Tango

SAP functionality with a Microsoft Office interface

What is TANGO?
Advantech’s Tango is a connectivity kit between SAP applications and MS Office 2007. The solution simplifies everyday office tasks performed on multiple systems by presenting the SAP business functionalities directly from the familiar MS Office interface.

NOTE:
Tango currently works in the SAP environment, but can be used in other environments such as Oracle Applications, Microsoft Dynamics Solutions or other legacy business systems that may exists in your organization.

What does the TANGO solution solve ?

• Enterprise content management integrated with the SAP environment.
  By mapping the SAP environment elements in the content management tools provided by MOSS we can transparently display SAP data and business elements in the Office Desktop. Features include SAP data populated lookup fields, category filtering, advanced searches in data lists and other integrated functionalities.
• Enterprise search including SAP environment results.
  The Tango kit includes embedded components for integrating in the MOSS enterprise search, to provide data locating and extracting capabilities from multiple sources, including SAP environments. The method uses the following search engines
  • Live search
    Based on preset (SAP based) result-set retrieved on-demand directly from data sources immediately as the search request is posted. This method requires no indexes or batch processes.
  • Indexed search and unified ranking
    Search results are based on an index tuned for retrievals for search requests and updated by a batch processes. The index is rebuilt completely or partially at set intervals determined by the system manager.
    
• Electronic forms (using InfoPath) for SAP based information sources
  MOSS form technology is used to create fully functional forms based on SAP defined data sources. These forms can, with no development, be customized as personalized forms and displayed using desktop InfoPath, Internet browser (published as web forms) or a document based properties panel adding metadata attributes to Office Client structured documents.
• Enterprise content management integrated with SAP.
  Information from SAP entities can be mapped to MOSS structured knowledge management, and then transparently embedded and displayed in enterprise portal objects, such as lookup values. Other features include searching, filtering, sorting and grouping data from multiple sources, including SAP.
• Structured MOSS work processes Integrating with SAP environments.
  MOSS server includes a workflow engine as well as a set of structured business processes ready for implementing electronic forms. These business processes can be customized to perform activities such as: form creation, internal approval processes, publishing to portal or customer applications. Each action can combine SAP based information or be part of SAP business processes.
• Using Excel services and MOSS embedded BI tools for integrating business analysis and data extraction capabilities from SAP environments.
  Integrating entity data, aggregated data and reporting from SAP environments such as BW. The engine enables collecting and displaying BI information using KPI dashboards, pivot tables, graphs and aggregative reports with the added functionality of conditional formatting. The data can be personalized using authorizations and presented in spreadsheets, internet browsers, and enterprise portals.

Examples of Tango based applications

• Procurement process, by opening a purchase order document template and choosing the contacts from a dropdown list populated with information from the SAP environment. The document is internally approved using a workflow and then initiates the SAP procurement process.
• Producing a company balance sheet, by opening a spreadsheet template and choosing the company or department as parameters. The parameter choices and report results are based in the SAP system.