SAP-Based Online Translation Solution

This blog provides a high-level overview of creating a translation solution within the SAP environment. The solution enables effortless translation of text and documents directly within SAP, eliminating the need to switch to external translation tools.

We developed this solution for Purchase Requisitions (PR), Purchase Orders (PO), and Vendor Invoice Management (VIM) invoices, focusing on translating approval texts and attached business documents. This tool's value has been widely recognized, driving its adoption across various projects in our organization.

By leveraging API calls to an in-house translation service (like Microsoft Translator or Google Translate), the solution delivers translated content—text or files—within seconds, ensuring users can remain within the same SAP interface. The ABAP program and API integration handle all background processes seamlessly.

Explore this blog for an in-depth understanding of this innovative solution.

Background:

In today’s globalized business landscape, managing multilingual documentation within SAP systems poses a significant challenge for enterprises. This is particularly true in finance and procurement, where vendor invoices, user comments, approval texts, and attachments often involve multiple languages. Ensuring clarity and consistency in such scenarios is crucial for maintaining efficiency and accuracy.

While online translation tools have proven invaluable in bridging language gaps, frequent switching between SAP and external tools disrupts workflows. As technology evolves, integrating translation capabilities directly into SAP systems becomes more than a convenience—it’s a necessity.

By automating and embedding translation solutions within SAP documents, businesses can enhance productivity, streamline processes, and foster collaboration without disrupting the user experience.

To implement such a solution, the essential components include:

• User Interface: To facilitate seamless interaction for translating text and documents within the SAP environment.
• Database: To store and retrieve saved text and documents as required.
• Translation Tool: To provide the core translation service, integrated via an API for fast and accurate translations.

Technical Design:

Developed within the SAP ecosystem, this solution completes the translation process within seconds through API calls from the user’s SAP/Fiori screen, ensuring workflow efficiency remains uninterrupted.

Additionally, the solution is highly adaptable, integrating seamlessly with various SAP business objects, including Purchase Requisitions, Purchase Orders, Invoices, and more, making it a versatile tool for an organization.

This solution consists of:

• API Layer: Facilitates secure communication between SAP and the online translation service, using REST or SOAP protocols.
• ABAP Integration: Custom ABAP programs handle API calls and manage the data flow between SAP and the translation tool. This program can be re-used in Odata when translation is triggered from Fiori App.
• Error Handling & Logging: Ensures robustness by logging API interactions and managing fallback scenarios in case of connectivity issues.
• Data Security: Employs encryption and secure access mechanisms to protect sensitive business data during translation.

Text Translation

‘Text Translate’ button in VIM DP – ‘Show Detail Pane’. The same button has been created in Fiori App.

The SAP GUI and Fiori user interfaces have been designed to initiate the translation API call. Users can select the source language and the desired target language, then click the "Translate" button to start the translation process.

File Translation

Max File size: 50 MB (as supported by the translation tool)

Supported file formats for business documents: TXT, DOC, DOCX, DOCM, XLS, XLSX, XLSM, PPT, PPTX, PPTM, RTF, PDF.

The file translation process retrieves attachments associated with the business object from either the SAP database or an archive server.

‘File Translate’ button in VIM DP – ‘Show Detail Pane’. The same button has been created in Fiori App.

‘File Translation’ option in GOS menu – PR, PO screen

This above option is enabled in GOS menu by updating below entry in table SGOSATTR.

The translation screen will display all available attachments associated with the business document in focus.

Users can select any listed document, choose the source and target languages, and click the "Translate" button to initiate the translation process. This process is real-time, meaning no data or files are saved during the translation.

Note: Users can select multiple files for translation; however, this may increase processing time.

Conclusion:

This custom solution, built within SAP, has proven to be an essential tool for managing multilingual transactions, particularly in finance and procurement.

This SAP solution transcends linguistic challenges, offering a forward-thinking approach to seamless interaction and operational excellence.

Thank you for taking the time to read through this blog.

I welcome any feedback or suggestions you may have and would love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to connect if you’d like to explore more insights together!