Chapter 6. PCs, NCs, and PrintersUser Interfaces and Output Management

The front-end and output devices are often forgotten in SAP projects, because of the low cost per unit. However, in most installations, there are plenty of them. According to a recent Gartner Group study, the front-end infrastructure accounts for an astonishing 10% of the SAP hardware budget. Moreover, the percentage of day-to-day operating costs is even higher. Therefore, it may be worthwhile to consider the pros and cons of the different types of user interface offered by SAP.

In spite of the often-promised paperless office, business processes still generate a flood of hard copy. Severe output performance problems as well as management problems can be expected after going into production without a well-planned printing strategy.