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36 CHAPTER 2 Introduction to Enterprise Systems

generally fi nished goods but can also be trading goods, can be placed into one
group called sales. Alternatively, bicycles can be grouped based on how they are
used, such as touring and off-road. In the retail industry, material groups repre-
sent merchandise categories such as footwear, clothes, and beverages. Materials
are grouped so that they can be managed collectively. For example, planning for
off-road bicycles is performed for all of the bikes in that material group rather
than for individual bikes or brand names.

Organizational Level
A fi nal factor that determines the type of data included in the material mas-
ter is organizational level. Materials can be defi ned differently for different
organizational levels. For example, the same material can be used in multiple
plants, but the ways it is used can vary from one plant to another. If a company
exports materials from only one of its plants, for instance, then data related to
exporting that material must be included in the material’s defi nition for that
plant. These data are not necessary, however, for the other plants. As another
example, GBI may choose not to ship bikes to customers from its Dallas plant.
Rather, it sends the bikes to its two distribution centers (Miami or San Diego),
which then ship them to customers. In this case, sales-related data for the bikes
are included in the material master’s defi nition for the Miami and San Diego
plants but not for the Dallas plant.

Demo 2.1: Review material types

Demo 2.2: Review material master data

TRANSACTION DATA

Processes are executed in the context of organizational levels, involve mas-
ter data, and result in transaction data. Transaction data refl ect the conse-
quences of executing process steps, or transactions. Examples of transaction
data are dates, quantities, prices, and payment and delivery terms. Thus, trans-
action data are a combination of organizational data, master data, and situ-
ational data—that is, data that are specifi c to the task being executed, such as
who, what, when, and where. The composition of transaction data is illustrated
in Figure 2-10.
SAP ERP uses several different types of documents to record transac-
tion data. Some of these documents are created or utilized as the process is
being executed; others record data after the process steps are completed.
We refer to the fi rst category as transaction documents. Examples are
purchase orders, packing lists, and invoices. A purchase order communi-
cates the company’s order to its vendor. A packing list accompanies the
shipment sent by the vendor, and an invoice is a request for payment for
materials shipped.
Documents that record data generated after the process steps have been
completed include financial accounting [FI] documents, management

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