Navigation

Overview
•Learn how to navigate in SAP systems
•Learn something about personalization and help options, which
are provided for your work with SAP systems

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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

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Contents
• Navigation

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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

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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

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Logging On to An SAP System

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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

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General Screen Layout

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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

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Navigation Tree

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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

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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

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Sessions

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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

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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

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Status Bar

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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)

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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

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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

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System-level Help Options

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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

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Field-level Help Options

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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Question & Answers