This Space has blogs on various topics in the field of SAP. These blogs point out solutions to various technical and functional issues that consultants face during implementation or support of SAP Projects. Readers/followers are welcome to contribute to this space by emailing your content at bohra.mohammadi@gmail.com. You will be rewarded according to the topic/number of words/complexity of the topic/issue which are you addressing in your blog.
Thursday, October 20
Netweaver Administrator Day to Day Work
This post demonstrates how a net weaver administrator can perform his day to day administration work. The application cassette of admin tools which are created using flex compatibles, flash libraries and JMX based infrastructure which is part of J2E standard. Here is our N2N J2E monitoring scenario using rich UI tools based on macromedia flex. The UIs are integrated into enterprise portal.
The overview page displays general utilities such as Calendar, notes & to do list. The tasks are stored in the form of xml. These files can also be integrated into universal work list & outlook. The systems menu provides the list of systems & these systems are fetch from SLD. The administrator can perform various monitoring tasks using monitoring UIs.
The various screens can be rearranged according to need of the users. Using drag & drop functionality of performance monitor, the administrator can compare the performance of various systems. The graph displays the Hip size & time. 810 system is a SAP db system whereas J2E is a WAP application server, J2E stack. So here is the graph which compares the performance in the scale of time.
These monitors display data which are coming from JMX based infrastructure model. These UIs call JSP a page which in turns fetches the data from the JMX model & formats the information into the XML files, these XML files are render by the UI using flash player.
The UI can further be configured using the configuration UI tool. The information that can be displayed can further be enhanced and configured. Further the administrator can use application search for viewing his tools. Since the Net weaver administration finds everything as per as requirement & he satisfied with the key perform integrators, he decides to log off. The same application can also be converted into a stand alone EXE using shock wave player
The overview page displays general utilities such as Calendar, notes & to do list. The tasks are stored in the form of xml. These files can also be integrated into universal work list & outlook. The systems menu provides the list of systems & these systems are fetch from SLD. The administrator can perform various monitoring tasks using monitoring UIs.
The various screens can be rearranged according to need of the users. Using drag & drop functionality of performance monitor, the administrator can compare the performance of various systems. The graph displays the Hip size & time. 810 system is a SAP db system whereas J2E is a WAP application server, J2E stack. So here is the graph which compares the performance in the scale of time.
These monitors display data which are coming from JMX based infrastructure model. These UIs call JSP a page which in turns fetches the data from the JMX model & formats the information into the XML files, these XML files are render by the UI using flash player.
The UI can further be configured using the configuration UI tool. The information that can be displayed can further be enhanced and configured. Further the administrator can use application search for viewing his tools. Since the Net weaver administration finds everything as per as requirement & he satisfied with the key perform integrators, he decides to log off. The same application can also be converted into a stand alone EXE using shock wave player
Tuesday, October 18
SMB Portal and its Functionality
This topics tell you about the SMB portal and its functionality. By the end of this topic you will be able to list out and explain the various user types for the SMB portal. You will also be able to describe how to obtain a user for the SMB portal and access the SMB portal as well as navigating through it.
The SMB portal is the main support platform for all SAP products including SAP business one. It offers a broad range of functionalities to SAP partners and customers alike. These functions inckude product documentation and service information; support communication with SAP where there is an option to create and track problem related messages ; the ability to access the knowledge database and access SAP notes ; online training and downloading capabilities for upgrade and patches.
When an SAP partner has agreed to sign an agreement , SAP manually enters the partners master data. The partner is being given a partner number, installation number and an email domain. After which the partner then specifies a central contact person at their company. SAP then creates a user with the administration authorization for the central contact person. The central contact person has the authorization to create messages, request licenses, search for notes, request and maintain other users within the company, for accessing the SMB portal. They can also book training. The conformation for this authorization is sent to the central contact person by mail. Once the contact person receives this authorization, they can then use the partner number provided by the SAP to access the SMB portal and hold the authorization of an administrator.
There are three core address links used to access the SMB portal. The first link is SMB. This is the main entry address. It will take you to the home page of the SMB portal. In addition to the SMB quick link there is also a user-admin. This is the address to maintain personal information, add and maintain user authorizations . the third quick link is tcs. This address link is used to create a passport so that the entry into the SMB portal can be made more efficiently. Or that this access can only take place in the work station on which it has been set up. To access any of these quick links, a user id and password is required.
When you enter the SMB portal using any of the above address links, SAP will distinguish between three different authorization levels or user types. These are the info user, the support user and the administrator. The info user has the display authorization on the SMB portal only. They can use the SMB portal to get the latest information about SAP business one. In addition to the display authorization, the support user is also authorized to use the support functions on the SMB portal, such as requesting licenses and creating new messages. Finally in addition to the authorizations of a support user, users with an administrators authorization can also request new users and maintain their data, manage authorizations , reset password and maintain email domains. Furthermore all three users can maintain their own personal data, display their own authorizations and change their own password. Now lets see how to log in and navigate in the SMB portal.
Now we will know how to log in and navigate in the SMB portal by this demonstration. In the address field of the browser, we enter www.service.sap.com/smb. immediately a log in box appears. Here we enter our eight digit S user number and the associated password. Then we click ok. Now we are taken in to the home page of SMB portal. In the centre of the page we have featured news items. Below that we have the latest events. To the right of this screen is your opportunity for feedback. You can request new content that can be available, or just feedback on the general usability of the application.and if you wish to subscribe to new letters, you can do that. To maintain passwords go to the my profile. And in the inbox you will receive all of the SAP messages, support and other product related enquiries. On the left we see all one click services. Here we can order SAP, download upgrades and patches, or we could request license keys. If we now go across the tabs on the top, we can get to our solutions button. This gives us a detailed information about all of our products, including installation and upgrade information. If we now go to the tab solution development, we can find information about the APIs. For business one, we can look in the software development kit. And here is the information which comes on the two APIs. On the marketing and sales, we can see that we have a media link for ordering business one. We also can download the latest sales information and also use the opportunity management and the resource tools. Under education we have access to a whole series of online and classroom training material. If you click on the online training material button, we see a link through to the online learning products. Will cover these later in more detail. Under the classroom training link we see a list of all the classroom training. Here we can download the classroom content. We could also go to the training catalogue and book on to a course. One of the most important links is the services and support. Here we can search the notes database , create new messages, and download patches and upgrades. Finally the partnering with SAP will take us through the general partner contracts and information. We also have some country specific links and quick links described at the top of the screen.
You have now completed the topic on the SMB portal. You are now able to list and explain the various user types of SMB portal. You are also able to explain how to get a user for the SMB portal, access the portal and navigate within it.
The SMB portal is the main support platform for all SAP products including SAP business one. It offers a broad range of functionalities to SAP partners and customers alike. These functions inckude product documentation and service information; support communication with SAP where there is an option to create and track problem related messages ; the ability to access the knowledge database and access SAP notes ; online training and downloading capabilities for upgrade and patches.
When an SAP partner has agreed to sign an agreement , SAP manually enters the partners master data. The partner is being given a partner number, installation number and an email domain. After which the partner then specifies a central contact person at their company. SAP then creates a user with the administration authorization for the central contact person. The central contact person has the authorization to create messages, request licenses, search for notes, request and maintain other users within the company, for accessing the SMB portal. They can also book training. The conformation for this authorization is sent to the central contact person by mail. Once the contact person receives this authorization, they can then use the partner number provided by the SAP to access the SMB portal and hold the authorization of an administrator.
There are three core address links used to access the SMB portal. The first link is SMB. This is the main entry address. It will take you to the home page of the SMB portal. In addition to the SMB quick link there is also a user-admin. This is the address to maintain personal information, add and maintain user authorizations . the third quick link is tcs. This address link is used to create a passport so that the entry into the SMB portal can be made more efficiently. Or that this access can only take place in the work station on which it has been set up. To access any of these quick links, a user id and password is required.
When you enter the SMB portal using any of the above address links, SAP will distinguish between three different authorization levels or user types. These are the info user, the support user and the administrator. The info user has the display authorization on the SMB portal only. They can use the SMB portal to get the latest information about SAP business one. In addition to the display authorization, the support user is also authorized to use the support functions on the SMB portal, such as requesting licenses and creating new messages. Finally in addition to the authorizations of a support user, users with an administrators authorization can also request new users and maintain their data, manage authorizations , reset password and maintain email domains. Furthermore all three users can maintain their own personal data, display their own authorizations and change their own password. Now lets see how to log in and navigate in the SMB portal.
Now we will know how to log in and navigate in the SMB portal by this demonstration. In the address field of the browser, we enter www.service.sap.com/smb. immediately a log in box appears. Here we enter our eight digit S user number and the associated password. Then we click ok. Now we are taken in to the home page of SMB portal. In the centre of the page we have featured news items. Below that we have the latest events. To the right of this screen is your opportunity for feedback. You can request new content that can be available, or just feedback on the general usability of the application.and if you wish to subscribe to new letters, you can do that. To maintain passwords go to the my profile. And in the inbox you will receive all of the SAP messages, support and other product related enquiries. On the left we see all one click services. Here we can order SAP, download upgrades and patches, or we could request license keys. If we now go across the tabs on the top, we can get to our solutions button. This gives us a detailed information about all of our products, including installation and upgrade information. If we now go to the tab solution development, we can find information about the APIs. For business one, we can look in the software development kit. And here is the information which comes on the two APIs. On the marketing and sales, we can see that we have a media link for ordering business one. We also can download the latest sales information and also use the opportunity management and the resource tools. Under education we have access to a whole series of online and classroom training material. If you click on the online training material button, we see a link through to the online learning products. Will cover these later in more detail. Under the classroom training link we see a list of all the classroom training. Here we can download the classroom content. We could also go to the training catalogue and book on to a course. One of the most important links is the services and support. Here we can search the notes database , create new messages, and download patches and upgrades. Finally the partnering with SAP will take us through the general partner contracts and information. We also have some country specific links and quick links described at the top of the screen.
You have now completed the topic on the SMB portal. You are now able to list and explain the various user types of SMB portal. You are also able to explain how to get a user for the SMB portal, access the portal and navigate within it.
Navigation in SAP Business One
This Post describes navigation through the SAP business one. At the end of this topic you will be able to log in to an SAP business one company. You will be able to choose how data is displayed throughout the system. You will be able to navigate successfully around the system and you will be able to create user defined short cuts.
In SAP business one there is a possibility of having more than one company running on a server. These companies can have multiple users and each user if given information can have access to each company. To gain access into business one a user must have a user name and password for that company. When in business one, it is possible to view all the companies that are available on the local server. Once you have selected the company it is possible to navigate around the system using such features such as the command centre, the message bar and the menu bar. We would discuss and view them in more detail in the following passages.
To log in to the SAP business one, click the icon on the desktop. After a short while you will be prompted to enter a user name and password.
The SAP business one menu bar is displayed at the top of the screen. The menu bar contains the windows standard menu- file , edit, window and help as well as some generic SAP business one functions. The tool bar is displayed onto the menu bar. The tool bar is a collection of icon buttons that grant to easier access to the commonly used functions such as- add or find. There are 6 main explore functions in business one and these are shown in the tool bar. You can print, send email, send sms, send a fax, export to MS word and excel. The functions represented by the buttons are also available in the menu bar. Active functions are shown in colour and inactive functions are greyed out. You would know that this would change depending on where you are in business one and what documents you have opened. We would now look at how to export some data using the menu bar.
Lets assume we are going to export the data using a tool bar. for example we may open a sales order. We want to export this data to a spreadsheet. To do this we click the export to excel icon in the tool bar. we then follow the screen prompts to save and to enable macros until excel automatically loads.
In SAP business one there are various data input tools available in documents. The four main input tools that you are likely to come across are the selection list, the dropdown list, the navigation arrow and the tabulator key. While choosing the selection list a window appears with a list of possible entries for that field. While selecting the dropdown list a field of possible entries appears. While selecting the navigation arrow you will be taken to another window, of connected information. And by selecting the tabulator key a list of possible entries will be shown. These keys importance is to speed up the process of creating documents in SAP business one. If the user has authorization they can change the field label by simply pressing control+ double- click. This is extremely useful for the system customization and familiarity. These some terms seem unclear and not descriptive enough the user can simply change them.
Let us take an example where the document open is a sales order. To bring in a customer we press the tab button in the customer field. This selects the customer. We can also select the customer by right clicking the selection list box on the right of the customer field. Once we select the customer a navigation arrow appears next to the code. If we click here it takes us to the business partner screen showing us more details about the customer. There is a pool downlist next to the contact on the order screen. If there were more than one contact assigned to this customer, we would say that by clicking on the arrow. We now want to rename a field. To do so we control and double click on the field phone and replace the text. We can also make it bold by selecting the tick box.
To increase the efficiency and navigation around SAP business one, it is possible to create user specific menus and shortcut keys. With user menus you can create your own list of documents that are frequently opened and group them together. With the shortcut keys you can assign the special function keys such as F1 or F2 to certain documents. They are access with considerably decent efficiency. Now let us look at the creation of the user menu and the shortcut keys.
To create the user menu, you must first open up the document that you want in the user menu. Let us take an example where are going to place an A/R invoice into the user menu. Once opened, we go to the user menu bar and select user menu. This opens a new window giving us the option of where to place the document. We want to place A/R invoice in the forms. So we click on the forms and press add. Close the sales order tab, then go to the user menu tab on the command centre. If we click on the forms, we could see the A/R invoice appear underneath. Next we are going to create the shortcut key for the A/R quotation. To do this we go to the menu bar and select tools, and then user shortcuts and then customize. This will open a new window. Lets assume we want the shortcut key to be F3. So we select the pool –down list in F3. We then select the module the document is in- sales A/R, highlighted on the side is sales quotation and press allocate. To test this we now press F3 and the sales quotation shall appear.
In SAP user is given an option as to which language the user would like to view the system in. the user can be using the same company as somebody else and still read the system in a different language. A system has a diverse array of languages to choose from. Another feature in the display settings is the ability to alter the desktop by adding a picture. This could be for example your company logo. There are other values in the display parameters that we would look at later on.
To change any of the display settings of the system, we must first select administration on the command centre , then system initialization and general settings. This opens a window with many tabs and options. Select the display tab. In this tab we have the general display settings of business one ranging from the decimal numbers to the date format. On the left hand side of the screen we have some obvious functionality. The most important one is the language which is located at the top. If you click on the pulldown list you can see the availability of the various languages. If I select german and click on update then yes to confirm, you would notice the system has changed its display parameters and the system language has become german. To change the language back we go through the same procedure. To alter the background display on the desktop, we select the background tab. we can then select browse to search to select a picture. Click on update and now you can see the picture on the desktop.
The function known as drag and relate is used in linking two business objects to create an adhoc report. The possibility exists to compare almost any two objects in SAP business one. For example we could compare the customer code with the invoice objects and get a list of all invoices for a particular customer. By simply dragging a data object onto the field under the drag and relate tab, you can gain an excellent overview of the companies performance in certain areas. We shall now look at how to perform the drag and relate function.
To perform a drag and relate function we must first have some data to drag. Lets assume that We have opened up the stock item master data and selected the product s1001, which is a mountain bike. We now select the drag and relate tab on the command centre. Select sales and then drag the item code across and place it on top of A/R invoice. A report is produced showing every invoice ever created against that product. Now lets say we only want to view open invoices. To achieve this we drag the open field down to the icon at the bottom of the window and then click okay. A report of open invoices is then shown.
You have now completed the topic on SAP business one navigation process. You are able to log in to an SAP business one company and choose how data is displayed throughout the system. You can also navigate around the system using the appropriate tools, icons and create shortcuts for efficiency
In SAP business one there is a possibility of having more than one company running on a server. These companies can have multiple users and each user if given information can have access to each company. To gain access into business one a user must have a user name and password for that company. When in business one, it is possible to view all the companies that are available on the local server. Once you have selected the company it is possible to navigate around the system using such features such as the command centre, the message bar and the menu bar. We would discuss and view them in more detail in the following passages.
To log in to the SAP business one, click the icon on the desktop. After a short while you will be prompted to enter a user name and password.
The SAP business one menu bar is displayed at the top of the screen. The menu bar contains the windows standard menu- file , edit, window and help as well as some generic SAP business one functions. The tool bar is displayed onto the menu bar. The tool bar is a collection of icon buttons that grant to easier access to the commonly used functions such as- add or find. There are 6 main explore functions in business one and these are shown in the tool bar. You can print, send email, send sms, send a fax, export to MS word and excel. The functions represented by the buttons are also available in the menu bar. Active functions are shown in colour and inactive functions are greyed out. You would know that this would change depending on where you are in business one and what documents you have opened. We would now look at how to export some data using the menu bar.
Lets assume we are going to export the data using a tool bar. for example we may open a sales order. We want to export this data to a spreadsheet. To do this we click the export to excel icon in the tool bar. we then follow the screen prompts to save and to enable macros until excel automatically loads.
In SAP business one there are various data input tools available in documents. The four main input tools that you are likely to come across are the selection list, the dropdown list, the navigation arrow and the tabulator key. While choosing the selection list a window appears with a list of possible entries for that field. While selecting the dropdown list a field of possible entries appears. While selecting the navigation arrow you will be taken to another window, of connected information. And by selecting the tabulator key a list of possible entries will be shown. These keys importance is to speed up the process of creating documents in SAP business one. If the user has authorization they can change the field label by simply pressing control+ double- click. This is extremely useful for the system customization and familiarity. These some terms seem unclear and not descriptive enough the user can simply change them.
Let us take an example where the document open is a sales order. To bring in a customer we press the tab button in the customer field. This selects the customer. We can also select the customer by right clicking the selection list box on the right of the customer field. Once we select the customer a navigation arrow appears next to the code. If we click here it takes us to the business partner screen showing us more details about the customer. There is a pool downlist next to the contact on the order screen. If there were more than one contact assigned to this customer, we would say that by clicking on the arrow. We now want to rename a field. To do so we control and double click on the field phone and replace the text. We can also make it bold by selecting the tick box.
To increase the efficiency and navigation around SAP business one, it is possible to create user specific menus and shortcut keys. With user menus you can create your own list of documents that are frequently opened and group them together. With the shortcut keys you can assign the special function keys such as F1 or F2 to certain documents. They are access with considerably decent efficiency. Now let us look at the creation of the user menu and the shortcut keys.
To create the user menu, you must first open up the document that you want in the user menu. Let us take an example where are going to place an A/R invoice into the user menu. Once opened, we go to the user menu bar and select user menu. This opens a new window giving us the option of where to place the document. We want to place A/R invoice in the forms. So we click on the forms and press add. Close the sales order tab, then go to the user menu tab on the command centre. If we click on the forms, we could see the A/R invoice appear underneath. Next we are going to create the shortcut key for the A/R quotation. To do this we go to the menu bar and select tools, and then user shortcuts and then customize. This will open a new window. Lets assume we want the shortcut key to be F3. So we select the pool –down list in F3. We then select the module the document is in- sales A/R, highlighted on the side is sales quotation and press allocate. To test this we now press F3 and the sales quotation shall appear.
In SAP user is given an option as to which language the user would like to view the system in. the user can be using the same company as somebody else and still read the system in a different language. A system has a diverse array of languages to choose from. Another feature in the display settings is the ability to alter the desktop by adding a picture. This could be for example your company logo. There are other values in the display parameters that we would look at later on.
To change any of the display settings of the system, we must first select administration on the command centre , then system initialization and general settings. This opens a window with many tabs and options. Select the display tab. In this tab we have the general display settings of business one ranging from the decimal numbers to the date format. On the left hand side of the screen we have some obvious functionality. The most important one is the language which is located at the top. If you click on the pulldown list you can see the availability of the various languages. If I select german and click on update then yes to confirm, you would notice the system has changed its display parameters and the system language has become german. To change the language back we go through the same procedure. To alter the background display on the desktop, we select the background tab. we can then select browse to search to select a picture. Click on update and now you can see the picture on the desktop.
The function known as drag and relate is used in linking two business objects to create an adhoc report. The possibility exists to compare almost any two objects in SAP business one. For example we could compare the customer code with the invoice objects and get a list of all invoices for a particular customer. By simply dragging a data object onto the field under the drag and relate tab, you can gain an excellent overview of the companies performance in certain areas. We shall now look at how to perform the drag and relate function.
To perform a drag and relate function we must first have some data to drag. Lets assume that We have opened up the stock item master data and selected the product s1001, which is a mountain bike. We now select the drag and relate tab on the command centre. Select sales and then drag the item code across and place it on top of A/R invoice. A report is produced showing every invoice ever created against that product. Now lets say we only want to view open invoices. To achieve this we drag the open field down to the icon at the bottom of the window and then click okay. A report of open invoices is then shown.
You have now completed the topic on SAP business one navigation process. You are able to log in to an SAP business one company and choose how data is displayed throughout the system. You can also navigate around the system using the appropriate tools, icons and create shortcuts for efficiency
Labels:
data input tools,
SAP Business one,
SAP Navigation
Architecture of SAP Business One Application
The business one application is based on a client server architecture. The server runs either on Microsoft SQL server 2000 or IBM DB2 or as a central data repository. Most of the applications relies on the client. This is what is called a fat client. This mean the processing is carried out locally and largely independent of the server performance. SAP offers a software development kit for SAP business one. You can use this kit to add your own functions in visual basic, C, C ++ and java. The SDK runs either on the server or the client depending on its purpose. An integration toolkit provided the interface to convert data from SAP business one to XML based on the SOAP 1.1 protocol. Data can be read from the database using the standard ODBC interface of the sequel server. SAP business one is shaped with the business manager and two services, one for the sending of emails , faxes and sms and one for backing up of the SAP database. SAP business one also provides innovative customization options which means it can be easily tailored, using of tables and formatted searches. Country versions are separately being developed for the specific country specific requirements and many of these are already available. The usual interface is already being translated into major languages and users can switch between the languages they need.
To enhance the SAP business one functionality SAP provides the software development kit. This consists of the following interfaces, the data interface application programming interface and the user interface application programming interface. These provide direct Read and write access to SAP business one related objects Independent of the SAP business one client. The data interface API allows you to integrate to non-SAP systems. In this case the user interface of the external system is not integrated into the business one client. Never the less , the external system still accesses the same database as business one and executes the same application logic. This ensures that the data remains consistent. The data interface API provides a library of component object module. This means that the programming language must support comp. SAP supports visual basic, C and C++ .however you can also use the data interface API for the JAVA applications. The user interface API provides access to the screen elements of the business one client so that you can develop additional functions and integrate them fully into SAP business one’s user interface. Events on the user interface trigger the processing of the screen data for the additional functions.
The SAP add-ons for the SAP business one are add-on applications that SAP have developed by themselves to enhance the functionality of the core SAP business one product. The SAP add-ons with business one are delivered on a separate CD and must be stored separately from the main application. You can choose which add-on you want to use and only install the necessary ones. The SAP add-ons for business one are based on the SDK. Most of the SAP add-ons for business one are relevant globally, but there are also some that are targeted for special countries or special reasons. The SAP add-ons are – data tarasfer workbench, support tools( earlywatch alert, support desk), fixed assets, MS outlook integration, business configuration sets, payement engine, advance layout designer , intercompany transactions and intrastate( europian union).
SAP business one is ideal for small subsidiaries of global companies or trading partners of global companies who run SAP business suite, where the global company may use the SAP business suite and the trading companies or subsidiaries maybe too small for using an SAP business suite installation or client. With the many country versions of the SAP business one , the global company can use it with all smaller subsidiaries around the world. Thus avoiding separate IT decisions and boarding of different IT knowledge in every country . Furthermore the global company can use the integration between SAP business one and the SAP business suite. The level of integration between business one and business suite essentially depends on the requirements of the corporate group. Potential scenarios range form simple data integration to entire business process integration which can even include business partners. To enable consolidated reporting of the data of all the companies , ERP systems, including business one systems. You upload directly the required data into an SAP business information warehouse. To get a better view of the whole data in the operating systems or the subsidiaries using business one ,you can use an SAP enterprise portal which directly links to the subsidiary systems, to enable data exchange between ERP systems including business one and to build business processes across enterprise boundaries, you can use the SAP netweaver infrastructure. These three levels of integration is all compatible with the SAP business suite.
Your best source of information regarding SAP business one is the SMB portal. You need to be an SMB partner or customer or employee of SAP to access the SMB portal. Use the quicklink- smb to go to the SMB portal. From here you can navigate to different areas that provide information about solutions, solutions development , service support, education, partnering with SAP, marketing and sales. The SAP service market place or the SMB portal is discussed in more detail in later articles.
To enhance the SAP business one functionality SAP provides the software development kit. This consists of the following interfaces, the data interface application programming interface and the user interface application programming interface. These provide direct Read and write access to SAP business one related objects Independent of the SAP business one client. The data interface API allows you to integrate to non-SAP systems. In this case the user interface of the external system is not integrated into the business one client. Never the less , the external system still accesses the same database as business one and executes the same application logic. This ensures that the data remains consistent. The data interface API provides a library of component object module. This means that the programming language must support comp. SAP supports visual basic, C and C++ .however you can also use the data interface API for the JAVA applications. The user interface API provides access to the screen elements of the business one client so that you can develop additional functions and integrate them fully into SAP business one’s user interface. Events on the user interface trigger the processing of the screen data for the additional functions.
The SAP add-ons for the SAP business one are add-on applications that SAP have developed by themselves to enhance the functionality of the core SAP business one product. The SAP add-ons with business one are delivered on a separate CD and must be stored separately from the main application. You can choose which add-on you want to use and only install the necessary ones. The SAP add-ons for business one are based on the SDK. Most of the SAP add-ons for business one are relevant globally, but there are also some that are targeted for special countries or special reasons. The SAP add-ons are – data tarasfer workbench, support tools( earlywatch alert, support desk), fixed assets, MS outlook integration, business configuration sets, payement engine, advance layout designer , intercompany transactions and intrastate( europian union).
SAP business one is ideal for small subsidiaries of global companies or trading partners of global companies who run SAP business suite, where the global company may use the SAP business suite and the trading companies or subsidiaries maybe too small for using an SAP business suite installation or client. With the many country versions of the SAP business one , the global company can use it with all smaller subsidiaries around the world. Thus avoiding separate IT decisions and boarding of different IT knowledge in every country . Furthermore the global company can use the integration between SAP business one and the SAP business suite. The level of integration between business one and business suite essentially depends on the requirements of the corporate group. Potential scenarios range form simple data integration to entire business process integration which can even include business partners. To enable consolidated reporting of the data of all the companies , ERP systems, including business one systems. You upload directly the required data into an SAP business information warehouse. To get a better view of the whole data in the operating systems or the subsidiaries using business one ,you can use an SAP enterprise portal which directly links to the subsidiary systems, to enable data exchange between ERP systems including business one and to build business processes across enterprise boundaries, you can use the SAP netweaver infrastructure. These three levels of integration is all compatible with the SAP business suite.
Your best source of information regarding SAP business one is the SMB portal. You need to be an SMB partner or customer or employee of SAP to access the SMB portal. Use the quicklink- smb to go to the SMB portal. From here you can navigate to different areas that provide information about solutions, solutions development , service support, education, partnering with SAP, marketing and sales. The SAP service market place or the SMB portal is discussed in more detail in later articles.
Sunday, October 16
Interview with a SAP Employee
Question : SAP in the comparative market- how has it fared so far and how is going to be in future:
SAP : What is important for us is that we gain share in market in q1. We compare ourselves with our peer group which is Microsoft on a yearly base because we have a different seasonality. Upto now in the last four years we are gaining share against them. So ask me again at the end of the year.
Question : Safe passage program which is recently added to the company and about how many customers you have added :
I think we added roughly 60 again .we have more than 500 now.
Question : How the competitive landscape may have impacted the deals you have not won ?
SAP : Yes its true, as you know we made some adjustment at the end of last year. Some technical adjustments just came in terms of deals. They were not too prominent. Hence we couldn’t close the deals at the end of last year. So I would say what we did in the first quarter is really business people brought in, in the first quarter.
Question : SAP Is known as a large enterprise company. Now you are focusing on the mid market. Now is this an area which you can continue to focus on and if so, what are you committed to spend.
Ya, roughly 10-20 million. It is really important know because if you put this into figures in terms of its operating margin increased and improved. We had an operating margin which was flat, which was established business which was half a percent to one percent.
Question : A1S and planning of ramping up of A1S
SAP : First of all we should know that our established business will continue to grow double digit. So what we try is a new product which will add additional revenue to our profitability. And we do it in a different way because we want this product to be entirely hosted. Once the product is ready we select the customers. We get very good feedback. But its not only about the product, but its also about the operation which has a lot of innovation in it. So I expect we will be ready for volume business in the first quarter of 2008 and then you will see first of all, is the revenue is coming slower in. that’s known because the subscription. But over a time the revenue will increase more and more. And I expect that our margin in 2010 will be higher than the margin we have earned today as an established business.
Question : Are you concerned about the reduction in spending that some experts are suggesting in the agent markets:
SAP : Im not worried. We are doing good business in china and india and japan. I have so far honestly no indications , india particularly the large enterprises which are traditionally our clients. From my point what I see is im confident on this agent market.
Question : What about the business options in the US, are you still seeing growth in the future:
SAP : The united states business was very strong ,which is more than 20% which I see is really strong. We are improving in our position in the US. You know that’s since many quarters we are the number one in the US and we continue to gain share there.
Question : ORACLE law suite filed against one of your subsidiaries tomorrow now:
Tomorrow now has a very precise business model. This business model is known, it follows the guidelines and rules and policies. So I see they are claims which I don’t understand . our lawyers are behind it. We will officially answer in the next weeks.
SAP : What is important for us is that we gain share in market in q1. We compare ourselves with our peer group which is Microsoft on a yearly base because we have a different seasonality. Upto now in the last four years we are gaining share against them. So ask me again at the end of the year.
Question : Safe passage program which is recently added to the company and about how many customers you have added :
I think we added roughly 60 again .we have more than 500 now.
Question : How the competitive landscape may have impacted the deals you have not won ?
SAP : Yes its true, as you know we made some adjustment at the end of last year. Some technical adjustments just came in terms of deals. They were not too prominent. Hence we couldn’t close the deals at the end of last year. So I would say what we did in the first quarter is really business people brought in, in the first quarter.
Question : SAP Is known as a large enterprise company. Now you are focusing on the mid market. Now is this an area which you can continue to focus on and if so, what are you committed to spend.
Ya, roughly 10-20 million. It is really important know because if you put this into figures in terms of its operating margin increased and improved. We had an operating margin which was flat, which was established business which was half a percent to one percent.
Question : A1S and planning of ramping up of A1S
SAP : First of all we should know that our established business will continue to grow double digit. So what we try is a new product which will add additional revenue to our profitability. And we do it in a different way because we want this product to be entirely hosted. Once the product is ready we select the customers. We get very good feedback. But its not only about the product, but its also about the operation which has a lot of innovation in it. So I expect we will be ready for volume business in the first quarter of 2008 and then you will see first of all, is the revenue is coming slower in. that’s known because the subscription. But over a time the revenue will increase more and more. And I expect that our margin in 2010 will be higher than the margin we have earned today as an established business.
Question : Are you concerned about the reduction in spending that some experts are suggesting in the agent markets:
SAP : Im not worried. We are doing good business in china and india and japan. I have so far honestly no indications , india particularly the large enterprises which are traditionally our clients. From my point what I see is im confident on this agent market.
Question : What about the business options in the US, are you still seeing growth in the future:
SAP : The united states business was very strong ,which is more than 20% which I see is really strong. We are improving in our position in the US. You know that’s since many quarters we are the number one in the US and we continue to gain share there.
Question : ORACLE law suite filed against one of your subsidiaries tomorrow now:
Tomorrow now has a very precise business model. This business model is known, it follows the guidelines and rules and policies. So I see they are claims which I don’t understand . our lawyers are behind it. We will officially answer in the next weeks.
Labels:
SAP Business one,
sap interview,
sap professional
Saturday, October 15
What is SAP ?
This article is about SAP.SAP stands for systems, applications and products in data processing.SAP should be pronounced as S A P and not saap. SAP was founded by a german company in 1972, hence it’s a german company. SAP is an ERP software. ERP stands for enterprise resource planning. ERP solutions is an end to end solution for a company. Enterprise consists of multiple departments, for example finance, sales, human resources, manufacturing , sales and distribution, etc. each of these departments needs a software to manage its information. So one solution is that the company can have a unique software developed from scratch for each of these departments or this company can go for an ERP solution. If this company goes for an ERP solution then this department would be using one or more modules of the same ERP software. ERP is a modulated and integrated product so ERP has multiple modules designed for different departments. These modules are integrated in terms of data sharing. This shares the data. So they share the same back-end ,the same data source and the same database. Transactions are automatically created in these modules, based on connectivity going on in one module the other module can automatically capture that and can create transactions. Now the ERP market looks like this with the SAP market with the maximum share with 35% with its product my SAP. ORACLE has 28% market with three of its products ORACLE e-business suites, peoplesoft and JDEdward as well. Now we have two ERP applications taking third position with 28% market share. This category includes ERP software which include Baan, epicor, infor and syspro. Microsoft accounts to 14% with its product called greatplains. This is the evolution for SAP. SAP had started with SAP R/2 which became SAP R/3 and which has now become my SAP ECC. SAP R/2 was mainly designed for mainframe computers ,large and huge computers then it changed to SAP R/3 which went for catering to the client server environment when machined went from large size to smaller ones and multiple machines were being used together. Now the latest offering is my SAP ECC. ECC stands for ERP central component. My SAP ECC has multiple modules. FI and CO are modules within my SAP. So financial and controlling modules are a part of my SAP ECC suite. My SAP has multiple suites , each suite is a group of modules, so you can see this is a family of modules and together all these families are called as my SAP. So my SAP has ERP central component, supplier relationship management(SRM), strategic enterprise management(SEM), catalogue content management, compliance management for SAO, supply hain management(SCM), product lifecycle management( PLM), customer relationship management (CRM), and business intelligence( BI). All these families are a part of my SAP. Hence this suite has many families or modules, so FI and CO are a part of ERP central component suite. SAP R/2 changed to SAP R/3 which changed to my SAP ECC. The company added other families as well. So initial offerings did not include these families. So these become a part of this one big giant product called my SAP.
Some SAP Terms
Most Common SAP terms are ABAP and ABAP 4, basis, variant, transaction code, parameter id , batch sessions, jobs, user menus and distributed systems (ALE)
ABAP and ABAP 4
ABAP stands for advanced business application programming 4th generation language. So ABAP is a 4 GL language stands for fourth generation language. The characteristic of 4 GL language is that the added abstraction layer to make them easy to understand. The other examples of 4 GL languages are SQL and PL/SQL. They are closer towards the human language, so if you look at the programming statement you can easily understand what the statement is trying to do. Now ABAP is also called the cousin of COBOL, though COBOL is a 3GL language. Now ABAP is the main programming language for SAP. If you really need to change the SAP software other than the customization and configuration options available on the screen, if you really need to modify under the hood you really need to understand the ABAP language. This Is the language within which SAP product is built.
Basis
Basis is a middleware that connects the SAP applications with the operating systems and the database. So the first layer is the operating system which is the hardware of course. Of the operating system we have the basis software running a swell as we have the database running. So we have choices of database but mostly ORACLE database is used with the SAP applications. So we have basis and database running on top of the system and SAP front run applications are runiing on top of the basis, so basis is the connection between the SAP applications and the operating system and as well as if the application need to talk to the database they have to go through the basis. So its called the middleware software. Now basis group is another term that is commonly used . before we talk about basis group lets see what basis administrator is. Basis administrator is the person who looks after the basis software. This person manages the basis software and security and if running properly and looks after any functional and technical problem related to the basis software while the DBA known as the database administrator looks after the health of the database. So basis administrator looks after the health of the basis software, which is the middleware and DBA looks after the health of the database. So the basis administrator and the DBA together are called a basis group which is more of a technical group looking after the health of the underlying software. So the basis group is a commonly used term as well, so that will mean DBAs and business administrators together.
Variant
When you run a program or report, you need to enter some parameter, for example you can enter January 2010 as a parameter for one of the report and display the data as January 2010. If you enter the data as February as the parameter then February as the parameter shows up. So each report has different parameters, a set of parameters that has to decode and based on those parameters you need to enter those values that are produced. Now same thing for the programs as well. You can save the settings and the saved settings is called as the variant. If you run the same report or program again and again, then you can have the settings saved as variant. Variants basically saves you time. Basically you can run routine programs without having to enter all parameters again and again.
Transaction Codes
There are two ways to navigate to a screen in SAP. First method is to use the menu. Another method is you can enter the transaction code for that screen directly in the command field and you can go to the screen directly. Each screen has its own transaction code and there is a command field available to you all the time and you can enter in the field and you will be directed into the screen. So it’s a shortcut to go into a particular screen and it comes handy if you use one or few screens on a frequent basis, so then you would basically remember the transaction cades for that screen, then you can enter that in the command field
Parameter ID
Parameter ID is an identifier given to some fields for example the parameter ID for the a company is BUK is considered as a parameter ID for a nickname of a field. Now what is the use. The use is that, for example if the user comes to the screen and this user work for a certain company 222 for example, then what this user can do is that he can go to the user profile screen and specify 222 as default value for parameter BUK. So you can use a parameter ID to set a default value to a particular field. Now as a result when the user is going to come to the screen, value 22 will always be defaulted. So he doesn’t have to enter 222 again and again. So, what you take home is parameter ID is a nickname to a field ,so most of the fields have parameter IDs. You can use the parameter ID to set a default value to a field so that when you come to the screen the default value is already there.
Input session
So what we see here is that a user is on the screen and is entering data into the SAP data entering screens and that this data is going into the SAP database. Other than the manual data entry, the SAP also receives data from the other non-SAP applications and other SAP installations. So how that process happens? First the data is stored as the batch input session . the batch input program could be used to read the data from the external world and save the data into batch input session. Then another program called process batch input runs which reads the data is stored under batch input session and feeds that into the SAP database. Now, something unique about this batch input session is that the data is stored in such a way that when it is read it is read as if a human being is sitting there and doing the data entry. So this data goes through the same validation process as if somebody is entering data manually in the SAP database. That’s something unique about batch input session. Its goes through the same validation process. It’s a little different concept from the interface tables. And sometimes this data is instructive as well. So if users enter this and asks the user this question then the user chooses this answer, so that is how the batch input session works. So this is how the data can be brought form an external input system to the SAP database.
Jobs
When you run a program or report, you have two choices. Either you can run it immediately or schedule to run later. A program or report is which is scheduled to run later on is called a job. So can specify when you really want this job to run. If it’s a huge job then you can choose to run it over a night. So job is a technical term used for a program or report which is casual to run later on.
User Menus
When you log in you can see two menus in the system, standard menu and user menu. The standard menu comes with the system and it contains all the options. There is a huge list on the standard menu, but in reality the users use few options for day to-day use. So what you can do is, you can extract those options and put them in the user menu. So the standard menu will contain all the options that are in a system and user menu will contains all those options that a user frequently uses on daily basis. So when a user logs in he can go directly into the user menu and see only those options that he is interested in. so that is the concept of a user menu.
Distributed systems (ALE)
What does ALE stand for? Application linked enabling. So what is the benefit of ALE? So lets imagine three SAP systems running individually. So they are separate SAPs , production 1, 2 and 3. Now sometimes a client may decide to go for different installations or for whatever technical reasons that happened. Now the need is whenever transaction takes place in system 2 and 3 , it should always automatically show up on system 1. And so system 1 should be in sync with system 2 and 3 in terms of the transactions. So you can use the distributed ALE technologies to achieve that. For example, if a transaction is happening in system 2 , it should automatically be flowing to system 1 , as if someone entered this transaction into system 1. So ALE could be used to keep one system in sync with the other. That’s the whole concept of ALE.
Some SAP Terms
Most Common SAP terms are ABAP and ABAP 4, basis, variant, transaction code, parameter id , batch sessions, jobs, user menus and distributed systems (ALE)
ABAP and ABAP 4
ABAP stands for advanced business application programming 4th generation language. So ABAP is a 4 GL language stands for fourth generation language. The characteristic of 4 GL language is that the added abstraction layer to make them easy to understand. The other examples of 4 GL languages are SQL and PL/SQL. They are closer towards the human language, so if you look at the programming statement you can easily understand what the statement is trying to do. Now ABAP is also called the cousin of COBOL, though COBOL is a 3GL language. Now ABAP is the main programming language for SAP. If you really need to change the SAP software other than the customization and configuration options available on the screen, if you really need to modify under the hood you really need to understand the ABAP language. This Is the language within which SAP product is built.
Basis
Basis is a middleware that connects the SAP applications with the operating systems and the database. So the first layer is the operating system which is the hardware of course. Of the operating system we have the basis software running a swell as we have the database running. So we have choices of database but mostly ORACLE database is used with the SAP applications. So we have basis and database running on top of the system and SAP front run applications are runiing on top of the basis, so basis is the connection between the SAP applications and the operating system and as well as if the application need to talk to the database they have to go through the basis. So its called the middleware software. Now basis group is another term that is commonly used . before we talk about basis group lets see what basis administrator is. Basis administrator is the person who looks after the basis software. This person manages the basis software and security and if running properly and looks after any functional and technical problem related to the basis software while the DBA known as the database administrator looks after the health of the database. So basis administrator looks after the health of the basis software, which is the middleware and DBA looks after the health of the database. So the basis administrator and the DBA together are called a basis group which is more of a technical group looking after the health of the underlying software. So the basis group is a commonly used term as well, so that will mean DBAs and business administrators together.
Variant
When you run a program or report, you need to enter some parameter, for example you can enter January 2010 as a parameter for one of the report and display the data as January 2010. If you enter the data as February as the parameter then February as the parameter shows up. So each report has different parameters, a set of parameters that has to decode and based on those parameters you need to enter those values that are produced. Now same thing for the programs as well. You can save the settings and the saved settings is called as the variant. If you run the same report or program again and again, then you can have the settings saved as variant. Variants basically saves you time. Basically you can run routine programs without having to enter all parameters again and again.
Transaction Codes
There are two ways to navigate to a screen in SAP. First method is to use the menu. Another method is you can enter the transaction code for that screen directly in the command field and you can go to the screen directly. Each screen has its own transaction code and there is a command field available to you all the time and you can enter in the field and you will be directed into the screen. So it’s a shortcut to go into a particular screen and it comes handy if you use one or few screens on a frequent basis, so then you would basically remember the transaction cades for that screen, then you can enter that in the command field
Parameter ID
Parameter ID is an identifier given to some fields for example the parameter ID for the a company is BUK is considered as a parameter ID for a nickname of a field. Now what is the use. The use is that, for example if the user comes to the screen and this user work for a certain company 222 for example, then what this user can do is that he can go to the user profile screen and specify 222 as default value for parameter BUK. So you can use a parameter ID to set a default value to a particular field. Now as a result when the user is going to come to the screen, value 22 will always be defaulted. So he doesn’t have to enter 222 again and again. So, what you take home is parameter ID is a nickname to a field ,so most of the fields have parameter IDs. You can use the parameter ID to set a default value to a field so that when you come to the screen the default value is already there.
Input session
So what we see here is that a user is on the screen and is entering data into the SAP data entering screens and that this data is going into the SAP database. Other than the manual data entry, the SAP also receives data from the other non-SAP applications and other SAP installations. So how that process happens? First the data is stored as the batch input session . the batch input program could be used to read the data from the external world and save the data into batch input session. Then another program called process batch input runs which reads the data is stored under batch input session and feeds that into the SAP database. Now, something unique about this batch input session is that the data is stored in such a way that when it is read it is read as if a human being is sitting there and doing the data entry. So this data goes through the same validation process as if somebody is entering data manually in the SAP database. That’s something unique about batch input session. Its goes through the same validation process. It’s a little different concept from the interface tables. And sometimes this data is instructive as well. So if users enter this and asks the user this question then the user chooses this answer, so that is how the batch input session works. So this is how the data can be brought form an external input system to the SAP database.
Jobs
When you run a program or report, you have two choices. Either you can run it immediately or schedule to run later. A program or report is which is scheduled to run later on is called a job. So can specify when you really want this job to run. If it’s a huge job then you can choose to run it over a night. So job is a technical term used for a program or report which is casual to run later on.
User Menus
When you log in you can see two menus in the system, standard menu and user menu. The standard menu comes with the system and it contains all the options. There is a huge list on the standard menu, but in reality the users use few options for day to-day use. So what you can do is, you can extract those options and put them in the user menu. So the standard menu will contain all the options that are in a system and user menu will contains all those options that a user frequently uses on daily basis. So when a user logs in he can go directly into the user menu and see only those options that he is interested in. so that is the concept of a user menu.
Distributed systems (ALE)
What does ALE stand for? Application linked enabling. So what is the benefit of ALE? So lets imagine three SAP systems running individually. So they are separate SAPs , production 1, 2 and 3. Now sometimes a client may decide to go for different installations or for whatever technical reasons that happened. Now the need is whenever transaction takes place in system 2 and 3 , it should always automatically show up on system 1. And so system 1 should be in sync with system 2 and 3 in terms of the transactions. So you can use the distributed ALE technologies to achieve that. For example, if a transaction is happening in system 2 , it should automatically be flowing to system 1 , as if someone entered this transaction into system 1. So ALE could be used to keep one system in sync with the other. That’s the whole concept of ALE.
Labels:
ABAP,
ABAP 4,
ALE,
Basis,
Distributed Systems,
Input Session,
make money online jobs,
Parameter ID,
Transaction Codes,
User Menus,
Variant
Thursday, October 13
SAP and Their Produstcs - SMB Customer - SAP Business One
As you finish reading this article, you will be able to describe SAP and their products particularly the SMB customers. You will be able to explain SAP’s business one product functionality and the architecture. And you will be able to list the add-on components and integration with other SAP products. The market in smaller or mid size businesses or the SMB is very fragmented. This means its almost impossible to speak of one uniform SMB market. The companies that make up the SMB market differ considerably in terms of se ize, complexity of IT systems, the industry and their locations. SAP divides the SMB market as described in the following paragraph
Small companies that don’t prepare balance sheet generally don’t have specific needs when it comes to business softwares. In most cases they use MS office applications. Advanced SMBs on the other hand need to be able to model and control the business processes using a software system. SAP has developed SAP business one specifically for those customers. Since the system that is easy to implement their broad range of business functionality. SAP has developed the ‘my SAP all-in-one solutions’ for these companies. Large enterprises represent SAPs traditional customers and many have already used the ‘my SAP business suite’. Lets take a look at these application in more detail.
SAP has a solution for companies of any size. ‘my SAP business suite’ offers a comprehensive family of business solutions, providing a full range of functionalities for all business processes. ‘my SAP all-in -one’ gives the benefits of services to small and mid size business or sophisticated SMBs in a package specially tailored to their needs. ‘my SAP all-in-one solutions’ as designed by SAP planners as pre-considered and industry specific system based on a simplified landscape with low maintenance cost. ‘SAP business one’ contains all the functionalities required by the small companies who want SMBs. It offers a broad range of innovative functions at minimum maintenance and operating costs.
The SAP business one application has been designed as an integrated business system with a powerful customer relationship management capability, targeted at the small to medium business. With one central database , the user can access all transactions, activities and documents relating to a specific customer, supplier or even a product. Business one supports standard core financial functions such as journal entry and bank reconciliation. It also includes management functions like logistics, and from sales to purchases. The application includes functionality to managing entry levels, create production items and maintain ongoing services support relationship with the customers. In addition to the functionality the system provides unique ‘drag and relate’ reporting for creating ad-hoc reports and in integrating contact and activity management system finally the workflow management through alerts and approval procedures is very important to really control their business. I shall write about the Architecture of the business one application in My next post.
Small companies that don’t prepare balance sheet generally don’t have specific needs when it comes to business softwares. In most cases they use MS office applications. Advanced SMBs on the other hand need to be able to model and control the business processes using a software system. SAP has developed SAP business one specifically for those customers. Since the system that is easy to implement their broad range of business functionality. SAP has developed the ‘my SAP all-in-one solutions’ for these companies. Large enterprises represent SAPs traditional customers and many have already used the ‘my SAP business suite’. Lets take a look at these application in more detail.
SAP has a solution for companies of any size. ‘my SAP business suite’ offers a comprehensive family of business solutions, providing a full range of functionalities for all business processes. ‘my SAP all-in -one’ gives the benefits of services to small and mid size business or sophisticated SMBs in a package specially tailored to their needs. ‘my SAP all-in-one solutions’ as designed by SAP planners as pre-considered and industry specific system based on a simplified landscape with low maintenance cost. ‘SAP business one’ contains all the functionalities required by the small companies who want SMBs. It offers a broad range of innovative functions at minimum maintenance and operating costs.
The SAP business one application has been designed as an integrated business system with a powerful customer relationship management capability, targeted at the small to medium business. With one central database , the user can access all transactions, activities and documents relating to a specific customer, supplier or even a product. Business one supports standard core financial functions such as journal entry and bank reconciliation. It also includes management functions like logistics, and from sales to purchases. The application includes functionality to managing entry levels, create production items and maintain ongoing services support relationship with the customers. In addition to the functionality the system provides unique ‘drag and relate’ reporting for creating ad-hoc reports and in integrating contact and activity management system finally the workflow management through alerts and approval procedures is very important to really control their business. I shall write about the Architecture of the business one application in My next post.
Labels:
Architechture of the business one application,
SAP Business one,
SAP Products,
Small and Midsize Business
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