Date

Author/Filename

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SAP Business Workflow

(BC-BMT-WFM)

Copyright Siemens Business Services

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What is WorkFlow ? Need for Work flow Benefits of Workflow

Workflow Builder Components of Workflow Other Tools

Global network of innovation

What is Workflow ? Need for Work flow Benefits of Workflow

Workflow Builder Components of Workflow Other Tools

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What is WORKFLOW ?
SAP Business Workflow can be used to define business processes that are not yet mapped in the R/3 System These may be simple release or approval procedures, or more complex business processes Workflow is nothing but sequence of actions taken (Tasks) that follows some event
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What is Workflow ?
The component uses the existing transactions and function modules The functionality and operability of the existing transactions and function modules are neither changed nor restricted by the workflow control SAP Business Workflow does not intervene in the programmed processes within a transaction
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What is Workflow ?

Need for Workflow Benefits of Workflow Workflow Builder Components of Workflow Other Tools

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Need of Workflow
The common problem in manual coordination is : Inefficiency Each lacks a way to trace where a task is Who executed(or is executing it), How much time it required.

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Need of Workflow
The workflow ensures that the right work sent to right person at the right time in the right sequence with the right information.

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What is Workflow ? Need for Work flow

Benefits of Workflow Workflow Builder

Components of Workflow Other Tools

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Benefits of Workflow
Business Process Integration Intelligent Routing Flexible task assignments Proactive approach Substitution and backup facility Process monitoring capability Deadline monitoring Statistical analysis
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What is Workflow ? Need for Work flow

Benefits of Workflow

Workflow Builder Components of Workflow Other Tools

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Workflow Builder snap shot-1

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Workflow Builder snap shot-2

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Workflow Builder
In the Workflow frame, you see a close-up of some of the workflow steps that comprise the workflow definition. In the Overview area, to the right, you see a birds-eye view of the complete workflow definition, inclusive of all its workflow steps. This overview offers a handy way to navigate or resize the main view in the center of the screen.
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Workflow Builder
In the Step types area, you see all the types of workflow steps or iterations. These can be selected one by one and dropped into the workflow. In the Navigation frame, to the left, you find a quick navigating tool that takes you directly to a detailed view of any of the steps in the workflow.

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Workflow Builder
My workflows and tasks shows workflows and tasks that you have used previously or that you have assigned to your work area. These can be dragged into the workflow definition as needed. Document templates shows a list of PC file templates (such as MS Word or Lotus SmartSuite) that can be used as is within the workflow or even modified (such as the address field being filled in) as the workflow progresses. Workflow container shows the variables, container elements, used in the workflow.
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Workflow Builder-Functionality

Create Workflow Event linkage Create Activity Data Binding between various containers

And Much more .

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What is Workflow ? Need for Work flow

Benefits of Workflow Workflow Builder Components of Workflow Other Tools

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Components
Business Objects Events Task Work Item Agent Container
Workflow container Task container Method container Event container

Binding
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Business Objects Types

Object types include:
Documents such as invoices, purchase requisitions and job applications Master data such as customer, material, and vendor Movement data such as order or quotation

Object types are described and implemented by specifying

keyfields attributes methods with parameters, result and exceptions events with parameters implementation program
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Business Object

A type of related information that can be addressed uniquely using an identifying key Most of this information is stored in an ABAP Dictionary table Object makes it available to your program under one roof

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Business Object Repository (BOR)

The Business Object Repository provides a full directory of all object types in hierarchical order. The object type must be defined before its data (objects) can be used in the system.

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Events
Event publishes the object's status change in the system We mainly use Events to start workflow processes They can start tasks (triggering events) They can also complete tasks (terminating events).

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Task
Standard task (single-step task, task type TS) Customer task (single-step task, task type T ) Workflow template (multistep task, task type WS) Workflow task (multistep task, task type WF) Task group (task type TG)

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Define a Task

To create a single-step task, you must know the object type and its method to be executed with the task. To create a multistep task, you must be familiar with the business process you wish to map as a workflow definition, its flow and its individual steps.

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Work Item

Work item is object that represents a task or action in the workflow system at runtime Work items are subdivided into a specific work item type according to their assignments The internal processing procedures are controlled via this work item type

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Work Item
Dialog Work Items (Type W) :
Work item that represents a task at runtime that requires interaction with the user It is displayed in Business workplace of agent When a dialog work item is executed, the underlying object method of the task is called

Background Work Item (Type B) :

Work item that represents a single-step task at runtime whose execution does not require a dialog it can be controlled automatically by the system. Type B work item are not displayed in Business workplace
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Work Item

Work queue work item (Type A) :

A work queue is a list of objects to be processed once and together in a limited time frame.

Workflow work item (Type F) :

Runtime presentation of a workflow

Missed deadline work item ( Type D) :

Work item for notification when deadline missed

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Agent
Agent is the person who is going to receive the work item in his Business Workplace and carry out the task which requires user interaction. Generally they are the employees in company organization who take certain decisions. Possible agent :
Users who are authorized to start a task (not necessarily start a task always) and execute the associated work item Without possible agents a task cannot be executed or started in dialog
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Agent
Responsible agent :
Users who actually receives the Work Item The system establishes the recipient(s) of a work item from the intersection of responsible and possible agents If intersection of responsible and possible agents comes out to be NULL then the workitem is send to all the Possible agentsAgent

Excluded agent :
Users who should not execute the workitem even if they are in list of possible agents

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Containers
A basic common data structure of the various definition components and execution components of SAP Business Workflow. Containers have container elements to hold the following:
Values (constants) Structures Object references

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Workflow container

Data that you require for controlling the workflow execution directly Data that you want to forward from one step execution to another Every workflow container already contains workflow system elements

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Task Container

Each task container already contains

the workflow system elements and any additional elements for the method parameters of the referenced object method.

Need to create additional elements if

Additional information in work item text, in the task description or in the other texts Additional information is required to resolve a default rule

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Method and Event containers

The event container contains the event parameters as container elements. The method container holds the method parameters, which are used for information exchange between the caller of a method and the method.

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Binding

A binding is simply the art of pouring selected container elements from one container into another. The binding definition controls which container elements are transferred.

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Data Flow

Workflow Container x,y

Task-1 Container

Event Container

x, y

x, y, a, b

Task-2 Container

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What is Workflow ? Need for Work flow Benefits of Workflow Workflow Builder

Components of Workflow

Other Tools

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Other Tools

Simulate Event (SWU0) Create Event (SWUE) Report for Work Items (SWI1) Business Object Repository (SWO1) Task Maintenance (PFTC)

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Advanced Topics
Dead line monitoring Loops Container operation Forks Rules and responsibility Z-Business Objects Delegation Background Tasks
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Thank You
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