Processing a Template 

Purpose

The template is set up like a form. Its purpose is to summarize the characteristics of a type of component without characteristic attributes.

You export the classification data directly from the class or the materials, documents and functional locations to display the characteristics in the template.

The template can contain other information such as the company logo and other entries not specifically related to the objects. Use the layout functions of the Office application to add the elements to the template.

Prerequisites

Classes are created and assigned to these characteristics. For more information see the components CA Classification under Classes.

The control data is defined in Customizing of the Specification System for the Microsoft Office application.

The required files are installed for Office Integration. For more information see Prerequisites for Office Integration.

Process Flow

  1. You create a new Microsoft Office document (Microsoft Excel or Word document) or open an already existing one for processing:

You can also create a template that is based on a form. A template can be made of a company logo, company name, and copyright notice.

You can use the search functions of the Document Management System.

You can create or open a template regardless of whether you have selected a class, material, document, a functional location or not.

For more information see Creating or Opening Documents.
  1. In the selection area you can select either a class, material, document or functional location whose classification data you want to copy into a template.

The data you want to copy into the Office document are characteristics of a class. The class can either be entered directly or indirectly using the classified object, such as material, document or functional location.

Further information can be found under Selecting Objects.
  1. You must export control information.

The control information serves as a connection between the cells of a data sheet and the database fields in the SAP System to:

Data for the characteristics is saved that identify the characteristics in the SAP System.

Cell addresses are stored. These indicate the position of the cells where you want to write the data.

Cell addresses are pulled from the system in order to identify the data sheet data and copy it to the SAP System.

You can select characteristics and then Export Control Information.

This process does not require you to set up a layout beforehand.

You can also carry out the process as follows:
    1. Exporting Characteristics for Layout

Layout is only used when you want to see the data sheet. You can change the layout as you like. To do this highlight one or more classes in the structure overview and export the characteristics into an Office document.
    1. Calling the Wizard

The Wizard helps you to map the database contents of the SAP System into the cells of the Office document.

You can change settings at any point.
  1. You can Export Values for the Data Sheet Preview.

You can test how the template looks. You have an idea how the data appears in the datasheet. If the layout does not meet your requirements you must change it and correct the control information.

  1. You can process further elements of the template in the Office document.

All functions of the Microsoft Office application are available for processing the document.

More information can be found in the documentation of the Office application.
  1. You can define relations between characteristics in order to make new characteristic values based on existing characteristic values during characteristic value assignment.

You want to know the total weight of a component which is based on the sum of the weight of all the individual weights. The individual weights are stored in the characteristics of the components.

You can also add support for data fields that are not in the database but are only relevant to data output.

You want a security surcharge to be read for a characteristic value. You want to display the characteristic values including a security surcharge. You do not want to keep these values in the database.

The can carry out the necessary tasks in the Office environment. You can use the Microsoft Excel basic functions.

However you can realize these functions in the SAP System. To do this you use classification dependencies.

For more information see the components CA Classification under Dependencies.
  1. You can us the Document Management System for storage. You can store the Microsoft Office document locally on a data carrier transport it later into the SAP System.

More information can be found under Saving Documents.