Document Management with SAP S/4HANA

Jawad Akhtar

• Publisher: SAP PRESS
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781493220403
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Computer Science General
• Index: Computer Science

1 Introduction to Document Management

Document Management System (DMS) is an integral part of the SAP Product Lifecycle Management (SAP PLM) portfolio. SAP PLM is a holistic solution for an entire lifecycle of a product’s development. A product idea up to its launch, sell, and retirement are managed in SAP PLM. Due to the large volume of documentation involved in the entire product development process, DMS is an effective solution to manage it.

Document Management System (DMS) is a component of SAP Product Lifecycle Management (SAP PLM). Product lifecycle management is the process of managing the entire lifecycle of a product, that is, from an initial idea to its conception, through its design and manufacture, to service and eventual disposal. Based on the specific industry, the exact order of events and tasks may vary, but the main business processes are represented in Figure 1.1.

Broadly, the following steps are involved in product lifecycle management:

1. In an innovation phase, ideas are collected for a product, and the concept is designed.
2. In the design phase, design details are worked out, checked, and validated; analyses are performed; improvements are made; and tools are designed.
3. In the manufacturing phase, the components or ingredients are sourced, and the plan or recipe is developed. It’s at this stage when the product is built, assembled, or processed. During this phase, several tests and quality checks can be performed to ensure the product is of the right quality. Necessary quality assurance is put in place.
4. When the product is sold and delivered, support and maintenance services are also ensured.
5. At the end of the product lifecycle, the product can either be replaced or disposed of.

During some or all these phases and stages of the entire product lifecycle management, DMS plays a very crucial role in ensuring not only an efficient creation of documents in the SAP S/4HANA system but also the ability to link them in all important phases for easy search and retrieval.

Figure 1.1 Product Lifecycle Management

Almost every organization contends with a huge amount of information that comes in soft copy as well as hard copy. That information must be managed and instantly available when needed. Much of it’s scattered, which results in wasted time and resources and failed efforts when a business user is trying to locate the right document. Making matters more difficult is the fact that a large number of documents and other references aren’t integrated with many of the business processes and transactions that users conduct in SAP S/4HANA on a daily basis. Ironically, DMS never gained the traction and the appreciation it rightfully deserved as it could address some of these business pains of managing a vast tome of documents in the central repository for instant accessibility. The fact that using DMS doesn’t entail buying any additional licenses makes it worthwhile to use in as many business processes as possible to ensure a greater return on investment from the SAP system.

However, before introducing the document management tools and functionality available in SAP S/4HANA and SAP S/4HANA Cloud, it’s important to first understand the availability of the document management solutions and features in SAP ERP. This is because many companies are planning to transition from SAP ERP to SAP S/4HANA. These companies see logical links between the two SAP systems, and they can easily transition and pivot to SAP S/4HANA with minimal time, effort, resources, and cost involved.

1.1 Digital Asset Repository

DMS has been in available in SAP ERP for a very long time as an embedded document management solution. In fact, even to...

Table of contents

• Dear Reader
• Notes on Usage
• Table of Contents
•   Acknowledgments
•   Preface
• 1   Introduction to Document Management
• 2   Configuring Document Management System
• 3   Classification
• 4   Document Info Record Management
• 5   Structuring, Distribution, Conversion, and Reporting
• 6   Digital Signatures
• 7   Engineering Change Management
• 8   SAP Cloud-Based Document Management Solutions
• 9   Infrastructure Setup
• 10   Authorization Management
• 11   Workflows in Document Management System
• 12   Implementing Document Management System with SAP Activate
• The Author
• Index
• Service Pages
• Legal Notes