Beyond Hardware: Navigating the New Rules of SAP Output

Microsoft’s move to Windows Protected Print Mode (WPP) creates a significant hardware gap, particularly for the thermal printers that are the lifeblood of SAP-driven supply chains. In the first part of our interview with Guy Tucker, Solutions Architect at LRS Solutions, he highlighted the challenges that this gap can create.

However, the hurdle extends beyond device compatibility. This is because a fundamental change in how Windows communicates with printers threatens to break the sophisticated commands sent from backend SAP jobs.

The Challenge With Print Commands

Take, for instance, the case of printing a multi-page invoice that needs to be stapled and retrieved from a specific paper tray. “In the traditional SAP environment, these finishing options are embedded into the printer data stream using device types, which are analogous to drivers,” Tucker says.

However, the new WPP architecture changes the rules. It uses a driverless Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) model that relies on a real-time conversation with the printer. “These IPP devices don’t support any of that; they only support PDF, which does not allow for these finishing options,” Tucker notes.

Moreover, Tucker provides a stark assessment of whether these critical finishing commands can be reliably passed from a backend SAP job through this new architecture: “Today, they really cannot.” This means that out of the box, the new standard for Windows printing lacks a mechanism to support the nuanced control that complex SAP business processes demand.

What SAP Users Can Do

According to Tucker, the first and most crucial step is awareness and testing. Printing is often an afterthought in major IT projects. “The world tends to forget about print,” Tucker says. “It’s the last thing that’s ever talked about when you migrate.”

Therefore, the most vital action to take in the next six months is to audit your environment and then, as Tucker puts it, “Test, test, test, test. Understand which processes rely on Windows print servers and which devices are not Mopria-certified.”

Second, don’t treat printing as a low-priority task. Tucker observes that, in his 20-year career, he has found output management to be the most challenging of all IT disciplines, encompassing security, networking, IoT, and more. Still, too often, customers will put a new user on print. For organizations like those in manufacturing, logistics, or healthcare, this needs to change.

Enabling a Unified Solution

Finally, organizations must recognize that they may need a dedicated solution. The most robust way to protect critical backend SAP printing is to remove Windows from the equation entirely. Tucker notes that for LRS Output Management customers, all the backend printing never touches Windows. “By sending output directly from SAP to an external output management system, you can bypass the WPP problem for your most vital documents while still managing front-end printing through tools architected for the new WPP world,” Tucker notes.

What This Means for SAPinsiders

Technical control can be lost in translation. The WPP model’s reliance on PDF breaks the traditional method SAP uses to control specific printer functions, such as stapling or tray selection. This means even if an organization has a Mopria-certified printer, its automated SAP jobs may fail to produce documents with the correct finishing. This could lead to manual rework and process delays. Currently, there is no native way to translate these commands in a WPP environment.

A set-it-and-forget-it approach to printing is now a liability. As Tucker emphasizes, printing is often the last thing tested during a migration, which can lead to go-live failures. SAPinsiders must now proactively audit their entire print landscape, from device types to physical hardware, and conduct extensive testing to understand the potential impact of WPP on their specific workflows.

A centralized platform offers a unified solution. LRS Output Management provides a path forward for both backend and front-end SAP printing. For critical backend jobs, LRS Output Management intercepts the output directly from SAP, bypassing Windows servers, thus avoiding WPP issues entirely. For front-end user printing, the LRS Personal Print Manager is being adapted to intercept the new IPP data stream, allowing it to manage output centrally, drive non-certified printers, and ensure a consistent, secure user experience even in a mixed-WPP environment.