Business Service

Description

Smart Forms

Smart Forms are used to create and edit forms for mass printing in SAP systems. Unlike SAPscript, the collection of data and the logic (and layout) of the forms are separate. This means that, if you change the logic, you only need to modify the Smart Form, and not the data collection program. As well as standard output to a printer, Smart Forms are also compatible with e-mail, fax, and the Internet (using generated HTML output).

SAPscript

SAPscript was the original tool for printing forms and creating texts in the SAP system. The form-related functions in SAPscript were replaced by Smart Forms in SAP Basis Release 4.6C, but the remaining SAPscript functions are still supported.

PDF-Based Forms

This form solution is based on Adobe technology and is integrated into the development environments for Java and ABAP. It offers you comprehensive functions for including forms in interactive business processes, so enabling users to enter and save online and offline data in a form that can then be forwarded to an SAP system for processing. Forms can also be created for conventional mass printing.

ArchiveLink

ArchiveLink is a system that links archived documents and related application documents that have been created in the SAP system.

The content links created in this way guarantee you permanent access to the documents. You can display an archived document directly from a related application document. You can also use attributes to search for documents. These functions save you from time-consuming tasks such as copying original documents and searching for process-related information.

Knowledge Provider (KPro)

Knowledge Provider (KPro) is a general infrastructure for the management of documents and document-type objects. KPro is not specific to any application or media type, is integrated into SAP Web Application Server and is already being used by many different applications.

Its modularity and open nature is reflected in its modular services and clearly defined interfaces. KPro is highly flexible and can manage administration and index data, as well as the content itself (usually documents). The document infrastructure in KPro is enhanced by an application-specific user interface.

Content Server

The Content Server is the standard archive system or standard content server of the SAP Web Application Server for document-centered applications and business processes. SAP Content Server and SAP Cache Server are addressed through the Knowledge Provider infrastructure and are integrated using a HTTP interface.

Business Document Navigator

The Business Document Service is a document management function used by various SAP applications. The central component of this service is the navigation interface of the Business Document Navigator (BDN). This user interface provides general document management functions, including displaying, creating, and deleting documents. Users can execute these functions interactively.

The Business Document Service is mainly used to simplify the use of Knowledge Provider functions in applications. The BDN enhances the Knowledge Provider with user interfaces. SAP is no longer making new developments to the Business Document Service, and its functions will be covered by other components.

Business Address Services

The Business Address Services (BAS) provide you with a wide range of reusable functions for the efficient management of addresses. These include functions for entering and editing client-specific addresses for organizations, people, and contacts, as well as the storage of all address data, including complete communication data. Many address-related services are also offered, such as country-specific print formatting for addresses, maintenance of addresses in multiple language variants, and address checks. BAS provides both its own address checks and interfaces to specialized third party vendors.

Business Communication Services

Business Communication Services cover all components that handle mail, appointments, and object services. These include the following:

·        Business Workplace with complete SAPoffice functions and the BCS communication infrastructure for using and receiving mail documents

·        Generic object services (GOS) with various functions that can be called from every published business object, including Object Outbox, Send Object, Start Workflow

·        Generic Business Tools for applications, with a description of all interfaces from this area that are relevant for application developers. These include Business Communication Services for sending and receiving e-mails and the Post-Processing Framework (PPF) for integration with the application. The PPF is a rule-based function that uses business data to determine actions. The actions that it can trigger range from printing, faxes, e-mails, through workflow items or alerts, to simple method calls.

·        Appointment management

·        Alert Management collects alerts triggered by critical situations in many local systems and uses the fastest possible method to forward them to a recipient. The recipient can subscribe to an alert category and specify how he or she can be contacted.

SAP Business Workflow

SAP Business Workflow is a workflow management system that automates and visualizes the business processes of SAP applications. Business Workflow also provides you with a complete development environment where you can adjust these processes to continuously changing conditions, or define and run customer-specific workflows.

Document Relationship Browser (DRB)

The Document Relationship Browser (DRB) displays related documents or objects. These documents have usually been created as the result of a common business case or they belong to a common process. The DRB groups the documents according to application.

Organizational Management

For many business or HR processes, you need to map the structure of your organization or enterprise according to tasks or functions. You can use Organizational Management to map organizational and reporting structures, and keep a record of any changes.

Records Management

As well as providing you with an electronic record of traditional paper documents, Records Management also offers functions that go far beyond conventional records management systems: you have direct and secure access to archived documents and you can save Office documents and notes directly to a record, while using document templates. In addition to documents, you can include other electronic elements such as business objects, transactions, reports, and workflows. These elements can come from the local SAP system, from other SAP systems, or from non-SAP systems.

These integration options enable the record to show you all information objects for a business process, independently of the media involved, as well as letting you have efficient control of the process.

Case Management

In Case Management, you process cases such as customer complaints or late shipments. The system displays all information about a case in an overview, and enables you to forward the case to other employees.