Indirect access happens when people or systems use SAP software through another application rather than by logging in directly. A web shop creates sales orders in SAP. A warehouse system posts goods movements. A CRM triggers invoices. Nobody logs in to SAP, but SAP is being used, and under SAP's terms that use may need to be licensed.
How indirect access happens
Before Digital Access, the question was usually framed as "how many users does the external system represent?", which was hard to answer and easy to dispute. Counting documents is more measurable, though not always cheaper.
The Digital Access model
Under Digital Access, SAP counts specific business documents created in SAP by external systems, instead of counting every external user. Creating a document counts; viewing, updating or deleting typically does not.
The nine document types
Orders and other sales transactions.
Purchase orders and requisitions.
Customer and supplier invoices.
Goods movements and inventory postings.
Production and process orders.
Accounting postings.
Inspections and notifications.
Service and maintenance orders.
Time entries.
Assessing your exposure
- Inventory integrations
List every system that writes data into SAP, including middleware and batch jobs.
- Classify the documents
Which of the nine document types does each integration create?
- Estimate volumes
Annual document counts per type, from SAP's own measurement tools or your integration logs.
- Compare models
Model cost under your current user-based licensing and under Digital Access.
A simple map of integrations against document types shows where the volume, and the exposure, sits:
Before an SAP review
How MI One helps
Frequently asked questions
Does every integration with SAP create indirect access?
Not necessarily. It depends on what the integration does and your contract terms. Reading data is treated differently from creating documents.
Is moving to Digital Access mandatory?
SAP has offered programs to encourage adoption. Whether it is right for you depends on your integration volumes; model both options.
Can we reduce the document count?
Sometimes, by changing how integrations post data, for example consolidating many small documents into fewer ones where the business process allows it.
Sources
- Redress Compliance, "The 9 document types in SAP Digital Access explained." https://redresscompliance.com/the-9-document-types-in-sap-digital-access-explained