WHITEPAPER

Getting the most from your

SAP production reports

Background

Within each SAP module there are hundreds of predefined production reports. Many of
these are not used or under used because they are not available in the desired format,
poorly formatted and cannot be easily broken into smaller reports and delivered to the
appropriate users automatically. Converting them into the appropriate format based
on users needs has traditionally required the time and skill of an ABAP or SapScript
programmer. Consistently evolving requirements due to ongoing changes in corporate
needs often creates a bottleneck within IT departments. Skilled IT resources tend to be
scarce and report modification often gets overlooked.
By providing the IT team with an efficient solution to cope with various Reports, Lists,
Forms and their distribution, users requests can be satisfied more efficiently, more
frequently and with a smaller drain on resources. This white paper is a guideline for
improving the rendering and efficiency of the complete SAP production reporting
system. It will discuss how to leverage the value of your existing production reports,
and how to deliver timely, properly formatted reports.

June 2010 - Copyright - Michel Gaertner, Software Technologies Department at Symtrax Corporation

www.symtrax.com

Page 1/8

Getting the most from your SAP production reports

Employing an Output Management System
Output Management Systems (OMS) not only burst and route output files to selected printers based on criteria,
they also offer multiples ways to leverage their content and enhance their presentation. Often you are better served
delivering content electronically rather than printing it. In many cases an OMS allows you to replace printing with PDF,
Excel or XML format, then use Email, SOAP or publishing/archiving for delivery.
End users technologies, such as SMS, the iPad, Office 2007, 2D BarCodes, etc. evolve faster than common business
practices, such as purchase order procedures or customer balance reporting. Supporting these technologies from a
centralized ERP structure that is not easily or often upgraded is a difficult, time consuming effort. Good external Output
Management Solutions that can be easily and often upgraded are better suited to interact with these ever changing
technologies and are often a better solution as long as they provide interoperability and traceability.

Enhancing Existing Production Reports VS Building New Ones

Most existing production reports, created real time by transaction or interactive menu, or by background jobs, contain
a wealth of detailed and valuable information; most often they include all the data necessary to support their associated
business function. It is their structure and format that makes them inefficient for direct utilization.
Sorting, reformatting, bursting, and automatically delivering their content are the missing ingredients. Even if you
did spend the time and resources necessary to recreate them, you would still face the challenge of automation and
adapting them to new technologies.
Allocating ABAP or SapScript IT development resources to adapt to changing report requirements is often not be the
most efficient approach. Before creating new OTF, SMART or LIST spool files from scratch, consider leveraging existing
ones with new technologies. Advanced Output Management Systems are designed to handle these types of requests,
and have proven to be an efficient way for an IT team to satisfy evolving end-user needs.

Delivering Reports without affecting SAP System Workload

A major concern when delivering expected IT services is to not overload the SAP system. Response times for inter-active
users depend on this and might be affected by additional system workloads. When being asked to deliver production
reports data in the right format, to the right place with the right media it is important to consider how this will affect
system workload. Whether its formatting, emailing, faxing, or archiving, each step requires processing time. Each
mechanism for processing these tasks affects workload in different ways.
Windows platforms hosting OMS solutions are better suited to handle output processing than centralized ERP systems,
requiring significantly less CPU resources while providing better response times.
Off loading the main SAP system from external tasks such as report bursting or forms delivery requires a distributed
architecture where these tasks are allocated to a separate window based OMS working hand in hand with the SAP
system. The workload remaining on the SAP system will be exchanging raw spool data only.
Routing spools to specified printers is integrated into an OMS. Off loading SAP systems from printer drivers and routing
table management is quite common in IT shops. When you take into consideration the increased spool processing
time required to support users requirements, the benefits of using an OMS become even more apparent.

June 2010 - Copyright - Michel Gaertner, Software Technologies Department at Symtrax Corporation

www.symtrax.com

Page 2/8

Getting the most from your SAP production reports

What to Look for in an Output Management Solution
Some production reports can be very large at 1000 characters width, or very long with over 10000 pages. They should
be considered for reformatting by an OMS. Systems offering buffering techniques, or BC-XOM protocol, allow access
to the SAP spool system and can handle the job.
The ability to analyze page content and address each Unicode character by line/column position provides the power
and flexibility of the reformatting features of an OMS. For example, to burst a report into parts, it requires conditioned
processes based on identified variables in the document.
Querying a database to add content to documents with missing information, such as an email address, is critical,
especially during distribution. The ability to include external files, such as an RTF file with terms and conditions, gives
you the flexibility to complete the terms and conditions on an invoice, even if those terms change based on items sold
or customer sold to.

E.G. Production Report ME2L

Purchase Orders by Vendor

Reformatted: Named Excel spreadsheet, with vendor

name, sorting orders and gathering on a single line
information spread over multiple lines, while adding
an intermediary calculated field

Output Management Solutions Architectural Considerations

SAP created the BC-XOM protocol to facilitate external communication with output management systems, a tacit
acknowledgment that the SAP output management system can benefit from third party augmentation. Most vendors
have based their solution on this protocol which is an industry standard, however some OMS solutions use Virtual
Printers and others connect more directly to the Spool system. For example Symtrax, Inc. has chosen to offer three
distinct protocols to communicate between a SAP system and their external OMS. Each one may be implemented
independently from others, or may be combined to achieve specific goals.

June 2010 - Copyright - Michel Gaertner, Software Technologies Department at Symtrax Corporation

www.symtrax.com

Page 3/8

Enterprise Reporting
Getting the most from your SAP production
reports
Solutions
External OMS implementation modes, Architecture & Benefits

Active Method benefits and features

Uses an ABAP package installed on the SAP server that communicates with the OMS, providing high security and
efficiency.
Works directly within the spool system thereby compatible with all printer protocols. Has access to the complete list
of Spool parameters & attributes. Provides advanced IT Spool Administration: Single access point to multiple SAP
instances & systems. Handles centralized printing parameters. Provides a complete mapping of the existing output
devices, no changes are required to the output device set up.

BC-XOM Method benefits and features

Uses a standard SAP recommended protocol. Has RFC Call Back communications providing true bidirectional
information flow. Has enhanced communications allowing better visualization of the printing process from within
the SAP environment. Status information is available for printers and print requests. Provides a comprehensive spool
parameters list. Externalizes Printing Management simplifying the print process and allowing a reduced number of
output device definitions. Has easy configuration through Extended Admin by defining ROMS & LOMS. Access Method
E. Device Type SAPGOF.

Virtual Printer Method benefits and features

Uses TCP/IP protocol. Extremely simple installation and rapidly available for use. Uses only access Method U.
Device Type SAPGOF. Provides an incomplete parameter list. Print status returned to SAP are Waiting, Processing, and
Completed.

June 2010
- Copyright
- Michel Gaertner,
Technologies
Department at Department
Symtrax Corporation
May
2010 - Copyright
- MichelSoftware
Gaertner,
Software Technologies
at

Symtrax Corporation - Page 5 of 7

www.symtrax.com
Page 4/8
www.symtrax.com

Getting the most from your SAP production reports

BC-XOM Implementation modes

Advanced BC-XOM implementation

Users are assigned an External BC-XOM printer, no driver installed on SAP system as systems use SAPGOF device
type, no hard coded printer instead Aliases are used for defining the actual printers. OMS handles Print or ReFormat /
Distribution using SAPGOF interpreters and Routing techniques. This provides high flexibility, efficient administration
and ease of maintenance of the printer network.
To some extent, all users may be assigned to a unique output device.

Regular BC-XOM implementation

Users are assigned types of printers, drivers are installed on the SAP System, routing handled by OMS. One Output
device is created for each model of printer.

Standard SAP Printer Management: Printer definition and routing on SAP System

Users are assigned printers, drivers are installed on the SAP System, and each ABAP or SAPScript pgm refers to a printer
address. As many output devices are created as there are physical printers.

All Events Logged in the External OMS are sent back to SAP to acknowledge Print/Reformat/Distribution processes
using RFC Call Back. See details using SPAD---Events, Spool Request and Output Request. Printer management can be
very tedious for the Basis Team. When an ABAP Pgm or SapScript mention a printer name, any printer changes affects
those existing programs.
June 2010 - Copyright - Michel Gaertner, Software Technologies Department at Symtrax Corporation

www.symtrax.com

Page 5/8

Enterprise Reporting
Getting the most from your SAP production
reports
Solutions
Major Benefits of Enhancing SAP Production Reports
For an example of the benefits of enhancing SAP production reporting with todays latest technologies, lets consider
some MM purchasing departments commonly requested needs:

Purchase Order notification by SMS

Secure PDF Purchase Order with Digital Signature
Enhance existing POs with 2D Bar Code Labels
Send POs in XML format and post them on a Vendor published Intranet with SOAP
Archive Purchase Orders on Companys intranet and send Publishing link to Vendor
Have all Purchase Orders available through web to Tiers for easy follow-up
Sort most recent orders for a specific vendor on a Procurement iPad
Sort Year to Date Orders by PO number and item, burst them by Vendor and deliver in Excel
Implement PO traceability with native properties.
/

Existing MM production reports are candidates for such business improvements. These type of business functionalities
can be implemented quite quickly using an External OMS without the need for ABAP or SAPScript resources and without
adding to the SAP systems workload. Allowing ABAP resources to focus on important projects.
Clearly the flexibility of a windows based OMS solution produces tangible benefits that far outweigh its cost.

The Importance of a Global Production Reporting Strategy to an SAP based Company

Think for a moment what it would mean to your business to have no more file format constraints, no more reader
dependency, no more delivery support prerequisites, no more security and integrity concerns, no more late distribution,
all this is possible.
What if you could turn all production reports into XML format referring to DTD (Data Table Dictionary) for consistency
& CSS (Cascade Style Sheet) for better presentation then make them available to any employee at anytime anywhere
in the world?
The future of reporting is likely to be the XML format combined with CSS. It is the most flexible format currently
available allowing you to control the reports look and layout and is readable by both humans and machines.

June 2010
- Copyright
- Michel Gaertner,
Technologies
Department at Department
Symtrax Corporation
May
2010 - Copyright
- MichelSoftware
Gaertner,
Software Technologies
at

Symtrax Corporation - Page 5 of 7

www.symtrax.com
Page 6/8
www.symtrax.com

Getting the most from your SAP production reports

These are but a few examples of how you can take advantage of new and emerging technologies to improve business
performance.

Standard preview of existing Purchase Order OTF or Smart

form on SAP.

Content of the Spool is transformed into XML format,

including a digitalized signature, and sent to the Vendor by
email or posted on their web server using SOAP protocol.

Simultaneously an identical document in a user friendly

format is created and archived to be accessed and opened
by any browser.

June 2010 - Copyright - Michel Gaertner, Software Technologies Department at Symtrax Corporation

www.symtrax.com

Page 7/8

Getting the most from your SAP production reports

About the author
Michel Gaertner is the Director of Symtrax Corporations Software Technologies Department and has over 15 years
experience in software development. In recent years Michels primary focus has been the enhancement of electronic
document distribution solutions for various system platforms including SAP, JDE, IBMs iseries and Microsoft
Windows.
His responsibilities keep him in close touch with both software developers and end users, providing him with a
comprehensive understanding of both business needs and development technologies.

Symtrax USA
(West Coast) Tel: 001 310 216 9536 - Toll free: 800 627 6013 - sales@symtrax.com
(East Coast) Tel: 001 617 728 9910 - Toll free: 866 640 9615 - sales@symtrax.com

Symtrax France:
salesfr@symtrax.fr - Tel: +33 (0) 4 66 04 54 05
Symtrax Europe:
sales@eu-symtrax.com;
NL: +33 4 66 04 54 19 - GE: +33 4 66 04 54 22 - SP: +33 4 66 04 54 23 - EN: +33 4 66 04 54 05
Symtrax UK:
Tel: +44 (0)207 533 6616 - sales@symtrax.co.uk
Symtrax APAC:
Tel: +91 22 4076 5503 - salesapac@symtrax.com

All Rights Reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, Symtrax Corporation. Whilst every care is taken to ensure the
accuracy of the information contained in this material, the facts, estimates and opinions stated are based on information and sources which, while
we believe them to be reliable, are not guaranteed. In particular, it should not be relied upon as the sole source of reference in relation to the subject
matter. No liability can be accepted by Symtrax Corporation, its directors or employees for any loss occasioned to any person or entity acting or
failing to act as a result of anything contained in or omitted from the content of this material, or our conclusions as stated. The findings are Symtraxs
current opinions; they are subject to change without notice. Symtrax has no obligation to update or amend the research or to let anyone know if
our opinions change materially.
Symtrax. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.
This report is a licensed product and is not to be reproduced without prior permission

June 2010 - Copyright - Michel Gaertner, Software Technologies Department at Symtrax Corporation

www.symtrax.com

Page 8/8