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BusinessObjects training can be delivered via five main methods.
SAP BusinessObjects Training Options
Classroom Training
The first of these is to receive classroom based training directly from SAP BusinessObjects.
SAP BusinessObjects have a team of dedicated trainers who are completely familiar with the official curriculum.
Class sizes are typically 10 students, and each student will have his or her own training PC. The format of these courses is generally that of working through a study book, with the trainer explaining a number of examples. This is then backed up by a series of written and practical exercises at the end of the lesson.
Training can also be provided by SAP BusinessObjects Authorized Education partners. These providers will offer the same SAP BusinessObjects courses which follow the official curriculum. They will also provide you with the same printouts and manuals as you would have received from a SAP BusinessObjects led course. The partner based courses follow a similar pattern of teaching to the SAP BusinessObjects instructor led courses.
E-Learning
SAP BusinessObjects also offers e-learning in most areas. This is a web streamed course, requiring you to access the SAP BusinessObjects learning portal using an internet browser. These courses can be stopped and started as many times as required. These courses are cheaper than the classroom based courses. Once registered for an e-learning course, you have access to that course for 12 months. This is handy if you want to spread your training over a period of months, or if you want to review material six months down the line. However, note that you are not provided with any of the physical training materials provided during a classroom course, and there are no facilities within the e-learning course to print out materials.
Computer Based Training (CBT)
Another method of training involves the use of computer based training (CBT) materials. Two such books/courses have been written by Richard Schmidt.
Business Objects Designer XI V3
Business Objects XI – CBT: Web Intelligence XI
Both CBT books allow you to take training in your own time and pace and are favorably priced compared to classroom based or e-learning courses.
Self Training
One other option worth mentioning is that of self-training. The most difficult route, this method is the cheapest and most convenient. However, it is the most difficult as you do not have access to official SAP BusinessObjects courseware. This is not available in the public domain, only given out during an official classroom based course. While the current selection of SAP BusinessObjects books are helpful, they are not specifically focused on the SAP BusinessObjects curriculum. While the majority of SAP BusinessObjects applications are straight forward to use and pick up, certain applications, such as Data Integrator, Dashboard design or SDK development, would benefit considerably from some classroom based training.
Third Parties
Finally, a number of third party training providers offer training in SAP BusinessObjects applications. These can be considerably cheaper than official courses. However, bear in mind that they may not cover the full range of functionality available in the product and teaching methods may not be as high as official accredited trainers. On the other hand, these providers can often offer a customized course, based on your data and your particular implementation. This may prove invaluable as it allows your users to pick up the necessary bits quickly and efficiently.