SAP Application Areas
This is not entirely new information but since this is a “Cross” SAP blog, I wouldn’t want to skip out this definition. It is always useful to know what application areas does SAP cover. First of all, let me refresh you the SAP roadmap strategy for the following years.
This is where SAP intends to go, focusing on a Business Model Innovation strategy:
From an upgrade and maintenance point of view, SAP will drop extended maintenance for R/3 4.6c by the end of 2009. Further maintenance will be “customer specific maintenance”.
Each business process has a segment previously set. Each one of these segments is known as a Business Application Area. These areas are comprehensive and help us know and keep the whole system in context. They also provide us the level of SAP R/3 (or currently SAP ERP) covering.
Even if we’re not aiming to implement a specific module, sometimes we’ll have to set it partially. It happens commonly due to the integrated nature of the system, since functionalities have been put together establishing modules. The official division has the following configuration:
CA – Cross Application Functions
- Document Management System
- Classification System
- CAD Integration
- SAP Office
- Plant Data Collection
- General Task Functions
- Documentation Tools
- Distribution (ALE)
- Eletronic Data Interchange
- ArchiveLink
- Message Control
- Translations
FI – Financial Accounting (FI/CO transaction codes)
- Global Settings
- General Ledger Accounting
- Accounts Receivable
- Accounts Payable
- Legal Consolidation
- Consolidation Preparation
- Asset Accounting
- Special Purpose Ledger
- Electronic Bank Statement
- Financial Information System
TR – Treasury
- Cash Management
- Cash Budget Management and Financial Budgeting
- Commitment Accounting
CO – Controlling (FI/CO transaction codes)
- Controlling General
- Overhead Cost Controlling
- Product Cost Controlling
- Profitability Analysis
IM – Investment Management
- Investment Programs
- Investment Orders
- Investment Projects
EC – Enterprise Controlling
- Profit Center Accounting
- Executive Information System
LO – Logistics General
- Managing Material Master Data
- Business Partners
- Environment Data
- Variant Configuration
- Engineering Change Management
- Logistics Information System
- Schedule Agreement Processing
- Availability Check and Requirements
- Pricing and Conditions
- Sales
- Shipping
- Transportation
- Foreign Trade
- Billing
- Sales Support
- Credit Management
- Information and Analysis
- Consumption-Based Planning
- Purchasing Guide
- Inventory Management
- Valuation and Account Assignment
- Invoice Verification
- Material Evaluation
- Warehouse Management
- Vendor Evaluation
- Material Ledger
QM – Quality Management
- Quality Plannning
- Quality Inspection
- Quality Certificates
- Quality Notifications
- Equipment and Technical Objects
- Preventive Maintenance
- Maintenance Order Management
- Maintenance History
- Bills of Material
- Demand Management
- Routings
- Sales & Operations planning
- Master Plannning
- Capacity Planning
- Material Requirements Planning
- Production Orders
- Kanban
- Repetitive Manufacturing
- Work Centers
PS – Project System
- Task Management
- Reference Guide
PD – Personnel Planning and Development
- Organizational Management
- Training and Event Management
- Personnel Development
- Workforce Planning
- Personnel Cost Planning
- Room Reservations Planning
- Structural Graphics
PA/PY – Personnel Administration and Payroll Accounting
- Personnel Administration
- Benefits
- Recruitment
- Time Management
- Incentive Wages
- Travel Expenses
- Payroll: Country Specifications
IN – International Development
- Africa (South Africa)
- Asian Pacific Area (Australia, China, Japan, Singapore)
- Europe (Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, United Kingdom)
- North America (Canada, Mexico, USA)
- South America (Argentina, Brazil)
BC – Basis Components
- Workflow Management
- Frontend Services
- Report Tree
- Computer Center Management System
- ABAP/4 Dictionary
- ABAP/4 Workbench
- ABAP/4 Query
- SAP Graphics
- SAP Communication
- Style & Layout set Maintenance
- Modification and Enhancements
- Authorization Administration
- Computer Aided Test Tool
- Application Data Archiving and Reorganization
Working as an Information Systems Consultant for over 10 years now, I've found that working with SAP brought me added value on how to deal and manage IT and Information Systems Projects. More than a hobby, this blog is aimed to propagate SAP knowledge exchange and help other SAP technology or functional Consultants finding any piece of useful information. Please participate with your comments and opinions, it will help enrich the SAP community. Thanks! 
