Book recommendations for SAP ERP and SAP S/4HANA

The best book recommendations for SAP ERP and SAP S/4HANA are listed in this article. I very often receive inquiries from readers about which SAP books I can recommend. What are the best SAP books? Therefore, in this article I would like to present the most important SAP books in my opinion. I highly recommend them.

Nowadays, there are a large number of SAP books on various topics in SAP ERP and SAP S/4HANA. Many topics are repeated in several books. In addition, a lot of information is already outdated. Therefore, this article will present the most important SAP books that contain up-to-date and relevant information about SAP ERP and SAP S/4HANA. I will have this article up to date so that the book recommendations on SAP ERP and SAP S/4HANA remain current.

SAP books are a perfect way to further your education. So you can benefit from broad expert knowledge. You can read the books when and where you want. In addition, SAP books are many times cheaper than on-site SAP training. That’s why I can recommend every SAP user, consultant or developer to regularly refresh their knowledge via SAP books or to learn something new. Lifelong learning is enormously important.

If you stop getting better, you’ve stopped being good.

Philip Rosenthal

Also have a look at the video course „100 tips and tricks in SAP ERP and SAP S/4HANA“. Improve your daily work with the SAP system and get the next step in your career.

Book recommendations for SAP beginners

Using SAP S/4HANA: An Introduction to Learning SAP for Beginners and Business Users

Authors: Wolfgang Fitznar, Dennis Fitznar

The reference book „Using SAP S/4HANA: An Introduction to Learning SAP for Beginners and Business Users“ is perfect for all SAP beginners and users. Using numerous case studies, screenshots and videos, the most important basics of SAP S/4HANA are explained in more detail. It offers a structured introduction to SAP S/4HANA, even without prior knowledge.

I also found the many case studies and helpful tips and tricks for practical use particularly positive. Highly recommended for all newcomers to the new SAP system.

Highlights include:

• Logon and navigation
• Reporting
• Personalization
• Procurement
• Sales
• Financial accounting
• Special functions
• Troubleshooting
• SAP Fiori applications
• SAP GUI transactions

SAP S/4HANA: An Introduction

Authors: Devraj Bardhan, Axel Baumgartl, Nga-Sze Choi, Mark Dudgeon, Piotr Górecki, Asidhara Lahiri, Bert Meijerink, Andrew Worsley-Tonks

The authors manage to provide a compact overview of the functional scope of SAP S/4HANA with the book „SAP S/4HANA: An Introduction“. In addition to the comprehensible explanations of SAP basic terms, cross-module business processes are presented.

This book is highly recommended for all SAP beginners and SAP S/4HANA newcomers, as you will learn the most important facts about SAP S/4HANA in a short and concise way. I totally recommend this book to every SAP users who want to understand the most imporant modules and components of SAP S/4HANA.

Highlights include:

• Finance
• Manufacturing
• Supply chain management
• Sales, marketing, and commerce
• Sourcing and procurement
• Analytics and reporting
• Industry solutions
• Intelligent technologies
• Architecture
• Extensibility
• Deployment

Using SAP ERP: An Introduction for Beginners and Business Users

Author: Olaf Schulz

The book „Using SAP ERP: An Introduction for Beginners and Business Users“ is an absolute recommendation for all SAP beginners and novices. It presents all the important terms and concepts of SAP ERP. It is easy to read, descriptive and at the same time fully comprehensive.

The author manage to cover the most important processes in the areas of sales, purchasing, accounting, production and warehouse management with numerous screenshots and examples.

Highlights include:

• Log on/off
• System navigation
• Automating tasks
• Reporting
• Printing
• Help functions
• Master data
• Data security
• Messaging
• SAP product overviews

SAP FI

Configuring SAP S/4HANA Finance

Author: Stoil Jotev

In my opinion, the comprehensive book „Configuring SAP S/4HANA Finance“ is the book that explains SAP S/4HANA Finance most comprehensively and best. It teaches you everything you need to know about customizing SAP FI and SAP CO in SAP S/4HANA. Especially for SAP consultants and key users, this book is an absolute recommendation. It often serves as a reference work.

In addition to the customizing of organizational structures and master data, important business processes are also covered. It is a must read for anyone who really wants to understand SAP S/4HANA Finance.

An absolute book recommendation for anyone who wants to understand SAP S/4HANA Finance in depth.

Highlights include:

• Controlling
• Financial accounting
• General ledger
• Accounts payable/accounts receivable
• Asset accounting
• Cost center accounting
• Profit center accounting
• Predictive accounting
• Margin analysis
• Product costing
• Group reporting
• Universal Journal

SAP S/4HANA Finance: An Introduction

Authors: Maunil Mehta, Usman Aijaz, Tanya Duncan, Sam Parikh

For SAP consultants, key users and SAP users in SAP S/4HANA Finance, the book „SAP S/4HANA Finance: An Introduction“ is absolutely recommendable. In this book, the most important concepts and business processes of SAP S/4HANA Finance are presented and explained in detail. The comprehensive non-fiction book gives you a good overview of financial accounting in SAP S/4HANA.

The new possibilities of SAP S/4HANA are illustrated and clarified by a large number of diagrams and screenshots. Very good and comprehensive introduction to S/4HANA financial accounting.

Highlights include:

• Universal Journal
• SAP HANA
• Management accounting
• Financial close and consolidation
• Reporting and analytics
• Treasury and Risk Management
• SAP Fiori applications
• Deployment and adoption
• Financial transformation
• SAP S/4HANA

Financial Accounting with SAP S/4HANA: Business User Guide

Authors: Jonas Tritschler, Stefan Walz, Reinhard Rupp, Nertila Mucka

No matter if you are switching from SAP ERP or if your company is newly implementing SAP S/4HANA. The author expertly introduces you to working with the new SAP Fiori user interface, the new SAP business partner (transaction BP) and other key innovations in SAP S/4HANA Finance.

The reference book „Financial Accounting with SAP S/4HANA: Business User Guide“ is a practice-oriented source of information on new functionalities under S/4HANA Finance for inexperienced SAP users and experienced SAP consultants alike. In addition, it presents solutions to everyday issues in finance that arise during the conversion or implementation.

Highlights included:

• General ledger accounting
• Fixed asset accounting
• Accounts payable
• Accounts receivable
• Project accounting
• Organizational structure
• Period-end closing
• Reporting
• SAP GUI transactions
• SAP Fiori apps

SAP MM

Materials Management with SAP S/4HANA: Business Processes and Configuration

Authors: Jawad Akhtar, Martin Murray

The content of the SAP book „Materials Management with SAP S/4HANA: Business Processes and Configuration“ is very well structured and gives beginners who are new to the topic of customizing a good start.
I especially like the many screenshots including the exact descriptions of each field. Thus, the book can also be used very well as a configuration template parallel to the actual configuration of the SAP system. Here I have often made the experience that just such screenshots are saved, but I think it is essential with regard to the comprehensibility of the configuration.
Furthermore, I have benefited from the many practical tips of the author, which appear again and again in the various sections of the book. Here I have often saved time and learned to perform configurations in the best possible way, which will certainly be useful again later in my projects.

All in all, a clear buy recommendation for all those who are new to the topic of SAP MM, but also for those who already have the experience and want to look up something now and then.

Highlights include:

• Materials master data
• Vendor master data
• Business partners
• Purchasing information data
• Batch management
• Material requirements planning (MRP)
• Inventory management
• Goods issue/goods receipt (GI/GR)
• Material Ledger
• Invoice verification
• Document management
• Reporting

Procurement with SAP MM: Business User Guide

Authors: Matt Chudy, Luis Castedo

The SAP book „Procurement with SAP MM: Business User Guide“ is very extensive with almost 550 pages, the structuring is very clear. All important terms and structures like master data are explained very nicely.

The book explains the settings and interrelationships very well, right down to the deeper details, and uses sample images to clarify the written word once again. It is not aimed at IT staff with a customizing approach, but at SAP end users and key users who want to expand their knowledge in the various levels of materials management, and keep up to date.

My conclusion of the book: Definitely recommended purchase.

Highlights include:

• Master data
• Material Requirements Planning
• Consumption-based planning
• Materials forecasting
• Purchasing activities
• Quotation requests and contracts
• Subcontracting and third-party use
• Kanban
• Service procurement
• Inventory management

Materials Management with SAP ERP: Functionality and Technical Configuration

Authors: Martin Murray, Jawad Akhtar

If you are a beginner in the field of materials management, this practical manual with its many detailed instructions will serve you well structured and nice explenations about SAP MM. For people with basic SAP knowledge, the processes are presented in an understandable and clear manner. In addition, it is also well suited as a reference work if certain processes are not yet so familiar. All in all, „Materials Management with SAP ERP: Functionality and Technical Configuration“ is a very good companion.

Highlights include:

• Materials master data
• Vendor master data
• Purchasing information data
• Batch management
• External Services Management
• Material requirements planning (MRP)
• Inventory management
• Goods issue/goods receipt (GI/GR)
• Material Ledger
• Balance sheet valuation
• Invoice verification
• Document management

SAP CO

Controlling with SAP S/4HANA: Business User Guide

Authors: Janet Salmon, Stefan Walz

The SAP book „Controlling with SAP S/4HANA: Business User Guide“ gives a very good insight into the procedure and the possibilities in S/4 HANA from the perspective of controlling and in particular also about the changes compared to SAP R/3. Thanks to the clear structure, questions can be quickly looked up again and the illustrations give you a concrete idea of how the settings will be made in the new system. A clear buy recommendation!

Highlights include:

• Organizational structures
• Master data
• Overhead controlling
• Production controlling
• Service controlling
• Margin analysis
• Event-based revenue recognition
• Investment controlling
• Intercompany scenarios
• Reporting
• Universal Journal
• User interfaces (UI)

Configuring Controlling in SAP ERP

Author: Kathrin Schmalzing

The essential SAP CO contents are explained clearly for normal SAP users. This also fulfills the intention of the work. Kathrin Schmalzing manages with the SAP book „Configuring Controlling in SAP ERP“ to explain the most important SAP CO topics in SAP ERP in a simple and understandable way. A must-read for all those who work with SAP CO in SAP ERP.

Highlights include:

• Organizational elements and basic settings
• Master data
• Actual postings
• Period-end closing
• Reporting
• Cost Element Accounting
• Cost Center Accounting
• Internal Orders
• Product Costing
• Cost Object Controlling
• Profitability Analysis
• SAP HANA
• Preparation for cut-over

SAP SD

Sales and Distribution with SAP S/4HANA: Business User Guide

Authors: James Olcott, Jon Simmonds

Get to know the most important processes in SAP SD in SAP S/4HANA. Start by processing inquiries and quotes before the sale. Then dive into order processing, delivery, and invoicing to close the sale. Manage sales documents and sales data with ease. With nearly 500 pages, you’ll get a good, concise overview of SAP SD in SAP S/4HANA. The SAP book „Sales and Distribution with SAP S/4HANA: Business User Guide“ is a recommendation for all SAP SD users.

Highlights include:

• Sales record navigation
• Inquiries
• Quotations
• Sales order management
• Delivery
• Billing
• Reversals
• Rebates and settlement
• Sales documents
• SAP GUI transactions
• SAP Fiori applications

Configuring Sales in SAP S/4HANA

Author: Christian van Helfteren

If you want to learn how to set up the most important SAP SD processes in SAP S/4HANA, you need to read the SAP book „Configuring Sales in SAP S/4HANA“. Written in a simple and understandable way on almost 800 pages.

Highlights include:

• Master data
• Business partners
• Material master
• Pricing and the condition technique
• Contracts
• Sales order management
• Available-to-promise (ATP)
• Shipping and delivery
• Billing and invoicing
• Reporting

Integrating Sales and Distribution in SAP S/4HANA

Authors: Ankita Ghodmare, Saurabh Bobade, Kartik Dua

Integrate sales and distribution with overlapping finance business processes. Follow step-by-step instructions to configure integration points such as credit management, profitability analysis, revenue recognition, resource-based billing, and more. The brand new SAP book „Integrating Sales and Distribution in SAP S/4HANA“ offers you a successful overview of the most important SAP SD topics in almost 600 pages.

Highlights include:

• Integration points
• Cross-functional processes
• Organizational structure
• Master data
• Materials management
• Finance
• Revenue recognition
• Resource-related billing
• Production planning
• Configuration

SAP QM

Quality Management with SAP S/4HANA

Author: Jawad Akhtar

The SAP book „Quality Management with SAP S/4HANA“ starts with the basics of SAP and QM and supplements the explanations with S/4HANA screenshots and the details of the fields, their meaning and usage. A good basis for getting started with SAP’s QM module.

Highlights include

• Master data
• Integration with logistics
• Quality inspection
• Batch management
• Sample management
• Quality certificates
• Quality issue management
• Quality notifications
• Quality planning
• Stability study
• Failure mode and effects analytics (FMEA)
• Reporting

Quality Management with SAP ERP

Author: Jawad Akhtar

In my opinion the best SAP book on SAP QM suitable for beginners without SAP knowledge. The author manages with „Quality Management with SAP ERP“ to dive deeply in SAP QM in almost 900 pages.

Highlights include:

• Master data and structure
• QM configuration
• Engineering Change Management
• Document Management System
• Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Control Plan (CP)
• Audit Management
• Monitoring and control
• Stakeholder notifications
• Workflow tools
• Integration with SAP components

SAP PP

Production Planning with SAP S/4HANA

Author: Jawad Akhtar

Get with „Production Planning with SAP S/4HANA“ step-by-step instructions for configuring and using SAP S/4HANA for discrete, process, and repetitive manufacturing. Then dive into production tools and functionalities like batch management, S&OP, predictive MRP, DDMRP, and the Early Warning System. This foundational guide is full of industry examples to help you maximize your production planning!

A massive SAP book with over 1000 pages. Highly recommended.

Highlights include:

• Discrete, process, and repetitive manufacturing
• Batch management
• Sales and operations planning (S&OP)
• Demand management
• Demand-driven replenishment (DDR)
• Material requirements planning (MRP)
• Predictive MRP
• Long-term planning
• Capacity requirements planning
• Early Warning System
• Reporting and analysis

Production Planning and Control with SAP ERP

Author: Jawad Akhtar

The SAP book „Production Planning and Control with SAP ERP“ is intended for professional SAP consultants who want to understand the PP module. Good book, who wants to get ahead in the SAP industry and within SAP PP.

Highlights include:

• Discrete, process, and repetitive manufacturing
• Configuration
• XSteps
• Sales and operations planning (S&OP)
• Material requirements planning (MRP)
• SAP Demand Management
• Long-term planning (LTP)
• Special procurement types
• Capacity requirements planning (CRP)
• Digital signatures
• Early Warning System (EWS)

SAP Basis

SAP Administration—Practical Guide

Author: Sebastian Schreckenbach

The SAP book „SAP Administration—Practical Guide“ is an indispensable companion for SAP Basis Administration. All the necessary concepts of SAP Basis administration are explained in a comprehensible manner using practical examples. Above all, as a reference work, it still provides up-to-date and relevant information on SAP Basis Administration, despite its year of publication.

Highlights include:

• Database, security, and user administration
• Operating system and network administration
• CCMS Alert Monitor
• Scheduled tasks
• Performance bottlenecks
• Authorizations
• System maintenance
• Troubleshooting and disaster recovery
• Backup and restore
• SAP Solution Manager
• SAP NetWeaver 7.4
• SAP GUI 7.40

Authorizations in SAP S/4HANA and SAP Fiori

Authors: Alessandro Banzer, Alexander Sambill

If you maintain authorizations in your company or want to know more about authorizations in SAP S/4HANA and in SAP Fiori, you need to read the brilliant book „Authorizations in SAP S/4HANA and SAP Fiori“.

The most important concepts and technologies of the SAP system are presented in an understandable way. Thanks to the many examples and illustrations, you will quickly find your way around the SAP environment and can start directly in SAP ERP or SAP S/4HANA.

This book offers you a perfect introduction to the technical world of SAP S/4HANA and SAP Fiori.

Highlights include:

• ABAP authorizations
• Roles
• Transaction SU24
• Profile Generator
• Authorization traces
• User maintenance
• SAP Access Control
• Debugging
• Migration
• Xiting Authorizations Management Suite (XAMS)

SAP HANA 2.0 Administration

Authors: Mark Mergaerts, Bert Vanstechelman

What a brilliant book about the SAP HANA database. In the book „SAP HANA 2.0 Administration“ you will learn in over 1000 pages the most important concepts of the in-memory database. With this you are well prepared for your everyday work with the database.

Highlights include:

• Installation and updates
• Architecture
• SAP HANA cockpit
• SAP HANA Studio
• Persistency
• High availability/disaster recovery
• Scale-out systems
• Data tiering
• Objects and tables
• Security
• Performance
• Monitoring

SAP System Security Guide

Authors: Joe Markgraf, Alessandro Banzer

For IT security in SAP S/4HANA, the book „SAP System Security Guide“ is an absolute must-read. In more than 500 pages, it presents the most important aspects of security and auditing of SAP S/4HANA in a very comprehensive and understandable way.

Aspects for the implementation of SAP S/4HANA are discussed and practical assistance is given in this context. Anyone who performs audits in SAP S/4HANA needs this book. In my opinion, there is no comparable SAP book on IT security and audits on the market. It is well structured and easy to read.

Highlights include:

• Password security
• CommonCryptoLib
• Single sign-on (SSO)
• Authorizations
• Transport security
• Audit logging
• Patching
• Client locking
• RFC security
• Operating system and database security

SAP S/4HANA Architecture

Authors: Thomas Saueressig, Tobias Stein, Jochen Boeder, Wolfram Kleis

The SAP book „SAP S/4HANA Architecture“ gives you a great practical overview of S/4HANA. It also explains the technical and application architecture very well. There is a lot of useful information for architects implementing or extending the system. The underlying concepts are clearly described so that anyone interested can understand them. I can definitely recommend this very valuable S/4HANA introduction book.

Highlights include:

• SAP S/4HANA
• SAP S/4HANA Cloud
• Master data
• Sales and service
• Logistics and manufacturing
• Transportation management
• Extended warehouse management
• Finance
• Identity and access management
• Security and compliance
• Cloud operations
• Side-by-side extensions

Migrating to SAP S/4HANA

Authors: Frank Densborn, Frank Finkbohner, Jochen Freudenberg, Martina Höft, Kim Mathäß, Boris Rubarth

The SAP book „Migrating to SAP S/4HANA“ explains all important approaches of a S/4HANA implementation along with detailed description of data migration tools.

I can recommend this book to all experts involved in SAP S/4HANA data migration projects. Each step of the data migration is described in great detail, and the information is relevant for cloud and on-premise beginners as well as data migration experts.

The book will be updated along with the information about the new features of the data migration tools at the end of 2020. It includes the latest features of the migration cockpit and the migration object modeler.

It is just like an encyclopedia of data migration as every topic of data migration for the migrating to SAP S/4HANA is covered and described here.

Should be considered as a bible for migration to S/4HANA. A pure recommendation and must-read for every SAP user involved in SAP S/4HANA migration.

Highlights include:

• Cloud, on-premise, and hybrid scenarios
• System conversion
• New implementation
• Data migration
• Selective data transition
• SAP S/4HANA Cloud
• SAP Activate
• Migration object modeler
• Migration cockpit
• Rapid data migration

ABAP

Complete ABAP

Author: Kiran Bandari

The comprehensive standard work „Complete ABAP“ belongs on every SAP developer’s bookshelf. All techniques, language elements and tools of the object-oriented programming language ABAP Objects are explained completely and understandably in over 1000 pages.

Highlights include:

• Architecture and environment
• Syntax, keywords, structures, and tables
• User interaction
• Modularization
• Persistent data
• Dialog and dynamic programming
• Reports and forms
• Interface development
• Modifications and enhancements
• Debugging and testing

ABAP: An Introduction

Authors: Brian O’Neill, Jelena Perfiljeva

If you want to get to know the ABAP programming language, you can learn the most important syntax elements and methods with the SAP book „Getting Started with ABAP“. With the help of practical code examples, many screenshots as well as valuable tips, you will get to know the programming language of SAP ERP and SAP S/4HANA in an ideal way.

Highlights include:

• Procedural programming
• Object-oriented programming
• Flow control
• Arithmetic operations
• Data dictionary
• Defining variables and constants
• Creating tables
• Database read/write
• Modularization
• Debugging
• SAP List Viewer (ALV)

Clean ABAP: A Style Guide for Developers

Authors: Klaus Haeuptle, Florian Hoffmann, Rodrigo Jordão, Michel Martin, Anagha Ravinarayan, Kai Westerholz

I really recommend the SAP book „Clean ABAP: A Style Guide for Developers“ to any ABAP developer who wants to improve their clean code programming skills. The book is a true reference for best practices written by global experts that will help you write ABAP code effectively. Reduce your teams‘ technical debt by applying the practices and techniques discussed in each chapter. From the first chapter to the last, the book is well-structured, easy to understand, and provides the necessary level of detail.

Highlights include:

• Classes and interfaces
• Methods
• Names
• Variables and literals
• Internal tables
• Control flow
• Comments
• Formatting
• Error handling
• Unit testing
• Packages

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