Logging for the first time

WORKING WITH R/3 system

The SAP R/3 presentation interface behaves very similarly to any other typical window application and is also known as SAPGUI. The first screen that you come across in R/3 system is SAP logon screen.

SAP R/3 logon Screen

This is the first screen that appears when you use SAP logon utility. It has four fields: the client, the user, the password and the language.


Client: Here you enter the client number. The client is group of users who has similar rights. It can be group of users in a business entity or a whole business entity or a whole company.
• User: The name of the SAP user identification. Users of the SAP system are client-specific, which means that user belonging to one client is valid to only the particular client.
• Password: It is the password that has been assigned by the system administrator.
• Language: SAP R/3 system supports multinational language on the same system at the same time, which is very useful for multinational companies with different branches in several countries and possibly using different languages.

After entering all the fields press ENTER key and system will take you to MAIN MENU screen.

User might get different screens when he logs on, depending upon default settings of the user master record i.e., if user is DEVELOPER then the screen which he often works on is editor screen and he can go directly to this screen, if system administrator sets this screen for the user.

Main features of any R/3 window are as follows:
• R/3 standard window elements behave exactly the same, as any other standard window application would, like minimizing a screen, setting the active window etc.
• From TOP to BOTTOM, R/3 window can contain typical elements such as check boxes, push buttons, input fields and following elements:
• Menu bar is the first element of the every R/3 window. It contains the menu item corresponding to the particular R/3 application. The two menu options SYSTEM and HELP are always present in every R/3 window. SYSTEM menu option contains all utilities and functions, and is available to user at all the times. The HELP menu contains all the available options for the different types and methods of obtaining online help in the system.
• Standard tool bar. The second R/3 window element is present in every R/3 window. It is nothing but a collection of icons, which perform common functions like saving the object, exit etc. The various icons on std. Tool bar are as follows (from left to right):
Enter Command Field Save Back
Exit Cancel Print Find
Find Next First Page Previous Page Next Page
Last Page Help
All icons in R/3 window application support FOCUS property. It means, if you place cursor over an icon, the system will show the function of the icon.
• Application tool bar: The next part of the screen contains icons most commonly used in that particular task or transaction.
• Status bar is the bottom line of the screen and usually shows errors or information messages to the user. It also includes other information such as system id, session number, client, server name and the response time.

In between application tool bar and status bar you have working area, which is different for different screens.
Logging Off

User can log off the R/3 system from any screen. There are three ways of logging off the R/3 system, which are as follows:
• From the Menu bar choose SYSTEM  LOG OFF. In this case, you get the log off dialog box, which informs the user that any data not saved will be lost if continuing with the log off procedure.
• Use/NEX transaction code in the command field. This is dangerous, since it does not ask if you want to save the data.
• Clicking on the EXIT button on the R/3 initial screen.

Using Transaction Code

The R/3 system provides an alternative and efficient way of selecting menu options for moving around the tasks and functions of the SAP system by using transaction code directly in the command field.

When moving with transaction, you can go to any part of the system by merely typing a transaction code in the command field, provided you have authorization for that. That transaction code is the four-character code associated with any task. By typing the transaction code and pressing ENTER key, the system takes you directly to the initial screen for transaction. Whenever any transaction code is entered in the command field, it gets stored in the buffer memory. If you click on drop down arrow, system displays list of transaction code already entered and you can select from this list or enter new one. There are almost twelve thousand and ninety four transactions in SAP. For every task, transaction code is associated and it can be found by

• SYSTEM  STATUS
Status window is popped up which contains the transaction code in the trans field.
• Through DYNAMIC MENU. It gives the list of tasks. If you click on the top line of the application areas and pressing the search and search next button will give you the transaction code. /N will take you to initial screen of R/3

Important transaction codes, which you will be using often, are:

Editors
• SE37 Function Builder
• SE38 ABAP/4 Editor
• SE41 Menu Painter
• SE51 Screen Painter
• SE71 Form Painter

Dictionary
• SE11 Initial ABAP/4 dictionary maintain screen.

Browsers
• SE80 Object browser.
• SE16 Data browser.

Testing Tools
• SE30 Runtime Analysis
• ST05 SQL Trace
Getting help in the R/3 system

R/3 includes many possibilities to get online help for almost every element of the system, users can get help for entire application, for specific function, for definitions of various terms used in SAP, i.e., Glossary, messages, screens, fields etc.

You obtain HELP by using any of the following options:

• Help function from the R/3 window, which is compulsory menu item of every R/3 window.
• ? Icon of standard tool bar.
• F1 function key.

The SAP system provides help on most fields that appear on the R/3 system. To get help on particular field, position the cursor over it and press help button or F1 function key.

Another way in which R/3 system provides help is when system displays error messages in the status bar. Double clicking on the status bar shows additional information about the message.

SAP architecture

A typical SAP system consists of various business modules, numerous sector and cross-sector solutions. A distributed system of this nature requires a common infrastructure, which is provided by SAP NetWeaver and in particular, by the SAP Web Application Server (WAS).

Major points to note and keep in mind would be:
• R/3
• Layers of WAS: presentation, application and database.
• The interfaces used between presentation and application, application and database.
• ICM – Internet Communication Manager
• Roll in / Roll out
• Work processes, Gateway and dispatcher.

If the above points are not clear kindly Google and try to find more about them or post your queries here. It would help you in connecting the dots ahead.

...continued...Introduction to SAP

With a successful SAP implementation, however, if it has to run efficiently in the long term, it should meet the demands of the market, business requirements and the enterprise.

It is important we understand the three separately and later collectively.
Market is where the enterprise will sell its product and services. The demand of the finished product and supply of raw material should drive the decisions of internal operations.
Business Requirements are the broad description of a particular projects’ achievements, standards etc.
As we will see ahead, business requirements are further broken down into sub-business requirements with design level inputs known as Functional Requirements.

SAP has provided necessary integration and data models to help link and coordinate separate functional units in an organization.
By functional unit we mean the separate entities of an enterprise that may operate independently or dependently, but there is always data and resources to be shared between different functional units. This is critical in making the business effective.
Most importantly cost savings and increase in productivity.

SAP implementation usually involves high level of training due to definition and implementation of strict procedure instructions and new business processes. More often getting used to the cultural aspects of an Implementation and Constraints is a lot more challenging than the actual tasks.

There is also challenge of modification in the structure of the Enterprise. With Mergers and Acquisitions, enterprises must move from traditionally vertically built organization to enterprise made up of different organizations.
Add to that there are vendors, customers and partners. Complexity increases…to what magnitude? That is a subjective matter we can avoid!

When many enterprises do business often and at a huge scene, they want it to be highly efficient with highly effective internal linked systems. The ERP systems’ architecture and functions are directly influenced by business processes.
This is the order of the day - that ERP is desired to be integrative and based upon external requirements rather than internal or application specific requirement.

Quite often integration solutions are based on exchanging data. This again requires enterprise to make sure the technical process flow is streamlined. A system which is already complex gets more complicated by partly inflexible processes. Result is an ever increasing Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) – caused by ever increasing time and capital of implementing and maintaining an ERP. This leads to improvements to use existing resources optimally and continually check and improve processes.

Quality of systems used, that is, the processes and the data. The data should be secure(which was the utmost priority till last generation), now the need is data should be secure as well as of high quality. Centralized data available should be of high quality – this is important for SAP key systems and related SCM or CRM solutions.


Earlier there used to be a person designated to oversee every operation, when processes go beyond enterprise boundaries, this is no longer possible. Requirements of real-time enterprises can be met only if processes are automatically monitored for duration, integrity and outcome, and if there are predefined roles and responsibilities for handling any problems that arise. Useful data and knowledge is by-product of this real-time business monitoring and can provide a basis for the continued improvement of business processes.

Short Introduction to SAP

To start with the introduction of SAP:
my commentary about SAP will eventually shape and reshape but to get going with ABAP - let start with a short word document.
SAP abbreviation for ‘Systems Application and Products in Data Processing’ is the largest business software e produced by SAP AG.
Find a word document SAP_an_overview_for_the_beginers at my enips account.