Link Outsiders to Documents, Folders

By Kristina Gordon, DuPont

Managing documents and history is a critical part of maintaining equipment reliability.  SAP offers several methods for tracking documents, drawings, and other important information. Here are answers to two common questions that will help you better manage information.

Q: Can you insert documents in a maintenance plan and/or maintenance task list and have them available once the order is issued directly in the maintenance order? Our maintenance contractor doesn’t have access to certain SAP transactions or maintenance task lists but needs to use maintenance procedures, manuals, and detail drawings.

A : The Document Management System (DMS) allows you to provide links outside of SAP to internal information such as equipment functional locations, materials, maintenance plans, and maintenance items. This is a robust and organized approach that ensures all documents are attached directly to the object in SAP.

Q: Can you attach an SAP object directly to a file or a folder?

A: Attaching a file allows you to connect a specific document to your work order, material, or purchase order. Attaching a folder allows you to view the entire content of the folder from a link within your object, giving you multiple selections to view and print within that folder. MT

Use these four steps to create a link that will make a folder available to an outside source.

— Use transaction CV01N to create a document.

— Use document type “DDW,” document part “000,” and document version “00.”

— Click the enter button.

Enter the description. This could begin with the equipment number or inventory number, but needs to easily identify the object to which the folder will be attached. Click the Create File button.

— Use application type “HTM” (the application type will also have to be configured in SAP per your company). The description will be the same as the Document Data Description. In the first box of “Original,” add the desired data carrier. This will be the name of the “Data Carrier” your SAP team will set up. In the second box of “Original,” use the address, or folder structure, of the desired folder. Make sure to exclude the folder that the drop down would automatically take you to in the address.

— Click the green check.

— Click the Object links tab. Click the Equipment master tab. Note: There are multiple different objects to which you can attach. We are using equipment masters as an example for this demo. Enter the desired equipment ID in the equipment field. More than one equipment ID can be added if necessary. The process is completed after clicking the save button.

— You will now be able to view the folder within the equipment master that was attached as the link.

— To create a link to a file, the setup is very similar to that for folders. However, note the following differences:

— The application type will be the type of document that is being linked (Word, Excel, etc.)

— Description will have the desired description of the document.

— The first box of “Original” will contain the data carrier.

— In the second box of “Original,” first select the drop-down box. This will open a browser. Go to file location and click “open.” Your link will be uploaded. Follow the steps in the previous screen shots to completion.

Kristina Gordon is SAP Program Consultant at the DuPont, Sabine River Works plant in West Orange, TX. If you have SAP questions, send them to editors@maintenancetechnology.com and we’ll forward them to Kristina.