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Menu Paths and Transaction Codes

Navigating in the ERP system can get confusing. One way to navigate in the system is through
the menus system at the left edge of the screen. For example, to enter a sales order, the user
can click on the triangle in front of Logistics, which expand the menu to show the following
options under Logistics:

Click on the > symbol

in front of logistics to
expand the menu

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The user can then expand Sales and Distribution, which provides a listing of options for the
sales and distribution module:

To get to the sales order entry screen, the user has to expand the Sales option, and then Order
to get to Create.

Double-click here

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Double-clicking on the Create line will bring up the order entry screen.

Notice that the tree-structure menu has disappeared. You are now in the area of the SAP
program where you will enter a sales transaction.
In these instructions, the previous series of menu paths will be described using bold text with
arrows showing each of the menu selections. Thus, the menu paths to get to the customer
order entry screen will be shown as follow:

Logistics >Sales and Distribution >Sales >Order >Create

IMPORTANT FEATURE
Frequently the tree-structure menu paths can get a little confusing. When that happens, the
SAP standard menu icon (. ) can be used to collapse the menu back to its original starting
point.

Users of the ERP system typically use only a few of the thousands of transaction screens
available, and they tend to use them frequently. For example, people performing customer
order entry may use screens to enter inquiries, quotes and sales orders and check on the status
of material, but they will not likely be performing human resource functions or determining
plant maintenance schedules. For these users, the SAP ERP system provides an easier way to
navigate the system.

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First, we can save this transaction in our favorites folder. Click on the back icon (. ) to return
to the tree-structured menu. The tree structure should still be opened to the Create Sales
Order transaction. To add this to our favorites folder, simple click on the create line and drag it
to the favorites folder:

Drag Create to Favorites

This will create a link to the Create Sales Order transaction under the Favorites menu:

Favorites can also be added and deleted using the add and delete favorites icons (. ).

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The title of this new short cut leaves something to be desired, but we can edit it. Click on the
new Create shortcut, the follow the pull-down menu path MoreFavoritesChange:

Note that in these instructions pull-down menu paths will be given using arrows rather than
triangles. The MoreFavoritesChange menu path will produce the following pop-up
window:

Edit the transaction description so that it reads “Create Sales Order” and then click on the enter
icon ( ). The Favorites menu will now have the transaction Create Sales Order.

The Change a favorite pop-up window can also be accessed by clicking on the change favorites
icon:

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Click here to change the favorite

Test the shortcut by clicking on it. This should bring you directly to Create Sales Documents
screen.

Transaction Codes
Another way to navigate in the ERP system is through Transaction Codes. Every transaction in
the ERP system is given a code number, and the ERP system allows for users to enter these
code numbers as another means of going directly to a transaction. SAP has been trying to
move users away from using transaction codes and had threatened to remove this option, but
many users are used to them, so entering transaction codes as a means of navigation is still
available.

To find the transaction code for the Create Sales Order process, make sure you are at the
screen Create Sales Document. Then select the pull-down menu path:

MoreSystemStatus

and the following screen will appear:

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Transaction Code

This screen gives the Transaction Code of the transaction associated with the current screen,
which in this case is VA01. This code can be used to get to the order entry screen from
anywhere in the ERP system. To illustrate this, we must first get back to the main screen. To do
this, click on the cancel icon ( ).

SAP provides three ways to move “back” in the ERP system, two of which are the Back and Exit
commands. The back command can be invoked using either the back icon ( ) or the F3 key.
The exit command is invoked using the exit icon ( ) or the by holding the Shift key while
hitting the F3 key. The functions of these two keys differ depending on where they are used. In
general, the Exit key moves you farther out of the module or transaction you are currently in,
but this isn’t always the case. The Cancel command is invoked with the MoreCancel path or
with the F12 key. The cancel command allows the user to exit a transaction without saving any
data. Frequently the Cancel and Exit commands work identically.

To see how to use the transaction code, use the Back, Exit or Cancel commands to get back to
the main menu. If you exit too far, you will log off the SAP ERP system, but not before getting a
warning message:

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Transaction codes are entered in the command field at the top-left of the SAP screen:

Command Field

We can use the transaction code VA01 to go directly to the sales order entry screen. To do this,
enter /nva01 into the command field as follows:

The /n tells SAP you want to cancel the current transaction and go to a new one. You can enter
the transaction code in upper or lower case. Click on the return key and you will go directly to
the sales order entry screen.

Click on the exit icon ( ) to exit this screen. Now that we have entered the VA01 transaction
in the command field it is available from a pull-down menu.

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Click on the page icon to get

a list of transaction codes
that you’ve used.

Select the transaction code from the pull-down menu and click on enter key to go to the create
sales order screen one more time. Click on the back icon ( ) or exit icon ( . ), to go back to
the main screen.

Important Icons
In the last section you were introduced to three of the most common SAP icons. While
there are many icons used throughout the ERP system, the most common ones are summarized
below. If you are unsure of the function of a particular icon, just hold the mouse pointer over
the icon for a few seconds and a description of the icon will appear:

SAP Menu

Back: As described previously, the back icon allows the user to exit a transaction
without saving data.

Exit: As described previously, the exit button allows the user to exit a transaction and
typically moves the user closer to the main screen than the back or cancel icon.

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Execute: The execute icon is used to initiate a process that is typically time consuming,
like creating a report or calculating a new material requirements plan.

Save: This icon is used to save a completed transaction. It is important to remember

that nothing is saved until this icon is clicked.

Basic Interface Customization

Some configuration options can be set by following the pull-down menu path:

MoreSystemUser profileUser data

First, note that following this menu path will create a new session (window). Select the
Defaults tab. Confirm the following entries on this screen:

Confirm that the OutputDevice (printer) is

set to LOCL with Output Immediately and
Delete After Output selected
Confirm the number, date and time
format are set as you would like them

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In an enterprise-wide system, managing output (printing) is a significant task. For our purposes,
we will just tell the system to send any printed output immediately to the default Windows
printer.

As the SAP ERP system is used internationally, it must be adaptable to other languages and
practices. In Europe, for example, commas are used where we use decimal points and vice-
versa. Dates are specified in the form DD.MM.YYYY instead of MM/DD/YYYY as in the US. The
SAP ERP system can be configured to accommodate these differences. Click on the save icon
( ) to save these settings.

Note: Some changes made in this screen will not take effect until the user logs off and logs on
again.

One other change should be made to the interface. As transaction codes are useful, we can tell
the ERP system to display the transaction codes as part of the menu paths. To do this, from the
SAP Easy Access screen follow the pull-down menu path:

MoreExtrasSettings

Which will produce the following pop-up screen:

Check Display technical names

Check Display technical names and then click on the continue icon ( ). To see that the
transaction codes are now displayed, follow the tree-structure menu path:

Logistics > Sales and Distribution > Sales > Order

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And notice that the transaction code VA01 is listed in front of the Create option.

Transaction Code displayed

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Multiple Sessions
Some times it is useful to be looking at two (or more) different screens in SAP simultaneously.
To do this, the ERP system allows you to start up to six interactive sessions under one User ID.
In some cases, like following the menu path MoreSystemUser profileOwn data, the
system automatically creases a new session. To create another session, follow the pull down
menu path:

MoreSystemCreate Session

and another session will be started. You can switch between sessions using the Task Bar in
Windows.

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