Introduction
If you work in business or IT, then you must have heard of SAP. SAP is an enterprise management system used by many companies around the world. Some companies use SAP like Procter & Gamble, BMW, Nestle, Coca-Cola, Siemens, and more. In SAP, there is a very important feature for companies, namely IDoc. What is IDoc and why is it important for your business? Let’s talk more about it in this article.
What is IDoc and Why is it Important for Your Business?
IDoc (Intermediate Document) is a standard file format for data exchange between SAP systems and external systems. Idoc contains business transaction information that can be transferred from one system to another safely and reliably. In simpler language, IDoc is a way to send data from one system to another in a structured format that can be understood by both systems.
In the business world, information is very important and IDoc provides solutions for companies that have many different systems. By using IDoc, companies can transfer data between systems automatically and avoid human errors that may occur if data is entered manually. IDoc also helps companies to save time and costs because they don’t have to pay staff to do manual data input.
How It Works and How to Use It Effectively?
IDoc works by taking data from the SAP system or other systems and processing it into the standard file format. IDoc files can be transferred via a secure network to the destination system, be it a SAP system or any other system. After arriving at the destination system, IDoc will be processed and the data will be processed as needed.
However, before you can use IDoc, you need to understand several things related to IDoc, such as the types of IDoc, IDoc structure, and IDoc processing process.
Idoc types
There are several types of IDoc that can be used, including:
- Inbound IDoc
This type is the IDoc received by the SAP system. Inbound IDoc is usually used to send data from external systems to SAP systems. An example of its use is sending customer data from the online sales system to the SAP system. - Outbound IDoc
This type is IDoc sent from SAP system to external system. Outbound IDoc is usually used to send data from the SAP system to other systems, such as accounting systems. - IDoc Master Data
Master Data IDoc is an IDoc that is used to transfer master data from one SAP system to another SAP system. - Transactional Data IDoc
Transactional Data IDoc is an IDoc that is used to transfer transaction data from one SAP system to another SAP system.
IDoc structure
Each IDoc has a structure consisting of headers, segments, and data. The IDoc header contains information such as the IDoc type, creation date, and destination address. The IDoc segment contains the business transaction information that you want to transfer. Meanwhile, IDoc data contains segment values and additional information, such as customer numbers or the number of items ordered.
IDoc Processing Process
After the file is received by the SAP system, the file will be processed automatically by the system according to the predetermined configuration. IDoc processing consists of several stages, including:
- Parsing
The SAP system reads the files and converts them into SAP internal format. - Validation
The SAP system validates the file, ensuring that the information contained in the conforms to the specified configuration. - Post
After being successfully validated, the SAP system will post data into the SAP table. - Confirmation
The SAP system sends a confirmation back to the sending system that the file has been processed successfully.
Complete Guide to Create, Send and Receive IDoc
To be able to use IDoc, you need to do a few steps first. Here is a complete guide to create, send and receive the file in SAP:
- Create IDoc
To create an IDoc, you need to configure the SAP system first. This includes creating the IDoc structure, specifying the type of IDoc, and specifying the IDoc segments to use. After that, you can create file using transaction WE19 in SAP. - Send IDoc
To send the file, you need to enable IDoc output configuration in SAP and specify destination system. Then, you can use BD87 transactions to view the list of IDocs that are ready to be sent and WE02 transactions to view the status of IDoc shipments. - Accept IDoc
In order to receive the file, you need to enable IDoc input configuration in SAP and specify return address. Then, you can use WE02 transactions to view the list of IDocs that have been received and BD87 transactions to view the status of receiving IDocs.
Read more: Asap Full Form
So, In the ever-evolving business world, IDoc in SAP is an important solution for connecting disparate systems. By using IDoc, companies can transfer data quickly, reliably and securely between SAP systems or with external systems. However, to be able to use IDoc effectively, you need to understand the structure and types of IDoc and the IDoc processing process. By understanding this, you can implement IDoc in SAP successfully and improve your company’s business efficiency.