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Document ProcessesLocate this document in the navigation structure

This section describes the processes related to document, template, and element management.

Starting SAP Document Builder and Document Builder Cockpit

You can run SAP Document Builder and Document Builder Cockpit using a shortcut on the SAP Easy Access Menu or from Customizing.

Procedure

To create a shortcut to SAP Document Builder from the SAP Easy Access Menu, proceed as follows:

  1. Select the Favorites folder under the SAP Easy Access Menu.

  2. Right-click to open the context menu.

  3. Click Add other objects.

  4. Select Web Dynpro Application.

  5. To add a shortcut to SAP Document Builder, enter /IPRO/WD_DOCB. To add a shortcut to Document Builder Cockpit, enter /IPRO/WD_COCKPIT.

  6. Click Enter.

To start SAP Document Builder from Customizing, proceed as follows:

  1. Perform the activity in Customizing for Document Builder Content Management under Start of the navigation path Template Management Next navigation step Define Templates End of the navigation path.

  2. Paste the URL into the corresponding field. To obtain the URL, see Finding the SAP Document Builder Web Interface URL.

  3. Click Execute to access the SAP Document Builder Web interface.

Finding the SAP Document Builder Web Interface URL

To run SAP Document Builder from Customizing, you must find the SAP Document Builder Web interface URL.

Procedure

To find the URL, proceed as follows:

  1. Run transaction Object Navigator (SE84).

  2. Expand the Web Dynpro folder in the Repository Information System.

  3. Double-click Web Dynpro Applications.

  4. Enter /IPRO/WD_DOCB and click Execute.

  5. Double-click the search result.

  6. On the Properties tab page, the Administrative Data field contains the URL for the SAP Document Builder Web interface.

  7. Copy the URL.

Creating Documents

Creating and modifying documents are workflow-enabled and support collaboration: you can edit documents online and offline and share them internally.

Procedure

To create documents in SAP Document Builder, proceed as follows:

  1. Start SAP Document Builder.

  2. Select the relevant document content.

  3. Choose Start of the navigation path Create Next navigation step Create Document End of the navigation path.

  4. After assembling your document, click Save.

Result

You created a document that is ready to send. Click Release to send your document.

SAP Document Builder User Interface

This section describes the standard tab pages that are displayed when you create a document.

Header Data

The Header Data tab page contains the following:

  • General Data

    • Contains general information about your document, as well as the available options

    • Fields marked with a red asterisk are mandatory

  • Regulation Sets

    Displays the regulation sets to be evaluated for your document

  • Document Versions

    • Displays the existing versions of your document; you can work on several versions of the same document.

    • Click New Version to create a new version of a document; the new version is selected automatically.

    • Click Delete Version to delete obsolete versions of a document.

  • Administrative Data

    • Document content

    • Name of the person who created the document

    • External document number, which provides an identifier from an external application when SAP Document Builder is integrated with an external solution

    • Status as defined in Customizing for Document Builder Content Management under Start of the navigation path Regulation Sets and Elements Next navigation step Standard Elements Next navigation step Define Elements End of the navigation path

Dialog

You begin the dialog process on the Dialog tab page. The dialog process dynamically selects elements to be included in your document. Questions based on rules are displayed and subsequent questions are determined by previous answers. The answers to the questions define the clause content for the document. The system avoids extraneous questions, asking only relevant questions to generate the document.

Example

Consider the following rule to include Clause A:

If cost >$10.00 and color=yellow and shape=square, then include Clause A.

If you specify that the cost is $3.00, you are not asked about color and shape since those criteria are not applicable in this context. The system dynamically determines follow-on questions.

In the Document data groups field, a structure is displayed in a data tree. The top node represents the top node variable and is marked with a red X until you answer all the questions in the structure, at which point the red X becomes a green check mark.

A list of questions is displayed to the right of the Document data groups field. A question mark icon on the right side of a question refers to a reference, which contains context-sensitive information that assists you in making a decision on a specific question.

You proceed through the questions using Previous and Next, answer all questions with the default values from the template selected on the Header Data tab page, or use the default values defined for each variable in Customizing. The system dynamically adds questions and nodes to the tree based on your responses, which can be configured as checkboxes, radio buttons, texts, or dropdown lists. You can add read-only questions.

After you answer all questions for a particular node, click Next to proceed to the next grouping. When you have answered all questions for each grouping, the red X in front of the top node of the structure becomes a green check mark. You can see the result of the dialog process on the Document Summary tab page.

Document Summary

The document summary represents an outline of the document by listing the elements included in the assembled document. An initial element list based on the document selection and your dialog responses is displayed on the Document Summary tab page. You can add, edit, or delete elements from the list except mandatory elements. For more information about defining elements, see Element Management.

In the Document Sections area, the sections of the document are displayed, enabling you to focus on one document section at a time. When you select a specific section, the element list for that document section is displayed in the Element Summary area.

The Element Summary toolbar enables you to perform the following:

Action

Result

Export

Enables you to export the element list to Microsoft Excel

  • Create Element Above

  • Create Element Below

  • Create Element Upload Above

  • Create Element Upload Below

Enables you to add elements to the element list

Edit

Enables you to edit the selected element

  • Insert Above

  • Insert Below

  • Insert Default

Enables you to insert an existing element into the element list

Cut

Enables you to cut the selected element and paste it to the clipboard

Paste

Enables you to paste elements from the clipboard into the element list

Delete

Enables you to delete an element from the element list.

  • Append Note

  • Delete Note

  • Show Excluded Elements

  • Show Included Elements

  • Expand List

  • Collapse List

  • Insert Section Page Breaks

  • Remove Section Page Breaks

  • Alternative Elements

Enables you to perform a variety of activities; certain options depend on other options

Depending on your settings, the following information is displayed in the element list in the Element Summary area:

  • Position

  • Corresponding document section

  • Name

  • Effective date

  • Version number

  • Regulation set to which the element is assigned

  • Display in the document: full text or incorporated by reference (IBR)

    If the element is IBR, only the title is displayed in the assembled document. You can switch to full text.

  • Description

  • Whether the element is editable

    An element is editable if you see a pencil icon.

  • Inclusion status

    • Optional (green light)

    • Mandatory (red light)

    • Recommended (yellow triangle)

  • Associated fill-ins (if applicable)

    The status of the fill-in, complete or incomplete, is displayed in the element list.

  • Associated content modifiers

  • Associated alternate elements

  • Checkbox indicating an element has been changed

  • Whether an element is optional

  • Update status

When you select an element, the following information is available on your screen:

  • Type

  • Full text

    Note

    You can edit the full text of the element by selecting an element from the list and clicking Edit.

  • Details about associated guidance

    The guidance assists the user by informing them of the context in which an element is used or included in the document.

  • Associated rule

  • Print preview

You can save your work as a user template to facilitate creating future documents similar to your current document. Click Save as User Template after you finish defining your elements.

Preview

You can view the assembled document, the associated responses report, and the reviewer’s checklist report on the Preview tab page. Responses reports provide a list of the questions and answers from the dialog process used to construct the document. Reviewer’s checklist reports list customized elements in a document. For more information, see Customizing for Document Builder Content Management under Start of the navigation path Basic Functions Next navigation step Output Control Next navigation step Define Output Definition End of the navigation path.

You can save, e-mail, or print the available documents. You can configure your system to save these documents to a predefined location, which can be in another application once the document is released.

Attachments

You can attach additional documents from your PC or server. On the Attachments tab page, click Browse to upload the file, enter a description, and click Upload. The document is visible on the Attachments tab page. You can preview or delete attachments any time.

Document Approval Workflow

This process describes how documents are approved when you activate the related workflow.

Prerequisites

  • You have checked the document approval workflow, related tasks, and starting conditions using transaction Workflow Builder (SWDD), as well as whether the starting conditions are active.

  • You have activated the workflow in the Customizing for Document Builder Content Management under Start of the navigation path Basic Functions Next navigation step Define Contents End of the navigation path and under Start of the navigation path Regulation Sets and Elements Next navigation step Standard Elements  Next navigation step Define Elements End of the navigation path.

Process

The document approval workflow is as follows:

  1. The author creates a document; the document status is set to New.

  2. The author edits the document; the document status is set to Held.

  3. The author releases the document for approval; the document status is set to In approval.

  4. The manager can approve or reject the document in the universal worklist (UWL). If approved, the document status is set to Released.

Creating Templates

Templates provide predefined content, default fill-in values, and custom elements to create documents at various levels. SAP Document Builder distinguishes between user templates and standard templates. User templates are available to a specific user; standard templates are available to all users. User templates are created from scratch or by editing a standard template and saving it as a user template.

Note

Not all authors can create system templates.

The template creation and modification process are workflow-enabled. Template workflows are based on template categories and assigned to approvers. Templates are ready to use once approved and activated.

Procedure

To create document templates, proceed as follows:

  1. Start SAP Document Builder.

  2. Select the relevant document content.

  3. Choose Start of the navigation path Create Next navigation step Create Template End of the navigation path to create a standard template or choose Start of the navigation path Create Next navigation step Create User Template End of the navigation path to create a user template.

  4. After assembling your document, click Save.

  5. You can save your standard template as a user template. After assembling your standard template, click Save as User Template and enter a name for the user template.

Template Approval Workflow

This process describes how templates are approved when you activate the related workflow.

Prerequisites

  • You have checked the template approval workflow, related tasks, and starting conditions using transaction Workflow Builder (SWDD), as well as whether the starting conditions are active.

  • You have activated the workflow in Customizing for Document Builder Content Management under Start of the navigation path Basic Functions Next navigation step Define Contents End of the navigation path and under Start of the navigation path Regulation Sets and Elements Next navigation step Standard Elements Next navigation step Define Elements End of the navigation path.

  • You have defined template categories and assigned users in Customizing for Document Builder Content Management under Template Management:

    • Define Template Categories

    • Assign Users to Template Categories

Process

The template approval workflow is as follows:

  1. The author creates a template; the template status is set to New.

  2. The author edits the template; the template status is set to Held.

  3. The author releases the template for approval; the template status is set to In approval.

  4. The user can approve or reject the template in the UWL. If approved, the template status is set to Released.

Creating Fill-Ins

SAP Document Builder supports fill-ins in elements and enables you to enter data in elements.

Prerequisites

You have created fill-in variables in Customizing for Document Builder Content Management under Start of the navigation path Basic Functions Next navigation step Variables Next navigation step Define Variables End of the navigation path.

Procedure

To convert the fill-in variable tree to an XML schema in Microsoft Word, proceed as follows:

  1. Generate a DOCX or WordML schema for a specific content in Customizing for Document Builder Content Management under Start of the navigation path Basic Functions Next navigation step Variables Next navigation step Information Systems Next navigation step Display Output as WSDL End of the navigation path.

  2. Download the schema to your PC.

  3. Create an XML schema library in Microsoft Word.

  4. Add the schema to the XML schema library.

Result

The <contractDoc> and <clause> tags are displayed in created elements in the content associated with the schema. You insert fill-ins into the clause text from the XML Structure task pane.