SAP Document Archive: Archive the way you like it

Interdiscount is the leading home electronics provider in Switzerland, with around 200 sales outlets and online stores for both private and business customers.

The company has been using SAP ERP for many years and also has a document archive in place. All cash receipts, invoices, contracts, customer notifications, repair orders and other documents are continuously archived and stored in an audit-proof manner.

However, the old archive solution incurred high licensing and maintenance costs, and the infrastructure requirements were significant (multiple databases, archive servers, and complex infrastructure). In addition, the scanning process was error-prone and cumbersome.

Multiple windows for scanning, review, additions, etc. resulted in a lack of usability and a slow scanning process. Then, when re-licensing was needed, Interdiscount decided to conduct an evaluation on the market.

Several variants were tested, such as migration of the existing solution, SAP Content Server and various archive solutions with SAP connection. In the end, the ContentServer4Storage archive server from KGS Software prevailed.

The main reasons for the decision were: significant potential savings in infrastructure, licenses, maintenance and operations; a clear, secure migration path during ongoing operations; and the replacement of multiple products in the areas of: scanning, non-SAP archiving and mass document processing.

KGS implemented the solution together with its partner TeamWork Switzerland. TeamWork employees have been supporting Interdiscount in the area of SAP for several years and were responsible in the project for coordination, the necessary basic work and end user training. Where necessary, KGS archiving specialists were called in. Together, the project was successfully implemented in eight months.

Infrastructure

The KGS solution is very lean and does not require database and archive servers for archiving. Specifically, the infrastructure could be reduced from three dedicated servers plus the database servers in the legacy system to a total of one virtual server.

In addition to infrastructure costs, this also means minimizing operating expenses and technical risk. Today, the KGS solution runs with virtually no operating expenses.

Migration project

Around 20 million documents were stored in the legacy system and had to be migrated during ongoing operations. Access to the documents had to be guaranteed at all times and, in the course of audit compliance, traceability also had high priority.

The KGS Migration4ArchiveLink tool enables migration during ongoing operations with complete documentation in the migration database provided. During the move of the documents from the old to the new system, continuous access to all documents was ensured by means of a proxy function.

The previously used software for the ScanClient was not compatible with Windows 10 and problems occurred again and again. The KGS Scan software was installed and adapted to Interdiscount's needs. The interaction with a KGS product for mass processing of documents (KGS DocumentRouter) results in a much faster scan process.

The KGS solution is fully embedded in the SAP system and makes the best possible use of existing SAP components. Non-SAP documents such as scanned contract documents can be called up in the SAP system using KGS Zadoc.

The KGS solution is also suitable for S/4 Hana. TeamWork is currently implementing KGS ContentServer4Storage in three S/4 Hana implementation projects.