How do you answer "what SAP do you have"?

[Former Member]

In the past 10 years I have been working with SAP and noted that there are not only different products, but very different categories. If I ask the question "which SAP software is it" then

* the CEO may answer "ERP"

* the consultant may answer "Business Suite because I used the installation master DVD for Business Suite"

* the sizing expert may answer "Global Trade Management because the sizing guide is named that way"

* the basis admin may answer "It SAP_APPL 7.01 as you can see in the transactions SPAM and SAINT"

* procurement may answer "we bought the Oil&Gas industry solution"

* support may say "just run disp+work -v to show the kernel version"

* https://service.sap.com/swdc will ask you if it is an xApp or not

My question is "how does this all fit together". Obviously as soon as you want to download the software you have to use completely different terminlogy than if you want to do sizing, administration or procurement. Maybe a sensible answer is like "the Oil&Gas industry solution will add the transaction codes XYZ as you can read on ABC and you download the software from DEF" or "SAP_APPL is all about updating the database content and will not affect the executable files installed on /sapmnt" or "Kernel 6.40 was contained in NetWeaver 7.0". Any overview you can share will be appreciated.

[Jelena · Accepted solution]

Since person asking such question obviously has no clue about all these fine details you've mentioned, I bet most people would just answer 'ECC 6.0' (or 4.7, etc., maybe mention EHP level of they're especially proud of it) or just ask back  'what do you mean?'.

Although 'The Evil one' also seems like a valid response to me.

[Lukas_Weigelt]

For me (we are on-prem with the Business Suite) it comes down to:

• Netweaver Version
• Business Usage (ERP, CRM, SRM, BW, PI/PO, ....)
• Usage of Business Portfolio Module-wise (HR, FI/CO, MM, ....)

I.e. It's pretty much what I always put down as "System Info" in all my questions on SCN:

"NW AS 7.03 ABAP Stack 731 Level 13, ECC 606 (EHP 6) with SAP_HR 604 Level 78 and EA_HR 607 (HR-Renewal 1) Level 29"

Cheers, Lukas

[Former Member]

good answer. Now how does the Industry Solution fit into this? And what Sizing Guide would you use for sizing?

[Lukas_Weigelt]

Phew.

Well, in my rainbow bubble, we don't run any specific industry solution dogmatically. I.e. we are a company in Public Sector dealing mostly with Insurance. But we don't run "SAP for Public Sector" or "SAP for Insurance" within our ERP system.

Concerning sizing, if you refer to benchmarking etc. I honestly had no idea this "view on things" could also add up to the overall product-naming-confusion/horror. 😄

Cheers, Lukas