Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is a software system that businesses use to manage their operations and automate back-office functions. ERP software can help streamline workflows, improve efficiency, and provide real-time visibility into business operations.
SAP (Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing) is a popular ERP software provider that offers solutions for businesses of all sizes and industries. SAP software includes modules for finance, human resources, supply chain management, customer relationship management, and more.
To simplify the process of updating SAP systems, SAP provides a software tool called Software Update Manager (SUM). SUM automates and centralizes the update process, making it easier to update all SAP components, including the database, application server, and front-end components. SUM also provides features like planning, performing, and monitoring the update process, and allows users to perform a trial update to check for errors before committing to the actual update.
In summary, ERP systems help organizations manage their business processes, and SAP is a leading ERP software provider. SAP's Software Update Manager (SUM) simplifies the process of updating SAP systems.
Modules in SAP
One of the reasons that SAP is popular is because it is very flexible and easily
customizable. To achieve this flexibility, an SAP system is divided into various
modules. Each SAP module maps to a business process of a business unit. For
example, the SAP ERP MM module maps to the Material Management business
unit of the organization, the HR module maps to the Human Resources business
unit of the organization, and so on.
All SAP modules can be integrated with one another or with third-party systems.
For example, you can integrate SAP ERP PP with an HR module from PeopleSoft.
Based on the organization, you can implement either one or several SAP modules
and integrate them with other ERP systems.
SAP modules are classified into two categories: functional or technical.
Functional Modules
Functional modules cover business processes and functional areas that carry out
day-to-day activities of a business, such as the following:
- Financial Accounting (FI)
- Controlling (CO)
- Human Resource (HR)
- Sales and Distribution (SD)
- Materials Management (MM)
- Plant Maintenance (PM)
- Production Planning (PP)
- And more
Technical Modules
Technical modules cover the technical side of the SAP system that are required to
customize the system based on business needs, including setting up and maintaining
the SAP system.
Technical modules include the following:
- SAP Basis
- ABAP
- SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence (BI)/SAP Business Warehouse (BW)
- SAP Exchange Infrastructure (XI)/SAP Process Integration (PI)
- SAP Enterprise Portal
- SAP HANA