In this lesson, you learn how to configure settings to enable the printing of documents in the freight order.
Output Management Capabilities
In general, output management provides the following capabilities based on the business document:
- Automated (backend), rule-based dispatching of outbound communications in response to business events, such as the creation of an order, saving a document, and so on
- Preview of output and manual (front end) outputs in the user interface (UI)
- Archive output dispatched concerning business documents
- Mass output from a worklist
Output Management
Before, during, and after execution, each user and party involved must be notified when a task is required to be executed or a report on a recent activity is made. Users must view the result of business process activities and generate output in response along the process. Output management automates the output of business documents, such as printouts, mail, or fax to specific events.
TM has several standard output types, such as external communication and alert notification. Several other tools and methods may also be used. Your business can use standard printing, fax, and e-mail for external communication with a document preview option. For internal communication, alert management options are available, and a workflow can pass requirements from one business process step to another. Communication with B2B systems is also available in situations such as tendering freight orders when a bidding or purchasing activity is present.
BI data uploads can be executed to provide management reporting on various documents like freight units, freight orders, and freight bookings. Various order events can trigger communication to event management systems to make cross-system activities transparent. While TM has its own internal status, when integrating with systems such as SAP ERP or EWM, cross-system communication is necessary to gain visibility of the big picture.
Output Types
The output management in TM is available for all documents.
To understand what happens when documents are printed, you must understand the Post Processing Framework (PPF). It is configured in the backend system, with the following customizing path:Cross-Application Components → Process and Tools for Enterprise Applications → Reusable Objects and Functions for BOPF Environment → PPF Adapter for Output Management → Maintain PPF Settings. Here, you manage the action profiles. An action profile is the smallest set of action definitions that can be investigated during one call of the action determination of the PPF.
Post-Processing Framework (PPF)
As a framework, you can imagine the PPF as a way to answer the following three questions:
- What (should be done in the activity)?
- Why (is the activity done)?
- When (is the activity done)?
Post-Processing Framework (PPF) Answers Three Questions
| What | Why | When |
|---|---|---|
| Send the whole shipping list via EDI | Shipping list has been created | Next batch job |
| Send whole shipping list via mail | Shipping list has been changed | When saving the document |
| Send shipping list changes via fax | Business object is in the state In Process | When saving the document |
Generally, it is essential to note that PPF actions can only process information already saved to the database. This prevents you from accidentally sending preliminary transportation labels to a spool in the warehouse, for example.
Output Management Adapter
You can connect the PPF at the level of the individual BO nodes. When you select the application /SCMTMS/TRANSPORTATION in customizing, you can manage the action profiles assigned to this application. An action profile is the smallest set of action definitions that can be investigated during one call of the action determination of the PPF.
Each action profile contains a set of multiple action definitions (1:n). An action definition defines all possible realizations. The realizations are modeled in the so-called processing type. The processing type represents the technical realization of an action definition, for example, the start of a workflow, sending out a PDF form by fax or mail. The action definition determines whether business partner data is required for the execution and the business partner to which the data relates. An action definition, therefore, has the character of a business task and defines "what" should be done with this action (mail, fax, and so on).
: The conditions are checked if the system has identified the action definition from the action list. There are two important types of conditions for the PPF/Output Management:
The first one is the scheduling condition. This condition is checked during the PPF action determination. It decides whether an action should be executed or not. The scheduling condition is identified from the assignment to the configured action definition. The scheduling conditions define the "why"; for example, the lifecycle of the predecessor document is X, or the document is canceled.
The second important condition is the starting condition. This condition is checked just before the execution of an action starts. These conditions should only influence the point in time when an action will be executed. They define the "when"; for example, they define that the message is sent "on save", or "one day before pickup", and so on.
Watch the simulation Generate Outputs for Freight Orders to learn how to review outputs in a freight order.