Common SAP User License Types used!! Which one are you using?

Very recently witnessed few confusions in terms of SAP Licensing, at customer’s end.

So, tried to address the most common confusion- Difference between most common SAP User License types !!

1. SAP Application Professional- With this license, user can perform Functional Operations and System Administration both. It is a full license. You can use any transaction, no matter if it’s create, change or display. The Professional License gives the user full access whether required or not. It includes Users like who performs operational-related roles supported by the SAP software, who performs system administration tasks for the purpose of managing the performance of the application and maintenance of the latest revision level, who performs any human resources task, including but not limited to administration, payroll, time management, personal development, recruitment, total reward, training, strategic alignment and workforce analysis personnel within the customer organization (such as payroll administrators, recruiter, etc.), or External or internal consultants with customizing tasks. In particular employees of business third parties are to be licensed as mySAP Limited Professional users. Those employees of business third parties that are performing functions or roles normally performed by the customer’s employees, for example independent contractors, consultants or temporary employees need to be licensed as Professional Users.
2. SAP Application Limited Professional- With this license, user can perform limited Functional Operations only, and not System Administration. It can have only one Changeable transaction, and rest all will be display transactions only. With the Limited Professional Licenses, the access to various modules and items is restricted. It involves User who performs limited operational-related roles supported by the SAP software. For example, uses the SAP software occasionally and with restricted scope.
3. SAP Application Employee- Can perform Functional Operations all solely for one’s own purpose and not for or on behalf of other individuals. User who is authorized to access the licensed software solely for the purpose of executing transactions like Desktop procurement self-services, Travel planning and expense reporting, Talent management self-services including employee appraisals, employee development plans, employee training registration, employee opportunity inquiry and response and Read-only analytics.

So, in case you are currently in or close to a licensing audit, you might want to re-inspect your inventory to figure out unsuitable license types. Please be mindful, that an unused license is a total waste, and unsuitable license types can unnecessarily cost you extra. Your licensing schema should fit your needs perfectly and support your business requirements and future plans.