SAP SAP HCM Syllabus

SAP HCM syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for SAP HCM in SAP, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Introduction to SAP HCM

   2 topics

   • Overview of SAP HCM
     • History and Evolution
     • Importance in Organizations
     • SAP HCM Modules
   • Getting Started with SAP HCM
     • System Requirements
     • Installation and Setup
     • Basic Navigation
2. 2

   Organizational Management (OM)

   4 topics

   • Introduction to Organizational Management
     • Purpose and Benefits
     • Key Concepts
   • Structures in OM
     • Organizational Units
     • Jobs and Positions
     • Cost Centers
   • Configuration of OM
     • Plan Versions
     • Infotypes
     • Relationships
   • Reporting in OM
     • Standard Reports
     • Ad-hoc Query
3. 3

   Personnel Administration (PA)

   4 topics

   • Introduction to Personnel Administration
     • Purpose and Benefits
     • Key Concepts
   • Employee Data Management
     • Infotypes
     • Personnel Actions
     • Employee Master Data
   • Time Management
     • Work Schedules
     • Absence and Attendance Types
     • Time Evaluation
   • Payroll
     • Payroll Configuration
     • Payroll Execution
     • Post Payroll Activities
4. 4

   Recruitment

   3 topics

   • Introduction to Recruitment
     • Purpose and Benefits
     • Key Concepts
   • Recruitment Process
     • Requisition Management
     • Applicant Tracking
     • Selection Process
   • Integration with Other Modules
     • Integration with OM
     • Integration with PA
5. 5

   Training and Event Management (TEM)

   4 topics

   • Introduction to TEM
     • Purpose and Benefits
     • Key Concepts
   • Training Management
     • Course Catalog
     • Training Needs Assessment
     • Training Administration
   • Event Management
     • Event Planning
     • Event Scheduling
     • Event Follow-up
   • Integration with Other Modules
     • Integration with OM
     • Integration with PA
6. 6

   Performance Management

   3 topics

   • Introduction to Performance Management
     • Purpose and Benefits
     • Key Concepts
   • Performance Appraisal Process
     • Setting Objectives
     • Appraisal Forms
     • Performance Reviews
   • Integration with Other Modules
     • Integration with OM
     • Integration with PA
7. 7

   Compensation Management

   4 topics

   • Introduction to Compensation Management
     • Purpose and Benefits
     • Key Concepts
   • Compensation Planning
     • Salary Structures
     • Bonus Plans
     • Equity Plans
   • Compensation Administration
     • Compensation Adjustments
     • Compensation Reporting
   • Integration with Other Modules
     • Integration with OM
     • Integration with PA
8. 8

   Employee Self-Service (ESS) and Manager Self-Service (MSS)

   4 topics

   • Introduction to ESS and MSS
     • Purpose and Benefits
     • Key Concepts
   • ESS Features
     • Personal Information Management
     • Leave Requests
     • Benefits Enrollment
   • MSS Features
     • Team Management
     • Performance Reviews
     • Reporting and Analytics
   • Configuration and Customization
     • Portal Configuration
     • Workflow Integration
9. 9

   Advanced Topics in SAP HCM

   4 topics

   • Global Employment
     • International Assignments
     • Global Payroll
   • Analytics and Reporting
     • Standard Reports
     • Custom Reports
     • Dashboards
   • Integration with Other SAP Modules
     • Integration with SAP FI/CO
     • Integration with SAP MM
   • Upgrading and Migrating SAP HCM
     • Upgrade Paths
     • Data Migration
     • Post-Migration Activities

SAP HCM flashcards for SAP

24 of 54 cards from the SAP HCM deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What does the acronym SAP HCM stand for?

   SAP Human Capital Management — SAP's integrated module (formerly SAP HR) for managing an organization's workforce and personnel processes across the entire employee lifecycle.

2. What is the primary purpose of the SAP HCM module?

   To manage all core human-resource functions — organizational structure, personnel administration, time management, payroll, recruitment, training, and performance — in one integrated system linked to the rest of SAP ERP.

3. Name the main sub-modules (components) that make up SAP HCM.

   Organizational Management (OM), Personnel Administration (PA), Time Management (PT), Payroll (PY), Recruitment (PB/E-Recruiting), Training & Event Management (TEM/PE), Personnel Development / Performance Management, and Travel Management.

4. In SAP HCM, what is the difference between SAP HR (SAP ERP HCM) and SAP SuccessFactors?

   SAP ERP HCM is the on-premise module running inside SAP ERP/S4HANA; SAP SuccessFactors is SAP's cloud-based (SaaS) HR suite. HCM is the legacy/on-prem core, SuccessFactors is the modern cloud successor.

5. What is a 'Personnel Number' (PERNR) in SAP HCM?

   The unique key that identifies an employee across the entire HCM system; all master data (infotypes) for a person is stored and retrieved under their PERNR.

6. What is an 'Infotype' in SAP HCM?

   A logical grouping of related data fields stored as a screen/table (e.g. IT0002 Personal Data, IT0006 Addresses). Infotypes are the fundamental data-storage unit in HCM, each identified by a 4-digit number.

7. Which infotype number stores 'Organizational Assignment' and what does it record?

   Infotype 0001 (IT0001). It links the employee to the enterprise, personnel and organizational structures — company code, personnel area/subarea, employee group/subgroup, position, job, org unit, and cost center.

8. What are the three enterprise-structure elements below Client that define WHERE an employee works in PA?

   Company Code → Personnel Area → Personnel Subarea. (Client is the top level, above Company Code.)

9. What is the difference between 'Employee Group' and 'Employee Subgroup' in the personnel structure?

   Employee Group is the broad classification (e.g. active, retiree, external); Employee Subgroup is the finer classification within it (e.g. salaried, hourly, trainee) and controls things like payroll and time rules.

10. What is Organizational Management (OM) in SAP HCM?

    The component that models the enterprise's organizational plan — its units, positions, jobs, tasks and reporting relationships — as a network of objects, forming the structural backbone for PA, payroll and workflow.

11. List the four core object types used in SAP OM and their standard abbreviations.

    Organizational Unit (O), Position (S), Job (C), and Person (P). Cost Center (K) is also commonly linked. Tasks (T) describe duties assigned to jobs/positions.

12. In OM, what is the difference between a 'Job' and a 'Position'?

    A Job (C) is a generic classification/template of duties (e.g. 'Accountant'); a Position (S) is a concrete, individual instance of a job that a person occupies (e.g. 'Accountant in Dept X'). Positions inherit tasks from jobs.

13. In OM, what is a 'Relationship' and how are relationships identified?

    A relationship links two objects (e.g. position belongs to org unit, person holds position). Each is identified by a relationship type code, e.g. A/B 003 'belongs to/incorporates', A/B 008 'holder', A/B 002 'reports to/is line supervisor of'.

14. What is meant by 'A' relationship versus 'B' relationship in OM?

    They are the two directions of the same link. A = 'bottom-up' (e.g. A 002 'reports to'), B = 'top-down' (e.g. B 002 'is line supervisor of'). Every relationship is stored as a bidirectional A/B pair.

15. What is the 'Plan Version' in Organizational Management?

    An identifier that lets multiple parallel org plans coexist (e.g. current vs. planned/simulated structures). The active operational plan version must be flagged as the 'active integration' plan (usually version 01).

16. What is an 'Object ID' in OM and how is it generated?

    An 8-digit unique number automatically assigned by the system to every OM object (org unit, position, job, task) when it is created, used internally to store and relate objects.

17. What is the 'validity period' (begin/end date) concept for OM objects and relationships?

    Every object and relationship in OM is time-delimited with a start and end date, allowing the system to track the organizational structure as it changes over time (historical, current, and future states).

18. What is 'Integration' between OM and PA, and which switch controls it?

    It automatically synchronizes org data between OM and PA so that assigning an employee to a position updates IT0001. It is controlled by the PLOGI ORGA switch in table T77S0 (value 'X' activates integration).

19. Which report/transaction is used to transfer/compare data between PA and OM when integration is set up (RHINTE reports)?

    The RHINTE report series: RHINTE00 (create OM objects from PA), RHINTE10 (transfer OM objects to PA tables), RHINTE20 (check consistency), and RHINTE30 (update IT0001 from OM).

20. What are 'Simple Maintenance', 'Expert Mode', and 'Organization and Staffing' interfaces in OM?

    Three UIs for building the org plan: Simple Maintenance (tree, fast structure creation), Expert Mode / Detail Maintenance (infotype-level object detail), and Organization & Staffing (graphical, integrated view of units, positions and holders).

21. What is 'Evaluation Path' in OM reporting?

    A predefined chain of object types and relationships the system follows to read a structure (e.g. O-S-P returns org units, their positions, and holders). Standard paths include O_S_P, O_O_S_P, and SBESX.

22. Name two standard OM reports and what they display.

    Examples: 'Organizational Structure' (RHSTRU00 / S_AHR_61016491) shows the hierarchy; 'Staff Functions for Organizational Units' and 'Existing Positions' list positions and their holders/vacancies.

23. What is Personnel Administration (PA) in SAP HCM?

    The sub-module that maintains all employee master and transactional data via infotypes, and drives the personnel processes (hiring, transfers, promotions, terminations) through personnel actions.

24. What is a 'Personnel Action' (Infotype 0000) in PA?

    A guided sequence of infotype screens that must be maintained together for an HR event (e.g. Hiring, Organizational Reassignment, Termination). IT0000 (Actions) records the action type, reason, and employment status.

See more SAP HCM flashcards →

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