In recent years, VIM has become the reference component for managing supplier invoices within the SAP ecosystem. The virtues that this add-on brings, both for accounting and subsequent invoice approval, are well-known.
However, many companies that choose to use VIM for invoice management are unaware of all the possibilities offered within the same license. It’s possible to process and manage other types of documents thanks to Business Center.
Currently, Business Center no longer goes by that name; it is now integrated into Vendor Invoice Management Beyond Invoices. In this article, we will refer to it by both names to make it easier to understand.
Business Center/VIM Beyond Invoices: more than just invoices
Until its inception, there was no dedicated document processing solution within this ecosystem; we only had IDH (Invoice Document Handler) for incoming invoice management, configured through VIM (/OPT/SPRO). To meet the companies’ need to relate documents to other SAP objects, Business Center was born.
It was from version 7.5 SP3 onwards that this became a reality. This version introduced the component OTBCBAS, known as Business Center, which, as mentioned earlier, was created with the idea of managing the entry of all SAP incoming documents within a single transaction.
Today, it not only allows the processing of invoices but also a wide range of documents essential to a company’s production process. Furthermore, it should be noted that it is included in the existing VIM license at no additional cost.
What Documents can we process?
- Delivery notes
- Remittances
- HR documents
- Quotations
- Other documents
Sales orders
Delivery Notes
Once we have received the Goods Receipt and received the document, it is managed in Business Center/Beyond Invoices. Subsequently, it is sent to the OCR, where it obtains all the necessary metadata, thus completing the initial stage of Business Center. Afterward, it is sent for indexing, just like the invoice part where checks are performed on business rules. When everything is validated, the Goods Receipt is accounted for.
Remittances
These notices may include details about pending invoices, due dates, accepted payment methods, and other relevant information.
HR Documents
The initial process remains the same as for delivery notes. These documents go to the indexing stage and are then assigned to the respective employees.
Quotations
Contains information about products or services offered to a customer, along with prices, delivery conditions, payment terms, and other relevant details.
Sales Orders
Upon receiving purchase orders from our customers and indexing them and performing the necessary checks, a purchase order is created within SAP.
As mentioned earlier, Business Center no longer acts as an independent component but is integrated into Beyond Invoices. Its use, therefore, becomes simple, requiring only the component you want to use based on the type of document and activation of the BCSETS. With the VIM license and some simple configurations, it is possible to manage all these documents with the simplicity and control available in VIM Invoice Solutions.
Can other undesignated documents be managed?
The answer is yes. VIM SOLUTIONS allows the management of ANY document, which, although it may not have a standard “DP” stage, can be received and stored within the SAP system. An example: all users in a department have access to all incoming emails in a shared email account. Each email that arrives at the defined email account enters SAP, calls the VIM Solutions class, and creates a REGID (controlled registration ID from Business Center). From here, these users can manage the documents within the VIM Solutions Workplace (Business Center).
This option makes it possible for each company to store and control other types of information that it considers relevant within SAP.
Is this Component really necessary or useful?
Firstly, Business Center/Beyond Invoices allows for comprehensive control of all files received in SAP. Once inside, each of them has its own Handler, i.e., classes and function modules that allow us to control the entire document from its entry to the creation of its work item for further document processing.
Each file has specific treatment based on its typology. They all have their own control and their own “DP stage” in which it is possible to perform checks before the final document creation. For this, we will have logical modules, business rules, different roles, just as it is done in VIM Invoice Solutions (the current name for the traditional supplier invoice part). Without this tool, all this process was done manually, with the problems that entailed: document loss, delays…
Currently, once the document is in the system, it is registered and controlled, facilitating the management work in all areas. Without a doubt, Business Center/Beyond Invoices is a component full of functionalities not well-known to most users, but that can significantly improve the treatment and management of any document within any area of the company.
