The Seidman ERP Program News
We Like Being First
February 20, 2017
Using SAP software, Seidman students guided by Professor Simha Magal created SSB Inc., later updated to Global Bike Inc. (GBI), the first-known teaching case now estimated to be utilized in more than 400 universities in over 40 countries. This case is the foundation for many exercises used in numerous courses in various academic majors within the Seidman College of Business, that integrate the different functional areas within the company with a focus on executing business processes.
In February, the first Americas’ SAP Users’ Group (ASUG) introduced the first-ever ASUG Student Chapter and Academy Cube in the world.
In an effort to align the ever-growing GVSU Enterprise Systems Student Union (ESSU) with a professional organization, Dr. Magal, an ASUG volunteer and ERP professor at GVSU, saw the user group as a natural fit. Magal himself is one of the only two SAP academic advisors in the world whose ideas and skills are respected by those in the educational side of the industry.
Over the past 15 years, Seidman’s quiet but significant entry into the Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) educational market brought rave reviews from both SAP, the largest ERP software provider in the world, and from the companies that have hired our students.
With the spirited ambitions of ERP Professors Meagan Luttenton-Knoll and Thomas McGinnis, the new chapter was charted and launched.
SAP alums David Herrema ‘08 (Wolverine Worldwide), Erica Koch ‘08 (Deloitte) and Alissa Dornbos ’11 (Amway), three of the original founding members of ESSU, shared their earlier experiences to create the first ERP-related student organization that encouraged networking and professional development opportunities.
Geoff Scott, ASUG CEO who helped launch the new chapter, told students, “It’s important to blend academic coursework with the real-world perspective and experience that ASUG can facilitate.”
Casey Condon, who assisted in establishing the ESSU as a student chapter, advised students to “use every tool you can to gain the attention of recruiters and show off your breadth of SAP knowledge, specifically using Academy Cube.” Condon explained how Academy Cube aggregates learning activities and ties them to a student profile that companies can then use to identify and recruit potential employees. Visit https://www.gvsu.edu/erp/essu-3.htm.