What is SAP system. SAP - what is it? Description of the program Setting up sap r3 software modules

For the productive development of a business, it is necessary to have control over all stages of production, accounting accounting. Thanks to this, the company will be able to quickly respond to changing factors and adapt to the situation.

As one of the means to achieve automation is SAP software. The abbreviation stands for System Analysis and Program Development or System Analysis and Program Development.

How SAP works

On the Russian market compete several programs for accounting, some of which do not require special skills and knowledge (Microsoft Office Word, Excel), while others need a specialist:

• 1c accounting;
• Galaxy;
• Sail;
• Microsoft Dynamics Axapta.

SAP has many possibilities and even more features:

• automation of the work of an accountant;
• trading operations;
• warehouse operations;
• personnel accounting;
• financial accounting;
• accounting for the value of shares;
• drawing up payroll schedules;
• handling logistics and more.

The structure of the program is extremely complex, so only a trained person can deal with it. The salary of such workers is appropriate: in European countries, the administrator receives from 2500 €.

SAP program speeds up data processing and indicates the optimal course that the company should be guided by, however, the program will not be productive if the structure of the company itself has illogicalities, and its components are poorly interconnected.

The functionality of the program is wide and consists of modules.

Module	Title in Russian	Module Features
PP	Production planning.	Planning and management of production and its cycles.
MM	Management of material flows.	Managing production facilities: procurement system; receipt of goods; control and analysis of stocks in warehouses; inventory of required materials.
PM	Maintenance.	Repair and maintenance of the property of the enterprise and its equipment.
SD	Sales.	Invoicing, processing orders and offers.
AM	Fixed asset management.	Processing of enterprise property states: Maintenance; management, control, sale of investments.
AA	Tax flows	Calculation of payment of taxes.
FI	Finance.	Financial control and full accounting reporting: data consolidation; reporting on debts and debtors.
HR	Personnel Management.	Work with personnel: payroll calculation; setting vacations and accounting for sick leave; grace period calculations; calculation of taxes paid to the state for employees; accounting and control of the process of professional development and recruitment of new employees.
CO	Control.	Management accounting and full control over the structure of production: expenditure and income of funds; calculation of the percentage of profit; leakage analysis.

Company formation

The creator of the program was a German development company, separated from IBM. This happened in 1972, and since 1992, accounting software products began to change in favor of SAP at medium and large enterprises. By 2003, SAP was almost completely ousted from the market competitors in Europe and the CIS due to its reliability, high-quality implementation and multifunctional support.

In 2006, courses began to appear to teach the features of the program. However, in the CIS countries, the 1C system is still used in small firms, as it is more convenient to use for untrained employees. Enterprises like Gazprom, Lukoil and Alros use SAP.

The creators of the program specialized specifically in helping companies, so SAP can be fully customized by the programmer individually for the needs of the company.

Advantages and disadvantages of the software package

The SAP system has a number of advantages, including:

To disadvantages can be attributed:

1. High cost. Installation and implementation cost up to $1 million. In addition, it is necessary to train employees and pay salaries to the administrator and programmer. Customizing the program for the needs of the company is also expensive.
2. Inability to install another program, since the contract is concluded on a certain period. Termination of the contract will bring losses.
3. Poorly implemented translation into Russian.

Most Popular Packages

packages software There are many SAPs, each of which is customized for specific needs. Most often install SAP ERP, or SAP R / 3. This package plans the resources of the enterprise, external and internal. It is convenient because it works in real time. Up to 50% of all global companies work on the ERP system.

SAP also has following packages:

1. Process Integration (PI). Solutions for integrations of various levels.
2. Enterprise Portal (EP). Solution of portal tasks.
3. Mobile Infrastructure (MI). Assistant in the implementation of mobile applications.
4. Business Intelligence (BI). Assistance to business analysts.
5. Knowledge Management (KM). Assistant to control educational programs.
6. Master Data Management (MDM). System for reference background information as well as regulations.

Program implementation

The introduction of SAP (customization of the program to the needs of the company) in the company takes place in 4 major stages.

Software add-on

The SAP Developer Corporation has a lab that releases updates and introduces new features and packages. But enterprises are not always willing to buy new packages because of their high cost, so additional software has been created, that is, additions to the main package.

Additional software allows you to expand the range of SAP capabilities, make the package more flexible.

open PS

This add-on provides access to the SAP system outside the computer on which it is installed. With it, it is also possible to perform various operations remotely.

Intranet

The add-on creates an account for each user, and also gives him an interface. The system can include suppliers, customers, managers, etc.

Business Add-Ins (BAdIs)

Checks reporting, proposals, documentation for relevance and reliability. It also allows you to determine the cost of a product or its batch.

Automation in industry has long been a familiar process. Smart controllers manage technological processes on the modern enterprises all industries, transferring information to computers for analysis and decision-making by a person.

It is impossible to automate management decisions with the help of a controller, therefore, integrated systems such as SAP, which are a constructor of interconnected modules for managing the production process, have been developed and are being successfully implemented around the world.

A little about the company and product

In 1972 in Germany, five former employees IBM Corporation was founded SAP company(System Analysis and Program Development). Their goal was to develop standard software that integrates all business processes in an enterprise in real time.

Twenty-five years later, SAP has become the undisputed leader in the enterprise resource planning (ERP) automation niche. Today it is a corporation with branches and subsidiaries in all industrialized countries.

In Russia, the history of the company is already 20 years old. The first office of this international corporation was opened in Moscow in 1992. Today, offices operate in St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Rostov-on-Don; Russian has become one of the main localization languages ​​for SAP software products, and more than 1,000 Russian employees are involved in the implementation of key software solutions.

What it is

SAP ERP is an information corporate system based on the methodology of ERP (enterprise resource planning) and aimed at achieving the optimal business process.

For large state-owned industrial giants, stable execution of government orders within a strictly specified time frame is necessary, for private industrial enterprises more important is the profit and payback of the equipment.

Projects implemented with the help of SAP help both public and private structures to optimize costs and achieve their goals at each stage of the production cycle. At the same time, the basis for the adoption management decisions individual methods and principles are laid down that are relevant only in a particular case.

The SAP ERP system allows the manager to see the production process in real time, while, without delving into the essence of the problems, correctly assess the dynamics of the processes in the enterprise.

Video: SAP ERP - Introduction

Main modules of the program

Accounting and control are necessary in any business, but in business every percentage of profit is registered, therefore, the introduction of information systems that reduce routine operations by more than 50%, show the transparency of product manufacturing processes and give easy access to any information you need - this is the way to effective work companies. The SAP architecture of the new generation allows you to effectively solve a variety of tasks facing the enterprise.

All key areas of activity:

• operational management of production;
• accounting areas (accounting, finance, warehouses, transport);
• planning and control;
• frames.

The system has not only wide functionality, but also full integration between modules.

A set of standard modules designed to manage all areas of activity is given below.

• FI module (Finance). One of the main, centralizes data accounting and financial management. Performs operations with creditors, debtors, improves the quality and timing of reporting;
• Module AM ​​(Fixed assets). This includes all the tasks of managing fixed assets: planning, control, repair, maintenance throughout the entire cycle of equipment operation;
• CO (Controlling) module. Accounts for costs and benefits. Forms a plan and actual cost, allows you to quickly respond to market changes, develops conditions for a high-quality management decision;
• PS (Projects). An application module that works with a specific object allows you to track the project using graphic elements: network charts, scheduling charts;
• Module MM (Material flows). Solves the issues of supply and inventory management by optimizing the purchase of materials, warehouse management. Closely integrated with the financial module FI;
• SD (Sales). Organizes business processes for the shipment and sale of products with automatic issuance of invoiced reports.
• PM (Maintenance and repair of equipment). Automates the processes of equipment repair, allows you to plan preventive maintenance with further control;
• QM (Quality Control and Management). Organizes planning and quality control in production and procurement. Interacts with MM;
• HR (Personnel Management). A system for working with personnel, from payroll to hiring new employees. This also includes training, retraining of personnel and organizational management;
• WF (Information flows). Information is automated by certain rules using special procedures. Email, document management system, integration with CAD - component parts of the module;
• IS (Industry Solutions). A special functionality is described that corresponds to a certain industry.

Additions to the package

The need for updates in software is caused by life itself, the constant movement forward of human thought. What was good 10 years ago today needs to be improved, taking into account today's realities. Therefore, SPA has developed new strategy supply of software for their projects.

These are extension packs that provide new functionality within a specific group of users without affecting the architecture of the project as a whole.

Today, the fourth update package has been released, which implements additional features in the field of financial management, procurement, sales, personnel, etc. It includes all previous updates, has additional features and services for working with the WEB-interface, it includes new industry solutions.

An example is the RCM module - an electronic document management system. In another way, it is called the enterprise content management module. Convenient element of working with documentation.

Implementation stages

Implementation of any information system The process is not easy, step-by-step, lengthy and expensive. But any phase of the implemented project must have a final product with a description.

The process of launching an SAP ERP project can be divided into the following stages:

• creation of project management documentation (order, charter, schedule);
• examination of the automation object;
• conceptual design. (creation of a business management model);
• phased implementation;
• user support and training.

Benefits of the ERP package

What gives the implementation of the system? In addition to being a very costly project, it also changes the company's management structure. Therefore, it is impossible to evaluate how the project works without analyzing and evaluating the effectiveness of changes in the company's work.

And yet ... The introduction of programs of this class allows you to remove the most painful points in the work of enterprises. These include "transparency" of production and inefficiency. To understand “where it hurts”, the head of the company needs to study the “symptoms”. This is what such a system helps to do.

It also eliminates the problem of human inefficiency by automating a huge number of functions. Where a person spent more than a day to prepare a report, the system generates data in a few minutes.

Description of SAP R3

In the Russian market, the most popular SAP program R3. What it is? This is a business application package that supports full Internet access in the latest version 4.0, available for small and medium businesses at a price. The package allows you to standardize internal business processes, increases the efficiency of the enterprise.

Photo: production management based on SAP R3

All important areas of planning, production, control are included in the system. Built on the principles of client / server, it has become available to medium-sized businesses.

The introduction of such systems since 1995 allows us to state that today they operate in more than 40 countries. In Russia, it is very widely used for the formation of applications, making deliveries.

More and more representatives of medium and small businesses are realizing the need for integrated automation of their enterprises, this is facilitated by innovations from SAP, which develops projects that are affordable and affordable for this market niche, for example, SAP "Finansing".

According to statistical polls, already 76% of companies vote that IT is their assistant in business. The process of competition forces managers to come to the right decision: to engage in the implementation of SAP projects.

First time in big company(JSC Russian Railways, Gazprom, etc.), office workers must familiarize themselves with the software installed on work computers. And if the usual Word or Excel no longer causes desperate horror, then when you start some software, the soul of beginners grows cold. It is to such systems that SAP can be attributed. What is it and what is it eaten with? It's good when a corporation has engineers or training managers on its staff. Otherwise, you have to figure everything out yourself with the help of instructions.

A little about the history of appearance

The system, developed by the largest German manufacturer in the field of inter-corporate software SAP AG, has been distributed on the Russian market since 2003. Initially, the parent company cooperated only with translation partners, but since 2006, the software manufacturer began to conclude contracts with firms that undertook to educate clients. In 2014, so-called freelancers are increasingly involved in this type of activity. These are people who are largely familiar with the system, able to answer all questions about the system - which modules a particular company needs to install in order to effectively conduct business, which of them are appropriate for a particular workplace, etc.

It is no coincidence that at the beginning of the article it was stipulated that the SAP label can only be seen in large companies. This system is expensive, so only large corporations. Firms with smaller working capital, continue to purchase 1C software.

SAP - what is it?

Software that automates the work of accountants, personnel, financial services, sales departments, warehouse logistics, - this is the system of applications and products for processing various data. Software of this class cannot be downloaded from the network and installed on a hard drive. The company's specialists simply will not be able to understand its functionality. Therefore, it is definitely necessary to purchase a system with its subsequent implementation.

However, any company, before making a decision to install software from a German manufacturer, needs to inquire about the SAP system - what it is. In order to prevent automated chaos management, a clear order must be established in the organization. That is, we must not forget that computers do not streamline work, they only help speed up processes.

The most famous product of the company

In the variety of products of a German company, it is not always easy to understand and understand which one suits a particular company. And then questions like this often arise: "SAP ERP - what is it?" There are mass programs and highly specialized ones. So, SAP ERP is the most famous product targeted at medium and large companies.

The name of this software is more often heard in the R / 3 version. The letter of the abbreviation implies the designation Realtime. It is intuitively clear from the translation that all processes in the modules take place in real time. Entering information, updating it and making it available to each interested service occurs immediately when employees access the server.

SAP SRM - what is it?

Continuity of production requires efficiency and transparency in procurement, fair competition among suppliers, and long-term relationships with strategic partners. E-procurement systems are increasingly the only way achieving these goals. And it is natural that SAP holds the European championship among software products in this area.

The most prominent user of the German system may be the Russian Lukoil. By and large, the oil and gas sector, due to its technology, is little automated. SAP, on the other hand, was purchased and implemented to solve pressing issues.

Additions to the main package

The versatility of the system explains its advantages over other software that allows you to collect data, update it, and provide access to each user according to his rights. Having implemented and mastered the main packages, almost every company is faced with the task of expanding SAP. As a rule, consultants come to the rescue, helping managers decide on the expansion of functionality. It is independent training managers who will answer questions about SAP BW - what it is, how to effectively use the information database with this add-on.

Main general stages of implementation

Whatever the software package, the German manufacturer recommends that the development and launch project be divided into phases. There are several methodologies with different set of steps. Let's take one of them as an example.

The first phase includes organizational documenting: order to implement the system, creation calendar plan, as well as the risk management plan and project charter. This stage is called the creation of the office. And only after completing all the actions of the first phase, the consultants proceed to the second stage. It consists in examining and getting to know the business processes of the enterprise. An important point This stage is the communication of consultants with employees of the organization. It takes place in the format of an interview and does not exclude the possibility for employees to answer the question that arises: "SAP - what is it?" In general, staff training is carried out at various stages of the project, from the second to the last.

The third phase of implementation is the process. The previous and subsequent stages cannot be called unimportant, how effective the return will be depends on their implementation. The essence of this phase is to develop rules that will further build business processes and system configuration.

fourth and last step is It includes an integration test that runs through different scenarios, as well as the start of the project. If it is successfully launched, we can assume that the efficiency of the system is 90%.

Conclusion

The purpose of this article was as follows: to answer the question of SAP R3 - what is it. All of the above is written in in general terms carries the answer, since the system itself is so complex, has many additional packages, the most diverse business functionality, that it is simply impossible to tell about everything in one note. Each of the questions that arise about the work of SAP (what it is, we briefly explained) is worth a separate article or topic. So, for example, working in a difficult phase of initial support, as a rule, arouses the interest of customers and users. But the company provides such multifaceted conditions that it is simply impossible to list them in one article. SAP is being implemented by enterprises that are too diverse in their structure, so many specific factors can affect the operation of the system.

SAP R3 (or SAP R / 3) is the most famous product of the leading German software developer SAP SE (formerly SAP AG), whose introduction to the market began in the 1990s. To date, the abbreviation R3 SAP is increasingly being replaced by the name "ERP systems". The letter R in the abbreviation comes from the word "Realtime" and means that all data in the system is processed in real time and becomes immediately available to all users. The number 3 indicates that the system has a three-tier architecture "client-application server - DBMS (database management system)", in contrast to its predecessor, which worked on mainframes (SAP R2 or SAP R / 2).

SAP R3 Capabilities

Asking yourself the question "SAP R3 - what is it and what benefits does it give to a business", you need to familiarize yourself with its functionality in detail.

R3 SAP is a comprehensive platform for enterprise resource planning, the functionality of which allows you to fully automate accounting and management processes in companies using the most effective business tools. The system is modular and scalable, which opens up wide opportunities for customizing it for specific tasks of the enterprise, regardless of the type and scale of activity.

The main modules of the system:

• Financial management, incl. accounting and tax accounting.
• Budgeting.
• Management Accounting.
• Logistics, sales and inventory management.
• Planning and production management.
• Personnel management, etc.

AT modern conditions of doing business, where highly competitive markets are the norm, ensuring competitiveness is a business priority. To solve this problem, it is required effective management all factors of production: the range of raw materials and finished products, types of costs, interaction with customers and suppliers, financial and other resources of the enterprise. To fulfill the tasks set, the company's management must have a clear picture of the current state of affairs, which should be based on relevant and reliable information. To obtain such information, as well as to analyze it with the help of modern business intelligence tools, solutions based on the use of R3 SAP technologies allow.

R3 SAP solutions allow the company to:

• improve the quality of managerial decisions and, as a result, overall quality planning;
• reduce the cost of products / services;
• optimize financial, tax and accounting reporting;
• ensure transparency of activities;
• quickly adapt to changing business conditions under the influence of the market.

Our company offers you flexible IT solutions for managing key and auxiliary business processes of the company, including production area, finance, personnel management, etc. Any program can be adapted and finalized for industry specifics, type of activity or business scale.

Did you know, what is a thought experiment, gedanken experiment?
It is a non-existent practice, an otherworldly experience, the imagination of what is not really there. Thought experiments are like daydreams. They give birth to monsters. Unlike a physical experiment, which is an experimental test of hypotheses, a “thought experiment” magically replaces an experimental test with the desired, untested conclusions, manipulating logical constructions that actually violate logic itself by using unproved premises as proven ones, that is, by substitution. Thus, the main task of the applicants of "thought experiments" is to deceive the listener or reader by replacing a real physical experiment with his "doll" - fictitious reasoning on parole without physical verification itself.
Filling physics with imaginary, "thought experiments" has led to an absurd, surreal, confusing picture of the world. A real researcher must distinguish such "wrappers" from real values.

Relativists and positivists argue that the "thought experiment" is a very useful tool for testing theories (also arising in our minds) for consistency. In this they deceive people, since any verification can only be carried out by a source independent of the object of verification. The applicant of the hypothesis himself cannot be a verification of his own statement, since the reason for this statement itself is the absence of contradictions visible to the applicant in the statement.

We see this in the example of SRT and GTR, which have turned into a kind of religion that governs science and public opinion. No amount of facts that contradict them can overcome Einstein's formula: "If the fact does not correspond to the theory, change the fact" (In another version, "Does the fact not correspond to the theory? - So much the worse for the fact").

The maximum that a "thought experiment" can claim is only the internal consistency of the hypothesis within the framework of the applicant's own, often by no means true, logic. Compliance with practice does not check this. A real test can only take place in a real physical experiment.

An experiment is an experiment, because it is not a refinement of thought, but a test of thought. Thought that is consistent within itself cannot test itself. This has been proven by Kurt Gödel.