SAP Change Management Glossary

SAP Transport Request (TR)

An SAP Transport Request is a container object within the SAP Change and Transport System (CTS) that groups together one or more related development or customizing changes to be moved between systems in an SAP landscape. A typical landscape consists of Development (DEV), Quality Assurance (QA), and Production (PRD) systems. Transport requests are created and managed via SAP transactions SE09 (Workbench Organizer) and SE10 (Customizing Organizer).

There are two primary types of transport requests: Workbench Requests, which contain ABAP development objects such as programs, classes, and database tables; and Customizing Requests, which contain IMG (Implementation Guide) configuration settings. A transport request is released in the source system and then imported into the target system by a Basis administrator.

SAP SE09 / SE10

SE09 (Workbench Organizer) and SE10 (Customizing Organizer) are SAP transactions used to create, manage, and release transport requests. SE09 is used for development-related transports (ABAP objects), while SE10 is used for configuration/customizing transports. Both transactions provide an overview of open, released, and imported transport requests assigned to the current user or system.

SAP Landscape

An SAP Landscape refers to the set of SAP system instances (clients and servers) that together form a complete operational environment for an organization. A standard three-tier landscape consists of a Development system (DEV), where changes are made; a Quality Assurance or Testing system (QA), where changes are tested; and a Production system (PRD), the live system used by end users. Changes flow from DEV to QA to PRD via transport requests.

SAP ChaRM (Change Request Management)

SAP ChaRM (Change Request Management) is an SAP Solution Manager component that provides an ITIL-aligned process framework for managing changes to SAP systems. It extends the standard CTS functionality with formal change request workflows, approval gates, and audit trail capabilities. ChaRM is commonly required in regulated industries or large enterprises where informal change processes are insufficient for compliance purposes.

Clean Core (SAP S/4HANA)

Clean Core is SAP's architectural philosophy for S/4HANA implementations, which discourages direct modifications to SAP standard objects (a practice common in older ECC systems) in favour of using defined extensibility APIs. These APIs include Business Add-Ins (BAdIs) for logic extensions, Core Data Services (CDS) Views for data modelling extensions, and the ABAP RESTful Application Programming Model (RAP) for transactional extensions. Clean Core implementations result in transport requests with a different profile of object types than traditional ABAP-heavy ECC customizations.

Computer System Validation (CSV)

Computer System Validation (CSV) is a regulatory requirement in GxP-regulated industries (pharmaceutical, medical device, food and beverage) that requires documented evidence that software systems are fit for their intended use. In SAP environments, CSV requires that every change to the system — including configuration changes transported via transport requests — is documented, tested, and approved before implementation in the production system. SAP transport documentation is a core deliverable in a CSV-compliant change process.

Import Queue (SE01)

The Import Queue (accessible via transaction SE01) is a centralized view of all transport requests pending import into a target system. It shows the status of each transport — whether it is released, imported, or currently being imported — across all systems in the landscape. The Import Queue is the primary tool for Basis administrators to monitor and manage the import of transport requests into production or other target systems, and to identify any failed or stuck imports that require attention.

Workbench Request vs. Customizing Request

SAP distinguishes between two primary types of transport requests. A Workbench Request is used for development objects created in the SAP Workbench — ABAP programs, function modules, classes, Data Dictionary objects, and similar repository objects. These are cross-client and can affect the standard SAP system. A Customizing Request is used for configuration changes made via the Implementation Guide (IMG) — client-specific settings that define how the SAP system behaves. Customizing requests are locked to the client in which they were created and cannot be imported into a different client.

SAP Solution Manager

SAP Solution Manager (SolMan) is SAP's central platform for managing SAP landscapes end-to-end. It provides capabilities for change control management (including ChaRM), system monitoring, IT service management, and testing management. In change management contexts, Solution Manager's ChaRM component formalizes the transport workflow with mandatory approvals, automated testing integration, and comprehensive audit trails — making it the backbone of controlled change management in large SAP deployments.

Transport Route (STMS)

A Transport Route in SAP defines the authorized path that transport requests travel through the system landscape — typically from DEV to QA to PRD. Transport routes are configured in the Transport Management System (transaction STMS) and determine which systems a transport can legally be imported into, and in which order. Routes enforce a controlled change flow and prevent unauthorized transports from skipping stages (e.g., going directly from DEV to PRD without QA approval).

Object Directory Entry

The Object Directory Entry (also called the Object Directory or TADIR) is the SAP database table that tracks every repository and cross-client object in the system — including its original development class, package assignment, and current version status. Every object transported must have a valid Object Directory entry. When a transport request is created, all affected objects are locked in the Object Directory, preventing conflicting changes from being made simultaneously by different developers.

Target System

The Target System is the destination system in a transport route to which a transport request will ultimately be imported. In a standard three-tier landscape, the target system for the QA phase is the Quality Assurance system, and the final target is the Production system. In SAP TMS configuration, each transport route segment specifies both the target system and the transport layer that governs the allowed movements between systems.