Glossary something we always get hammered with in meetings with our customers and colleagues. Some of the important functional & technical terms in SAP and what they mean.

AAA

Materials Management Automatic Account Assignment (configured with transaction omwb)

Account determination

System function that determines automatically the accounts in financial accounting to which the amount(s) in question should be posted for the user during any posting transaction.

AM

Asset Management Module

Application Link Enabling

Application Link Enabling (ALE) supports the creation and operation of distributed applications and application integration is achieved via synchronous and asynchronous communication , not via a central database. Provides business-controlled message exchange with consistent data on loosely linked SAP applications.

APO

Advanced Planner & Optimizer

ARIS-Toolset

Tool for creating the graphical models that describe the functionality and integration of the SAP R/3 System.

ATP

Available-to-promise is the quantity of a material or part still available to MRP which can be used for new sales orders.

Authorization

Allowing a person/system/module to have a specified access limitations. An authorization specifies one or more permissible values for each of the authorization fields that are listed in an authorization object.

BC

Basis

Backflush

Material is issued for use in an order. Automatic posting of a goods issue for these components some time after their actual physical issue is termed as backflush. During confirmation, the goods issue posting of backflushed components is carried out.

Background Processing

To schedule a process to happen without coming onto the screen. Data can be processed in the background while other functions are being carried out in parallel on the screen. Some programs can be schedules to run on week ends at a particular time. This is particularly useful for batch processing, taking back-up of data etc.

BAPI

Business Application Programming Interface

Batch Input

Interface to facilitate the transfer of large amounts of either old data or external data to an SAP system.

Batch Processing

The procedure to process large volumes of data at once. The processing can not be modified once processing has begun.

BBP

Business-To-Business Procurement

BDC

Batch Data Communication. Used to define processing mode for a batch input sessions like Displaying all records, Displaying error dialogs, Process sessions in background etc.

BW

Business Information Warehouse 

CO

Controlling

CATT

SAP tool for grouping and automating repetitive business transactions for test runs and text modules.

Change Management

Handling of transformation from one environment to another. This could be changing systems internally from one system to another or moving to a new release from the existing system.

Client

A self-contained unit with separate master records and its own set of tables. Typically a Corporation.

Company Code

The smallest organizational unit for which a complete self-contained set of accounts can be drawn up . Will be able provide data for generating balance sheets, profit-loss statements.

CRM

Customer Relationship Management

Dispatcher

The system agent that helps in sending a job to an idle work process by identifying the type of task (ex: update, on-line, batch)

EDI

Electronic Data Interchange

SAP Early watch

The EarlyWatch Service has been developed to take note of any problems that may occur and to coordinate R/3 applications within your system, providing you with Optimal system performance. Early recognition of potential problems in R/3 customer systems is crucial to a problem-free installation. The EarlyWatch team of experts locate bottlenecks and potential problem sources and recommends feasible solutions. Constant system tuning helps you to optimize your system resources.

FI

Financial Accounting Module

SAPfind

Authoring system for developing hypertext books in the R/3 System

GI

Goods Issue.

GL

General Ledger

GR

Goods Receipt.

GT

Goods Transfer posting.

GUI

Graphical User Interface. Windows like feel and look. User friendly screens to develop and use are provided. The user can simply point the cursor and click the mouse to operate. 

Help

All SAP systems are provided with information , in case the user needs more information. In SAP system , place the cursor on the object where you would like to know more information, and press F1 for more details.

Hot site backup

Identical copy of the Production database on a stand-by database host

HR

Human Resources Module 

IDES

International Demonstration and Education System. A sample application provided for faster learning and implementation

idoc

Intermediate Document. Data container for data exchange between SAP systems or between a SAP system and a Non-SAP system.

IMG

Implementation Guide Hierarchical structure reflecting the R/3 component hierarchy and contains all configuration activities.

Instance

An administrative unit that groups together components of an SAP R/3 system or simply an Application server which has its own set of work process.

IR

Invoice Receipt.

IS

Industry Specific Solutions

InterSAP

InterSAP is REAL TIME COMMUNICATIONS WITH R/3 resulting in immediate on-line transaction processing and transaction formats can easily be adapted to evolving requirements.

ITS

Internet Transaction Server links R/3 Application server to web servers to communicate with Internet.

Job

A continuous chain of programs, using control commands. 

KANBAN Production control

System used for organizing production that aims to reduce stock levels in the warehouse, thus reducing production costs.

LES

Logistics Execution System

LIFO

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