Who doesn’t love a tip or a shortcut? Especially if it makes your life easier, your job quicker, and your customer happier!
There are so many functions to SAP Business One, which means there are also so many tips and tricks. But we’ve rounded up our top ten from the Blue Ocean Systems team and hope you find them useful too!
1. Edit your UI
With so many business uses, fields, and tabs, it can sometimes be helpful to focus only on the areas you need to see, depending on your role or on the task you trying to complete. Not all available options are always needed, so SAP Business One enables you to customise your user interface (UI) to see the most important items to you.
To do this, simply go to Administration Module → Utilities → UI Configuration Template. You can then select names, descriptions, and forms for the various fields you would like to customise.
The configurable UI template allows you to change the headings for fields and labels easily and quickly as an authorised user. For example, using the configurable UI template, you can hide, disable and move selected fields and tabs across Item Master Data, Business Partner Master Data, sales documents, journal entries, good receipts and many more.
To hide, disable, or move fields, go to the window which you wish to configure, e.g. Item Master Data. (Inventory Module → Item Master Data)
Click Tools in your toolbar, and select Edit Form UI. This will move your window into UI Edit Mode.
Right click the field you wish to hide or disable.
Here we show the Bar Code field being hidden:
And the Bar Code field being disabled:
If you want to reset any changes you have made, simply right click and select Restore Default. You may also quit editing by right clicking and selecting Leave UI Edit Mode
It’s a good idea to discuss these changes with other users to ensure the meaning and usage are consistent and don’t cause confusion.
2. A refreshing change
When several users are updating the same information, there’s no need to keep selecting Previous Record or Next Record to refresh the data you are working with; just select the Refresh Record button in the toolbar.
This will save you time and ensure everyone is working with the same data.
3. See it your way
Don’t want over the top headings and menu items that you don’t use? Simply hide them by selecting the menu items at company level under Administration → System Initialisation → General Settings → Hide Functions tab.
Hiding functions allows you to enjoy a thinner application that provides and displays only the features that you absolutely need and use (at least for the time being). The hidden items can always be added back later if you change your mind.
4. Seal the deal
Are you sick of creating customer quotes that get lost in the system and not closed? Worried about how many potential sales you’re missing out on? You might just be surprised at how many customers just needed that final nudge!
Find out how you can set up predefined or custom alerts with our free guide at the end of this post.
5. Just a (right) click away
There are so many shortcuts in SAP B1 just by clicking right; we’ve listed some of our favourites here:
- Copy and paste to Microsoft Excel by right clicking tables
- Cancel/close/duplicate a sales or purchase order
- Add/delete/duplicate a row in the contents window
- View available to promise status from the Item Master Data
- See special prices and catalogue numbers for business partners
6. Group authorizations
Make everyone’s life easier by assigning predetermined authorisations to users based on their roles. Under Authorisation Groups, you can assign group authorization limits, just like you would for an individual user.
To reach this, head to Administration Module → System Initilization → Authorizations → Data Ownership → Authorization Groups.
By creating permission groups, you can define role-based authorisations and a user can be assigned to multiple groups. This reduces minor adjustments from the user administration. For example, groups might be sales, warehouse, operations or location based such as north, south etc.
Ensure you communicate to users what their authorisations include and what their limits and responsibilities are.
7. Know your numbers
You can easily calculate the actual cost of each batch or serial number by heading to Administration Module → System Initialization → Company Details → Basic Initialization tab.
Under “Manage Serial and Batch Cost By”, select “Serial/Batch Valuation Method”.
You can also assign this to selected items in the Item Master Record. Do note that while you can change the valuation method at any time, it will only apply to new items created afterwards.
This method of valuation helps you to understand how profitable each batch or serial number is, and can help management and the warehouse team to have drill down data when needed. For example, when determining whether a product should be removed entirely, or conversely whether production should be increased.
8. Be (case) sensitive with new users
While it might seem like a minor detail, be careful when entering new users in the system to avoid duplications and confusion later down the line. SAP Business One version for SAP HANA is case sensitive, so ‘Lee’ and ‘lee’ will be registered as two different users. This is especially important if you have multiple databases as the system will assume they are different people.
9. Know who’s connected
Want to update some information in SAP Business One but not sure who else is using the system? Now you can easily see who is a connected user and either contact them before you enter data or disconnect them if you know they are no longer working on the system (but forgot to log off). Access to this function does require administrator access.
Go to Administration → Utilities → Connected Clients to see who’s working.
10. Leverage the BOS team’s knowledge
We are a team of experienced and passionate ERP consultants who love working with customers to help you make the most out of your SAP Business One platform. We offer training and knowledge sharing sessions, so contact us today to arrange a time.
These tips apply to SAP Business One version for HANA, but can also be dependent on the specific applications your organisation is using. If in doubt, or if you need any help, leave a comment below or click the Contact Us button above!
What are your favourite tips or shortcuts? Share them with the Blue Ocean Systems and SAP Business One community!
As promised, here’s your free download for the day: a helpful guide on setting up and configuring alerts in SAP Business One to help you seal the deal.
*Note: Screenshots were taken within the SAP Fiori Interface, and so may look different from your version of SAP Business One. The steps laid out are the same.