SAP Business One In-depth Review Navigation—Through the SAP B1 Interface

Let’s look at the SAP B1 main window panel first.

SAP B1 Main Window

On launching SAP B1, it always opens the main window from where you can access its modules and functionalities. Some tools and functions that you can access from the SAP B1 main window are as follows:

1. Main Menu

The SAP B1 main menu comprises the following elements:

• Modules represent the list of functions available in SAP B1. You can click each listed module to launch the module and perform the necessary actions.
• The drag-and-relate function provides all the transactions linked to the master data.

2. Menu Bar

The SAP B1 menu bar comprises the following menus:

• The file menu lets you easily open or close a file, print, export, and change page setup.
• The edit menu lets you execute commands like undo/redo, copy & paste content, and delete.
• The view menu enables you to modify the view of the SAP B1 window with options including user-defined fields, pickers display, and restore column width.
• The data menu provides you with commands for data manipulation. For example, adding or viewing records in SAP B1 tables.
• The modules menu allows you to navigate to various SAP B1 modules and submodules. For example, Administration > Exchange Rates and Indexes.
• The tools menu allows you to access various SAP B1 tools such as pervasive analytics, Excel report, and Crystal reports.

3. Toolbar

Below the SAP B1 menu bar, you can view its toolbar, a collection of icons for performing common functions. Each toolbar icon corresponds to the available functions in the SAP B1 menu bar.

4. Status Bar

In addition to the menu bar and toolbar, the SAP B1 main windows also show the status bar at its lower edge. The status bar displays various types of messages, including:

• Error messages
• Information about the particular action or issue
• Confirmation messages after the user has completed an action or task.

Next, let’s review another important element of the user interface in SAP B1–the System Messages log.

SAP B1 System Messages Log

The system message log in SAP Business One records and stores all messages that appear in the SAP B1 status bar. You can retrieve the log of errors, information, and confirmation messages. To open this log, click Windows > System Messages Log.

This messages log does not retain the log once you have terminated the user session. Thus, it clears all messages after you have closed the tool.

How can you search for data in SAP B1? Next, let’s review the Enterprise Search Engine functionality.

SAP B1 Enterprise Search Engine Functionality

In SAP B1, you can also monitor and access ERP data using its search engine. This functionality allows you to search for the same data record, module, or tool. This functionality also enables you to save a completed search as a template for improving productivity and time efficiency.

Here’s how easily you can use the search engine:

• From the search box, type your search query. SAP B1 will list down your search results.
• Use the Layout feature to narrow your search results.
• Select the correct item in the displayed search result.

Next, let’s review the various operation modes in SAP B1.

Operation Modes in SAP B1

SAP Business One provides the following four modes of operation:

• Add Mode to add a new document or record.
• Find Mode to search for a document or record.
• View Mode to view a document or record.
• Update Mode to modify a document or record.

By default, every window in SAP B1 opens the Add or Find mode. For example, the “Business Partner” and “Item Master Data” windows open the Find mode. You can view or change the current operation mode from the bottom-left part of the active window.

Additionally, you can switch between the Add and Find modes from the Data menu. For example, you can add a new object by clicking the Data > Add menu option. Alternatively, you can search for an existing object by clicking the Data > Find menu option.

As an SAP B1 user, how easy or user-friendly is it to navigate the SAP B1 interface? Let’s discuss the navigational capabilities of SAP B1 in the next section.

SAP B1 Navigation

Despite many advanced functionalities, SAP B1 offers fast and intuitive navigational tools for users to move between its modules and tools. Here are some of its navigational tools:

1. Orange Link Arrow

In SAP B1, you can use the orange link arrow to navigate the entire SAP interface. This arrow can open a master data record or view the master data settings. You can also use this arrow to open a new window and view additional information.

2. Drag & Relate

Drag & Relate is another useful navigational tool in SAP B1. This interactive tool lets you view real-time business data or generate ad-hoc views of vital information. Additionally, you can use this tool to integrate two or more objects. For example, you can link a “business partner code” to a “purchase order” to obtain a list of all purchase orders for a particular business partner.

3. Shortcuts

You can also personalize or customize the SAP B1 screen layout using shortcuts. Using this tool, you can easily assign hot keys (F1, F2, …) to specific functions. To configure shortcuts, click Tools > My Shortcuts > Customize.

Additionally, you can also customize the SAP B1 user interface. Let’s review its customization capabilities in the next section.

Customizing the SAP B1 interface

SAP B1 users can customize the tool interface according to their preferences. For instance, they can add their company’s logo from Administration > General Settings > Display tab.

Additionally, you can change the following interface settings:

• Language
• Font size
• Color
• Date and time formats

You can also use Form Settings to change the display of SAP B1 windows. You can access this functionality from Tools > Form Settings. Here are some of the window settings you can change:

• Use the table format to configure table settings or how table columns must be displayed across windows.
• Use the row format to configure rows across tables or how row fields must appear.
• Use the document to configure document-related settings across windows and tables in SAP B1.
• UI elements refers to UI-related fields and tabs and how they should appear across forms and windows.

Conclusion

The detailed review reveals SAP Business One offers a fast and intuitive interface for its users to complete their assigned tasks. In this detailed review, we have highlighted the UI elements of SAP B1, including its main window, menu bar, toolbar, and search functionality.

As an industry-recognized SAP B1 implementation partner, Praxis Info Solutions can help you grow your small business by customizing this ERP tool. Here’s how you can manage projects in SAP Business One.

If you want to know more about our technical expertise in SAP B1, Contact us to book a free product demo..