• Learn to easily navigate the SAP system
• Work with SAP modules step-by-step
• Includes many examples and detailed SAP illustrations

Learn how to use SAP!
Do you need to understand how to use SAP software in your day-to-day work? In this book, you’ll find easy-to-follow, hands-on information that helps you become familiar with SAP. You’ll learn how to navigate the system and get instruction on the SAP system—enriched with many examples and exercises. Whether you use this as an exercise book or as a reference tool, you’ll find what you need to become more comfortable and work effectively with SAP.

Highlights

• Logging on and off the system
• Navigating the system
• Drawing on system layout and user data
• Reporting
• Printing
• Automating tasks
• Messaging and the business workplace
• Handling roles and authorizations
• Using help functions
• Working with the SAP modules

The Author

Olaf Schulz works as an SAP consultant and trainer, with over 15 years of IT and project management experience. He offers you first-hand knowledge and expertise that will help you understand and use SAP quickly and easily.

Quote from author:
“Benefit from my experiences in training SAP users. You’ll learn how to work quickly and safely with SAP using the many examples this book provides.”

Table of Contents

• ... About This Book ... 13
• Part I ... The SAP Enterprise ... 19
• 1 ... Brief History of the SAP Enterprise ... 21
• 1.1 ... Getting Started: From RF to SAP R/3 ... 21
• 1.2 ... SAP from the Turn of the Millennium to the Present ... 24
• 2 ... How Does SAP Software Work? ... 27
• 2.1 ... What Is “Standard Software”? ... 27
• 2.2 ... Adapting the SAP System to an Enterprise ... 28
• 2.3 ... What If the Standard Is Not Sufficient? ... 30
• 2.4 ... Orientation Toward the Process ... 31
• 2.5 ... Real Time ... 32
• 2.6 ... Central Data—Decentralized Processing ... 32
• 3 ... Overview of the Most Critical SAP Products ... 35
• 3.1 ... Complete Package: SAP Business Suite ... 35
• 3.2 ... The Central Component: SAP ERP ... 36
• ... Accounting ... 38
• ... Human Resources ... 39
• ... Logistics ... 40
• 3.3 ... Maintaining Customer Relationships: SAP CRM ... 42
• 3.4 ... Optimizing Supplier Relationships: SAP SRM ... 43
• 3.5 ... The Entire Lifecycle of a Product: SAP PLM ... 44
• 3.6 ... For all Supply Chain Elements: SAP SCM ... 45
• 3.7 ... Industry Solutions ... 47
• 3.8 ... Special Software for Medium-Sized Enterprises ... 48
• ... SAP Business One ... 48
• ... SAP Business All-in-One ... 48
• ... SAP Business ByDesign ... 48
• 3.9 ... The Technical Basis: SAP NetWeaver ... 49
• Part II ... Basic Principles of System Operation ... 53
• 4 ... Organizational Structures and Master Data ... 55
• 4.1 ... Organizational Structures ... 55
• 4.2 ... Master Data ... 62
• 4.3 ... Try It! ... 69
• 5 ... Logging on to the SAP System ... 71
• 5.1 ... SAP Logon ... 71
• ... Establishing a Connection to the SAP System ... 71
• ... Changing Connection Settings for the SAP System ... 73
• 5.2 ... Logging on for the First Time ... 75
• 5.3 ... Logging on to the System ... 77
• 5.4 ... The SAP User Interface ... 78
• ... Menu Bar ... 79
• ... Standard Toolbar ... 80
• ... Title Bar ... 81
• ... Command Field ... 82
• ... Status Bar ... 82
• 5.5 ... Logging off from the SAP System ... 83
• 5.6 ... Try It! ... 84
• 6 ... Navigating in the SAP System ... 87
• 6.1 ... Overview of the Navigation Options ... 87
• 6.2 ... Navigating via the SAP Easy Access Menu ... 89
• 6.3 ... Navigating via Transaction Codes ... 90
• 6.4 ... Entering Data in the SAP System ... 94
• ... Tab ... 95
• ... Screen Area ... 95
• ... Field ... 96
• ... Button ... 97
• ... Function Keys ... 97
• ... Checkbox ... 97
• ... Radio Button ... 98
• ... Dialog Window ... 98
• 6.5 ... Input Help ... 98
• 6.6 ... Working with Sessions ... 99
• 6.7 ... Try It! ... 102
• 7 ... Maintaining the System Layout and User Data ... 103
• 7.1 ... Creating Links on the Desktop ... 103
• 7.2 ... Maintaining Your Own User Data ... 104
• 7.3 ... Adapting the Local Layout ... 107
• 7.4 ... Creating Favorites ... 112
• ... Adding Transactions to the Favorites ... 112
• ... Adding Websites to the Favorites ... 114
• ... Adding Files or Programs to the Favorites ... 115
• ... Deleting Favorites ... 116
• 7.5 ... Prepopulating Parameters for Fields ... 116
• 7.6 ... Holding, Setting, and Deleting Data ... 120
• 7.7 ... Try It! ... 121
• 8 ... Creating Evaluations and Reports ... 123
• 8.1 ... Using Standard Reports in the SAP System ... 123
• 8.2 ... Finding Standard Reports ... 127
• ... Searching for Reports ... 127
• ... Calling Reports in the SAP Easy Access Menu ... 129
• 8.3 ... Exporting Lists to Microsoft Excel ... 129
• 8.4 ... Using Variants ... 131
• 8.5 ... Other Reporting Options in SAP ERP ... 133
• 8.6 ... Try It! ... 134
• 9 ... Printing ... 135
• 9.1 ... Overview of the Print Functions ... 135
• 9.2 ... Using Spool Requests ... 137
• 9.3 ... Changing the Default Printer ... 141
• 9.4 ... Creating Screenshots ... 143
• 9.5 ... Try It! ... 144
• 10 ... Automating Tasks ... 145
• 10.1 ... Background Jobs ... 145
• 10.2 ... Batch Processing (Batch Input) ... 156
• ... Creating Batch Input Sessions ... 156
• ... Processing Batch Input Sessions ... 160
• 10.3 ... Try It! ... 162
• 11 ... Working with Messages and Business Workplace ... 163
• 11.1 ... Overview of the Business Workplace ... 163
• 11.2 ... Sending Short Messages ... 165
• 11.3 ... SAP Business Workflow ... 168
• 11.4 ... Folders ... 169
• 11.5 ... Office Organization ... 170
• ... Setting Up Auto Reply ... 170
• ... Managing Appointments ... 171
• 11.6 ... Try It! ... 172
• 12 ... Using Help Functions ... 173
• 12.1 ... Field Helps and Search Windows ... 173
• ... Help via the F1 and F4 Function Keys ... 173
• ... Search Windows ... 175
• 12.2 ... The Help Menu ... 176
• ... Application Help ... 177
• ... SAP Library ... 177
• ... Glossary ... 178
• ... Release Notes ... 179
• ... SAP Service Marketplace ... 179
• ... Creating Support Messages ... 180
• 12.3 ... Customizing the Help ... 181
• 12.4 ... Try It! ... 182
• 13 ... The Role and Authorization Concept ... 185
• 13.1 ... Authorizations ... 185
• 13.2 ... Roles ... 186
• 13.3 ... Try It! ... 189
• Part III ... The Most Critical SAP Components ... 191
• 14 ... Materials Management ... 193
• 14.1 ... Materials Management Task Areas ... 193
• 14.2 ... Organizational Structures ... 197
• 14.3 ... Master Data ... 198
• ... Material Master ... 198
• ... Vendor Master ... 204
• ... Purchasing Information Record ... 207
• 14.4 ... Purchase Order ... 210
• 14.5 ... Inventory Management ... 212
• 14.6 ... Invoice Verification ... 216
• 14.7 ... Evaluations ... 220
• 15 ... Sales and Distribution ... 221
• 15.1 ... Sales and Distribution Task Areas ... 221
• 15.2 ... Organizational Structures ... 224
• 15.3 ... Master Data ... 225
• ... Creating Customer Master Records ... 225
• ... Creating a Material Master Record ... 227
• ... Creating Condition Master Records ... 230
• 15.4 ... Sales Order Processing ... 231
• ... Entering Sales Orders ... 232
• ... Creating Deliveries ... 233
• ... Invoicing ... 235
• 15.5 ... Availability Check ... 236
• 15.6 ... Complaint Processing (Returns) ... 238
• 15.7 ... Evaluations ... 240
• 16 ... Financial Accounting ... 243
• 16.1 ... Financial Accounting Tasks ... 243
• 16.2 ... Organizational Structures in Financial Accounting ... 247
• 16.3 ... General Ledger Accounting ... 248
• 16.4 ... Accounts Payable Accounting ... 252
• 16.5 ... Accounts Receivable Accounting ... 264
• 16.6 ... Evaluations ... 270
• 17 ... Controlling ... 273
• 17.1 ... Task Areas in Controlling ... 273
• 17.2 ... Organizational Structures ... 278
• 17.3 ... Overhead Cost Controlling ... 279
• 17.4 ... Product Cost Controlling ... 285
• 17.5 ... Profitability Analysis ... 289
• 18 ... Human Resources ... 295
• 18.1 ... Tasks in SAP Human Resources ... 295
• 18.2 ... Organizational Management ... 297
• 18.3 ... Recruitment ... 300
• 18.4 ... Personnel Administration ... 303
• 18.5 ... Talent Management ... 308
• 18.6 ... Time Management ... 309
• 18.7 ... Payroll ... 311
• 18.8 ... Standard Reporting ... 314
• 19 ... Case Study ... 317
• 19.1 ... The Sample Business ... 318
• 19.2 ... The Enterprise Structure ... 319
• 19.3 ... Creating Material Master Records ... 320
• 19.4 ... Creating Vendor Master Records ... 321
• 19.5 ... Creating Purchasing Info Records ... 322
• 19.6 ... Creating a Purchase Order ... 324
• 19.7 ... Receiving Goods ... 325
• 19.8 ... Verifying an Invoice ... 327
• 19.9 ... Displaying Open Items (Optional) ... 328
• 19.10 ... Posting Outgoing Payments ... 329
• 19.11 ... Creating a Customer Master ... 331
• 19.12 ... Add Sales Data to the Material Master Record ... 332
• 19.13 ... Creating Conditions ... 333
• 19.14 ... Creating a Standard Order ... 333
• 19.15 ... Delivering and Issuing Goods ... 335
• 19.16 ... Creating an Invoice ... 336
• 19.17 ... Posting Incoming Payments ... 337
• 19.18 ... Creating a Profitability Report (Optional) ... 339
• 19.19 ... Creating a Telephone Directory (Optional) ... 340
• Part IV ... Appendix ... 341
• A ... Abbreviations ... 343
• B ... Glossary ... 347
• C ... Menu Paths and Transaction Codes ... 357
• ... General ... 357
• ... Materials Management ... 357
• ... Sales and Distribution ... 359
• ... Financial Accounting ... 361
• ... Controlling ... 363
• ... Human Resources ... 365
• D ... Buttons, Key Combinations, and Function Keys ... 369
• ... Key Combinations ... 369
• ... Function Keys ... 370
• ... Buttons ... 370
• ... Standard Toolbar ... 370
• ... General Functions ... 371
• ... F4 Help ... 373
• ... Reports ... 373
• E ... Bibliography ... 375
• ... Index ... 377