Managing High Volumes of Data in SAP

Companies are deluged by application data and documents. Some analysts say this data is growing at 80% per year. This rapid data growth complicates IT issues such as system availability, performance and resource utilization. It frustrates strategies for corporate and regulatory compliance. In response, many companies are consolidating their IT environment, reducing the number of SAP R/3 instances, networks, application servers and databases. Consolidation reduces total cost of ownership (TCO) across the entire IT infrastructure by simplifying software version upgrades and reducing backup and recovery windows, thus improving system availability. Consolidation also makes the underlying storage infrastructure more efficient. One aspect of consolidation consists of archiving SAP data including structured data—essentially rows and columns in the database, backing the SAP R/3 system—as well as unstructured data. Unstructured data comprises all types of supporting electronic documents and content such as Printlists, SAP-generated documents, scanned images, Web content, e-mails, instant messages and audio and video files. SAP archiving enables better SAP application performance, IT consolidation and increased compliance. Using a document management infrastructure, such as Documentum, companies are able to archive SAP structured data using the SAP Archive Development Kit (ADK). They are also able to archive SAP unstructured data, such as Printlists and generated documents, using Documentum's integrations to SAP's Archivelink.

A Tiered Strategy for SAP and EDM Integration

A comprehensive SAP archiving and EDM requirements strategy should be targeted at a specific level of archiving or EDM user requirements, yet be expanded incrementally by adding higher-value yet more complex archiving or EDM capabilities:

Essential SAP Archiving. An essential archiving strategy addresses pure SAP data, report and document archiving requirements. It should include both manual and high-volume automated archiving, using SAP ADK and Archivelink interfaces. Installation and configuration effort should be minimal and benefit users who may not have a defined EDM or storage strategy.

Enhanced SAP Archiving. An enhanced archiving strategy should add a layer of intelligence by classifying and categorizing archived files into folders and by replicating SAP data as descriptive metadata. This enables files, reports and documents to be used for retention, storage management or broader EDM needs.

SAP EDM. EDM requirements require a significant layer of EDM functionality and client applications for improved SAP business process efficiency, such as the finance, plant maintenance and HR.

Two ways in which an EDM platform enhances SAP:

1. Contextual access to SAP documents and content. Easy access to supporting documents from within the SAP application, module and business object streamlines business processes, reduces costs and increases service levels. It's enabled by background automation services, linking documents to specific SAP objects. 2. Powerful repository services and workflow from within SAP. Users need to interact with supporting documents, such as viewing, editing and approving them. For example, a circuit board designer using SAP Product Lifecycle Management to work on a subassembly of a BOM may want to modify or reference the circuit board drawing. The design process is made more efficient by giving the designer easier document access and powerful repository services, such as the ability to search, browse, edit and view the circuit board drawing, using the appropriate applications. A comprehensive archiving and EDM strategy must incorporate a modular design which allows IT and SAP administrators to tackle critical SAP archiving requirements and then add additional, higher value EDM applications for SAP. An example of an EDM application would be invoice processing, which would use Documentum's document management infrastructure, along with scanning and imaging solutions, to streamline SAP finance accounts payables and receivables. Another example would be managing engineering documents to streamline SAP plant maintenance. Yet another example, would be using a consolidated employee document folder to streamline SAP HR benefits processing.

Tiered Approach to SAP ARchiving and EDM Applications

An early innovator in SAP archiving, EMC Documentum released its first SAP archiving application in 1997. EMC Documentum® Content Services for SAP enables customers to safely and securely archive SAP data, Printlist reports and documents into a safe and secure document repository. And it enables these assets to be consolidated, managed, accessed and reused by both SAP and non-SAP users.

Content Services for SAP EDM utilizes a comprehensive set of Documentum EDM services that can be assembled to create simple and complex EDM applications. Examples include invoice approval, report generation, engineering design approval, marketing content development, contracts management and call center applications. When used alongside the corresponding SAP application, significant business process efficiency can be achieved.

EMC Documentum Content Services for SAP offers a unique package of tiered, modular, fully supported solutions that support a variety of SAP archiving and EDM scenarios. SAP archiving enables better SAP application performance, IT consolidation and increased compliance. EDM applications help streamline existing SAP applications through tightly integrated document management.

To learn more, visit us at . EMC Documentum Content Services for SAP