SAP Learning Journey

Managing Output

Objectives
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

  • Define form and email templates with the output management apps
  • Review the SAP Forms service by Adobe for detailed form templates
  • Set up the cloud print manager

Output Management

Output Management Applications

Play the following short video to find out about the channels that can be chosen for the print or email output of business documents.

Maintain Email Templates Application

With the Maintain Email Templates app, you can define email templates to streamline your email correspondence. Templates consist of fixed content (e.g. subject or disclaimer) and variable parts (e.g. form of address).

Display Email Transmissions Application

The Display Email Transmissions app can be used to monitor email transmissions for an application. This helps you identify and analyze errors to support in troubleshooting an issue.

Maintain Print Queues Application

With the Maintain Print Queues app, you can set up print queues to manage the printing of documents and monitor the print jobs in each queue. This helps you to identify and analyze errors to troubleshoot and resolve issues.

Maintain Form Templates Application

With the Maintain Form Templates app, you can maintain form templates to streamline your records. You can use the predefined form templates as a basis for documents you want to print, such as invoices.

Manage Logos Application

You can use the Manage Logos app to upload, download, edit, and delete the logos for your master forms. The app also provides information about how many and which master forms use a specific logo.

Manage Texts Application

You can use the Manage Texts app to manage the texts for your master forms. The app also provides information about how many and which master forms use a specific text.

Try it out

Learn how to implement an end-to-end scenario for output management.

ExerciseStart Exercise

SAP Forms Service by Adobe

SAP Forms Service by Adobe

The SAP Forms Service can be used to manage print and interactive forms. It is a cloud-based service, running on the SAP Business Technology Platform, based on the Adobe Document Services (ADS) component by Adobe. Since the SAP Forms service provides virtually the same features, you can use it as an alternative to ADS based on SAP NetWeaver and call it from an application running on an ABAP or Java backend system. Using the SAP Forms service, SAP manages the complete service for you and is responsible for all patches and updates.

There are two scenarios for using the SAP Forms service:

  • Calling the SAP Forms service from an application running on an ABAP or Java backend
  • Calling the SAP Forms service from an application through the SAP Forms service REST API via HTTP

Key Features of SAP Forms Service by Adobe

  • Create interactive forms that look exactly like their paper counterparts.
  • Work with forms in online and offline scenarios.
  • Annotate PDF documents and collaborate on PDF document reviews.
  • Capture data using forms and import the data directly into the SAP system.
  • Allow users to digitally sign PDF documents.
  • Embed other file formats inside PDF documents as attachments.

Learn more about SAP Forms Service by Adobe in the SAP Help Portal

Cloud Print Manager

SAP Cloud Print Manager

The SAP Cloud Print Manager (CPM) is used to establish a connection between a cloud-based SAP S/4HANA solution and printers available in your network. In a cloud environment, the back-end system does not have a connection to local printers in the customer's network (no virtual private network access is available). To establish this connection, you need to create a print queue in the cloud system representing an output channel to a local printer. To do so, you have to install SAP Cloud Print Manager to enable automatic transmission and printing of documents from the cloud-based system to local printers.

You should install the SAP Cloud Print Manager once in your network. As a Windows service, the SAP Cloud Print Manager is available for print queue output from the cloud-based system as long as the Windows computer is running and the SAP Cloud Print Manager Windows service has not been stopped manually. We recommend installing it on a central print server that is up and running all the time, or at least during the time printing is needed.

You only need to install SAP Cloud Print Manager more than once if you have multiple separate networks with printers that you want to use for process-integrated printing.

Install Additional Software Application

With the Install Additional Software app, you can display the list of apps that are available for download. This helps you to better integrate your apps with other programs you need for your daily business. For example, you could use this app to download the current version of the SAP Cloud Print Manager or the Adobe LiveCycle Designer.

Note
Select the help (?) icon in the top right corner of your screen to view the SAP Cloud Print Manager Quick Guide. This document is only available if you have installed SAP Cloud Print Manager.

Maintain Print Queues Application

An alternative method of printing on an ad-hoc basis is to directly print a PDF document from the Maintain Print Queues app in preview mode.

Learn how to Create Print Queues.

Learn how to Create Print Users.

Manage Print Queues Process Flow

Additional Information

  • One Cloud Print Manager can connect to multiple systems (for example, Starter, Quality, Production) and fetch jobs. You will have to add each Runtime system separately with its own combination of WebService URL Print User and password.
  • DO NOT install more than one Cloud Print Manager to pull from same Print Queue. Meaning, you should not configure CPMs on two different Windows PCs using the same URL+ Technical Print User combination. This will confuse the system.
  • One Technical Print User + URL combination will make all Print Queues available on the system under that Technical Print User.
    • For example, if you have 3 different Queues, with same Technical Print User, once you configure Cloud Print Manager with the URL + Technical Print User combination, these 3 print queues will automatically be available in the CPM.
  • You can first print to PDF format in the Cloud system and view the PDF before printing to local printer. However please note that when printing using PDF file, make sure the setting in the Print dialog for windows is set to Actual size rather than the default Shrink oversized pages.
  • You can move documents form one Print Queue to another Print Queue.
  • Print Queues do not belong to a specific business user, but to a Technical Print User.

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