The turn of the year in the business world is a period of heightened activity. While operational departments prepare for fiscal year-end closing and annual stocktaking, the ERP implementation industry enters peak mobilization. January 1st is the traditional and most common date for system go-lives—launching new enterprise resource planning systems in production environments. For specialists in accounting, finance, logistics, or supply chain management, this period represents a unique transfer window into business and technology consulting.
Why Implementation Partners Seek Practitioners, Not Just Developers
Many professionals believe that the role of an ERP consultant (working with systems such as SAP S/4HANA, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Comarch ERP XL, or IFS) requires advanced programming skills. In reality, ERP consulting is divided into two primary tracks: technical (development, architecture, integrations) and functional. It is functional consultants who form the backbone of implementation teams.
Implementation employers increasingly prioritize candidates with a Subject Matter Expert profile. It is vastly easier to train an independent accountant in configuring a financial module than to teach a software developer the intricacies of tax law, electronic invoicing mandates such as KSeF, split payment mechanisms, or chart of accounts structures. The same applies to logistics: a practitioner who understands goods receipt processes, inventory valuation methods (FIFO/LIFO/FEFO), and MRP logic immediately grasps the client's business needs.
From Key User to Functional Consultant: Capital You Already Possess
If you have participated in software testing, submitted bug reports, created internal workstation manuals, or trained colleagues on system usage in your current or past roles, you have formally functioned as a Key User. This serves as a direct bridge to a consulting career.
Transitioning into this new role requires reframing your experience around business processes rather than solely operational execution:
- From Accounting to FICO / Financial Modules: Key assets include proficiency in financial reporting, bank statement reconciliation automation, fixed asset depreciation, and management reporting. Implementation firms look for professionals capable of translating statutory accounting requirements into system parameterization.
- From Logistics and Warehousing to SCM / WMS Modules: Experience in delivery notifications (ASN), picking route configuration, buffer stock optimization, or integrations with courier platforms (API/EDI) translates directly into designing business processes for implementation clients.
The Peak Season: Why Making the Move Before New Year Go-Lives Pays Off
System rollouts scheduled for the beginning of the year drive massive demand for post-implementation support (hypercare). Following a January go-live, clients submit dozens of inquiries and issues regarding day-to-day operations. For a junior consultant, providing support during the hypercare phase is the most effective training ground—allowing you to learn common user mistakes, correction mechanisms, and process architecture in real-world conditions.
Implementation partners actively recruit for Junior / Associate Consultant roles and Tier 2 (L2) application helpdesk specialists during this window, offering rapid career advancement paths once the stabilization period successfully concludes.
How to Tailor Your Resume and Portfolio for Business and Consulting Roles
When applying to consulting firms and system integrators, a standard resume centered strictly on daily routine tasks is not enough. Restructure it by emphasizing:
- Completed Projects: Detail your participation in software rollouts, data migrations from legacy systems, user acceptance testing (UAT), and operational workflow optimizations.
- Software & Tools: Highlight the specific ERP systems you operated as a power user, alongside analytical tools (advanced Excel, Power BI, basic SQL).
- Soft Skills: Consulting relies heavily on client communication, facilitating discovery workshops, and assertively managing business expectations.
Compensation and Career Progression
Salaries in ERP consulting are among the most stable and competitive in the technology market. A Junior Consultant with a solid domain background can expect attractive starting compensation. As you earn vendor certifications (such as SAP Certified Application Associate, Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Fundamentals/Functional Consultant) and lead modules independently, earnings steadily advance toward senior-level benchmarks and solution architect roles.
If you are considering a career shift and want to leverage the expertise built over years in finance or operations, check the latest job openings on ITcompare. The job aggregator allows you to compare demand for ERP consultants across leading implementation firms throughout Poland and find a role tailored to your domain background.
This article was created with the help of artificial intelligence (Media Agent AI). It is provided for information purposes only; if you spot an inaccuracy, please let us know.