SharePoint & SAP
Most companies already have SharePoint and already pay for it. As a filing location for SAP documents it plays out an advantage no classic archive offers: colleagues without SAP access can find the paperwork too.
Turning existing infrastructure into an SAP repository
The appeal is obvious: you already pay for Microsoft 365, the governance is in place, users know the interface. Through the SAP standard interfaces ArchiveLink and CMIS, SharePoint Online becomes a fully-fledged content repository – with no custom ABAP development and no change to your SAP processes.
The real gain comes from the metadata. Company code, document number, vendor or document type land as indexed SharePoint columns next to the file. A document is then not only retrievable from SAP but also filterable and searchable in SharePoint – in the environment your business departments work in every day anyway.
One detail decides between success and irritation in practice: SAP addresses document components by their name. If that name is altered during filing – for instance to give SharePoint a file extension it can preview – SAP no longer finds its components. We solve this by keeping the logical SAP name stable while the file still previews natively in the browser.
There are two ways to connect: classically and directly to on-premise S/4HANA via ArchiveLink, or as an external CMIS repository behind the SAP BTP Document Management Service ("bring your own repository") – which is also the scenario certified by SAP and therefore the route for RISE and the public cloud. Product detail lives at sharepoint-cmis.com and sharepoint-archivelink.com.
At a glance
- SharePoint Online as an SAP content repository
- ArchiveLink or CMIS 1.1 – depending on your landscape
- SAP metadata as indexed SharePoint columns
- Documents findable inside SharePoint too
- Documents stay in your Microsoft 365 tenant
- Every deployment model incl. RISE & public cloud
Two ways to connect
Which one fits depends on your deployment model.
- Directly to on-premise S/4HANA via ArchiveLink
- As a CMIS repository behind the SAP BTP Document Management Service
- "Bring your own repository" – the certified scenario
- Also for ECC and earlier releases
What can be filed
The SAP scenarios that occur in practice.
- Classic ArchiveLink (two-step filing)
- GOS attachments on business objects
- SAP DMS / document info records with originals
- Print lists as well as inbound and outbound documents
- Multifiling via object links
Metadata & findability
The reason SharePoint is more than storage space.
- SAP attributes as indexed columns
- Configurable by drag & drop, in real time or scheduled
- Folder structures, content types or flat libraries
- Native browser preview of the documents
- Search and filter directly in SharePoint
Library design & permissions
The consulting question most often underestimated.
- One library or several – by process or confidentiality
- Permissions through SharePoint rather than SAP roles
- Handling list thresholds with large inventories
- Retention policies for audit-proof storage
Migrating into the new target
Taking inventories over from existing archives.
- Take-over from legacy archives and ECM/DMS systems
- Preserving the links to the SAP objects
- Step-by-step migration during live operation
- Shutting down the legacy system after sign-off
Optional: AI analysis
What becomes possible once the documents live in Microsoft 365.
- Microsoft 365 Copilot on your own inventory
- Natural-language search & summarisation
- Automatic classification
- Explicitly optional – classic search stays untouched
Frequently asked questions
Do we need SAP BTP to use SharePoint as an archive?
No. For on-premise S/4HANA and ECC the direct connection via ArchiveLink or CMIS is enough. The route through the SAP BTP Document Management Service becomes relevant if you run RISE or the public cloud – where it is also the scenario certified by SAP.
Do the documents look like normal files in SharePoint?
Yes. They get the correct file extension, preview natively in the browser and carry the SAP metadata as columns. At the same time the logical document name stays stable on the SAP side so SAP keeps finding its components.
Where do the documents physically reside?
In your own Microsoft 365 tenant. The connector stores no document content, only references and the encrypted connection data.
Are the documents findable inside SharePoint itself?
Yes, and that is one of the main benefits. Because the SAP metadata is transferred as columns, the documents can be filtered and searched in SharePoint. Who may see which library is governed by your SharePoint permission concept — the same rules that apply to the rest of your Microsoft 365 content.
Does this work with non-SAP systems as well?
Yes. Through the CMIS interface any CMIS-capable application – an ECM system or a custom development – can use SharePoint as its repository. SAP is the most common use case, not the only one.
Does this match your project?
Talk directly to our consultants — no detours.