Forms Lifecycle Manager
EXPLOITING ADOBE TECHNOLOGIES IN SAP
Andy Gardner
Head of Technology
Arch
24th June 2010
Forms Lifecycle Manager
Agenda
 PDF Overview
 A brief history of SAP-Adobe integration
 FLM: born from experience
 Opportunities
 Future Applications
Forms Lifecycle Manager
PDF Overview
 Adobe Reader 9.3 download is 45Mb
 Look and feel of forms has been consistently excellent
 What else is going on in there?
Forms Lifecycle Manager
Capability
Ispo facto delto
Ispo facto delto
Ispo facto delto
Ispo facto delto
If x > 0;
box.colour = 255.255.255;
Else;
box.colour = 0.0.0.0;
Endif;
Business Benefit
Dynamic Template
Tailored user experience
Data bindings for SAP
R/3 Application Integration
Business Logic
Intelligent data capture
SOA Data bindings
Leverage external apps
Unstructured Data Repository
Centralised data container
Digital Signature Repository
Secure transactions
Forms Lifecycle Manager
A Brief History of SAP-Adobe Integration
<2004
Before NetWeaver 640 there was no integrated capability
2004
At NW 640 ‘Adobe Document Services’ (ADS) first shipped*
2006
NW 700 had Adobe capabilities integrated into ESS/MSS
2007
FLM launched as the only cross-application pure-play form server for SAP
2009
Latest integration for HR online forms is HR Forms & Processes
*do not use if at all possible!
Forms Lifecycle Manager
Some Definitions:
ADS => Adobe Document Services => name of the engine that creates PDFs
SIFbA => SAP Interactive Forms by Adobe => name of SAP’s forms proposition
Forms Lifecycle Manager
FLM: Born from Experience
 ADS is a great engine
 Arch implemented ADS between 2004 to 2007 using different modelling
technologies
 Experience teaches us that ADS is only a small part of the solution
 Customers require a full feature set, for example
• Save-to-draft
• Audit Trail
• Attachment/annotation handling
• Controlled SAP updates
• Mixed Online and offline
• Notifications, Reminders and Escalations
Forms Lifecycle Manager
FLM: Born from Experience
FLM
Form TransportTemplates
Options Render
Business Logic Business Logic
Template/Data
Template/Data Template/Data
Management Management
ManagementForm
Control
Business Logic
Data
Store
ADS
ADS
ADS
Update
Control
Monitoring
& Reporting
Routing
ADS
Schemas
Form Dispatcher
ADS
Technology
Business Solution
Forms Lifecycle Manager
FLM: Born from Experience
Form
Design
Form Process Integration
Form
Template
WebdynPro
Integration
Business
Logic
Form
Data
Schema
Routing
UWL
UWL
Integration
Integration
Versioning
Escalations
Escalations
&
&
Reminders
Reminders
PDA
PDA
Support
Support
Form Status
Network
Off Line
Launch
Launch by
by URL
URL
Form
Features
Save to Draft
Form System
Administration
User
Authorisations
Monitoring
Tools
Audit
Audit Trail
Trail
Update
Management
Attachment
Attachment
&
&
Annotation
Annotation
Handling
Handling
SAP Gui
Integration
Digital
Digital
Certificates
Certificates
Item to Bespoke
FLM Approach
Classic
Approach
Delivered with FLM
User
Groups
Forms Lifecycle Manager
Opportunities are Arch being asked to Address:
 Security outside of the firewall
 Document Creation
 Mobile workers
 Cross Company Horizontal Processes
 Complex Processes
 Collaborative Processes
Forms Lifecycle Manager
2010 Future Applications:
 v295 of FLM basis
March
FLM Correspondence Generator
June
FLM Mobile
September