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The gap between theory and practice in using SAP
The gap between theory and practice in using SAP
Most organisations have SAP in place, but there's always a gap. Not between what SAP can do, but how it's actually used on a day-to-day basis. You've got SAP up and running, systems live, processes exist, and data flowing through the platform, but still, there's a disconnect.
This is particularly true in warehouse management, supply chain operations, and other medium to large enterprise environments where different teams use SAP in different ways, follow inconsistent processes, or lack confidence in the system. We're going to focus on the practical use of SAP, how organisations define "how we run" through SAP, where adoption breaks down, how SAP Fiori changes the user experience, and how process alignment, Application Management Services, and SAP consultancy can help improve consistency, data accuracy, and operational efficiency.
Users ask: "How do I use SAP properly?", "How do processes actually work?", "How does the business expect SAP to be used?". That's where "how to use SAP" guidance and the idea of "SAP how we run" come in - they turn SAP from a technical system into something practical and usable.
When reviewing user adoption or improving system usage, the goal is simple: make SAP easier to use, align systems with real processes, and ensure everyone works in a consistent way.
"SAP how to use" refers to those day-to-day practical actions involved in working with SAP systems. This includes:
Navigating SAP interfaces (Fiori or GUI)
Completing transactions
Following workflows
Entering and managing data
It's the question of: "How does a user actually interact with SAP to get work done?"
Without clear guidance, users make assumptions, processes vary across teams, and errors increase.
While "how to use" focuses on tasks, "SAP how we run" focuses on the bigger picture. It defines how the organisation uses SAP to operate, what processes should look like, how teams interact with the system, and answers the question: "How does the business run through SAP across core areas like financials, logistics, and human resources?"
This includes:
Standard workflows
Process ownership
Data handling rules
System behaviour
It turns SAP into a consistent operating model across business functions, supported by over 100 solutions, not just a tool.
At a practical level, using SAP usually follows a simple structure. Here's how it works:
Step 1: Access the System
First, users log in via either:
SAP Fiori (the modern interface)
SAP GUI (the traditional interface)
Step 2: Navigate to the Function
Then, they select an app (in Fiori) or enter a transaction code (in GUI).
Step 3: Execute a Task
Next, they execute a task, like creating a purchase order, running tasks in SAP modules based on business needs, or updating inventory.
Step 4: Save and Confirm
The system updates data and triggers downstream processes using centralised master data (customers, vendors and materials).
Step 5: Monitor and Follow Up
Finally, users track status, exceptions, and next steps.
In most organisations, SAP ERP centralises data management across different departments for improved efficiency. However, without structure, multiple systems are connected, thousands of users interact with SAP, and complexity quickly increases. Different teams use SAP in different ways, processes become inconsistent, and data quality declines. "SAP how to use" becomes user-specific and fragmented, with complexity shaped by SAP structures like Client, Company Code and Plant.
To solve this, organisations define how SAP should be used across the business. This includes:
Defined processes - The standard go-to workflows for key tasks like Procure-to-Pay and Order-to-Cash (you know, the usual suspects)
Clear step-by-step guides for each job
Role based usage
What each user is responsible for doing
Which tasks they get to perform in areas like finance, HR, and supply chain
Data standards
How data gets created and kept up to date
Naming conventions and the rules around them
System rules
How SAP behaves in each process
What sets things off - or what triggers what
This ensures everyone uses SAP the same way - no guesswork needed.
There's a key difference to understand.
SAP how to use:
Focuses on the tasks at hand
Gives people at the user level some straightforward guidance
SAP how we run:
Looks at the bigger picture - processes and how the organisation runs them
Gives an overview of how the organisation is structured
Without both:
Users get frustrated because they can't figure things out
Without the bigger picture, systems start to get all over the place and inconsistent
You need both to get it right.
SAP Fiori has made a big improvement to usability.
It's got role-based apps, simplified interfaces and - of course - mobile access built in. That makes SAP a heck of a lot easier to navigate
But it also brings a new challenge. Processes are still all over the place across the different apps, so users have to have a good grip on the bigger workflow
So, while Fiori has made SAP look more modern, it doesn't fix the problem of how people use it from start to finish
A lot of organisations hit issues because:
Process confusion
Users have no idea what to do next or which app to use.
Inconsistent execution
Different teams all do things differently. Some teams follow process and use SAP the way it's meant to be used, while others are doing their own thing.
Over-reliance on training
Users are stuck depending on manuals, emails and internal knowledge instead of actually using the system.
Workarounds outside SAP
Teams just end up using spreadsheets or email because it's easier than using the system.
All this means SAP isn't working as well as it could be.
When “how to use” and “how we run” are all clear and well defined, organisations get:
Consistency - people are following the right processes
Efficiency - things get done faster
Accuracy - data gets entered right first time
Adoption - users become fans of SAP instead of working around it
Visibility - processes are easier to track and with consistent use SAP's ERP solutions support real-time data and better analytics.
SAP becomes a system that people actually enjoy using not one they try to avoid.
Even with good systems in place, organisations often hit problems like:
Complex workflows
Too many steps and people get lost.
Fragmented apps
Users are constantly switching between different tools.
Lack of clear guidance
No one's sure what the right thing to do is - it's all over the place.
Low confidence
Users are unsure if they're doing things right or not.
All these issues are not technical - they're about how people are using the system and the processes behind it.
Even well-run systems change over time.
As business processes change, new tools get added and workarounds emerge, usage starts to get out of control. Without some control, usage becomes inconsistent and systems just get harder to manage.
That's why “how we run” needs a regular review.
AMS helps keep SAP usable.
They support stuff like user queries, process clarification, system optimisation and continuous improvement.
They also help with SAP training through structured programs and hands on practice - which makes sure teams are using resources right. AMS ensures systems stay usable, users stay supported and processes stay on track.
SAP consultancy helps organisations make some sense of their SAP usage.
They help define clear process flows, align systems with real operations, simplify user interaction - and reduce complexity.
That way SAP becomes a practical system, not just a theory.
When it's working well:
Users know exactly what to do and have the right skills to do it confidently
Processes are clear and consistent
Systems reflect real operations* The data is in order and up to date
Work just naturally flows through SAP
SAP becomes:
Something that actually works for us
Easy to follow
A system we can rely on
How to use SAP - A guide for people trying to figure out how to interact with our SAP systems and all that ERP stuff.
How we use SAP - That's just how we set up our SAP systems to work with our processes.
Fiori apps - Those are just the user-friendly apps we use for SAP tasks.
Process flow - Just a sequence of steps where we do stuff around here.
AMS (Application Management Services) - That's just the team that keeps our SAP systems running smoothly.
SAP S/4HANA - Our fancy new SAP software that lets us get instant answers out of the system.
CRM - That's just what we use to automate all the boring customer-related stuff.
SAP setup - A bunch of layers, database, app, presentation - just your standard multi-tiered deal.
How do I use SAP? Honestly, it's pretty simple, just log in, pick the right tool and follow the usual procedure - or if you're stuck, you can take one of those free openSAP courses to get up to speed.
What's this "how we use it" thing? It just outlines how our business actually works with SAP - pretty simple.
Does SAP have to be hard? Nah it's actually pretty simple, unless you design a complete nightmare of a process and then users are gonna struggle.
Does Fiori make SAP easier? Yeah it probably helps a bit, but it doesn't magic away all the complexity - sorry.
Why do we still struggle with SAP? Mostly because we don't have clear guidelines and all our processes are a jumbled mess.
To be honest, SAP isn't the hard bit. It's how we use the thing that's the problem - clear instructions, well defined processes, execute them consistently and suddenly SAP isn't the thing everyone's working around, it's actually something we can rely on. That's how we want it to be and that's where we can help out, all backed up by all those SAP cloud solutions that 230 million people use every day, and that fancy new SAP S/4HANA that does all that AI and machine learning stuff for advanced analytics.
