SAP ERP Technical and Functional Modules

There are a huge number of SAP modules and they are continuously growing. Having a good knowledge of all of these modules is necessary if you are a regular user of SAP. Though there are a lot of SAP consulting companies that can help you but at the same time, you have enough training and learning resources made available directly by SAP through SAP Knowledge Warehouse Module. When looking at the SAP modules, these are classified into the following:

• SAP Functional Modules
• SAP Technical Modules

Both the SAP technical/functional modules are knitted closely, and below, we have shared the list of the main modules.

1. SAP FI (Financial Accounting) Module: The SAP FI module serves as one of the strongest modules that cater to all the financial processes that are normally found in a business ranging across different industries. In addition to that, the implementation is also far and wide, making it more common than some of the other modules.
2. SAP CO (Controlling) Module: This module adheres to cost accounting and is used to give decision-making managers enough information to have an understanding of how and where the company’s money is being spent. This module is used to optimize the costs that are incurred by a business.
3. SAP HCM (Human Resource) Module: This specific module is also called the SAP-HR module, and as the name suggests, this module helps in employees’ management. It also comprises sub-modules that belong to human resource management such as Personnel Administration, and Organizational Management.
4. SAP MM (Materials Management Module): This particular module comprises various components and sub-components ranging from Master Data, Purchasing, Inventory, and more.
5. SAP QM (Quality Management) Module: Managing quality is a crucial part of any business process that takes place. This module covers areas such as sales, procurement, material management, and more.
6. SAP PP (Production Planning) Module: This module is specifically designed to integrate various departments that focus on production and manufacturing. It comes with several components like Data Center, BOM, Work Center, CRP, and more.
7. SAP SD (Sales and Distribution) Module: Having the SAP SD Module for SAP ERP is vital as it consists of business processes that are centered around selling, shipping, and billing. The module works in tandem with other modules such as Material Management and Production Planning.
8. SAP BW (Business Data Warehouse) Module: This module also goes by the name SAP BI (Business Intelligence), and focuses on data warehousing and reporting. The purpose of this module is to assist in converting raw data into useful information which helps the management in making better decisions.
9. SAP Basis: This serves less of a module and more of a compilation of tools that serve as an interface with Database, Operating system, communication protocol, and several other SAP modules.
10. SAP ABAP: ABAP stands for Advanced Business Application Programming, and is the default programming language for all SAP applications. However, JAVA can also be used for such purposes.
11. SAP CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Module: SAP CRM is one of the cutting edge options in Customer Relationship Management software solutions and it plays a strong role in assuring that the relationship of customers with the business is always well maintained.
12. SAP HANA (High-Performance Analytic Appliance): This serves as an in-memory computing platform that is used for data analysis performed in real-time. SAP S/4HANA is the latest addition in the HANA family and has been written specifically for HANA platform. SAP S/4 HANA features have it the most preferable SAP solution for medium to big-sized companies.
13. SAP EC (Enterprise Controlling) Module: This module works as an effective tool that gives access to automated applications that are used for undertaking tasks that involve controlling the operations of commercial organizations.
14. SAP TR (Treasury) Module: This module is a part of the Financial Supply Chain Management and works in managing and controlling all the processes related to the treasury. It works towards giving information on cash, liquidity, as well as financial risk management.
15. SAP IM (Investment Management) Module: The purpose of this module is to help the organizations plan as well as manage investments, along with managing the capital expenses. Additionally, the SAP IM module has all the functions needed for managing investments in fixed assets.
16. SAP IS (Industries Specific Solution) Module: This module focuses on being one of the market as well as technology leaders when it comes to building software solutions that help in structured work as well as data management.
17. SAP PS (Project Systems) Module: This module is considered to be one of the most important modules as it comes with tools that are used for the project management process. These tools help with costing, budget planning, scheduling, requisitioning of materials, as well as services.
18. SAP CAC (Cross-Application Components) Module: This is more of a comprehensive set of components that are used for various aspects of a business like sales/distribution, material management, third party order processing, cross-company sales, stock transfers within the company, and other similar functions.
19. SAP SCM (Supply Chain Management) Module: The purpose of this module is to handle production planning, business forecasting, demand planning, etc. It is a complete software that overlooks all of these aspects and more, such as supply chain networking, planning, and coordination.
20. SAP PLM (Product Life Cycle Management) Module: The SAP PLM module focuses on helping companies plan, design, build, as well as administer production with better control, and proper transparency. This module brings all the tools that are needed to manage a product’s lifecycle effectively and efficiently.
21. SAP SRM (Supplier Relationship Management) Module: The SAP SRM module focuses on facilitating the procurement of goods through web-based platforms. This can significantly reduce the time as well as the costing of the procurement cycle by the use of various innovative methods to manage both the business process and key suppliers.
22. SAP CS (Customer Service) Module: The customer service module serves as a sub-branch of the SD module, and it is tightly integrated with other modules, too. The core purpose here is to manage a range of service scenarios that are related to the customers, including pre-sales, sales, and post-sales.
23. SAP SEM (Strategic Enterprise Management) Module: The Strategic Enterprise Management module focuses on solutions that help in financial operations and planning. This module works extremely well for effective planning, consolidated financial reports, as well as monitoring corporate performance.
24. SAP RE (Real Estate) Module: As the name suggests, SAP real estate management module focuses on managing both residential and commercial real estate and all the processes associated with the real estate sector. Real estate object management, as well as contract management, are the main features here.
25. SAP PM (Plant Maintenance) Module: The Plant Maintenance module serves as software that is responsible for managing all the maintenance activities that are existing in an organization. This module also comes with some key activities that are inspection, notifications, corrective and preventative maintenance, repairs, and more.
26. SAP Security: This is less of a module and more of a balancing act that is put in place to protect the SAP data and its applications from any unauthorized use or access.
27. SAP FSCM (Financial Supply Chain Management) Module: This module, in simpler terms, focuses on managing demand and supply of cash or anything equivalent to cash in terms of value and use. This module was introduced to make sure that all the costs that are associated with SAP or the businesses are handled properly.
28. SAP NetWeaver: The SAP NetWeaver is a technology platform that lets different organizations integrate data, business processes, as well as elements from different SAP environments. The NetWeaver paves the technical foundation for several SAP applications.
29. SAP XI (Exchange Infrastructure) Module: The Exchange Infrastructure focuses on helping the exchange of information among different software and systems that are being used in a company. The information is handed over to the external parties when needed.
30. SAP Solution Manager: Not a module but a product developed by SAP-SE. The features of this product focus on offering end-to-end application lifecycle management, as well as streamlining business processes, and proactively taking care of improvements that are needed in a business.
31. SAP LE (Logistics Execution) Module: The Logistic Execution module is one of the major components of the supply chain management application. It allows the administrator to manage information, as well as processes that are found in all the stages of the supply chain. Everything ranging from procurement of raw materials to distribution of finished products is managed through this module.
32. SAP APO (Advanced Planning and Optimization) Module: This module was designed by SAP-SE, and the purpose of this module was to help the companies make improvements to production plans, pricing, scheduling, as well as product shipments. SAP APO gives real-time updates from retailers about customer demand.
33. SAP AFS (Apparel and Footwear Solution) Module: The SAP AFS module is focused on the apparel and footwear industry. It provides specific and extremely useful industry-specific functionalities that are needed in big footwear-related companies.
34. SAP CC (Convergent Charging) Module: SAP CC is built on a foundation that is both powerful and flexible in terms of pricing modeling as well as charging solutions. This module works on delivering a robust set of systems as well as user applications to profitably rate and charge countless service consumption events that can either be in prepaid or postpaid environments.
35. SAP ITS (Internet Transaction Server) Module: This module was used by SAP as one of the initial ways to expand business applications and make them available on the internet. This was done by redeveloping SAP Dynpro screens into a format that was used in browsers, so they can be accessed by the web technology and be accessible to everyone.
36. SAP ICM (Incentive and Commission Management) Module: The ICM module is a component of SAP NetWeaver, and the purpose of this module is to make sure that the communication between SAP NetWeaver and the outside world is done without any hiccups or issues.
37. SAP KW (Knowledge Warehouse) Module: This module acts as a software solution that focuses on the development of various documentation and delivery of such documents to the users. From SAP training to handbooks, everything gets covered by the SAP KW module.
38. SAP MDM (Master Data Management) Module: The last module in our list is master data management. This module focuses on consolidating, cleansing, and synchronizing a single version of the truth for the master data that exists within the diverse application range.