Management
Save time and reduce training costs by introducing new users, or refreshing current users, to SAP actions without requiring access to the SAP system. After understanding the model, step through three training lessons for creating different kinds of documents.
There are various ways to train people about how to use SAP systems most effectively. Selecting the most suitable method depends on several factors such as cost, time, and availability. Using simulations in e-learning is a powerful training method that is widely — and successfully — used. In simulations, process scenarios are recorded in the SAP system and these training objects are used to build the e-learning course.
When business scenarios are lengthy and complex, simulations do not tend to work well for trainees who require speed and short training. Creating such a course can also be a time-consuming exercise. In addition to requiring access to an SAP system that is populated with training data, the lesson has to be recorded, edited, and published.
I’ll show you how to come up with an e-learning course that is simple, easy to create, and short. I’ll design an e-learning course that is based on simple forms. These forms include only mandatory and important fields as well as necessary steps. Although this method is not a substitute for more detailed hands-on training, it can be a valuable reference for high-level training, as a refresher course or an overview. I’ll start by explaining the new method in three lessons. Then I’ll explain the need for such a method in the analysis section.
The Model
To demonstrate the model, I will develop an e-learning course that is based on using simple forms. The course is related to service procurement and deals with the creation of three purchasing documents: purchase requisition (PR), request for quotation (RFQ), and purchase order (PO). The course consists of three lessons, and each lesson covers one purchasing document.
The objective of the three lessons is for trainees to learn the following:
- What role to use for the creation of purchasing documents
- What transaction code to use
- What is the document type
- How to fill in the blank fields
- How to version the document
- How to save successfully
I use two simple forms, which can be created in any e-learning software that supports forms (e.g., Assima). The first is the dialog form (Figure 1). The purpose of the dialog form is to enter initial data that is necessary before creating any purchasing documents. The fields you use in your situation may differ based on your preference, but my example shows the common ones.
Figure 1
Dialog form
You can use the same dialog form for the creation of all three purchasing documents. In the form, in the e-learning software you can create drop-down menus for selection when populating the blank fields. Each field contains multiple options that are available for selection. Available options are shown in Table 1.
Figure 1
Options for the dialog form fields
Note
You can add messages to the forms in the e-learning software. You’ll see them referenced in the lessons later.
Once all fields in the form are completed, click the Continue button to proceed to the second form. If everything is OK, then a message appears on the screen to indicate so. The second form is the details form, which can be the PR form, RFQ form, or PO form. This form contains mandatory and important fields as well as necessary steps that correspond to each purchasing document.
Lesson 1: Purchase Requisition
In this lesson, trainees learn how to create a PR. The dialog form for the PR is shown in Figure 2. In this case, a prerequisite document is not required so the option for the Document required field is None. When clicking in any of the fields, a drop-down list is displayed, and the user can select an item from the displayed list. After clicking the Continue button, the following message is displayed: Message: Proceed to fill in the PR form.
Figure 2
Dialog form for a PR
A sample of a PR document that is created through transaction ME51N is shown in Figure 3. The document consists of three sections: The Header (on top), Item Overview (middle), and Item Details (bottom). The Item Details section consists of 13 tabs and each tab consists of various blank fields that need to be completed. Overall, there are more than 100 fields in the document. Some of these fields are mandatory and others are optional. As you search for fields, you have to go through the tabs and may also need to scroll up, down, right, or left. This makes the process of completing the purchasing document a time-consuming exercise.
Figure 3
Sample PR
The PR form (Figure 4) accommodates only mandatory fields from the PR document. The three main sections of the PR document are shown clearly in the PR form. As you fill in the fields, you can select from a drop-down list or type in your input. If you select the wrong option or type in the wrong answer, an error message instructs you to repeat the step. You must also select the right combination of data. For example, the purchasing organization, the purchasing group, and the vendor number must all be consistent. If not, an error message is displayed and you have to repeat these steps.
Figure 4
PR form
Once all fields are completed, click the Complete Version button and then save. If the document creation is successful, a message appears on the screen confirming the new PR number: Message: Purchase requisition number 3000006230 created.
Lesson 2: Request for Quotation
In this lesson, trainees learn how to create an RFQ. In the dialog form in Figure 5, a prerequisite document is required in this case. In the Document required field, select the required document (e.g., Purchase Requisition) from a list of documents. When you continue, the following message is displayed: Message: Proceed to fill in the RFQ Form.
Figure 5
Dialog form for an RFQ
A sample of an RFQ document that is created through transaction ME41 is shown in Figure 6. The RFQ document consists of two main parts: the Header and the Vendor Address. To fill in the required fields, you have to go through at least three separate screens: initial screen, header screen, and one screen for each vendor.
Figure 6
Sample RFQ
In the RFQ form (Figure 7), enter the prerequisite document number (i.e., PR number). You can also enter more than one vendor. The vendors are all related to the same collective number and therefore all receive the same RFQ. At the end, click the Complete Version button and then save.
Figure 7
RFQ form
If the document creation is successful, then an RFQ message appears on the screen for each vendor number:
Lesson 3: Purchase Order
In this lesson, trainees learn how to create a PO. In the form in Figure 8, the required prerequisite document in this case is a contract. When you continue, the following message is displayed: Message: Proceed to fill in the PO Form.
Figure 8
Dialog form for a PO
A sample of a PO document that is created through transaction ME21N is shown in Figure 9. The document consists of three sections: The Header (on top), Item Overview (middle), and Item Details (bottom). Before saving, the PO document requires complete versioning and approval.
Figure 9
Sample PO
In the PO form (Figure 10), enter the prerequisite contract number.
Figure 10
PO form
The approval process is included in this form. Depending on the quantity (or cost), the PO may require more than one approver to process. If the quantity is 1, then only the division head needs to approve the PO. If the quantity is 10, then the PO needs to be approved by both division head and manager.
For example, if the Quantity is 1, click Approve (Approver 1), click Complete Version, and then click Save. This produces the message: Message: Purchase order number 6000006230 created. If the Quantity is 10, click Approve (Approver 1), click Approve (Approver 2), click Complete Version, and then click Save. This produces the message: Message: Purchase order number 6000006231 created.
Analysis
To argue the case for the new method, let’s make a comparison between an existing course that is based on SAP transactions and the new course that is based on simple forms. Table 2 shows the comparison for the three lessons (PR, RFQ, and PO). For the PR lesson, the number of screenprints is down from 15 for the existing course to only two for the new course. Although the number of steps is equivalent in both courses, the time required to complete the new course is almost half. This is mainly due to the fact that for the case of the new course, data is all assembled in one form and not scattered in different places. Similar comments can be said about the RFQ lesson. The approval steps made the whole process seem long for the case of the PO existing lesson. The time duration for the PO new course is less than half of that for the PO existing course.
Figure 2
Comparison of courses
AbduNaser Shhub
AbduNaser Shhub has more than 15 years of experience in training, teaching, and academic research. He has spent seven years in managing training programs and developing training courses that are related to various SAP modules. He holds a Ph.D, MSc., and a BSc. in nuclear engineering and has four SAP consultant certificates in SAP ERP HCM, SAP CRM, SAP SRM, and SAP SCM.
You may contact the author at abdunaser.shhub.1@aramco.com.
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