Scan client: documents from the desk into SAP
The document is in the mail room, the business object is in SAP, and in between there is usually a network drive with folders called “Scans_new_final”. That is the gap the scan client closes.
A desktop program with exactly one job
The CaRD scan client is a Windows program for the workplace. It drives the attached scanner, displays the pages read in, lets them be rotated, cropped, reordered or deleted — and then files the finished document directly at the SAP object. TWAIN scanners are supported including sheet feeders and duplex scanning; the filing format can be chosen.
Assignment to the right SAP object works in two ways. The convenient one is the barcode: the label is generated out of SAP and stuck onto the document, the client reads it while scanning, splits multi-page batches at the labels and attaches each document to the right object. The other is manual assignment — important, because not every document has passed through SAP beforehand.
The decisive point for daily work: the scan client is aimed at staff without an SAP workplace of their own. The mail room does not have to operate a transaction or know a document number; it scans, checks the preview and confirms. What becomes of it in SAP is governed by the stored profiles.
Profiles are the operational lever in general: they hold the connection, target system, document type and filing behaviour, so one workplace can serve several SAP systems — test and production side by side, without anybody changing settings. The connection to SAP runs through the official SAP connector for .NET. For the process view on scanning and document capture overall, see Scanning & Documents.
At a glance
- TWAIN scanners: feeder, duplex, multi-page documents
- Filing directly at the SAP business object
- Barcode assignment with automatic batch splitting
- Manual assignment for documents without a label
- Operable without an SAP workplace of your own
- Profiles for several SAP systems at one workplace
Why this matters
The detour via the network drive costs more than it looks.
- A scanned document without an object reference is a document nobody finds again
- People who collect documents and assign them later never assign some of them
- Documents scanned twice only surface during an audit
- Paper waiting to be filed blocks the downstream process
- Without a barcode every assignment becomes typing — with the corresponding error rate
Scan and prepare
Everything still to be done to a document before it is filed.
- Preview of the pages read in
- Rotate, mirror, crop, zoom, page through
- Delete or reorder individual pages
- Multi-page documents in one operation
- Selectable filing format
Assignment
Two ways, depending on where the document came from.
- Barcode labels generated straight out of SAP
- Recognition of the common barcode standards
- Automatic splitting of multi-page batches at the labels
- Manual assignment without a label
- Assignment to several objects in one operation
Connection to SAP
Via the official route, not through a back door.
- Connection through the SAP connector for .NET
- Filing through the system’s existing filing mechanisms
- Attachment list, document management and document info records
- No intervention in the filing applications
- Profiles per target system, test and production in parallel
Where the client belongs
And where the server is the better route instead.
- Mail room and departments with manageable volumes
- Workplaces where the document is held in hand anyway
- At high volume, server-side processing makes more sense
- Both routes use the same barcode labels
- For context: Scanning & Documents
Introduction
What actually has to be done.
- Define document types and target objects
- Set up label generation in SAP
- Create profiles for the workplaces
- A short briefing for the mail room — rarely more is needed
- Installation and connection are handled by us
Frequently asked questions
Do we need particular scanners?
No, TWAIN-compatible devices are enough — including sheet feeders and duplex scanning. Existing document scanners can as a rule be kept; changing hardware is not part of the introduction.
Can staff without SAP knowledge scan?
Yes, that is a core point. Operation consists of scanning, checking the preview and confirming. Where the document goes in SAP sits in the stored profile and in the barcode — not in the operator’s head. That lets the mail room capture documents without knowing a transaction.
How does barcode assignment work?
The labels are generated straight out of SAP and stuck onto the documents. While scanning, the client reads them, recognises the boundaries between documents from them and attaches each document to the corresponding object. A batch of mixed documents is therefore split correctly in a single pass.
Can we serve several SAP systems?
Yes, through profiles. Each profile holds the connection, target system, document type and filing behaviour; at the workplace it is simply selected. Test and production systems can therefore run side by side without anybody changing settings.
When is the scan server the better choice?
As soon as the volume overwhelms the workplace or scanning happens centrally anyway. The server watches directories, recognises barcodes, splits batches and files fully automatically — without anybody standing next to it. Both routes use the same labels, so a later switch does not mean a process change.
Which archives can be filed to?
The ones attached to your SAP system. The client files through the existing filing mechanisms; where the documents physically land is decided by your content repository. If that is meant to point at modern cloud storage, the ArchiveLink connector is the matching building block.
Does this match your project?
Talk directly to our consultants — no detours.