Implementing long-term archiving: PDF/a directly from SAP

Many companies use SAP software to manage their documents. In this way, it is possible to create efficient structures even with large amounts of data. However, if it is necessary to archive the files for a long time, some problems may occur. webPDF offers a conversion software that also offers a suitable solution for this area. This makes it possible to store all files according to the PDF/A standard.

SAP – One of the leading companies for business processes

The SAP Group was founded in 1972 when five employees of the computer manufacturer IBM went into business for themselves in order to distribute their own software. In the meantime, it has become the fourth largest software producer in the world. The company, based in Walldorf in Baden-Württemberg, specializes in creating software products that make business processes in a company easier. For example, there are offers for accounting, sales and human resources. Many companies also use document management systems from this manufacturer. This offers the possibility to structure and order documents efficiently. In this way, all business processes based on electronic data are significantly simplified, increasing efficiency at work. Even companies that generate very large volumes of documents can use this software to create simple structures.

Long-term archiving with PDF/A

In almost all companies it is necessary to archive documents permanently. On the one hand, this is important for internal processes, as it makes it possible to find information on past projects even after a long time. In addition, there are also legal regulations for the archiving of data. Especially from a fiscal point of view, it is important to keep all documents for several years. The classical form of archiving uses described paper. This method is already widespread for centuries. However, this also brings some problems with itself. One of the essential points is thereby the high space requirement. If a company collects all documents in paper form, special storage rooms must be available.

These storage rooms must not only be sufficiently large, but the room climate must also be such that the documents are not destroyed. Electronic archiving is therefore a more sensible solution. This considerably reduces the space required, which also reduces costs. Here it is important to use a suitable format. There are several standardized alternatives to choose from. For example, it is possible to use XML files or TIFF files. However, the PDF/A format is particularly practical. This is based on the actual PDF standard, but it extends it by some details that make it possible to evaluate the corresponding data even after a long time.

Using SAP Software to Archive Data

The SAP programs are used in many companies to organize electronic documents. In many cases, however, it is necessary to archive this data on a long-term basis. However, the document management systems have some problems with this. Although the software supports a large number of different formats, these are not always suitable for long-term archiving. For this reason it is necessary to first convert these into a suitable file type.

However, this is not possible with SAP software. Although the software does not support this function, users can still use the SAP program and archive the data securely. For this purpose, the company has set up an interface that allows you to use additional programs for this task. The PDF conversion software from webPDF offers a suitable solution for this. It receives the files from the SAP administration program, checks them for compliance with the relevant standards, and adapts them if necessary. The program also allows other file types to be converted into PDF/A documents. The software then transfers the document back to the document management system. In this way, it is also possible to use the efficient SAP administration software for the permanent archiving of the data.