Gouda. DJI JUFAR. I left CMG to join Arinso, where I worked on the Dutch Pension Fund module at ING bank. Here’s a picture of me as a 24-year-old!

Tell us a little bit about your SAP experience to date. Have you worked on many SAP S/4HANA projects, and if so, in which industries?

So far, I have worked on nine SAP S/4HANA Projects. My very first SAP S/4HANA Project was a greenfield project for ASICS in 2016, on Simple Finance 1503, and 1610. My second SAP S/4HANA project was a brownfield conversion from SAP ECC6 to SAP S/4HANA, for Maxeda; third was in Stavanger, Norway for Equinor, a Treasury SAP S/4HANA Project; fourth was a greenfield project for Prorail; fifth was also greenfield, for Ahold Delhaize supermarket; sixth was a brownfield conversion for Leprino foods, the largest mozzarella company in the USA, located in Denver, Colorado. My seventh SAP S/4HANA Project was another greenfield, this time for Agrifirm in the agricultural industry; eighth was a retail greenfield project for Carrefour.

Finally coming up to date, my current project is a RISE SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition project. This is my first RISE project as previously all others have been on-premises.

What’s one project or experience that completely changed how you see SAP?

I did a project in Honolulu on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. Hawaii is a beautiful place and this was the most amazing project ever. We climbed the Diamond Head volcano. Never in my life when I was a 24-year-old and became an SAP Consultant, did I think I would end up flying to Hawaii for work! Here’s a picture of the Diamond Head Volcano in Honolulu.

SAP is constantly evolving — from ECC to S/4HANA, cloud, and beyond. What part of this transformation excites you the most?

I really like the SAP Fiori Overview apps with embedded analytics. For example, Accounts Payable overview app, Accounts Receivable overview app, and Asset Accounting overview app. These apps are really beautiful with ready-made reports!

Finance in SAP has undergone a radical change in recent years. It must have been a journey for you to transition from the “classic” finance model in ECC6 to the new finance model in S/4HANA. Can you tell us a bit about that journey and how you approached it?

I did my first SAP S/4HANA project in 2016. Then I did 6 days of courses at SAP Education in the Netherlands on the courses S4F01, S4F02 and S4F03. I paid €5,500 for this, to upskill myself from ECC to SAP S/4HANA. As a result, I became certified in SAP S/4HANA Finance 1709.

Bearing in mind all the changes in the SAP ecosystem recently, what skill or mindset do you think separates a good SAP consultant from a great one today?

The most important skill you need to have is the ability to work with others. That you are a kind, loving soul that wants the best for others, and that you embrace diversity and include everyone.

You’re the most followed SAP consultant on LinkedIn — over 722,799 followers! What first inspired you to start posting regularly?

My Dharma is Nishkama karma. BG 4.28. My life purpose is selfless service to others. I’ve been making free posts for SAP jobseekers for 10 years now, since 2015. This is why people follow me. I promote other SAP consultants and SAP jobseekers for free.

What’s the most memorable reaction or message you’ve ever received from one of your posts? 

This is the most memorable message I ever received: 

You often share consultant profiles to help them find jobs — what’s your motivation behind that initiative?

The meaning of life is to help others. Selfless service to others. Nishkama Karma BG. 2.48. I was raised Roman Catholic: “Break the bread. Help others. Save the lost.”

How do you balance being a content creator, community builder, consultant, and still keep up with SAP’s technical side?

I go to bed at 22:00 and wake up at 6:00. I also don’t drink alcohol, which means I have a lot of energy and a lot of passion for my job. I am always thinking about SAP and SAP consulting and helping others. I am not a freelance consultant as I am working for a company called “The Value Chain” as an employee. I follow the right people on LinkedIn, which means I’ve identified all the experts in all the SAP skills I am interested in.

Do you ever feel the pressure of influencing such a massive professional community?

I feel that I need to help others. It bothers me when I don’t have time sometimes to help people. At one point I had 22,000 unanswered WhatsApp messages! I can only help 1 person at a time. 

Many say “AI will transform SAP consulting.” Do you see that as an opportunity or a threat to consultants?

I believe that AI is a good thing as it can be used to automate manual tasks. I don’t see it as a threat because as an SAP consultant, I do far more than just customizing. I also lead and motivate teams and speak face-to-face with customers. 

You’re known for your humour and humility online — if SAP were a person, what kind of personality would it have?

SAP is German. It is very thorough and accurate. SAP would be a blue personality. Focused on facts and structure. Like an accountant. 

Imagine LinkedIn suddenly banned SAP-related posts for a week — what would you post instead?

I like to post about helping others and embracing diversity. I also like to post about Sanatana Dharma, Hinduism, and Buddhism. I like to post about being a kind, loving, polite and friendly person that embraces diversity and includes everyone.

And finally, the question we always like to ask our gurus – what advice do you have for new SAP consultants coming into the market fresh?

The most important thing in SAP consulting is that you are a nice person who helps others. Look after others as if they were your brothers and sisters. Help others selflessly. The more you give the more you will get, so don’t be selfish. Instead, be a giver and validate and encourage others. Be kind. Always.