SAP is a powerful and complex ERP system used by organizations worldwide for business operations. While SAP can seem intimidating at first, there are many built-in features and tricks that can save time and boost productivity for everyday users. Whether you're in sales, procurement, finance, or logistics, these tips can make your SAP life a lot easier.
When you're not sure of the full name of a material, customer, or vendor, wildcards come in handy.
Use * to replace multiple characters.
Use + to replace a single character.
Example:
Searching for *bike* in the material field will return all materials containing the word "bike".
You can save frequently used transactions for quick access.
Go to the SAP Easy Access screen.
Right-click on "Favorites" → Insert transaction.
Enter the transaction code (e.g., VA01, ME21N, FBL1N) and give it a name.
This avoids repetitive typing and speeds up navigation.
SAP GUI supports many shortcuts. Some popular ones include:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
/n | Start a new transaction (e.g., /nVA01) |
/o | Open transaction in a new session (e.g., /oME23N) |
Ctrl + S | Save |
Ctrl + P | |
Ctrl + F | Find |
Ctrl + Y | Select text (especially useful for copying) |
Any ALV report (most SAP reports with column headers) can be exported to Excel:
Click the Excel icon (or List → Export → Spreadsheet).
You can then save or analyze the data offline.
Bonus tip: Use filters and sort options within SAP ALV grids before exporting for cleaner output.
In reports or input screens, users can define and save variants:
Fill in the input screen.
Click "Save as Variant" (top of screen).
Give it a name and description.
Next time, simply load the saved variant to avoid retyping values.
SAP offers two powerful help options:
F1 → Field help (shows definition, technical info, etc.)
F4 → Value help (shows possible entries with search options)
This is extremely helpful when you're unsure about the purpose or allowed values of a field.
If you forgot a transaction code but remember what it does:
Use transaction SE93 to search by description.
Or, from the SAP Easy Access menu, use the "Find" tool (binocular icon) to locate it.
You can open up to 6 SAP GUI sessions at once.
Press Ctrl + N or use the /o command.
This allows you to view a customer in XD03 while creating a sales order in VA01, without losing your place.
Use F8 or the "Back" button to repeat the last executed transaction — a real time-saver when you're testing or making repetitive entries.
Many ALV reports allow users to:
Hide or reorder columns.
Save custom layouts (use Layout → Save).
Switch between personal and global layouts (if authorized).
This is especially helpful for reports like ME2N, FBL3N, or MB51.
At the bottom of the SAP screen, the status bar shows useful messages, including:
System messages and errors.
Technical information (click the small icon at bottom-right → "Technical info").
It's an overlooked area that often contains hints to help fix errors.
SAP accepts several date shortcuts:
| Entry | Result |
|---|---|
+1 | Tomorrow |
-1 | Yesterday |
+7 | 7 days from today |
=today | Today's date |
You can quickly enter dates without needing to use the calendar.
If you're repeatedly locked out of a transaction or user, and you’re in a test environment, use /nSU01 (if you have access) to unlock the user.
Otherwise, ask your system admin with SU01 rights.
Want to see changes made to a document?
In transactions like VA03, ME23N, or FB03, look for Environment → Changes.
This will show what was changed, by whom, and when.
SAP may seem overwhelming, but mastering these small tricks can dramatically improve your efficiency. From using wildcards to setting up variants and leveraging keyboard shortcuts, these daily user hacks will help you become more confident and productive in SAP.
If you're using SAP frequently, take a little time to explore these features and build your own personalized workflow.
