Operation Sign-Off Using Digital Signatures 

Use

This function allows you to sign off maintenance order operations electronically using digital signatures. This speeds up the sign-off process, which until now had to be performed manually, and also increases accountability for work done.

For more information, see Approval Using Digital Signatures

Integration

In the SAP System, the digital signature is supported by the Basis component Secure Store and Forward (SSF). This provides you with various signature methods. If you use the user signature as the signature method, you require an external security product that is linked to your SAP System using SSF.

Prerequisites

·        You have made the general settings for working with digital signatures as described in Approval Using Digital Signatures.

·        You have assigned a signature strategy to the relevant order type and plant combinations and specified whether digital signatures are mandatory, optional, or not to be used.

You do this in Customizing for Plant Maintenance and Customer Service by choosing Maintenance and Service Processing → Maintenance and Service Orders → Functions and Settings for Order Types → Define Digital Signature for Order Types.

·        You have created and released the operations of the maintenance order in question.

For more information on these functions, see Creation of an Order and Order Release.

Features

●      Digital signatures are used to automate the sign-off process for operations. Once an operation has been digitally signed, it can no longer be modified. Authorized users, however, can reset the digital signature status, making it possible to modify the operation again.

●      You can specify whether you want digital signatures to be optional, mandatory or not to be used for particular order type plant combinations. If digital signatures are mandatory, all operations for the order must be digitally signed before the order can be technically completed.

●      You can view the signing history of each operation in the digital signatures log.

Activities

For more information on how to digitally sign an operation, reset digital signature status, and view the digital signatures log, see Working with Digital Signatures.