SAP ESS/MSS Interview Questions

Q1. What is SAP ESS ?

Ans: Collection of services designed to provide individual employees access to view and maintain their own data
ESS today Currently in its third generation Runs within the SAP Portal Has become a defacto requirement for business where a sizable percentage of employees have computer access.

Q2. What Is Manager Self-Service (MSS)?

Ans: Integrated applications that give managers information and process initiation capability for their staff
Currently in its second generation and Runs within the SAP Portal but not as prevalent due to change management challenges

Q3. How does the Business Package for Manager Self-Service fit into the SAP Enterprise Portal product offering ?

Ans: Apart from portal technology, SAP Enterprise Portal offers a wide range of premium content packages.SAP ERP Financials Portal Solutions fall under the category of premium content and is offered in Business Packages, e.g. in the Business Package for SAP Manager Self-Service.

Q4. Does the Business Package for SAP Manager Self-Service cover all MDT functions ?

Ans: All the fundamental functions of MDT are available in the Business Package for SAP Manager Self-Service. The Business Package for Manager Self-Service offers new services for the individual subject areas, such as Employee Data, Appraisals, Compensation Adjustments, and Cost Center and Budget Information.

Q5. What are phases of Manager Self-Service ?

Ans: Manager Self-Service (MSS) provides an intuitive interface for Line Managers based on the SAP Enterprise Portal (SAP EP) technology. In the area of Compensation Administration, a single scenario will help Line Managers plan salary adjustments, bonuses and grant LTI awards.

Compensation reviews in Manager Self-Service can be split into two steps:

1. The planning phase, during which the Line Manager performs the necessary adjustments and submits them for approval to his/her higher manager.
2. The approval phase, during which the higher manager either approves or rejects the submitted adjustments.

Q6. How do I run reports within MSS ?

Ans: Instructions for running reports in iTrent

Q7. How can I authorize multiple tasks ?

Ans: Login to MSS. In the out of office, you can select multiple tasks by selecting the tick box on each task. Click on Actions and then select authorize, then click Save.

Q8. How to add carryover to an employee’s leave entitlement ?

Ans: Subject to agreement with their manager, employees are able to carry up to a maximum of 36.5 hours leave from one leave year to the next (pro-rated for part time staff). Managers can administer the carryover via Manager Self Service. Instructions

Q9. A part-time member of staff prefers to work another day during the week in which a bank holiday falls ?

Ans: To avoid deducting all Public Holidays and discretionary days, part-time employees may request to work extra hours during a week that includes such a day. They will in effect be working the hours that they would otherwise have been required to deduct from their total leave figure. Employees that wish to explore this option must discuss this with their line manager who will make a decision as to whether this is operationally possible.

Q10. How to get access to MSS ?

Ans: Access to MSS will have to be requested by the individual’s manager

Q11. What is the definition of a line manager ?

Ans: We have defined a line manager as the post holder who is responsible for the performance and well-being of a member of staff in the University. This may or may not be the post-holder who carries out the SDPR / performance review for the member of staff. There are important responsibilities and requirements for line managers accessing information through MSS. If there is any doubt on who is the line manager, it is advised that the more senior role is applied.

Q12. What are the components available in Employee Self-Service (ESS) Applications?

Ans: The ESS provides information about the applications (services) that are available in the Employee Self-Service component.

The individual applications are assigned to the following areas:

• Address Book
• Working Time
• Benefits and Payment
• Personal Information
• Career and Job
• Procurement
• Work Environment
• Travel
• Life and Work Events
• Corporate Information

Q13. Does the Business Package for SAP Manager Self-Service cover all MDT functions?

Ans: All the fundamental functions of MDT are available in the Business Package for SAP Manager Self-Service. The Business Package for Manager Self-Service offers new services for the individual subject areas, such as Employee Data, Appraisals, Compensation Adjustments, and Cost Center and Budget Information.

Q14. What is the difference between the Manager’s Desktop (MDT) and the Business Package for SAP Manager Self-Service ?

Ans: The main difference between Manager’s Desktop (MDT) and the Business Package for SAP Manager Self-Service is that in MDT you can access information and services within one R/3-system. The Business Package for SAP Manager Self-Service, however, is an Internet-based solution that combines information and services from different systems on one interface (for example different R/3 systems, BW system, Outlook, Web Content Manager, and so on).

Within a portal the information can be put together in a much more flexible way. Guidelines or specific Web Content Manager help can be displayed as well as the actual services. In MDT the manager can use the standard transactions and standard reports, whereas in the portal the services are tailored to managers’ needs. The Business Package for SAP Manager Self-Service is MDT’s successor and is seen as a new, Web-compatible solution for managers. Continued support for MDT will be ensured, but further development of this tool is not planned. The Business Package for SAP Manager Self-Service can be seen as an evolution and therefore as the next generation of manager self-services.

Q15. What is Manager Self-Service Applications ?

Ans: Manager Self-Service: A Self-Service Application is an application that uses the Floor Plan Manager. However, a Self-Service Application must be easy to use, since the users must be able to start working with the application immediately.

Self-Service does not imply one’s own data – that is, applications that manipulate the personal data of the user. You can also access data for a team member – for example, when recording an absence of a subordinate or company data as a whole, when checking your departmental budget.

Some of the tasks covered by self-service applications are:

• Managing personal profiles (employee)
• Communicating with a manager (employee)
• Tracking and recording personal working time and vacation time (employee + manager)
• Viewing company expectations and comparing them to individual data (employee + manager)
• Managing individuals belonging to the team (manager)
• Entering specific data for other employees (manager)
• Aggregating key values (manager)
• Processing employee requests (manager)