Glossary of Terms

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ABAP
Advanced Business Application Programming, the object-oriented programming language used to develop
SAP applications.
Adobe Interactive Forms
SAP ERP promotes a paperless work environment through the use of Adobe Interactive Forms software.
With this powerful capability, you can quickly integrate data from the SAP ERP system and create online and
offline digital forms in Adobe PDF format, and then use the forms to communicate efficiently with employees,
customers and suppliers.
Application
A software program that enables the user to do useful work with the computer, such as accounting or word
processing. SAP and SAP Partners provide hundreds of applications that are compatible with the SAP ERP system.
Business Intelligence
The tools and systems that allow a company to gather, store, access and analyze corporate data to aid in
decision-making and strategic planning. SAP ERP features end-to-end reporting and analysis packages from
Business Objects, the market leader in business intelligence.
Business Network Transformation
SAPs approach to enhancing customer efficiency and competitiveness. Business Network Transformation
occurs when a company optimizes its network of employees, suppliers, customers, partners and
distributors to accelerate innovation, and improve productivity at non-differentiating tasks. The SAP ERP
system, particularly its strong, open source platform and standard components, enable Business
Network Transformation.
Business Objects
The market leader in business intelligence, now an SAP company. SAP customers can leverage Business
Objects reporting and analytic packages with their SAP ERP system.
Business Process
A transaction or business activity that requests information from or changes information in a database.
Examples of business processes include generating an invoice, shipping a product, receiving an order,
updating an employee or customer record or setting a marketing budget. Business processes occur at all
levels of an organizations activities and include events that the customer sees and events that are invisible to
the customer. SAP optimizes business efficiency and communication by bundling traditional activities into predefined, intuitive, end-to-end business processes that span the needs of the enterprise.
Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)
A centralized service model where one or more facets of company operations are hired out to an external
vendor, typically located in a separate geographic area, in order to automate processes, standardize
operations and reduce costs. SAP fully supports BPO deployments for human resources, finance and other
key processes, and partners with leading BPO providers. SAPs rigorous BPO certification program ensures
these partners provide a high level of technical expertise and service to our shared SAP ERP customers.

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Business Process Platform (BPP)

A unified, flexible IT environment that supports the development and deployment of best practices-based, endto-end processes spanning functional areas, enabling companies to eliminate work redundancies and reduce
complexity. SAP NetWeaver and SOA provide the technology foundation companies can use to evolve existing
IT infrastructures into business process platforms.
SAP Business Suite
SAPs comprehensive family of adaptive business applications, providing best-of-breed, industry-specific
functionality for businesses of all sizes. The software is built for complete application integration, unlimited
scalability and easy collaboration over the Internet, with all applications based on SAP NetWeaver. The
SAP Business Suite includes: Customer Relationship Management, Enterprise Resource Planning, Product
Lifecycle Management, Supply Chain Management and Supplier Relationship Management.
Composite Application
An application on top of other applications that cuts across functional silos. This flexible SAP ERP solution
reuses and combines existing application components to initiate new business practices. Composite
applications can be quickly adapted to changing business needs by reassembling existing enterprise services.
Crystal Reports
A powerful, dynamic, actionable reporting solution that helps you design, explore, visualize and deliver reports
via the web or embedded in enterprise applications. Crystal Reports enable end users to create and view
reports with visualizations, conduct on-report business modeling and execute decisions instantly from the
report itself reducing dependency on IT and developers.
Customer Relationship Management System (CRM)
A system with specialized functionality for sales, marketing and service arenas. CRM systems may integrate
call centers, databases and other customer interaction centers in order to improve overall service to the
customer. The SAP CRM application supports customer-facing business processes across multiple interaction
channels, enabling organizations to focus on strategies for customer-driven growth and to differentiate
themselves in the market by providing a superior customer experience.
Duet
A jointly developed software solution from SAP and Microsoft that enables users to interact with SAP ERP
transactions, processes and data through the familiar Microsoft Office environment. Using Duet lets you
reduce the time and cost associated with coordinating resources and searching for information, and promotes
swift adoption of SAP ERP among end users.
Employee Interaction Center (EIC)
A cost-effective, service-oriented solution for human resources departments and outsourced service centers
that facilitates the delivery of HR services and the execution of shared-services strategies. Through the EIC,
in-house or BPO staff can access HR master data, manage contracts, conduct knowledge searches and
review employee interaction history. The EIC also provides an intuitive, web-based interface with decision
support tools and interaction functions that let you easily answer employee questions and provide prompt,
accurate information.

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Employee Self Service (ESS)

An application available with SAP ERP that provides an efficient way for employees to access the information,
tools and services appropriate to their jobs. ESS content is personalized, available in multiple languages and
tailored to more than 80 employee activities, such as benefits management, payment administration, career
development, time and attendance, procurement, travel planning and corporate information access. ESS
supports electronic document services through Adobe Interactive Forms.
Enhancement Package
SAPs evolutionary method for delivering new capabilities to customers. Enhancement Packages offer new
generic and industry-specific functionality, along with enterprise services and composite applications, that
companies can deploy separate from traditional upgrades. With SAP Enhancement Packages, customers
can implement innovation rapidly and non-intrusively, on their timetable, and without running a major upgrade
project. Enhancement Packages are part of SAPs Innovation Without Disruption release strategy.
Enterprise Asset Management (EAM)
SAPs approach to maximizing return on enterprise assets. EAM helps companies manage physical assets,
such as production plants, capital equipment, vehicle fleets and facilities complexes, over the complete
asset life cycle, from investment planning to specification, design and construction, through operations and
maintenance, and ultimately, decommissioning and disposal. In conjunction with powerful reporting and
analysis, SAPs EAM capabilities enable you to reduce operating costs, better manage capital expenditures
and improve asset utilization.
Enterprise Performance Management (EPM)
SAPs approach to improving performance across the enterprise through solutions that link processes
and data to provide a common view of your business. EPM helps organization to capitalize on the value of
corporate data and to improve agility by providing organizational alignment, visibility and greater confidence.
EPM integrates SAPs leading business intelligence platform with a comprehensive set of analytic, strategy
management, and planning applications across every line of business.
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
Technology that provides on-demand information and process synchronization involving all facets of the
business, including planning, supply chain management, manufacturing, sales, marketing and service. SAP
is the market-leading Enterprise Resource Planning application. SAP ERP goes beyond simple support for
generic transactions to provide robust, industry-specific functionality, flexibility and scalability to respond to
rapid change, and intuitive interfaces that enable business users to make informed decisions that align with
corporate strategy.
Enterprise Service
A web-based service that has business value across the organization. Enterprise services provide smaller
functionality components that can be reassembled quickly to compose new business solutions that meet
changing business requirements.
Enterprise Service Bundle
A collection of related enterprise services. These packaged deployment units expose the business processes
within SAP ERP, and help customers reduce the cost of integrating partner and third-party solutions with SAP ERP.

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Enterprise Services Repository (ESR)

A collection of reusable enterprise service components that are capable of being deployed and redeployed
across the enterprise. The Enterprise Service Repository forms an integral part of SAP ERPs business
process foundation.
Financial Supply Chain Management (FSCM)
A set of applications within the SAP ERP Financials solution that provide a complete, integrated solution for
managing electronic customer billing, receivables, collections and customer credit risk. SAP FSCM helps you
more effectively control your companys accounts receivable processes, ensure cash flows through online
billing and streamline handling of billing disputes and collections.
Governance Risk & Compliance (GRC)
A set of applications within the SAP ERP system that promotes corporate accountability by unifying corporate
strategy, control initiatives, opportunity discovery and loss mitigation across the extended enterprise. SAP
GRC solutions include core functionality for risk management, access control, process control, global trade
services and environmental health and safety.
High Performing Asset
A physical asset of an enterprise, such as a production plant, capital equipment, vehicle fleet or facility, where
the organizations return on investment has been maximized across the full life cycle. High performance
is achieved when safety and performance are managed together across an assets design, procurement,
construction, operation, maintenance and quality processes and those processes are integrated and
streamlined for maximum profitability and strict compliance.
High Performing Organizations
Companies that have maximized individual and organizational potential while keeping costs down. Solutions
from SAP and SAP partners help organizations to identify critical skills and roles, actively develop promising
employees, nurture their skills and groom potential successors for key positions before they are vacated. By
integrating performance management, succession planning and enterprise learning processes, your company
gains visibility into the talent supply chain allowing you to focus on strategies and programs that support a
high-performing organization.
Industry-Specific Functionality
Solutions from SAP ERP that support the specific needs and business processes of more than 25 industries.
SAP offers flexible, comprehensive capabilities that cover manufacturing, sales, transportation, logistics,
financial services, professional services, the public sector and more. Organizations can also customize SAP
ERP to meet the needs of their unique environments.
Information Worker
An employee who performs non-routine, cognitive or creative work that often requires both structured and
unstructured information inputs from multiple sources and that is not repeated throughout the course of the
work day or work week. Examples include a product manager, sales executive, first line manager, CFO or CIO.
SAP offers solutions that empower information workers and improve performance.

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Insight
The clear understanding of a complex situation. The business intelligence and real-time information provided by
SAP ERP and Business Objects arms managers at all levels of the enterprise with the critical insights required
to make smart, strategic business decisions.
Innovation without Disruption
SAPs evolutionary strategy for releasing new capabilities to customers. Central to Innovation without
Disruption is the SAP ERP Enhancement Package, a less costly and simpler way to install, activate and
implement software innovations that is delivered separately from traditional upgrades. This unique deployment
method for enterprise software, made possible by SOA, enables customers to add new functionality while
maintaining the stability and integrity of the core SAP ERP application. Implementation flexibility gives
customers the option to deploy specific enhancements on your timetable.
Java
An object-oriented programming language created by Sun Microsystems. Java runs on most platforms and
web browsers, a significant advantage over platform-specific languages. With SAP Netweaver, you can
compose new business processes on top of existing services by using Java and other industry standards.
Kanban
A manufacturing and inventory management methodology utilized with lean or just-in-time approaches.
SAP ERP facilitates real-time Kanban signaling across the supply chain to increase visibility and improve
manufacturing and production efficiencies.
Manager Self Service (MSS)
An application within SAP ERPs Human Capital solution that delivers relevant content right to managers
desktops, through an intuitive portal interface. Manager Self Service empowers managers to make
departmental decisions that align with strategic business objectives in areas such as budgeting, recruitment,
compensation and cost management. Managers can also monitor travel expenses, track budget consumption
on projects and check critical variances.
Master Data Management (MDM)
The technical process of maintaining and interlinking the key reference data that is shared by different systems
and used by different groups within an organization. Master Data is any information considered to play a critical
role in the operation of a business, such as data about clients, employees, inventory, suppliers and analytics.
Nakisa Talent Visualization
A web-based succession planning application that leverages human capital data within your SAP ERP system.
The Nakisa application helps you take proactive measures to identify new key positions and groom highpotential employees, creating a cost-effective and competitive succession planning strategy.
SAP NetWeaver
SAPs market-leading technology platform. SAP NetWeaver reduces IT complexity, increases adaptability,
supports scalability and growth and delivers more IT value at lower cost than traditional ERP solutions. SAP
NetWeaver provides an open standards-based platform that leverages a centralized enterprise services
repository. SAP NetWeaver supports both SAP and non-SAP applications, and enables service
oriented architecture.

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Open Source
A computer program where the source code is made available to customers or the general public for use
and modification of its original design. This collaborative effort allows users the flexibility to customize the
application to their individual environment.
Partner Solutions
SAP Partners provide solutions that complement SAP ERP. Partner solutions can achieve SAP-certified
integration, ensuring that they seamlessly complement the SAP ERP application.
Performance Optimization Applications (POA)
An SAP deliverable that provides preconfigured, automated functional test components for many of the major
and most commonly deployed SAP business processes. Performance Optimization Applications enable endto-end business process testing as well as automatic testing of mission-critical business processes, which
reduce traditional testing efforts by up to 70%. POAs provide the most robust testing solution available for
SAP customers.
QuickStart
An SAP business partner solution from NIIT Technologies designed to help midsize high tech manufacturers
improve business performance. QuickStart supports the complex engineering, manufacturing, quality, costing
and sales processes typical in the high-tech industry, while integrating financial and purchasing processes. The
solution can help high tech manufacturers understand the true cost of production, so you can identify future
opportunities to boost margins, increase market share and improve customer satisfaction.
QuickStart BI Packs
Tailored collections of reports and dashboards from Business Objects partners designed to give rapid insight
into data and applications already in use within your organization. Based on industry specifics and best practices.
SAP Ramp-Up
SAPs standardized process for introducing solutions to the market. SAP Ramp-up reduces cost, time and
risk for implementations by facilitating project scoping, expert coaching and knowledge transfer to ensure that
SAP solutions meet your business requirements. SAP Ramp-Up helps customers achieve business value from
SAP solutions sooner by increasing process control and communicating real-world experiences directly to SAP
product development.
Return-on-Investment (ROI)
A performance measurement used to evaluate the efficiency of an investment or to compare a number of
different investments. ROI is typically calculated by taking the benefit or return and dividing it by the cost of the
investment. SAP ERP enables faster ROI through rapid implementation techniques that are less than half the
cost of traditional approaches, and enhances the value of existing software investments through improved use
throughout the enterprise. SAP ERP eliminates hefty integration costs by delivering business processes that
are tightly integrated and optimized from the start. And, the application can reduce capital outlay by eliminating
the need to purchase multiple software solutions from different vendors.

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Role-Based Access
A mechanism that enables users to utilize specific, and often personalized, functionality based on business
roles and security rights associated with their duties in the organization. SAP ERP enables employees and
managers at all levels of the organization to access information tailored to their needs, and receive intuitive
support for their business roles. This simplified access to relevant information empowers staff and boosts
motivation, productivity and efficiency.
SAP Community
An online resource center to help business process experts drive real-time business process innovation.
The web community offers industry business process and services content, and information on composition
software tools from a proven business process platform, surrounded by a vibrant community of experts
sharing knowledge and ideas. Access at www.sdn.sap.com.
SAP Developer Network (SDN)
An online community of SAP developers, consultants, integrators and business analysts gaining and sharing
knowledge about ABAP, Java, .NET, SOA and other cutting-edge technologies. The SDN web site includes
expert blogs, discussion forums, exclusive downloads and code samples, training materials and a robust
technical library. Access at www.sdn.sap.com.
SAP NetWeaver
SAPs market-leading technology platform. SAP NetWeaver reduces IT complexity, increases adaptability,
supports scalability and growth and delivers more IT value at lower cost than traditional ERP solutions. SAP
NetWeaver provides an open standards-based platform that leverages a centralized enterprise services
repository. SAP NetWeaver supports both SAP and non-SAP applications, and enables service
oriented architecture.
SAP Ramp-Up
SAPs standardized process for introducing solutions to the market. SAP Ramp-up reduces cost, time and
risk for implementations by facilitating project scoping, expert coaching and knowledge transfer to ensure that
SAP solutions meet your business requirements. SAP Ramp-Up helps customers achieve business value from
SAP solutions sooner by increasing process control and communicating real-world experiences directly to SAP
product development.
Service Marketplace
SAPs extranet service platform that enables full collaboration among SAP, customers and partners.
Segmented into specific portals tailored to your particular needs, SAP Service Marketplace provides
information about, and access to, SAP services, software and consulting to help you evaluate, implement and
operate your SAP solutions.
Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA)
The business-driven software architecture that supports the SAP ERP application. SOA revolutionizes the
design of business applications that integrate with SAP ERP by allowing you to separate the interface and
process definitions from the underlying application. Companies can design, compose and manage new
business solutions that result in faster implementations and more cost-effective upgrades.

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Software as a Service (SaaS)

A software delivery method that provides access to software and its functions remotely as a web-based
service. SaaS removes the need for organizations to invest in hardware, or to handle the installation, set-up
and maintenance associated with typical software applications.
Self-Service Access
A mechanism that lets users help themselves to relevant job information, and automates routine, transactionbased activities. SAP ERP enables employees to manage important life and work events on their own, through
secure, personalized access to relevant information such as employee search, benefits management, travel
planning and procurement. Self-Service Access helps improve productivity and efficiency by simplifying tasks
and reducing paperwork.
Shared Services Center (SSC)
An alternative business model that concentrates administrative or transaction-based corporate functions under
one location and governance, supporting other departments as internal customers. Shared Service Centers
can automate processes, standardize operations and reduce costs. SAP fully supports SSC deployments for
human resources, finance and other key processes.
Support Package
SAP software releases that update the system with software fixes or delivery mandatory legal changes, such
as tax or human resources updates.
TechEd
SAPs Technical Education conference. Learn how to use the power and flexibility of the SAP NetWeaver
technology platform to innovate and transform business processes. Experts provide the best in technical and
business process training on a wide range of topics, including Duet, SAP xApp Analytics, SAP NetWeaver,
Master Data Management and SAP NetWeaver Composition Environment featuring Java and ABAP.
URL
Uniform Resource Locator, the string of characters that identify an Internet resources name and location.
Wiki
A collaborative web-based system that allows any user with web browser access to read posted material and
submit content changes with little or no programming knowledge. The SAP Developer Network hosts a Wiki.
XBRL
Extensible Business Reporting Language, a standard format for publishing financial information such as annual
and quarterly reports, SEC filings and general ledger information across software formats, technologies and
the Internet.
Xcelsius
A software application from Business Objects that lets users transform complex data into visually stunning
dashboards, financial calculators, forecast reports and much more.