February/March 2017 Industry updates.  Are You Ready for Changes?

In last month’s update I had indicated that the outlook for 2017 was considered positive according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report Why 2017 Is Going to Be the Best Job Market in Years.  While that may be true for other industries, it appears that the traditional side of the Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) consulting industry is still lagging.  As compared to previous years, the industry is starting off to a slow start. Many of the top consultancies are slow to secure projects and the results are that they have experienced some level of Reduction In Force (layoffs).

The cloud-based EPM software vendors and their partners appear to be doing a bit better, as there is a good deal of “buzz” to support new software sales. In speaking with numerous hiring managers, industry-wide (including end-customers), I hear a consistent message of uncertainty in the market space.  The combination of Oracle’s push to the cloud, the EPM Cloud vendors’ gain in market share, and an unstable political environment are all serving to create uncertainty. End-customers now need to determine the reality of a cloud-based forecasting or consolidation product against their existing on-premise solution; the latter of which Oracle will not be releasing additional versions of.

Recommendations for Job Seekers:
Let’s face, it the EPM market as we’ve known it, has completely changed.  If you’re a Hyperion Planning/Essbase consultant or an HFM consultant, now is the time to retool and get new certifications.  The Oracle/Hyperion buzzwords are Planning Budgeting Cloud Services (PBCS) and Financial Consolidations Cloud Services (FCCS).  Much like we saw with the release of System 9 and System 11 (back in 2009 and 2011 time frame).

The EPM cloud-based vendors will continue to be major players in the industry.  Fairwinds has been working with numerous EPM Cloud vendors over the last few years.  Check out our EPM Cloud Consultant web page.

Of note is OneStream Software with their flagship product Onestream XF, a unified CPM
cloud platform for Planning, Budgeting, Forecasting and Consolidations. They have a solid
product being well received by enterprise class customers and claim 100% customer success. They offer training for consultants and have developed a strong partner program. Give them a look at OneStream University.

Additionally Human Capital Management vendors such as WorkDay and their partners will continue to take market share providing a complete cloud solution of HCM, EPM and ERP.

Now is the time to be “in-tune” with where the market is going and how your skills need to be updated to meet the new demand.  Adapt, change and modify are the words of the day!

Noteworthy Industry Events

OneStream Software “Splash” Partner Summit and User Conference Las Vegas, NV May 17 – 19

Host Analytics World 2017 Nashville, TN May16 – 19

Kscope17 San Antonio, TX June 25 – 29

Website Updated:
I continue to update the website with information about the areas we recruit in and to make it easier to find  job openings.  As well as the Blog about interviewing tactics, resume optimization, job search techniques, and industry news which hopefully will be informative to you and  result in me being a better partner for you.

A few recent Blog posts:

• The Art and Science of the Post Interview Thank You Note.  Why it can be a “Double Edge Sword!” 
• Don’t Roll the Dice on Choosing the Right Recruiter [For Hiring Managers]
• The Seven Sins of Resume Writing, Tips to Fix
• Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile to be more visible 
• 10 Common Interview Question: Answered

Upcoming Blog Posts:

• Creating a Personal Branding Statement-Separating you from the pack
• How to choose the right recruiter as a partner.  The little-known intangibles

Watch for continued updates around the 15th of each month (and sometimes in between).  Would love to hear your thoughts!
New Group on LinkedIn:

To help navigate the changes in the EPM space, I created a new group last year EPM Cloud Software.  The intent of the group is to be a forum for Oracle/Hyperion, SAP BPC, Cognos TM1 professionals to navigate the changing industry and the effects of other technologies inclusive of Host Analytics, Adaptive Insights, Anaplan, Oracle PBCS, and other related technologies.

We are 140 members and growing strong.  Please join us!

FaceBook
It’s now been updated to be full of more meaningful information, such as industry news, trends, job openings, etc. So please  Like US on Facebook. And let me know what you think.

I’m always open to chatting about the industry, compare notes, and learn more so, feel free to reach out!

Dan Counts, Founder of Fairwinds Recruiting (@FairwindsRcrtg) is a recruiter/coach for candidates and clients, specializing in the software and consulting industries for Enterprise Performance Management (Oracle/Hyperion), Business Intelligence, Data Science/Big Data, Cyber Risk Security, Sales,  Workday and Product Management. His hands-on positive style as an advisor to candidates and clients provides an environment for redefining the recruitment experience one placement at a time, resulting in better long-term matches. Residing in Monterey, CA near Silicon Valley, he works with boutique firms to large companies nationwide. In his free time he enjoys sailing, hiking/walking, woodworking and most recently home coffee roasting. You can check out his website at www.fairwindslogix.com