Optimize document management with SAP® metadata and barcodes
Capture and archive documents in SAP® using barcodes
Barcodes reduce the need for manual input to their minimal expression – simply scan the document and it will be linked to the corresponding business object automatically! BECONEX Send2SAP can:
- recognize many types of barcodes,
- compare them with existing barcodes or business objects in SAP®,
- and link the incoming document to the business object it belongs to.
All you need is a single click!
How is the document linked to the business object if a barcode exists in SAP®?
Barcodes created inside SAP® are called “internal barcodes” and are listed in a standard SAP® table with other relevant data. Every time the Send2SAP solution receives an incoming document with a barcode, it looks it up in the standard table.
If the barcode exists, the document is linked to the business object, from which the barcode was created.
Unless configured otherwise, the barcode is then closed. This means that it cannot longer be used to attach documents to the business object.
Must the barcode be created in the business object before scanning the document to SAP®?
If the Send2SAP solution receives a barcode that does not yet exist in SAP®, it creates it as an “external barcode”.
As soon as the barcode is also created from inside a business object, the document will be linked to it.
Is it always necessary to create a barcode in SAP® to attach documents automatically?
No. An alternative is to encode the object number and/or other information about the business object in the barcode.
For example, all documents that belong to the same purchase order can be accompanied by a barcode containing the order number.
BECONEX Send2SAP can later use the barcode to attach the incoming documents to the corresponding order.
Retrieve SAP® metadata as lists to speed up the search for business objects
Send2SAP allows you to define lists of business objects, visualize them directly from the capture device, and select the business object you want to scan to. This makes the scanning and archiving process more efficient:
- It is no longer necessary to log in SAP®
- You don’t need any transaction to arrive to the desired business object
- No typing is required
Just define the lists that make more sense for you and your team!
What are some examples of lists of business objects?
The definition of a list is very flexible. You can predefine the business object (vendors, employees, etc.) and the type of document (frame agreements, contracts, etc).
Lists can be generic or personalized for users or teams. Generic lists can contain “recently created” business objects, for example.
Personalized lists, on the other hand, can be “recently used” business objects, or those defined as “favorites” by the user. To access a personalized list, the user must first authenticate himself at the capture device.
What information is displayed in a list?
The fields displayed in the list can be defined by the user as well. Some examples are the object number, date of creation, or the description.
The purpose of showing this additional information is to make it easier for the user to select the business object.
After that, all that is left to do is to press the “Scan” button. The scanned document is automatically attached to the business object and stored in the content repository.
Look for business objects using SAP® metadata and search fields
Search fields are ideal to quickly find business objects when the list that contains them is too extensive – it can take a long time to scroll down looking for a material or customer!
Instead, you can perform a search directly from the screen of your MFP or mobile device. The results are shown to you in the screen as a smaller, more manageable list.
From there, you only need to select the business object and scan the document. Send2SAP will automatically attach the document and archive it in SAP®!
What documents can be scanned to what business objects using a search field?
Send2SAP can be configured to look for business objects from any SAP®-module. Likewise, it can attach any type of document to the selected business object.
All queries are executed in real-time, which guarantees that the retrieved information reflects the current state of your SAP-system.
Do I have to write the entire name or description of the business object in the search field?
No. The function delivers all results that contain the text provided in the search field. That way, you only need to input some characters to perform the search.
In fact, you can use other information different than the number to look for a business object. The name or the description, for example, can be more helpful in some cases.
Create and update info-records directly from your MFP or mobile device
Send2SAP is not only about attaching documents to business objects via SAP-ArchiveLink. It also works with SAP-DMS to make document versioning more efficient. It is also possible to provide the document with attributes using classes and characteristics.
The solution delivers and updates SAP® metadata directly from the capture device in real-time to:
- create thumbnails to optimize the visualization of the documents
- automatically archive documents in SAP®
- populate and update fields like description, status, user, etc.
