The University of Findlay to Host SAP Users Meeting

The University of Findlay will host the Americas’ SAP Users’ Group (ASUG) Ohio chapter meeting from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Friday, March 16.

Ron Fortman, Marathon Petroleum Corp., will present “Financials for the Future: How a New Company Is Leveraging SAP to Move Toward its Strategic Goals” at 3 p.m. Additional presenters will speak throughout the day.

For more information, contact Maria Gamba, SAP UA coordinator at the University, at gamba@findlay.edu or 419-434-4718. Employees of ASUG member companies may register online at www.asug.com.

In the fall, UF College of Business faculty members began incorporating SAP (Systems, Applications and Products in Data Processing) training into their undergraduate courses – and increasing graduates’ marketability at the same time.

The University was accepted into the SAP University Alliance (UA) Program in April 2011.
According to Gamba, associate professor of business, SAP offers modules applicable to accounting, finance, operations management, supply chain, economics through business intelligence, information systems, customer relations management and human resource management.

SAP is used in more than 50 countries worldwide by companies such as Marathon Petroleum Corp., Marathon Oil Co., Cooper Tire and Rubber Co., Whirlpool, First Energy, First Solar, The Andersons Inc., Owens Corning, Owens Illinois, Cardinal Health, The Coca-Cola Co., Procter and Gamble and a majority of Fortune 500 companies.

Training employees in the enterprise resource planning software can cost thousands of dollars, but hiring an employee who already knows the basics of SAP can cut down training time dramatically. As a member of SAP UA, UF has access to real-world case studies that use the same software students will see when they intern or work for companies who use the software.

College of Business faculty members eventually hope to incorporate SAP into graduate courses, as well.

Founded in 1972, the company, also called SAP, is headquartered in Walldorf, Germany.