Top 40 Sap For Retail With Sap Erp 6.0 Interview Questions You Must Prepare 29.Mar.2024

The sequential files (processed on application server) are called datasets. They are used for file handling in SAP.

SAP ERP 6.0 provides more than 300 functional enhancements that can improve process efficiency. In addition, it integrates the functions of most SAP industry solutions so that these solutions no longer need to be installed and set up separately. The new software also simplifies daily business tasks through more appealing and integrated user-interface concepts that increase user productivity and satisfaction – for example, by enabling the use of Duet software for integrating Microsoft applications. Go to the solution browser tool for SAP ERP to find out more. This tool allows you to identify new features and functions and their business benefits in a given release of SAP ERP and enhancement packages.

After you upgrade to SAP ERP 6.0, you can enhance the functionality of your application without performing a further upgrade thanks to a new deployment technology – the SAP enhancement packages for SAP ERP. The enhancement packages simplify the way you manage and deploy new software functions for SAP ERP. They enable you to take advantage of the latest software innovations while minimizing disruption to ongoing operations.

You can implement selected components and then activate selected business functions and enhancements on demand to meet your business requirements. This unique delivery and deployment method for enterprise software, enabled by the flexibility of enterprise service-oriented architecture (enterprise SOA), lets you access new ERP functions while holding on to your core functions. As a result, you can isolate the impact of software updates and quickly bring new functions online through shortened testing cycles without impeding core business processes.

The application layer of an R/3 System is made up of the application servers and the message server. Application programs in an R/3 System are run on application servers. The application servers communicate with the presentation components, the database, and also with each other, using the message server. All the data are stored in a centralized server. This server is called database server.

Variables are parameters of a query that are set in the parameter query definition and are not filled with values until the queries are inserted into workbooks.

There are different types of variables which are used in different application:

Characteristics variables, Hierarchies and hierarchy node, Texts, Formulas, Processing types, User entry/Default type, Replacment Path.

Customization is the job of fitting the ERP software to meet the demands of a particular organization. This would mean the mapping of the organizational structures, processes & environment of the organization into the corresponding model of the organization that is embedded in the ERP software. In other words, it is a mapping of the real world into the model world of the particular ERP software.

The structure and processes represent one part of customization; the creation of master data, input-output forms, validations, reports, queries, formats, authorization, backup / restore procedures, data administration procedures, disaster recovery processes etc., represent the full gamut of customization.

Extractors is a data retrieval mechanisms in the SAP source system. Which can fill the extract structure of a data source with the data from the SAP source system datasets. The extractor may be able to supply data to more fields than exist in the extract structure.

An ODS Object serves to store consolidated and debugged transaction data on a document level (atomic level). It describes a consolidated dataset from one or more InfoSources. This dataset can be analyzed with a BEx Query or InfoSet Query.

The data of an ODS Object can be updated with a delta update into InfoCubes and/or other ODS Objects in the same system or across systems. In contrast to multi-dimensional data storage with InfoCubes, the data in ODS Objects is stored in transparent, flat database tables.

Yes. The full benefit of ERP would accrue if all the ERP modules are implemented. However many organizations implement ERP only in those functions, which are, considered to be of strategic importance. Some of the modules, though they appear to be limited to specific functions, in fact integrate with many other functions indirectly.

For example finance module primarily targets the accounting and finance functions. However the accounts payable module address all the material purchases and in turn impacts the entire materials management functions. Many more examples can be quoted to reinforce our viewpoint. The process orientation of ERP software definitely contributes to a better management of the organization. Even partial implementation of the ERP therefore leads to significant benefits.

Undoubtedly SAP is the market leader in ERP and has almost one-third the market share. Interestingly SAP has captured two thirds of the market share in India though ERP business is less than two years old in India.

{2/3rds of market share in terms of revenues but not number of sites/organizations}

Process Modelling provides a means to map the organization processes and visualize it in a graphical manner. This helps in communication, clarification and documentation of the “AS IS” and “TO BE” processes. Process modelling can be used to reinforce the central theme of ERP, namely, a shift from function orientation to process orientation.

ERP project team would be charged with the responsibility of implementing the ERP for the specific organization. A champion, who is skilled in communication and understands the organization well should head the ERP team. The leader must be well accepted by the most employees of the organization.

The leader also must be a person who can keep the motivation level of the implementation team at fairly high levels throughout the several months of implementation. The implementation team would consist of dozens of people. There will be a number of teams for each of the functional area with every team consisting of key users and IT personnel to provide technology support.

AWB stands for Administrator WorkBench. AWB is a tool for controlling, monitoring and maintaining all the processes connected with data staging and processing in the business information whearhousing.

Meta Data: Data that describes the structure of data or MetaObjects is called Metadata. In other words data about data is known as Meta Data.

Master Data: Master data is data that remains unchanged over a long period of time. It contains information that is always needed in the same way. Characteristics can bear master data in BW. With master data you are dealing with attributes, texts or hierarchies.

Transaction data: Data relating to the day-to-day transactions is the Transaction data.

SAP R/3 Source Systems, SAP BW, Flat Files and External Systems.

SAP is the name of the company founded in 1972 under the German name (Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing) is the leading ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software package.

Convert the legacy system data to a flat file and convert flat file into internal table. Transfer the flat file into sap system called “sap data transfer”. Call transaction (Write the program explicitly) or create sessions (sessions are created and processed, if success data will transfer).

Interfaces are huge problem, Determine where master data resides, Expensive, very complex, demands highly trained staff, lengthy implementation time.

In order to use an ERP system, a business person must understand the business processes and how they work together from one functional area to the other.

This knowledge gives the student a much deeper understanding of how a business operates. Using SAP as a tool to learn about ERP systems will require that the people understand the business processes and how they integrate.

ERP software integrates all departments and functions across a company onto a single computer system that can serve all those different departments’ particular needs. ERP combines finance, HR, manufacturing and distribution all together into a single, integrated software program that runs off a single database so that the various departments can more easily share information and communicate with each other. This integrated approach can have a tremendous payback provided the software is installed and used correctly.

ABAP Native SQL allows you to include database-specific SQL statements in an ABAP program. Most ABAP programs containing database-specific SQL statements do not run with different databases. If different databases are involved, use Open SQL. To execute ABAP Native SQL in an ABAP program, use the statement EXEC. Open SQL (Subset of standard SQL statements), allows you to access all database tables available in the R/3 System, regardless of the manufacturer.

To avoid conflicts between database tables and to keep ABAP programs independent from the database system used, SAP has generated its own set of SQL statements known as Open SQL.

Business Work Flow: Tool for automatic control and execution of cross-application processes. This involves coordinating the persons involved, the work steps required, the data, which needs to be processed (business objects). The main advantage is reduction in throughput times and the costs involved in managing business processes. Transparency and quality are enhanced by its use.

A third generation set of highly integrated software modules that performs common business function based on multinational leading practice. Takes care of any enterprise however diverse in operation, spread over the world. In R/3 system all the three servers like presentation; application server and database server are located at different system.

The benefits derived from ERP can far outweigh the costs of the system, providing that the system is selected carefully and is appropriate for your company from a feature, cost, and technology standpoint.

Some of the benefits realized are:

* A single integrated system

* Streamlining processes and workflows

* Reduce redundant data entry and processes

* Establish uniform processes that are based on recognized best business practices

* Information sharing across departments

* Improved access to information

* Improved workflow and efficiency

* Improved customer satisfaction based on improved on-time delivery, increased quality, shortened delivery times

* Reduced inventory costs resulting from better planning, tracking and forecasting of requirements

* Turn collections faster based on better visibility into accounts and fewer billing and/or delivery errors

* Decrease in vendor pricing by taking better advantage of quantity breaks and tracking vendor performance

* Track actual costs of activities and perform activity based costing

* Provide a consolidated picture of sales, inventory and receivables

An ERP system provides the solid operational backbone manufacturers and distributors need to improve the volume of production and fulfillment of orders while reducing costs. By optimizing your manufacturing and distribution operations with ERP, you’ll also be able to focus on new business opportunities.

An ideal background of ERP Consultants would be several years of domain knowledge (HR, Finance, Material etc) followed by extensive software training and implementation experience with at least a couple of real-world implementations.

Technical knowledge by way of deep IT training helps but not mandatory. Knowledge of business process by way of formal business school education, once again is of help but not necessary. However business knowledge by the way of experience and consulting is a must.

ERP is a package with the techniques and concepts for the integrated management of business as a whole, for effective use of management resources, to improve the efficiency of an enterprise. Initially, ERP was targeted for manufacturing industry mainly for planning and managing core business like production and financial market.

As the growth and merits of ERP package ERP software is designed for basic process of a company from manufacturing to small shops with a target of integrating information across the company.

There are number of technical reasons numbers of companies are planning to implement SAP. It’s highly configurable, highly secure data handling, min data redundancy, max data consistency, you can capitalize on economics of sales like purchasing, tight integration-cross function.

SAP, BAAN, JD Edwards, Oracle Financials, Siebel, PeopleSoft. Among all the ERP’s most of the companies implemented or trying to implement SAP because of number of advantages over other ERP packages.

OLAP – On line Analytical processing is a reporting tool configured to understand your database schema, composition facts and dimensions. By simple point-n-clicking, a user can run any number of canned or user-designed reports without having to know anything of SQL or the schema.

Because of that prior configuration, the OLAP engine “builds” and executes the appropriate SQL. Mining is to build the application to specifically look at detailed analyses, often algorithmic; even more often misappropriate called “reporting.

Performance Heavy reporting along with regular OLTP transactions can produce a lot of load both on the R/3 and the database (cpu, memory, disks, etc). Just take a look at the load put on your system during a month end, quarter end, or year-end — now imagine that occurring even more frequently.

Data analysis — BW uses a Data Warehouse and OLAP concepts for storing and analyzing data, where R/3 was designed for transaction processing. With a lot of work you can get the same analysis out of R/3 but most likely would be easier from a BW.

Internal table: It is a standard data type object, which exists only during the runtime of the program.

Check table: Check table will be at field level checking.

Value table: Value table will be at domain level checking

ex: scarr table is check table for carrid.

Transparent table: – Exists with the same structure both in dictionary as well as in database exactly with the same data and fields.

Every ERP vendor provides performance guidelines that can be used by system administrators to fine tune performance. Some of them are very comprehensive and address fine-tuning at the application, database, operating system, processor and even the network level.

Other ERP vendors provide tools that can leverage the leading edge database tuning, operating system tuning and network performance tuning tools.

Certainly. You can run BW without R/3 implementation. You can use pre-defined business content in BW using your non-SAP data. Here you simply need to map the transfer structures associated with BW data sources (InfoCubes, ODS tables) to the inbound data files or use 3rd part tool to connect your flat files and other data sources and load data in BW. Several third party ETL products such as Acta, Infomatica, DataStage and others will have been certified to load data in BW.

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

There is no easy way to segment the ERP market in a precise manner that can be readily adopted by an organization as a thumb rule. However SAP R/3, Oracle Applications, BaaN Series, People Soft & Ramco Marshall represent the high-end of the ERP market. SSA BBCS & JD Edwards represent the medium-end market. Scala, Intentia Movex & QAD MFG / PRO represent the low-end of the market.

This division is generally based on past installation, pricing and positioning of the products by the ERP vendors themselves. It does not necessarily mean that low end products lack features or high end products have all features. It may be instructive to note that a large company HLL uses QAD MFG/PRO (a low end ERP) and a small company Microland uses SAP R/3 (a high end ERP).

The general SAP recommendation is to always upgrade to the latest SAP ERP release to be able to use the latest functionality SAP offers. SAP ERP 6.0 is the “go-to release” and the foundation for any future innovations.

Use the Product Availability Matrix at http://service.sap.com/pam to find out about all SAP upgrade options. The Product Availability Matrix bundles technical and release planning information on SAP components for quick reference. You will find information on the availability of SAP component releases (product versions), maintenance end dates and upgrade paths, as well as technical release information (DB platforms, JSE platforms, operating systems, languages, countries, and so on).

Once again Gartner group and IDC, Data Quest are the prime sources of ERP market related information. India specific information is made available by IDC India.

Bex stands for Business Explorer. Bex enable end user to locate reports, view reports, analyze information and can execute queries. The queries in workbook can be saved to their respective roles in the Bex browser. Bex has the following components: Bex Browser, Bex analyzer, Bex Map, Bex Web.

The cost of ERP project would vary significantly from one instance to other. The actual cost depends on the nature of the industry, the size of the firm, the geographical distribution of the organizational units such as offices, plants, warehouses and distribution points, the number of user licenses and the extent of ERP implementation (the number of functional modules implemented). A typical mid-size Indian company with about Rs 100- 300 crores of annual business will have to invest about five to twenty crores of rupees in the ERP project. This includes ERP software licenses, server cost, communication network cost and the cost of consultants who would do the implementation.

Large corporations with Rs 1000+ crores of annual business might invest Rs 100+ crores in ERP project. A number of small companies have managed to implement ERP in about Rs 1 crore. It may be noted here that in a typical installation the cost of ERP software accounts for only about 20% of the overall cost. A major component in ERP project is the cost of the implementation consultant (both internal and external).

The four main reasons to choose Mosaic 21 Applications are:

Software Functionality: superb user friendly functionality to meet all your business process requirements.

Technology platform: ensures the security and integrity of enterprise data while providing the lowest total cost of ownership.

Proven Implementation Control: with the Mosaic Implementation Methodology (MIM) you are ensured an expeditious and successful implementation.

Industry Knowledge and Expertise: Mosaic’s resources have real world experience in the manufacturing and distribution industries.

The set of activities through which ERP is implemented in an organization constitutes the ERP life cycle. This can be compared to the well developed System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) in the traditional Structured System Analysis and Design (SSAD). Typical ERP project consists of the following steps:

Step 1: ERP readiness assessment

Step 2: Preparing the organization for ERP

Step 3: ERP Feasibility Study

Step 4: Process modelling and documenting the “AS IS” processes & “TO BE” processes (along with BPR)

Step 5: Detailed plan for ERP implementation (includes ERP software selection, selection of implementation partners, implementation methodology – “Big Bang” or Modular Implementation – and the final and precise extent of implementation)

Step 6: Detailed implementation including development, quality assurance and production system

Step 7: Preparing to “go live” including data migration

Step 8: Going live

Step 9: Performance assessment, documentation, training (continues in early stages also) and future plans.