Welcome to the SAP FAQ

THE SAP FAQ

The Frequently Asked Questions publication
for the SAP R/2 and R/3 suites of business applications
manufactured by SAP AG

This publication's focus is on SAP products and issues, serving as a comprehensive point of information for those interested in SAP. The SAP FAQ is intended to answer fundamental questions, such as "What is SAP?", and to serve as a repository for a comprehensive array of SAP related information. The SAP FAQ staff's goal is to make a broad variety of SAP-related information available as easily and rapidly as possible.

A German language version of the SAP FAQ can be accessed here.

Changes and updates to the SAP FAQ will be announced in the SAP-R3-L discussion list, the de.alt.comp.sap-r3 and comp.soft-sys.business.sap newsgroups, and other appropriate forums.

Comments, suggestions and corrections should be mailed to sapfaqstaff@sapfaq.com.

WHAT'S NEW?

One of the most frequently asked SAP related questions is "Where can I find books about SAP, and how can I buy them?" The SAP FAQ maintains a comprehensive listing of SAP related books and publications, and now, in association with Amazon.com, the SAP FAQ is making it easy to locate and purchase these books. The SAP FAQ Bookshelf will continue to list new and upcoming publications as they become available. Readers are requested to submit the titles of books and publications not listed here.

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The SAP FAQ now contains detailed information about America's SAP Users' Group, an independent, nonprofit organization composed of SAP customers representing more than 450 member companies.

Here is a detailed listing of Worldwide SAP Users' Groups.

Submissions Requested: Please submit information about other SAP Users' groups worldwide for inclusion in the SAP FAQ.

Developers and providers of SAP related products and services -- customization tools, bolt-ons, training products and services, etc. -- are invited to submit information about their products and services for possible inclusion in the SAP FAQ.

How To Reach the SAP FAQ Staff:

To reach someone who can respond to your mail on an individual basis, or to contribute comments, suggestions or corrections, contact the SAP FAQ staff.


Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. SAP AG / SAP America
  3. SAP R/2
  4. SAP R/3
  5. ABAP/4 - SAP's Proprietary Programming Language
  6. Institutions, Contacts & Resources
  7. Miscellaneous
  8. Appendix

  • Introduction

    • History of the SAP FAQ

    April 1994
    Creation of the de.alt.comp.sap-r3 newsgroup.
    November 1994
    Andreas Bartelt compiled and released the first version of the SAP FAQ as an adjunct to the de.alt.comp.sap-r3 newsgroup.
    June 1995
    Andreas Bartelt wrote and released the first HTML formatted version of the SAP FAQ.
    August 1996
    Kaliana Kellye assumed the maintenance and development of the SAP FAQ as a comprehensive resource independent of the de.alt.comp.sap-r3 newsgroup.
    October 1997
    The SAP FAQ was moved to its own domain, "sapfaq.com" under the leadership of a volunteer staff of independent SAP professionals.

    How to get this FAQ

    To receive a text version (English) of this FAQ by email, send your request to sap-faq@sapfaq.com.

    To receive a text version (German) of this FAQ by email, send your request to sap-faq-deutsche@sapfaq.com.

    Your request will be answered by an "autoresponder", and NOT by a live person.

    To reach someone who can respond to your mail on an individual basis, contact
    sapfaqstaff@sapfaq.com.

  • SAP AG / SAP America

    • What is SAP? - The Company and The Software Package

    As described in SAP's Web Pages (slightly modified here), at http://www.sap.com:

    Founded in 1972, SAP (Systeme, Anwendungen, Produkte in der Datenverarbeitung or, in English - Systems, Applications and Products in Data Processing) in Walldorf, Germany, is the leading global provider of client/server business application solutions. Its US headquarters is located in Wayne, PA. SAP markets two primary products: R/2 and R/3. Both share many features and provide similar functionality via an integrated suite of software application modules. The modules address the requirements of most companies and are available for selection based on a company's individual requirements.

    Today, thousands of companies in more than 85 countries have chosen SAP client/server and mainframe business applications to manage comprehensive financial, manufacturing, sales and distribution, and human resources functions essential to their operations. SAP's client/server suite alone has been installed in more than 7,500 companies worldwide. R/3 is accepted as the standard in key industries, such as oil, chemicals, consumer packaged goods, and high tech/electronics. This is not to imply that all SAP customers are large, global organizations - they are not. In fact, of the more than 12,000 SAP installations around the world, more than half are in small to medium-sized businesses.

    SAP AG employs a workforce of more than 12,000 and has offices in over 40 countries worldwide. SAP also offers consulting services, providing support and service for the installation and implementation of R/2 and R/3 software.

    Commanding a significant share of the worldwide client/server enterprise application software market, SAP is the number one vendor of standard business application software and is the fifth largest independent software supplier in the world, demonstrating strong performance in the third quarter of 1997. Revenues for the period increased by 82% to DM 1,417 million as against the prior year, while pretax profits rose by 86% to DM 251 million. In the first nine months of the year, sales grew by 61%, to DM 3.8 billion (US $2.2 billion). Pretax profits were up 64% to DM 833 million (US $472 million).

    SAP AG preferred and common shares are listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, among other exchanges worldwide. SAP is a component of the DAX, the index of 30 German blue chip companies. In 1995, SAP established an American Depository Receipt facility to allow US shareholders to participate in SAP's progress with a dollar-denominated security. Each SAP ADR is worth one-third of an SAP preferred share trading in Frankfurt. SAP's ADRs trade over the counter under the symbol "SAPHY" and can be purchased through a broker like any other security. In order to enhance its profile in the US, the world's largest IT market, SAP plans to list its shares on a US exchange in the third quarter of 1998.

    The History of SAP

    In 1972, five systems analysts began working nights and weekends to create standard software with realtime data processing. Twenty-five years later their vision is a reality: SAP is the world's market and technology leader in business application software.

    On April 1, 1972 five former IBM employees founded SAP as Systemanalyse und Programmentwicklung (“Systems Analysis and Program Development”) in Mannheim, Germany. Their vision was to develop and market standard enterprise software which would integrate all business processes. The idea came to them through their work as systems consultants for IBM when they noticed that client after client was developing the same, or very similar, computer programs. The second part of their vision was that data should be processed interactively in realtime, and the computer screen should become the focal point of data processing.

    From a start-up software vendor to global market leader
    Over the course of twenty-five years, their vision has transformed SAP from a small regional enterprise into a world-class international company. Today, the SAP Group is the global market leader in enterprise resource planning software, and has subsidiaries, affiliates and branch offices in nearly every industrial nation in the world. Important milestones in the company's corporate history include its conversion to a GmbH (a closely-held corporation) in 1977, the opening of the company's headquarters in Walldorf, and its conversion into a publicly-held corporation whose shares are listed on several stock markets.

    By changing its structure to a publicly-held corporation, SAP significantly strengthened its capital base and laid the foundations for its employees to enjoy more of a share in the company's success. In the end, it is SAP's employees – currently more than 9,000 of them - whose know-how, motivation and performance have nurtured the company's progress. And it is their commitment and innovative drive which will pace the company's future success and keep it ahead of the competition.

    Over one million R/3 users
    Products have played the central role in SAP's success story. In this area, two milestonesstand out: first, the development and 1979 market release of the R/2 software system for mainframes, and, second, the R/3 client/server software system introduced in 1992. Since its debut, the R/3 System use has grown explosively and now accounts for the lion's share of SAP product sales. At present, more than one million end users around the world work with the R/3 System.

    The development of SAP products has continually benefited from major advances in the hardware sector. Back in 1972, the limited storage capacity of computers posed one of the biggest challenges. In those days, mainframes only had 500 kilobytes of storage capacity. Slow data input and output meant that only partial applications with a limited data volume were feasible. It was against this technological background that SAP signed its first customer, the German ICI subsidiary in Östringen.

    With the successful implementation of its initial project, SAP had nine employees and, at the end of its first fiscal year, posted a profit on revenues of DM 620,000. In the second year of operation, two local businesses – the tobacco and cigarette manufacturer Roth-Händle and the pharmaceutical company Knoll - selected the newly developed SAP Financial Accounting (RF) System. This system quickly earned a reputation as an excellent standard package and installations expanded to 40 customers. But product development did not slow on this success, and a second standard product, the Materials Management (RM) System, with modules for purchasing, inventory management and invoice verification, soon followed. The benefits of SAP's integration philosophy showed through, with data from Materials Management flowing straight into Financial Accounting.

    SAP moves to Walldorf
    In its fifth year of operations, SAP became a GmbH (a closely-held corporation) and took on a new name: Systeme, Anwendungen, Produkte in der Datenverarbeitung ("Systems, Applications, Products in Data Processing"). Revenues were now close to DM 4 million, and the number of employees had grown to 25. In 1977, SAP moved its offices and headquarters to Walldorf. In the same year, it signed its first two foreign customers, two companies from Austria. Just one year later, the customer base had grown to 100 and the number of employees stood at 50. SAP had also introduced another central module of the SAP System – Asset Accounting (RA). At the same time, through the development of a French version of the accounting module, SAP made additional steps toward the international markets.

    By the end of the 1970s, new generations of powerful computers provided the framework for a comprehensive software system, and a major step in the development of SAP software - the R/2 System – was taken in 1978. In the same year, as sales headed toward the DM 10 million milestone, SAP began operation of its own computer center in Walldorf which, when completed in 1980, united development teams under one roof. That year SAP's software became even more attractive with the addition of order history to the product range. At the end of 1980, 50 of the 100 largest industrial companies in Germany were SAP customers.

    R/2 System goes international
    SAP's close relationships with customers led to continuous enhancements in the existing program modules, while important new additions were made, such as the Cost Accounting (RK) System. The R/2 System was now ready for the international market. New computers with drastically improved price/performance ratios helped expand the customer base, and SAP raised its profile still further by appearing at the Systems trade fair in Munich - the company's first-ever presence at an industry trade show.

    In 1982, SAP celebrated its tenth anniversary, with sales soaring 48% to over DM 24 million. By the end of the year, 236 companies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland were working with the SAP standard programs. Sales continued to climb in the following year, increasing by 45%.

    In 1984 SAP took additional steps into the international arena with the founding of SAP (International) AG in Switzerland, whose focus was to increase sales of the R/2 System in international markets. Development teams began work on two new applications, Personnel Management and Plant Maintenance, while the Production Planning and Control System was installed at its first pilot customers.

    1985 was characterized by further expansion. The Walldorf headquarters had grown to 10,000 square meters of space, while at the Swiss subsidiary a new headquarters was occupied. SAP systems were now in use in most European countries, and SAP began to penetrate markets outside Europe - with customers in South Africa, Kuwait, Trinidad, Canada and the US.

    The DM 100 million sales mark exceeded
    SAP continued to pursue international growth with the founding in 1986 of SAP's Austrian subsidiary SAP Österreich Ges.m.b.H. in Vienna. At the parent company, SAP GmbH, the capital stock was increased from DM 500,000 to DM 5 million. The largest single hardware investment to date was made in Walldorf with the installation of an IBM mainframe costing DM 7 million. The year's sales topped DM 100 million, and SAP exhibited at CeBIT, the world's largest IT trade fair, for the first time.

    The 15th year of the company's history was again characterized by powerful growth. Branch offices were opened in Munich and Hamburg, and subsidiaries established in four European countries - the Netherlands, France, Spain and the UK. Staff grew to 750, and sales more than doubled to DM 245 million, with 850 companies now using SAP's software systems. In 1987, SAP announced its strategy for a new generation of software, and the R/3 System was born.

    SAP goes public
    SAP continued to grow in 1988 with the international sales network strengthened by the establishment of subsidiaries in Denmark, Sweden, Italy and the US. Other events included: the founding of SAP Consulting GmbH as a joint project between SAP and the consulting firm Arthur Andersen; the opening of an International Training Center in Walldorf; and the welcoming of Dow Chemical as SAP's 1,000th customer. However, the most significant events of the year were the increase of SAP's capital stock from DM 5 million to DM 60 million, the subsequent conversion of SAP GmbH into a stock corporation, SAP AG, and the flotation of SAP shares on the stock market. SAP shares were quoted on the securities exchanges in Frankfurt and Stuttgart.

    During the next year, 1989, SAP shares began trading on the Zurich stock exchange. SAP expanded its alliance and strategic cooperation approaches by taking a majority investment in TOS GmbH in Freiberg. Through the "International User Conference" in Lausanne, Switzerland, and the first "SAPPHIRE" user conference in North America, SAP demonstrated its solid commitment to direct international customer contact. This crucial commitment was to become more and more important to SAP's success in the coming years.

    Over 1,000 employees
    SAP (International) soon grew to twelve subsidiaries, including Canada, Singapore and Australia. SAP's growing profile in 1989 was evidenced by a number of events: the large number of participants attending the first Annual Stockholders' Meeting, the strong employee growth to more than 1,000, and the expansion of the customer base. Recognizing this success manager magazin named SAP "Company of the Year" – a distinction SAP would receive twice more in the next few years.

    In 1990, SAP's capital stock was expanded to DM 85 million with the issue of preference shares. SAP strengthened its commitment to small- and medium-sized businesses by an investment in the software company Steeb and the acquisition of software vendor CAS. In the same year, SAP and Siemens Nixdorf founded SRS GmbH in Dresden, gaining a firm foothold in the East German market. Sales grew strongly to over DM 500 million, and the number of staff grew to 1,700.

    SAP develops Russian R/2 version
    Strong growth continued unabated in 1991. The acquisition of Steeb GmbH was completed and its activities were merged with CAS to form STEEB-CAS GmbH, creating a high-caliber software company with an attractive product offering for the small- and medium-sized company market. With SAP's Eastern European business developing quickly, SAP collaborated with a local Russian software company to develop an R/2 version in Russian. The first Japanese installation of SAP software was successfully completed. At the end of the fiscal year, the SAP Group boasted 2,225 customers in 31 countries and sales of more than DM 700 million – an increase of over 40 percent. The company had more than 2,500 employees.

    In its twentieth year, SAP opened a new Development and Sales Center in Walldorf. The two-year project cost roughly DM 140 million and represented the company's largest single investment to date. In preparation for additional development, SAP's share capital was expanded by DM 15 million to DM 100 million through the issue of 300,000 preference shares. SAP was now firmly established as a global company, with South Africa, Malaysia and Japan the newest additions to its 15 subsidiary companies. By 1992, almost half of the DM 831 million in product revenues were being generated outside Germany, and the availability of the software in 14 different languages was adding significantly to its attractiveness.

    Shipment of the client/server system R/3
    With the R/3 System release in mid-1992, SAP began to penetrate the mid-size market, and into branches and subsidiaries of large companies. The release of the R/3 client/server system was the most significant event in SAP's history and started a record of growth that even SAP's most optimistic planners had not predicted.

    SAP took top position among German software vendors in 1993. On an international scale, the company moved to 7th place among software companies, establishing a clear lead in the global business applications software market. Sales surpassed the important DM 1 billion mark for the first time in 1993, and the global customer base stood at 3,500 companies. SAP made an investment in iXOS Software GmbH with the aim of developing and marketing graphical user interfaces and optical archiving of documents.

    New development center in Foster City, California
    Releases 2.0 and 2.1 provided R/3 users with even more functionality. With the R/3 System already running on six hardware platforms, SAP and Microsoft signed an agreement to port R/3 to Windows NT. Other events included: the founding of SAP's 18th subsidiary in the Czech Republic, the establishment by SAP America of a development center in Foster City in Silicon Valley, California, and the introduction by SAP Japan of a Kanji version of R/3.

    1994 was yet another record-breaking year with sales jumping 66% to over DM 1.8 billion. By the end of the year, SAP employed more than 5,000 staff worldwide, and 200 of the more than 4,000 customers were using the R/3 System in production operation. A Swiss customer was the first customer to go live with R/3 on Microsoft's Windows NT – a mere four months after the platform became available. Since its rollout in 1992, R/3 had now been installed more than 1,000 times. SAP development received ISO 9000 certification, and R/3 Release 2.2 was completed on schedule and included a wide range of enhancements in Logistics. SAP continued to expand its sales organization and strategic alliances. In Germany, SAP acquired a 52% stake in DACOS Software GmbH with the aim of developing an integrated software solution for the retail industry. The 19th subsidiary opened in Mexico City.

    The Annual Stockholders' Meeting agreed to a DM 400 million capital increase out of retained earnings, bringing total capital to DM 500 million. The resulting 1:4 stock split was positively received by the market and led to a significant increase in stock price levels.

    Microsoft chooses R/3
    More than 6,000 companies of all sizes were among SAP customers in 1995, some two-thirds of which solved their IT tasks using the R/3 System. During the year Microsoft joined IBM as an R/3 customer from the high-tech sector.

    In 1995, R/3 became the largest source of overall revenues, with a DM 1.7 billion share of total sales of DM 2.7 billion. Growth prospects were strengthened still further with the new R/3 Release 3.0, a functional and technical milestone in R/3 development. With this version the important areas of production planning and control were now comprehensively covered. Another technical addition was the availability of R/3 on the widely used IBM AS/400 platform.

    The indirect sales channel concept was introduced in Germany, with SAP forming partnerships with value-added resellers so as to better support small- and medium-sized businesses. A new Service and Support Center opened in Walldorf with room for some 750 employees. SAP now employed more than 7,000 staff.

    Global profile: SAP represented in 40 countries
    In 1995, SAP further increased its international activities with new subsidiaries formed in China, Argentina, Brazil, Korea, Poland, Russia and Thailand. SAP was now represented in over 40 countries by subsidiaries, branch offices or partner companies. An industry solution for the process industry (eg., chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage industry, and semiconductors) was announced in the US.

    With 1,400 stockholders and guests, the number of attendees to the 1995 Annual Stockholders' Meeting was more than triple the 1994 figure, and the ASM approved changing the par value of SAP shares from DM 50 to DM 5. Shortly thereafter SAP entered the German stock index (DAX). Both events had a positive effect on share prices.

    Sales reach DM 3.7 billion in SAP's anniversary year
    SAP's success continued into its 25th year of operations, with sales exceeding DM 3.7 billion. Over the course of its 25-year history, SAP showed that business processes can be modeled in a standard way across and within industry sectors. When the IT industry developed a flexible and cost-effective client/server architecture, SAP provided its customers with the right product at the right time - the R/3 client/server system.

    R/3 becomes Internet-enabled
    The success of R/3 has propelled SAP to the top of the global software market. IT is undergoing yet another revolution with the advent of the Internet, and SAP is again there with a solution: the latest version of R/3 provides the first comprehensive, Internet-enabled business application package. Release 4.0, which is already in development, further increases the attractiveness of the R/3 System by making it more user-friendly. Small and mid-sized businesses should especially welcome this development. The R/3 System is here to stay, and users can look forward to its continuing enhancement.

    Source: http://www.sap-ag.de

    SAP Corporate Locations and Addresses

    For a comprehensive listing of SAP locations worldwide, visit SAP's Worldwide Contacts Site.

    International SAP Home Pages:

    SAP AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

    SAP BRAZIL

    SAP CZECH REPUBLIC

    SAP GERMANY

    SAP ITALY

    SAP JAPAN

    SAP PORTUGAL

    SAP SOUTH AFRICA

    SAP SPAIN

    SAP SWEDEN & FINLAND

    SAP SOUTH ASIA PACIFIC

    Selected SAP addresses:

    SAP's Software - R/2 & R/3

    How Does SAP Provide Support?

    Please bear with us as this area is under construction

    SAP Research & Development

    SAP Technology, Inc. develops cutting-edge software and add-ons for the SAP R/3 System. SAP Technology is an extension of the R/3 System development group located at SAP's headquarters in Walldorf, Germany. In October, 1997, SAP Technology moved from Foster City, CA to new facilities in Palo Alto, CA.

  • SAP R/2

    • What is SAP R/2?

    SAP R/2 is a mainframe solution and was the first compact software package for the whole spectrum of business applications from the SAP corporation. The current version is 6.0. The architecture allows for the applications and the database to reside on one mainframe computer. Dial-in or permanent connections can be established for remote users.

    What Platforms Support SAP R/2?

    SAP R/2 runs on mainframes, such as IBM, BS2000 (Siemens) or Amdahl.

    SAP R/2 Modules

    RS Basis System (including ABAP/4 programming language)
    RF Financial Accounting
    RA Asset Accounting
    RK Cost Accounting
    RK-P Project Costing
    RP Human Resources
    RM-INST Plant Maintenance
    RM-QSS Quality Assurance
    RM-MAT Materials Management
    RM-PPS Production Planning and Control
    RV Sales and Distribution

    Is There a Newsgroup for R/2?

    No.

    But you may use the SAP R/3 Newsgroup.

  • SAP R/3

    • What is SAP R/3?

    SAP R/3 is SAP's integrated software solution for Client/Server and Distributed Open Systems. The software is highly customizable using SAP's proprietary programming language, ABAP/4. R/3 is scalable and highly suited for many types and sizes of organizations.

    What Platforms Support SAP R/3?

    SAP R/3 was designed for open systems, e.g. UNIX. The architecture is comprised of application and database servers, with individual users established as "clients". The application servers house the software and the database servers handle document updates and master file databases. The system can support an unlimited number of servers and a variety of hardware configurations. The ability to link additional servers to the network allows for unlimited numbers of users, making scalability a major plus in R/3.

    SAP R/3 is based on various hardware and software architectures, running on most types of UNIX, on Windows NT and OS/400. Even experimental versions on mainframes (open MVS) exist. R/3 runs on uni-processors, and scales very well on SMP systems and on MPP architectures.

    R/3 runs on a variety of databases: Oracle, Informix Online, ADABAS-D (Software AG), DB2 for UNIX, DB2/400, Microsoft's SQL Server 6.0 and on an experimental version on DB2 for MVS.

    SAP R/3 - Modules

    BC Basis (includes ABAP/4 programming language)
    AM Asset Management
    CO Controlling
    FI Financial Accounting
    HR Human Resources
    IS Industry Specific Solutions
    PM Plant Maintenance
    PP Production Planning
    PS Project System
    QM Quality Management
    SD Sales and Distribution
    MM Materials Management
    WF Business WorkFlow

    ABAP/4 - SAP's Proprietary Programming Language

    Please bear with us as this area is under construction.

    What is ABAP/4?

    ABAP stands for Advanced Business Application Programming.

    ABAP/4 Discussion & SAP Tables

    Helpful System Administration ABAPs

    Introductory Powerpoint Presentation on ABAP/4

    An introductory Powerpoint presentation on ABAP/4 is available at: ftp://ftp.Informatik.Uni-Oldenburg.DE/pub/sap/ABAP/.

  • Institutions, Contacts & Resources

    • ASUG and Other SAP Users' Groups

    Please submit additions and updated information about various SAP User Groups to sapfaqstaff@sapfaq.com.

    ASUG stands for America's SAP Users' Group.

    ADDRESS:
    401 North Michigan Avenue
    Chicago, Illinois 60611

    PHONE: +1-312-321-5142

    FAX: +1-312-245-1081

    EMAIL: asug@sba.com

    SAP USERNET: http://www.asug.com

    24-HOUR FAX ON DEMAND SERVICE: 800-343-0039 - To receive information about the organization and its activities, follow the instructions, and information will be faxed to you immediately.

    WHAT IS ASUG?

    ASUG is an independent, nonprofit organization composed of SAP customers representing more than 450 member companies. More than 30 groups are supported by ASUG, and are distinguished by:

    o Process - Groups in this category are organized around business processes and are aligned with the SAP training model with some adjustments. These groups have direct SAP support from the appropriate organization within SAP.

    o Interest - Groups in this category are formed based on specific topics or interest. ASUG recognizes and supports these goups when they are large enough and have applied for recognition. SAP support is at the discretion of SAP.

    o Industry - Groups in this category are aligned with the SAP sponsored Industry Centers of Expertise (ICOE). SAP support is provided from the ICOE organization

    ASUG's mission is:

    o To advance the effective utilization of computer software developed and marketed by SAP by promoting the interchange and dissemination of mutual interest and value.

    o To provide a forum for mutual education and exchange of ideas and information among members and promote sound and professional SAP systems usage and best practices.

    o To influence the direction of development activities, products, policies and services of SAP and related vendors in the interest of all members to meet user requirements.

    CURRENT ASUG GROUPS

    o PROCESS GROUPS

    - Human Resources
    - Procurement
    - Customer Order Management

    - Manufacturing, Planning and Execution

    - Service Management

    - R/2 Strategy

    - Financial Management Accounting and Reporting

    - Business Technology

    - Implementation

    - R/2 Strategy

    o INDUSTRY GROUPS

    - Utilities

    - Consumer Products

    - Process Industry (PISUG)

    - Healthcare

    - Oil

    ASUG MEMBERSHIP

    For membership information, contact:
    Brain Rappel, Coordinator - Member Services

    General Membership: +1-312-321-5142
    Group Support: +1-312-527-6643

    ASUG offers two types of membership:

    o ASUG Membership

    This membership is for SAP customers who are licensed to install and operate SAP software. Individuals representing ASUG member companies may participate in all ASUG sponsored events.

    o ASUG Associate Membership

    This membership is for third party vendors and consultants. Eligible companies are those with SAP's explicit endorsement (logo, platform, alliance and implementation partners, and certified software program participants). Associate members may exhibit at ASUG Vendor Fairs and may serve on ASUG task forces and committees. They may not hold leadership positions and are not eligible to vote.

    SAP USERNET

    The SAP UserNet . . .

    - is an electronic communication vehicle accessible via the Internet or Lotus Notes.

    - allows for discussion and collaboration between members and groups and SAP.

    - contains a repository of ASUG member Best Practices.

    - is an enhancements processing and reporting system.

    - is an Electronic Communication Vehicle accessible via the Internet or Lotus Notes.

    SAP UserNet was officially released in July of 1996. There are more than 370 ASUG member companies participating. The system is designed to assist in improving communication between SAP and ASUG for the purpose of prioritizing the large number of development requests received by SAP (more than 18,000 are expected in 1997 alone). ASUG groups are posting their completed enhancements on the system for review and processing by other member companies for SAP America.

    HOW TO GET CONNECTED TO SAP USERNET:

    Registration is available online at ASUG's web site http://www.asug.com, or by telephone to ASUG headquarters at 312-321-5142.

    WHO TO CONTACT WITH QUESTIONS:

    - For Technical Questions:
    Nandita Kalyan, Interliant
    800-774-2220 Ext. 2209

    - For Problem Routing:
    Todd Battles, ASUG Headquarters
    312-321-5142

    Worldwide SAP Users' Groups

    Following is a comprehensive listing of SAP related users' groups around the world, as compiled by SAP AG. While many of these groups are independent in nature, SAP has provided the names and email addresses of member SAP employees who may be contacted for information.

    The SAP contacts listed here can be contacted by email using the link provided. If you are reading this as a text document, use to reach any of the individuals listed below.

    Regional User Groups

    USER GROUP SAP'S CONTACT PERSON
    ASUG - America's SAP User's Group Mr. John Capobianco
    AUSAPE - Spanish User Group Ms. Rocío Amador
    Asia User Group Mr. Terence Chan
    Australian User Group Mr. Christoph Mueller
    BeLUS - Belgian User Group Mr. Christiaan Marien
    CISS - Italian User Group Ms. Debora Polloni
    DSAG - Deutsche SAP Anwendergruppe Ms. Susanne Koehler
    Foreningen af SAP brugere Danmark Mr. Niels Molzen
    French User Group Ms. Claudia Kirschbaum
    GSE AG - Guide Share Europe Arbeitsgruppe Mr. Ralf Reinhard
    Israeli User Group Mr. Rafi Shaked
    JSUG - Japanese SAP User Group Mr. Yoshikazu Sakamaki
    Mexican SAP User Group Mr. Hanno Klausmeier
    New Zealand User Group Mr. Neil Ruthven
    Norwegian User Group Mr. Niels Molzen
    SAP FINUG - SAP Finnish User Group Ms. Marjariitta Wakkola
    SAPSA - Swedish User Group Mr. Peter Wittgren
    SAPUS - SAP User Group Switzerland Ms. Rosemarie Lübkert
    SAVE - Siemens-Anwender-Vereinigung Mr. Karl-Heinz Dette
    South African User Group Mr. Stefano Mattiello
    TURKSAP - Turkish User Group Mr. Levent Kartopu
    United Kingdom User Group Ms. Siobhan Romp
    VNSG - Association of Dutch-Speaking SAP Users Ms. Mariska Van Wissen

    Issue-Specific User Groups

    USER GROUP SAP'S CONTACT PERSON
    ALE UG Mr. Cay Rademann
    Arbeitskreis Revision (German-Speaking Countries) Mr. Peter Schiwek
    BISS - UG for Integrated SAP-Systems Mr. Hartmut Engel
    DOAG - Deutsche Oracle Anwender e.V. Dr. Rudolf Caspary
    EUSAG - European Utilities SAP UG Mr. Thomas Mezger
    European SAP UG Consumer Products Mr. Christian Koch
    Insurance Companies Mr. Hans-Dieter Scheuermann
    International SAP-Users Audit Forum Mr. Hans-Dieter Scheuermann
    MSUG - Multinational SAP UG (for Chemical Companies) Dr. Thomas Reiss
    SAP Chemical/Pharmaceutical UG Mr. Stephen Gaines
    SAP - AK Hochschulen e.V. (Work Group Univ.) Ms. Inge Puzicha
    SAPRail Ms. Hanna Gradzka
    SUGAIR - SAP UG Airlines Mr. Helmut Diehl
    T-SIG - Telecom Special Interest Group Mr. Thomas Mezger
    Verband der Eisenhüttenleute (VdEH, Steel Industry) Dr. Karl Liebstückel

    Please submit additions and updated information about various SAP User Groups to sapfaqstaff@sapfaq.com.

  • SAP on the Internet

    • SAP Related Information on the WWW (HTTP)

    SAP Related Mailing Lists/Email-Based Discussions

    The following two lists were merged to form SAP-R3-L:

    SAP Related Newsgroup-Based Discussions

    To learn more about SAP, join discussions, ask questions and so on, you may visit the following newsgroups:

    While the de.alt.comp.sap-r3 newsgroup originated in Germany, posting in English is welcomed and occurs regularly.

    SAP Related FTP Sites

    There is an FTP site for information on SAP topics: ftp://ftp.Informatik.Uni-Oldenburg.DE/pub/sap/.

    The above mentioned FTP-server can also be accessed via a mailfrontend. To get started send email with subject 'help' to: ftpmail@ftp.Informatik.Uni-Oldenburg.DE

  • Miscellaneous

    • The SAP FAQ Bookshelf

    Please submit the titles of appropriate books and publications not included here by email to sapfaqstaff@sapfaq.com.

    CALENDAR OF SAP RELATED EVENTS

    DATE/EVENT INFORMATION/CONTACTS
    Austin, TX - January 13:
    ASUG Central Texas Chapter Meeting    		 Full details can be obtained at:
    ASUG's Web Site.
    Houston, TX - January 14:
    ASUG Houston Chapter Meeting    		 Full details can be obtained at:
    ASUG's Web Site.
    Las Vegas, NV - January 15:
    ASUG Service Management Group Meeting    		 Full details can be obtained at:
    ASUG's Web Site.
    By Conference Call - January 15:
    ASUG Service Management Group Meeting    		 Full details can be obtained at:
    ASUG's Web Site.
    Greensboro, NC - January 21:
    ASUG North Carolina/Virginia Users' Group Meeting    		 Full details can be obtained at:
    ASUG's Web Site.
    Orlando, FL - February 1:
    ASUG Billing/Receiving Group Meeting    		 Full details can be obtained at:
    ASUG's Web Site.
    San Francisco, CA - February 2:
    ASUG Internal Controls and Audit, Including Security Group Meeting    		 Full details can be obtained at:
    ASUG's Web Site.
    Orlando, FL - February 4:
    ASUG Order Entry Group Meeting    		 Full details can be obtained at:
    ASUG's Web Site.
    Austin, TX - February 10:
    ASUG Central Texas Chapter Meeting    		 Full details can be obtained at:
    ASUG's Web Site.
    Location To Be Determined - February 15:
    ASUG Transportation/Credit-AR Group Meeting    		 Full details can be obtained at:
    ASUG's Web Site.
    Berlin - February 17-18:
    SAP International Partner Congress    		 Full details can be obtained at:
    SAP AG's Web Site - Events Page.
    Dallas, TX - February 18:
    ASUG Hi-Tech Industry Group Meeting    		 Full details can be obtained at:
    ASUG's Web Site.
    San Francisco, CA - February 22:
    ASUG Utilities Group Meeting    		 Full details can be obtained at:
    ASUG's Web Site.
    Las Vegas, NV - February 23:
    ASUG Financial Management Group Meeting    		 Full details can be obtained at:
    ASUG's Web Site.
    Charleston, SC - March 9:
    ASUG R/2 RB - Basis Interest Group Meeting    		 Full details can be obtained at:
    ASUG's Web Site.
    Austin, TX - March 10:
    ASUG Central Texas Chapter Meeting    		 Full details can be obtained at:
    ASUG's Web Site.
    SAPPHIRE 1998
    North East Asia/Greater China
    Yokohama - April 8-10
    		 Full details can be obtained at:
    SAP AG's Web Site - Events Page.
    Toronto - April 19, 1998:
    ASUG 1998 Annual Conference & Vendor Fair    		 Full details can be obtained at:
    ASUG's Web Site.
    Philadelphia, PA - May 20:
    ASUG Process Industry (PISUG) CIO Forum    		 Full details can be obtained at:
    ASUG's Web Site.
    Philadelphia, PA - May 21:
    ASUG Process Industry (PISUG) Forum    		 Full details can be obtained at:
    ASUG's Web Site.
    SAPPHIRE 1998
    Europe
    Madrid - June 22-24
    		 Full details can be obtained at:
    SAP AG's Web Site - Events Page.
    SAPPHIRE 1998
    Americas
    Los Angeles - September 13-17
    		 Full details can be obtained at:
    SAP AG's Web Site - Events Page.
    SAPPHIRE 1998
    South Asia Pacific
    Melbourne - November 8-11
    		 Full details can be obtained at:
    SAP AG's Web Site - Events Page.

    Please send contributions for inclusion in the SAP FAQ Calendar to sapfaqstaff@sapfaq.com.

    Training

    Please bear with us as this area is under construction.

  • Appendix

    • Acknowledgements

    Sincere thanks to all who have contributed information and suggestions.

    Copyright Notice/Disclaimer

    © Copyright 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 - All Rights Reserved

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