Bar Code & RFID Label Printing: Options for Printing from SAP

Generating bar code and RFID labels from the SAP environment is not always a straightforward process. The various versions and generations of SAP solutions are oriented to document printing and do not offer native support for most the specialized thermal printers used for bar code and RFID labeling. That means either the SAP solution or the printer has to be enabled to be compatible.

Over the years, many enabling solutions and workarounds have been created to enable bar code and RFID label output from SAP. There is no single or best way to enable SAP label printing. The suitability of each option varies according to the SAP environment (e.g. R/3, Auto-ID Infrastructure [AII], and SAP Business Suite), and the enterprise’s preference for how the solution will be implemented and supported. In general, the more components and process steps that come between the SAP application and the printed label, the more complexity, cost and risk the solution entails.

This white paper profiles the SAP output options for Intermec bar code and RFID label printers. It provides an overview of the five primary methods for producing bar code and RFID labels from the SAP environment (direct connection, SAPscript programming, XML printing, printer emulation and middleware); explains which of these options are available for SAP R/3, SAP AII and SAP Business Suite users; and details how Intermec supports each method.