Flya Kite
Introduction
to SAP
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SAP
Systems, Applications, and Products
in Data Processing (SAP)
Name of the company
– SAP AG
– SAP America
Name of the software
– SAP R/2 – Mainframe version
– SAP R/3 – Client/Server version
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SAP AG
Founded in Germany (1972)
World’s fourth largest software
provider
World’s largest provider of Integrated
Business Solutions software
Company stock trades on the
Frankfurt and New York exchanges
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SAP R/3
World-wide usage
Designed to satisfy the information
needs for business sizes (small local
to large all international)
– Multi-lingual
– Multi-currency
Designed to satisfy the information
needs for all industries (industry
solutions)
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SAP R/3
Enables a company to link it’s
business processes
Ties together disparate business
functions (integrated business
solution)
Helps the organization run smoothly
Real-time environment
Scalable and flexible
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Integrated Business Solutions
Software Vendors
SAP
Oracle - PeopleSoft, J.D. Edwards
Microsoft – Great Plains, Axapta,
Solomon
IBM
BAAN
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Architecture
Central relational database (e.g., Oracle,
Informix, Microsoft SQL and many
others)
Client/Server – three-tiered
ERP Component – Oriented towards
common identifiable business modules
(FI, MM, SD, CO, PP, HR)
Add-ons:
– Customer Relationship Mgmt (CRM)
– Supply Chain Mgmt (SCM)
– Product Lifecycle Mgmt (PLM)
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Relational Database
Tables: Defines and links thousands
of tables of information (33,000+)
Advantages
– Consistent and accurate data
– Common definitions for terms
– Eliminates data redundancy
– Shared, but restricted usage (e.g., profiles)
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SAP R/3 Advanced Basics
Instance – each install of the SAP R/3
software on an individual application
server
Configurable – each instance can be
distinctively configured to fit the needs
and desires of the customer (within
limits)
Most of the infrastructure decisions,
including configuration decisions, occur
during project implementation
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SAP R/3 Document Principle
Each business transaction that writes
data to the database creates a uniquely
numbered electronic document
Each document contains information
such as
– Responsible person
– Date and time of the transaction
– Commercial content
Once created, a document cannot be
deleted from the database
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Business Processes
A process is a set of linked activities that
transform an input into a more valuable
output thus creating value
– What the business “does” in doing what it does
– Processes are linked
– Physically
– Purchased raw materials used to manufacture finished
goods that are sold to customers from which money is
collected
– Data
– Data about physical things flows from one process to
another
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Logistics Processes
Materials Management (MM)
Sales and Distribution (SD)
Production Planning (PP)
Quality Management (QM)
Plant Maintenance (PM)
Service Management (SM)
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Administrative Processes
Financial Accounting (FI)
Treasury (TR)
Managerial Accounting (CO)
Enterprise Controlling (EC)
Investment Management (IM)
Project Systems (PS)
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Administrative Process
Human Resources
The Human Resources (HR)
application component is a complete
integrated system for supporting the
planning and control of personnel
activities
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Client
 The highest level in an SAP R/3 instance
 A self-contained unit with a separate set of
master records and its own set of
configuration tables
 An instance can have more than one client
– Training Client
– Testing Client
– Production Client
 NOT something you will be configuring or
touching in any way
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Company Code
 Represents an
independent legal
accounting unit
 Balanced set of
books, as required
by law, are prepared
at this level
 A client may have
more than one
company code
Assets
Liabilities &
Owners Equity
– United States
– Europe
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Chart of Accounts
Complete list of all accounts in the
General Ledger for a company
Each company code must be
assigned one, and only one, chart of
accounts
Several company codes can use the
same (i.e., identical) chart of
accounts
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Passwords
Each user has his/her own unique
password
On the initial login, the generic
password must be changed to a
user’s unique selection
– At least 3 characters long
– Cannot begin with a ! Or ?
– First three characters must be unique
and not contained in the user name
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Roles and Profiles
 Roles specify just what each user is
allowed to do in SAP
 Profiles also restrict authorization for
access to the system
– Each user has his/her own role or profile that
determines what the user can do in the SAP
system
 Support segregation of duties
 In Flya Kite, you have far broader roles
and profiles than do typical users in a real
world application of SAP
– Necessary since you are performing a
multitude of roles across all of the modules in
the case
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Master & Transaction Data
Master data is relatively fixed
– Customer master
– Material master
– Vendor master
– General Ledger
– Pricing
Transaction data is unique to a
particular transaction
– Transaction specific
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Material Master
 Contains all data required to define and
manage a specific item of material
 Integrates data from:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Accounting (FI and CO)
Inventory Control (MM)
Production Planning and Control (PP)
Engineering
Forecasting
Sales and Distribution (SD)
 Each user has a unique view
– View is the data the user can view and change
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Vendor Master Data
Controls how
transaction data
is posted and
processed for a
vendor
– Contains all the
data you require
to do business
with your
vendors.
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Customer Master
Contains all the customer related
data necessary for processing
orders, deliveries, invoices and
customer payments
Customer Master contain all relevant
data regarding business partners
– Sold-to party
– Ship-to party
– Bill-to party
– Payer
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Transaction Data
Data that apply to a unique,
particular transaction and only to
that transaction
– For example
Quantity being ordered, manufactured, or
sold
Dates – order date, delivery date, billing
date, etc.
Amounts – total dollar amount for the
transaction
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