Business Objects Reviews

Pros

The software is very comprehensive and in demand. Our product group is highly innovative and creative. This makes selling the software much easier and it is easier to win against our competitors. With the purchase of Business Objects by SAP we have created a great synergy between Enterprise Applications and Enterprise Business Intelligence.

Our management team is very respectful of our time and circumstances individually. They are also very concerned with our talent development and the importance of good communication. My direct manager is not afraid to get his hands dirty to help out the team and he is very skilled with aspects of our product suite. Great talented folks must be drawn to great organizations because our team of professionals are all very skilled and good at what they do. We are able to draw on each others strengths.

Cons

I'm not really aware of anything.

Advice to Senior Management

I don't have any.

Pros

If your interested in leading BI products and want to work for an Product company. I dont see any other growth abd want to call safe employer to work and get your paycheck.Compensation was level with other firms but can do better, There is some good benifit on work life balance based what role you play. Sr leader ship is getting better but not that you would like to see in BI space were your Product has strong market share. You will all the time to work by yourself and define ur role is your looking for less bothered from ur ORg

Cons

No clear alignment with company goal nad vision. Employees are not well consulted and there no TOP down communication. No defined career paths or its all political..Limited career oppurtunity it depands on your group. The path for this not well defined and needs more political power to grow up than your skills and contribution to org. you can be demorlaized soon as your the culure and the teams with trying fit in. Work long hrours and forget about any recognition as its all how well your close to ur network.Sales side and Services side all the top managementr are looking for $ bonusand not for your development

Advice to Senior Management

Hav e better TOP down coomunicationand take care employees first..build strong culture and Inovation .

Pros

Flexibility for work-life balance, working from home and time off for family. Benefits kick in before 3 month probationary period is over, opportunity for advancement.

Cons

SAP acquisition has changed the culture and cost many people their jobs.

Advice to Senior Management

n/a

Pros

Great corporate culture, good benefits, competitive salary. Some of the smartest people I have worked with in my career have been at Business Objects. It is great to be working for the industry leader in business intelligence. Great knowledge-sharing environment. Company is supportive of volunteerism and work-life balance.

Cons

SAP acquisition has created a lot of uncertainty. Business Objects used to have a great small company culture but is now part of the large, bureaucratic SAP. Many great people are leaving the company to pursue other opportunities. Layoffs as part of acquisition have created some bitterness and uncertainty among the remaining employees.

Advice to Senior Management

Don't ruin the wonderful culture of this company!

Pros

Many opportunities; quick promotions for the right 'kind' of employees; lucrative industry. There are many different teams, technology groups, and career paths one can pursue. A large, mature sales organization would appeal to those interested in sales/marketing. They have some decent coin to spend when needed.

Cons

Many managers; series of mergers led to disorganization; politics heavier than usual. You need to love large corporate environments, with the facade of a hip tech company, to fit in at BOBJ. Having said this, their are many different groups and each one is somewhat unique - if you find your right niche you will enjoy your time.

Advice to Senior Management

Streamline procedures, consider experience when promoting staff.

Pros

Business Objects provides a great benefits package. The software is in demand. The skills you learn here are valuable. Once you get the experience at Business Objects, customers will pay top dollar for those skills if you want to work as a contractor. There are a lot of great people who work in the trenches.

Cons

SAP. SAP. SAP. SAP has ruined our support site. They've ruined many of our internal systems. They are a company that puts process and protecting one's own turf over common sense and getting the job done well. If the last few months are an indication of the future, Business Objects will no longer be the great place to work that it once was. Our leadership wants things to look good on paper regardless of how they look in the real world.

Advice to Senior Management

All of the things that made Business Objects a market leader are being cast aside. The culture that produced innovative products and passionate, dedicated field employees is being eroded swiftly under SAP's ownership. We're no longer an organization. We're just a product. Were it not for the current state of the job market, you would see people fleeing this place like rats from a sinking ship.

Pros

Environment wise, it's a pretty good place to work. People are friendly. The work is pretty easy, and good if your more laid back. Comes with a games room with a pool table, ping pong table, Xbox 360, PS2, and a large gym.

Cons

Career advancement wise (at least for software), I don't believe it's a great place to work.
Some technical managers are more concerned with managing people issues rather than setting goals in creating well written software. As a software developer, I have plenty of reservations about a lot of the band aid solutions that go into the product, just to make something work. It's like 75% of the employees have never taken a software engineering course... or an English course for that matter.

Advice to Senior Management

I see management give out tasks but never follow up on them. This leads to poor quality work, or tasks simply to keep employees busy. My advice? It wouldn't hurt to micro manage a bit more.

Pros

A very relaxed atmosphere. Good benefits and for the most part you are not micro-manged. The company is fairly good at recognizing employees and making sure that there is a balance between work and home life.

Cons

The company is currently undergoing an integration with SAP. All the problems one would expect are now popping up.

Advice to Senior Management

Listen to the voice of the people on the front line. Overall management at BO is good. There is a sense that they do care about the organization and the people that work in it.

Pros

The people you work with are passionate about what they do. Every day you are challenged and learning something new. The physical office environment is open and encourages collaboration.

Cons

The integration has brought a lot of uncertainty. People are being laid off when they said there would not be people laid off. People are unsure about their jobs.

Advice to Senior Management

Be open and honest with employees throughout integration.

Pros

Great people network around the world
All the place I've been working was really well furnished.
High end product, usage of many inovative features
Ability to work in many place
Their customer satifaction is another good idea
This company is also well known to pay above average salaries.

Cons

The recent acquisition which will become another so big company with no leadership
Some unconstructible management decisions from the last 2 years
Do not have enough communication for their product, at least in Europe
Their current strategy isn't as clear at it was when they dealed with only BI customer, now with customs solutions for various domain (HR, banking), it is harder to have a good vision of all their product.

Advice to Senior Management

Regular developper could have very good idea of the market, it is not exclusive or analyst or gartner chart!