Hi Sanjay,
SAP defines a “Digital Signature” in the online documentation as follows:
Logistics - General (LO)
Equivalent to a handwritten signature for the processing of digital data.
The digital signature ensures that:
• The signed transaction can only be carried out by users with a special authorization
• The signatory identification is unique and forgery-proof
• The signatory name is documented together with the signed transaction and the date and time, and cannot be falsified
The Quality Management (QM) application component uses the simple signature. This means, that a document is signed or approved by the signature of a single authorized person. You can use the digital signature for the following functions:
• During results recording
• At the usage decision
• When confirming the physical-sample drawing. This means, when releasing the first physical sample in a physical-sample drawing.
<u>http://help.sap.com/sapdocu/core/47x200/HELPDATA/EN/04/ec1003c3c811d182c90000e8323965/frameset.htm</u>
<b>Assign Personal Time Zone (maintain User Defaults)</b>
The “Personal Time Zone” for your User ID must be maintained. This assures that the signature date and time are correct for the individual user who “signs” the document.
This can be done using the following menu path System → User profile → Own data (or transaction SU3. Make sure to click on the “Defaults”
<b><i>Signature Method</i></b>
There are two main options for the Signature Method (Listed below as 1. and 2.). For this white paper, we use Option 1 (System signature with authorization by SAP User ID and password). This option is only available from R/3 Version 4.6c forward.
<b>System signature with authorization by SAP User ID and password</b>
As noted by SAP: “Here, you do not need an external security product. Just like when logging on to the system, users identify themselves by entering their User IDs and passwords. The SAP system then executes the digital signature. The user name and ID are part of the signed document.”
This signature method is available “out of the box” and requires no additional hardware.
To configure the signature method, use the IMG to navigate to “Define Authorization Groups and Digital Signature”
Once in the “Specify Signature Method for Simple Signature” Table, click on the “New Entries” button.
In the Signature object type field, we select the entries for “Inspection Lot: Results Recording” and “Inspection Lot: Usage Decision”
In the Signature Method, field we select “System signature with authorization by R/3 user ID/password”
<b>QM Material Authorization Group</b>:
Quality Management (QM) in SAP is primarily a material-based system. The QM view of the Material Master is set up at an “organizational level” of “Plant.” This means that the general Quality Control settings are activated based on a combination of Material and Plant. The case with digital signatures is also the same. In order to activate the digital signature in QM, you must
configure an authorization group in the QM View of the Material Master.
In this table, you can change an existing entry or add a new entry to create a QM Material Authorization Group based on your requirements. For our example, we will add QM Material Authorization Group 000099 with the following settings:
<u><i><b>• Approval for Inspection Lot – approval not required
• Digital Signature in Results Recording – required for results recording
• Digital Signature at Usage Decision – required for making the usage decision
• Digital Signature for Sample Drawing – not required</b></i></u>
Additionally, there is NOT a setting for Quality Notifications in this table. (Quality Notifications are not always based on a Material.) The digital signature for Quality Notifications is currently not available in Standard SAP. This functionality could be added via a Business Add-In or “BAdI” as some SAP customers have done.
<b>Adding the QM Material Auth. Group to the QM View of the Material</b>
Next we will add the QM Material Auth Group that we just created in Configuration to the QM View of the Material Master. As I stated earlier, the QM View is set up at an Organizational level of plant. I have an existing Material Master 10005723 that we will change via Transaction MM02
Next, select the plant at which you want to change the QM Settings:
Then, add QM Material Authorization Group 000099:
QM Auth Group. 000099, which we created earlier, will require a Digital Signature anytime we record results or make a usage decision for an inspection lot
In order to use the digital signature functionality, we must have the material set up to create an inspection lot. In this example, we have a Material Master that represents a semi-finished material that requires inspection at Goods Receipt from Production. In order to see the settings maintained for this material, click on the “Insp. setup” button:
The digital signature for results recording happens at the time the user saves the results for the Operation (digital signature is at the Operation Level). In this example, a digital signature is required for results recording (for the material/plant combination). This means that when the results are saved, SAP will now ask the user to verify his unique identity. A digital signature will be required for every operation that results are recorded against (e.g., 3 Operations = 3 Signatures). SAP will automatically record the associated Inspection Lot and Operation number in the “remarks” section:
The digital signature method we are using utilizes the SAP User ID and Password. This means that the person recording the results must enter their unique User ID (Signatory) and its associated Password in order to proceed. SAP will verify that the password is correct for that User ID, and then execute the digital signature—at which time the user name and ID become part of the signed document. If the password is incorrect, SAP will issue a message and allow the user to try again (up to the number of allowed attempts configured). In the case of too many failed attempts, SAP will lock the User ID.
It is possible to change the signatory to another User ID (the password must be correct for that User ID). This can be helpful in the case where a supervisor may need to sign off the results for one of her inspectors. The “Comment” section can be used for documentation.
The digital signature at Usage Decision happens at the time the user saves or changes a Usage Decision (transaction QA11 and QA12). This can happen for the stock posting or Usage Decision Code.
SAP automatically records the inspection lot number. The user can enter comments if needed and again must enter his unique User ID (Signatory) and its associated Password in order to proceed.
Lastly, SAP provides a transaction to review the digital signature logs. This is accessed via Transaction DSAL. As this is a common transaction that is used for multiple applications, you must select the application “inspection lot” to narrow down the entries
Regards
Rehman
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