SAPphone integrates telephony functions in SAP applications. This allows data to be exchanged between computer and telephone processes. The telephone functions can be used from the graphical user interface of the SAP applications and are supplied with data from the SAP System.

Users can select a person directly in an SAP application and establish the telephone connection. When an inbound call is received, the system either displays the caller data or launches a predefined SAP application. During a call, users can enter notes or edit tasks in an SAP Application.

The objective of SAPphone is to merge telephone and onscreen work, thereby integrating telephony more closely in day-to-day activities. SAPphone is intended for both office staff and telephone support staff in call centers.

As a Basis component, SAPphone is designed to be used as a cross-application module. SAPphone functions are part of generic object services, which means that they can be called in all applications that support these services.

It is possible to integrate telephony further in transactions, reports and workflow processes of applications. This enables data to be transferred automatically between the applications and the SAPphone functions. The following areas directly support outbound calls:

• Controlling (head of cost center)
• Application management (applicants and employees)
• Support for Sales and Distribution (contacts and visitors)
• Foreign trade (export licensors)
• SAP Retail (suppliers)
• Money market and foreign exchange (parties to contracts)
• Real estate management (business partners)
• SAP Business Workflow (enhanced user decision and integration of the Initiate call step as a work item in the workflow)
• Business Workplace (sender and creator of message)
• EDI (persons responsible for and parties to IDocs)

The following areas directly support outbound and inbound calls:

• Service Management (parties to service messages)
• Inventory Management (parties to Inventory Management messages)
• Quality Management (parties to quality messages)

• Treasury Management (business partners)

Sales and Distribution support also supports Predictive Dialing for telephone campaigns.

SAPphone allows users to perform telephone functions by clicking the mouse. The following telephone functions are supported by SAPphone:

• Initiate call
• Receive call
• Terminate call
• Transfer
• Put call on hold
• Conference calls

The importance of integration between SAP applications and telephone processes is illustrated by the following functions:

• Caller identification for inbound calls
• Automatic launch of an application when an inbound call is received
• Display of caller data
• Linking of notes to calls
• Provision of caller information stored in the SAP System
• Storage of data on unanswered calls with callback function
• Attachment of calls to documents, work items and business objects
• Integration of calls in SAP Business Workflow
• Use of telephone calls to start workflows.