Purpose
With Liquid UI RPA for SAP, you can streamline your SAP processes by automating actions like logging into the system, navigating through transaction screens, creating master data, executing reports, and determining next steps based on preset logic. By automating transactions within your SAP ERP system, you can eliminate slow, manual, and error-prone processes, requiring no user intervention. This approach can lead to substantial savings in both time and costs.
Liquid UI for Android facilitates two types of SAP automation:
Automation via URL
With a single click on a URL, you can directly navigate to the required transaction or process, such as creating a Sales Order or Material. This SAP automation process eliminates the need for manual entry of transactional details, thereby boosting productivity by saving time and reducing the potential for errors from data re-entry.
Automation through a URL opens the Liquid UI app and automatically transfers necessary information, including SAP connection details, login credentials, commands, and field values, to execute the predefined SAP process. Depending on your SAP process requirements, you can customize the transaction code, field values, and other parameters in the URL.
Example
In this scenario, we’ll demonstrate how to navigate to the Display Sales Order screen automatically with a URL on the Liquid UI for Android devices.
- Open the below URL link in a web browser on your Liquid UI for Android devices. You can use the following URL parameters described while creating an automated URL.
<a href='sapr3://r3/target?gui=/H/SAPAPPSERVER/S/3600&client=800&user=luiuser&password=luipassword&language=EN&command=VA03;VBAK-VBELN=5235;enter';>Display Sales Order</a>
URL Parameters Liquid UI Connection Parameters sapr3:// Tell the browser to open the URL through the Liquid UI app //r3/target?gui Specify the target server you want to connect with /H/Servername Application Server Configuration /M/Servername Message Server Configuration /S/3224 Sapproxy Port Configuration 24 System Number that is drawn from the last two digits of the proxy port number Client 800 - Liquid UI Client number User SAP username Password SAP password Language EN - English Command It can be a transaction, report, or system command - Clicking on the URL link will navigate to the Liquid UI SERVER CONNECTIONS screen, as shown below.
- Connecting to the Server will execute the SAP process specified in the URL, navigating to the Display Sales Order: Overview Screen, as shown below.
Note: The Liquid UI app will only get connected to the SAP if the connection parameters in the URL match with the connection list in the Liquid UI app.
- If Autologon is turned off or the URL contains incorrect login credentials, the log-on screen is displayed before proceeding with the predefined SAP process.
URL EXAMPLES
Message Server:
<a href='sapr3://r3/target?gui=/M/SAPMSGSERVER/S/3600&client=800&user=luiuser&password=luipassword&language=EN&command=VA03;VBAK-VBELN=5235;RV45S-KUNNR=1460;enter'>Connect to SAP Message Server</a>
Application Server:
<a href='sapr3://r3/target?gui=/H/SAPAPPSERVER/S/3200&client=800&user=luiuser&password=luipassword&language=EN&command=VA03;;VBAK-VBELN=5235;enter'>Connect to SAP Application Server</a>
Automation via .sap file
Utilizing SAP shortcut files streamlines navigation to specific transactions or execution of SAP processes. For instance, these files eliminate the repetitive task of entering SAP details and navigating menus to access the same transaction screen.
To generate an SAP shortcut file, simply input the SAP Server Connection details, login credentials, and the relevant transaction code or command into your SAP GUI. This process allows you to create as many shortcut files as necessary and can be accomplished in two ways using the SAP GUI.
- Creating an SAP shortcut file from Desktop
- Creating an SAP shortcut file from a specific SAP transaction screen
Creating an SAP shortcut file from Desktop
In this scenario, we’ll demonstrate navigating to the VA01 transaction, automatically without any manual entry. Follow the steps below.
- Right-click on the desktop and choose New → SAP GUI Shortcut.
- Click on the New SAP shortcut to rename it.
- To define the .sap shortcut file, place the cursor on the shortcut icon, and right-click. Select Edit from the context menu to open the SAP Shortcut Properties window.
- The SAP Shortcut file property window has the following details:
Title Enter the shortcut title Type Specify the type of transaction. The type can be a transaction, report, or system command Transaction/Command/report Enter the appropriate transaction, report, or system command System Description Enter the name of your desired SAP system. You can even select from the drop-down list System ID Enter the system id of the SAP system Start Parameters Enter the SAP GUI parameters Client Enter your SAP client number User Enter your user name. By default, it takes the windows user name Password If the field is enabled, you can specify a password. By default, it is deactivated for security reasons. Language Select your preferred language. - Fill in the details and click OK. You can observe .sap shortcut file Create Sales Order is created on the desktop.
- Double-click the .sap shortcut icon to navigate to the VA01 transaction in SAP. Then, you will be prompted to enter SAP credentials, enter the details, and click Log On, as shown in the image below.
Note: Ensure your SAP login credentials are added to your .sap file to navigate the required transactions automatically.
- Now, you will be navigated to the VA01 screen, as shown in the image below.
Creating an SAP shortcut from a specific SAP transaction
Following these steps, you can find a quick way to access a predefined SAP task. We’ll use the VA01 screen as an example.
- On the VA01 screen, click the Generate a shortcut icon in the menu bar. This displays the Create New SAP Shortcut window. You can edit the title and SAP Server connection details as required and click Finish to complete the creation of the new shortcut file.
- Now, open the SAP Logon page, and navigate through the Shortcuts, then you can observe that a new shortcut is created, as shown below.
Launch a connection through the SAP shortcut file on Android
In this scenario, we’ll showcase how to edit an SAP shortcut file, create SAP short files in three different ways, and launch a connection on an Android device using an SAP shortcut file.
- On the desktop, right-click on the Create Sales Order.sap shortcut file and select Edit with Notepad++ to edit the shortcut file details in Notepad.
- In Notepad++, you can edit SAP connection details in the shortcut file that will allow you to connect your Liquid UI for Android App to the R/3 server to launch a connection to your SAP server. Here, you can also add SAP login credentials and SSO details for enhanced security. In this regard, shortcut files are divided into three types, where type 1 SAP shortcut file includes SSO details, type 2 SAP shortcut file includes encrypted SAP password, and type 3 SAP shortcut file includes unencrypted SAP password. Liquid UI for Android supports all the following three types of SAP shortcut files, as shown below:
// Create Sales Order.sap (Type 1: MYSAPSSO )[System] Name=TR1 Client=800 GuiParm=/H/ZEUS.GUIXT.COM/S/3200 [User] Name=SARVANI at="MYSAPSSO2=AjExMDAgAAxwb3J0YWw6dW1hbsaeIABNiYXNpY2F1dGhlbnRpY2F0aW9uAQAFVU1BTkcCAAMwMDADAANOVzcEAAwyMDE5MDkxMTE5MTkFAAQAAAAICgAFVU1BTkf/AQUwggEBBgkqhkiG9w0BBwKggfMwgfACAQExCzAJBgUrDgMCGgUAMAsGCSqGSIb3DQEHATGB0DCBzQIBATAiMB0xDDAKBgNVBAMpjA05XNzENMAsGA1UECxMESjJFRQIBADAJBgUrDgMCGgUAoF0wGAYJKoZIhvcNAQkDMQsGCSqGSIb3DQEHATAcBgkqhkiG9w0BCQUxDxcNMTkwOTExMTkxOTA4WjAjBgkqhkiG9w0BCQQxFgQUeojOYAubG7V/PQADRbFBdKrfKHcwCQYHKoZIzjgEAwQvMC0CFQDAHylOAXrvYeiQADHqfDvhZHYJUQIUWxI4HYm5ZausUcnYCWlBfDQ1cMQ=" Language=EN [Function] Command=VA01 Type=Transaction [Configuration] Workplace=true
// Create Sales Order.sap (Type 2: SAP unencrypted password)[System] Name=TKR Description=Juneau Client=899 GuiParm=/H/ZEUS.GUIXT.COM/S/3200 [User] Name=SARVANI Password=LiquidUI Language=EN [Function] Title=Create Sales Order Initial Screen Command=VA01 [Configuration] WorkDir=C:\Users\Sarvani\Documents\SAP\SAP GUI [Options] Reuse=1
// Create Sales Order.sap (Type 3: SAP encrypted password)[System] Name=TKR Description=Juneau Client=899 GuiParm=/H/ZEUS.GUIXT.COM/S/3200 [User] Name=SARVANI Password= PW_14E8625D89A37557FC793D Language=EN [Function] Title=Create Sales Order Initial Screen Command=VA01
[Configuration] WorkDir=C:\Users\Sarvani\Documents\SAP\SAP GUI [Options] Reuse=1 - To use the SAP shortcut files in your Android device, transfer the files from your Desktop to your Liquid UI for Android devices using either a USB cable or WIFI.
- After transferring the SAP shortcut file to your Android device, as shown below, click the SAP shortcut file (TRX Create Sales Order.sap) in the Downloads folder. If the SAP shortcut file contains SAP login credentials, then you will be able to open the Liquid UI for Android App and navigate to the required SAP transaction automatically.
