Paul Modderman is a polymath technologist, author, and self-described "huge nerd" who brings over a decade of deep SAP expertise and full-stack development capabilities to his role as Founding Engineer at Nova Intelligence. With a unique combination of enterprise SAP knowledge, modern cloud architecture experience, and a passion for making complex technology accessible, Paul is instrumental in making Clean Core SAP transformation a reality through AI.
SAP Expertise Meets Modern Development
Paul's career has been defined by bridging traditional enterprise SAP systems with cutting-edge cloud technologies, user experience innovation, and modern development practices. His dual expertise in SAP's technical stack and contemporary software development makes him uniquely qualified to build AI systems that understand both the legacy complexity of SAP and the modern architectures they need to become.
Deep SAP Technical Foundation
Paul spent over six years at Cargill, Inc. (2006-2013), where he developed and enhanced software for one of the world's most complex SAP implementations:
- Worked extensively with on-shore and off-shore development teams across 3 major iterations of Cargill's massive SAP rollout
- Specialized in SAP Transportation Management (TM) 7.0 and 8.0, working with the BOPF model and complex system objects
- Developed expertise in ABAP, Object-oriented ABAP, RFC, BAPI, BADI implementations, WebDynpro, and FPM (Floor Plan Manager)
- Integrated sales orders and delivery processes between SAP TM and ECC systems
He continued this SAP journey at Canadian Pacific Railway as Senior Developer (2013-2014), delivering:
- SAP Transportation Management (TM) 8.0 and 9.0 implementations
- Custom TM determinations, process controller strategies, BRF+, and standard calculations
- Leadership in ABAP implementation of EHP6 for ECC, including defect remediation and SPAU/SPDD upgrades
Thought Leadership & Published Author
Paul is a recognized thought leader in SAP user experience and development, having authored multiple books and publications:
Books:
- "SAPUI5 and SAP Fiori: The Psychology of UX Design" (SAP Press) - A comprehensive exploration of user experience principles in SAP's modern interface frameworks
- "Mindset: Perspectives on Development and Tricks for SAP Projects" (Amazon) - Practical guidance for SAP development teams
- A third book currently in development
Notable Publications:
- "Look Deeper into SAP Fiori: It's More Than a Pretty UI"
- "Freud-ify Your SAP Fiori"
- "Talk To Me, Goose: UX In A Bot World"
- "What Is Distributed SQL?"
This prolific writing demonstrates Paul's ability to distill complex technical concepts into accessible insights—a skill that directly translates to building AI systems that can understand and communicate about SAP architectures.
Innovation Leadership & Multi-Company Experience
Mindset Consulting, LLC (2014-Present)
Paul has spent over a decade at Mindset Consulting in progressively senior roles:
- SAP AI Director (2024-Present): Leading AI initiatives for SAP transformation
- AppHaus Meister & Digital Experience Architect (2019-2021): Led hackathons, design sessions, and innovation workshops, making SAP and cloud technologies tangible and understandable
- Senior Product Architect and Technology Evangelist (2016-2018): Created innovative solutions combining SAPUI5/Fiori, Google Maps, SAP Cloud Platform, and Google Cloud Platform
- Lead Application Developer (2014-2016): Led R&D, interface design, and development of cutting-edge SAP solutions
Notable achievements include creating CloudSimple, a groundbreaking SAP/Google mashup published on both the SAP App Store and Google Sheets Add-ons Store, seamlessly integrating backend SAP data with Google Sheets.
Bowdark Consulting (2021-2024)
- Chief Nerd (2021-2024): Drove company growth by setting product/service vision, creating demonstration capabilities, and translating vision into sales and marketing collateral
- Generative AI Solution Architect (2024): Pioneered generative AI solutions for enterprise customers
Wonderly Software Solutions - CTO (2017-2020)
Paul served as CTO from the earliest stages, demonstrating his full-stack capabilities:
- Built pre-pre-alpha idea validation through production releases of Bella Scena
- Created and touched every part of the stack: Google Cloud infrastructure, MySQL, Firebase, Python/Django App Engine, Stripe/Google/Microsoft integrations, React frontend, and UX design
- Specialized in "blazing trails to new features" and guiding teams to productionize innovations
Clear Software - Director of ERP Integration (2016)
Contributed to ClearUI product development, combining solution architecture, direct Python/Django/React.js development, and sales/marketing support.
Content Creator & Community Leader
Beyond his technical work, Paul actively shares knowledge through multiple channels:
- Boring Enterprise Nerds (Principal Nerd, 2021-Present): Building a community around enterprise technology
- Blog: boringenterprisenerds.substack.com
- AI Newsletter: boringainerdletter.substack.com
These platforms demonstrate Paul's commitment to demystifying enterprise technology and making complex concepts accessible to broader audiences.
Technical Versatility
Paul's technical toolkit spans:
- SAP Technologies: ABAP, SAPUI5, Fiori, SAP HANA, SAP Cloud Platform, Transportation Management, WebDynpro, FPM
- Modern Development: Python, Django, React.js, JavaScript, jQuery, Bootstrap
- Cloud Platforms: Google Cloud Platform, Google App Engine, Firebase
- Version Control & Collaboration: Git
- Other: iOS/Android development, Crystal Reports, .NET, Oracle SQL/PL-SQL, VBScript, XML/XSLT
Making Clean Core a Reality with AI
At Nova Intelligence, Paul applies his unique combination of:
- Deep SAP technical expertise across multiple modules and technologies
- Modern full-stack development capabilities
- User experience design thinking
- Innovation leadership and product vision
- Clear communication and technical evangelism
His mantra—"Make clean core in SAP a reality with AI. It's more possible than you think."—reflects both technical optimism and pragmatic understanding of what AI can achieve in enterprise SAP environments.
Education
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Theatre and Psychology, Concordia University-St. Paul (1999-2005)
This unconventional educational background in theatre and psychology provides Paul with unique perspectives on user experience, communication, and the human elements of technology adoption—skills that inform both his UX design work and his ability to make complex technology accessible.
Based in Hopkins, Minnesota, Paul represents the intersection of deep SAP expertise, modern software development, and genuine enthusiasm for making enterprise technology transformation possible through AI. His personal website (paulmodderman.com) and multiple content platforms showcase his commitment to continuous learning and knowledge sharing.
