SAP R/3 Reporting and E-Business Intelligence

THOMAS A. CURRAN is founder and President of datalead.com (Cambridge, MA), which provides a real-time business-to-business information exchange for the Internet and mobile computing. Curran worked for five years as technology strategist and product manager for SAP AG before starting datalead.com. ANDREW LADD, Ph.D., has written extensively on the ERP market and its impact on the modern enterprise. He is currently a marketing manager and content developer at S1 Corporation (Atlanta, GA), a leading provider of Internet-based solutions for the financial services industry. DENNIS LADD is a former development manager for SAP AG, with ten years experience in developing software for SAP R/3, decision support, and Internet delivery products. Ladd currently develops SAP R/3 software solutions for a broad range of vendors in the ERP and eBusiness marketplace.

Section 1 Reporting Basics: A MAPP for Enterprise Reporting.

1. Enterprise Reporting.


Reporting within the Enterprise. The Main Activities of Enterprise Reporting. SAP: The Foundation for Enterprise Reporting. Enterprise Reporting with Business Objects. Business Processes and Enterprise Reporting. Enterprise Reporting with Microsoft Excel. Conclusion.

2. MAPPing Reports.


The Cycle of Information Delivery. Planning. Analysis. Format. Delivery. The MAPP Method. Goals for Managing. Goals for Analyzing. Goals for Presenting. Goals for Publishing. The MAPP Method in Detail. Manage. Analyze. Present. Publish. Moving On.

3. R/3 Reporting Basics.


R/3 Information Organization. Value Chain Principle. Business Blueprint View. Application Component View. R/3 Value Chain and Business Process View. Business Process Scenario View. Business Object View. Information Systems. Business Warehouse. Basic R/3 Reporting Tools. Logging On/Off. Navigating R/3 Menus. Finding Reports with the General Report Selection Tool. Reporting Tools. Information System Reports. Creating and Running Reports. Getting Help. Excel-based R/3 Reporting with ActiveSheets. Getting Started. The ActiveSheets Wizard. ActiveSheets Report Gallery.

Section 2 Business-to-Business Sales.

4. Understanding R/3 Sales Information.


Typical Business Drivers in Sales. Assessing R/3 Sales Information. Understanding Sales Business Processes. Business-to-Business Sales in SAP R/3. Direct Sale to Business Customer Value Chain.

5. Analyzing R/3 Sales Information.


Understanding Sales Business Objects. Sales Order Business Object. Customer Delivery Business Object. Product Business Object. Customer Business Object. Understanding Organizational Structures in Sales. Product and Channel Organization in Sales. Personnel Organization in R/3 Sales. Organization in Shipping. Understanding Sales Performance Measures. Marketing Ratios. Sales Ratios. Profitability.

6. Understanding the R/3 Sales Information System.


Sales Information System. Standard Analyses in the R/3 Sales Information System. Customer Analysis. Product. Sales Office. Sales Documents. Characteristics, Key Figures, and Ratios. SIS Sample Report.

7. Sales Information Delivery.


Web-Based R/3 Sales Publishing. Internet Information Portals. Enterprise Information Portal. Publishing with the EIP. Circulation. Role-based Reporting. Knowledge Transfer. Rollout Administration. Training Coordination. Feedback Solicitation. Building Awareness. Publicizing Events.

8. Putting It All Together: Creating an R/3-based Sales Reporting System Using the MAPP Method.


MAPPing Phase I: Manage the Sales Reporting Environment. Business Needs Analysis. Identify Business Processes. Identifying Roles. As-Is Analysis. Reporting Needs Analysis. The Scoping Document. MAPPing Phase II: Analyze the Sales Reporting Solution. Business Objects. Time Periods. Organizational Units. Characteristics. Key Figures and Ratios. The Sales Report Analysis at GCP. Creating the Sales Info Structure. MAPPing Phase III: Presenting the Results. Creating the Report Template. The Dos and Don'ts of Report Design. Creating the Sales Report in SAP. Incoming Sales Report in Excel. MAPPing Phase IV: Publishing the Report. Facilitating Knowledge Transfer. Designing a Circulation Plan. Building Awareness. The Publishing Plan Document.

Section 3 Business-to-Business Procurement.

9. Understanding R/3 Procurement Information.


Typical Business Drivers in Procurement. Assessing R/3 Purchasing Information. Understanding External Procurement Business Processes. Business-to-Business Procurement in SAP R/. Procurement Value Chain. Procurement of Stock Material Business Process Scenario.

10. Analyzing R/3 Procurement Information.


Understanding Purchasing Business Objects. Purchase Order Business Object. Vendor Business Object. Purchasing Material Business Object. Purchase Requisition Business Object. Vendor Invoice Business Object. Understanding Organizational Structures in Procurement. Organizational Entities in Procurement. Understanding Procurement Performance Measures. Inventory Ratios. Purchasing. Accounts Payable.

11. Understanding the R/3 Purchasing Information System.


Purchasing Information System. Standard Analyses in the R/3 Purchasing Information System. Material. Vendor. Purchasing Group. Purchasing Documents. Order Value Analysis. Characteristics, Key Figures, and Ratios. Example Purchasing Information System Report: The Order Value Analysis. Totals Analysis. ABC Analysis. Analysis Using Comparison Periods. Frequency Analysis. Running an Analysis of Order Values.

12. Procurement Information Delivery.


Publishing with Microsoft Exchange. Exchange Public Folders. Knowledge Transfer. Rollout. Training. Feedback. Circulation. Increasing Awareness. Publicizing in Outlook.

13. Business-to-Business Reporting for R/3 Procurement.


The Case of MRO.COM. Business-to-Business Procurement at MRO.COM. MAPPing Phase I: Managing Information for the Procurement Environment. The Situation at MRO.COM. Business Needs Analysis for MRO.COM. Identifying Business Processes. Identifying Roles. As-Is Analysis. Reporting Needs Analysis. Analyzing MRO.COM's Reporting Data Requirements. MAPPing Phase II: Analyze the Purchasing Reporting Solution. Business Objects. Time Periods. Organizational Units. Characteristics. Key Figures and Ratios. The Procurement Report Analysis at MRO.COM. MAPPing Phase III: Present the Report Solution. Creating the Procurement Info Structure. Creating the Report Template. Creating the Update Rules for the Infostructure. Purchasing Report in Excel. MAPPing Phase IV: Publish the Report Solution. Media. Circulation Plan. Training.

Section 4 Financial Accounting.

14. Understanding R/3 Financial Accounting Information.


Typical Business Drivers in Financials. Assessing R/3 Financial Information. Understanding Financial Accounting Business Processes. SAP R/3 Financial Accounting. Consolidation Business Process Scenario. Master Data. Step and Simultaneous Consolidation. Consolidation Analyses. Eliminations. Reporting.

15. Analyzing R/3 Financial Accounting Information.


Understanding Financial Business Objects. General Ledger. Customer Account Business Object. Credit Control Business Object. Fixed Asset Accounting. Vendor (Accounts Payable) Business Object. Ledgers. Understanding Financial Organizational Structures. Organizational Entities in Financials. Understanding Financials Performance Measures. Balance Sheet Ratios. Profitability. Accounts Receivable.

16. Understanding the R/3 Financial Information System.


Financial Accounting Information System. Standard Analyses in the R/3 Financial Accounting Information System. General Ledger. Accounts Payable. Accounts Receivable. Fixed Assets. Consolidation. Special Purpose Ledger. Characteristics, Key Figures, and Ratios. Example: Financial Accounting Information System Reports. Balance Sheet. Accounts Receivable (Open Items Report). Accounts Payable (Vendor Open Items). General Ledger (Account Balance).

17. Financial Information Delivery.


Publishing with Microsoft Digital Dashboard. Microsoft Digital Dashboard Overview. Digital Dashboard Financial Reporting Scenario. Circulation. Role-Based Reporting with the Microsoft Digital Dashboard. Knowledge Transfer. Rollout. Training. Feedback. Increasing Awareness. Publicizing in Outlook.

18. Business-to-Business Reporting for R/3 Financials.


The Case of DASAUTO AG. Financial Consolidation at DASAUTO AG. MAPPing Phase I: Managing Information for the Financials Analysis Environment. The Situation at DASAUTO AG. Business Needs Analysis for DASAUTO AG. Identifying Business Processes. Identifying Roles. Reporting Needs Analysis. Analyzing DASAUTO's Reporting Data Requirements. MAPPing Phase II: Analyze the Financial Reporting Solution. Business Objects. Time Periods. Organizational Units. Characteristics. Key Figures and Ratios. The Financial Report Analysis at DASAUTO AG. MAPPing Phase III: Present the Report Solution. Creating the Report Template. Excel Reports. MAPPing Phase IV: Publish the Report Solution. Media. Circulation Plan. Training.

Section 5 eBusiness Solutions.

19. Report Gallery.


Budget Review. Balance Sheet Report. Commission Calculator (with ODBC). Consolidated Balance Sheet. Cost Center. Customer. Direct Expenses (Consolidated). Human Resources. Material. Purchased Material. Purchasing Negotiation. Sales Employee. Sales Office. Sales Organization. Sales Performance. Shipping Point.

Index.
R/3 Reporting with ActiveSheets357