Configuring a business travel-request system can look straightforward until real organizational requirements enter the picture. One department may need a different approval route from another. Travel requests may require specific fields, while authorization requests need a different form. Finance may require certain cost objects, and administrators may need to control who can change particular configuration settings.

SAP Concur Request is designed to manage those requirements through configurable forms, policies, workflows, groups, lists, and other administrative tools. SAP's current learning journey for Configuration Administrator in Concur Request Professional Edition covers creating, managing, and approving requests, travel segments, expected expenses, approval workflows, configuration tools, and administration.

Understand the Configuration Administrator Role

The C_CR125 preparation process should begin with understanding how Concur Request configuration works as a system rather than memorizing individual screens.

SAP identifies several primary configuration tools, including List Management, Forms and Fields, Feature Hierarchies, Workflows, Request Policies, and Request Groups. These tools work together, and configuration dependencies mean that changing one item can affect another.

A useful mental model is:

Business requirement → Configuration → User experience → Approval → Processing

For example, if employees must enter a company code on a travel request, that requirement can affect the form, available values, policy, and possibly connected configurations.

Understanding these relationships is more useful than learning each tool in isolation.

Start With Business Requirements

A strong Concur Request administrator does not begin by clicking through configuration screens.

They begin by asking what the customer needs.

SAP's current training repeatedly recommends using a business-requirements scenario while configuring Concur Request. In its examples, organizations may have different request types, required fields, travel segments, expense types, cancellation requirements, and workflow rules.

Imagine a company with two request types:

Travel

Authorization

Travel requests may require air, hotel, rail, or car segments, while authorization requests may only need expected expenses.

That simple requirement immediately affects multiple configuration areas.

Translate requirements into configuration

A useful preparation habit is to write every requirement in plain language first.

For example:

“Employees submitting travel requests must provide a cost center, and they cannot charge the request to another company code.”

Then determine which configuration components are needed.

This prevents a common implementation mistake: configuring a feature because it exists rather than because the business actually requires it.

Master the Configuration Relationship Diagram

One of the most important concepts to understand is how Concur Request configurations depend on each other.

SAP's current training explains the Request Configuration Relationship Diagram (CRD) and notes that a user's profile, Request Groups, and Request Policies all influence the user's Concur Request experience. SAP also recommends working from the top down during implementation and from the bottom up when troubleshooting.

Think about configuration as a chain

A simplified model is:

User Profile → Request Group → Request Policy → Forms / Workflow / Other settings

This explains why a problem that appears to be a form issue may actually originate in a group or policy assignment.

For example, if a user receives the wrong workflow, do not immediately modify the workflow.

First determine:

Which policy is assigned?

Which group is the user in?

Which workflow does that policy reference?

That troubleshooting approach is much more reliable.

Learn the Recommended Configuration Order

SAP notes that while the tools can technically be used in different orders, there is a recommended configuration order because several tools depend on one another. For example, a field cannot use a list that has not yet been created, and a policy cannot be fully configured until the required workflow exists.

A useful sequence is:

Lists → Forms and Fields → Feature Hierarchies → Workflows → Request Policies → Request Groups

The exact implementation project may differ, but understanding the dependency principle is important.

Why order matters

Imagine creating a form that depends on a particular list value.

If the list has not been established first, the form configuration may need to be revisited later.

Good implementation reduces this kind of rework by building foundational components before dependent ones.

Understand List Management

List Management is one of the primary Concur Request configuration tools. SAP explains that lists can contain values used for reporting, accounting, and request processing, including cost centers and project codes. List data can also be maintained manually or through supported imports, APIs, and integrations.

Think of lists as controlled business values

Suppose employees need to select a project code when submitting a request.

You want the available values to come from a maintained list rather than asking every employee to type whatever they want.

That improves consistency.

The same principle can apply to departments, cost objects, accounting values, or other business data.

Study Forms and Fields in Detail

Forms and Fields control what information appears on requests and how users interact with that information.

SAP's current training includes configuring Request Header Forms, Request Entry Forms, and Request Allocation Forms. Fields can be configured as modifiable, read-only, or hidden depending on the role or user experience.

Understand the different form types

A business requirement might specify that a value appears in the request header while another value must be entered for a specific expense or request item.

The administrator needs to know where that data belongs.

SAP recommends configuring from the top of the hierarchy downward and choosing the appropriate form type before making changes.

This is a useful practical rule when working in a real configuration environment.

Learn Request Header Forms

The Request Header Form contains information relevant to the overall request.

SAP's current training gives an example where Company Code and Cost Center are displayed on the Request Header Form, while connected-list fields support the customer's accounting requirements. SAP also recommends creating separate header forms when different request types require different configurations.

Imagine Travel and Authorization requests have different data requirements.

Instead of forcing both through one unnecessarily complicated form, separate forms can provide cleaner user experiences.

Understand Request Entry Forms

Request Entry Forms capture details associated with the request.

SAP's current example demonstrates copying the Default Request Entry Form, adding an Attendees field, and making that field required based on business requirements.

Practice required versus optional fields

This may seem like a small configuration detail, but it has a direct impact on user workflow.

If a field is required unnecessarily, users may be forced to enter meaningless information.

If an important field is optional when it should be mandatory, downstream approval or accounting processes may lack essential information.

Good configuration is about finding the correct balance.

Master Request Policies

Request Policies are particularly important because they control how requests behave.

SAP explains that a policy acts as a container for configurations related to data-entry requirements, approval processes, travel segments, and expected expenses. Its General section can also control workflow, header and allocation forms, notification behavior, cancellation options, and other settings.

That makes policies central to the user experience.

Build policies around actual business scenarios

Suppose one request type must use a particular workflow and another should follow a different approval process.

Separate policies may be appropriate.

SAP's configuration example demonstrates copying an existing default policy and then modifying it for a specific business requirement.

This approach can reduce unnecessary work while preserving the original configuration.

Understand Workflows and Approvals

Approval workflows determine how requests move through review.

A travel request may need manager approval, while another type of request may require a different approval path.

The key preparation skill is understanding how the policy references the workflow and how the workflow affects the request lifecycle.

Follow the request from submission to approval

Think about:

User creates request → Request is submitted → Workflow starts → Approver reviews → Decision → Request continues

Now introduce an exception.

What happens if the approver rejects the request?

What if the workflow does not match the user's group?

What if the required approver is unavailable?

Thinking through these scenarios strengthens your implementation knowledge.

Learn Request Groups

Request Groups help connect users to the configurations they should receive.

SAP's Configuration Relationship Diagram explicitly identifies Request Groups as one of the major components influencing a user's Concur Request experience.

Imagine two departments that use the same basic travel process but require different policies.

Instead of creating entirely unrelated configurations, groups can help associate the appropriate users with the appropriate request behavior.

The exact setup depends on the customer's organizational model.

Study Feature Hierarchies

Feature Hierarchies are among the primary configuration tools SAP identifies for Concur Request.

For preparation, focus on the concept rather than memorizing terminology.

A hierarchy can determine how configuration options relate to one another.

When one configuration item depends on another, understanding that hierarchy can explain why changing a parent-level setting influences behavior elsewhere.

Understand Site Settings

Site Settings are different from policies and groups because they affect the site more broadly.

SAP explains that Site Settings can enable or disable features and affect all users; they cannot be configured differently by policy or group.

This distinction is extremely useful.

Imagine an administrator wants a feature enabled for one department but not another.

If the feature is controlled through Site Settings, department-specific behavior may not be possible through that setting.

Understanding scope prevents incorrect configuration decisions.

Learn Administration Tools Beyond the Core Configuration

SAP's current administrator learning course also covers tools such as Delegate Configurations, Site Settings, Attendees, Locations, Audit Rules, Travel Agency Offices, Email Reminders, Printed Reports, and Company Administration.

These may not all carry equal importance in every implementation, but they demonstrate the breadth of the administrator role.

Think about operational maintenance

After implementation, organizations still need to maintain:

Users

Locations

Audit rules

Notifications

Reports

Company information

A production system needs ongoing administration rather than a one-time configuration effort.

Understand Permissions and Administrator Roles

Access to configuration tools is controlled through specific permissions.

SAP's current Concur Request training identifies permissions such as Request Configuration Administrator, Request Configuration Administrator (restricted), Shared Configuration Administrator, and corresponding restricted or expense-focused permissions. SAP also notes that some unrestricted permissions can only be granted by SAP Concur after completion of Advanced Configuration training.

Distinguish unrestricted and restricted access

This matters for governance.

A restricted administrator may have access to lower-risk settings, while a fully authorized configuration administrator can make broader changes.

The goal is to give people enough access to perform their responsibilities without unnecessarily exposing sensitive configuration capabilities.

Practice Configuration Through Business Requirements

For candidates using helpful questions for C_CR125 preparation, avoid studying only as a sequence of definitions.

Instead, turn business requirements into implementation questions.

Consider this scenario:

A company wants employees to submit Travel and Authorization requests.

Travel requires specific segments.

Certain fields must be mandatory.

Users should follow different workflows based on request type.

Requests should automatically close after 90 days.

An approved request can be assigned to only one expense report.

Now ask:

Which forms are required?

Which lists need to exist?

Which policies should be created?

Which workflows are required?

Which group assignments are necessary?

Which site settings are global?

Those questions closely mirror the kind of configuration reasoning needed in real Concur Request projects.

Troubleshoot From the Configuration Dependency Chain

SAP's current training gives a particularly useful troubleshooting principle: when configuration problems occur, work through the Configuration Relationship Diagram from the bottom upward. For example, a workflow issue can lead you to the affected policies, then groups, and finally users.

That gives you a practical diagnostic method:

Symptom → Configuration → Policy → Group → User

Suppose one employee receives an unexpected approval workflow.

Start with the workflow.

Then determine which policy uses it.

Then identify which group is assigned that policy.

Finally check the user's group membership or profile.

This is much faster than changing settings randomly.

Build a Realistic Practice Environment

Hands-on practice can make the C_CR125 concepts much easier to retain.

Create a fictional customer requirement and try to configure it from beginning to end:

Lists → Forms → Workflow → Policy → Group → User

Then test the result from a business-user perspective.

Create a request.

Submit it.

Check which fields appear.

Verify the workflow.

Modify one setting.

Run the request again.

Observe what changed.

This approach helps you understand how configurations interact rather than memorizing configuration paths.

Use SAP's Current Learning Resources

SAP currently provides a dedicated learning journey titled Becoming a Certified Configuration Administrator in Concur Request Professional Edition. It covers foundational Concur Request functionality, request creation and approval, travel segments, expected expenses, workflows, and configuration and administration tools.

SAP also provides Getting Started with Concur Request for Administrators, Professional Edition, a current course covering configuration tools, business requirements, list management, delegate configurations, site settings, locations, audit rules, email reminders, reports, and company administration.

For deeper implementation work, SAP's current Concur Request configuration lessons cover request policies, request header forms, request entry forms, forms and fields, and configuration relationships.

These official resources should be the foundation of preparation because they show how SAP expects the product to be configured rather than relying on outdated or unofficial screenshots.

Build a Focused Study Plan

A structured study schedule can make the broad configuration syllabus easier to manage.

SAP's current training explicitly emphasizes the relationships among these components, so revising them as an interconnected workflow is more effective than treating each topic as a separate chapter.

Approach C_CR125 Like a Configuration Administrator

The strongest preparation is to think in terms of business behavior.

A customer says:

“We need two kinds of requests.”

That is not just a policy requirement.

It may affect forms, workflows, policies, lists, groups, and user experience.

A customer says:

“This field must always be completed.”

That becomes a form-and-field configuration decision.

A customer says:

“These users need a different approval process.”

That can lead you toward groups and policies.

A customer says:

“This feature should apply to everyone.”

Now you need to consider whether a Site Setting is the correct control.

SAP's current Concur Request training emphasizes precisely this relationship between business requirements and configuration, including the Configuration Relationship Diagram and recommended configuration sequence.

Prepare with that mindset. Study the official SAP learning journey, understand the primary configuration tools, practice forms and fields, learn how policies and workflows work together, master groups and permissions, and troubleshoot by tracing configuration dependencies.

Most importantly, use practice questions as implementation exercises. When you encounter helpful questions for C_CR125 preparation, don't stop at identifying the correct answer. Ask which configuration component controls the behavior, what dependency exists, and how the change would affect the user experience.

Once you can take a real Concur Request business requirement and translate it into the right lists, forms, workflows, policies, groups, permissions, and site settings, you are building the practical configuration skills that make C_CR125 preparation useful well beyond the exam.