第1章 介绍

曾几何时, 在企业软件领域, 公司内部的各个区域使用不同的技术、不同的供应商和不同的系统, 创建了一个企业巴别塔。SAP改变了这一切。

1972年, 来自德国曼海姆的五位IBM工程师——迪特玛·霍普、汉斯-维尔纳·赫克托、哈索·普拉特纳、克劳斯·齐拉和克劳斯·韦伦罗瑟——决定创建系统历史上的下一个大事件: 第一个企业资源规划(ERP)系统。

当时, 软件行业由众多供应商组成；每个供应商都开发了自己的技术, 为功能业务领域开发系统, 并创建了用于会计、库存控制、采购、订单处理等的计算机系统。每个系统的设计不同, 使用不同的文件系统、编程语言, 甚至硬件平台也不同。为了交换信息, 不同的区域不得不打印报告, 很多时候报告中的信息必须手动输入到其他系统中。

自1972年以来, 软件行业取得了长足的进步。本章将快速概述当今的SAP Business Suite以及企业结构如何在SAP软件中设置, 然后将重点放在执行物流和解释SAP ERP销售与分销(SAP ERP SD)组件上。

1.1 销售与分销概览

SAP的软件目录庞大而复杂, 包括现在称为SAP ERP(取代R/3)及其替代品SAP S/4HANA的企业资源规划应用程序, 这些程序负责公司的日常运营。还包括用于复杂运营规划的SAP供应链管理(SAP SCM)和用于复杂决策的SAP商业仓库(SAP BW)。SAP ERP用于执行公司日常的销售与分销操作。公司可以计划和执行涉及销售订单的各个步骤；进行可用性检查；将需求传递给供应链, 包括销售预测中的需求；然后将其转换为主生产计划、生产规划、生产调度和采购。然后物料通过库存管理和仓库管理移动到销售活动的分销端——涉及运输规划和场地管理的物流链。

---

1.2 销售与分销流程

SAP ERP销售与分销功能(SAP ERP SD), 通过与其他功能如SAP ERP物料管理(SAP ERP MM)和SAP ERP物流执行(SAP ERP LE)的集成, 覆盖公司的整个订单到现金流程。这也是最早的应用程序之一, 属于SAP R/2版本的一部分。SAP ERP SD——本书的主要主题——覆盖从客户询价和销售订单到产品交付到客户指定目的地, 通过计费和收款的整个过程链。SAP ERP LE的组件也高度集成, 包括拣货、包装和运输。我们将在下一节中详细讨论SAP ERP SD功能。

SAP ERP SD软件包旨在捕获几乎所有的业务活动, 如果标准功能不可用, 它允许您创建自定义解决方案, 以缩小预包装应用程序与期望状态之间的差距。开箱即用的SAP ERP SD功能覆盖了大多数行业通用的大多数标准业务功能。见图1.1了解快速流程概览。

1.2.1 售前活动

在实际场景中, 在销售发生之前, 您的业务需要收集基本数据并在系统中为现有或潜在客户创建主记录。您将为联系人、销售前景和现有客户创建数据, 并维护有关竞争对手的数据。在建立这一基础之后, 与销售前景的实际联系可以记录为SAP ERP SD文档, 形式为询价或报价。这些文档可以帮助您确定重要的销售相关数据, 这些数据可以用于报告, 评估销售活动, 并最终转换为销售订单, 从而为您提供从建立与客户的联系到收款的完整销售活动记录。存储售前数据还有助于建立大合同和安排协议。我们将在本书其余部分详细讨论所有的活动和文档。

1.2.2 订单处理

订单处理由大量活动组成, 通常从记录实际销售订单开始, 如果货物或服务不可用, 则进行采购步骤, 接着是交货、拣货、包装和运输到最终目的地。

销售订单文档存储客户对您的货物或服务的确定请求的数据。系统使用您维护和建立的主数据来满足这一请求。销售订单由您自己的销售团队或客户通过网络前端、电子数据交换(EDI)或XML接口消息直接记录。

销售订单包含客户、合作伙伴(售方、收方、开票方)、物料、数量、定价、交货日期以及交货和运输信息。在订单输入时进行货物可用性检查, 根据需要触发潜在的采购请求。

销售订单创建的需求可以通过以下任何方式从现有库存中满足:

• 内部来源 如库存转运订单或生产订单
• 外部来源 如采购订单补充内部库存
• 由外部供应商直接向您的客户交货的第三方交货

1.2.3 运输和物流

在运输到期日, 创建交货单据, 并确定路线(如果使用SAP运输管理(SAP TM))。然后可以开始拣货、包装、分拣和装载的过程(如果您的业务流程中使用了所有这些步骤)。
如果使用SAP ERP仓库管理(SAP ERP WM)功能(精简或标准SAP ERP WM), 则使用转运订单启动拣货。转运订单包括从交货单据复制的数据。
标准SAP功能提供一些复杂的拣货方法, 如分组交货、波次拣货和两步拣货。转运订单可以作为打印的拣货单处理, 或在仓库地板上使用射频(RF)设备以电子形式处理。确认转运订单完成拣货活动。
如果使用运输功能, 还可以开始与货运服务提供商合作, 启动投标过程, 并最终创建运费单据, 记录与客户货物交付相关的应付活动。在完成这些步骤时, 通常会触发交货包装单和提货单输出。

货物出库的过账完成了该过程, 导致库存移动或服务确认, 改变了您的现有库存余额, 减少了库存, 并更新SAP ERP财务(SAP ERP FI)中的资产负债表账户。

1.2.4 计费

在收取客户付款之前的最后一步是创建计费单据或发票, 发送给客户的开票方以请求付款。
与交货单据一样, 数据从销售文档或交货文档和其他计费文档中复制, 创建贷项或借项凭证。创建计费单据时, 会进行账户确定, 并执行适当的SAP总账(G/L)账户过账, 借记客户应收账款并贷记收入账户。

1.2.5 收入确认和报告

正如我们在本章前面提到的, SAP的集成理念向您展示了所有活动, 以某种形式或另一种形式, 最终都记录在SAP ERP财务的资产负债表账户中。

在过账货物出库时记录的物料文档, 以及后续的会计文档, 存储了库存移动数据。运输服务提供商的采购订单作为应付账款的一个条目, 而客户的来款也根据前面的步骤中提交的发票(计费文档)进行过账。

在对差异进行对账和可能通过贷项或借项凭证解决时, 可能还会执行其他活动。

SAP ERP SD流程中的所有活动最终都在系统中以文档、主数据和定价记录的形式反映出来, 并作为销售信息系统(SIS)或SAP BW报告的基础。

---

1.3 SAP ERP销售与分销

SAP ERP SD已经发展成为SAP ERP解决方案核心的一个健壮且灵活的功能。今天, 它被SAP Business Suite包裹如SAP客户关系管理(SAP CRM)覆盖业务活动前端和客户互动, 以及SAP供应链管理(SAP SCM)覆盖分销和交付端, 包括最新工具如SAP Hybris和全新的SAP S/4HANA组件所很好地补充。所有这些应用程序和功能相互交叉, 自动化并记录物料和服务需求、外部采购、生产、存储、质量管理、对外贸易等。它在每次发布时不断扩展, 将一些以前的附加组件纳入到标准核心功能集中, 并在最新的SAP S/4HANA发布中简化或优化它们。让我们快速浏览一下当前可用于销售与分销功能的内容。

1.3.1 SAP ERP

当前版本的SAP ERP 6.0包括许多新功能, 如全球贸易管理、补偿管理和代理业务, 但核心在多年里没有太大变化。一些公司还可能实施如SAP ERP项目系统(SAP ERP PS)和SAP环境、健康与安全管理(SAP EHS管理)等组件。几乎所有物流子组件常用的功能还可能包括处理单元管理、批次管理、工程变更管理和变型配置。

SAP ERP分为称为组件、模块或功能的功能部分。公司的每个功能区域可能使用一个或多个组件或功能, 但很多时候, 一个人的工作不会涉及超过一个组件或功能。
以下是SAP ERP包含的组件列表:

• SAP ERP财务(SAP ERP FI)
• SAP ERP控制(SAP ERP CO)
• SAP ERP项目系统(SAP ERP PS)
• SAP ERP销售与分销(SAP ERP SD)
• SAP ERP物料管理(SAP ERP MM)
• SAP ERP物流执行(SAP ERP LE)
• SAP ERP质量管理(SAP ERP QM)
• SAP ERP工厂维护(SAP ERP PM)
• SAP ERP生产规划(SAP ERP PP)
• SAP ERP人力资本管理(SAP ERP HCM)

让我们详细了解一些最重要的物流组件。

SAP ERP 物料管理

SAP ERP 物料管理 (MM) 是最早的功能之一，并且作为整个公司物流功能的基础。SAP ERP MM 的关键组件包括基于消耗的计划、采购、库存管理、物流发票验证和实物库存。它包含了与其他功能共享的关键主数据对象，包括物料主数据、服务主数据、批次记录和供应商主数据。

除了集成的主数据对象(如几乎所有 SAP ERP 组件和功能都共享的物料主数据)之外，还有一些特定组件的主数据对象，如采购信息记录、来源清单和配额安排。这些在执行不同的系统事务时非常重要，因为系统将根据这些主数据记录确定正确的数据。

SAP ERP 物流执行

SAP ERP 物流执行 (LE) 涵盖了公司所有的产品移动——从通过入库交货接收货物开始，货物按照拣选、包装和入库的标准进行处理。这是通过使用 SAP ERP 仓库管理 (LE-WM) 功能通过传输订单处理来完成的。然后，货物可以在工厂内部在存储地点之间移动，使用库存管理功能或通过出库交货使用运输功能来执行跨工厂或跨公司的移动。它还可以涉及 SAP 运输管理 (LE-TRA) 功能，允许将交货分组为一个运输或多个运输链。同样的过程也适用于客户订单，它集成到销售订单履行部分。

如果实施了 SAP ERP 仓库管理功能，则可提供非常细化的流程，通过传输订单帮助执行拣选和包装，并通过使用射频设备有效地管理任务和资源。此外，SAP 庭院管理 (LE-YM) 功能可用于简化码头和货场的管理操作, 旨在提高货物装卸和运输的效率。本书将在各个章节中介绍 SAP ERP LE 过程。

SAP ERP 生产计划

SAP ERP 生产计划 (PP) 功能帮助管理公司的生产过程。

生产过程始于需求分析，包括长期或短期预测的输入、SAP 销售和运营计划 (S&OP)、外部计划工具(如 SAP 高级计划与优化 (SAP APO))和物料主数据设置。

基本计划程序在不同的物料需求计划 (MRP) 类型中定义。使用基于消耗的计划，系统查看过去的消耗值并使用预测或统计计算来确定未来需求。

MRP 程序以当前和未来的销售数字为基础点来确定整个物料清单 (BOM) 结构的未来需求，这比基于消耗的计划产生更好的计划结果。SAP ERP PP 有自己的主数据对象，包括工作中心、工艺路线、BOM 和配方，并允许执行能力计划、主生产计划 (MPS) 和 MRP 以及执行和捕获车间操作。

SAP ERP 设备维护

SAP ERP 设备维护 (PM) 功能用于维护公司和客户使用的设备和其他技术基础设施。它允许计划、安排和执行检查、预防性维护、维修和翻新，以及管理外部服务。SAP ERP PM 有自己的企业结构组件，包括维护工厂、位置和工厂部分，以及仅适用于 SAP ERP PM 的主数据，如功能位置、工作中心、设备和 BOM。

SAP ERP 客户服务

SAP ERP 客户服务 (CS) 功能帮助公司为客户提供保修维修和产品服务，无论是将材料送回公司或其分支机构进行维修，还是在现场进行维护。如果公司生产和销售带有保修的产品，SAP ERP 中的此功能将帮助公司最大化服务和维修操作的效率。SAP ERP CS 通常与 SAP ERP 质量管理 (SAP ERP QM) 一起实施，后者有助于解决产品质量问题。

SAP ERP 质量管理

SAP ERP 质量管理 (QM) 功能与其他 SAP 功能和组件完全集成，并根据公司特定需求进行配置。设置可以针对特定行业部门，支持食品和药物管理局 (FDA) 或良好生产规范 (GMP) 规定。

标准的 SAP ERP QM 功能支持经典的质量管理任务，如质量计划、质量检验和质量控制，以及诸如与工程变更管理 (ECM) 集成等附加功能。它还与其他物流组件完全集成，如 SAP ERP MM、SAP ERP PP、SAP ERP SD、SAP ERP PS、SAP ERP PM 和 SAP ERP CS。

SAP 全球贸易管理

SAP 全球贸易管理是 SAP ERP 业务套件家族中的一个模块。SAP 设计 SAP 全球贸易管理时考虑到了那些面向全球运营的大规模贸易合同或合作伙伴的公司，这些公司涉及多个贸易国家。SAP 全球贸易管理应用程序作为附加组件由 SAP 提供，这意味着需要激活才能在 SAP ERP 中进行配置和使用。

当采购和销售订单涉及交易时，SAP 全球贸易管理特别有用，即使它们是并行触发的。一般贸易商或商品贸易商、批发商、进口商或出口商是一些典型的 SAP 客户，他们将 SAP 全球贸易管理作为其 SAP ERP 系统的一部分使用。SAP 全球贸易管理的主要目标之一是保持和提高供应链的效率，主要通过整合物流、会计和结算的所有要素到买方和卖方。

全球贸易和贸易业务始于客户的销售订单或供应商的采购订单。实施和配置 SAP ERP SD 和 SAP ERP MM 组件和设置是强制性的。客户和供应商主数据应配置以允许 SAP 全球贸易管理应用程序共存和正确集成(参见图 1.2)。

还需要启用其他 SAP ERP SD 元素，如定价条件和销售交易。启用 SAP ERP MM 侧的采购交易对于 SAP 全球贸易管理应用程序的运行也至关重要。贸易合同与销售订单和采购订单交互，而贸易执行与 SAP ERP SD 侧的交货、运输和开票交互，以及 SAP ERP MM 侧的运输、货物接收和发票验证交互。在整个供应链周期内进行应收和应付账款过账。

财务供应链管理

财务供应链管理 (FSCM；有时称为财务供应) 得名于利用成功模型(如 SAP SCM)的优势，这些模型已展示了多年的效益。FSCM 是 SAP ERP FI 套件的一个组件，管理现金到现金的周期。FSCM 将现金流的供应链整合在一起，为您提供一个集成的模块，提高了可见性和现金控制。

简单来说，FSCM 有效管理公司的现金和现金等价物的需求和供应，降低了相关的运营成本，甚至提高了客户满意度。

通过使用 FSCM，您会发现对公司现金相关流程的可见性和控制力更强，因为 FSCM 将销售和物流、财务以及公司运营整合为更有效的现金流。此外，您会发现 FSCM 的互联事件(如营运资金、产品库存、付款条件、信贷和定价，甚至员工行为)将为您提供更和谐的视图，包括受员工奖金或年度时间影响的销售趋势等示例。

最初，该模块推出了五个基本子模块——SAP 信贷管理、SAP 收款管理、SAP 争议管理和 SAP 账单直送——但现在它提供了额外的功能，如内部现金、SAP 财务和风险管理、SAP 现金和流动性管理，以及最近的 SAP 银行关系管理和账单整合。

在第7章中，我们将深入分析 FSCM 的功能和子模块，包括常见交易以及每个子组件如何与 SAP ERP SD 和日常任务集成。

SAP 客户关系管理

SAP CRM 是另一个独立的应用程序，帮助公司管理销售生命周期。它支持销售和营销流程中的以下功能:

• 营销 支持活动管理、品牌推广、忠诚度管理、细分市场和电子营销。
• 销售 支持电子商务、互动中心、渠道管理和报价管理。
• 服务 支持互动中心、业务沟通、渠道管理和电子服务。
• 联系中心 支持互动中心、业务沟通、营销、销售、服务和报价管理。
• 电子商务 支持电子营销、电子商务、电子服务和网络渠道分析。

自2013年收购 Hybris 后，SAP CRM 的战略和应用阵容已逐步重新调整。这有助于将客户体验带到云端，并与 Salesforce.com 等解决方案竞争。

SAP Hybris

自2014年起，SAP 将其 CRM 解决方案整合在一个新产品名下: SAP Hybris 客户互动与商务。SAP Hybris 集成使公司能够通过多渠道方式与客户互动，利用云、社交媒体和传统网络上下文体验，同时简化技术架构，使用单一堆栈架构。作为客户，这意味着不再需要从头开始构建与 SAP 后端的集成，从而降低了实施成本。该解决方案将取代 SAP CRM。SAP Hybris 解决方案提供图1.3所示的组件，并在以下小节中讨论。

SAP Hybris 商务

SAP Hybris 商务帮助公司进行数字化转型，使公司成为全渠道业务，提供上下文客户体验，并统一客户流程。SAP Hybris 商务将所有数字和实体客户接触点集成到单一交付平台上，包括移动、销售点、呼叫中心、社交媒体和打印。

SAP Hybris 营销

SAP Hybris 营销使营销人员更好地了解客户的需求，知道他们做了什么、可能会做什么，更重要的是他们目前在做什么。它有助于实时洞察上下文，并可利用这些信息在所有可用渠道上提供个性化的客户体验。

SAP Hybris 服务

SAP Hybris 服务解决方案提供端到端的服务流程，通过自助服务、代理或现场人员支持客户问题的解决和服务订单的执行。它具有移动访问和内置分析能力。该解决方案使您能够与客户充分合作，并有助于加快服务解决。

SAP Hybris 作为服务

SAP Hybris 作为服务是一种基于微服务架构的开放标准解决方案，通过支持各种设备和平台(如移动、网络云和可穿戴设备)提供灵活性和可扩展性。为了提供灵活的 SAP Hybris 解决方案部署，SAP 提供了基于 SAP 云平台的 SAP Hybris 作为服务。

SAP Hybris 销售

此组件为新一代销售组织提供了解决方案，适用于新的、现有的、敏捷的和需求的销售组织。它使团队能够全面协作，并提供实时分析和上下文销售数据、移动报告、电子邮件集成以及与 SAP ERP 和 SAP CRM 的后端集成。它还提供行业特定功能以满足需求。它遵循当前商业环境中的市场趋势，提供实现以下目标的功能:

• 随时随地销售 使用 SAP Hybris Sales Cloud 实时与客户在所有平台上互动，从网络端到移动端。
• 将洞察力转化为行动 使用前端和分析工具计划和执行，以最大化机会和赢得销售的可能性
• 更多时间用于销售，较少时间用于管理任务 将管理任务降至最低，包括与传统生产力应用程序(如 Outlook、Gmail 或社交媒体)的集成。
• 了解您的客户 提供来自 SAP S/4HANA、SAP ERP 或 SAP CRM 后端系统的实时数据。

SAP Hybris 销售组件通过包含标准字段、功能和规则的预定义数据映射的 iFlows 集成 SAP HANA 或 SAP ERP 后端。iFlows 运行在 SAP 云平台和 SAP 过程集成 (SAP PI) 上。

SAP 提供多种应用程序编程接口 (API) 以使用简单对象访问协议 (SOAP)、网络服务和 OData/RESTful 选项与任何第三方应用程序集成。

为了支持 SAP S/4HANA 或 SAP ERP 后端数据之间的主数据交叉传播，SAP Hybris Sales Cloud 允许以下数据对象的单向主数据复制: 账户层次结构、产品、定价、销售组织、货币转换率和员工。SAP Hybris Sales Cloud 还支持以下数据的双向数据同步: 客户账户、联系人、安装点或功能位置和设备。请参见图1.4了解事务数据流示例。

在整个机会到订单流程中的集成点提供了对定价、报价和销售订单数据的实时访问，作为账户360视图的一部分，其中数据通过从后端 SAP ERP 或 SAP S/4HANA 系统复制可用。

客户驾驶舱还提供全面的钻取功能(需要虚拟专用网络 [VPN] 连接访问)。

SAP Hybris 计费

此组件是面向订阅和使用型服务的下一代计费解决方案。SAP Hybris 计费的关键功能包括以下内容:

• 业务模型设计
• 订阅订单管理
• 使用计量和交易定价
• 应收账款和收款管理
• 合作伙伴收入分成
  它还与经典的 SAP ERP 或 SAP HANA 过程集成，以连接基于项目的报价和 SAP ERP SD 计费，以及 SAP 标准的 FI-AR 过程。SAP Hybris 计费使用开放接口和企业网络服务与后端和其他非 SAP 系统通信。不同的 SAP Hybris 计费流程可以在单个 SAP 计费文件中为客户整合，然后通过标准 SAP ERP FI 应收账款处理该发票，就像任何其他发票一样。

为了使 SAP Hybris 计费与 SAP ERP 或 SAP HANA 集成，您可以通过 SAP Hybris Commerce 和数据中心选择以下选项:

• 将 SAP Hybris Commerce 与 SAP CRM 和 SAP ERP 集成。
• 将 SAP Hybris Commerce 与 SAP S/4HANA 的数字核心集成。
• 将 SAP Hybris Commerce 与 SAP S/4HANA 或 SAP ERP 集成。

注意: 有关 SAP Hybris 组件的更多信息，请阅读《SAP Hybris: Commerce, Marketing, Sales, Service, and Revenue with SAP》(SAP PRESS, 2017, www.sap-press.com/4394)。

SAP S/4HANA

在本节中，我们将简单解释 SAP HANA 提供的功能，如何影响您的日常工作，以及什么是 SAP HANA 以及它如何影响 SAP ERP SD 组件。

首先要说的是，SAP HANA 是一项允许您在服务器内存中对实时数据进行大规模分析的技术。这意味着不再有延迟或在周五晚上花费长时间运行需要在周一前完成的报告。简单来说，SAP HANA 正成为当前和未来 SAP 应用程序和分析的基础平台，因此理解 SAP HANA 的基础知识以更好地管理即将到来的变化非常重要。

注意: SAP HANA 代表高性能分析设备，指的是由 SAP 开发的内存中的关系数据库管理系统。

最新发布的 SAP S/4HANA 包含为新的内存处理引擎优化的核心组件。核心销售和分销功能保持不变，但在本书中会突出一些例外情况。

SAP HANA 在云端、移动和社交媒体中的应用

SAP 现在支持云计算。2012 年 10 月，HANA One 被宣布为原始 SAP HANA 技术的变体，使用较少的内存通过 Amazon Web Services 提供。2013 年，SAP HANA 还开始提供 SAP HANA 云平台(托管服务和云环境)和 SAP HANA 企业云(为 SAP 业务套件和数据仓库提供的企业解决方案)。SAP 通过实时数据平台支持移动和社交网络，以实现统一性和更快的数据分析。

SAP S/4HANA 对销售和分销的影响

目前，在所有 SAP ERP 版本中，包括 SAP HANA 优化的 EHP 8，仅提供了销售和分销功能的优化版本。SAP HANA 还为您提供了开发应用程序的平台，预计在不久的将来会有更多基于这项新技术的销售和分销应用程序。SAP HANA 显著加快了运行销售和分销报告所花费的时间。你还记得加班工作运行账单列表或发货列表吗？或者通过夜间批处理触发它们，第二天却发现它们还没完成？SAP HANA 优化版可能是解决方案。

最新的 SAP S/4HANA 版本提供了许多简化功能，影响了功能及其支持的底层数据层。以下是一些关于这些简化功能的重要说明:

• 销售支持: 计算机辅助销售
• 不再支持此功能，建议切换到 SAP CRM 或 SAP Hybris Cloud for Customer。

账单文件输出管理

新版本带来了基于 Adobe Document Server 的新设计输出方法。基于表 NAST 的配置也被 BRFplus(业务规则框架加)所取代，该框架可供客户访问。

SAP ERP SD 折扣处理

此功能由结算管理取代，这意味着现有的折扣协议(如果您正在升级系统)将在他的有效期结束之前处理。从现在起，新的协议只能基于条件合同创建。

SAP S/4HANA 中的高级可用承诺 (ATP)

表 VBBS 包含预聚合的销售需求。请求的 (OMENG) 和确认的 (VMENG) 数量按日聚合。此表被表 VBBE 取代，任何 ATP 检查代码都会自动重定向使用表 VBBE。

外贸

由于这是标准 SAP ERP SD 的一部分，外贸在 SAP S/4HANA 中不再可用。此功能由 SAP 全球贸易服务 (GTS) 取代，可在单独的实例中安装。对于 Intrastat，客户可以利用 SAP S/4HANA 中的功能。对于法律控制和优惠管理，可以使用基于 SAP GTS 的功能。信用证功能计划由 SAP 财务和风险管理涵盖。SAP GTS 提供了额外的进出口管理功能。

信用管理/风险管理

标准 SAP ERP 组件 FI-AR-CR 不再可用；它已迁移到 FSCM 组件 SAP 信用管理 (FIN-FSCM-CR)。所有先前的事务代码将不可用。如果您有任何自定义对象使用标准信用管理功能，您需要检查 SAP 支持门户以获取最新的说明和指示。

销售和分销定价中的数据模型更改

SAP ERP 文档(如销售订单和采购订单)在表 KONV 中存储其定价信息。在 SAP S/4HANA 中，表 KONV 已被新表 PRCD_ELEMENTS 取代。旧表 KONV 仍然存在，可用于编程数据声明目的。

简化的数据模型

实施了几种 SAP 表简化，以减少内存占用、提高性能并通过扩展字段长度增强功能范围。一些示例包括:

• 已删除文档状态表 VBUK 和 VBUP。其字段已移至相应的头部和项目表 VBAK 和 VBAP 用于销售文档，LIKP 和 LIPS 用于交货，VBRK 用于账单文档。
• 已删除索引表 VAKPA、VAPMA、VLKPA、VLPMA、VRKPA 和 VRPMA。
• 由于功能终止，已删除折扣索引表 VBOX。
• 由于信用管理功能终止，已删除物流信息系统 (LIS) 信用管理表 S0066 和 S067。
• 合并文档流和状态，简化了文档流表 VBFA。
• SAP ERP SD 文档类别字段长度扩展:
• 字段 VBTYP (Char1) 已被数据元素 VBTYPL (Char4) 取代。
• 字段 VBTYP_EXT (Char4) 已被删除。
• 简化 SAP ERP SD 分析
  这也遵循 SAP S/4HANA 中的总体分析策略，SAP S/4HANA 分析方法基于 OData 和开放核心数据服务 (CDS；也称为 ABAP 管理的 CDS)，这些服务直接位于原始数据库之上，而不是预构建的聚合和/或冗余数据用于分析目的。基于数据库表 VBAK、LIKP 和 VBRK 的销售订单、客户发票、出库交货和许多其他销售和分销特定业务对象通过 CDS 视图表示，这些视图涵盖了分析 CDS 查询对数据库的统一访问。

SAP HANA优化在销售和分销中的应用

SAP HANA优化是使用SAP HANA技术的一部分商业智能(BI)。SAP HANA优化的BI内容使用数据源和BEx查询来加速SAP ERP SD报告的分析，例如销售概览、交付、定价条件、服务水平，甚至积压订单。SAP通过MultiProvider提供BEx查询，使您能够在不将数据加载到InfoCube(实时数据)的情况下运行更详细的报告。这与BI中的当前InfoCube相比，需要数据上传。

MultiProvider

InfoProviders和MultiProviders是与报告相关的对象或视图。MultiProvider是一种对象类型，用于将来自多个InfoProviders的数据组合在一起以供报告使用。

SAP提供了以下适用于SAP ERP SD的MultiProviders上运行的BEx查询:

• 销售概览(/IMO/SD_M10)
• SD-DLV: 服务水平(/IMO/SD_M50)
• 交付(/IMO/SD_M20)
• 交付概览(/IMO/SD_M20_Q0001)
• 开票SD-DLV: 积压订单(/IMO/SD_D51)
• 开票SD-DLV(/IMO/SD_D30)
• 定价条件(/IMO/SD_M40)

---

1.4 SAP ERP销售和分销组织结构

由于它是一个面向过程的应用程序，SAP需要反映公司的结构。为了做到这一点，它有自己的企业结构。该结构包括几个跨各个领域的层次: 财务结构、物流结构、制造结构、销售结构等。为了我们的目的，我们需要熟悉财务、物流和销售结构。参见图1.5，了解企业组件的概述。

1.4.1 客户端

SAP结构中的最高层次是称为客户端编号的通用层次。客户端编号是您将要工作的SAP实例。您需要在登录屏幕中输入此编号以及您的用户ID和密码。

1.4.2 公司代码

接下来是公司代码，这是第一个功能级别，属于SAP ERP FI。公司代码反映公司的法律实体。如果您的公司是公司集团，那么您的SAP实例可能有多个公司代码。每个公司代码都有一个总账。

财务和控制结构还包括以下层次，提供报告和合并功能:

• 业务领域 一个公司代码可以分为多个业务领域，一个业务领域可以属于多个公司代码。
• 公司 公司位于公司代码之上，是SAP系统中可以拥有科目表的最小单位。
• 信用控制区域 这是汇总客户应收账款的层次。此层次可以跨多个公司代码定义。
• 资金管理区域 资金管理区域是您规划一个或多个公司代码支出的层次。它控制预算管理。
• 催收区域 催收区域管理与客户的通信，以确保收取应收账款。在SAP系统中，它将不同情况下与客户通信的不同程序组合在一起。
• 科目表 这包含总账科目。一个公司代码只能有一个科目表。
• 控制区域 控制区域汇集需要提供给外部各方的信息。一个控制区域可以汇集多个公司代码。

1.4.3 工厂

物流结构反映公司的运营结构；在金字塔的顶端是工厂。工厂是公司进行运营的元素(如采购、生产、库存和销售)。

工厂应是反映公司结构中实际位置的SAP元素。换句话说，它是反映制造工厂或配送中心的SAP工具。在某些情况下，当设施内的操作差异较大时，您也可以在SAP系统中反映两个独立的工厂。
例如，如果您有一个制造工厂，一翼组装收音机，另一翼组装电视，那么您可能希望在SAP中将其分为两个独立的工厂。在工厂之下，有几个不同功能领域的层次。

1.4.4 存储地点

这是存放库存的地方。在SAP系统中，存储地点保持公司使用的每种材料的数量和价值。每当从供应商收到材料、用于生产订单或出售给客户时，存储地点反映这些库存水平的变化，并同时更新会计总账。

1.4.5 仓库

仓库编号代表物理仓库综合体，包括用于存储产品的所有货架、笼子和箱子。虽然存储地点告诉您某种产品的单位数量和价值，仓库编号告诉您在仓库中的具体位置。它由多个存储类型、存储部分和最终存储箱组成，如下所述。基本上，它是用于定位产品位置的坐标系统。

存储类型

这些可定义的逻辑和物理位置允许您反映设施的物理布局或基于拣货或放货技术的区域逻辑划分。存储类型由一个或多个存储部分组成。

存储部分

这种结构使您能够细分存储类型，并且每个存储类型至少需要一个部分才能使仓库结构正常工作。
部分允许您将具有相似特征或用途的存储箱组合在一起。

存储箱

存储类型和存储部分可以包含一个或多个存储箱，例如货架空间或槽位。这是仓库中最小的可用空间单位。存储箱提供仓库结构中货物位置的信息。

到目前为止，我们已经介绍了与其他模块(如SAP ERP MM、SAP ERP FI和SAP ERP PP)共享的企业结构组件。现在让我们回顾专门用于SAP ERP SD的企业结构组件，如图1.6所示。

1.4.6 销售组织

销售组织是在物流中定义的分发商品和服务的企业结构。该结构可以反映您销售组织的业务存在，并模仿区域结构或国际布局。SAP系统要求至少定义一个销售组织，以使SAP ERP SD功能正常工作。销售组织必须分配给公司代码，以便集成会计。

请记住，可以将多个销售组织分配给一个公司代码。该结构内的所有活动都在销售组织级别进行汇总报告。销售组织有其自己的地址、货币和日历，可以是您定义的每个销售组织独特且不同的。

1.4.7 分销渠道

分销渠道识别客户从公司获取商品和服务的独特方式，例如批发、零售、互联网销售等。
设计上，要使用SAP ERP SD功能，您需要至少一个分销渠道。分销渠道没有地址、日历或货币要维护。它们在父对象: 销售组织中定义。每个分销渠道可以跨越一个、一些或所有的销售组织。您还可以将一个或多个工厂分配给销售组织和分销渠道的组合，但您需要至少一个才能使SAP ERP SD正常工作。定义分销渠道后，您可以执行以下操作:

• 定义材料和服务主数据。
• 创建和维护您的客户主数据。
• 允许复杂的定价策略。
• 定义销售文件类型。
• 在销售统计中使用该渠道。

1.4.8 部门

这个SAP企业结构通常基于一大类产品或服务。就像分销渠道一样，可以将单个部门分配给多个销售组织，且需要一个部门才能使SAP ERP SD功能正常工作。您的材料和客户主数据有特定于部门的部分，使您能够维护仅限于一小类商品和服务的业务活动。

注意: 材料主记录只能属于一个部门，并在主数据选项卡"销售: 销售组织数据1"中维护。

您可以做出客户特定协议、设置定价、设置付款条件，并进行统计报告，限制数据选择到特定部门。

注意: 客户主数据是特定于部门的，是主数据维护中使用的关键结构之一。

1.4.9 销售办公室

在SAP系统中，销售办公室是可选的。您可以在不创建销售办公室的情况下使用SAP ERP SD。如果您的组织需要这种数据的粒度，您应该了解以下内容:

• 销售办公室可以分配给一个或多个销售区域。
• 销售办公室可以由通常代表销售人员或销售团队的销售小组组成。
• 您可以维护销售办公室的地址。
• 销售办公室作为销售文件维护的选择标准。
• 您可以使用销售办公室确定销售文件的输出。

1.4.10 销售组

在标准SAP系统中，销售组的定义是可选的，通常代表销售人员或销售团队。您可以在不创建任何销售组的情况下使用SAP ERP SD功能。但是，如果您在系统中使用此功能，它允许您执行以下操作:

• 将销售人员分配给代表销售组的代码。
• 将销售组分配给一个或多个销售办公室。
• 选择销售组作为销售文件的标准。
• 使用此结构影响销售文件输出的打印确定。

1.4.11 销售区域

SAP ERP SD功能所需的主要组件是销售区域。销售区域是由销售组织、分销渠道和部门组合构建的，如前面所述。基本上，销售区域定义了特定销售组织可以用来销售特定部门产品或服务的分销渠道。参见图1.7，了解基本销售区域的布局。

在此图中，您应识别出三个销售区域:

• 销售区域1:

  • 销售组织: 1000
  • 分销渠道: 10
  • 部门: 10

• 销售区域2:

  • 销售组织: 1000
  • 分销渠道: 10
  • 部门: 20

• 销售区域3:

  • 销售组织: 1000
  • 分销渠道: 20
  • 部门: 10

1.4.12 信用控制区域

信用控制区域是SAP ERP FI的一个组织单位，负责维护和监控客户的信用限额。信用控制区域可以分配给一个或多个公司代码。然而，不可能将一个公司代码分配给多个控制区域。单个信用控制区域内不支持多货币信用限额。

1.4.13 发运点

负责分销活动的企业结构组件是发运点。此逻辑定义可以反映您的物理发运码头、邮件仓库或负责分销活动的一组人员。每个工厂可以有多个发运点，但需要至少一个发运点才能使用发运功能。多个工厂也可以分配给一个发运点，但仅推荐相距较近的工厂这样做。发运点有其自己的地址和日历，影响到客户交付和自我补充交付的调度和处理。发运点还与工厂和发运条件一起影响拣货存储地点的确定。发运点的组织分配在工厂级别进行。

注意: 单个销售订单或库存转移订单可以有多行和多次交付。单次交付只能由一个发运点处理。

1.4.14 装货点

发运点可以有装货点，代表诸如装货码头的结构，并可在交付处理期间分配。您还可以分配负责装货码头位置的人的姓名。装货点是可选的，并且不需要使用发运功能。

1.4.15 运输计划点

运输计划点分配给公司代码，允许计划和执行运输(将一个或多个交付组合在一起的文件)。

运输计划点可以代表负责运输类型和地理区域的物理运输部门，并有其自己的地址。您需要至少一个运输计划点才能使用运输功能。一个公司代码可以有一个或多个运输计划点，但多个公司代码之间不能共享运输计划点。

1.5 总结

在本章中，我们尽可能简洁和简单地提供了大量信息，包括SAP的历史、企业结构的讨论以及SAP ERP SD关键流程的概述。

现在，您应该了解SAP ERP的所有企业结构组件。

您还应该能够识别SAP ERP SD特定的企业结构组件，并了解与其他功能的核心集成点。

我们还简要讨论了SAP S/4HANA和SAP Hybris，探索了销售和分销领域的发展方向。

了解这些组件为继续学习下一章奠定了良好的基础，在下一章中，我们将详细讨论主数据和销售流程。

Chapter 1 Introduction

There was a time in enterprise software when each area in a company used a different technology, a different vendor, and a different system, creating a corporate tower of Babel.
SAP changed all that.

It was 1972 when a group of five IBM engineers from Manheim, Germany—Dietmar Hopp, Hans-Werner Hector, Hasso Plattner, Klaus Tschira, and Claus Wellenreuther— decided to create the next big thing in systems history: the first enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.

At that time, the software industry was formed by a multitude of vendors; each had developed its own technologies, developed systems for functional business areas, and created software systems for accounting, inventory control, purchasing, order processing, and more.
Each of these computer systems was designed differently and used different file systems, different programming languages, and often even different hardware platforms.
To exchange information, different areas had to print out reports, and, many times, the information contained in the reports had to be captured in the other system.

Software has come a long way since 1972.
In this chapter, we’ll quickly overview today’s SAP Business Suite and how an enterprise structure is set up in SAP software, and then focus our attention more specifically on executing logistics and explaining the SAP ERP Sales and Distribution (SAP ERP SD) component.

1.1 Sales and Distribution at a Glance

The SAP software catalog is vast and complex, including the enterprise resource planning application now known as SAP ERP (replacing R/3) and its own replacement SAP S/4HANA, which takes care of the day-to-day operations of a company.
It also includes SAP Supply Chain Management (SAP SCM) for complex operations planning and SAP Business Warehouse (SAP BW) for complex decision making.
SAP ERP is used to execute all of the everyday operations of sales and distributions in a company.
A company can plan and execute the collection of steps involved in taking sales orders; performing availability checks; passing the requirements to the supply chain, including those from the sales forecasts; and then converting them to master production scheduling, production planning, production scheduling, and purchasing.
Then the materials are moved through inventory management and warehousing to the distribution end of the sales activities—the logistics chain that’s involved in shipping, transportation planning, and yard management.

1.2 Sales and Distribution Process

The SAP ERP Sales and Distribution functionality (SAP ERP SD), with the help of integration with other functionalities such as SAP ERP Materials Management (SAP ERP MM) and SAP ERP Logistics Execution (SAP ERP LE), covers the entire order-to-cash process of your company.
This is also one of the oldest applications, which was part of the SAP R/2 version.
SAP ERP SD—the main topic of this book—covers the entire chain of processes (order-to-cash) from customer inquiry and sales orders to the delivery of products to the customer destination of choice through billing and payment collection.
The components of SAP ERP LE are also heavily integrated and include picking, packing, and shipping.
We’ll talk more about SAP ERP SD functions in the next section.

The SAP ERP SD software package is designed to capture almost any business activity, and if the standard functionality isn’t available, it allows you to create custom solutions to close the gap between the prepackaged application and the desired state.
Out-of-the-box SAP ERP SD functionality covers most of the standard business functions that are universal for most industries.
See Figure 1.1 for a quick process overview.

Figure 1.1 Sales and Distribution Process Overview

1.2.1 Presale Activities

In real-life scenarios, before the sale takes place, your business needs to collect basic data and create master records in the system for either existing or potential customers.
You’ll create data for contact people, sales prospects, and existing customers, and you’ll also maintain data about your competitors.
After this foundation is established, the actual contact with the sales prospects is made and can be recorded as an SAP ERP SD document in the form of inquiry or quotation.
These documents can help you determine important sales-related data that can be accessed for reporting purposes, to evaluate sales activities, and finally to convert to sales orders, giving you a full record of the sales activities from establishing the contact with the customer to collecting the payment.
Storage of the presales data also helps with establishing large contracts and scheduling agreements.
We’ll cover all of the activities and documents in detail throughout the rest of this book.

1.2.2 Order Processing

Order processing is built on myriad activities and usually starts with recording the actual sales order, then procurement steps if goods or services aren’t available, followed by delivery picking, packing, and shipping to the final destination.

The sales order document stores the data of a customer’s firmed request for your goods or services.
The system uses master data you’ve maintained and established to fulfill this request.
Sales orders are recorded either by your own sales force or directly by the customer via web front, electronic data interchange (EDI), or XML interface messages.

The sales order contains customer, partner (sold-to, ship-to, bill-to), material, quantity, pricing, delivery date, and shipping and transportation information required for delivery.
A goods availability check is performed at the time of the order entry, triggering the potential procurement requests as needed.

The requirements created by the sales order can be filled from available on-hand stock inventories procured by replenishment that is processed by any of the following:

• Internal sources such as stock transport orders or production orders
• External sources such as purchase orders replenishing your in-house stock levels
• Third-party delivery performed by external supplier shipping goods directly to your customer on your behalf

1.2.3 Shipping and Transportation

On the shipping due date, the delivery documents are created, and the route is determined if you’re using SAP Transportation Management (SAP TM).
You can then start the process of picking, packing, staging, and loading, if you’re using all of these steps in your business process.
If you’re using SAP ERP Warehouse Management (SAP ERP WM) functionality (lean or standard SAP ERP WM), you’re using transfer orders to initiate picking.
The transfer order includes data copied from the delivery document.
Standard SAP functionality provides some complicated picking methods such as grouped deliveries, wave picking, and two-step.
Transfer orders can be processed as printed pick tickets or in electronic form using radio frequency (RF) devices on the warehouse floor.
The confirmation of the transfer order completes the picking activities.
If you use the transportation functionality, you can also start collaborating with freight service providers, start the tendering process, and finish up by creating the shipment cost document, which captures the payable activities related to the delivery of goods to your customers.
Delivery packing list and bill of lading output are usually triggered at the completion of these steps.

The posting of the goods issue completes the process and results in stock movement or a confirmation of service that changes your on-hand inventory balance, reducing it and updating the balance sheet accounts in SAP ERP Financials (SAP ERP FI).

1.2.4 Billing

The last step before collecting your customer’s payment is creating a billing document or invoice that is sent to the customer’s bill-to party for payment request.
Just as with the delivery document, data is copied from either the sales document or the delivery document and other billing documents, creating credit or debit memos.
When you create the billing document, account determination is performed, and appropriate SAP General Ledger (G/L) account postings are executed that debit the customer’s receivables and credit the revenue account.

1.2.5 Revenue Recognition and Reporting

As we touched on earlier in this chapter, the integrated philosophy of SAP is showing you how all activities, in one form or another, end up recorded in the balance sheet accounts in SAP ERP Financials.

The material documents recorded when the goods issue was posted, as well as a subsequent accounting document, stored the stock movement data.
The transportation service provider purchase order ended up as an entry for accounts payable, and the incoming payment from the customer was also posted against the invoice (billing document) submitted in the earlier steps.

Additional activities may also be performed when differences are reconciled and potentially resolved with either credit or debit memos.

All activities in the SAP ERP SD process end up reflected in the system as documents, master data, and pricing records, and they are used as a foundation for the Sales Information System (SIS) or SAP BW for reporting.

1.3 SAP ERP Sales and Distribution

SAP ERP SD has evolved into a robust and flexible functionality at the core of the SAP ERP solution.
Today, it’s well complemented by the SAP Business Suite packages, such as SAP Customer Relationship Management (SAP CRM) covering the frontend of business activities and customer interaction, and SAP Supply Chain Management (SAP SCM) covering the distribution and delivery end, including the newest tools such as SAP Hybris and the brand-new SAP S/4HANA components.
All of these applications and functionalities crisscross between themselves, automating and recording materials and services requirements, external procurement, production, storage, quality management, foreign trade, and so on.
It’s been expanding release after release, bringing some of the former add-ons to a standard core set of functionalities, and simplifying or optimizing them in the latest SAP S/4HANA unveiling.
Let’s take a quick walk through what’s currently available for your sales and distribution functionality needs.

1.3.1 SAP ERP

The current version of SAP ERP 6.0 includes many new functionalities that add new features, such as global trade management, compensation management, and agency business, but the core hasn’t changed much throughout the years.
Some companies may also be implementing components such as SAP ERP Project System (SAP ERP PS) and SAP Environmental, Health, and Safety Management (SAP EHS Management).
Common features used by almost all logistics subcomponents may also include handling unit management, batch management, engineering change management, and variant configuration.

SAP ERP is divided into functional pieces called components, modules, or functionalities.
Each functional area of a company might use one or more component or functionality, but many times, a person’s work won’t involve more than one.

The following is a list of the components that are included in SAP ERP:

• SAP ERP Financials (SAP ERP FI)
• SAP ERP Controlling (SAP ERP CO)
• SAP ERP Project System (SAP ERP PS)
• SAP ERP Sales and Distribution (SAP ERP SD)
• SAP ERP Materials Management (SAP ERP MM)
• SAP ERP Logistics Execution (SAP ERP LE)
• SAP ERP Quality Management (SAP ERP QM)
• SAP ERP Plant Maintenance (SAP ERP PM)
• SAP ERP Production Planning (SAP ERP PP)
• SAP ERP Human Capital Management (SAP ERP HCM)

Let’s review some of the most important logistics components in a little bit more detail.

SAP ERP Materials Management

SAP ERP MM is one of the oldest functionalities and serves as a foundation for the logistics functions of the entire company.
The key components of SAP ERP MM include consumption-based planning, purchasing, inventory management, logistics invoice verification, and physical inventory.
It houses key master data objects that are shared with other functionalities and includes the material master, service master, batch records, and vendor master.

Outside of integrated master data objects, such as the material master, which is shared by almost all of the SAP ERP components and functionalities, there are also component-specific master data objects, such as purchasing info records, source lists, and quota arrangements.
These are very important while executing the different system transactions because the system will determine the correct data based on these master data records.

SAP ERP Logistics Execution

SAP ERP LE covers all product movements for your company—starting with goods receipts via inbound delivery, where goods are following the standard of pick, pack, and putaway.
This is accomplished using the SAP ERP WM (LE-WM) functions via transfer order processing.
Then the goods can be moved internally within the plant between storage locations, using inventory management functions or using shipping functions via outbound delivery to execute cross-plant or cross-company movements.
It can also involve the SAP TM (LE-TRA) functionality, which allows grouping deliveries into a shipment or chain of shipments.
The same process also applies to customer orders, where it’s integrated into the sales order fulfillment part.

If the SAP ERP WM functionality is implemented, a very granular process is available where transfer orders help in executing picking and packing, and where tasks and resources are managed efficiently with the use of RF devices.
In addition, the SAP Yard Management (LE-YM) functionality is available to streamline the dock and trailer yard operations.
We’ll touch base on the SAP ERP LE processes throughout this book.

SAP ERP Production Planning

The SAP ERP PP functionality helps you manage your company’s production process.

The production process starts with the analysis of your requirements and includes input from long-term or short-term forecasts, SAP Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP), external planning tools such as SAP Advanced Planning & Optimization (SAP APO), and material master settings.

The basic planning procedures are defined in different material requirements planning (MRP) types.
Using consumption-based planning, the system looks at past consumption values and uses forecasts or statistical calculations to determine future requirements.

The MRP procedure takes current and future sales figures as its base point to determine future requirements for the entire bill of materials (BOM) structure, which produces better planning results than consumption-based planning.
SAP ERP PP has its own master data objects, including work centers, routings, BOMs, and recipes, and allows you to execute capacity planning, master production scheduling (MPS), and MRP, as well as perform and capture shop floor operations.

SAP ERP Plant Maintenance

The SAP ERP PM functionality is used to maintain the equipment and other technical infrastructure used by your company and your customers.
It allows you to plan, schedule, and execute inspections, preventive maintenance, repairs, and refurbishment, as well as manage external services.
SAP ERP PM has its own enterprise structure components, including maintenance plant, locations and plant sections, and master data applicable exclusively to SAP ERP PM, such as functional locations, work centers, equipment, and BOMs.

SAP ERP Customer Service

The SAP ERP CS functionality helps companies service customers with warranty repairs and servicing of products where materials can either be sent back to the company or its affiliates for repair or be maintained on site.
If you manufacture and sell products with warranties, this functionality in SAP ERP will help your company maximize the efficiency of your service and repair operations.
SAP ERP CS is frequently implemented in tandem with SAP ERP Quality Management (SAP ERP QM), which helps resolve product quality issues.

SAP ERP Quality Management

The SAP ERP QM functionality is fully integrated with other SAP functionalities and components, and it’s configured to fit your company-specific requirements.
Settings could be specific to industry sectors and geared to support Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) regulations.

The standard SAP ERP QM functionality supports the classic quality management tasks such as quality planning, quality inspection, and quality control, as well as supplementary functions such as integration with Engineering Change Management (ECM).
It’s also integrated fully with other logistics components such as SAP ERP MM, SAP ERP PP, SAP ERP SD, SAP ERP PS, SAP ERP PM, and SAP ERP CS.

SAP Global Trade Management

SAP Global Trade Management is part of the family of modules from the SAP ERP Business Suite.
SAP designed SAP Global Trade Management by taking into consideration those companies oriented to global operations with large-scale trading contracts or partners around the world and involving multiple trading countries.
The SAP Global Trade Management application is delivered by SAP as an add-on, which means that you need to activate it to make it available for configuration and usage in SAP ERP.

SAP Global Trade Management is particularly useful when purchasing and sales orders are involved in a transaction, even when they’re triggered in parallel.
General traders or commodity traders, wholesalers, and importers or exporters are some typical SAP clients who use SAP Global Trade Management as part of their SAP ERP system.
One of the main objectives of SAP Global Trade Management is to keep and improve the effectiveness of the supply chain, primarily by integrating all elements of the logistics, accounting, and settlements to buyers as well as sellers.

Global trading and trading business starts with a sales order for customers or a purchase order for vendors.
The implementation and configuration of both SAP ERP SD and SAP ERP MM components and settings are mandatory.
The customer and vendor master data should be configured to allow the SAP Global Trade Management application to coexist and integrate properly (see Figure 1.2).

Figure 1.2 SAP Global Trade Management Integration with SAP ERP SD, SAP ERP MM, and SAP ERP FI

Additional SAP ERP SD elements such as pricing conditions and sales transactions are also required.
Enabling purchasing transactions in the SAP ERP MM side is also essential to the operation of the SAP Global Trade Management application.
Trading contracts interact with sales orders as well as purchase orders, whereas trading execution interacts with delivery, shipping, and billing on the SAP ERP SD side, as well as shipping, goods receipts, and invoice verification on the SAP ERP MM side.
AR and AP postings are placed throughout the supply chain cycle.

Financial Supply Chain Management

Financial Supply Chain Management (FSCM; sometimes called Financial Supply) got its name from leveraging the advantages of successful models such as SAP SCM that have shown benefits for several years.
FSCM is a component of SAP ERP FI suites and manages the cash-to-cash cycle.
FSCM integrates the supply chain of the cash flow to provide you with an incorporated module, improving visibility and cash control.
In simple terms, FSCM effectively manages the demand and supply of cash and cash equivalents of a company, lowering the associated operational cost and even increasing customer satisfaction.

You’ll find that by using FSCM, you have greater visibility and more control over the cash-related processes of your company because FSCM integrates sales and logistics, finance, and company operations to a more effective cash flow.
Additionally, you’ll discover that FSCM’s interconnected events of the working capital, product inventory, payment terms, credits and pricing, and even employees’ behavior will give you a more harmonized view, including sales tendencies, usually impacted by employees’ bonuses or time of the year, as some examples.

Initially, the module was launched with five basic submodules—SAP Credit Management, SAP Collections Management, SAP Dispute Management, and SAP Biller
Direct—but now it’s offered with additional functionality such as In-House Cash, SAP Treasury and Risk Management, SAP Cash and Liquidity Management, and more recently, SAP Bank Relationship Management and Billing Consolidation.

In Chapter 7, we’ll provide a deeper analysis of the FSCM functionality and submodules, including common transactions and how each subcomponent integrates with SAP ERP SD and your daily tasks.

1.3.2 SAP Customer Relationship Management

SAP CRM is another separate application that helps companies with sales lifecycle management.
It supports the following functions within the sales and marketing processes:

• Marketing
  Support is provided for campaign management, branding, loyalty management, segmentation, and e-marketing.

• Sales
  Support is provided for e-commerce, interaction center, channel management, and offer management.

• Service
  Support is provided for interaction center, business communication, channel management, and e-service.

• Contact Center
  Support is provided for interaction center, business communication, marketing, sales, service, and offer management.

• E-commerce
  Support is provided for e-marketing, e-commerce, e-service, and web channel analytics.

The SAP CRM strategy and application lineup has been slowly realigned after the acquisition of Hybris, which took place in 2013.
This helps to bring the customer experience to the cloud and compete with solutions such as Salesforce.com.

1.3.3 SAP Hybris

SAP has consolidated its CRM solution, beginning in 2014, under a new product name: SAP Hybris Customer Engagement & Commerce.
SAP Hybris integration enables companies to engage with customers through a multichannel approach, utilizing cloud, social media, and traditional web contextual experiences, yet simplifying the technology landscape using single-stack architecture.
As a customer, this means you no longer need to build integrations to the SAP backend from scratch, which lowers your implementation costs.
This solution will replace SAP CRM in the near future.
The SAP Hybris solution delivers the components shown in Figure 1.3 and discussed in the following subsections.

Figure 1.3 SAP Hybris Solution Components and Functionality

SAP Hybris Commerce

SAP Hybris Commerce helps you in digital transformation and enables your company to become an omni-channel business, delivering contextual customer experiences and unifying customer processes.
SAP Hybris Commerce integrates all digital and physical customer touchpoints onto a single delivery platform that includes mobile, point-of-sale, call center, social media, and print.

SAP Hybris Marketing

SAP Hybris Marketing enables marketers to get a better understanding of customer’s needs, and know what they’ve done, what they may do, and most importantly what they are currently doing.
It helps in gaining real-time insights into the context, and you can leverage this information to deliver individualized customer experiences across all available channels.

SAP Hybris Service

The SAP Hybris Service solution delivers the end-to-end service process, supporting resolution of customer issues and execution of service orders via self-service, agents, or on-site personnel.
It comes with mobile access and built-in analytical capabilities.
This solution allows you to fully collaborate with your customers and helps to accelerate service resolutions.

SAP Hybris as a Service

SAP Hybris as a Service is an open standard solution based on the microservices architecture, which offers flexibility and scalability by supporting a wide variety of devices and platforms (e.g., mobile, web cloud, and wearable devices).
To offer flexibility in deploying the SAP Hybris solution, SAP offers SAP Hybris as a Service on the SAP Cloud Platform.

SAP Hybris Sales

This component offers a solution for the new, existing, agile, and demanding nextgeneration sales organizations.
It enables full team collaboration, and provides access to real-time analytics and contextual sales data, on-the-go reporting, email integration, and back-office integration with SAP ERP and SAP CRM.
It also offers industry-specific capabilities to meet your needs.
It follows the current market trends arising out of the business landscapes and provides functionality to fulfill the following goals:

• Sell anytime, anywhere
  Engage with the customer using all platforms from web to mobile in real time using SAP Hybris Sales Cloud.

• Turn insights into action
  Plan and execute using onboard front-office and analytics to maximize opportunities and probability of winning sales.

• More time selling, and less time on admin tasks
  Administrative tasks have been limited to a minimum, including integration with traditional productivity applications such as Outlook, Gmail, or social media.

• Know your customer
  Provide the real-time data right from the back-office systems of SAP S/4HANA, SAP ERP, or SAP CRM.

The SAP Hybris Sales component integrates with SAP HANA or SAP ERP backend using iFlows that contain predefined data mappings to standard fields, functions, and rules.
iFlows run on the SAP Cloud Platform and SAP Process Integration (SAP PI).

SAP offers several application programming interfaces (APIs) to integrate with any third-party application using the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), web services, and OData/RESTful option.

To support the cross-pollination of master data between backend data of SAP S/4HANA or SAP ERP, SAP Hybris Sales Cloud allows unidirectional master data replication for the following data objects: account hierarchies, products, pricing, sales organizations, currency conversion rates, and employees.
SAP Hybris Sales Cloud is also built for bidirectional data synchronization of the following: customer accounts, contacts, installation points or functional locations, and equipment.
See Figure 1.4 for the transactional data flow example.

Integration points in the entire opportunity-to-order process provide real-time access to pricing, quote, and sales order data, as part of the Account 360 view, where data is available via replication from the backend SAP ERP or SAP S/4HANA system.

The full drill-down functionality is also available using the customer cockpit (requires a virtual private network [VPN] connection to access).

Figure 1.4 Data Replication between SAP Backend and SAP Hybris Sales Cloud

SAP Hybris Billing

This component is the next generation billing solution for subscription and usagebased services.
The key functionalities of SAP Hybris Billing include the following:

• Business model design
• Subscription order management
• Usage metering and transaction pricing
• Billing receivables and collections
• Partner revenue share

It also integrates with the classic SAP ERP or SAP HANA process to connect to projectbased quoting and SAP ERP SD billing, and SAP standard FI-AR processes.
SAP Hybris Billing uses open interfaces and enterprise web services to communicate with the backend and other non-SAP systems.
Different SAP Hybris Billing process streams can be consolidated in a single SAP billing document for the customer, and this invoice is then processed through standard SAP ERP FI accounts receivables—just like any other invoice.

To enable SAP Hybris Billing integration with SAP ERP or SAP HANA, you have the following options via SAP Hybris Commerce, data hub:

• Integrate SAP Hybris Commerce with SAP CRM and SAP ERP.
• Integrate SAP Hybris Commerce with SAP S/4HANA’s digital core.
• Integrate SAP Hybris Commerce with SAP S/4HANA or SAP ERP.

Note

For more information on SAP Hybris components, read SAP Hybris: Commerce, Marketing, Sales, Service, and Revenue with SAP (SAP PRESS, 2017, www.sap-press.com/4394).

1.3.4 SAP S/4HANA

In this section, we explain in simple terms what SAP HANA has to offer, how your daily job will be impacted by this technology, and also what SAP HANA is and how it impacts the SAP ERP SD component.

Let’s begin by saying that SAP HANA is a piece of technology that allows you to perform massive analysis of real-time data in the memory of the servers.
This means no more delays or long hours spent on a Friday night running that report required by Monday.
Without being too technical, SAP HANA is becoming the platform for current and future SAP applications and analytics, which is why it’s important to understand the basics of SAP HANA to manage the coming changes better.

Note

SAP HANA stands for high-performance analytic appliance and relates to an in-memory, relational database management system developed by SAP.

The latest release of SAP S/4HANA includes the core components that are optimized for use with the new in-memory processing engine.
The core Sales and Distributions functions remain unchanged, however, with some exceptions that we’ll highlight throughout the book.

SAP HANA for the Cloud, Mobile, and Social Media

SAP now supports cloud computing.
In October 2012, HANA One was announced as a variation of the original SAP HANA technology, which uses a smaller amount of memory via Amazon Web Services.
In 2013, SAP HANA also began offering the SAP HANA Cloud Platform (hosting services and cloud environment), and SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud (enterprise solutions for SAP Business Suites and Business Warehouse as Service).
Mobile and social networks are supported by a real-time data platform in SAP to allow uniformity and a faster data analysis.

SAP S/4HANA Impact on Sales and Distribution

As of right now, in all SAP ERP releases, including EHP 8 with SAP HANA, only SAP HANA-optimized is delivered with functionality for Sales and Distribution.
SAP HANA also provides you with a platform to develop applications and is expected in a near SP to have more Sales and Distribution applications based on this new technology.
SAP HANA significantly expedites the time spent running Sales and Distribution reports.
Do you remember having to stay longer at work running the billing list or the shipping list? Or having to trigger them via a nightly batch process just to find out the next day they weren’t finished yet? SAP HANA-optimized could be the solution.

The latest SAP S/4HANA version delivers a number of simplifications that impact functionality and the underlying data layer supporting it.
Following are a few important notes regarding these simplifications:

• Sales support: computer-aided selling
  This functionality is no longer supported, and it’s recommended to switch to either SAP CRM or SAP Hybris Cloud for Customer.

• Billing document output management
  The new release brings a new redesign output approach based on the Adobe Document Server.
  Table NAST-based configuration is also replaced with BRFplus (Business Rules Framework plus), which is accessible for the customer.

• SAP ERP SD Rebate Processing
  This functionality is replaced by Settlement Management, which means that existing rebate agreements available in your system (if you’re upgrading) will be processed until the end of their validity dates.
  From now on, new agreements can only be created based on condition contracts.

• Advanced Available-To-Promise (ATP) in SAP S/4HANA
  Table VBBS contained preaggregated sales requirements.
  The requested (OMENG) and confirmed (VMENG) quantities were aggregated on a daily basis.
  This table is replaced with table VBBE, and any ATP check code is automatically redirected to use table VBBE.

• Foreign Trade
  As this is part of standard SAP ERP SD, Foreign Trade no longer available in SAP S/4HANA.
  This functionality is replaced with SAP Global Trade Services (GTS), which can be installed on a separate instance.
  For Intrastat, customers can leverage functions within SAP S/4HANA.
  For Legal Control and Preference Management, you can use functions based on SAP GTS.
  The Letter of Credit functionality is planned to be covered by SAP Treasury and Risk Management.
  Additional functions for import and export management are available with SAP GTS.

• Credit Management/Risk Management
  The standard SAP ERP component FI-AR-CR is no longer available; it has been migrated to the FSCM component SAP Credit Management (FIN-FSCM-CR).
  All previous transaction codes will be unavailable.
  If you have any custom objects using the standard Credit Management functions, you need to check the SAP support portal for the latest notes and instructions.

• Data model changes in Sales and Distribution pricing
  SAP ERP documents such as sales orders and the purchase orders store their pricing information in table KONV.
  In SAP S/4HANA, table KONV has been replaced by new table PRCD_ELEMENTS.
  The old table KONV still exists and can be used for programming data declaration purposes.

• Simplified data models
  Several SAP table simplifications have been implemented to reduce memory footprint, increase performance, and enhance functional scope through extended field lengths.
  Some examples include the following:
  – Document status tables VBUK and VBUP have been eliminated.
  Their fields have been moved to the corresponding header and item tables of VBAK and VBAP for sales documents, LIKP and LIPS for deliveries, and VBRK for billing documents.
  – Index tables VAKPA, VAPMA, VLKPA, VLPMA, VRKPA, and VRPMA have been eliminated.
  – Rebate index table VBOX has been eliminated due to functionality discontinuation.
  – Logistics Information System (LIS) Credit Management tables S0066 and S067 have been eliminated due to Credit Management functionality discontinuation.
  – Simplification of document flow table VBFA—combining document flow and status.
  – SAP ERP SD document category field length extension:

• Field VBTYP (Char1) has been replaced by data element VBTYPL (Char4).
• Field VBTYP_EXT (Char4) has been eliminated.

• Simplification of SAP ERP SD Analytics
  This also follows the overall analytics strategy in SAP S/4HANA where instead of prebuilt aggregates and/or redundant data for analytical purposes, the SAP S/4HANA analytics approach is based on OData and open Core Data Services (CDS; also known as ABAP-managed CDS), which sit directly on top of the original database.
  Sales and Distribution-specific business objects sales order, customer invoice, outbound delivery, and many others on top of database tables VBAK, LIKP, and VBRK are represented by CDS views that encompass access of the analytics CDS queries to the database in a uniform manner.

SAP HANA-Optimized in Sales and Distribution

SAP HANA-optimized is part of business intelligence (BI) that uses SAP HANA technology.
SAP HANA-optimized BI content uses DataSources and BEx queries to expedite analysis of SAP ERP SD reports such as sales overviews, delivery, pricing conditions, service levels, and even backorders.
SAP delivers BEx queries using a MultiProvider, which enables you to run reports at a more granular level without loading data into an InfoCube (real-time data).
In contrast to the current InfoCube in BI, data upload is required.

MultiProvider

InfoProviders and MultiProviders are the objects or views that are relevant for reporting.
A MultiProvider is a type of object that combines data from a number of InfoProviders for reporting purposes.

SAP delivers the following SAP ERP SD BEx queries that run on MultiProviders applicable to SAP ERP SD:

• Sales Overview (/IMO/SD_M10)
• SD-DLV: Service Level (/IMO/SD_M50)
• Delivery (/IMO/SD_M20)
• Delivery Overview (/IMO/SD_M20_Q0001)
• Billing SD-DLV: Backorders (/IMO/SD_D51)
• Billing SD-DLV (/IMO/SD_D30)
• Pricing Conditions (/IMO/SD_M40)

1.4 SAP ERP Sales and Distribution Organizational Structures

Because it’s a process-oriented application, SAP needs to reflect the company’s structure.
To do that, it has its own enterprise structure.
This structure consists of several levels across various areas: a finance structure, logistics structure, manufacturing structure, sales structure, and so on.
For our purposes, we need to get acquainted with the finance, logistics, and sales structures.
See Figure 1.5 for an overview of the enterprise components.

Figure 1.5 SAP Enterprise Structure Components

1.4.1 Client

The highest level in the SAP structure is a general level called the client number.
The client number is the SAP instance in which you’ll be working.
You have to enter this number in the logon screen along with your user ID and password.

1.4.2 Company Code

Next is the company code, which is the first functional level, and it belongs to SAP ERP FI.
The company code reflects a company’s legal entity.
If your company is a conglomerate of companies, then your SAP instance probably has more than one company code.
Each company code has a G/L.

The finance and controlling structure also consists of the following levels that provide reporting and consolidation capabilities:

• Business area
  One company code can be divided into multiple business areas, and a business area can belong to more than one company code.

• Company
  The company is hierarchically above the company code, and it’s the smallest unit for which you can have a chart of accounts in the SAP system.

• Credit control area
  This is the level at which all of the accounts receivables from a customer are totaled.
  This level can be defined across several company codes.

• Funds management area
  The funds management area is the level at which you plan the expenditures of one or several company codes.
  It controls budget management.

• Dunning area
  The dunning area manages communications with customers to ensure the collection of accounts receivables.
  In the SAP system, it groups together the different sets of procedures to communicate with customers under different circumstances.

• Chart of accounts
  This contains the G/L accounts.
  A company code can only have one chart of accounts.

• Controlling area
  Controlling areas put together information that has to be provided to external parties.
  A controlling area can group together several company codes.

1.4.3 Plant

The logistics structure reflects the operational structure of a company; at the top of the pyramid stands the plant.
The plant is the element where a company’s operations are executed (i.e., purchasing, production, inventory, and sales).

The plant should be an SAP element that reflects a physical location within the company structure.
In other words, it’s the SAP tool to reflect a manufacturing plant or a distribution center.
In some cases, when the operations within a facility are too different from one another, you can also reflect two separate plants in the SAP system.
For example, if you have a manufacturing plant that assembles radios in one wing and TVs in another, then you might want to split it into two separate plants within SAP.
Below the plant, there are several levels from different functional areas.

1.4.4 Storage Location

These are places where stock is kept.
In the SAP system, the storage locations keep the quantity and value of every material a company uses.
Every time a material is received from a vendor, used in a production order, or sold to a customer, the storage location reflects these changes in the stock levels and, at the same time, updates the accounting G/L.

1.4.5 Warehouse

The warehouse number represents the physical warehouse complex, including all of the racks, cages, and crates that are used to store the product.
While the storage location tells you how many units of a certain product you have and how much they are worth, the warehouse number tells you where in the warehouse to find them.
It’s built from a number of storage types, storage sections, and finally storage bins as detailed in the following list.
Basically, it’s a system of coordinates to pinpoint a product location.

• Storage type
  These definable logical and physical locations allow you to reflect either the physical layout of the facility or the logical division of zones based on the picking or putaway techniques.
  Storage type consists of one or more storage sections.

• Storage section
  This structure gives you the ability to subdivide your storage type, and you must have at least one section per storage type for the warehouse structure to function.
  Sections allow you to group together storage bins with similar features or uses.

• Storage bin
  Storage type and storage section can contain one or several storage bins—for example, rack spaces or slots.

This is the smallest available unit of space in a warehouse.
The storage bin provides the information on the location of the goods in the warehouse structure.

So far, we’ve covered enterprise structure components shared with other modules such as SAP ERP MM, SAP ERP FI, and SAP ERP PP.

Let’s now review the enterprise structure components that are used specifically in SAP ERP SD, as shown in Figure 1.6.

Figure 1.6 Enterprise Structure Overview and Integration in SAP ERP

1.4.6 Sales Organization

The sales organization has an enterprise structure in logistics that’s defined for distributing goods and services.

This structure can mirror the business presence of your sales organization and mimic a regional structure or international layout.

The SAP system requires at least one sales organization to be defined for the SAP ERP SD functionality to work.
A sales organization has to be assigned to the company code for accounting to be integrated.

Bear in mind that more than one sales organization can be assigned to a single company code.
All activities within this structure are reported at the sales organization level as a summation level.
The sales organization has its own address, currency, and calendar that can be different and unique to each sales organization you’ve defined.

1.4.7 Distribution Channel

The distribution channel identifies a unique way for your customers to obtain goods and services from your company, such as wholesale, retail, Internet sales, and so on.

By design, to use the SAP ERP SD functions, you need at least one distribution channel.
A distribution channel doesn’t have addresses, calendars, or currencies to maintain.

They’re defined in the parent object: the sales organization.
Each distribution channel can span across one, some, or all of your sales organizations.

You can also assign one or more plants to a combination of sales organization and distribution channel, but you need at least one for SAP ERP SD to function.

After you define the distribution channel, you can do the following:

• Define materials and services master data.
• Create and maintain your customer master data.
• Allow for complex pricing strategies.
• Define the sales document types.
• Use the channel in sales statistics.

1.4.8 Division

This SAP enterprise structure is usually based on a wide group of products or services.

Just like a distribution channel, a single division can be assigned to multiple sales organizations, and you need exactly one division for SAP ERP SD to function.

Your material and customer master data has parts that are specific to the division, allowing you to maintain business activity limited to a narrow group of goods and services.

Note

A material master record can belong to only one division and is maintained on the master data tab Sales: Sales Org. Data 1.

You can make customer-specific agreements, set pricing, set terms of payment, and perform statistical reporting that limits the data selection to a specific division.

Note

Customer master data is specific to a division and is one of the key structures used in master data maintenance.

1.4.9 Sales Office

In the SAP system, the sales office is optional.
You can use SAP ERP SD without creating sales offices.

If your organization needs this granularity of data, you should know the following:

• A sales office can be assigned to one or more sales areas.
• A sales office can consist of sales groups, usually representing a salesperson or a group of salespeople.
• You can maintain an address for the sales office.
• The sales office acts as a selection criterion for sales document maintenance.
• You can use a sales office to determine the output for your sales documents.

1.4.10 Sales Group

In the standard SAP system, the definition of sales groups is optional and usually represents a salesperson or a group of salespeople.

You can use the SAP ERP SD functionality without creating any sales groups.
However, if you’re using this in your system, it allows you to do the following:

• Assign a salesperson to the code representing a sales group.
• Assign a sales group to one or more sales offices.
• Select the sales group as a criterion for sales documents.
• Use this structure to influence printer determination for your sales documents output.

1.4.11 Sales Area

The main component required for SAP ERP SD to function is the sales area.

A sales area is built from a combination of sales organization, distribution channel, and division as described earlier.
Basically, the sales area defines the distribution channel that a specific sales organization can use to sell products or services of a particular division.
See Figure 1.7 for a layout showing the basic sales area.

Figure 1.7 Basic Sales Area Structure

In this figure, you should identify three sales areas:

• Sales Area 1:
  – Sales Organization: 1000
  – Distribution Channel: 10
  – Division: 10

• Sales Area 2:
  – Sales Organization: 1000
  – Distribution Channel: 10
  – Division: 20

• Sales Area 3:
  – Sales Organization: 1000
  – Distribution Channel: 20
  – Division: 10

1.4.12 Credit Control Area

The credit control area is a SAP ERP FI organizational unit that maintains and monitors credit limits for customers.

A credit control area can be assigned to one or more company codes.
It isn’t possible, however, to assign a company code to multiple control areas.
Multicurrency credit limits aren’t supported within single credit control areas.

1.4.13 Shipping Point

The enterprise structure component responsible for the distribution activities is a shipping point.

This logical definition can mirror your physical shipping dock, mail depot, or a group of people responsible for distribution activities.

You can have multiple shipping points per plant, but you need at least one for the shipping functionality to be available.
More than one plant can also be assigned to a shipping point, although this is recommended only for plants that are close to each other.
A shipping point has its own address and calendar, influencing the scheduling and processing of deliveries to customers, as well as your own replenishment deliveries.

The shipping point also influences the pick storage location determination together with plant and shipping condition.
The organizational assignment of the shipping point is carried out at the plant level.

Note

Single sales orders or stock transport orders can have multiple lines and multiple deliveries.
A single delivery can be processed only by one shipping point.

1.4.14 Loading Point

Shipping points can have loading points, representing structures such as loading docks, and can be assigned during delivery processing.

You can also assign the name of the person responsible for the loading dock location.
Loading points are optional and aren’t required for the shipping functionality to work.

1.4.15 Transportation Planning Point

The transportation planning point is assigned to the company code and allows for planning and execution of shipments (documents that group one or more deliveries).

Transportation planning points can represent a physical transportation department responsible for the type of shipment and geographical territory, and have its own address.

You need at least one for transportation functionality to be available.

You can have one or more transportation planning points for a company code, but you can’t share the transportation planning points among multiple company codes.

1.5 Summary

In this chapter, we provided a lot of information as briefly and simply as possible, including a history of SAP, a discussion of enterprise structure, and an overview of key SAP ERP SD processes.

You should now understand all enterprise structure components of SAP ERP.

You should also be able to recognize SAP ERP SD-specific enterprise structure components and understand the core integration points with other functionalities.

We also talked about SAP S/4HANA and SAP Hybris briefly, exploring where the sales and distribution landscape is headed.

Understanding these components provides a great foundation to continue with the next chapters, where we’ll discuss master data and sales processes in detail.

---