dms tips and tricks
TRANSCRIPT
SAP Document Management – Tips, Tricks & Traps
Abie SpiesManaging Director
Engineering Informatics
• Introduction• Basic Home Truths• Traps: Reasons for DMS system failures• Tips: DMS system implementation fundaments• Tricks: DMS cool stuff• Related technologies• Wrap-up
What We’ll Cover …
Enterprise Content Management
Document Management
SAP Document Management
SAP PM Document Management
Introduction
• Introduction• Basic Home Truths• Traps: Reasons for DMS system failures• Tips: DMS system implementation fundaments• Tricks: DMS cool stuff• Related technologies• Wrap-up
What We’ll Cover …
Not software
Not consultants
Not money
Your Business Commitment and Effort!!
Attitude drives success!
Basic DMS Home Truth #1The Secret of a Successful System implementation
• Big picture
• Forget ‘my problem’ – think ‘process solution’
Basic DMS Home Truth #2 Think ‘Life of Plant’
Plan Design Build Maintain Discard
Asset Lifecycle
Documents
Basic DMS Home Truth #3SAP has an excellent technical document management system
there are lots of major organisations using itgreat support for SAP plant maintenanceit is SAP’s best kept secret!
1: FunctionalitySAP DMS has it all
2: CostIt’s “free”
3: IntegrationFully integrated in SAPLinks to all SAP objectsThis is the most compelling reason
If your company has SAP and you don’t use the SAP DMS- why the hell not ?
Three compelling reasons to use SAP DMS
• Introduction• Basic Home Truths• Traps: Reasons for DMS system failures• Tips: DMS system implementation fundaments• Tricks: DMS cool stuff• Related technologies• Wrap-up
What We’ll Cover …
• Documents have no ‘stand alone’ function
• Documents only have a reason for existence if they form part of a business process
• Clear business process definition is essential
• DMS system design should follow the business process
Major Reason for DMS System Failure #1Business Process Chaos
• Data take-on & Data migrationCritical tasks
• Prevent unauthorised access and changes
• Document change control
• Clean up a continuous effort
Major Reason for DMS System Failure #2Lack of Data integrity
• The only good reason for Document Management is to enable users to find the right information – quickly!
• Wide and easy availability of documents
• Easy and accurate ‘find and deliver’ functionalityFull text search engines
• Keep It Simple
Major Reason for DMS System Failure #3Poor User Experience
• Root cause of all evils
• Leads to circumvention of system
Major Reason for DMS System Failure #4Poor System Design
• Understanding of the value of controlled and accessible documents
• Understanding the value of an Integrated System
• Commitment of resources to make it happen
• Visible support from management
Without commitment from management, there will be no buy in at user level.
Major Reason for DMS System Failure #5Lack of Business Commitment
• Introduction• Basic Home Truths• Traps: Reasons for DMS system failures• Tips: DMS system implementation fundaments• Tricks: DMS cool stuff• Related technologies• Wrap-up
What We’ll Cover …
• The bigger the effort spent on design-the greater the likelihood of success.
• Get wide involvement in designUsers
Management
• Get sign-off before implementation
TIP 1: Good Process Design is the key
TIP 2: Calculate Document Management Costs
Document Management Cost CalculatorMinutes / day searching 10Minutes / day rework 15Number of employees 100Average hourly wage $ 50
$ 500 000
• Cost of errors due to bad documentation
• Cost of finding information
• Business process design first
• Business integration is the Holy Grail
• Choosing technology (software) is the last step
Do you really need a new software system
- or should you use what you have better?
TIP 3: Technology is less important!
• SAP GUI – old & new
• SAP Easy Document Management
• Web documents
• SAP Portal
• New SAP UIIf the Look & Feel doesn’t work for you
- change it!
TIP 4: SAP DMS Look & Feel is versatile
New SAP UI
DedicatedDMSDesktop
• Introduction• Basic Home Truths• Traps: Reasons for DMS system failures• Tips: DMS system implementation fundaments• Tricks: DMS cool stuff• Related technologies• Wrap-up
What We’ll Cover …
• Hide unused fieldsLab/Office ?
• Show only the necessary information
De-clutter SAP screens
• Basic building block of a DMS
• Powerful functionality behind it
• Don't use the SAP standard document types. They are examples and do not make any sense for real world applications.
• Build your own – based on unique business processes.
Use document types
Most powerful feature of SAP DMS!
• SAP Objects to documents
• Document to document
• Hyperlinks in documents
Users shouldn’t have to search for documents- it should be where they expect it to be
Linking of documents to objects
Another great feature of SAP DMS!
• Extremely powerful
• Share with other modules
• Design classification with great careUser experience must be positive
Do not over-classify – users will fill in the bare minimum
Classification
• HR Structure
• Workflow
• Classification
• SAP Objects
Re-use Standard SAP functionality & metadata
• Match your status network to your business process
• Use statuses that makes sense to your businessExample: As built; Draft; Approved for construction
– don’t use SAP standard status like "registered" that may not make sense
• Intelligent design reduces complexity
Status Network
• Content server not the SAP database
• SAP K-Pro
• Archive systems
• Caching & Distributed content servers
Storage
• Mass Delete
• Mass Printing
• Mass Status Change
• Mass Check in/out
• .....
Mass processes
• Powerful functionality
• SAP & non-SAP users
• Receipt confirmation
Document distribution
• Consider user environment
• pdf conversion with stamps & watermarks
Standardise view format
• Anywhere
• To do anything
• Any format“Chunky buttons”
Add functionality with ‘buttons’
• Document take-on
• Automatic superseding
• DMS Desktop
• Auto classification
• Review date and Notification
• Calendar ‘pop-up’ in Classification
• Limit access based on classification
ABAP Enhancements- Add value to good implementations
• Automatic input
Powerful work automation with Workflow
• Use Calendars for input
Date fields
• Minimise information required– make it easy
• Auto populate where possible
• ‘Drop-down’ lists ensure consistent data
• Take-on programme with Xcel
Data input
• It is legal
• Use appropriate level of security
• Include it in business process
Digital signatures
• If documents are not checked in, they are not secure
• Force the issue (Automatic Check in)
Automatic check-in
• Intelligent vs Sequential numbersConsider carefully what you want to achieve
Do not design legacy constraints into newer technology
Classification is far more powerful than intelligent numbers
Document Numbering
• Define business process
• Ensure data integrity
• Enhancements available if standard SAP don’t meet requirements
E.g. Seal systems
PM document output
• MS Office documents
• ‘Save as’ – direct to SAP with EasyDMS
• Powerful and easy templates
Office integration
• Introduction• Basic Home Truths• Traps: Reasons for DMS system failures• Tips: DMS system implementation fundaments• Tricks: DMS cool stuff• Related technologies• Wrap-up
What We’ll Cover …
• Regulatory controlled documents
• Additional constraints
• DMS can be configured to meet most requirementsReview and destruction dates
Taxonomies
• SAP Records Managemnt
Records Management
• Image + metadata
• From simple to very complex process
Document Scanning & Imaging
• Data exchange
• Enhanced user interface
• Powerful possibilities
Adobe Interactive Forms
• Introduction• Basic Home Truths• Traps: Reasons for DMS system failures• Tips: DMS system implementation fundaments• Tricks: DMS cool stuff• Related technologies• Wrap-up
What We’ll Cover …
Key Points to Take Home• Successful Document Management = Effort
Don’t underestimate it• Align documents with business processes
Think whole business, not silos• Get commitment and enthusiasm before you start
SAP has a great DMS – use it
