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Use

You can use Side Panel for Business Suite to display additional context-sensitive information for existing SAP GUI applications in a separate screen area.

You can configure the side panel according to your specific needs and enhance it as required. In this way, you can decide which information is displayed in the side panel and for which SAP GUI transactions the side panel is available. The side panel is also available for Web Dynpro ABAP applications.

The side panel is based on standard Web Dynpro ABAP Page Builder technology. This makes personalization and adaptation for administrators simple and intuitive. A range of generic CHIPs is provided for your use. You can also add other CHIPs and enhance the CHIP catalog that is used to structure the CHIPs with your own folders (based on CHIP provider pages).

Integration

SAP NetWeaver Business Client as of version 3.5 is used to connect the SAP GUI or Web Dynpro ABAP application to the side panel Web Dynpro application. SAP NetWeaver Business Client transfers the data from the SAP GUI application or Web Dynpro application to the side panel.

Prerequisites

If your ERP system is based on a release older than EHP6, you can use the side panel in a side-by-side scenario. For more information, see Setting Up the Side Panel.

Key Features

In the screen area of the side panel, you can choose between a range of CHIPs (Collaborative Human Interface Parts) delivered by SAP or you can define your own. For more information, see Enhancing the Side Panel.

Notes / Attachments

In the Notes / Attachments area, you can store, display, change, or delete notes and attachments.

Notes

There are three different types of notes:

  • Public notes

  • Private notes

  • Notes belonging to a business process

    For these notes, the Document Relationship Browser (DRB) determines all business object relationships and then displays the notes for all of the related objects.

    These notes are displayed only if the CHIP is configured accordingly (see Setting Up the Side Panel). This is the default setting for notes belonging to a document.

In the standard delivery, notes are stored in the document area BSSP_NOTES of the Knowledge Provider. In this case, the notes in a side-by-side scenario are not stored in the ERP system, but are stored instead only in the role system.

Alternatively, you can use the Generic Object Services (GOS) storage option (see also Setting Up the Side Panel). However, only a single private note is available for this option. For more information, see Knowledge Provider and Generic Object Services.

Changing or Deleting Existing Notes

  • In the standard configuration, private and public notes can be changed or deleted only by the user that created them. You can change this setting by choosing the Customizing menu option (see Setting Up the Side Panel).

  • For public notes, you can change or delete only the last one created. You can change this setting by choosing the Customizing menu option (see Setting Up the Side Panel).

  • For notes belonging to a business process, you can change only the ones relating to the actual business object.

You can use authorization object BSSP_NOTE to determine for each business object category whether the user can display, create, change, or delete notes.

Attachments

There are two types of attachments: attachments and attachments belonging to the business process. In the standard system, attachments are stored in document area BSSP_ATMNT of the Knowledge Provider. In this case, the attachments in a side-by-side scenario are not stored in the ERP system, but are stored instead only in the role system.

Alternatively, you can use the Generic Object Services (GOS) storage option (see also Setting Up the Side Panel). For more information, see Knowledge Provider and Generic Object Services.

If you choose Properties, you can display details of the selected attachment. If the attachment is changeable, you can enter a comment for the attachment. Otherwise, only existing comments are displayed.

For attachments belonging to a business process, you can choose Origin to display where the attachment comes from and to navigate to the corresponding business object.

If you have the appropriate authorization, you can use the Customize Table option in the CHIP menu to make changes to the table (in particular, the columns displayed).

Changing or Deleting Existing Attachments

  • In the standard configuration, attachments can be changed or deleted only by the user that created them. You can change this setting by choosing the Customizing menu option (see Setting Up the Side Panel).

  • For attachments, you can change or delete only the last one created. You can change this setting by choosing the Customizing menu option (see Setting Up the Side Panel).

  • For attachments belonging to a business process, you can change only the ones relating to the actual business object.

You can use authorization object BSSP_NOTE to determine for each business object category whether the user can display, create, change, or delete attachments.

Collaboration

In the Collaboration area, you can find, for example, SAP Jam groups and SAP Jam feeds:

  • Group: You can create groups, change them, and designate them as completed. In addition, you can assign groups to the object currently being displayed or delete assignments of groups to the object currently being displayed. In addition to entering a description for a group, you can specify its confidentiality and assign participants.

  • Feeds: Feeds always relate to a certain group.

    • If there are several open groups, you see a selection list under Feeds.

    • If a group was specified as being Confidential, it does not have any feed entries.

    You can create answers for feed entries and view existing answers. In addition, you can mark individual entries in the feed as important or bookmark them; you can then filter on the entries that are marked in this way.

From the groups and from the feed entries, you can use links to navigate directly to the corresponding group in SAP Jam. There you can display all of the details for the group. In addition, you can display the profiles of all SAP Jam users.

You can also use all CHIPs in the Collaboration area on your start page. In that case, they are context-free and not tied to a business object. The system then displays all of your own groups and feed entries.

For more information, see Adapting the Side Panel.

Master Data Details

In the master data details, the master data of the corresponding object is displayed in a form. Most of the forms also have a reference to the corresponding business object where you can find further information.

If you have the appropriate authorization, you can use the Customize Form option in the CHIP menu of the master data details to make changes to the form (in particular, the fields displayed).

Reports

Reports are available as charts or as forms; they display evaluations for a business object. If you have the appropriate authorization, you can change the chart or the displayed fields of the form using the CHIP menu.

You can choose the Display Detail option in the CHIP menu to call up the report yourself in a new window.

Most of the reports displayed as diagrams use one of the following technologies for displaying the diagram:

  • IGS diagrams that are rendered using SAP Business Graphics. These CHIPs are used by default in all side panels, since they can be displayed in all browsers supported by SAP.

  • HTML5 diagrams that are rendered using the CVOM-HTML5 graphic library of SAP. These CHIPs have a more up-to-date look and you can adjust their size. However, they require an HTML5-capable browser (such as Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 or higher).

Related Services / Link Lists

In the Related Services / Link Lists, the following information is available:

  • Reports:

    The CHIPs of the standard system are based on the corresponding entries in the Simplified Reporting Work Center.

  • Document Flow:

    The Document Flow CHIP is a reference to a Web Dynpro application that determines document relationships graphically using the Document Relationship Browser. For more information, see Document Relationship Browser.

  • E-Mail Services:

    You can create an e-mail containing a link to the corresponding business object and display the e-mails sent for that business object (does not apply for the side-by-side scenario).

  • Web Services:

    In the Web Services CHIP, you can find references to external Web services. These have to be configured. For more information, see Setting Up the Side Panel.

Overview of Standard SAP Roles Delivered with Side Panel

The assignment of side panels to individual transactions was defined centrally in the central side panel role SAP_BSSP_FI_CO_FSCM for a range of transactions in the areas of Financial Accounting, Controlling, Investment Management, Financial Supply Chain Management, and SAP Banking. In addition, there are various roles for other areas, as described in the documentation.

For more information, see Setting Up the Side Panel and the documentation for the given role.

Activities

For data displayed in tables in the SAP GUI, you can use the Refresh menu option to update this data in the side panel. For more information, see SAP Library for SAP NetWeaver on SAP Help Portal at http://help.sap.com/nw703. In SAP Library, choose Start of the navigation path SAP NetWeaver Next navigation step SAP NetWeaver by Key Capability Next navigation step Application Platform by Key Capability Next navigation step ABAP Technology Next navigation step UI Technologies in ABAP Next navigation step SAP NetWeaver Business Client Next navigation step 2 Using NetWeaver Business Client  Next navigation step 2.9 Side Panel End of the navigation path.

You can personalize the side panel if you have authorization for the authorization objects S_PB_CHIP and S_PB_PAGE (with PERS_SCOPE = 1). Choose Personalize Page. You have the following options:

  • Change the sequence of CHIPs using drag and drop

  • Add additional CHIPs to a side panel:

    1. Choose AddAdd CHIP to open the CHIP catalog.

    2. Search for the CHIP, select it, and choose OK.

  • Remove CHIPs from a side panel:

    From the CHIP menu, choose Remove.

If you have the required authorizations, you can use the CHIP menu option ... Customize either to change the data displayed in the corresponding CHIP or its appearance (see Adapting the Side Panel and Enhancing the Side Panel). In addition, the entry Properties is available using the CHIP menu, which you can use if you want to display the documentation for the CHIP (the Description tab). This documentation contains for each CHIP a short description, information about the side-by-side scenario, and in the “prerequisites” section information that may be necessary for setting up the CHIP, meaning for instance which business functions you have to activate or which Customizing settings you have to make.

Save your changes.

Additional Information

For more information on Side Panel for Business Suite, see the following sections:

For more information, see SAP Library for SAP NetWeaver on SAP Help Portal at http://help.sap.com/nw703. In SAP Library, choose Start of the navigation path SAP NetWeaver Next navigation step SAP NetWeaver by Key Capability Next navigation step Application Platform by Key Capability Next navigation step ABAP Technology Next navigation step UI Technologies in ABAP End of the navigation path

  • Start of the navigation path SAP NetWeaver Business Client End of the navigation path

  • Start of the navigation path Floorplan Manager for Web Dynpro ABAP End of the navigation path

  • Start of the navigation path Web UI Technology Next navigation step Web Dynpro ABAP Next navigation step Web Dynpro ABAP:Development in Detail Next navigation step Advanced Concepts Next navigation step Web Dynpro ABAP Page Builder End of the navigation path

For more information see: