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SAP Business Workflow

Introduction based on BIT600

Patric Beuthen
SAP Consulting
Workflow Architecture
Workflow Organization
Business Workplace
Workflow Monitoring
Workflow Customizing
Workflow Transactions
Introduction – Why Workflow?

 Workflow
 The right work
 At the right time
 For the right agent
 or
 Who does
 What
 When
 With what object
 And in what sequence

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


General Information on Task Definitions

Task
Object type with Organizational
object method  WHAT carries  WHO could
plan
out the task carry out the
and HOW? task?

Features

Texts

 Work item text


 Task description
 Notification text
 Latest end text
 Required end text
 Latest start text

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Task Types

Tasks
Object Method Standard Task (TS)

Time-
independent &
client-
independent
Workflow
Workflow Workflow Template (WS)
Definition

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Step Definition: 'Responsible Agents' Responsibility

 Role: Customer names: A-G FI clerks


Restriction of agents according
to the organizational chart

 Possible agent for the task:


Post document
 linked with job: Financial
Clerk
 Role for the agent responsible:
Find FI Clerk
Customer
 Role parameters:
names: H-N
Customer name
Invoiced amount
 Work item (activity at runtime): Customer names: O - Z
Post document 4712
Invoiced amount: < $ 50,000
 Customer - Manley Corp.
 Invoiced amount - $258,300 Invoiced amount: > $ 50,000

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Workflows: Definition & Runtime Environment

Event definition Event

Event
manager
Workflow templates
Workflow Workflow
definition
Org + User Workflow Business
Workflow Builder
Management manager
Workplace
Rules for (Worklist)
Activities Work item
agent
determin- PFTC_.... transactions Work item
ation manager

Simple maintenance
ABAP WebFlow Execution
BOR
OO Services (methods, services)

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Workflow Architecture
Workflow Organization
Business Workplace
Workflow Monitoring
Workflow Customizing
Workflow Transactions
Integration of Organizational Management

 Integration of Organizational Management


 Task assignment according to responsibility/expertise at
definition time
Linking of tasks with possible agents and linking of
Workflow steps with the responsible agents
 Dynamic task distribution at runtime:
Determination of recipients of work items based on
information from the context of the workflow and the
objects processed
 High degree of transparency of business
processes and their responsibilities

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Creating an Organizational Plan (Simple Maintenance)

Production Sales Mexico


Executive Board
Step 2:
Step 1: Create additional
Create the root organizational units
organizational unit

Step 4: Step 3:
Assign holder Create positions
Sales
Lisa Thompson Administration

Step 5: Step 6:
Create jobs Assign tasks

Administrative tasks,
Sales Mexico
Tasks: Word processing, scheduling
meetings, phone calls
 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›
Creating an Organizational Unit

Organization and Staffing (Workflow) Edit Goto Settings System Help

Create a root organizational unit

Create Organization and Staffing (Workflow) Valid from 09.12.2002 to 31.12.9999

09.12.2002 + 3 Months
Search for Validity period
Organizational unit Task assignment query
Position Enterprise Group 20
Job Finance unit 20
Person Sales department 20
User Development department 20
Select link

Organizational unit

is described by Task
is line manager Organizational unit
Icon: includes Position
Create
object:
Organizational unit
 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›
Creating a Position
Organization and Staffing (Workflow) Edit Goto Settings System Help

Create Organization and Staffing (Workflow)

Search for
Organizational unit Task assignment
Position Financial accounting
Job FI_manager
Person FI_clerk
User
Details for position FI_clerk
Workflow templates
Standard task Basic Data
Task
Task group Position FI_clerk FI_clerk
Standard role Job General administrator
Object history .......
Select link
.......
.......
Organizational unit
is described by Task
is line manager Organizational unit
Create includes Position
icon

Object 'Position'
 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›
Assigning Users to a Position (1)

Search for
the relevant
user and
display it in
the selection
area

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Assigning Users to a Position (2)

Assign user
with
Drag&Drop

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Creating a Job

Menu item:
Edit - Create Jobs

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Exercise - Organizational Management (1)

- Create two users in SU01

- Create the following organizational hierarchy in PPOM


- Org Unit Company XX (Z_COMP_XX)
- Org Unit Department XX (Z_DEPT_XX)
- Position Manager XX (Z_MGR_XX)
- Position Employee XX (Z_EMP_XX)

- Assign the users to the positions above

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Exercise - Organizational Management (2)

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Workflow Architecture
Workflow Organization
Business Workplace
Workflow Monitoring
Workflow Customizing
Workflow Transactions
Business Workplace in R/3

Automatic
grouping
Worklist

Work item text

Tips/Tricks
Special
Overview work items Work item
tree preview
Your logo and text

Task description
Related
objects

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Business Workplace - Worklist (1)

Reserve
Display
attachment
Execute Replace
Create
attachment

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Business Workplace - Worklist (2)

Display Forward Resubmit

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Business Workplace - Other Functions

Individual configuration of columns displayed

Other functions for Dynamic columns


processing work items

- Set to ‘Done’
- Change deadlines
- Change priority

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Business Workplace: Substitution

You can maintain substitution in two ways:


 Personal substitute (for an SAP user)
 Position substitute

Substitutes may be
 Created and activated at the same time
 From the time of activation, the substitute automatically receives
not only their own work items, but also the substitution work
items.
 Created and not activated
 The substitute can take active control of the substitution function
at any time.
Until the substitute actively ends the substitution, only the
substitution work items are displayed in his or her Workplace.

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Work Item Display

Business
information is
displayed.

Appealing display
and clear layout
increase user
acceptance.

Attachments appear
immediately and
can be displayed
with a click.

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Technical Work Item Display

Technical
information
is displayed
(such as
deadlines).

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Workflow Log

Displays all recipients,


Chronological possible and excluded
process view agents Standard
workflow
log

Details of each step

Graphical
workflow
Details log
section
Green line shows
process progress
 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›
Workflow Outbox for Status Tracking

Work items that Workflows that Processed


you have you have workflows
carried out started  Quick and
simple overview
of processes
involved
 Task statuses at
Status of a glance
steps  Easier handling
of customer
queries

Work items that you


have forwarded Current
agent

Objects
involved
 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›
User View: Global Settings

Why do we need global settings?


 Just one workflow log or work item display is not enough
because different types of user have different requirements:
 Workflow modelers and administrators require access to all
technical information such as containers, workitem IDs, step
numbers, all step types and so on.
 Workflow end users do not require technical details, but have to
focus mainly on the work item content and would be distracted by
too many functions.

What steps are required?


 The administrator must define the standard values throughout the
system.
 All users can then perform their own settings.

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


User View: Personal Settings

Work item
display

workflow
log

Other
settings

Technical Application
users users

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Various Inboxes

SAP GUI for HTML Enterprise Portals

E-Mail

Microsoft Outlook

Lotus Notes
SAP GUI for Windows

Pervasive Computing

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Selection of Functions in Workflow Inboxes

Business Easy Web Outlook Mail Lotus Notes iView in


Workplace Inbox Inbox Inbox Enterprise Portal

Execute     

Add or read attachments     ()

Resubmit     ()

Substitution     

Set up substitution     

Outbox     

Automatic refresh     

Forward     ()

Query     ()

Graphical log     

Logs    ()

System-wide use possible     


(different folders)

Generic decision task   (different folders)  

Offline     

Desktop installation SAP GUI Web Browser SAP GUI + SAP SAP GUI + SAP Web Browser
(Windows or Outlook Integration Lotus Notes
Java) Integration

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Exercise – Business Workflow (Request & Approve)

Objects from
task group
TG70000023

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Workflow Architecture
Workflow Organization
Business Workplace
Workflow Monitoring
Workflow Customizing
Workflow Transactions
Workflow Reports

Was the workflow


started correctly?

What is the status


of a workflow?

Is there still an active workflow


instance for an object?

How evenly distributed is


the workload?

How many processing deadlines


were missed in the last
month?

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Reporting System

Workflow
log Workflow Work item
diagnosis analysis

Task Information
Workflow
analysis system
outbox

Object-specific Workload
evaluation analysis

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Reporting: Work Item Analysis

Work Items ….

Monitoring period
Today
Last 7 days
Last 30 days
Last 365 days
Time on  Work items Per Task
Interval from to (frequency)

Work item type


 Work items by
Dialog
Processing Duration
(Sub) Workflow
Background  Work items with
Monitored Deadlines
Task filter
Task
Task group (T)
Task group (TG)
Application component

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Reporting: Workload Analysis

User
Berner

Work items processed


Position for a user
S 500304 for a position
for a job
for an organizational unit
(you can specify a deadline limit)
Job
C 40932
Work items in the inbox still to
be processed
User for a user
Miller for a position
for a job
for an organizational unit
Org. Unit
O 500039

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Utilities: Work Item Selection

Criteria for the Selection Report


Work item ID
Work item type
Work item status
Task ID

Work items
Change work item
Display work item Display agent
Change priority
Display workflow log

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Work Item Types

 Dialog work item W


 Missed deadline work item D
 Workflow work item F
 Background work item B
 Wait step work item E

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Runtime Tools: Object Type & Object Information

Which tasks and workflows use


the 'Notification of absence' object type
in their definition?
'Notification
of absence'
object type Which instances exist for workflows and
tasks that use the 'Notification of absence'
object type in their definition?

Object Which work item refers to object


of absence' 1960 of the 'Notification of absence' object
object number type and in which Business Workplace
1960 is it to be found?

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Test Utilities for the Implementation Team

 Consistency check
 Workflow definition/task definition
 Customize the entire WebFlow engine.
 RFC protocol
 Manually start a task or workflow.
 First update the organizational assignment and then
provide the input data.

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Workflow Outbox in the Business Workplace

Business Workplace
The outbox in the
Business Workplace
provides each user
Inbox with an overview of the
work that he or she
Outbox carried out within the
workflow processes.
Started workflows
Flow item for WS30000015
Flow item for WS30000161
Flow item for WS99900035

Executed work items


Work item 1 for TS7869
Work item 2 for TS7869
Work item 3 for TS7869

Forwarded work items


Work item 1 for TS99900062

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Workflow Logs: Business and Technical

The following step types are filtered out in the business log:

Wait for event


Container operation
Event creator
Process control
Undefined steps

Activity and user decision


(marked with the 'Not in workflow log' option)

The display is not filtered in the technical log.

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Workflow Log: Workflow Chronicle View

Notification of absence
Work item status
Create request Completed
Approve request Completed
Access to
- Selected agents
- Possible agents
Access to work - Excluded agents
item history
Access to graphical
workflow log

Agent Executed Action Date Time Object Object name


Hugo Boss Dialog step created 07.10.1998 12:58:29
Hugo Boss Query sent 07.10.1998 13:00:33 Office document Query (1) ...
Hugo Boss Work item reserved for processing 07.10.1998 13:00:33
Hugo Boss Execution started 07.10.1998 14:13:52
Hugo Boss Processing complete 07.10.1998 14:15:32 Notification of absence 0000000245

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Workflow Log: Workflow Agent View

Patrick Smith

Notification of absence (Sub)workflow created


Create request Dialog step created
Create request Work item executed automatically
Create request Work item processing complete

Hugo Boss

Approve request Dialog step created


Approve request Query sent
Approve request Work item processing complete

Workflow system

Send mail Background work item created


Send mail Work item processing complete

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Workflow Log: Workflow Objects View

Notification of absence

Notification of absence (Sub)workflow created


Create request Dialog step created

WI for self method 000000123456

Approve request Dialog step created

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Workflow Log: List with Technical Details = Expert Mode

Workflow Test workflow


Workflow instance Test workflow
Instance number 000000872350
Start date 22.09.1998 Started by Patrick Smith
Start time 10:38:04 Current status In process

Workflow Chronicle View

Error Status Work item ID Node no. Task


Error Agent Executed Action Date Time

5 & 872350 1 Test workflow


Patrick Smith (Sub)workflow created 22.09.1998 10:38:04
Patrick Smith SWW_FI_START 22.09.1998 10:38:04
. 69 First letter of the surname
5 & 872351 71 Display all requests by SMITHPA
Patrick Smith Dialog step created 22.09.1998 10:38:04
Patrick Smith Work item executed automatically 22.09.1998 10:38:05

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Graphical Workflow Log

Status

Agent

Route
(green path)

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Workflow Architecture
Workflow Organization
Business Workplace
Workflow Monitoring
Workflow Customizing
Workflow Transactions
 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›
Overview of Customizing Activities

Activity Automatic Always Default entry used


required?
Maintain an active plan version   01

Check entries from the HR control table


Maintain prefix numbers 

Check number ranges


Configure RFC Destination   User WF-BATCH

Maintain a system administrator for workflow  SY-UNAME

Generally classify decision tasks  [W1]Your own user ID

Maintain a standard domain for Internet mail


Activate sending to objects and HR objects 

Maintain demo and verification environment 

Schedule background job for missed deadline  

Schedule background job for work items with  


errors
Schedule background job for condition evaluation  

Schedule background job for event queue 

Schedule background job for clearing report  

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Creating Prefix Numbers for Standard Objects

An entry is required for


each system and client
that you wish to use.

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Set Active Plan Version

Display view ‘Set Active Plan Version’: Overview


Table view Edit Goto Selection Utilities System Help

SWU3

Documentation

Group
Destination WORKFLOW_LOCAL_401
Sem. abbr. Valueabbrv. Description
PLOGI
RFC user PLOGI 01 Integration Plan Version / Active Plan
Version
RFC
password
Human Resources

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Activate Deadline Monitoring

Customizing step: Scheduling deadline monitoring - Job SWWDHEX

Deadline Monitoring Edit Goto System Help

Configure and Schedule Work Item Deadline Monitoring


Save and Schedule

Save and Schedule (F8)

Interval until next deadline check 3 (in minutes)

Job Attributes
Start date of background job 31.12.2999
Start time of background job 23:59:59
Name of background job SWWDHEX
Number of background job 03254301
Background Job Report RSWWDHEX

You must perform the Customizing activity if you want to monitor the
deadlines of individual workflow steps in the WebFlow Engine.
 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›
Set Monitoring of Incorrect Work Items

Schedule Work Item Error Monitoring


Work item monitoring List Edit Goto System Help
Save and Schedule

Information on monitoring temporary

Start Date of Background Job 13.06.1998

10:25:00
Start Time of Background Job
SWWERRE
Name of Background Job
10170901
Number of Background Job
Monitoring of Temporary Incorrect Work Items X
Interval until next rerun 20 (in minutes)
Retry counter for work items with errors 3

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Check Customizing

Start Verification Workflow


List Edit Goto System Help

SWU3

Start Verification Workflow

Event created - Verification workflow started

1. Switch to the Business Workplace. In your workflow


inbox, you will find a work item with a user decision.
2. Execute this work item. It contains two mails:
notifications of completion for this user decision and for
the following background step.

Integrated inbox -

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›


Workflow Architecture
Workflow Organization
Business Workplace
Workflow Monitoring
Workflow Customizing
Workflow Transactions
Useful Transactions

Transaction Code Description


PFAC Rule Maintenance
PFOS / PFSO Organizational Assignment
PFT / PFCT Task Maintenance
PPOC / PPOM Organization Maintenance
SWE2-3 / SWEL Event Type Linkage
SWI1-8 Workflow Analysis
SWO1 Business Object Builder
SWUE Event Creation
SWUS Workflow Test
SWU3 Customizing
SWDD Workflow Builder
SBWP Business Workplace
SWXF Leave Request Demo

 SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / ‹#›

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