SI0014

Computerized Accounting
Application II
Navigation

ACCOUNTING PROGRAM
Overview
•Learn how to navigate in SAP systems
•Learn something about personalization and help
options, which are provided for your work with
SAP systems
Unit Objectives
After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:
• Log on to any SAP system
• Navigate a basic path and personalize an SAP
system
• Search for information and obtain help using the
different help methods in the SAP system
Contents
• Navigation
Navigation
Lesson Overview
• Explain logging on to the SAP system
• Discuss the layout and navigation in the system
• Discuss some of the options available for
personalizing the system based on the user’s
requirements and/or preferences
• Introduce the various types of online help
available in SAP and develop an understanding
on how to search for information
Lesson Objectives
After completing this lesson, you’ll be able to:
• Log on to any SAP system
• Navigate a basic path and personalize an SAP
system
• Search for information and obtain help using the
different help methods in the SAP system
Lesson Objectives
After completing this lesson, you’ll be able to:
• Log on to any SAP system
• Navigate a basic path and personalize an SAP
system
• Search for information and obtain help using the
different help methods in the SAP system
Logging On to An SAP System
• Before user logs on the first time, system administrator will give the user an
initial password
• During the logon process, user should create a new password, one that user alone will
know
• User uses his own password whenever user logs on
• These procedures may differ somewhat at company
• The SAP logon icon appears in both the task bar (together with the SAP
Release number) and the system tray (that is, the bottom right‐hand corner
of user’s desktop)
• When user selects the Tab key after he has entered data in a field, the cursor
moves to the beginning of the next field
• However, if user enters the maximum number of characters possible in a field, he does
not have to select Tab
• E.g.: The maximum number of characters user can enter in the Client field is three
• If user enters 001 in the Client field, the cursor automatically moves to the beginning
of the field
• If there are system‐wide messages, the System Messages dialog box appears
• After user has read the messages, choose Continue (or Enter) to close the dialog box
General Screen Layout
Layout, Navigation, and
Personalization
• SAP Easy Access screen is the system default screen
after logging on
• This standard can be changed in any start transaction
• Choose Extras → Set Start Transaction
• Menus allow user to find a specific transaction when
user does not know the transaction code
• The menu is organized according to the task user is
performing in the SAP system
• The menus are drop‐down menus; this means that
when user chooses a menu item, further options are
displayed
• Sometimes not all of the available menus fit on one line in
the menu bar; in this case, they wrap to the next line
• The dropdown principle stays the same
Navigation Tree
Favorites List and Role‐based
User Menu
• In SAP Easy Access, user can create a Favorites list
containing the following:
• Transactions
• Files
• Web addresses
• Links to other applications
• Etc.
• Role‐based user menus are collections of activities
used in business scenarios
• Users access the transactions, reports, or Web‐based
applications through user menus
• Users can change aspects of assigned roles, for example, by
creating their own favorites list
Favorites List and Role‐based
User Menu (Cont.)
• When a user is assigned a role, they are assigned not only the
menu, but also the authorizations they require to access the
information
• In this way, the system ensures that the business data are always
saved
• The authorization profiles are generated in accordance with the
activities contained in the role
• In this way, the authorizations of every user in the SAP system are
restricted to only these activities
• In the mySAP Enterprise Portal, the user uses a Web browser
to view and execute the required tasks and activities
• Roles can be assigned here as well
• The system administrator can tailor the user menu to the
personal requirements of each user by adding or deleting
menu entries
Sessions
Sessions
• User can open a session at any time
• When doing this, user does not lose any data from the open sessions
• User can create up to six sessions
• Each session is independent of the others
• E.g.: When user closes the first session, the other sessions remain
open
• Too many open sessions can result in slower system
performance
• For this reason, the system administrator may limit the number of
sessions user can create to fewer than six
• User can move between sessions without losing any data, as
long as user remain logged on to the SAP system
• Changing between different sessions is similar to having someone
on the other line when you are telephoning
• You can continue the conversation at any time
Sessions (Cont.)
• To move between sessions, click any part of the window that
contains the session user wants to use (or use Alt + Tab)
• The window user chooses becomes the active window by moving in
front of all the other windows on user’s screen
• If user has several sessions open, user can minimize the
sessions user is not using
• When user needs to use one of these sessions later, user can restore
it by selecting the appropriate symbol in the status bar
• After user is done using a session, it is a good idea to end it
• Every session uses system resources
• This influences the time the SAP system requires to answer user’s
commands
• Before user ends a session, save any data user wants to keep
Status Bar
Status Bar
• The status bar provides general information on the SAP
system and the transaction or task on which user is
working
• At the left of the status bar, system messages are
displayed
• The right‐hand side of the status bar contains three fields
• One with information on the server, two with information on the
status
• At the far left of the status bar:
• Identifies error messages
• Identifies other system messages
• To hide (or display) the status fields, choose the icon to
the left (or right)
Status Bar (Cont.)
• To display the following system information, choose
in the first status field:
• System
• Client
• User
• Program
• Transaction
• Response time
• The second status field displays the server to which
user is connected
• The third status field specifies user’s data entry
mode
• By choosing this field, user can toggle between the Insert
(INS) and Overwrite (OVR) modes
Help Features
• The SAP system provides comprehensive online
help: system‐level help (Application Help, SAP
Library, Glossary) and field level help (F1, F4)
• User can display the help from any screen in the
system
• User can always request help using the Help
menu or using the relevant icon
• Help menu is available on the menu bar of every
screen
System‐level Help Options
System‐level Help Options
• The Help menu contains the following options:
• Application help: displays comprehensive help for the
current application
• Selecting this menu option in the initial screen displays help on
getting started with mySAP ERP
• SAP Library: contain all online documentation
• Glossary: to search for definitions of terms
• Release notes: describe functional changes that occur
between mySAP ERP releases
• SAP Service Marketplace: access to the SAP Service
Marketplace
• Create a support message: to create a problem message
directly from the SAP system
• Settings: to select settings for help
Field‐level Help Options
Field‐level Help Options
• Use F1 for help on fields, menus, functions, and
messages
• F1 help also provides technical information on the
relevant field, including, for example, the parameter
ID, which user can use to assign values to the field
• Use F4 for information on what values user can
enter
• User can also access F4 help for a selected field using
the button immediately to the right of that field
• If input fields are marked with a small icon with a
checkmark, then user can only continue in that
application by entering a permitted value
Lesson Summary
You should now be able to:
• Log on to any SAP system
• Navigate a basic path and personalize an SAP
system
• Search for information and obtain help using the
different help methods in the SAP system
Unit Summary
You should now be able to:
• Log on to any SAP system
• Navigate a basic path and personalize an SAP
system
• Search for information and obtain help using the
different help methods in the SAP system
Test Your Knowledge
1. You can always have only one session open.
o True
o False
2. Which of the following is not part of the information required to log on to
the SAP system?
o A. Enter a specific client number
o B. Enter your user ID
o C. Enter your password
o D. Customize your settings
3. What menus are standard on all SAP screens?
o A. System
o B. Help
o C. Both A and B
o D. None of the above
Test Your Knowledge (Cont.)
4. Which of the following provides general information on the SAP
system and transaction or task you are working on?
o A. Status Bar
o B. Menu Path
o C. Role Bar
o D. None of the above
5. In the SAP Easy Access menu, you can create a favorites list
containing:
o A. Web addresses
o B. Transactions
o C. Files
o D. All of the above
6. List three types of online help that are available in the SAP system.