Reporting Options in SAP R3 for the HCM Module

Reporting Options in SAP R/3 for the HCM Module

If you look through the table of contents for this book, you see that the bulk of the chapters are dedicated to the SAP Query tool. That is because it is a very comprehensive, easy-to-use tool with a great deal of functionality compared to the other available tools (for example, the InfoSet (Ad Hoc) Query tool). Table 15.1 compares the SAP reporting tools to assist you in weighing your options for HCM reporting in SAP R/3.

Table 15.1. A Comparison of the Available Reporting Options in SAP R/3

Reporting Option	Description	Pros	Cons	Examples
Standard SAP-delivered reports	Predelivered SAP reports in multiple country formats to assist with generic HCM reporting	Available for immediate use No development or design requirements Automatically updated in upgrade, Legal Change Packet (LCP), or patch release cycles	Limited flexibility Cannot alter content or output format	OSHA, EEO-1, AAP, and government regulatory reports
HIS	An adequate solution providing a pictorial view of HCM data in a structural graphic format	Available for immediate use Hierarchical data is viewable in a graphical form with relationships	Limited flexibility Cannot alter content or output format Cannot easily print graphics	An organiza tional structure of positions within a department
InfoSet (Ad Hoc) Query tool	A quick lookup tool for one-time inquiries of SAP HR (Ad Hoc) or SAP application (InfoSet) data	Fast retrieval of a single unformatted list User-friendly Requires no programming Can be converted to SAP Query	Limited flexibility Cannot format or generate multiple-line lists Not connected to ABAP Workbench	A quick count of the number of associates within a particular department
SAP Query tool	A detailed, friendly end-user report-writing tool designed for every application area within SAP R/3, including HCM	Fast access User-friendly No programming required Permits multiple-line lists, graphics, colors, calculations, subtotaling, and so on Connected to ABAP Workbench	Before this book, no training materials were on the market to teach end users how to use it	A detailed summary of associate benefit enrollment participation grouped by plan, with coverage percentages
Custom ABAP reports	Reports that can be written in the ABAP Editor by trained SAP programmers	Complete flexibility in design, retrieval, and output of report data	Requires hard coding Requires a separate test cycle Does not receive upgrades, patches, or LCPs Requires a learning curve	A detailed analysis of associate turnover by department compared to the average cost per associate, as calculated in the Finance module

Using the HCM Module at Your Organization

Chapter 1, "Getting Started with the SAP R/3 Query Reporting Tools," includes a section titled "Comparing the Query Tools to Decide Which to Use." That brief section says that the best business practice is to configure and use one main Query tool at your organization to ease support and training considerations and to ensure that your report data is consistent. That section also mentions that the most robust of the SAP query-based reporting solutions is the SAP Query tool. This recommendation that the best end-user reporting solution is the SAP Query tool also holds true for HCM reporting. Your SAP R/3 system comes predelivered with three data sources (logical databases) that can be used for reporting on HR and payroll data from the HCM module. These three logical databases are called PnP, PcH, and PaP.

As mentioned earlier, because the SAP Query tool has such robust and comprehensive capabilities, organizations often permit its use by super users or power usersusers who are the savviest of the functional/business experts who utilize the solution. Casual users are often given only transaction codes or shortcuts to execute reports already created by others within the SAP Query tool. I have heard the argument that savvy, trained business folk should use SAP Query, and casual users should use the InfoSet (Ad Hoc) Query tool or the QuickViewer. However, I recommend that an organization select a tool for primary use and train its end users on it. That way, the organization avoids any possible data inconsistencies due to different tool use. I always recommend the use of the SAP Query tool above all other tools because it has the most features and flexibility.