Employee Trip in SAP FICO

Definition

An employee trip is a business trip taken by an employee. A business trip is an employee’s change of location, including the trip to and from another location, due to a temporary external activity.

Use

The employee trip is used for planning, account assignments and accounting of the trip costs incurred as a result of an external activity.

Structure

An employee trip is made up of trip facts , trip costs assignment specifications, trip accounting results, a trip transfer amount and a trip status .

The trip facts are the documentary or Travel Accounting-relevant information regarding a trip.

Trip costs assignments can be specified for an employee trip or for individual trip facts.

The travel accounting results and the trip transfer amount are created by Travel Accounting from the trip facts.

The trip status represents the processing stage of a trip, which determines whether or not certain travel-specific business processes are permitted.

Integration

A business trip can be caused, for example, by Personnel Development (HR) or Shift Planning (HR). You can forward the accounting results produced by Travel Accounting for proper posting to Financial Accounting (FI) and to Payroll Accounting (HR) for tax calculation.

You can reimburse the trip transfer amounts to the employee via Financial Accounting (FI), Payroll Accounting (HR), or via data medium exchange.

You can forward the trip costs assignment specifications for internal cost accounting to Controlling (CO) or for cash budget management to Funds Management (FM).

Refer to

Trip Facts

Trip Costs Assignment Specifications

Travel Accounting

Trip Status

The Overall Process of Travel Management in SAP FICO

Purpose

With the R/3 Travel Management application component, you can perform all of the business processes involved with a business trip efficiently and reliably in one single process. The goal of this process is the complete and integrated administration of travel expenses from travel planning to correct taxation in Payroll Accounting (HR), correct posting in Financial Accounting (FI), and clearing in Controlling (CO) or Funds Management (FM) according to the allocation-by-cause principle.

Within the process, using the Travel Planning component, you can plan business trips quickly and easily, record the basic trip facts and book travel services. After the trips have been taken, using the Travel Accounting component, you can supplement the remaining trip facts, account the trip costs and transfer the accounting results to Financial Accounting, Controlling, Funds Management, and, for possible calculation of taxes, to Payroll Accounting for further processing. As a result of the integration of all of these process segments in one single process, which is extensively controlled and logged by the R/3 System, the overall processing of business trips is significantly streamlined, reducing costs.

Process Flow

The overall process can last a relatively long time, with the actual trip representing the focal point of this process. The Travel Management process can be carried out with or without integration of Travel Planning in Travel Accounting.

Travel Management with Travel Planning (components Travel Planning and Travel Accounting)	Travel Management without Travel Planning (component Travel Accounting only)
You recognize that a trip must be taken.	You recognize that a trip must be taken.
Component Travel Planning: You plan the trip in the R/3 System and record the necessary trip facts.	You plan the trip on paper and submit the trip facts to an external travel service provider (a travel agency that you have chosen). The travel agency is responsible for booking the travel services.
Component Travel Planning: You book the travel services from Travel Management via a global distribution system (currently AMADEUS). The R/3 System creates individual receipts in the trip on the basis of this booking.	Component Travel Accounting: You can then record these trip facts in the R/3 System.
External Service Provider: The travel agency that you have chosen issues the tickets.	External Service Provider: The travel agency issues the tickets.
The trip takes place.	The trip takes place.
Component Travel Accounting: You record the remaining trip facts in the R/3 System.	Component Travel Accounting: You record the remaining trip facts in the R/3 System.
The system accounts the trip.	The system accounts the trip.
You issue trip statements to the employee.	You issue trip statements to the employee.
The system transfers the accounting results to Financial Accounting, Controlling, Funds Management and, possibly, Payroll Accounting.	The system transfers the accounting results to Financial Accounting, Controlling, Funds Management and, possibly, Payroll Accounting.
The system effects payment of the transfer amounts to the employee.	The system effects payment of the transfer amounts to the employee.

The Overall Process of Travel Management with Travel Planning

Result

A single, complete record of the facts of a business trip has been made in the R/3 System. The R/3 System has accounted the trip costs incurred as a result of the trip and forwarded them for further processing in Financial Accounting, Controlling, Funds Management and, if necessary, Payroll Accounting.

Choose Travel Accounting in SAP FICO

Use

There are two options for calling Travel Accounting from the initial SAP R/3 screen.

Procedure for Financial Accounting

• Choose Accounting ® Financial accounting ® Travel management ® Accounting.

The Travel accounting screen appears.

Procedure for Human Resources

• Choose Human resources ® Travel management ® Accounting.

The Travel accounting screen appears.

Choose Travel Planning in SAP FICO

Use

There are two options for calling Travel Planning from the initial SAP R/3 screen.

For more information, see Travel Planning in the R/3 Library.

Procedure for Financial Accounting

• Choose Accounting ® Financial accounting ® Travel management ® Planning.

The Travel planning screen appears.

Procedure for Human Resources

• Choose Human resources ® Travel management ® Planning.

The Travel planning screen appears.

Change Employee Trip in SAP FICO

Use

As a rule, you have to add to the trip facts after completing a trip. As a part of the approval procedure, the expenses department or a superior may ask you to change your trip facts. Changes made to an employee trip signify changes in the trip facts. Using the Change trip function, you can modify an employee trip if you have the necessary authorization.

Integration

You can only change an employee trip by using a trip entry scenario.

Prerequisites

To change an employee trip, you need special authorization. This authorization can only be assigned through Customizing for Travel Management.

Features

Changing an employee trip includes:

• Changing trip facts that have already been recorded
• Deleting trip facts that have already been recorded
• Adding new trip facts

You can not use this function for mass processing.

Refer to

Change Trip (Travel Manager)

Change Weekly Report

Create Employee Trip in SAP FICO

Use

The main goal of Travel Management is the accounting and reimbursement of travel expenses. First, you have to record the trip facts in the R/3 System so the system can determine and calculate the trip costs. All of the trip facts for a business trip are saved in the database under an employee trip. Using the function Create employee trip, you can create a new employee trip.

Integration

You can only create an employee trip by using an entry scenario.

Prerequisites

To create an employee trip for someone, you must first maintain the personnel master data for this person. Especially, a trip costs assignment guideline must exist.

Activities

Each employee trip is uniquely defined by the personnel number and a trip number. First you enter the relevant personnel number. Depending on the system settings, either you (external number assignment) or the system (internal number assignment) assigns the trip number. Then you record the trip facts and save the employee trip. You can not use this function for mass processing.

Refer to

Entry Scenario: Create Trip

Entry Scenario: Travel Manager

Entry Scenario: Travel Calendar

Entry Scenario: Weekly Report

Entry Scenario: Trip Advance

Display Employee Trip in SAP FICO

Use

You want to view the facts of an employee trip without making any changes. Using the function Display employee trip, you can display but not change employee trips.

Integration

You can only display an employee trip by using a trip entry scenario.

Features

You can view all of the facts for an employee trip that can be entered in dialog. You can not change these trip facts. You do not have to save the employee trip to exit the function. You can not use this function for mass processing.

Refer to

Display Trip (Travel Manager)

Display Weekly Report

Copy Employee Trip in SAP FICO

Use

If you, for example, travel regularly once every two weeks to the same customer or plant, except for the trip duration, the trip facts are practically identical. Or, if a group of employees takes the same business trip, the trip facts are almost identical here, too. In such cases, it is easier to copy the employee trip. You can use this function to copy employee trips.

Integration

You can only copy an employee trip via a trip entry scenario.

Features

You can copy employee trips for a single personnel number. Using this function, it is easy to copy trips that you take repeatedly. After you have copied the employee trip, you have to adapt all trip data to correspond with the trip duration. You cannot save the employee trip in the database until you have done so. This function is intended for all organizational forms of trip facts recording.

You can copy employee trips from one personnel number to another to quickly record group trips. This function is intended for central trip facts recording.

You can not use this function for mass processing.

Refer to

Copy Trip (Travel Manager)

Print Employee Trip in SAP FICO

Use

You can view the accounting results for an employee trip in the system at any time. The system uses the standard form to display them. You can print the standard form for an employee trip using this function.

Integration

You can only print an employee trip by using a trip entry scenario.

Prerequisites

You have to approve and account the employee trip first.

Features

The function can only print employee trips that have at least the trip status "approved, accounted". Only one employee trip can be printed at a time. You can not use this function for mass processing.

Refer to

Print Trip via Travel Manager

Print Weekly Report

Employee Trip Deletion in SAP FICO

Use

Not every trip that is planned is actually taken. Nonetheless, an employee trip that was created by the system in Travel Planning, exists in the database. Under certain conditions, it is possible for you to delete such employee trips from the database using this function.

Integration

You can only delete an employee trip by using a trip entry scenario.

You can not use this function to delete employee trips that have already been posted. You can only cancel such employee trips to reverse accounting results.

Prerequisites

You can only delete employee trips that fulfill the following conditions:

• The employee trip does not contain any paid advances.
• The employee trip does not contain any paid receipts.
• The employee trip does not contain a travel plan variant that you have used to book travel services.

Features

The function deletes the current version of an employee trip in the database. In the process, the system deletes all trip facts for this version.

If you have not yet transferred an employee trip to accounting, the system deletes, in addition to all trip facts, also all travel plans and travel plan variants for this employee trip.

If you have already transferred an employee trip to accounting, the system deletes only the latest version of this employee trip. Earlier versions of the employee trip are not deleted from the database. In this way, the system guarantees that trips that have already been posted are available for revision in accordance with statutory requirements.

You can not use this function for mass processing.

Display Employee Trip Corrections in SAP FICO

Use

After you have posted an employee trip to financial accounting, you can still make changes. For quick, central reapproval, you only have to check the corrections. You can use this function to display the corrections that have been made to an employee trip.

Integration

You can only display the corrections to an employee trip via a trip entry scenario.

Features

The system displays all trip corrections. It shows you a direct comparison of the old value and the new value. Changes are only recorded as corrections if they take place after posting of accounting results. You can not use this function for mass processing.

Refer to

Display Corrections via Travel Manager

Display Corrections via Weekly Report

Simulation of Accounting of Employee Trip in SAP FICO

Use

When planning trips and checking and approving travel requests and business trips that have already been taken, it is helpful to know the travel expenses to be expected. The exact travel expenses for an employee trip can not be determined until after travel accounting has been performed. But travel accounting can not take place until after approval. To obtain an overview of the expected costs for a trip before that, you can use this function to simulate accounting of an employee trip.

Integration

You can only simulate accounting of an employee trip by using a trip entry scenario.

Features

On the basis of the trip facts, the system determines the accounting results. It displays the trip facts and the transfer amount for the employee trip via the standard form. The system does not save the accounting results in the database. You can not use this function for mass processing.

Refer to

Simulate Travel Accounting via Travel Manager

Simulate Travel Accounting via Weekly Report

Employee Trip Approval in SAP FICO

Use

The system can only account employee trips that you have approved for accounting. To approve employee trips, you have two options:

• Approval of exactly one individual trip via a
trip entry scenario
• Approval of one or more trips via
Approval

Integration

If you only want to approve one employee trip via a trip entry scenario, you can start simulation of accounting of the employee trip first. This gives you an overview of the trip costs to be expected.

Showing posts with label Employee Trip. Show all posts Employee Trip Accounting in SAP FICO

Use

The actual travel expenses for an employee trip are determined by the system in Travel Accounting. To account employee trips, you have two options:

• Accounting of exactly one individual trip via a
trip entry scenario
• Accounting of one or more trips via
travel accounting

Prerequisites

You have to approve the employee trips first.

Features

On the basis of the trip facts, the system determines the accounting results. It displays the trip facts and the transfer amount for the employee trip via the standard form. Unlike in simulated accounting of an employee trip, the system saves the accounting results that are determined in the database.

Loading of Commodity Codes and Import Code in SAP MM

Numbers

Use

This function copies commodity codes [Ext.] into the SAP System from external files available

from the customs authorities. It saves you the time required to manually enter these codes in the

system.

Integration

Once they have been loaded into the SAP System, the codes and their descriptions can be used

throughout the system. For example, you can match them with materials in material master

records and print them in foreign trade documents.

The system stores goods numbers and their descriptions in tables T604 and T604T (Foreign

Trade: Commodity Code / Import Code Numbers).

Prerequisites

Before the function can transfer the codes into R/3, you need to:

• Make sure that the file containing the codes and their descriptions is in ASCII format

• Know the structure of the file from which the system will copy the codes – which columns

the codes, the text descriptions and the units of measure (if available) occupy.

Features

You do not have to load all codes into your system. If you want, you can load only the chapters

relevant to your business.

You can overwrite all of the system’s existing codes or add only the new codes.

For example, suppose the system contains the codes 100 and 101 and the set of

codes you want to load contains codes 100, 101, and 102. You can do one of the

following:

• Load only the new code, 102, and ignore codes 100 and 101

• Load the new code and overwrite the existing information for codes 100 and

101

You can load commodity codes and import code numbers from the Foreign Trade

Data Service Cockpit.

Loading Commodity Codes and Import Code Numbers in SAP MM

Use

This procedure describes how to load an external file containing commodity codes or import code

numbers for use in your system.

Prerequisites

• The external file must be in ASCII format

• You need to know the structure of the file – which columns (positions) the codes, the text

descriptions and the units of measure occupy.

Procedure

1. You access this function from the Foreign Trade Data Service Cockpit.

2. Choose the appropriate tab – European Union, Japan or Other – in the Load/Compare

section of the Data Service Cockpit. Choose the Load commodity code button next to the

Commodity code field to display the selection criteria screen.

3. Enter the selection criteria and the file specifications.

Entries in the following fields are mandatory:

– Country key

– File name

– Drive

– Subdirectory

– Initial position goods number

– Final position goods number

– Initial position goods text

– Final position goods text

See the field help (F1) for detailed information about each of the fields in this procedure.

You can determine the actual positions of the columns for the data record structure

entries by opening the ASCII file and counting the spaces used for the digits and the

text characters. For this you need to identify the beginning and end positions of the

codes, their texts and units of measure (when applicable) and enter them in the

corresponding fields.

For example, for a commodity code file with the contents "12345678 Sample text"

(with no unit of measure), you should make the following entries in the data record

structure section:

Data Record Structure

Field	Entry
Initial pos. goods no.	1
Final pos. goods no.	8
Initial pos. goods text	10
Final pos. goods text	21

If there is no unit of measure (optional entry), the last position for the goods text can be a

number that is much greater than the actual final position for the goods text (for example,

200).

4. If you want to use this set of codes as the basis for maintaining the codes in the system,

select Carry out preparations and enter an identification code in the Key for upload field. You

will need this key to access this set of codes during maintenance.

5. If you are installing codes from floppy disks or several files

– For the first disk or file, select First data carrier

– For additional disks or files, select Further data carriers

6. Execute the function.

Results

The system uploads the file contents to the SAP System.

Potential Errors

When you execute this report, the system issues an error message if

• The values for the beginning and end positions overlap

• You enter an incorrect length for a commodity code or import code

number

• The length for the codes has not been maintained for the country you

enter on the selection screen.

You assign commodity code and import code lengths for each country in

Table T609S in Customizing (see Sales → Foreign Trade/Customs →

Basic Data for Foreign Trade → Length of commodity Codes/Import

Code Numbers).

Comparison of Commodity Code Numbers in SAP MM

Use

This function allows you to maintain the lists of commodity codes (for example, US Schedule B

codes) and import code numbers (for example, Harmonized Tariff Schedule codes) in the

system.

Periodically, some codes become obsolete with the customs authorities. This function identifies

obsolete codes by comparing codes currently in the system with the set of codes designated by a

keyword you enter. (See the graphic below.) This designated set of codes could be, for example,

the most recent set of commodity codes you received from the customs authorities and loaded

into R/3. From the comparison, the system creates a list of the codes that are not in the

designated set. You then have the option of deleting the listed codes.

Commodity codes Commodity codes Commodity codes

Currently listed in the selected for

in the system most recent set deletion

100 101 102 103 104

100 101 103

102 104

Prerequisites

To use this function, you must know the keyword assigned to the set of codes on which you want

to base the comparison. (When you load a set of commodity codes or import code numbers, you

can print the key you assigned to the set and keep it on file.) The system uses that keyword to

retrieve the set of codes from its database.

Displaying Commodity Codes and Import Code in SAP MM

Use

This function displays descriptions of commodity codes and import code numbers that meet

criteria you define.

Prerequisites

The codes must be loaded into the system before you can search them. For more on loading

codes, see Loading of Commodity Codes and Import Code Numbers

The resulting list of codes is grouped by chapter and section. To display the chapter and section

titles in the list, maintain the following tables in Customizing for Sales and Distribution → Foreign

Trade:

• Basic Data for Foreign Trade → Sections with regard to customs law

• Basic Data for Foreign Trade → Assign chapters to a section

You can compare commodity codes and import code numbers from the Foreign>

Trade Data Service Area. See Foreign Trade Data Service Cockpit

SAP SD Sample Certification Questions in Sales Order Processing

To take the SAP SD certification, contact your local or regional SAP Education training center at this url :

http://www.sap.com/services/education/index.epx

Caution: more than one answer may be correct.
Please mark ALL correct answers.

Question:
Which statements concerning goods issue are true?

A Goods issue reduces requirements in materials planning
B Goods issue posts value changes to the stock account in inventory accounting
C Goods issue posts value changes to the stock account in asset accounting
D Goods issue posts value changes to the tax account
E Goods issue reduces warehouse stocks

Question:
Which of the following statements about billing are correct?

A. Invoice dates for creating invoices at certain times are maintained in the calendar.
B. You cannot carry out pricing again during billing.
C. A transaction-specific requirement, such as "deliveries must be combined in a collective invoice" can be set to control
billing.
D. If there are several payers for one delivery, only one billing document is created for each player.

Question:
How is the schedule line determined?

A. Item category and document type
B. Item category group and strategy group on the material master record
C. Item category and MRP type on the material master record
D. MRP Type and shipping point

Question:
When processing a billing due list, you have the following options:

A. The invoicing run can be started as a simulation run.
B. For performance reasons, the invoicing run via billing due list processing can only be carried out in batch.
C. The invoice run can be carried out for delivery-related and order-related billing documents simultaneously.
D. Order-related billing documents and delivery-related billing documents must always be created separately.

Question:
How does the SAP system enable you to check the reason for documents not being combined in a billing document?

A. Using the Spilt analysis function in the environment menu of the billing document.
B. Control of the document flow.
C. Control of the billing log.

Question:
How is the schedule line determined?

A. Item category and document type.
B. Item category group and strategy group on the material master record.
C. Item category and MRP type on the material master record.
D. MRP Type and shipping point.

Question: Cutover strategy
Q: Please explain cut over strategy procedure? Will the system golive 100% at the same time and cut the legacy system or will it be like 20% first day and 50% next day like that ?

A: Cutover strategy depends upon how the organizations design their data load strategies. Normally, you decide the sequence of Data loads for Configuration settings, Master data, Transaction data which follows whom and then you make a copy of the system as a Production system a day before and after checking the successful data loads, you go-live 100% or partial again depending upon organizational setup and policies.

My SAP SD Certification Experience

Let me share my certification experience with you. Keep following things in mind when preparing for the exam:

1. Prepare as per the weightage per topics given in the syllabus.

2. Be very confident on sure shot questions from the topics like:
All determination rules - plant, material, pricing procedure, picking location, route, shipping point, tax, item category, account
determination etc. One question on effect of PGI.
35 to 40 % questions will come from control tables like sales doc types, item category , copy control , delivery doc. , del. Item cat. , billing docs , schedule lines etc .

So try and mug up all the imp. Control fields .Your preparation level should be such that once you close your eye and think of TAN or OR you should be able to see all the fields in your mind .

These above, are sure to shot and you cannot afford to do mistakes in this sections.

3. Go through the screens, transaction level screens like sales order, delivery, billing, delivery list, billing due list, even standard reports etc. and check what is possible and what is not possible at each docs. What is defined at header and what is at item Go through the menu path of each docs and check what all is possible and from where it is coming. For example packing proposal and account determination analysis is possible at sales order.

4. Go through all the masters like customer, cust- material, material, > condition records for price, output, etc. Check what is defined at what level, what all is possible etc.

5. Check entire IMG - SD related, it will help you to understand what is defined at what level etc.

6. In exam be very careful with the sap English, particularly with the words like can, only, always, except. Read question very carefully. Sap statements in the exam will be always confusing, so think logically and holistically before exam.

7. Don't take any chance in preparation but always sticks to core basics, they will not ask configuration, but they will ask you what is possible and what is not and where it is defined.

8. Last but not least have confidence, how much a guy who have studied for 5 weeks is suppose to know that standard will be asked . Prepare well you will definitely succeed.

SAP PM Certification - Plant Maintenance Certification

To find out the latest certification topics or where to attend your SAP PM Certification course at your country, refer to the SAP Education site: http://www.sap.com/services/education/index.epx

The certification test for becoming an application consultant for the SAP Plant Maintenance area is intended to provide candidates with the opportunity of proving that they have a fundamental knowledge of this particular area of the PM component as well as that they are able to apply this knowledge within a project environment.

The examination questions are based on the functionality and features of the SAP PM. The possible topics covers are:

1. Organizational Units and Master Data in Plant Maintenance

Organizational Units - Maintenance Plant and Planning Plant - Work Centers - Storage Locations Functional Locations - Structure Indicator - Reference Location and Functional Location - Creation Options - Data Transfer Equipment - Installation/Dismantling at Functional Locations - Equipment Hierarchy - Change Documentation - Equipment Category Material and Serial Numbers - Serial Number Profile - Goods Movement and Warehouse Stock - Valuation Batches Bills of Material (BOM) - Assemblies - BOM Categories - Item Categories - Change Documentation Additional Functions - Configuration - Classification - Measuring Points and Counters - Partners and Addresses - Document Link - Status Management - Permits and Warranties - Data Transfer 2. Maintenance Processing Breakdown Maintenance Preventive Maintenance Processing - Notification Types - Objects and Object Information - Catalogs and Catalog Profiles - List Viewer for Notifications and Orders - Order Type - Object List - Operation List - Relationships - Material List - Availability Check - Order Release and Printing - Material Withdrawal - Completion Confirmation in Time - Technical Completion Confirmation - Technical Completion - Action Log and Document Flow Processing External Services - External Services as Individual Purchase Order - External Services with External Work Centers - External Services with Service Entry Sheets Processing Refurbishment Tasks - Valuation Type and Valuation Category in the Material Master - Refurbishment Without Serial Numbers - Refurbishment with Serial Numbers - Inventory Management and Controlling Processing Maintenance Projects - Planning and Executing Maintenance Projects - Completion, Settlement, and Monitoring of Maintenance Projects CATS - Cross-Application Time Sheets - Data Entry Profile - Data Entry Sheet - Data Transfer Capacity Planning - Scheduling - Work Center and Available Capacity - Capacity Leveling - Employee Assignment 3. Controlling Functions in Plant Maintenance Plant Maintenance in the Organizational Structures of Accounting - Budget Planning and Monitoring - Cost Estimation - Planned/Actual Cost Determination - Order Settlement - Logistics Information System (LIS) - Plant Maintenance Information System (PMIS) - Enhancement Options 4. Preventive Maintenance Task List Management - Task List Types - Profile and User Fields - Component Assignment - Task List and Order Single Cycle Plan - Structure - Scheduling Indicator - Deadline Monitoring Strategy Plan - Maintenance Strategy - Task List and Maintenance Strategy Performance-Based Maintenance Planning - Counters and Measurement Documents - Maintenance Plan Scheduling Maintenance Planning with Several Counters - Cycle Sets - Link Type

My SAP PM Certification Experience

Please note that questions can be very different to what I had in Australia.

In my exam, we did not need to remember menu paths however there were a number questions on config settings...but to pass, they do need a deep understanding of PM functionality and how it all fits together. It will also help a lot if they have a good understanding of how a maintenance business works and been working in maintenance for a few years.

We had questions and up to 4-5 sub questions for each question (not all of them though). The exam has a time limit of 3 hours and the fee is non refundable if you fail..

From what I know, there are many different exam questions in the question bank. I really don't remember specific questions, just the type of questions. My advice is;

1. Attend all the SAP courses. SAP said there is nothing in the exam that is not in the courses.

2. Practice as often as you can in a DEV client, configuring things and seeing how they work, running transactions etc.

3. Practice with a friend, try and find difficult questions to ask each other and work out together how things work. Make a competition of it.

4. Open the PM menu path then open every transaction in it, read the help for each transaction ... even if you think you know it.

5. Understand the relationship between sap objects, such as costs and orders, overheads and costs, qualifications and orders, permits and tech objects etc.

6. Read the questions very, very, VERY carefully. They can be a little ambiguous (by design, to see if you know your subject).

7. One type of question they use is, 3 very similiar statements, but only one is right. Read carefully and think about it.

8. Try not to get too nervous and uptight before the exam. I did a little bit and it took a while to realise I actually knew the answers and it wasn't as hard as I first thought.

9. If you know SAP PM very well and read the questions carefully, you will find it fairly easy.

10. Have a look on Amazon books, there are a range of books supposedly giving sample questions for SAP certification exams, there may be one for PM by now.

As a note, When they give the exam, everyone gets a different exam and it is done electronically. It stops on the stroke of 3 hours, no extensions.

Phases of a SAP Project (ASAP)

Phase I: Project Preparation

• Decision makers define clearly Project objectives and an effective decision making process.
• Define Project organization and Roles.
• Implementation scope is finalized
• System Landscape and technical requirements are finalized
• Infrastructure (Hardware/Interfaces)
• High level Strategies for client
• Archiving strategy
• Issues of Data bases
• Other issues like
• Unanticipated tasks
• Normal tasks that can not be completed
• External factors that need to be dealt with

Phase II: Blue Print Phase

• Scope of R/3 implementation is defined.
• Business blue print is created.o Tools used for this is ASAP Implementation assistant
• Question and Answer Data
• Base (Q&A dB) Business Process Master List (BPML)
• R/3 Structure
• Modules Business Navigator and External Modeling tools?
• Project Management (Activities like…)
• Conducting Status Meeting for Project Meeting
• Conducting Steering committee meetings
• Addresses the issues like Organizational Change Management
• Other Activities Like
• Project Team Training
• Developing the system environmento Defining Org Structure
• Define Business Process

Phase III: Realization Phase

• Configuring the R/3 System
• Defining the Authorizations in R/3
• Defining the work flow
• Creating Use Documentation
• System manager procedures
• Developing the System Test plans
• Define the Service level Commitment
• Establishing the System Administration function
• Setting up the Quality Assurance environment
  
  

Phase IV: Testing and Final Preparation

• Testing, user Training, System management and Cutover activities
• Test Plan has the activities of:
• Testing the conversion procedures and programs
• Total Interface programso Volume and Stress testing
• Final User acceptance testingo Developing a Final Go-Live strategy
• Redirection to Go-Live? Preparation of End-user documentation
• Training for the End Users
• Technical environment installation on Production system and testing
• Transfer of Legacy data and preparation plan for Go-Live

Phase V: GO-Live Phase

• Production support facilities are carried out
• Validations of Business process and their configuration
• Follow up training for End Users
• Sign–Off.

Accelerated SAP Introduction

Enterprise application software has to cover a broad spectrum of functionality, yet be configured flexibly enough to meet specific requirements, which can vary enormously. SAP’s answers to this challenge are AcceleratedSAP and the R/3 Business Engineer, providing a comprehensive solution for implementing R/3 quickly, easily, and according to your own needs even during productive operation.

Born out of the need to cost effectively configure R/3 to order, AcceleratedSAP and the Business R/3 Engineer support custom configuration of R/3. You can tailor the R/3 components, functions and organizational structures to your needs, hiding and/or deactivating those functions that are not required.

Fig. 1: The R/3 Business Engineer Complements ASAP

AcceleratedSAP (ASAP) is SAP's standard implementation methodology. It contains the Roadmap, a step-by-step guide that incorporates experience from many years of implementing R/3. Along with that, AcceleratedSAP contains a multitude of tools, accelerators and useful information to assist all team members in implementing R/3. Quality checks are incorporated at the end of each phase to easily monitor deliverables and critical success factors. ASAP is delivered as a PC-based package, so that - if required - an implementation project can begin prior to having an R/3 System installed.

The R/3 Business Engineer contains a set of configuration and implementation tools which enable you or your consultants to define and configure R/3 and also to adapt an existing configuration to new needs or changed circumstances. The Business Engineer is resident to R/3.

So that its customers can implement R/3 as quickly as possible, SAP has standardized the implementation procedure, simplified the way functions are presented and reduced the technical complexity of implementation.

AcceleratedSAP and the Business Engineer help you configure R/3 according to your own needs using proven, industry-specific business scenarios and processes. Whether implementing new processes in your enterprise or restructuring old ones, R/3 can release the full potential of change for you. AcceleratedSAP and the Business Engineer help you determine which of R/3’s proven processes are most suited to your business, and then help you configure to meet your specific needs. The benefit is obvious: Restructuring enterprise processes in the R/3 System leads to a rapid and efficient production startup, meaning a faster return on investment.

By simplifying configuration, ASAP and the Business Engineer make the power of R/3 more accessible, helping companies to lower their dependence on expensive specialists or outside consultants. The user-friendliness of ASAP and the Business Engineer make them particularly suitable for the following groups:

• Business professionals who need to discuss, prototype and design their business blueprint (enterprise model)
• IS departments of large enterprises who need to customize R/3 applications more efficiently and more rapidly
• Small and medium-sized companies previously wary of implementing R/3 because of the perceived scale of such projects
• Consultants and SAP partners looking for an efficient way of offering their customers configure-to-order or wishing to develop R/3-based solutions for niche markets

Together, AcceleratedSAP and the Business Engineer empower you to manage cost, time and quality without compromising on implementation requirements. Some of the features offered are:

 Reduced implementation times and faster return on investment through structured planning and preconfiguration

• Intuitive understanding of the wide range of functions offered by R/3

• Process optimization using proven scenarios, processes and value chains, illustrating clearly the software’s capabilities and offering practical help when you configure the R/3 System.

 High quality installations through comprehensive procedural guidelines

 Optimizing business processes using SAP Business Workflow, via process monitoring and automation of procedures

• Continuous, dynamic adjustment and optimization of R/3 applications

• The capability to copy configured areas, for example, by transferring existing settings to new organizational units.

AcceleratedSAP and the Business Engineer are designed for openness and new platforms, using HTML-based documentation. Compatibility with many third-party modeling tools and software packages, for example, Microsoft Excel, is ensured.

Available Tools

Embarking on an implementation project requires a lot of careful thought beforehand. You need to think about what you want to accomplish, the optimum sequence, and the business cases that are best suited to your needs. But SAP has already done a lot of the thinking for you and packaged its findings in the following tools. They are then described in more detail in the following chapters organized according to the corresponding AcceleratedSAP phases.

1. AcceleratedSAP (ASAP): A comprehensive solution for the introduction of the R/3 System in your enterprise. ASAP and most of its tools can be used independently of an R/3 installation.

The tools available for AcceleratedSAP are:

• The Project Estimator, an internal SAP tool which enables SAP consultants to accurately gauge the required resources, the costs and the time frame of implementation. The Project Estimator takes into account the project scope and several project and risk factors.
• The Concept Check Tool, a tool enabling you to carry out quality checks on the project preparation, technical infrastructure and R/3 configuration settings. This is done mainly during the first two implementation phases of the R/3 project. In this way you are alerted to potential data volume and configuration conflicts that could lead to performance issues if not addressed.
• The Implementation Assistant: The ASAP navigation tool that accompanies you through the five phases of implementation down to the task level. It includes a description and a detailed "how-to" for each task in the Roadmap. Along with that, many tools, templates and documents are hyperlinked to the task. The Implementation Assistant contains the following elements:

• ASAP Implementation Roadmap
and Project Plan. The Roadmap contains the five phases, from which you can drill down into work packages, activities and tasks. The Project Plan contains three components, a budget plan, a resource plan and a work plan. These are explained in more detail in the next chapter.

The ASAP Roadmap is the successor of the R/3-based Procedure Model, which was used until Rel. 3.1 in R/3 implementation projects.

• Knowledge Corner
, containing tips and tricks for configuration from consultants, detailed documentation on SAP’s implementation services, information on technical tools, as well as simplification guidebooks and R/3 Customizing wizards.

• Question and Answer Database (Q&Adb).
Using the R/3 Reference Model structure, the Q&Adb is used to assist in gathering requirements for business processes, conversions, reports, interfaces, enhancements and authorizations. The database provides useful questionnaires to help you define the process needs and also serves as a repository for all this information. Since it is a database, it allows for flexible reporting. The business requirements generated from the Q&Adb are collectively known as the Business Blueprint.

• Business Process Master List
, to manage configuration, testing and the creation of end user documentation. The Business Process Master List is linked to pre-written Business Process Procedures (BPPs), detailled end-user documentation for R/3 transactions.
• Issues Database
: supporting project management, this database supports the entering, monitoring and managing of issues that come up during the project.

1. R/3 Business Engineer:
The implementation tools for the high-quality configuration of the R/3 System are:

• R/3 Reference Model: Comprehensive graphical process flows describing the R/3 functionality from different points of view. It contains scenarios, processes and functions, as well as components. The R/3 Reference Model can be viewed using SAP's Business Navigator and the Business Navigator Web, or using third-party modeling tools available from modeling partners.

• Implementation Guide
(IMG): Used to configure all system parameters for the business processes in R/3. It contains project management functionality and a menu-driven view of all R/3 Customizing activities. Every activity can be documented in detail, and responsibilities and statuses can be assigned.

1. Preconfigured systems:

• Preconfigured US and Canadian clients: Provides a head start on baseline configuration. It includes a preconfigured US/Canadian chart of accounts, print forms, account determination, units of measure, etc. The predefined test sequences that are included can be a starting point for integration testing.
• Preconfigured industry systems: A number of complete preconfigured clients consisting of an industry-specific model and preconfigured business processes for the needs of a particular industry in R/3 are available. For more information on preconfigured systems, see the description of Phase 2, Business Blueprint or the information on the IDES System in this chapter.

Continuous Business Engineering

In today’s fast-moving, ever-changing business climate, companies are in a constant state of flux and their mission-critical applications must adapt and evolve at the same speed. If software cannot grow with the needs of a company, the company will quickly find itself in a straightjacket.

Furthermore, an ERP application needs to let you move forward fast, knowing that you can roll back changes without downtime.

An enterprise's organizational structure and the corresponding R/3 implementation created using the Business Engineer are not "set in concrete", they can be modified at any time. Examples of possible changes, which can be made rapidly include the following:

• Addition or removal of entities within the organization structure (for example, business units, production plants, warehouses, etc.)
• Introduction of new staff, promotion, reallocation of work tasks, and maintenance of authorization profiles

• Changes to the reporting or cost/profit center structure

• New and concurrent currencies
• Accommodation of changed legal requirements (for example, new tax rates, new employment legislation)
• Activation or deactivation of R/3 functions
• Optimization of business processes
• Support for new and multiple versions of R/3

In addition, SAP offers a range of services if you want support for some of these changes, for example, conversion services to support mergers and acquisitions. Standard Euro services are a further example of the available services.

AcceleratedSAP and R/3 Business Engineer take the hassle out of implementation procedures and change management. Modifications can be made at any time, and the compatibility of changes can be verified with other configuration decisions, thus supporting their smooth, trouble-free introduction into the productive system.