Introduction to SAP Business Workflow

Adrian Bruwer 2011-09-09

SAP R/3 Basis System

(BIT601 Unit 1)

Logistical

Sales & Distribution Materials Mgmt.

Financial Accounting

Financial

Controlling

Production Planning

R/3
Client / Server ABAP/4

Fixed Assets Mgmt.

Quality Mgmt. Plant Maintenance

Project System

Workflow Industry Solutions

Human Resources

WebFlow Engine: Architecture

(PPO C)

Click(BIT600 Appendix 1: Reviewstyles to edit Master text ) Second level Third level Fourth level Fifth level

(SWD D)

(SWO 1)

Workflow Architecture, understanding the Click to edit Master text styles Components (PPO a of Second level Third level Workflow C) Fourth level

Fifth level

(BIT601 Unit 1)

(SWD D) (SWO 1)

What is Business Workflow?

The key term here is workflow: the right agent doing the right work at the right time The right work: Whatever you want to execute within a workflow. This work must be implemented as a method of a business object type in the Business Object Repository. Methods can be implemented as BAPIs. You can then call them from
(BIT601 Unit 1)

What is Business Workflow? cont.

An individual step can refer to a method in the BOR, but it can also be used to control the process, for example, to allow loop processes, to query conditions or to fill the interface (= container) with values. The tool used for maintaining the process level is the Workflow Builder. The right agent: The organizational level establishes the link to the
(BIT601 Unit 1)

Workflow Concept:
(BIT600 Unit 2)

Which processes are particularly suited to the use of workflows? A workflow management system facilitates the electronic processing of structured processes that: Include a number of activities Always occur in a similar or identical form Involve several people or departments,

Advantages:
(BIT600 Unit 2)

As soon as a task is due for processing, it is delivered to the user in their electronic inbox (the effort of retrieving the task is avoided, because the system delivers it). All the information, explanations and instructions available are delivered to the user at the same time. The workflow branches automatically to the correct transactions of the SAP

Who? What? With what Object? When? In what A workflow definition describes the Order?
(BIT600 Unit be business process to 2) mapped, for example approving vacation.

A workflow definition consists of individual, sequential steps. Each step describes one action in the workflow process e.g. Creating Order, Checking Order, Creating a loop for resubmission (control step), Waiting for the result of another process

Events:
(BIT600 Unit 2)
The event is only defined in the Business Object Repository. If the status of an object changes during a process, the application must trigger the relevant event. This publishes the event across the system, enabling a workflow to react to it. Events inform the system that something has happened. The workflow can react to an event if it is actively linked to the event. Events (for example, purchase requisition created) are published in the system and can be evaluated by all existing workflows. An outcome is a possible result of a step. You can define a specific reaction for each outcome in the workflow. Possible outcomes of the task approve request may be: approved, rejected, revised. A work item can be terminated by an event, by an exception or by a result of a method. In the workflow step, the possible outcomes are displayed on the Outcomes tab page. Outcomes can be deactivated, meaning that modeling is no longer necessary. The workflow then assumes an error status as soon as it reaches the outcome. There is a step type Event generator and Wait for event

SAP Organizational Management:

(BIT600 Unit 3)

Organizational units reflect the Organizational plan of the enterprise. They contain positions. The positions are occupied by holders, usually one holder per position. However, it is also possible for positions to be occupied by more than one holder on a percentage basis. Jobs are abstract descriptions of task assignments.

SAP Workflows in the Applications

Click to Internet for Step-by-step (Also search on edit Master text styles Second level guides)

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Find SAP Workflows:

(BIT600 Unit 4)(BIT601 Unit 1)

As of R/3 Enterprise, you can find which applications provide workflows as templates by consulting the documentation for the relevant application. In Release 4.6C, the documentation is available in the SAP Library under Basis Components Business Management SAP Business Workflow Reference Documentation. The templates delivered for different applications are listed under Workflow Scenarios in Applications. Some business processes are supported by ready-to-use workflows. These processes are supplied by SAP as SAP Workflows. Maintenance of possible agents and activation of event linkages must be performed by the customer themselves. To find SAP workflows in the system, choose Tools -> Business Workflow -> Development -> Definition Tools -> Tasks/Task Groups -> Display. Workflow templates have a key consisting of the task type WS and a sequence number. You can use the structure search to locate an SAP Workflow for a specific application area. You can expand this list until you find the workflow definition and Workflow Builder. Only if you do not find a suitable template, do you have to plan and implement the workflow yourself from start to finish.

Adapting and Using SAP Workflows

Determine the business process to be supported by SAP Business Workflow. Select an SAP workflow that meets your requirements. Create your organizational plan. Define possible agents for the tasks. Activate the event linkage for your workflow. Adjust the info texts for each customer.
(BIT600 Unit 4)

Approximate Procedure When Implementing a Workflow Scenario BOTTOMBusiness Object Repository: UP

Check to see whether a suitable object type exists and whether it has all of the necessary attributes, methods and events. If they are not available, you must enhance the object type to suit your requirements.
(BIT601 Unit 1)

Automatic Workflow Customizing Click to edit Master text styles Transaction SWU3 Second level

Third level Fourth level Fifth level

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Initial Workflow setup includes:

Create WF-BATCH System/Background User using user administration function SU01, assigning this user the authorization profiles SAP_ALL and SAP_NEW Logical RFC Destination WORKFLOW_LOCAL_&MANDT& Set up Workflow Administrator responsible for the workflow definition from a technical point of view
(BIT600 Unit 5)

Business Workplace
(BIT600 Unit 6)

The Business Workplace is the interface between the user and the workflow system. The content of the worklist is compiled on a user-specific basis, so the worklist displayed always corresponds to the appropriate role, which can change according to the organizational assignment of the employee. The worklist contains all the work

Business Workplace in R/3

(BIT600 Unit 6) Click to edit Master text styles Second level Third level Fourth level Fifth level

Workflow Architecture
(BIT600 Unit 7)

The technical representation of business processes in the SAP system can be carried out as a workflow definition SWDD Tasks represent individual business activities in a workflow. Workflows in turn represent an entire business process PFTC Tasks represent an action that must be carried out. In all cases, they refer to exactly one method of an object type (business transactions). What? With what? The action may be a step which the system executes automatically in the background. In this case, there is no assigned agent. The action may be a dialog task. In this case, there are possible agents for the task. Who? Additional Data Maintain Agent Assignment. The work item text is the text in the .Title. column of the worklist.

Workflow Architecture
(BIT600 Unit 7)

Agent determination: The system first determines the possible agents defined during the task and then the responsible agents defined in the workflow. Selecting these two groups results in an overlap. The system deletes any excluded agents (on a step level) from this overlap group. The remaining agents are the work item recipients. They can access the work item. The first of these agents to access the work item becomes the The first of these agents to access the work item becomes the actual agent..

You can maintain the following texts in a Task: Description (task description, appears in the work item preview in the Business Workplace and in the work item detail display. Text on completion (text is sent to a specified user when the work item has

General Information on Task Definitions

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The Workflow Builder is divided into the following Steps: Tree structure with sequence of areas:
(BIT600 Double click on a the workflow steps. Unit 7) step to call the corresponding step definition.

Containers: Variables of the workflow interface Tasks: individual set of tasks and workflows for easy inserting and navigation Document templates: Displays

Adapting and Testing Workflow Templates

PFTC_CHG Copy and change AF_process to e.g. AF_process&uname& and process notification of absence triggering event FORMABSENC~CREATED, task 30000015 Call the Workflow Builder - The Workflow definition is displayed. You can go to the step definition by doubleclicking on a particular step. All of
(BIT600 Unit 7 Solution 12 Page 220)

Reporting and Troubleshooting

You can use the workflow diagnosis if you experience problems with a specific workflow. Run Tools Business Workflow Development ReportingWork Item Analysis report. You can use transaction SWU7 or SWU4 to test the consistency of a workflow or task definition. You should always check transaction
(BIT600 Unit 9)

MAIN Transactions
(BIT600 Appendix 3)

SWO1 - Business Object Builder SWDD -Main Workflow Builder, Edit WF Definitions SWUE - Trigger an event/Simulate an event PFTC - General task maintenance SBWP - The Business Workplace SWELS - Event Trace on Business Transactions

Tasks and Event Transactions

PFTC_INS Create Task/Task Groups PFTC_CHG Change Task/Task Groups PFTC_DIS Display Task/Task Groups PFTC_COP Copy Task/Task Groups PFTC_DEL Delete Task/Task Groups BSVW Status management (Events Creation) NACE Message Control
(BIT600 Appendix 3)