SAP DMS : Document Management and Processing Made Easy

Document lifecycle management includes information capture, storage, and retrieval. With the vast amounts of data stored on paper or in electronic format, there is an overarching need for a comprehensive document management system. The SAP Document management system is the ideal solution for enterprises looking to better management of records. The SAP document management system not only integrates easily with your core technology stack to empower you with anytime, anywhere access, but also enables automated document processing.

The Need for a Document Management System

Businesses generate, receive, track, and store documents as part of regular, normal operations. Be it purchase orders, invoices, media files, technical documents, and other digital assets, a comprehensive mechanism to manage these, has become increasingly critical. Legacy practices such as scanning and uploading from a physical copy no longer match up to the needs of modern agile enterprises. Using on-prem or local storage models with file structures are proving inadequate for emerging business needs. They demand:

• Ease of storage and accessibility
• Collaborative document creation by multiple users
• High level of security and access control
• Integration with the underlying technology landscape
• Interfacing with external applications
• Storage and access of technical documents such as design drawings and CAD/CAM files
• Built-in document approvals systems with electronic signature capabilities
• Document lifecycle management, with versioning, revision, and archival features
• Simplifying process workflows

The SAP Document Management System meets all the above dynamic requirements for businesses that run on SAP.

The SAP Document Management System is an application component of SAP ECC and is powered by SAP NetWeaver. It can be implemented in parallel with other SAP ECC modules such as PP, MM, SD, and FICO, or can be added separately. DMS is a major component in SAP Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and integrates with all SAP ERP modules.

The Scope of SAP DMS

The SAP Document Management System provides a secure and unified solution for storing and managing a wide range of documents, including electronic documents, media, CAD/CAM files, and other digital assets. It has built-in capabilities for document versioning, revision control, integrated workflow management, and interfacing with SAP Business Objects. Put together, it offers a complete and comprehensive solution for document capture, access, and management across the organization.

Ease of Access

SAP DMS offers diverse user interfaces to access documents, which also includes a web-based portal, and with Microsoft Windows Explorer-Easy DMS. The simplified interface allows even a novice user to use the suite without the need for extended training and technical skills. Enhanced search functionalities, along with full-text retrieval allow it to be used by all categories of users across an organization, anytime and anywhere. It provides easy and unified access to give security and consistency in document storage.

Included Tools

SAP Easy Document Management for creation of the storage architecture into files and folders
WebDocument for having a web interface with the complete features of the DMS suite Object Services to interlink documents and link web addresses to SAP Objects SAP Business Client for providing a UI for entry into SAP Applications

Usage Scenarios

Creating Documents and Workflow Management: The SAP DMS suite creates individual document records, typically a folder for files of all types, and enables configuring access protocols for security. The document records also include key elements such as document attributes, classification metadata, and links to other objects within the SAP system. The built-in workflow function called a status network manages the entire lifecycle of the document with a track and store feature for all stages of the lifecycle-right from creation to release.

Access on the move: SAP DMS enables linkage to other document repositories, apart from having a networked file sharing and a cloud storage capability that allows users to access documents anytime and anywhere.

Object Linking: A single document can have multiple access points across the SAP landscape, which requires the file to be stored in multiple locations. This gives constraints in having a unified and real-time version of the document. SAP DMS enables linking the file across various SAP modules, which reduces storage space and gives easy access across the system.

Among the best advantages is the SAP document management system’s ability to coordinate document processing. The complete process from the generation of a document through storage to update can be a fully automated process, with the added benefit of easy access form any device in the network.

The solution is a silver bullet to address challenges around document management. From resolving data redundancy issues to maintaining data consistency, reducing entering data upload workload to secure and easy data exchange, document retrieval, SAP document management meets all complex requirements.

The SAP Document Management System does away with the challenges in conventional document storage and gives enhanced security, real-time collaboration, and linking of documents across the organization. DMS can also be implemented in SAP S/4HANA, giving you the required flexibility and ease of access to your business documents. Using DMS will be a key milestone in your path towards digital transformation.