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SAP AG 1999

Contents:

What is SAP Business Workflow?

Introduction to Workflow Terminology

Advantages of Using Workflow

Introduction

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At the conclusion of this unit, you will be able to:

Define the concept of SAP Business Workflow

Outline the circumstances under which SAP Business Workflow can be used effectively

Define the basic SAP Business Workflow terminology

Introduction: Unit Objectives


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Course Overview Diagram (3)

Course Overview

Introduction

Organizational Structure

Review

Navigation

Reporting

Applying Workflow toYour Enterprise

Enhancing a Template

Outlook Integration

Workflow Templates

Appendix

Workflow Architecture

Business Workplace

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Goals of Reorganizing Business Processes

Increase employeeresponsibility

Customer orientation Better quality management

Focus on value addedby processes

Focus on value addedby processes

Workflow systems can helpyou to achieve these goals

Workflow systems can helpyou to achieve these goals

Increase transparencyof process flows

Several studies have identified the following to be fundamental problems in the area of office communication and organization:- Long processing times- Lack of process transparency- Lots of people involved and historically assigned tasks with the associated inefficiencies- Archives without secure and rapid access to documents- Inefficient and slow communication between those involved in processes

The aims of workflow management systems are to support business processes comprehensively, to make information accessible quickly, and to reduce throughput times, waiting times and transport times dramatically.

For this reorganization of business processes to be successful, management must actively support the project.Every department must play an active role in the development process. All employees should contribute their knowledge and experience.


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Covers all aspects of the process

The process flow itself (business activity)

SAP Business Workflow

The people involved (organization)

The effects(process information)

Workflow management systems are information technology tools for the technological implementation of Business Process Reengineering. They support and speed up business processes. They enable the employees involved to carry out complex business processes irrespective of time and place.

The flow of work is controlled and coordinated actively by the workflow management system. Control includes the monitoring of individual work steps and the initiation of appropriate escalation procedures if deadlines are missed. It is also possible to establish the current status of a process at any time.

1. SAP Business Workflow functions integrate and add to the comprehensive business functions of the R/3 System.

The integration of Organizational Management in SAP Business Workflow enables tasks to be linked with agents using organizational assignments.


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What Processes Are Particularly Suitable for SAP Business Workflow?

A workflow management system facilitates theelectronic processing of structured processes that:

Include a number of activities

Always occur in a similar or identical form

Involve several people or departments, and

Require a high degree of coordination

Workflow management systems control processes according to a predefined model and are particularly suitable for structured organizations


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Workflow Is Not ...

Simple document management (but workflowcan work with this)

Standard e-mail and groupware (but workflow canwork with these)

Data distribution across several systems (but workflowsupports this ALE and EDI option)

Screen sequence control in a transaction

Administration of temporary data

Administration of “one-off” processes

A tool that makes up for missing functions

Workflow cannot make up for missing SAP functions. If you cannot execute a function manually, you cannot execute it with a workflow either. The function must exist in the program code before it can be used by workflow.


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S A P A G 1 9 9 9

W o rk flo w : A d v a n ta g e s fo r E n d U s e rs

F a s te r , s im p le r a c c e s s to in fo rm a t io n

P ro c e s s e s a re e a s ie r to le a rn a n d u n d e rs ta n d

A d m in is tra t iv e ta s k s a re le s s d e m a n d in g

As soon as a task comes up, it is delivered to the user in their electronic inbox.(The burden of fetching the task is removed because the system delivers it.)

All the information, explanations and instructions available are delivered to the user at the same time. The workflow goes automatically to the appropriate R/3 transactions.

The workflow definition represents the business process or part thereof. Insurance companies were probably one of the first to demonstrate the advantages of a seamless

processing chain. Here, clerks are responsible for acquiring customers, concluding contracts, and providing support. This contradicts the basic principles of Taylorism, since the clerk must carry out these tasks across several applications and functions.


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S A P A G 1 9 9 9

F l e x i b i l i t y i n c h a n g i n g

P r o c e s s e s

O r g a n i z a t i o n a l s t r u c t u r e

U n d e r l y i n g t e c h n o l o g y

B e t t e r c o n t r o l o v e r

I n f o r m a t i o n

D e a d l i n e s

S e r v i c e l e v e l s

P r o c e s s c o s t s

W o r k f l o w : A d v a n t a g e s f o r M a n a g e m e n t

Deadline monitoring is a means of process control. It includes the option of initiating escalation procedures. For example, an enterprise aims to answer customer inquiries or create an invoice one week after the purchase order is received.

An escalation procedure can ensure that a particular employee is notified when a deadline is missed. A second type of escalation procedure caters for something to be done when a deadline is missed.

The employee responsible, either for processing the object or for escalation procedures, is determined automatically at runtime using the organizational structure or role resolution. For example, an employee could be responsible for verifying invoices by virtue of the fact that they are in a certain department in Organizational Management. The employee responsible when a deadline is missed can also be determined using the role ‘Find superior of’, for example.

Since agents are found by evaluating the organizational plan at runtime, the organization can easily be changed. The workflow will always determine the correct agents. It is not necessary to change the workflow.

Process flows can change. The workflow definition can be adapted in the Workflow Builder. A change takes effect when a new version of the workflow is activated.


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Increases production

Backlog reduction

Distribution of information and work:Every user gets their worklist automatically from the system

Speeds up processes

Cash discounts more often

Better/faster reaction to errors

Increases customer satisfaction

Processes completed more quickly

Better information flow

Workflow: Advantages for Enterprises

In the case of purchase orders, you can find out the current processing status - a function that is particularly important for customer service or for answering customer inquiries.

Even data for processes that have already been terminated is still available. You can therefore identify weak points in the process and optimize the process flow.

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A Business Process as a Workflow in SAP

SD clerk

Application

Change customermaster

Changedocument

Workflow

Flexiblelink

Production manager

Credit representative

Sales representative

Changeproduction

plan

Adjust creditlimit

Arrangevisit

... newmajor customer

It is possible for a change to a material master record to trigger a workflow automatically.

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SAP Business Workflow Terminology

Object Agent

Task RoleStep

WorkflowWork item Business Workplace(workflow

inbox)

EventEvent

A workflow glossary is available to help with terminology. You will find the glossary in the appendix as well as in the online documentation.

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Who? What?

With whatobject?

When?

In what order?

??Five Questions for Each Part of a Business Process

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Workflow definition

Controls the business process

Consists of steps

Can be triggered by events

In What Order?

A workflow definition describes the business process to be mapped, for example approving vacation. A workflow definition is made up of individual successive steps.

Each step describes an action in the workflow process.Example:- Create request- Check request- Loop for resubmission- Wait for the result of another process

As examples 3 and 4 show, actions in the workflow can be control steps.You can also refer to specific tasks, which have to be executed by selected agents. (Examples 1 and 2.) This is how a superior usually approves a leave request, for example.

Every step type in the workflow has its own symbol to make the definition easy to read. Workflows are usually triggered by events. These events are not dependent on the workflow, and must

be actively linked to it. The data is passed on automatically from workflow step to workflow step.

The workflow container is the interface for this.

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Workflow Definition: Workflow Builder

WorkflowdefinitionWorkflowdefinition

Triggeringevent

Step

Symbol forworkflow start

and end

Workflow Builder:

Navigation and display areaPrint: Local / R/3 spool / fileCheck and activate

The Workflow Builder is the main SAP Business Workflow tool.It can be used for creating, changing, testing, and displaying workflow definitions.

The Workflow Builder is dealt with in greater detail in course BC601.

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Activity/task

Execute transaction

Execute report

Execute function module

Run routine in external system

Update spreadsheet

Document generation

User decision

Automatic control steps

Step

WHAT?

Suresh This question refers to each individual item of work (task) that is to be executed. A task might execute a transaction, a report, a function module, run a routine in an external system,

update a spreadsheet, or simply act as a reminder that something is to be carried out manually. For practical reasons as well as in consideration of the consistency and reusability of the logic required

to execute the transaction/report/etc., object-oriented techniques were used for the programming (methods of business objects). For further information, refer to the workflow courses BC601 and BC610.

A task can be used as a mini workflow itself. For example, in IDoc error handling where we just want to notify someone that an error has occurred.

If a task has to be performed by an actual person (rather than by the system in the background), an agent has to be assigned.

At runtime, the task generates a work item in the agent's Business Workplace. This work item not only notifies the agent that something is to be done, it also contains the necessary instructions and enables the agent to carry out the work directly from the work item.

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SAP business object types

Invoice

Purchase requisition

Material

Archived documents

EDI messages (IDocs)

Documents from PC office applications

Object methods

Post (invoice)

Approve (requisition)

Change (material)

Display (image)

WHAT and WITH WHAT OBJECT: Object Type Examples

Objects consist of related information that can only be accessed with an identification key. Objects are created at runtime and are the specific instances of a previously defined object type, which

have been assigned values. Object types are the generic descriptions of objects. Object types are described and implemented in

the Business Object Builder by specifying their components. The components of an object type include:

- Attributes of an object- Events of an object (possible status changes) - Methods of an object (actions that can be executed on the object)

SAP Business Workflow uses the methods of an object type to model the individual process activities.

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Post invoice

Release purchase requisition

Change material master

Approve leave

Create customer

Delete purchase order

Create requirement request over the Internet

WHAT:Single-Step Task Examples

Tasks represent the steps in the business process. The process to be mapped must be divided into individual tasks during definition.

What tasks are processed in what order in a process is specified in the workflow definition. A task refers to one object type in the Business Object Repository, and to one of its methods defined

there. A business process may only have one task.

Even under these circumstances, a workflow definition should be created. At workflow runtime, a task is represented by a work item.

The work item appears in the Business Workplaces of the responsible agents (employee inboxes).

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WHO:Tasks and 'Possible Agents'

Sales manager

Sales group

Creditrepresentatives

Possible agents

Possible agents

Task'Approve locked

order'

Task'Create order'

Task'Determine credit

limit'

A list of possible agents is required for a task (TS). This list contains the employees in your enterprise who are authorized to receive this work item (runtime representation of task).

Create the possible agents under ‘Additional data - Maintain agent assignment’. When defining, you can choose <Properties> and create a "general task", or choose "Agent assignment -

Create" and create a relationship with an organizational object.Any system user can execute general tasks.

The actual recipients of the work item are determined at runtime. You do not have to have HR for the relationships with organizational objects. The functions are provided

with the Basis system.

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ProcessProcessWorkflow definitionWorkflow definition

OrganizationOrganization

Org. unitOrg. unit

JobJob

PositionPosition

User IDUser ID

RoleRole

PreviousPreviousworkflowworkflowagentsagents

Business WorkplaceBusiness Workplace

AgentsAgents

DynamicDynamicworklist at worklist at logon!logon! Work items are Work items are runtime versions of runtime versions of tasks.tasks.

Prio Tasks Date

Approve form Mar 1Post invoice Mar 25Post invoice Apr 5

1

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WHO:Assignment of Work Items to Agents

When you insert a task into a workflow definition, you define a workflow step. You must specify 'responsible agents' in this workflow step as well.You can also exclude agents explicitly.The slide shows how agents can be assigned in the step.

The system determines the 'responsible agents' for the work items at runtime. For each user determined, the system checks that they are one of the possible agents and that they were not excluded in the workflow step definition.

If both checks give a positive result, the user receives a work item in their Business Workplace.

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WHO?Individual Task - Workflow Step

Definition LevelSingle-step task (TASK)

Definition LevelWorkflow

Applicant: Mohn, FIApproval: Jones

Applicant: Olsen, COApproval: Kosnig

Applicant: Straub, SDApproval: Miller

Runtime Level

Applicant: Mohn, FIRevise: Mohn

Applicant: Olsen, CORevise: Olsen

Applicant: Straub, SDRevise: Straub

Usedin

Usedin

Revise request

Possible agents:All system users (general task)

Approve request

Possible agents:Head of FI departmentMr Jones Head of SD departmentMr MillerHead of CO departmentMs Kosnig

Revise request

Agents:Applicant,

initiator of workflow

Approve request

Agents:Role 168

determines the superior of the

applicant at runtime

The aim of workflow-driven processes is for the correct agents of a process step to be determined automatically. For example, a leave request should always be sent to the superior of the applicant. Invoices for posting should go to all employees who occupy an ‘invoice receipt clerk’ position.

SAP Business Workflow makes this automatic agent determination possible by requiring that a number of ‘possible agents’ be defined for each individual task.An agent's position in the enterprise determines whether or not they are a possible agent. It is possible to define a ‘general task’ if an activity is to be executable by all R/3 users.

The number of recipients can be restricted dynamically at workflow runtime. To this end, the specific agents who are to actually receive the work item are specified when the workflow step is defined. You can use elements of Organizational Management for this, as well roles or assignment to agents of previous steps.

All agents determined in the workflow step must be possible agents of the task. Otherwise, the work item created cannot be seen in their worklist.

It is possible to specify agents for exclusion from processing in the workflow step.

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Out-come3

Out-come1

Out-come2

Event

OutcomeShows the various results of a step

Informs the workflow that something has happened

The workflow can be started (triggeringevent)

The step can be completed (terminating event)

Wait step for reaction to event

Step type ‘event creator’

WHEN?

Events inform the workflow that something has happened The workflow can react to an event if they are actively linked together.

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 completed by an event. An exception or a method result can lead to an outcome.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.

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WHEN:Event Examples

Parked document posted

Purchase requisition released

Material master changed

Leave approved

Customer created

Purchase order deleted

Requirement request created over the Internet

Like the methods, the possible events are defined as components of object types in the Business Object Builder. They describe the status changes of objects.

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.

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Putting the Pieces Together...

Workflowdefinition

Workflow

Task

Agents

Object type

Method

The business process must...

... be defined as a task orworkflow in the SAP System

Individual activities in the process must be available as tasks before they can be inserted into workflow definitions

A single-step task refersto an object type and oneof its methods...

... enabling access to existing SAP functions!

Event

Your business process can be converted into a workflow. The Workflow Builder is the tool for arranging the steps in the right order. A step in the process can be a task or a control step. Agents are assigned to every task and every step.

The correct number of recipients for the work item can be determined at runtime using agent assignment on the definition level.

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Approval procedures- Purchase requisition- Parked invoices- Notification of absence- Travel request

Workflows foroptimizing the

information flow

Workflows for controlling

individual processes

Workflows forcontrolling

complex processes

Deadline monitoring

Escalation procedures

Error/exception handling- Reaction to EDI errors- Follow-up process for

high-value orders- Follow-up process for

credit limits- Follow-up process if specificvalue limits are reached

Automatic system activities- Printing and sending reports- Automatic archiving- Automatic posting of data

(see CATTs)

Information flow

- Change notification- Status change notification- Sensitive data change notification

Document management- Early archiving- Processes based on forms- Circulars

Automatichelps- Customizing help- Help in error situations

Incorporating Internet scenarios

Master data maintenance- Customer master- Material master- Vendor master

General processsupport- Application management- Quotation checking- Change management

Workflow: Areas of Use

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Surveys say potentials for saving 50-90% processing time

10-75% increase in production

20-40% reduction of processing costs per document

30-50% reduction of office space

Benefits of Business Process Reengineering Using Workflow

Example: If you use workflow for document management, you usually achieve return of investment after 6-8 months

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Introduction: Unit Summary

Active flow of information

To the right people

At the right time

In the right format

In the right quantity

A Better Return on Information

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0.28Introduction Exercises

Unit: Introduction

Topic: Workflow Terminology

At the conclusion of this exercise, you will be able to:

Define basic workflow terminology

As one of the business analysts in your company, you would like to use the SAP R/3 system to support a few business processes in which all employees of your company might participate.

A previous business re-engineering project concluded that two business processes would be best suited for this goal:

Purchase Requisition Release

Vacation Requests

To reach this goal, you must first ensure that you know the terminology.

1-1 Different people in your organization deem themselves to be workflow ”experts.” In meetings, they make a number of statements to you. But not all of them are true. You need to determine which of the following statements are true and which are false.

1-1-1 An Object Type is created at runtime and is the specific instance of a previously defined entity which has been assigned a value.

________________________________________________

1-1-2 An event is a status change to an object.

________________________________________________

1-1-3 A method is an operation that can be performed on an object.

________________________________________________

1-2 You are reading through a lot of documentation in preparation for this assignment. You run across a lot of workflow specific terminology. In order to help the other people on the team, you want to make a glossary, so you need to match the terms with the correct definitions.

1 Workflow Builder 2 Task 3 Object type

4 Workflow 5 Work item 6 Agent

7 Business Workplace

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1-2-1 A person or mechanism executing a work item ___

1-2-2 The runtime term for a task in a workflow ___

1-2-3 A tool to use to define a workflow ___

1-2-4 A single step in a workflow ___

1-2-5 A representation of a business process in SAP ___

1-2-6 Is described and implemented in the Object Repository ___

1-2-7 Where a user finds workitems ___

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0.29Introduction Solutions

Unit: Introduction

Topic: Workflow Terminology

1-1 Different people in your organization deem themselves to be workflow ”experts.” In meetings, they make a number of statements to you. But not all of them are true. You need to determine which of the following statements are true and which are false.

1-1-1 An Object Type is created at runtime and is the specific instance of a previously defined entity which has been assigned a value.

False

1-1-2 An event is a status change to an object.

True

1-1-3 A method is an operation that can be performed on an object.

True

1-2 You are reading through a lot of documentation in preparation for this assignment. You run across a lot of workflow specific terminology. In order to help the other people on the team, you want to make a glossary, so you need to match the terms with the correct definitions.

Workflow Builder Object type

Workflow Work item Agent

Business Workplace

1-2-1 A person or mechanism executing a work item.

1-2-2 The runtime term for a task in a workflow.

1-2-3 A tool to use to define a workflow.

1-2-4 A single step in a workflow.

1-2-5 A representation of a business process in SAP.

1-2-6 Is described and implemented in the Object Repository.

1-2-7 Where a user finds workitems.

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