From Italy to Hirschaid

A late afternoon at the end of September in Hirschaid. A short ring at the door signals the arrival of Michael Keller – SAP Champion, Managing Director of educatedBytes GmbH and cooperation partner of Softway AG, for example in the development of SAPscript analyzing tools. Michael is in a good mood and has a small gift in his luggage:

Welcome to Hirschaid Michael! What brings you to us?

Michael Keller (MK): It’s time for another face-to-face meeting. The last one was in May and a lot has happened since then. I would be happy to show you the current status of the SAPscript analyzing tools, for example. But what’s even more important to me today: You have a new employee who I would like to finally meet in person: Andrea Borgia, known from the SAP Community.

We are very happy to be part of this first meeting. On the way to our lounge, tell us what you have in common with our new colleague Andrea Borgia!

MK: *smiles* A shared passion for SAP and software development. I really appreciate his work and opinions on the ABAP programming language! We’ve been virtually connected for years through the SAP Community. Now it’s time for a face-to-face meeting.

And now you can also say that Softway AG is part of this connection. How did this come about?

MK: That really falls into the “small is the world” category. Andrea and I are also connected on LinkedIn. Softway in turn publishes posts on LinkedIn about its own software products such as SSP Forms, what’s going on in the company and also about job vacancies. I am happy to pass on such posts in my LinkedIn network. I mean, it’s no secret that I really like your company culture and products *laughs*. That’s how I ended up forwarding a job advertisement that caught Andrea’s eye.

This advertisement ultimately led to you joining us, Andrea. Can you describe from your perspective what attracted you to the job description?

Andrea Borgia (AB): I particularly liked the soft facts about the Softway company! The question and answer game that I completed during the application process was simply great. I immediately got a good feel for the company culture, which was then confirmed in the interview with Frank Engert. Added to this is my personal interest in the topic of “clean code“. This approach to software development is also actively pursued at Softway AG. I also enjoy continuing my education. It’s really nice to see that this area is being strongly promoted.

We are delighted to have you on board Andrea! Your future area of responsibility will include development in ABAP – how does it help to have an extensive network of experts like Michael Keller at your side?

AB: Keeping up to date in my field is very important, but it’s also a difficult task: at the end of the day, everyone only has 24 hours to devote to work, leisure and health. That’s why any help you can get to develop yourself further counts.

A recent SAP survey I participated in asked how to recognize suitable experts to follow. I firmly believe that the ability to explain complex topics – sometimes through code, sometimes through books – is perhaps the best characteristic to guide those seeking help. In this sense, the exchange with Michael and the entire SAP network is very helpful.

Which subject areas within the ABAP universe do you find particularly interesting?

AB: In short: all subject areas in which I can still learn something. *laughs* Personally, I’m particularly interested in working with tools like abapGit and abap2xlsx. Here I also appreciate the contact with both flawless experts and newcomers. In the beginning, you often find yourself in a learning position with these topics. Gradually, however, you are able to offer help and give something back to the community, e.g. in the form of code. This makes the work particularly interesting.

As an SAP Champion, Michael, you should be familiar with these topics. How does one actually become an SAP Champion and what exactly does this mean for people who have little to do with SAP?

MK: The title “SAP Champion” is awarded by SAP to people who are particularly committed to the SAP Community. The SAP Community is first and foremost an online platform, i.e. purely virtual. Beyond that, however, the SAP Community is a multitude of people who are involved with SAP software. Users, consultants, developers and many more. They meet and work together on something. This is how the purely virtual becomes something very real.

Well, and because I believe in the power of communities (just think of open source), I’ve always enjoyed getting involved in the SAP community. I have written almost 100 blogs in English. Most of them deal with development topics relating to the ABAP programming language. I am also very involved in helping people who want to start programming with ABAP: Pupils, students, trainees, lateral and career changers. Everyone is welcome *laughs*. That’s how I came to write articles for typical online news portals and have also given lectures on ABAP. Ultimately, I want to keep the SAP ecosystem easily accessible and open to everyone. After all, every community thrives on future generations who bring new ideas, courage and drive. Things are simply better together

This is a really exciting area of responsibility that you will be able to take care of as SAP Champion. Your first meeting with Andrea Borgia is at least as exciting. We are delighted that the connection between you has led to Andrea now being part of the Softway family! Now that you’ve exchanged small gifts – what’s next today, Andrea?

AB: Over dinner with Frank, we simply want to get to know each other a little better. As an Italian, I’m particularly looking forward to comparing the two different accents of Frank and Michael *laughs* But we will certainly also discuss one or two factual topics. For example, I’m interested in their opinions on the planned transition of SAP® away from on-prem to the cloud. Certainly an exciting topic too.

We hope you have a lot of fun! That concludes the interview at this point and we are delighted that you have found your way to us, Andrea! Welcome to the team!