Datasheet
CHAPTER 1
B
efore you undertake your rst SAP conguration project, it is important to under-
stand the concepts behind table-driven customization as well as some of the tools,
tips, and tricks that can be used. e purpose of this chapter is to provide the foun-
dation for successfully carrying out SAP Finance and Controlling (FI/CO) congu-
ration. We’ll give you an overview of SAP, talk about the new approach to system
conguration, discuss how to use the implementation guide, and introduce you to
the Service Market Place.
Although this chapter is a must-read for people new to conguration, conguration
“old-timers” can also pick up a trick or two from reading it.
NOTE
The terms customization and conguration are used interchangeably through-
out this book.
Introduction to SAP
SAP stands for Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing. Founded by
ve German engineers in 1972, SAP is the world’s leading provider of business so-
ware, oering applications and services to companies of all sizes across more than
25 industries. SAP oers an integrated system, which means that all SAP modules
are designed to share information and automatically create transactions based on
various business processes.
SAP Products
SAP has slowly evolved in terms of its product oerings. You will still come across
SAP consultants who refer to the SAP system as SAP R/3, but as SAP’s product oer-
ings have broadened, the reference to R/3 has been dropped. R/3 initially referred to
SAP’s only product, the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, but today SAP
oers a host of products of which SAP ERP Central Component is the heart (oen
referred to as SAP ECC). e SAP ERP Central Component is where the original ERP
(R/3) functionality is housed, and it is where all the data processing/business process
transacting takes place. is book is focused on the Financial (FI) and Controlling
(CO) modules found in SAP ECC version 6.0.
e goal of this book is not to teach you how to implement one specic solution but
to teach you how to congure the SAP system. Attempting to cover every possible
23288c01.indd 2 2/19/09 10:55:33 PM