Written by: Jeremy White, Director of SAP, Cloud, and Managed Services
Efficient data archiving and document management are essential for optimizing system performance, reducing costs, and ensuring compliance within an ERP system. Zia’s archiving solution allows you to move data that’s linked to SAP transactions into an SAP Certified solution. This includes both active data, such as attachments and images, as well as inactive data such as transactional and master data. This data is indexed and searchable so that all files, including those that are archived, are available when needed through a single pane of glass, regardless if the origin was ECC or S/4HANA. This streamlines processes across areas like finance, HR, manufacturing, supply chain, sales, and procurement.
Archiving is necessary for every SAP environment. However, we recommend implementing an archiving strategy before migrating to S/4HANA to clean up old data and reduce overall cost of storage and backups in the new environment. Archiving as part of the migration process pushes organizations to evaluate data retention policies and adopt data management practices that support future goals. This guide covers the core aspects of SAP archiving, including its benefits, processes and configurations, and cloud-based SAP solutions. Real-world examples are provided to illustrate its business impact.
Benefits of Content Archiving in ERP Systems
- Enhanced System Performance: Archiving reduces the size of active databases in SAP systems, enabling faster transaction processing and reporting.
Example: A retail company could archive past SAP data, improving system responsiveness during high-demand seasons.
. - Cost Reduction: Reducing data volumes minimizes the amount of memory required in your S/4 environment. This shortens back-up and recovery times, and lowers operational and maintenance costs.
Example: A manufacturing firm could save on SAP S/4HANA licensing costs by archiving inactive production records.
. - Compliance and Security: Archiving supports adherence to internal governance policies and data retention regulations by securely storing archived documents and historical data.
Example: A financial services provider could meet audit requirements by archiving old customer transactions.
. - Data Management Efficiency: Segregating active and archived data simplifies document access and system management.
Example: An HR department could efficiently manage employee records by archiving former employees’ data.
Archiving Processes and Configurations
Archiving processes and configurations involve the systematic management of enterprise data through defined steps and policies. Proper configurations ensure that only relevant and eligible data is archived. This frees up valuable system resources while maintaining easy access to critical records. The process involves the following steps:
- Data Identification: Identify data that meets archiving criteria based on status, age, business relevance, usage patterns, and compliance requirements. Categorize data based on sensitivity, retention period, and access level.
. - Archive Configuration: Define archive document type and rules based on business processes.
. - Data Relocation: Transfer archived data to an archive repository or external storage, like the Zia’s Content and Archiving Appliance, while ensuring re-access within SAP for the most used transaction types.
. - Data Deletion: After successful archiving, follow a secure process to delete data from the active database. SAP keeps pointers to the archived objects and attachments to allow for re-access.
. - Monitoring and Reporting: Regularly monitor archived data, archive files, and system logs to ensure data integrity and system health, as well as disposition cadences.
Archiving Solutions in the Cloud
- Scalability: Cloud-based storage offers significant advantages for scaling SAP archiving storage due to its inherent scalability. Unlike traditional on-premise solutions, cloud storage can be seamlessly scaled up or down to meet changing needs, reduce upfront investments, and allow for real-time adjustments. This adaptability is particularly beneficial for organizations with fluctuating data volumes or those experiencing rapid growth. Additionally, the implementation of Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) within SAP archiving further optimizes storage utilization by automatically migrating data to lower-cost tiers based on age and access frequency.
Example: A global automotive manufacturer could utilize cloud archival storage and ILM to manage the vast amount of data generated throughout its design, production, and supply chain processes. Engineering drawings, quality control reports, and sensor data from connected vehicles could be stored in the cloud and automatically migrated to lower-cost tiers as they age. This ensures efficient storage utilization while maintaining accessibility for compliance and analysis purposes.
. - Security: Advanced encryption, compliance certifications, access controls, and regular audits ensure data security. Monitoring, backups, and reporting further enhance protection and build trust.
Example: A large hospital network could utilize SAP archiving to securely store and manage vast amounts of patient medical records. This ensures compliance and data privacy while enabling efficient access for authorized personnel.
. - Accessibility: Access archived data globally or within a geographic region based on regulations and business requirements. This ensures access with the right permissions.
Example: A global consulting firm with offices in Canada, France, and the United States could store and retrieve content and data that is unique to those SAP archive instances from anywhere for client reporting.
. - Cost Efficiency: Cloud storage eliminates the need for on-premise hardware and the associated resources required to administer and maintain it. This ensures your environment is future-proofed for your evolving business and operations.
Example: Internal resources at a life sciences company could redeploy valuable resources to leverage advancements in AI that could expedite innovation.
Optimizing Business Processes Through Archiving
- Operational Efficiency: Improved system performance, reduced downtime and costs, simplified compliance, and easier administration are all benefits of a leaner database. This leads to increased operational efficiency.
Example: A manufacturing company with a slow ERP system experiences production delays, missed deadlines, and fewer order fulfillments. Archiving outdated data could improve efficiency and allow them to ship goods on time, increasing customer satisfaction.
. - Compliance Readiness: Implementing automated data retention policies ensures that your organization remains in continuous compliance with relevant regulations and legal requirements. This proactive approach helps mitigate the risk of penalties, legal action, and reputational damage associated with non-compliance.
Example: A government agency could meet data retention laws by automating archiving processes using SAP ILM and ArchiveLink, including data and transactions that are generated by custom ABAP programs.
Implementing a proper archiving strategy ensures alignment with compliance protocols, enhances system performance, reduces costs, and ensures data security. Zia’s SAP certified and clean core compliant offering provides a modern and cost-effective external storage and archiving solution that automatically stores documents and transactional data based on your organization’s governance and archival policies. It allows customers to recognize immediate value by streamlining the migration of documents to the SAP Archive and Content Management environment. Our rapid implementation typically reduces the amount of data stored by 50% or more with SAP Archiving. Working with Zia, you will be able to see value from your investment in the first 90 days and a complete return on their investment within the first six months. Check out our whitepaper and contact us today to learn more about how we can support your archiving needs.