SAP Business Workflow

 Is a tool automate the business processes

 To define business process that are not mapped in SAP system

 Is suitable for situations in which the processes have to be run through repeatedly

 Right Agent doing the Right Work at Right Time

 Goals
 Make process flows clear / transparent to those involved

 Increase employee responsibility

 Increase benefits to customers

 Optimize the quality of process

 Reduce long turnaround time

 High level of work distribution

 Creating a Workflow Scenario

Identify the Business process

Does an SAP
Workflow already
No
Yes exits in the
standard
system?

Use the SAP Workflow 1. Create a Workflow

2. Implement the Workflow

3. Test the Workflow

 Organization Management

Option 1:
 There is one chart for the whole company
 All workflows have to be connected to organizational from this structure
 This option does not have any specific structure for the workflow alone

Option 2:
 HR managers the general structure for all the employees in the company
 To support the workflow, there is a small specific structure for each business
process

Option 3:
 Your company does not have a general HR structure for all the employees
 To support the workflows, there will be one small structure for each process
 Terminology

Task : Tasks are the central element in the workflow system.

Method : Model function that is executed when Workflow is running.

Position : An Employee occupies a Position.

Event : A triggering point to start/stop the workflow.

Work Item : A mail in one’s Business Workplace / Workflow Inbox.

 Agents in Organization Management

Organization Unit : FI Dept

Tasks: 1, 2
Manager Job
Task: 1

Position : FI Dept Head User 1

Task: 1 Secretary Job Tasks: 2, 5

Position : Secretary
User 2

Position : Administrator 1 User 3

FI employee Job Tasks: 4, 6

Position : Administrator 2 User 4

 Business Objects

A Business Object is described of the following elements :

 Object Id - Unique Id of Object Type

 Key Field - Unique identifier of the object at runtime
 Attribute - Property of an Object: Entered by, Entered on, etc.
 Method - How can an object be edited? Create, Edit, Display etc.
 Event - Which state can an object adopt? Created, Changed etc.
 Status of Object Types
Object Types and their components have for statuses :

 Modeled : There is not yet a program for object type.

 Implemented : Program of the object can be called, but its not completed.

 Released : The program of the object type can be called by anyone.

 Obsolete : The object type/component has been replaced by another one.

After the Object type has been released it has to be delegated so that the
changes will be reflected in the system.
 Tasks
There are two main types of tasks :

 Tasks : Abbreviation TS, is one method of an object type and

represent one step in the business process. A task must have
possible agents based on organization model, an activity
group or all SAP users (general task).

 Workflow : Abbreviation WS, represents the business process and

consists of a sequence of individual tasks and control steps.
 Type of Tasks

Synchronous Tasks

 Task with synchronous method can have import, export parameters.

 Task is completed when the method returns the final confirmation.
 Task is completed when the application triggers the terminating event.

Asynchronous Tasks

 Task with asynchronous method can have only import parameters.

 Task is completed when the application triggers the terminating event.
 Containers
 Task Container : Task container always contains an element that can save the
reference to the object to be processed in the relevant single-step
task (_WI_Object_ID). It also contains the element
_WI_Actual_Agent” who actually executes the work item.

 Workflow Container : Contains the details of the Business Objects used in the
Workflow.

 Event Container : Contains an element that can save the object reference to the
object whose change of the status is made known using the
event
“ _EVT_Object”. It also always contains an element with the name
of the user who is responsible for changing the object
(_EVT_Creator)

 Method Container : Contains elements that are import parameters in connection

with the method execution.
 Binding Directions
Binding Example :

Binding

Event  Workflow Container

&EVT_CREATOR&  &_WF_INITIATOR&
&EVT_OBJECT&  &BUSINESS OBJECT&

Binding

Workflow Container  Task Container

&BUSINESS OBJECT&  &_WI_OBJECT_ID&
 How Does Data Reach the Containers

 Workflow Container
- From the container elements of the triggering event
- From the export parameters or results of the task
- By specifying input data when testing the workflow

 Task Container
- From Workflow Container
- From the terminating event
- From method parameters
 Rules and Responsibilities

 What is a Rule : It helps the application to find out the person

responsible for a particular job.

 When a Rule is Required : When we have to find out who is responsible for
a particular job.

 How Rule is Defined : It does not have to be programmed. Its purely

configuration and no code is involved in this.
 Ad Hoc Processing Options

Why Ad Hoc ?

 When it is not possible to find responsible agents at the time of definition

 Determine agents dynamically at runtime

 Define tasks for a business process step dynamically

 Use the ad-hoc anchor step to extend the workflow definition by adding an
additional workflow
 Monitoring Steps in Business Workflow

Requested Start : Earliest possible time for start of processing. The work item

does not become visible in recipient’s Business Workplace until

this time.

Requested End : Requested deadline for completion of processing of a work item.

Latest Start : Latest deadline for starting of processing of a work item.

Latest End : Latest deadline for completion of processing of a work item.

“JOB SWWDHEX HAS TO BE SCHEDULED TO EVALUATE THE MISSED

DEADLINES”
 Events and Workflow

Event processing in a Workflow : What do you have to do?

Which item have to be processed? Where is the setting implemented?

1. The event must be defined in Business Object Repository

the Business Object Repository
for the object type.

2. Workflow and Triggering Event Workflow Builder / Basic data

must be actively linked to each other.

3. Terminating Event for a Task Task Definition

can/must be defined.
 Linking the Workflow and the Event

Steps required for an Event to become a Triggering Event:

 In workflow container Business Object should have “Import”and “Mandatory”

properties checked.

 Enter the Event in the Triggering Event in the Workflow Template.

 Check the binding : _WF_Initiator  _EVT_CREATOR

<Object Variable>  _EVT_OBJECT

 Activate the event linkage

 Test the linkage between the event and the workflow using T-Code, “SWUE”
 Test Options in Event Environment

Checks in the Event Environment

 Check whether the event ink is error-free.

-- Transaction SWU0 -- Simulate Event

 Check whether the workflow starts and finishes correctly

-- Transaction SWUE -- Create Event

 Check whether the event is actually created by an application

-- Transaction SWEL -- Event Trace

 Check all the possible testing required

-- Transaction SWUD -- Outlines all the test transactions
 Testing a Workflow
Testing a workflow : Problems and Possible solutions

 An Event controlled workflow does not start.

- Check the event trace – was the event triggered?
- If no: How is the event triggered?

 A workflow is triggered repeatedly.

- Check the event trace – how many and which events are triggered?
- Check the triggered events.

 A workflow becomes corrupt.

- Check the technical workflow log.

 Work item is not in workplace of expected user.

- Search for created work item – where is the work item?
- Check agent assignment of the workflow step and the task
 More Steps in Workflow

 Use of Step type Fork and Document from Template

 Process multiline attributes of an object type

 Use the step types “Loop” and Form”

 Enter conditions affecting the start and end of a work item in the Workflow
Builder.