BUS2700

Integrated business systems - SAP R/3

S B Huxford

6 points
* One 2-hour lecture and one 1-hour tutorial per week
* First semester and second semester
* Clayton
* Prerequisites: None
* Prohibitions: None

Objectives At the completion of this subject students should be familiar with the discrete business units and processes present in most service/product supplying organisations; be familiar with the discrete business systems that support these processes; be able to enumerate and understand the advantages of integrating these discrete systems into an integrated business systems; become proficient (able to operate with minimal supervision) as a user in such an integrated environment through familiarity with a particular environment (SAP R/3); become proficient (able to develop with supervision) as a configuring developer in such an integrated environment through familiarity with a particular environment (SAP R/3); become knowledgeable (understand the main issues and concepts) as a coding developer in such an integrated environment through familiarity with a particular environment (SAP R/3).

Synopsis Some initial discussion will provide background, context and motivation for a more thorough examination of monolithic, off-the-shelf, fully integrated business systems. This discussion will involve enumerating and examining the business units of a typical product/service provider, the business processes performed by these units and the required interaction between these processes. Typical ad hoc integration of legacy systems will also be described and contrasted with a monolithic, off-the-shelf solution. In order to extend and deepen the discussion of the later type of system the market leader in this area, SAP R/3, will be introduced. The discussion of SAP R/3 will have two benefits. The most immediate will be the acquisition of specific SAP R/3 user and developer skills. At the same time students should accrue a detailed appreciation of the underlying business processes being performed. The examination of SAP R/3 from a user's perspective will proceed along two complementary fronts. First, the functionality of existing application modules (financial, logistical, human resources and workflow) will be detailed. Second, a walkthrough of the most common business processes as they are implemented across several application modules in SAP R/3 will be conducted. The examination of SAP R/3 from a developer's perspective will involve three main topics: the `reference model', development by configuration and development by coding (via the ABAP/4 development workbench). The subject will end with a discussion of planning and implementation issues involved in developing and installing an integrated business system.

Assessment One examination: 70%
* One assignment involving a major development task: 15%
* Three exercises involving minor development tasks (5% each): 15%

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