Introducing SAP Document Management System

Using the Document Info Record

Managing Originals and Applications

Adjusting User-Specific Settings

Navigating SAP PLM Interface

Using Application Link Enabling Distribution

Classifying Documents

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to classify a document info record.

Classification

When searching for documents, descriptive attributes are often more meaningful than the document key. SAP supports this approach by using the classification system. Characteristics and characteristic values are defined to describe a document precisely. These characteristics are assigned to a class, and the document is then classified within that class.

Person accompanied by a speech bubble asking Where is ...? On the right side, there is a list of items: Find documents, Additional fields, Links with class, Links with characteristic, and Links with characteristic value.

If additional information is required in the Document Info Record, classification can be used to capture this data. In this case, the information is defined as characteristics and assigned to the relevant class.

Classification can also be used to store additional attributes directly in the Document Info Record. Characteristics can be defined as mandatory, so that a document can only be saved once values have been entered. Object dependencies can be used to prevent invalid combinations of values, and default values can be defined at the class or class-type level in Customizing.

An advanced but less commonly used feature allows documents to be linked directly to characteristics or characteristic values. This is not an object link and is limited to a single document per characteristic or characteristic value.

Classification System Functions

Classification functionality can only be used after an initial setup. When defining classification data, you need to determine which attributes (characteristics) best describe the product or document. To do this, characteristics are created first and then assigned appropriate characteristic values.

These characteristics are not assigned directly to an object, such as a document. Instead, they are assigned to a class. SAP S/4HANA is structured around different classes, each with a specific class type, and relevant objects are assigned to these classes. Documents are always classified using a different class type than material masters.

Once characteristic values are assigned, the document is classified. You can then search for documents using these characteristics and their values.

Define characteristics and permitted characteristic values.
Maintain classes and assign characteristics.
Create an object (for example, a document), assign it to a class, and maintain characteristic values.
Search for the object using classification data.

Work with document classification

Introduction

In the previous task, you created documents using both internal and external number assignment. This approach is the same as the one used for materials, which can also be created with either internal or external number assignment. For both object types, a key consideration is how easily the objects can be found. Classification can be used to support this requirement.

Task 1: Create Document classification

Your documents should now be easier to find. To achieve this, document classification is required.

Watch the following video to get an overview of document classification.

Task 2: Perform a classification search

After classifying the documents, you want to review the classification data and perform a search.

Watch the following video for an example of document classification and search.

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