If you’re managing SAP Vendor Invoice Management (VIM) and Capture solutions, ensuring compatibility between different software versions is critical. Open Text provides an invaluable resource—the „Orange Compatibility Matrix“—to simplify this.
What is the Orange Compatibility Matrix?
The Orange Compatibility Matrix is an essential document provided by Open Text that outlines which versions of OpenText Vendor Invoice Management for SAP Solutions (VIM) are compatible with various Open Text Capture solutions. It clearly displays supported configurations, ensuring you always pair compatible software versions to maintain system stability and optimize performance.
You’ll be directed to the article with a download link for the latest „Orange Compatibility Matrix for VIM and Capture for SAP Solutions“.
Download and refer to the matrix when planning software updates or troubleshooting compatibility issues.
Why is the Orange Compatibility Matrix Useful?
System Stability: Ensures your system operates reliably by confirming compatibility between VIM and Capture solutions.
Support Assurance: OpenText Support verifies compatibility using this matrix. Unsupported combinations are not eligible for official support, potentially leaving your organization without assistance during critical issues.
Simplifies Upgrade Planning: Clearly see what combinations of VIM and Capture solutions are certified to work together.
Regularly checking the Orange Compatibility Matrix will keep your SAP VIM environments running smoothly.
This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not supersede or replace the official documentation provided by OpenText. It serves as supplementary guidance to assist with common challenges that may arise during installation and upgrades. For authoritative instructions and compliance requirements, refer to OpenText’s official documentation.
The capture component used in conjunction with OpenText Vendor Invoice Management for SAP Solutions (SAP VIM) is usually Intelligent Capture for SAP Solutions (short: IC4S; on premise) or Core Capture for SAP Solutions (short: CC4S; hosted in the OpenText Cloud).
Continuous feedback allows the capture component of VIM to read and interpret more and more incoming .pdf-documents fully or partly. In some systems, however, it is simply never switched on. As a result, the automatic recognition of data on the documents never improves and a high manual validation effort is required. This is not only annoying but also expensive.
How does the learning work?
In simple terms, the process for continuous learning works like this:
The system (IC4S or CC4S) extracts as much data as possible from the document
The extracted data is corrected and supplemented by users in the validation client.
The corrected results are sent back to the capture component via the so-called feedback link, which expands the set of rules for extracting data and generally delivers a better result for the next similar document.
What is an Archive Link Document Type?
An Archive Link Document Type refers to a classification used for documents that are stored in an external archive system but linked to SAP transactions via SAP ArchiveLink. ArchiveLink is an SAP technology that enables the connection of external document management systems (DMS) to SAP applications.
In the simplest case, there is one archive link document type in a VIM project for storing, for example invoices, let’s call it “ZINVOICE”. Whether the learning is executed or not depends on the settings assigned for this archive link document type.
In VIM projects, usually one or more archive link document types are created for both invoicing and non-invoicing processes. These allow you to create your own scenarios independently of the document types supplied with the product.
My recommendation here is always to create your own archive link document types. This makes customization easier and you don’t run the risk of accidentally resetting all possible settings during the next VIM upgrade. However, this also opens the door for the customizing mistake which I describe in this article.
Is my system learning or is it standing still?
You can find out in just a few minutes whether your system is learning, or at least is encouraged to learn (in addition to this setting, there are also other reasons that can prevent learning).
First we find out which Archive Link document type we are using, the quickest way to do this is in transaction /OTX/PF03_WP (VIM Central Workplace) in the work center Inbound administration.
/otx/pf03_wp
Select the „Processed“ note and select the line of a recently processed document.
In the line you can scroll to the right until you see the column „Document type“. Note all the Document types you are using. For example „ZINVOICE“.
The next step ist to check the customizing in /OTX/PF00_IMG.
/otx/pf00_img
Navigate to Inbound Configuration > Capture > Feedback:
In the table you should see all active archive link document types you are using with an active checkbox next to them:
In case you archive link document type is missing here there will be no learning taking place after validating documents. This means that your validation process does not generate a sustainable learning effect but is only valid for the current document.
My learning is not activated, how do I solve the problem?
The problem is quickly solved. Add the missing entry in the development system, test, transport and the issue is resolved (learning will only take place for newly processed documents).
Why didn’t we realize this earlier?
In the case of non-invoice-related document processes, the problem is usually immediately apparent because without learning results, not a single field (with the exception of business entities) is recognized and therefore an exorbitantly high validation effort is required.
The situation is different for invoice-related processes, where the product standard already provides basic recognition results, which are then improved by validation. Therefore you already have a basis of recognition results and do not initially notice that the feedback is missing.
Conclusion
This setting is very simple but unfortunately easy to overlook. The system does not complain about the missing setting and everything initially appears to be working. If this article has helped you to resolve a big problem in a simple way, I would be happy if you share it!
This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not supersede or replace the official documentation provided by OpenText. It serves as supplementary guidance to assist with common challenges that may arise during installation and upgrades. For authoritative instructions and compliance requirements, refer to OpenText’s official documentation.
Please note that this article is not about the VIM Invoice process but VIM Solutions Beyond Invoice which is, for example, used to process sales orders, quotations, remittance advices, order confirmations or fully custom document processes (including capture & recognition using OpenText Intelligent Capture for SAP Solutions [IC4S]).
VIM Solutions Beyond Invoice is formerly known as Business Center and sometimes referred to as VIM Beyond.
Similar to the invoice process, the document process in SAP VIM Solutions Beyond Invoice is made up of data enrichments, roles, business rules and actions. In today’s article, I will show you how to quickly and easily create and configure an individual business rule. I also provide my template which allows an easy start for your new business rule.
Creating a Business Rule class
Create a new class using superclass /OTX/PF04_CL_MODULE. You can use for example SE24 or SE80 to achieve this.
/OTX/PF04_CL_MODULE
To implement a business rule you must redefine method /OTX/PF04_IF_MODULE~MODULE_EXEC_CHECK.
/OTX/PF04_IF_MODULE~MODULE_EXEC_CHEC
In earlier versions, data was changed with the help of business rules. This is becoming obsolete today and should therefore be avoided. Business rules check data, data enrichments change data. It is easy to convert old business rules into data enrichments.
As a starting point you can use my business rule template:
ABAP TYPE z01ca_otx_bc_pli. “ line item table
ls_plh = pis_plh.
lt_pli = pit_pli.
pe_mod_run_status = /otx/pf04_if_category=>mc_run_stat_success. “ set rule to successful initially
LOOP AT lt_pli ASSIGNING .
CLEAR: lv_pos, ls_msg.
„[…] logic
“ pe_mod_run_status = /otx/pf04_if_category=>mc_run_stat_failed. “ set rule to failed
ls_msg-msgty = ‚E‘.
ls_msg-msgid = ‚Z…‘.
ls_msg-msgno = 123.
ls_msg-msgv1 = ‚This rule always fails..‘.
„[…]
APPEND ls_msg TO pet_mod_msg.
ENDLOOP.
ENDMETHOD.“ style=“color:#657B83;display:none“ aria-label=“Copy“ class=“code-block-pro-copy-button“>
METHOD/otx/pf04_if_module~module_exec_check.DATA: ls_plh TYPE z01ca_otx_bc_plh, " header table lt_pli TYPE TABLE OF z01ca_otx_bc_pli, " line item table lv_pos TYPE cLENGTH10, " line item position for messages ls_msg TYPE SYMSG. " messageFIELD-SYMBOLS: TYPE z01ca_otx_bc_pli. " line item table ls_plh = pis_plh. lt_pli = pit_pli. pe_mod_run_status = /otx/pf04_if_category=>mc_run_stat_success. " set rule to successful initially LOOP AT lt_pli ASSIGNING.CLEAR: lv_pos, ls_msg."[...] logic" pe_mod_run_status = /otx/pf04_if_category=>mc_run_stat_failed. " set rule to failed ls_msg-msgty ='E'. ls_msg-msgid ='Z...'. ls_msg-msgno =123. ls_msg-msgv1 ='This rule always fails..'."[...]APPEND ls_msg TO pet_mod_msg. ENDLOOP.ENDMETHOD.
Customizing for a SAP VIM Solutions Beyond Invoice Business Rule
Now we have created the class for our business rule and have to create the corresponding customising, which can be done very quickly in the transaction /otx/pf00_img.
/otx/pf00_img
Navigate to Process Configuration > Profiles:
Select your Profile Configuration and navigate to the corresponding Version > Characteristic Configuration and select Process Steps. Select the process step where you want to add the business rule, then navigate to Rules.
When creating the rule, it is important that the rule type here is CHK. Change (CHG) rules are obsolete and have been replaced by data enrichments. Your business rule should not change any data.
Don’t forget to activate the active checkbox on the right-hand side of the screen, as this can easily be overlooked depending on the screen resolution.
Basically, the rule is now active and can be tested. In Customizing, however, you still have to decide which role can skip which rules in which step. Depending on the number of steps and roles, this can be quite extensive:
In general, the simulation of each step should be allowed in all steps and the skipping of rules should also be permitted.
Final Thoughts: Less Is More
When crafting business rules for non-invoice scenarios in SAP VIM, it’s tempting to add a high number of rules to check every possible scenario. But complexity can lead to confusion of the end users and slow performance.
Focus on the minimal rules that truly matter—clearly defined conditions, straightforward actions, and well-documented workflows. It can also make sense to group multiple checks into one business rule to declutter the workspace. For example the rule missing material number and invalid material number can be combined into one rule.
By keeping it simple, you’ll speed up maintenance, reduce errors, and allows you to adapt more quickly when requirements change.
This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not supersede or replace the official documentation provided by OpenText. It serves as supplementary guidance to assist with common challenges that may arise during installation and upgrades. For authoritative instructions and compliance requirements, refer to OpenText’s official documentation.
When upgrading or installing OpenText Vendor Invoice Management for SAP Solutions (SAPVIM), it is often necessary to activate so-called BC Sets (Business Configuration Sets). A BC Set (Business Configuration Set) in SAP is a tool that allows users to store, manage, and transport configuration settings efficiently. It acts as a template for predefined customizing settings that can be applied to an SAP system, ensuring consistency and reducing manual effort in system configuration.
Check all the available documentation before starting with the activation
Compiling a list of the necessary BC Sets and activating them in the correct order can be challenging, especially given the current state of the VIM documentation.
To ensure a smooth process, it is essential to not only refer to the Installation Guide but also carefully review the Configuration Guides and Release Notes. Also refer to the documentation for all service packs included in the upgrade, not only the latest one.
Never forget to export the table comparison
One of the most critical steps when performing an upgrade—especially in complex SAP environments—is to conduct a thorough comparison between the BC Set and the existing table contents before activation. This step ensures that no essential configurations are overwritten, lost, or modified unexpectedly, which could lead to system inconsistencies or functional disruptions.
During an upgrade, new BC Sets introduced by OpenText may contain updated settings that enhance functionalities or align with new system requirements. However, they may also overwrite existing custom configurations, potentially impacting workflows, document processing, or approval rules. A careful comparison allows you to identify discrepancies, retain necessary custom settings, and selectively adopt only the relevant changes.
To prevent accidental data loss, it is highly recommended to create a complete backup of the table contents before making any modifications. This backup acts as a safety net, allowing you to restore previous configurations if unexpected issues arise during or after the activation of new BC Sets.
Taking the time to perform this verification process not only safeguards critical system settings but also minimizes downtime and troubleshooting efforts in case of unintended changes. In the following section, we will go through the exact steps to compare BC Sets with table contents and securely back up configurations before proceeding with the upgrade.
Exporting the SCPR20 table comparison to .html (without cutting off important tables by mistake)
Entering the comparison in SCPR is easy by clicking on the button below:
The displayed list usually shows you all the data which is different (yellow) or new (green).
In general, the export of the table comparison is often forgotten. However, if the export is carried out, there is another pitfall that should not be overlooked, otherwise data may be lost. We have to go into the output options for this.
The output width is set to 150 by default, increase the number to 800. if tables, labels and content exceed 150 characters, they will otherwise be cut off and important information may be lost. Please also check whether 800 is sufficient here, I have not noticed any data loss in the exported files with this number. Do not change anything else in these settings.
Now that we have prevented the file from being truncated, we can continue with the export. To do this, we go to List, Save/send and then to File.
I prefer to save the comparison files as .html. This is small, clear and universally applicable. In addition, I don’t have to worry about Microsoft Excel versions and separators.
For the file name I recommend using the BC Set name with „/“ replaced by „_“. Also creating a folder per service pack level does help to keep the overview. I also recommend to replace the suggested .htm with .html. At least on my computer this helps with directly opening in my browser on double click.
The export gives you a .html file which is lightweight and provides a very good overview. I recommend storing all the BC-Set comparisons together with your documentation. This is applicable for every single BC-Set in every service pack level.
If you have paid very close attention, you will notice that in the screenshot above the BC sets of VIM 7.6 SP 5 are compared with the table contents of VIM 7.6 SP 6. This is of course not a realistic scenario and the BC sets should never be activated as shown in the comparison.
One of the main reasons I prefer using .html as an export format is that it allows for seamless copying and pasting into Excel while preserving the structure and formatting of the data. Unlike plain text or CSV files, which may require additional adjustments, HTML tables often retain proper column alignment, making the data immediately usable for further processing, analysis, or reporting in Excel. This method helps avoid common issues like misaligned columns, missing delimiters, or incorrect data types, ensuring a smooth workflow when handling exported information.
Conclusion
This may seem like a lot of effort, but failing to carefully verify BC Sets before activation can lead to serious issues. If a BC Set overwrites an important configuration, and you only realize it after deploying transport requests into the production system, it becomes extremely difficult to trace back what was changed and when. At that point, identifying the root cause of the issue can be time-consuming and complex, often requiring manual comparisons, system rollbacks, or troubleshooting unexpected system behavior. Taking the time to perform a thorough review and backup beforehand can save countless hours of debugging and help avoid disruptions in critical business processes.
With that in mind, I hope this guide helps make your VIM upgrade process smoother and more efficient. Wishing you great success with your upgrade.
