The SAP Newsletter
The Quarterly Publication of Team SAP
Vol 1 | Issue 1 | April - June 2009
Readying Students Vol 1 | Issue 1 | April - June 2009 | The SAP Newsletter for the Corporate World... Pg. 4
Message from Director IBS-HO
It is heartening to note that Team SAP , which has grown tremendously over the years, is launching its newsletter. The Stipendiary Assignment Program is important for a sizeable section of IBS students looking at ways of developing their skills and financing their studies. Considering the fact that over 3,000 students from various IBS centers volunteered to join SAP the program , ranks high among the priorities of the student community. Last year over 500 achievers participated in bi-annual achievers’ conferences, winning laurels. It speaks volumes about the achievement of IBS students. The credit, of course, goes to SAP team leaders and officers who leave no stone unturned to mould the students into managers capable of delivering the goods in the corporate world from day one. Students from all walks of life join IBS, aspiring to make the most of valuebased quality education we provide. Management education is never complete without practical knowledge. I am happy to note that SAP gives students an opportunity to get on-field experience, while sharpening their skill sets and improving their overall personality. The newsletter will be an ideal platform to chronicle their achievements and highlight the laurels they win in the wonderful process. I wish the newsletter a future which will be as rosy as the dreams of SAP members. - Prof. S.K. Sharma
The Quarterly Publication of Team SAP Vol 1 | Issue 1 | April - June 2009
From the Editor’s Desk
The SAP Newsletter
The Quarterly Publication of Team SAP
Vol 1 | Issue 1 | April - June 2009
Readying Students for the Corporate World... Pg. 4
Editor M.R. K. Prasad Editorial Team R. Murali B. Arabindo Keshab T. Sudha Rani Priyanka Hinger K. Sridhar Raj Chief Visualizer Bangaru Babu Design and Layout Narwa Srinivas
Printed at M/s. ICIT Software Center Pvt. Ltd., #1, Technocrat Industrial Estate, Balanagar ‘X’ Roads, Hyderabad - 500 037, Andhra Pradesh and published on behalf of the PDD, 52, Nagarjuna Hills, Punjagutta, Hyderabad - 500 082, Andhra Pradesh. Editor : M.R.K. Prasad
SAP is a feature which is unique to our business schools. Over the years it has grown from strength to strength and has now become a distinctive element of life on our campuses. It is high time that the SAP trainees and officers have a standing mouthpiece and hence this newsletter. We hope that this quarterly publication will help us to knit ourselves closer. We look forward to your articles, comments and suggestions at sapinfo@ifenindia.org
M.R. K. Prasad
C O N T E N T S
Readying Students ................................. 4 for the Corporate World SAP Team Galvanized ............................. 8 SAP Achievers Conferences : ............... 12 A Flashback Glimpses of Utsav ................................. 16 Interviews ............................................ 18 On Wheels of Progress ........................ 20 Cultural Activities ................................. 22
win
exciting prizes
name the newsletter and win exciting prizes
This fledgling SAP newsletter needs a name. Readers are requested to rush their suggestions to sapcontest@ifenindia.org. The author of the winning entry will receive an exciting prize and there are consolation prizes for others shortlisted.
SAP
Readying Students for the Corporate World
Business schools need to go beyond classroom discussions to offer students a well-rounded curriculum. The Stipendiary Assignment Program (SAP), offered at our business schools, is an earn-while-you-learn program that has benefited thousands of students over the years.
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SAP achiever addressing participants with dignitaries on the dais. SAP designed for students pursuing the PG Program , of IBS, gives them practical work exposure and a golden opportunity to work part-time as marketing executives. Students get a monthly stipend and attractive performance-based incentives for taking part in this voluntary program, which comes bundled with many skill development opportunities as well. The lifelong skills that students can develop by being a part of the SAP team cover, among other things, selling & marketing, communication and presentation. These students can develop their overall personality and better understand the dynamics of the market place. As SAP trainees, they can establish industry and social contacts which would be useful to them once they start working. This attractive feature of SAP induces a number of students every year to pay their tuition fee and meet their monthly living expenses from the income they earn while working as part of the SAP team. It is believed that management education is not complete for a b-school student until practical exposure to the marketing environment is fulfilled. In this regard, SAP has distinguished itself as a platform that nurtures team building as well as managerial and leadership skills in students. Students opting for SAP are under watch from Day One. Those who are sincere and become achievers in the first year of their association will be groomed as Team Leaders. Team Leaders get support so that they can help freshers become achievers. As part of the organizational process, outstanding Team Leaders are identified and rewarded. This in-built mechanism provides students a unique opportunity to develop leadership skills, organizational skills, team building & motivational skills and inter-personal skills. Over the years, an increasing number of students have shown interest in SAP mainly because of its , stress on equipping participants with sound knowledge of market dynamics, exposing them to workrelated experience, and helping them earn while they learn. Currently, more than 50% of IBS students register for SAP About 50% of the trainees . earn substantial amounts as incentives regularly. SAP achievers too compete with one another in a healthy environment. It is indeed a great moment of pride for trainees who qualify for the All India SAP Achievers Conference by their performance on certain parameters. At the SAP Achievers Conference, held twice every year, students get a rare opportunity to meet their counterparts from other
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Sanjay Ramchandani presenting a memento to the SAP Achievers. centers across the country and share their experiences. Seminars and motivational talks organized at the conference inspire students to identify ways of bettering their performance. Networking among achievers is another advantage that the conference offers, enabling students to become an elite group among the IBS fraternity. A lot of importance is given to team leadership in SAP After becoming achievers, students vie with . one another to become Team Leaders. Upon becoming Team Leaders, they get to lead a group of junior students and thus hone their managerial ability and leadership skills. The Team Leaders give a sense of direction to the team, which functions as a cohesive unit with a common goal. They learn to resolve conflicts, identify individual goals as well as the team’s goals, and work as a team in healthy competition with other teams. Students who join SAP perceive it as a unique feature in b-school education. It is unique in its content and offers student participants exposure to the practical work environment. It helps improve a student’s personality, while equipping them with skill sets required for thriving in a corporate world. Students gain in confidence, become goal-oriented and excel in multi-tasking. They learn better time management for work and study, while creatively handling peer pressure. Placement is never an issue for SAP achievers, who command fabulous salaries depending on their negotiation skills and track record as part of SAP organization. In short, SAP experience, coupled with a brilliant academic record, is a passport to a great future for students. At the organizational level, SAP is perceived as an excellent tool to support students in personality development and in meeting their financial needs during their education at IBS. Students get to know the complexities involved in career progression. They get a foretaste of realities in the corporate world. By connecting with alumni through proper channels students understand the essentials of making a rewarding career through SAP experience. Ultimately students become competent managers and able leaders in society. Training programs conducted for students by the Training Department give trainees valuable inputs with regard to product knowledge. The Training Department also conducts an online test for SAP personnel to test their product knowledge. Two SAP Achievers Conferences were held at Ooty and Shimla, with over 500 achievers sharing their experiences and networking with one another. Dignitaries from IBS Chandigarh, IBS Pune and IBS Dehradun were invited to share their words of wisdom with the achievers so as to motivate them to scale greater heights during their stint in SAP .
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Prof. P. Ramnath, Director, IBS-Chennai, addressing the 8th All India SAP Achievers Conference.
Prof. Y.K. Bhushan, Sr. Advisor & Campus Head, IBS-Mumbai, addressing the 8th All India SAP Achievers Conference.
Dr. O.P. Gupta, Director, IBS-Gurgaon, addressing the 9th All India SAP Achievers Conference.
Prof. Bhagat Ram, Director, IBS-Chandigarh, addressing the 10th All India SAP Achievers Conference.
Prof. Bala Bhaskar, Director, IBS-Ahmedabad, addressing the 11th All India SAP Achievers Conference.
Prof. Dhananjay Keskar, Director, IBS-Pune, addressing the 12th All India SAP Achievers Conference.
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SAP team galvanized
12th All India Achievers Conference
The 12th All India SAP Achievers Conference was held during January 7-8, 2009, with picturesque Fernhill Ooty playing host to outstanding performers from IBS, ISIT, ISMS and ISFS centers across the country. About 280 trainee achievers qualified for the conference and nearly 170 participated in the conference. A total of 66 officers and managers attended the event, galvanizing the young and energetic participants. Prof. Dhananjay Keskar, Director, IBS Pune, was the chief guest and Prof. Loveraj Takru, Dean, IBS Dehradun, the guest of honour. They were welcomed
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France and other formidable races. In the context, he presented a short motivational film that included clips of super achievers, including Lance Armstrong. “There is no shortcut to success. Only in the dictionary one finds success coming before hard work,” he observed. He also touched upon the placement scenario in the context of the current global financial crisis. “Opportunities come disguised as hard work. Most people don’t realize them, he observed… Unless you have commitment, you can’t achieve anything in life,” he commented. He pointed out that winners don’t do different things, they do things differently.
Inauguration of 12th All India SAP Achievers Conference to the dais with traditional honours by the Area Heads. The conference started with an invocation and lighting of the lamp by the dignitaries. Later, in his address, Prof. Keskar shared some of his insights into the working of SAP Appreciating the . groundwork done by SAP over the past six years, Prof. Keskar observed: “SAP is going to be one of the best earn-while-you-learn programs in India. Considering the way the conference has been organized, it gives me a feeling of excellent top-level corporate environment”.
Welcoming Prof.Loveraj Takru, Dean, IBS Dehradun, the guest of honour, to the dais Prof. Loveraj Takru, in his speech, hailed the concept of SAP and said it had been making a significant contribution to developing a pool of highly skilled students who could be readily absorbed by the corporate world. SAP helped students improve their skills, attitude and personality, he said and recalled how he had seen students transition from “caterpillars to butterflies.”
Chief Guest Prof. Dhananjay Keskar, Director, IBS Pune, receiving a bouquet Suggesting that “achievers” assembled at the conference should aim at becoming “super achievers,” he cited the determination of professional cyclist Lance Armstrong, who, while battling cancer and other odds, notched up a string of achievements in Tour de
Prof. Takru highlighted three important attributes of an achiever: a personal code of ethics with fairness to oneself, ability to handle power with humility and work-life balance. Deputy Chief Manager MRK Prasad, who welcomed the gathering, later presented a report highlighting the achievements of SAP organization. His speech focused on the path the organization has tread as well as the road ahead.
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Prasad pointed out that the participants were special, considering that they were achievers among 10,000 plus IBS students. The support they got from officers of SAP was a matter of pride to the organization. Alumni credit their stint in SAP for their adaptability to the demands of the corporate world. SAP transformed students into readymade managers. Despite the recession, SAP achievers could secure good jobs and Team Leaders could shine with good pay packets, he underlined. A total of 4,500 students joined SAP during 2008 and 2,880 trainees received stipend for the year. In all, 1,010 trainees contributed to FLP sales, with 575 of them qualifying as achievers to the conferences. Among those who made it to the 12th conference were 87 Silver achievers, 22 Gold achievers, 7 Platinum achievers, 2 Ruby and 1 Diamond super achiever. Nearly 1,800 students participated in the IBSAT campaign and 150 of them qualified as IBSAT achievers by promoting a minimum of 25 bulletins. Under the Summer Internship Program, SAP trainees leveraged on their corporate contacts to achieve 3,000 units. The objective of conference, held twice a year, is to bring highly talented students with a record of achievements on a common platform so that they can share their experiences and learn how to overcome challenges. The participants used to the hilt the opportunity they had to network with students of other b-school centers. Students who qualified for the conference arrived at the venue a day in advance. This time, the conference organizers entertained them with a host of cultural programs spread over both the days. An ice-breaking session which prompted participants to mingle with one another as well as amusements such as Talent Search and Host Hunt were the other highlights. The delegates later took part in some management games as well. Distribution of the coveted awards in an atmosphere that reverberated with the resounding success of the achievers was the highlight of the conference. This year awards were given away to individuals and centers in various categories.
Super Achievers Club Awards: This award is given away to SAP trainees who make it to Ruby, Sapphire or Diamond clubs. Trainees achieving 50 e-units per quarter make it to the SAP Ruby Club, meriting a medallion and a blazer with tie. Trainees qualifying twice for SAP Ruby Club are inducted into the SAP Sapphire Club, and they are rewarded with a medallion as well as blazer and tie. Trainees qualifying thrice for SAP Ruby Club are taken into the SAP Diamond Club, fetching them a medallion and blazer with tie. In the 12th SAP Achievers Conference, two trainees Abhijit Sarkar (Kolkata) and Neelendra Dwivedi (Pune), got Diamond Achiever Club awards. Six others, Tamojit Ghosh (Kolkata), Chirag Bharat Sheth (Mumbai), Varun Jain (Pune), Sweta Kashyap (Pune), Ruchika Goenka (ISMS) and Sonam Chawla (Gurgaon) got Ruby Achiever Club awards.
This is given for outstanding performance by an officer in respect of promotion of our knowledge products and IBSAT bulletins. Eight officers got Star Officer Award at the conference : Hitesh Kartik J Tarandeep Kaur Rajat Batra Harshul Kukreja Shivani Seth S K Tiwari Virendra Patni
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For the first time, individual achievers with outstanding record in respect of selling and retrieving 50 plus IBSAT bulletins during the campaign period made it to the Hall of Fame Award. Each of them got a citation from the chief guest. They are: Chetna Agarwal Pratik Soni Sarpesh Jaiswal Nitin Sharma Gokul Bajaj Manish Gupta Kanista Yadav Neeraj Bhalla
Gokul Bajaj, IBS Gurgaon, receiving the Hall of Fame award
Chandrakant Sarda
Awards were given to various centers in A, B and C categories for registering the highest number of achiever awards, target achievement, productivity excellence in FLP etc.
Sarpesh Jaiswal, IBS Kolkata, receiving the Hall of Fame award
Signing on the Hall of Fame banner
Nitin Sharma, IBS Gurgaon, receiving Hall of Fame award
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SAP Achievers Conferences: A Flashback
Participants at the 11th All India SAP Achievers Conference held at Shimla
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Prof. Balabhaskaran, Director, IBS-Ahmedabad, presenting blazers, certificates and i-Pods to SAP Achievers during 11th All India SAP Achievers Conference held at Shimla
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Snapshots of SAP Achievers Conferences
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Snapshots of SAP Achievers Conferences
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The thrill of sharing
Utsav is an interesting feature of SAP It provides a platform for alumni . to share with the SAP fraternity their experiences in corporate settings. Product knowledge test, quiz, management games, personality development workshops, mock counseling and cultural programmes are conducted during Utsav to encourage student participation in SAP As part of the finale, faculty members are honoured for their . invaluable contribution to the learning process.
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Interview
Make the most of this platform
Alumnus of IBS Kolkata SAP Team
VARTIKA RAI
You are now an Assistant Manager with ICICI Bank. During your stint in SAP from 2006 to 2008, you were a RUBY Club achiever. Has your involvement in SAP helped you at the workplace? My involvement with SAP helped me in establishing relationship with so many people that it created a database for me automatically. I still remember the day of my interview. Most of the questions pertained to my association with SAP. Last but not the least, the exposure SAP provides an individual help in honing one’s abilities and improving confidence. All this will surely help in building a remarkable career. In SAP one is exposed to many aspects of marketing. Which aspect of SAP has been most rewarding for you? Referral marketing. It taught me how to achieve those difficult numbers by moving smoothly, creating your own database and sailing through the competition. The recognition, team spirit and leadership qualities you get in SAP are incomparable. The most memorable evening in my life was when I got an award for best presentation. The presentation was made at a conference and it actually helped me overcome my fear of public speaking. I could now face 500 people and speak to them with confidence and without any hesitation.
Do you feel nostalgic about your time with SAP? Yes, I do; especially when I speak to Debojyoti Sir. Recently, I got to know that they were leaving for the conference and that they could hold the Best National Team trophy for the third time in the row. I still remember and feel proud that it was during my tenure that we won the trophy for the very first time. I miss those days badly -- cultural nights, dancing to music, games and interaction with batch mates. We still keep in touch and help one another in whatever small way we can. I can now say very confidently that I know at least one person in each state of India. Do you think the skills you learnt as SAP trainee hold good for selling or marketing any kind of product or service? Yes, the skills we learnt help in selling the right product to the right person. The need-based analysis, objection handling and other aspects of marketing help me in selling even the most difficult product in our kitty. I have learnt how to sell dreams to an individual and build the confidence of my customer in me and my organization. What would be your message to SAP trainees? One thing which I really want to share with trainees is that join SAP not only to earn
while you learn (which is of course the key mantra), but also to make the most of this platform. Today, when I go for meetings, seminars and conferences, I don’t get nervous because for me it’s not new. I walk in with confidence and have that spark in my eyes. I have learnt to tell myself: nothing is impossible. I take up challenges with ease and do multi-tasking. SAP is just like that kindergarten school where you first step in and start getting ready for taking those difficult steps in life as and when you climb those classes and come out in flying colors. In the same way, while you are doing your post graduation, polish yourself to step into the corporate world. Believe me; the time taken to settle down would be much less, compared to others. You will perform early, making yourself a benchmark for the crowd. This goes especially for freshers who need to get the feel of how people work, how to handle pressure, and how to do ten different jobs at the same time while making each one of them zero-error. Most importantly, if managers say that companies prefer SAP students over others, they are not wrong. In case you still don’t believe this, ask them for those numbers and you will be surprised. Here I am wishing all of you the very best of your life and wish each one of you makes your organization and the country proud.
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SAP will improve my confidence
Mr. Rohan Venugopal
Batch 2010 What do you plan to achieve through SAP before you complete your program? My intention is to meet as many clients as possible. Every time I get clients my confidence levels increase. Things change like the flip of a coin when I increase the number of persons I meet. So, the exposure I get in SAP will prove to be very helpful in improving my confidence. What appeals to you most in SAP? Exposure, confidence and experience. How do you approach a prospective client? Is it only in the manner suggested by your team leader and officers or do you have enough leeway to be innovative in you approach? The approach in meeting a client differs from person to person. For me, it has to be much more than selling a product. I try to educate the customer, telling him about the various possibilities and positive aspects of enrolling themselves. I give the client a solution. Do the various clubs in SAP foster a healthy competition among students? It brings in healthy competition. The recognition we get is the most important factor because it motivates us to do more and achieve more.
I wanted to get market exposure
Mr. Abhishek Chakraborty Batch 2010
SAP activities obviously take up time. Does it affect your study time, social life or other commitments? No, obviously not. When you opted for SAP what was your main objective? Was it just financing your studies and earning living expenses or something more? Something more. I wanted to get some market exposure. What all are you learning now from your peers as well as SAP team leaders and officers? I now have knowledge of our products. I also know how to approach prospects and how to react to various situations. I am blessed to have a very good support from SAP officials. How confident are you that your experience in SAP will hold you in good stead after you complete your program? I am quite confident about it. It will help me approach various corporate bodies and markets, where I can use my skills with confidence.
There is a healthy competition
Bhavana Banodha IBS Pune, Batch 2010
What do you plan to achieve through SAP before you complete your program? Marketing skills, communication skills and confidence. What appeals to you most in SAP? A sort of job experience and incentives. How do you approach a prospective client? Is it only in the manner suggested by your team leader and officers or do you have enough leeway to be innovative in you approach? We do have freedom to go in our way, but our team leaders are always there to help us. Do the various clubs in SAP foster a healthy competition among students? Yes, they create an environment of healthy competition.
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Summer Internship Program (SIP) enables SAP trainees to leverage their corporate contacts. In all, 45 trainees excelled in 2008, winning Bajaj Pulsar bikes, home theaters, LCD TVs and i-Pods, in addition to their regular stipends and incentives. Some of those who won Pulsar bikes excitedly shared how their strategy clicked.
Messages from outstanding performers who won mobikes
I have been able to finance my study
Abhishek Shah IBS Kolkata I like adventure and challenges in life. My ability to be nice at all times and the strong belief I had in my dreams helped me achieve this. SAP has redefined my personality. Interaction with people has made me very confident and I have established a rapport with senior people in the corporate world. Through SAP I have been able to finance my study at IBS and meet my living expenses.
Networking helped
Abhijit Sarkar IBS Kolkata SAP provides a platform for self development. Aside from monetary benefits, we have a treasure trove of experience, which can catapult us into positions of power in the corporate world. Winning the bike has boosted my confidence. It is in recognition of my efforts. I should mention in the same breadth that my references and networking helped me achieve this. The great encouragement and motivation I got from the entire SAP team at Kolkata was another factor that helped me to do my best.
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ing references. It gave me encouragement and there was no looking back. I kept on building the network. I also contacted employees of various companies with the help of my company guide and got good responses. SAP is a great concept at IBS. It simulates for students the job environment in which they would eventually function in the corporate world.
Sky is the limit, be it learning or earning I know how to close a deal
Sarpesh Jaiswal IBS Kolkata I have achieved this because of the good relationship I maintain with my clients who give me references. I am lucky to have found a good working environment, with officers and managers always motivating me. As part of SAP, I learned how to do marketing, handle a team, maintain clients and, most importantly, how to close a deal. Apart from the above, I earn money that finances my studies.
Ravindra G.N IBS Bangalore I believed in making the customer feel good and indebted. This can be achieved through simple steps like wishing them on their birthdays, wishing them luck for their exams or solving whatever problems they might have. I never treated my prospects like a bundle of notes; I gave them correct and proper advice all the time. SAP is the boat which helps students sail across without depending on help from others. It gives them an opportunity to live independently, think broadly, look at things with a helicopter approach, and enhance personal skills. Sky is the limit, be it learning or earning.
Simulates job environment for students
Ashutosh Kumar IBS Bangalore Initially I was skeptical about achieving 175 e-units during SIP. But I started with hopes and an old database of clients. I made calls and met some of them. I began to feel the power of usVol 1 | Issue 1 | April - June 2009 | The SAP Newsletter
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