Meet Espresso Tutorials Author Tracy Juran

Meet Espresso Tutorials author Tracy Juran. Tracy is the author of Beginner`s Guide to SAP Security and Authorizations.

How did you get your start with SAP?
I started with SAP right after college in a consulting training program at itelligence Inc. With my background in Supply Chain, the Production Planning module was an obvious fit and I began my career in that field.About 6 months later, I joined our company’s security practice and have never gone back!
What are you most proud of in your SAP career?
My first SAP security was for one of the largest construction companies in the United States- over 5,000 end users across many systems and modules including HR, CRM and BW. The people I met on that project are still in my network today and I love looking back on that time in my career.
What are some of the most important trends that you see currently impacting SAP risk and compliance teams?
Because technology is constantly changing, staying on top of control testing and monitoring is become increasingly important. There is a need now more than ever for process optimizations that balance cost and flexibility. The last 5 years have been all about SAP GRC Access Control 10.x, but don’t be surprised if SAP GRC Process Control 10.x becomes the next solution that all compliance teams are after.
What professional organizations are you associated with?
I regularly volunteer my time at industry events and often speak on technology and SAP topics. Cincinnati hosts a big “Women in Technology” conference every year for high school students and I love being a part of that! I also serve on the technology committee for a local day school in Cincinnati- we are responsible for all technology-related curriculum requirements and creating a technology plan for the school regarding hardware, software, infrastructure and personnel training.
How do you stay up to date on SAP compliance topics? What resources do you regularly use?
My first manager loved to the use the phrase “taking it to the streets” whenever we had a technical issue we couldn’t solve. Basically, we’d search the web until we found the answer or post a question to other experts on the SCN! That’s still my go to strategy today. Other than that, I love to read articles from blogs or magazines that colleagues post on linked-in or internally on IBM’s wiki.

What is your favorite vacation spot?
It’s a tie between Peru and Thailand!

Tracy Juran (Levine), CPIM, is a Managing Consultant at IBM as part of the Security Services Risk and Compliance practice. She has extensive experience in SAP Security and Authorizations; SAP Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC); and core cross-functional business processes. Tracy is a die-hard Ohio State Buckeyes fan and loves to plan parties with friends and travel the world; her favorite destinations include Thailand, Peru, and Israel. She resides in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband, Josh, their dog, Markley, and cat, Misha. For more information please visit Tracy-Levine.com.