My zeal for ERPs was the reason for my rendezvous with the director. I was speechless to hear Some of my employees behave as cheap as chips. I d never seen the owner of a 2200 crore company running off at his mouth. Those words, said accidentally on purpose, helped me to figure out the reason behind ERPs being used in a corporate environment. After dotting the i s & crossing the t s I understood that my colleagues, especially those in the payments, have said boo to a goose! (showed lil more courage & misappropriated the company funds).
An ERP is a foolproof system to safeguard the company resources. The uphill task, in some companies, is to implement an ERP. (For insight on ERP implementation one may consider reading my article on Implementation: ERP Implementation (My experience - part I)
Powered by SAP, the hurly-burly in the Accounts Payable was easily straightened. We could raise a toast to Kia-ora.
SAP is a world in itself. It s a boon for the management, makes the implementer as rich as Croesus and offers a Chartered Accountant (Functional Consultant) to think as free as a bird! SAP offers an array of embedded internal controls.
SAP is the acronym for Systems, Applications & Products in data processing.
SAP FI is the basic module and the data from other modules such as Material Management, Sales & Distribution, Human Resource etc. converge (get posted) through various integration points.
FI provides input data to CO sub-modules such as Cost Centre Accounting, Profit Centre Accounting and Profitability Analysis.
GL configuration in SAP is the prerogative of the consultant. For understanding these configs one needs to know some basics in SAP. Once done with the basics I ll start with the configurations.
SAP basics for easy navigation and understanding the flow.
1) Upon clicking the SAP icon on the desktop the first screen visible to the user is as below.
SAP logon screen
Enter both the User id & password to log-in.
2) Once the system validates the identity the user shall be directed to the next screen as below:
Screen upon validation
The end users in SAP input transaction data using the above screen.
3) The Standard Toolbar
The Standard toolbar is placed just below the Menu bar. Active buttons on the toolbar are displayed in color and inactive buttons are gray.
Icons on the Standard toolbar include:
|
Button |
Function |
Keyboard Alternative |
|
Enter button |
This button is to be clicked once the user has entered data into the relevant fields.. |
Enter key |
|
Back button |
Returns you to the previous screen. |
F3 key |
|
Exit button |
Closes the application but does not log you off the system. |
Shift+F3 keys |
|
Possible Entries button |
Displays a list of possible entries for a particular field. Click on this button offers an array of options to choose from. |
F4 key |
|
Save button |
Saves or posts your data and completes a transaction. If you are storing data, the data is saved. If you are completing a financial transaction, the data is posted. |
Ctrl+S keys |
|
Cancel |
Cancels a transaction. Your entries are not saved. |
F12 key |
|
|
Prints the data displayed on the current screen. |
Ctrl+P keys |
|
Input Help- Search |
Searches for particular data |
Ctrl+F keys |
|
Input Help- Search Again |
Searches for the next instance of your search criteria. |
4) The screen shot (as below) shows the different elements on a SAP window.
This screen is self-explanatory.
5) Entering /n in the Command Line followed by a transaction code will transfer you from one screen to another in SAP without having to step back screen by screen.
Saves time.
6) Entering /o in the Command Line followed by a transaction code will open a new session and transfer you from one screen to another in SAP.
This command too saves time.
(There are many tips for navigation and I ll try to cover most of them as and when needed)
7) Press Ctrl+Y in any SAP screen and your cursor will change in shape.
You can now highlight the area you want to copy.
Press Ctrl+C to copy the selected area.
Open either Excel or Word and press Ctrl+V to paste the data.
8) Please refer to the screen shot in point no. 2 above,
(a) the consultant upon entering a code (it was spro with my client) is directed to the below screen.
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