The five core SAP modules form the backbone of its ERP system, providing comprehensive support for enterprise operations and management.
1. Material Management (MM)
Manages procurement, inventory, material requirements planning (MRP), and supplier evaluation to reduce costs and optimize inventory.
2. Sales and Distribution (SD)
Covers sales planning, order management, and invoicing, ensuring smooth sales processes from quote to cash.
3. Production Planning (PP)
Manages production plans, capacity planning, and MRP to optimize resources and reduce costs.
4. Quality Management (QM)
Oversees quality planning, inspection, and control to ensure products meet standards.
5. Plant Maintenance (PM)
Handles maintenance planning and keeps equipment running efficiently, reducing downtime.
How They Fit Together
The modules share one data set and pass information between each other automatically, supporting standardized workflows that improve resource allocation and strengthen competitiveness. Beyond these five, SAP's modular structure extends to Finance (FI), Controlling (CO), and Human Resources (HR), creating a comprehensive ERP framework. Manufacturing companies typically prioritize these core modules during an SAP implementation.