New Output Management in S4Hana until version 1809

l could hear since the creation of the first version of S4Hana 1503/1511 a kind of a repercution of one nice expectation of the solution proposed by SAP for out output management, for commom documents like Purchase Orders, Scheduling Agreements, Contracts and so on.
The new way. The innovation and wow.
l will try to show bellow a little bit how it works, or what is this new way of output messages in the revolucionary S4Hana proposes.
Let’s start from the beginning.
We start enabeling the usage of that on Customizing, choosing new output management instead the old way.. Easy like that!

For the start point it is good to check the notes below as a guidance of some details:

• SAP Note 2228611 –Output Management in S/4HANA
• SAP Note 2292571 –SAP S/4HANA output control -technical setup
• SAP Note 2292539 –SAP S/4HANA output control -configuration
• SAP Note 2292646 –SAP S/4HANA output control -form templates with fragments
• SAP Note 2292681 –SAP S/4HANA output control –master form templates
• SAP Note 2294198 –SAP S/4HANA output control -customized forms
• SAP Note 2367080 –SAP S/4HANA output control -customized master forms

In resume, l will describe the hands on bellow:

1. Manage Application Object Type Activation:

We should configure subsequentily customizing related to S4Hana New output Management (For Purchase Orders) for example, PDFs related, links and associations with the specific objects, so, no secret at all  about this steps. Everything can be guided by SAP notes already disposed.
As you may know, S4Hana got Adoble as a partner, therefore all documents in this new output way, will play with Adoble PDF as a target solution.

So:

• Define Output Types:

Call OPD and do like this:

Here there are the rules for Purchase order such as the above. We think to associate them to the correct template and printer device are determined. Other rules are for output type, receiver, channel and form templates. And soo on…

• Define Business Rules for Output Determination:

And them:

• Assign Output Channels:
• 

Also:

• Define Rules for Determination of Master Form Template:

Consequently here, tasks related to form will be a challenge for Abapers, because they will handle the forms needed to be catched by the configurations previously done via Customizing (like l spoke above).

That is quite intuitive! But.. that is one point of attention on this!

Not all Abapers are familiar to build those PDFs forms easyly or rapdily, there is no Scriptlets, so sometimes because of lack of knowleadge dissiminated the solution is not mature, so not much people are playing with that.
When Abap done!

• Assign Form Templates:

So after all that you may just create your PO ME21N and check the output messages, to see if that was triggered correctly or not.

But, that is the HAPPY way of the Solution because you can control the informations, get more logs, easy maintaince, nice interface in FIORI, that really seduces honestly.

1. But, we have some gaps, important scenarios from business are not covered.
2. ALE, not covered, you need check if that will be used by the company.
3. IDOC, very very limited. You need check. Otherwise you will be in a big problem.
4. Other modules, not support scenarios as above with more little gaps.
5. SAP support, is limited, because of the fact this solution is new and not much used. You may have problems here also.

Conclusion:

1. Does it really make sense to you use this solution now?
2. Check with Business and Architects if that really covers critical scenarios of your company. Otherwise NAST must be considered without any question.

Let me know your comments.
Att Leonardo de Freitas


Source: https://blogs.sap.com/2018/12/23/new-output-management-in-s4hana-until-version-1809/