Problem solve

Problem solve

Get help with specific problems with your technologies, process and projects.

• Top five supply chain technology and integration challenges

  Supply chain integration can be a challenging undertaking for manufacturers. Knowing some of the top supply chain technology mistakes and challenges can help make the implementation process run smoother. Continue Reading

• Group Policy tricks to secure network endpoints

  There are thousands of Group Policy settings available -- lock down your network endpoints with these favorites. Continue Reading

• Which call center billing model should I use?

  What’s the best call center billing model measurement – charging for calls per month or per call? Expert Donna Fluss explains the methods behind both and how to best apply them in the contact center. Continue Reading

• Agile global supply chains a key focus for Procter & Gamble, others

  Managing global supply chains is a study in overcoming manufacturing and logistics challenges. Procter & Gamble's strategy was explained at Supply Chain & Logistics North America. Continue Reading

• Using SAP change documents to make change logs visible

  A SearchSAP.com reader who is writing a program to update SAP tables wants to know how to make updates visible in a change log by using an SAP change document. Continue Reading

• Which form of app virtualization is best: streaming or localized?

  Follow these steps to determine which method of application virtualization is best for your IT shop: streaming mode or localized mode. Know your IT environment to find the way.Continue Reading

• Top 5 registry keys for Windows XP

  Systems administrators may not know about useful registry keys for Windows XP. Learn how they can help you secure your network, create drive shares, manage passwords and more.Continue Reading

• How can I measure call center agents' unavailable and "not ready" time?

  Find out how to measure call center agents' unavailable and not ready time in this expert tip and get a formula for calculating unavailable time in your call center.Continue Reading

• Deploying Terminal Services Web Access

  Need to facilitate a remote Terminal Services session? The easiest method to use -- and set up -- is Terminal Services Web Access, a feature of Windows Server 2008.Continue Reading

• Three management tips for overseeing call center agents on night shift

  There are psychological and medical challenges for call center agents working the night shift. Hear management tips from Donna Fluss for managing night shift call center agents.Continue Reading

• Using audit report to track changes to employee data in SAP HR

  Find out how to track changes to employee data using an audit report in SAP HR, and learn how to configure the audit report to pick up changes to the data retroactively.Continue Reading

• Configuring SAP EDI for sales orders

  Learn how to configure SAP EDI for sales orders.Continue Reading

• Configuring Active Directory GPOs in a VDI environment

  For an easy transition to virtual desktops, focus on configuring Group Policy Objects for VDI OS images.Continue Reading

• Understanding application virtualization as a software hosting strategy

  Application virtualization is a software hosting strategy that can increase system protection and eliminate incompatibilities with configuration data by using APIs to emulate middleware and OS interfaces.Continue Reading

• Locating user email addresses in SAP SU01 transaction code

  A SearchSAP.com reader who stores user email addresses within the SAP SU01 transaction code and wants to know where to locate the data.Continue Reading

• Creating a function group for an SAP ABAP table maintenance generator

  Learn how to create a function group and authorization group using an SAP ABAP table maintenance generator on a Z table.Continue Reading

• How can I get an ABAP program displaying Excel data to wrap text?

  Learn how to display details from a Microsoft Excel database table using the Wrap Text function when developing an SAP ABAP program.Continue Reading

• Four Internet Explorer 8 Group Policy security settings

  Internet Explorer 8 doesn't have nearly as many new security mechanisms as its predecessor; however, there are four Group Policy security settings for IE8 worth mentioning.Continue Reading

• Retrieving content from an SAP workflow attachment

  An SAP user wants to know how to retrieve the content of an SAP workflow attatchment.Continue Reading

• Does hot seating in the call center affect agent morale?

  Learn about hot seating in the call center and find out how it can have a positive and negative impact on agent morale and productivity in this expert tip.Continue Reading

• How to determine your virtual machine per-core ratio

  Discover industry standards, real-world examples and a sample equation to help you determine how many virtual machines can fit onto a core server.Continue Reading

• Using Sysinternals tools in security management scenarios

  Discover three valuable Sysinternals tools and common Windows security management scenarios in which these tools would be used.Continue Reading

• Sysinternals tools: A must-have for every Windows security toolbox

  Learn about the free Sysinternals tools that make managing and troubleshooting Windows-based PCs almost effortless for administrators.Continue Reading

• Identifying issues in a multi-site Cisco UC deployment

  Deploying Cisco Unified Communications Manager between multiple sites requires an appropriate dial plan, appropriate bandwidth, a quality of service (QoS) implementation and a design that can survive IP WAN failures. This chapter will explain the ...Continue Reading

• The 10 most common Windows security vulnerabilities

  Most Windows networks, including yours, have a number of security holes. Fortunately, though, many of these holes can be filled quickly and easily before they pose a major threat to your business-critical data. In this tip, learn what security ...Continue Reading

• Pros and cons of auto-response software in the call center

  Auto-response software often gets mixed reviews from both call center professionals and customers. Learn the pros and cons of using auto-answer and auto-response software in the call center from expert Donna Fluss.Continue Reading

• VMware Workstation 6.5: Installation how-to's and notable features

  Take a first look at VMware's latest Workstation release. We review the most useful new features, such as unity mode and integration with VMware Converter 3.Continue Reading

• WiMAX devices

  WiMAX devices will become more readily available as carriers deploy widespread WiMAX service.Continue Reading

• Make function module calls in SAP from an external system

  How to make function module calls in SAP from an external systemContinue Reading

• Error when clicking the SAP GUI logon button

  An SAP user receives a curious error message when he clicks the logon button in the SAP GUI.Continue Reading

• Increase column width in a transaction screen

  This tips tells you a quick and easy way to increase the column width in a transaction screen.Continue Reading

• Fixing inconsistencies in TemSe and Spool systems

  I have found some inconsistencies in TemSe and in the Spool system. Please let me know the causes of these inconsistencies. How can I analyze and rectify these inconsistencies?Continue Reading

• What does the Parameter tab mean in SU01

  In SU01, what does the tab Parameter mean?Continue Reading

• Changing a customer message priority level after it's sent

  I mistakenly sent a customer message with the wrong priority level. How can I change the priority level of the message sent?Continue Reading

• Adding custom fields for retail product comparisons in SAP BW

  Need to analyze and compare product sales, product cost and suggested retail price etc? This tip shows you how to customize the R/3 BW datasource/extractor to get elementary fields such as AFS color and size into BW.Continue Reading

• Easily debug error messages in SAP processes

  Sometimes, an SAP process will stop working with an error message, or an abend. Unlike with a dump, it can be difficult to find exactly where the problem occured.Continue Reading

• Call center rules and regulations: Why are they so strict?

  Learn the purpose of call center rules and regulations in this tip from Donna Fluss, including how and why call center managers control the number of scheduled agents according to the forecasted call volume, using workforce management (WFM) ...Continue Reading

• Deleting entries from a dynamic table

  I have dynamic internal table . How do I delete entries from this table on the basis of some condition.Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting IEEE 1394 bus devices for Windows machines

  FireWire (or 1394) devices work well most of the time, but when things go wrong, troubleshooting techniques can vary depending on what's causing the problem.Continue Reading

• How to recover from lost BitLocker PINs and startup keys

  Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption makes it possible to encrypt your system drive, but permanent data loss can occur if you forget the PIN or lose the startup key. This article explains some steps that you can take to regain your lost data.Continue Reading

• Installing Windows Server 2008 inside VMware Workstation

  Do you want to test Windows Server 2008 but remain hesitant to throw it on a production server? Test it for free with VMware Workstation.Continue Reading

• 700 MHz -- Why is it so valuable?

  The 700 MHz wireless spectrum auction is causing a lot of excitement, yet the reasons why can be obscure -- Paul DeBeasi explains its importance and how it works.Continue Reading

• Display the subtype text for an infotype

  I am making an HR report in ABAP wherein I need to display the subtype texts for infotype 0045. How do I find the table where I can get this text field?Continue Reading

• Setting soft breakpoints in ABAP that reside in Smart Forms

  I've always set hard-coded breakpoints in ABAP code that reside in a Smart Form. Is it possible to set soft breakpoints instead?Continue Reading

• Windows XP Troubleshooting Tutorial

  Need help troubleshooting Windows XP? This tutorial features tons of tips and tricks that admins can use to solve a variety of system and network problems, with advice on troubleshooting Windows XP system startup issues, printer problems and more.Continue Reading

• How to troubleshoot Terminal Services connection problems

  Having a problem with your Terminal Services connection resource limits? Find out how a registry key can help troubleshoot the issue.Continue Reading

• What's the difference between collaboration and web conferencing?

  Although the terms "collaboration" and "web conferencing" are similar, there are subtle differences in their meanings that can better help you understand what they are and what they do.Continue Reading

• Viewing a list of SAP interfaces

  Is there a way to view a list of SAP interfaces such as RFC, BAPI and ALE?Continue Reading

• Adding a navigational attribute to an existing InfoObject

  We have a scenario where we would like to add one additional navigational attribute to an existing InfoObject (currently there are already two navigation attributes). My question is what needs to be done to the Planning Object Structure in APO DP ...Continue Reading

• What's the difference between ODS and DSO in SAP BI?

  In SAP BI, what is the difference between ODS and DSO?Continue Reading

• What's the difference between speech recognition software and voice tags?

  Wondering about how voice recognition or speech recognition and voice tags differ? Read definitions from Donna Fluss in this tip.Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting Windows XP Device Manager error codes

  Windows XP Device Manager alerts you if a system's hardware malfunctions, but often you need an advanced degree in unraveling cryptic code in order to understand the problem. Device Manager's error codes may be puzzling, but once you crack them, ...Continue Reading

• Changing the hostname in a server migration

  I am trying to do server migration from an existing server to a new server (though it is same OS). We will need to change the hostname for this. What is the best method or process for this task? Is there anywhere else it stores hostname info apart ...Continue Reading

• Use Driver Query to resolve device driver problems

  The Driver Query utility may not be perfect, but it can help to compile a device driver usage history.Continue Reading

• Call center scheduling: How to manage Auxiliary or unavailable time

  Expert Lori Bocklund advises a reader on managing a call center agent's Auxiliary or unavailable time.Continue Reading

• Can I delete certificates from the CA?

  Learn how you can manage Microsoft security certificates and improve Internet Information Services (IIS) security.Continue Reading

• Retroactive accounting period differences

  What is the difference between "earliest Retroactive accounting period" and "Retroactive accounting date"?Continue Reading

• Web Dynpro ABAP Quick Tip: Table column sorting in four steps

  This tip is for those of you who are very new to Web Dynpro ABAP and need help sorting table columns.Continue Reading

• Conducting a CRM system and process audit

  Expert Paul Greenberg offers advice on conducting an audit of CRM systems and processes.Continue Reading

• Windows pagefile security risks and how to avoid them

  Learn about the security risks involved in using Windows pagefile, and avoid putting your sensitive data in harm's way.Continue Reading

• How to evaluate call center quality analyst performance

  Expert Donna Fluss provides some guidelines for evaluating the performance of a call center's quality coach, and offers suggestions on training a quality coach.Continue Reading

• How to use GPOs to deny folder permissions

  You can use a Group Policy Object (GPO) to deny folder permissions in Windows. Find out how to manage folder permissions with GPOs with this advice from Kevin Beaver.Continue Reading

• Calculating the call center agent seat utilization ratio

  Lori Bocklund explains how to calculate the seat utilization ratio for a call center with a formula using call center agents and number of call center seats.Continue Reading

• What can a VoIP phone do that a landline phone cannot?

  This expert response outlines the basic differences between a VoIP phone and a POTS phone.Continue Reading

• Problems with the output device 'LOCL'

  I am setting up shop papers (PM) in Smart Forms using Helvetica font. The shop papers were designed with output device LOCL. The output changes (spaces between words) based on the output device. How do I fix this?Continue Reading

• Fast Reboot: quick reboot utility for Windows

  Windows' shut down/reboot process is not that snappy; it can take a couple of minutes for everything to terminate and be written to disk. You can initiate a reboot quickly with a tool like Fast Reboot, which performs the usual quick-reboot/shutdown ...Continue Reading

• Prevent copying files from shared folders to remote computers

  It's a tricky issue -- how to stop users from copying files from shared folders. Learn how to manage a user's file and folder copying rights with this advice from Windows security expert Kevin Beaver.Continue Reading

• Download and install the trial version of SAP NetWeaver 2004s ABAP

  With the new build of the SAP NetWeaver 2004s ABAP trial version (SP11), we bring you a series of tips that will update your ABAP developer skills (beginners and experienced) to this new version. By the end of this series, you will have a good ...Continue Reading

• What do the .att and .pat files from a support package extraction contain?

  When we extract the .car file from our support pack we get .att and .pat files. What data do these files contain?Continue Reading

• Repair bad SAP data and subsequent data targets with delta update

  Initialization / delta updates are what we do everyday, and the update method for most data targets. The delta mechanism ensures the consistency of transactional data. So if some data is wrong in the early stage of data flow, we have to not only ...Continue Reading

• How can understanding customer value lead to successful marketing?

  According to Lior Arussy, understanding customer value can lead to successful marketing if you target those customers with the highest potential value, not just those with the highest actual value.Continue Reading

• How do I create a link in an email message that executes a workflow item in R/3?

  A reader asks how to make it so that a user will receive an email in Outlook with a link that takes them to the appropriate transaction (in change mode) of the exact document that needs to be processed.Continue Reading

• How do I fix errors in an automatic workflow customization?

  When performing an automatic workflow customization, "RFC User could not be created" appears.Continue Reading

• Using subroutine pools for dynamic programming

  The code to generate a temporary subroutine pool for dynamic programming in ABAP provided by a senior developer analyst at General Mills.Continue Reading

• Reverting transport request changes

  Can it hurt anything to go back to the original version of SAP without the new objects generated by transport requests? Bert Vanstechelman sheds some light on the matter.Continue Reading

• What are the best practices for pricing configuration?

  A reader states, "our pricing and contract management is a mess" in SA. Expert Srini Katta offers some general suggestions for determining a pricing configuration.Continue Reading

• Restricting user permissions in folders

  If you have a question about managing the permissions of a folder in your domain, this advice from Jonathan Hassell tells you how to set those permissions and prevent users from deleting that folder.Continue Reading

• What to do if system hangs when building DMI pool

  When powered on, a PC creates the DMI pool, which shows the devices available to the BIOS. If a PC hangs at this point, here are some possible culprits.Continue Reading

• How silence suppression saves WAN bandwidth

  Silence suppression, or voice activation detection (VAD), technology is used to save WAN bandwidth used by VoIP traffic, while comfort noise generation (CNG) counteracts negative affects on VoIP speech quality.Continue Reading

• New call center agents -- top 10 pitfalls

  Common areas of call center agent weakness are largely due to inexperience in handling live (and sometimes frustrated and nasty) customers, and a lack of in-depth knowledge of systems, products, policies and procedures. Most of these areas can be ...Continue Reading

• VoIP bandwidth: Calculate consumption

  The bandwidth needed for VoIP transmission depends on compression technology, packet overhead and the network protocol used. In this tip, learn how to calculate how much bandwidth your VoIP implementation will need.Continue Reading

• Listing TCODE transactions used to view what users are logged in to SAP

  Does an authorization code exist to collect a list of all TCODEs and users logged in to SAP during a time period?Continue Reading

• Making a Windows folder read-only

  Windows hardening expert Jonathan Hassell explains how to make a Windows folder that multiple users share read-only.Continue Reading

• How voice compression saves bandwidth

  Compression of voice traffic can save bandwidth on your IP network, but can cost quality or cause delays. Learn more about the CODECs or standards for voice compression -- and their effect on call quality -- in this tip.Continue Reading

• Using subject matter experts (SME) to develop call center managers

  Learn the benefits of promoting star agents to subject matter expert positions (SME) where they work under the call center supervisor.Continue Reading

• How do you define flow out calls?

  Call center expert Lori Bocklund answers a reader who's using Avaya reports and is wondering about flow out calls, and whether they are the sum of abandoned and blocked calls.Continue Reading

• Printing addresses without a country line using SAPscript

  The address key is handy for printing addresses, but what if you don't want the country name printed? Expert Mark Smithson lets you know how to disable the country line.Continue Reading

• Printing multiple line items in a box for a purchase order

  What could cause a box command to print line items only once instead of multiple times? Expert Mark Smithson surmises the answer.Continue Reading

• Device drivers: Installation and configuration

  To install hardware devices on Windows servers, admins must install the appropriate device drivers first. Here are some guidelines for installing, configuring and troubleshooting device drivers.Continue Reading

• Turning analog phones into VoIP phones

  How an ATA or broadband phone works and what kind of features and performance you can expect from them.Continue Reading

• Getting around RFC_READ_TABLE limitations

  This tip provides code to help developers get around RFC_READ_TABLE limitations.Continue Reading

• Access

  is for IT professionals, business leaders and developers who want to take a strategic approach to end-user computing. We cover the forward-thinking tactics and technologies needed to provide users with the tools they need to do their jobs.Continue Reading