Of failure and hope in forms technology

A lot has happened in the field of forms in recent decades. New solutions are in conflict with constant challenges.

SAPscript:

With the introduction of SAPscript, the first forms technology was established on the market in the early 1980s and templates for SAP standard processes were created. In SAPscript, data retrieval and document production are closely linked, contrary to the MVC model (Model, View, Controller).

The possibility of querying and reading data, both in the print program and directly in the form, offers a certain freedom, but also entails a significant risk. This can lead to an unintentional complexity of the forms in the case of adjustments, which makes the general design of these very difficult.

A possible troubleshooting becomes much more time-consuming. The display of tables or a version management is also only possible to a limited extent. The use of this form technology is now considered obsolete.

SmartForms:

A first paradigm shift is achieved with SmartForms at the beginning of the 2000s, historically SAP's second forms technology. Here, data retrieval and data output are no longer directly linked.

But again, because of the flexibility of the technology, the ability to intervene and change data sets is still there. For example, contextual queries can influence different output nodes. One thing is certain, in the future, further development will only take place via Adobe.

SAP Interactive Forms by Adobe:

The latest SAP forms technology, SAP Interactive Forms by Adobe, has a professional design tool in Adobe LiveCycle Designer. This enables direct design of the form. The separation of data retrieval and data output is solved even more stringently.

Data (fields, structures, tables) available for document production are specified in the context. Context means here: All data necessary for designing the form.

The data can also be provided here with conditions and restrictions or programmed within the LiveCycle Designer in Javascript or Formcalc. Clear advantages that have arisen since the introduction are the simplified possibilities when using barcodes, e.g. QR codes, but also the output of the document as a PDF and the interactive use.

A more precise and comfortable layout design with regard to CI requirements is also given. However, the additionally used script languages, which can now bring detailed logic to the form, are also disadvantageous when using the latest SAP form technology.

Again, there are several possibilities to introduce logics in the form, which, however, bypass a certain consequence. In the script editor, for example, syntax checking is inadequate. Errors are difficult to track.

Another serious limitation within daily work processes is the performance of the technology. Long loading times and a lack of stability due to the Adobe LiveCycle Designer and the XML-based output prevent the tool from being used quickly.

In addition, the variants of translation and voice control are not ideally solved, so that the operation in the system can hardly be performed intuitively. Changes are not comprehensive, which entails touching the data several times and redundancy.

In order to keep the effort involved in supporting forms as well as data retrieval routines as low as possible, solutions are sought for the aforementioned problems. However, these are often very lengthy and do not follow a consistent method.

Softway has already successfully dealt with this problem and created individual solutions for companies. The essence of 30 years of IT experience can be found, among other things, in Softway's own Solution Package Forms (SSP Forms), which can be integrated into the existing system with little effort. As a result, time savings of up to 75 percent can be achieved. This would also pave the way to S/4.

It becomes clear that challenges arise again and again in everyday use, which can only be met with experience and a long-term, well thought-out concept.

All innovations within forms technology ultimately aim to achieve the greatest possible effectiveness, smooth and optimized business processes, and clarity. This should not be forgotten in the multitude of possibilities and approaches.