BIT600

SAP Workflow – Concepts, Inboxes,

Reporting, and Working with
Delivered Templates

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PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK
INSTRUCTOR-LED TRAINING
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Course Version: 16
Course Duration: 2 Day(s)
e-book Duration: 13 Hours 30 Minutes
Material Number: 50146321
© Copyright. All rights reserved. iv
Course Overview

TARGET AUDIENCE
This course is intended for the following audiences:
● Application Consultant
● Business Process Owner/Team Lead/Power User
● Developer
● Development Consultant
● Enterprise Architect
● Executive
● Help Desk/CoE Support
● Industry Specialist
● Program/Project Manager
● Solution Architect
● Technology Consultant

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 UNIT 1 Introduction

Lesson 1
Workflows: Concept, Terminology, Example Use 2

Lesson 2
The Five Basic Characteristics of a Business Process 9

UNIT OBJECTIVES

● Explain Workflows: Concept, Terminology, Example Use

● Use the basic terminology of the Workflow Engine
● Cite criteria that help determine whether it makes sense to use a workflow
● Describe the five basic characteristics of a business process

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Unit 1: Introduction

The integration of Organizational Management into the Workflow Engine makes it possible to
link tasks to agents through organizational assignments.
Workflow concept: What processes are particularly suitable for using workflows?

A workflow management system facilitates the electronic processing of structured

processes that:

● Comprise a series of activities

● Always occur in the same (or a similar) form
● Involve several people or departments
● Require a high degree of coordination
● Workflow management systems control processes based on a predefined model and are
especially suited to structured organizations.

Workflow concept: what workflows are not designed for...

● Managing “one-time” processes

.
● Document management (a workflow can work with such systems, however)
.
● Standard e-mails and groupware (workflows are capable of much more)
.
● Data distributed across multiple systems (although workflows support this option of ALE
and EDI)
.
● Filling in functional gaps.
● Controlling screen sequences in transactions.

A workflow cannot serve as a substitute for missing SAP functions. If it is not possible to carry
out a function manually, it cannot be carried out by means of a workflow, either. The function
must first be programmed in code before a workflow can use it.

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 Lesson: Workflows: Concept, Terminology, Example Use

- Faster, more effective responses to errors

● Increased customer satisfaction
- Faster processing
- Improved flow of information

It is possible to determine the current processing status of orders – a function that is

particularly important in responding to customer inquiries and other areas of customer
service.
“Completed” data remains available for processes that have already finished. This enables
you to identify flaws and optimize processes.

Example Use and Workflow Terminology

Figure 5: A business process mapped as a workflow in SAP

A change in a customer master record can be used as an event that automatically starts a
workflow.
Entering a customer with a large order volume should automatically trigger a workflow that
proceeds through the three subsequent steps.

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Unit 1: Introduction

Figure 6: Workflow Engine: terminology

A workflow glossary is available to help you learn the relevant terminology. It can be found in
the appendix and in the online documentation.

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:
● Explain Workflows: Concept, Terminology, Example Use
● Use the basic terminology of the Workflow Engine
● Cite criteria that help determine whether it makes sense to use a workflow

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 Unit 1
Lesson 2
The Five Basic Characteristics of a Business
Process

LESSON OVERVIEW
This lesson covers the essential components of a business process ( “The Five Workflow
Questions”) and how they interact.

Business Example
The implementation team has gained an overview of how a demo workflow will proceed. As a
member of this team, you want to understand the basic elements of a workflow. To do so, you
need to have a grasp of the five essential components of a business process.

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
● Describe the five basic characteristics of a business process

The Five Key Questions for Every Business Process

Here are the five key questions every business process needs to answer:

The Five Key Questions for Every Business Process

● When?
● Who is responsible?
● What?
● With which object?
● In what order?

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 Lesson: The Five Basic Characteristics of a Business Process

WHAT is carried out? Examples of tasks

● Post invoice
● Release purchase requisition
● Change material master
● Approve vacation
● Create customer
● Delete purchase order
● Create requirement coverage request over Internet

Tasks represent the steps in a business process. During definition, a process to be mapped
needs to be divided into individual tasks.
The definition of a workflow specifies the tasks to be carried out in a process, and in what
order.
A task references exactly one object type in the Business Object Repository and exactly one
of the methods defined therein.
In exceptional cases, a business process can involve just one task. A workflow definition can
also be created in these cases.
At the runtime of a workflow, a task is represented by a work item. This work item appears in
the inbox of the recipient.

Possible Agents for Process Steps

Figure 10: Defining tasks: possible agents WHO will carry something out?

For each task, the possible agents must be assigned. This group of individuals should include
the employees at your company who are technically capable of carrying out the task at hand.

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 Lesson: The Five Basic Characteristics of a Business Process

Figure 12: WHO will carry something out: recipients of a work item

The aim of workflow-controlled processes is to be able to automatically identify the correct

agents for a given process step.
An employee’s vacation requests should always be sent to his or her manager, for example.
Invoices to be posted should be sent to all employees with the position “invoice receipt clerk”.
The Workflow Engine makes this automatic agent determination possible by requiring users
to define a group of possible agents for each individual task.
Possible agents are determined based on each user’s role and skillset.
If every SAP user should be able to carry out a given activity, it is possible to define “general
tasks”.
The recipients can be narrowed down dynamically at the runtime of a workflow. To this end,
the responsible agents are specified in the process of defining the workflow step in question.
Organizational Management elements or roles can be used for this purpose, and rules or
agents from previous steps can also be assigned.
In a workflow step, it is possible to explicitly exclude agents from processing.
All the “responsible agents” that are also “possible agents” for the task at hand (and have not
been explicitly excluded) will receive the work item generated.

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 Lesson: The Five Basic Characteristics of a Business Process

● Requirement coverage request created over Internet

Like methods, the possible events are defined as components of object types in Business
Object Builder. They describe the status changes of objects.
In the Business Object Repository, the event is only defined.
If an object’s status changes while a process is being carried out, the application must trigger
the specific event associated with the change.
Only then will the entire system be aware of the event, which enables a workflow to respond to
it.

Putting the Pieces Together

Figure 14: Putting the pieces together...

Your business processes can be implemented by means of workflows.

The Workflow Builder is the tool used to edit workflows.
A workflow step can contain a task (that is, an activity) or serve as a control step.
At the definition level, agents are assigned to every task and step.
At runtime, the correct work item recipients are identified through agent determination.
These users receive the work item in their inboxes.
The recipient who actually carries out the work item ultimately calls the function stored in the
task at hand.

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Unit 1: Introduction

Figure 15: Workflows: Potential areas of use

Summary 1, Workflows ensure, that:

● The right work

● At the right time
● For the right agent

Summary 2, Workflows are classified by the 5 basic characteristics:

● Who does
● When
● What
● By what means
● And in what order

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:
● Describe the five basic characteristics of a business process

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Unit 1: Learning Assessment

6. An object type is created at runtime. It is the specific instance of an object.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

7. Status changes of objects can be used as events.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

8. A method is an operation that can be carried out for an object.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

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 Unit 1

Learning Assessment - Answers

1. An employee has submitted a vacation request. In the subsequent approval workflow, his
or her manager rejects the request. How can the manager include a reason for the
employee?

Before saving the rejection, the manager can create an attachment describing the
corresponding reason.

2. If it is not possible to execute a function manually, it is possible to carry it out by means of

a workflow.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

This is correct. A workflow calls methods that execute the code they contain.

3. One of the advantages of workflows is the ability to create an escalation procedure. This
makes it possible to ensure that a certain employee is notified when a deadline is missed.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

This is correct. A workflow makes it possible to monitor both entire processes and
individual process steps.

4. In a workflow definition, what does a step describe?

Choose the correct answer.

X A A definition

X B A result

X C An action

X D An object

This is correct. In a workflow definition, a step describes the next action to be carried out.

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 UNIT 2 Organizational
Structure

Lesson 1
Organizational Management 24

Lesson 2
Creating an Organizational Plan 31

UNIT OBJECTIVES

● Explain Organizational Management

● Use the interface and navigation options of Simple Maintenance
● Create an Organizational Plan

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 Unit 2
Lesson 1
Organizational Management

LESSON OVERVIEW
This section provides an introduction to the concept and terminology of Organizational
Management in SAP. It also covers the interface and navigation options of “Simple
Maintenance”

Business Example
Your company is deliberating whether to base its agent determination in workflows on an
organizational model. The project members involved first need to get an idea of the basic
possibilities at hand.

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
● Explain Organizational Management
● Use the interface and navigation options of Simple Maintenance

Organizational Plan: Positions and Jobs

Figure 16: Organizational plan: Positions and jobs

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Unit 2: Organizational Structure

Organizational Management and the Workflow Engine are aware of the organizational plan
currently in place at a given company in a format called an “active plan version”.
The Workflow Engine uses the currently valid organizational plan to assign work items to the
correct recipients.
Employee changes and reassignments only need to be maintained on the organizational side;
workflow and task definitions are not affected.

Integration of Organizational Management

Organizational Management is integrated into the workflow as follows.

Integration of Organizational Management

● Integration of Organizational Management

- Task assignment based on responsibilities / skillset at definition time:
Tasks linked to possible agents , workflow steps linked to responsible agents
- Dynamic task distribution during runtime:
Determines recipients of work items based on contextual information related to the
workflow and the objects processed
● Business processes and corresponding responsibilities are highly transparent.

The integration of Organizational Management and the Workflow Engine makes it possible to
link tasks and workflow steps with elements of the organizational plan as possible or
responsible agents.
These links enable the system to determine the “correct” agents at runtime; these agents
then become the recipients of the work item in question.
This ensures the greatest possible transparency in business processes and the
responsibilities they involve. Changes can be made to the company’s organizational plan
without needing to modify workflow definitions or reprogram an application.

Organizational Plans and Workflows: Three Scenarios

Figure 18: Organizational Plans and Workflows: Three Scenarios

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 Lesson: Organizational Management

If you configure the agent determination function based on organizational structures, your
workflow definitions will not need to be modified when employees are reassigned.
There are many ways to link your workflows to your organizational plan.

Example 1: Only one organizational structure is in place for HR for the entire company.
All workflows have to be connected to organizational objects from this struc-
ture. This option does not include any specific organizational structures for
the workflow alone.

Example 2: HR manages the general structure for all employees at the company. To sup-
port the workflow, there is also a small organizational structure for each busi-
ness process.

Example 3: A general HR structure has not (yet) been established for all employees. To
support the workflows, there is one small organizational structure for each
process.

The essential Organizational Management data is stored in customizing tables. This is why the
normal transport link can be used for these entries. Organizational objects are written to
normal customizing requests and transported as such: In the target system, an after-import
method then runs to read out the request and perform the necessary activation steps in the
same system.
This is implemented by means of distribution reports such as RHMOVE30 (manual transport
link); for more, please see Note 138411.
Organizational Management is also covered in the courses HR505 and HR506.

“Simple Maintenance”

Figure 19: Workflow-oriented organizational structure

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Unit 2: Organizational Structure

Setting up organizational units, positions, and jobs with “Simple Maintenance” only factors in
the most important details. “Simple Maintenance” knows which relationships are required
most often and generates them automatically when you create an object.
Use “Simple Maintenance” to create the majority of the objects and relationships in your
organizational structure.
Menu path: Tools → Business Workflow → Development → Environment → Organizational
Management → Simple Maintenance → Organizational Plan Basic Data → Create
With “Simple Maintenance”, you can:
● Configure and maintain the basic characteristics required for an organizational plan
● Configure and maintain a hierarchy (a chain of command) for the positions in an
organizational plan
● Configure and maintain cost center assignments and standard settings

Since the procedures provided are limited to a minimum, some HR functions are not available.
You will not be able to create or maintain work centers, for example.
All the objects you create with “Simple Maintenance” will automatically be set to the status
“active”.

Figure 20: Features of Simple Maintenance

The maintenance tools in Organizational Management are available to all SAP users in the
basic component.
When using them, you will be working with a main window and three main functions. Each
function is designed for a particular group of maintenance activities.
The “Create Organizational Unit” icon allows you to create and maintain the organizational
structure for your organizational plan.
Using the “Create Position” icon, you can create positions and assign them to organizational
units.
The search and selection window enables you to assign position holders by means of drag-
and-drop. Position holders can be SAP users or HR persons.

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 Unit 2
Lesson 2
Creating an Organizational Plan

LESSON OVERVIEW
This lesson covers all the steps involved in creating a workflow-oriented organizational
structure.

Business Example
The implementation team has decided to use an organizational structure for agent
determination and now wants to implement it.

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
● Create an Organizational Plan

Creating a Workflow-Oriented Organizational Structure

Figure 22: Creating an organizational plan (Simple Maintenance)

With “Simple Maintenance”, you can create a workflow-oriented organizational plan.

The diagram above shows that the first step in “Simple Maintenance” involves creating a root
organizational unit. After this has been created, it is possible to create additional subordinate
organizational units.

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 Lesson: Creating an Organizational Plan

Figure 24: Creating a position

You have created a new organizational unit and now want to enter the corresponding
positions.
The details on each new position must be entered in the detail area.
Chief positions are marked with the “Head of own organizational unit” flag.
By selecting the organizational unit, choosing the “Create” button, and then selecting the
“Incorporates Position” option, you can create as many positions as you wish for the
organizational unit.

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Unit 2: Organizational Structure

Figure 25: Assigning users to positions (1)

Assigning a user to a position creates an infotype record (a relationship).

Positions can be held by persons (HR perspective) or users (SAP users).
With the HR data model, “persons” are maintained in the form of HR master data.
● “Persons” are an organization’s employees.
● A work item can be sent to a “person” if the master record in HR has been assigned the
infotype 105. In this infotype, a relationship is created between a person and a user.
● SAP users have a user master record in the SAP system and are authorized to use SAP
functions.
● From the workflow perspective, an SAP user always needs to be found before a work item
can be assigned.

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Unit 2: Organizational Structure

When positions are linked to a job, the positions inherit all the properties of the job. This
includes the tasks linked to the job. Linking positions to a job saves time in assigning tasks
because you no longer need to link each individual position to the respective tasks.
Jobs are not specific to organizational units.
Positions, however, are directly linked to an organizational unit.

Assigning tasks to organizational objects

Figure 28: Assigning tasks to organizational objects

During workflow definition, all the necessary tasks are incorporated (for approving requests,
creating purchase orders, updating customer masters, for example).
A user is only able to process a work item at runtime if he or she is defined as a possible agent
for the corresponding task.
In this diagram, you can see all the basic options at your disposal to create such links when
you use the organizational plan for these definitions. At runtime, the aforementioned users
will receive a work item.
● Task 1: User 1 (through manager job)
● Task 2: User 1, user 2 (through manager job / secretary job)
● Task 3: User 1, user 2, user 3, user 4 (through organizational unit)
● Task 4: User 1, user 3, user 4 (through FI manager position / FI employee job)
● Task 5: User 2 (through secretary job)
● Task 6: User 3, user 4 (through FI employee job)

Assigning tasks to organizational objects is best handled as part of task maintenance.

(See chapter on “workflow architecture”)

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 Unit 2

Learning Assessment

1. The holders of positions can be both SAP users and HR persons.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

2. The Workflow Engine can use the existing organizational plan to forward work items to the
correct recipients.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

3. The chief position in an organizational unit is the position at the top of the unit. Through
reassignment within the organizational unit, you can designate another chief position.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

4. In order to process a work item at runtime, the work item recipient must be entered as a
possible agent.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

5. Jobs are linked directly to an organizational unit.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

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 Unit 2: Learning Assessment - Answers

4. In order to process a work item at runtime, the work item recipient must be entered as a
possible agent.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

This is correct. A user will only receive a work item if he or she is defined as a possible
agent.

5. Jobs are linked directly to an organizational unit.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

This is correct. Jobs can be assigned to positions in different organizational units.

6. A position is always assigned to exactly one organizational unit.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

This is correct. Each position belongs to a single organizational unit.

7. The holders of positions must be both SAP users and HR persons.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

This is correct. The holder of a position can be an HR person or an SAP user. The Workflow
Engine accepts only SAP users.

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 Lesson: Finding, Adjusting, and Using SAP Workflows

Figure 32: QM: Create quality notification

This workflow scenario supports your company’s activities in complaints processing by giving
you a fast and efficient way to process, monitor, and complete newly created or activated
quality notifications. This process is mapped in an SAP workflow (WS24500047) that triggers
and controls the execution of the following standard tasks.
● Notification of an authorized person (the notification coordinator, for example) that a new
quality notification has been created or activated and corresponding measures need to be
defined
● Notification of an authorized person that measures have been created for a quality
notification and need to be processed
● Notification of an authorized person (such as the notification coordinator) that all the
measures pertaining to a quality notification have been completed and the notification
needs to be closed (or further corresponding measures defined)

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Unit 3: SAP Workflows

Figure 33: CRM: Create opportunity from lead

A lead is a business transaction that describes, records, updates, and manages the potential
business interests of a given business partner and the related interactions that take place
over a certain period. The aim is to provide the information collected to the “Sales” area as a
potential basis for deciding whether to create a corresponding opportunity.
The handover of the information contained in a lead to the “Sales” area is supported by the
workflow “Create opportunity from lead” (WS10001011). In this workflow, a distinction is
made regarding whether the opportunity is to be created manually or automatically. If the
lead-specific attributes indicating a lead’s priority and lead group meet certain criteria, the
workflow will automatically create an opportunity. Otherwise, the workflow will initiate manual
creation by sending a work item to the responsible sales employee. After checking the data in
the lead, the sales employee can either reject the lead or have an opportunity created.
Starting the workflow: The workflow starts automatically when the agent saves the lead.

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 Unit 3

Learning Assessment - Answers

1. Before implementing a workflow, it is important to get the approval of the department

manager and the end users affected.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

This is correct. Implementing and using a workflow successfully requires the support of
the end users and the department manager in question.

2. In the structure search of transaction PFTC_DIS, you can find all the workflows included
with SAP’s standard applications.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

This is correct. The structure search function enables you to find all the default workflows.

3. Among the other features of SAP workflows, possible agents are already maintained for all
the tasks they contain, and the event linkages available are already activated.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

This is correct. Apart from the two characteristics mentioned above, SAP workflows are
finished workflows. Customers always have to maintain the “possible agents” and activate
event linkages themselves.

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 Unit 3: Learning Assessment - Answers

4. What steps do the tasks involve if you want to use a standard workflow at your company
without making any changes?
Choose the correct answers.

X A Define possible agents for the standard tasks in use

X B Adjust the info texts in the standard tasks (if necessary)

X C Activate the event linkage between the workflow and the application

X D Copy the workflow and make your own specific adjustments

This is correct. If you want to use the workflow just as it has been defined, carry out steps
A through C.

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 Lesson: Basic Customizing of the Workflow Engine

The workflow runtime system only operates with one client. Assigning a name to a logical
destination ensures that it is unique throughout the system.
As a default, no logical destination exists for the RFC calls of the workflow system.

Figure 39: Logical Destination: RFC User

Create a user with the name WF-BATCH, using the user administration function (transaction
SU01).
● Create this user with the user type “system”.
● Assign this user the authorization profiles “SAP_ALL” and “SAP_NEW”.
In doing so, observe the contents of Note 1574002.
● Other notes on this topic include: 73160, 149344, 547419, and 429938.
● Maintain the user address for this user.
● Also maintain a forwarding address in the user master data (sender address when sending
an e-mail).

You need to maintain a logical destination in each client of your system.

When you execute the function “Configure RFC Destination” , the system reads the password
in the user master record and enters it in the workflow destination.

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Unit 4: Customizing

Figure 40: Maintaining Administration Data

The workflow administrator is notified automatically of errors that occur during the runtime
execution of workflow definitions. The administrator should be able to correct workflows with
errors, or find suitable contact persons who can.
Note the following:
Every workflow can have an administrator of its own.
The administrator of a single workflow is defined in the basic data of the workflow template.
The corresponding path is: Basic data → Version-dependent data tab page → Agents .

The generic decision task is the task with which the workflow system carries out a user
decision in the workflow. When you create a step of the type “user decision” in a workflow
definition, the task entered here is copied into the workflow definition. If you change the entry
here, it will affect all workflow definitions with user decisions that are created in the future.
The generic decision task is a task supplied by SAP.

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Unit 4: Customizing

Figure 42: Deadline Monitoring: Activation

Deadline monitoring for work items means that the scheduled background job is regularly
called at a determined interval to check whether deadlines have been missed since its last
activation. This constant deadline monitoring can be used in each client of your production
system through transaction SWWA.
You must schedule the job in every client that you want to use in the workflow.
The job can only be scheduled once for each client.

Figure 43: Set Monitoring of Incorrect Work Items

With this activity, you schedule monitoring and special handling for background work items
that could not be executed initially because of a temporary error in the underlying object
method. These background work items are then automatically restarted.
To activate monitoring of work items with errors, you must perform the following steps:
● Execute the customizing activity “Schedule Background Job for Work Items with Errors” .

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 Lesson: Basic Customizing of the Workflow Engine

● Specify whether monitoring should be carried out.

● Specify the interval between two monitoring runs.
● Specify the number of attempts that should be made before the background work item is
set to the status “error”.

Once all the valid attempts have been made, the work item will be set to the status “error”.
When set to this status, a work item can be found using the selection report, and the error can
be analyzed.

Figure 44: Checking Customizing

Starting a verification workflow checks the customizing activities that have been carried out.
The workflow checks basic functions in the workflow runtime environment.
A work item is sent to the user who started the verification. This tests that sending a work
item to be executed as a “user decision”, and sending of a notification to the user workplace
are functioning correctly.
While the “user decision” is being executed, you can check several functions at the task level
– for example, displaying or creating an attachment in the Business Workplace.

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 Lesson: Basic Customizing of the Workflow Engine

Activity Automatic Always required? Default entry used

Schedule background job

for event queue
Schedule background job
for cleanup tasks
Maintain prefix numbers

Check number ranges

Check entries from the HR
control tables
Maintain Web server
Maintain standard domain
for Internet mail
Activate sending to objects
and HR objects
Maintain demo and verifi-
cation environment

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:
● Perform basic customizing of the Workflow Engine
● Execute automatic customizing

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 Unit 4

Learning Assessment

1. Which of the following statements regarding the customizing of the Workflow Engine are
true?
Choose the correct answers.

X A Most of the necessary customizing settings are handled through “automatic

customizing”.

X B “Automatic customizing” overwrites any manual customizing entries that have

already been made.

X C Entries made through “automatic customizing” can be modified manually after the
fact.

X D Prefix numbers for rules, tasks, and workflows are always a required setting in the
development system.

X E Prefix numbers for rules, tasks, and workflows can be maintained manually or
automatically.

2. Automatic workflow customizing includes the maintenance of an organizational plan and

task-specific customizing.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

3. An SAP workflow can have its own workflow administrator.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

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 Unit 4

Learning Assessment - Answers

1. Which of the following statements regarding the customizing of the Workflow Engine are
true?
Choose the correct answers.

X A Most of the necessary customizing settings are handled through “automatic

customizing”.

X B “Automatic customizing” overwrites any manual customizing entries that have

already been made.

X C Entries made through “automatic customizing” can be modified manually after the
fact.

X D Prefix numbers for rules, tasks, and workflows are always a required setting in the
development system.

X E Prefix numbers for rules, tasks, and workflows can be maintained manually or
automatically.

This is correct. Most of the settings that are always required can be handled using the
“Perform Automatic Workflow Customizing” function. Existing manual entries (and those
made after the fact) always have priority. Prefix numbers must always be assigned, and
this can only be done manually.

2. Automatic workflow customizing includes the maintenance of an organizational plan and

task-specific customizing.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

This is correct. Automatic workflow customizing includes entries for the Workflow Engine.

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Unit 4: Learning Assessment - Answers

3. An SAP workflow can have its own workflow administrator.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

This is correct. In the basic data of a workflow, you can maintain a workflow-specific
administrator who will be notified when an error occurs in an instance of the
corresponding process.

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 UNIT 5 Business Workplace

Lesson 1
Functions of the Business Workplace 70

Lesson 2
Alternatives to the Business Workplace 83

UNIT OBJECTIVES

● Use the functions and characteristics of the Business Workplace

● Cite the alternatives to the Business Workplace
● Put the use of the universal worklist (UWL) into context
● Describe the available notification functions
● Put SAP Fiori into context in connection with approval workflows

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 Lesson: Functions of the Business Workplace

waiting to be processed by SAP’s business applications. Once a task (that is, a work item) has
been carried out and completed, the respective process can continue.
By structuring the organizational units that define the functions and responsibilities within
your company’s hierarchy, you can ensure that the work involved in each process step will be
sent to the right agent.
The worklist contains all the work items (in other words, all the activities to be carried out)
assigned to a particular user. This makes the Business Workplace the most important
interface employees use in their everyday work.
Along with the worklist (containing work items), the Business Workplace displays an inbox for
documents (e-mail, Internet mail, and faxes). This makes it easier for employees to access
the information relevant to them.

Figure 47: Business Workplace in SAP R/3

The Business Workplace consists of three screen areas:

Overview menu
The overview menu is located on the left-hand side of the Business Workplace. Here, you can
select work items to execute, workflows you have started, and documents.
Worklist
The worklist appears in the top-right area of the Business Workplace screen when you select
the “Workflow” folder. The system automatically groups the entries in this folder. There are
also special folders in which you will find overdue work items and work items for missed
deadlines. If you select “Inbox” in the overview menu, you will see all the work items and
documents it contains in this area of the screen.
Work item preview
A preview of the work item selected in the worklist will be displayed in the bottom-right area of
the screen. Not all the functions of the work item display or the workflow log will be available
here. It is, however, possible to carry out a user decision from the work item preview.

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Unit 5: Business Workplace

You can adjust the work item preview to your needs by means of a user exit. The example
above depicts the work item preview of a demo workflow.

Note:
As of SAP Web Application Server 6.20, BAdIs can be used to control how the
Business Workplace behaves in connection with certain performance parameters.
This relates to concerns regarding large, slow worklists and the frequent need to
refresh worklists.
The feature also makes it possible to manage how the system works with dynamic
columns (see the explanations provided later on in this lesson) and deals with
problems in grouping content within the Business Workplace.
The different characteristics of these BAdIs are covered in the course BIT610; this
lesson focuses primarily on the programming aspects.

Functions of the Worklist

Worklist structure – Engine’s buffering behavior
When a user calls up the Business Workplace, the Workflow Engine produces his or her
current worklist. In order for an employee to receive work items, he or she needs to be a
possible agent for the underlying task. The system buffers this information on agent
assignments once per day.
If a user is assigned a new task after this buffering takes place, he or she will see the work item
in his or her worklist, but be unable to execute it. He or she will receive the notification “No
agent found for work item”.
In these cases, refresh the organizational environment.
To do so, choose Settings → Workflow settings → Refresh organizational environment in the
Business Workplace.

Figure 48: Business Workplace – Worklist (1)

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 Lesson: Functions of the Business Workplace

Work items can be executed directly from the worklist. Double-clicking one will open the
corresponding application and provide them with the necessary data.
Recipients can view the attachments to a work item and add their own. You can attach many
types of documents to a work item, including SAPscript documents, Microsoft Office
documents, and websites.
The Workflow Engine determines the recipients of each work item. All the recipients selected
can view and execute the work item in question in their Business Workplace. That said, only
one user can execute a work item. This means that other recipients will not be able to carry
out a work item once a user has begun executing it.
Function: Reserve/Replace
A recipient can reserve a work item. A reserved work item can only be executed by the user
who reserved it. If you choose Replace , the work item will be released from its reserved status
and made available again to all the agents selected. The status of the work item will then be
set back to “ready”.
Function: Automatic replacement of work items
If a user aborts the execution of a dialog work item, the item will remain set to In process in his
or her Business Workplace; no other user will be able to view or process it. To make the work
item visible again to all of its original recipients, the user who stopped executing it has to take
explicit action to replace it. As of SAP ERP 6.0 (enhancement package 7), this manual
intermediate step can be automated. You can also install this functionality through SAP Note
1676067.
Automatic replacement is defined for tasks in the maintenance dialog SWW_TASKCUST.
The feature only takes effect in the SAP Business Workplace.
Function: Completing work items manually
You can set the system to require explicit confirmation when a workflow step is complete.
When a work item has been executed, you will see a dialog box in which you can complete the
execution. If you choose Cancel here, the work item will remain in the worklist, set to
“Executed”. In your worklist, you can choose Set to completed for work items set to the status
“Executed”. If this is not done, the work item can be executed or forwarded multiple times.

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Unit 5: Business Workplace

Figure 49: Business Workplace – Worklist (2)

Function: Forward
You can forward a work item to another user for execution. The manner in which the Engine
handles the forward function is defined within the task under “Properties”.

Available options in forwarding work items

● If all the employees at hand are possible agents, you can forward a work item to all of
them.
● If the task in question has organizational objects, roles, or users entered as possible agents
and you forward it to a person who is not a possible agent, the Engine will ask you if you
really want to proceed. If you confirm the prompt, the work item will be sent to a user who
is not one of the possible agents.
● You can also deactivate the forwarding function for a particular task.

Function: For resubmission

You can mark a work item for resubmission if you want to execute it at a certain time in the
future.
Business Workplace – Additional Functions

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 Lesson: Functions of the Business Workplace

Figure 50: Business Workplace – Additional Functions

Function: Dynamic columns

You can configure the worklist to meet your needs by selecting the fields that should be
displayed. Click the arrow to the right of the Choose layout button. Modify the layout by
selecting the fields you want to be displayed using the arrow buttons, then save and select
your variant.
You can also use dynamic columns to display work items in your worklist.
Instead of the previous six additional columns, SAP ERP 6.0 (EHP 7) offers 12 in which you
can configure data in task-specific ways according to the preferences of your user
department.

Hint:
For systems prior to SAP ERP 6.0 (EHP 7), you can install the 12 columns with
SAP Note 1659252.

Step 1:
Define the dynamic columns
→Tools →Business Workflow →→ Development →Definition tools →Worklist Client →Dynamic
Columns for Worklist
You can then select the fields you want from the interface variables of the task in question and
assign a name to the corresponding column.
Step 2:
In the “Grouped according to task” area of the workflow inbox in the Business Workplace,
select the task for which you created a dynamic column.
Then configure your personal layout by choosing the “Choose layout” icon.
In the columns available, you will find your dynamic columns, which you can then drag-and-
drop to the desired location in the display.

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 Lesson: Functions of the Business Workplace

Recommendation: Every user should maintain a personal substitute. He or she can then stand
in when necessary – even if there was no time to actively maintain a substitute due to an
accident, for example.
Substitute rules can also be created in the universal worklist ( “UWL” ; see the lesson
“Alternatives to the Business Workplace” ).

Basic Information on the Process

Figure 51: Work Item Display

The standard work item display hides technical information that is not required for day-to-day
business.
The system makes the user’s work easier by displaying attachments and providing the option
to call them up immediately. Work item descriptions are also integrated, which means they
can be formatted with SAPscript.
It is possible to make immediate changes to priorities.
All additional information (users, attachments) can be called up by clicking a link.
The default work item display contains the tab pages “Basic data” and “Available objects” .
It is possible to add a user-defined tab page to the work item display.

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Unit 5: Business Workplace

Figure 52: Technical Work Item Display

The technical work item display contains technical information, including:

● Work item ID
● Messages
● Containers
● ...

Pushbuttons must be used to call up attachments, which do not appear immediately.

Work items can be modified.
This work item display can be used only for diagnostic purposes. You will see the work item ID
and deadlines; you can also access all the technical details at hand.
You can access the technical display through the following menu path:
Settings → Workflow settings → Personal settings: Work Item Display → Technical View
You can also switch from the standard to the technical view by choosing Goto → Technical
work item display .

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Unit 5: Business Workplace

Different Inboxes

Figure 56: Different inboxes

The workflow system supports various clients. Workflow users can opt for different clients
without making it necessary to redefine the workflow at hand.
For SAP power users who are responsible for processing all types of work items, the Business
Workplace (in SAP GUI for Windows) is the interface that provides the greatest convenience.
In this inbox, it is possible to configure personal settings in connection with dynamic columns,
previews, and layouts. It also provides access to essentially all the functions that deal with
work items.
Employees who seldom receive work orders as work items can view their work items in their
standard e-mail system. The necessary settings are covered in the lesson “Extended
Notifications”.
It is possible to integrate workflow information with web browsers by means of the universal
worklist (UWL). “Easy Web Inbox” is also available in combination with the Internet
Transaction Server (ITS).

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 Lesson: Alternatives to the Business Workplace

Figure 57: Specially defined inbox in SAP CRM

The CRM inbox largely matches the standard inbox. It contains additional folders for:
● “Activities”
● “Overdue activities”

In SAP Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) 7.0, you can use either SAP NetWeaver
Portal or SAP NetWeaver Business Client.

The Universal Worklist (UWL) in the Portal

The work item inbox is the central location where employees can find their worklists and the
tasks they have been assigned. The process steps displayed in a worklist can include the full
range of business-related tasks covered by the SAP system.
The SAP Business Workplace meets the need for simple, yet efficient access to one’s current
tasks through SAP GUI for Windows. One of its drawbacks, however, is that it can only be
called up in the back end in specific systems.
That said, companies’ system landscapes have changed significantly in recent years. Instead
of having one system for running all their applications, they now have a wide variety of
systems on which their applications run (often separately).
For end users, this means that they are forced to search for and carry out their tasks in many
systems (unless, for example, a company uses the notification functions for SAP Business
Workflow as described herein).
Using SAP NetWeaver Portal and the universal worklist is one way to solve this problem.

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 Lesson: Alternatives to the Business Workplace

● An e-mail containing descriptive text and links that enable the user to execute a work
item directly, display its contents, or switch to the Business Workplace

● An e-mail containing descriptive text and attachments that enable the user to execute
a work item directly, display its contents, or switch to the Business Workplace

2. Notification by text message

● Sends a general text that informs the user of work items in his or her Business
Workplace (contains system and client details)

● Sends a short text on the work item (along with system and client details)

An e-mail notification can contain one or more work item notifications. The e-mail notification
also includes details on the sender and recipient.
E-mail addresses can also be read from the PD organizational structure (infotype 1205)
instead of from the user master in question. The language of e-mail notifications does,
however, depend on that same user master record.
These e-mails can be displayed in HTML, which greatly improves their appearance and
usability for your employees. E-mails can contain links to SAP GUI for HTML. It is also possible
to combine multiple work items in the same e-mail. Work items that are not based on SAP GUI
for Windows (WebFlow services or WebDynpro, for example) can be called up directly from
within the respective e-mail.
If Single Sign-On is activated, no username or password will be required. If Single Sign-On is
not activated, the user’s password will be required the first time he or she logs on; it will not be
required again until after the session is closed.
For generic decision tasks, e-mails can be sent that make it possible to carry out a decision
directly. Notifications can be forwarded and executed by users with sufficient authorization.
Most of the settings at hand can be configured on an individual or group-wide basis. One user
group can receive summary e-mails in HTML, for example, while another can receive specific
notifications as text-only e-mails.

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Unit 5: Business Workplace

Figure 62: Extended notification framework

Extended notifications enhance the methods users were familiar with in the past. Here, a
customizing framework is provided that facilitates the configuration of different types of
notifications in a user- and group-specific way (which was previously only possible using
corresponding variants of batch jobs).
For administration purposes, a browser-based BSP application is available through the
transaction SWNADMIN, which provides a very easy means of saving the necessary settings.
However, this function can only be accessed by one agent at a time.
In addition, SAP GUI-based cluster maintenance (transaction SWNCONFIG) is available,
which makes it possible to maintain additional functions. This is where alternative service
handlers can be stored (for example).

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Unit 5: Business Workplace

Figure 65: What is SAP Fiori all about?

One customer’s demands prompted SAP to launch a campaign in which it implemented apps
for 25 functions in the space of eight months. These functions cover business scenarios
frequently used by a wide variety of users. These apps were rolled out at SAPPHIRE 2013.
Since then, SAP applications have realized more than 100 additional functions as SAP Fiori
apps.

Figure 66: The first 25 SAP Fiori apps

The design principles of SAP Fiori apps include:

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 Lesson: Alternatives to the Business Workplace

● Supporting smartphones, tablets, and desktop applications in a “single code line”

approach that also focuses on responsive design
● Making the same apps accessible on both the Internet and intranets without any local
installation
● Providing access to the data and functions of SAP Business Suite systems based on the
OData protocol and HTTPS
● Making it possible to log on through Single Sign-On and log out just once (SAML2, SSO
cookie)
● Designing each app as a separate add-on with one front-end and one back-end component
● Supporting various back ends through OData services
● Creating apps based on the SAPUI5 Control Library

Figure 67: Overview of SAP Fiori architecture

SAP Fiori and Business Workflow

The business functions that have been realized in the form of SAP Fiori apps often involve
approval workflows.
How does the SAP Fiori architecture control interactions with Business Workflow?
SAP Fiori delivers a generic decision app that can be used out of the box.
To use SAP Fiori in approval workflows, the following requirements must be met:

Requirements for using SAP Fiori in approval workflows

● The workflow scenarios in question run in the back end.

● SAP Fiori has been installed and configured.
● The desired SAP Fiori request approval app has been implemented.

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Unit 5: Business Workplace

Figure 71: Displaying data by means of a BAdI

You can output data of any level of complexity, including that which is not related to a
particular business object. To do so, create an OData service and use a UI extension.
You can use the following extension points:
● CustomerExtensionForObjectListItem
● CustomerExtensionForObjectHeader
● CustomerExtensionForInfoTabContent
● CustomerExtensionForNoteTabContent
● CustomerExtensionForAttachmentTabContent
● CustomerExtensionForAdditionalTabs

In approval inquiries, you can also use the UI control IDs ARNoteIconTabFilter and
ARAttachmentIconTabFilter .

Note:
For further details on implementing and using SAP Fiori, please refer to the course
SAPX03, “SAP Fiori Implementation and C”.

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:
● Cite the alternatives to the Business Workplace
● Put the use of the universal worklist (UWL) into context
● Describe the available notification functions

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 Lesson: Alternatives to the Business Workplace

● Put SAP Fiori into context in connection with approval workflows

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 Unit 5

Learning Assessment - Answers

1. Every work item a user receives for processing is always visible in the Business Workplace.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

This is correct, Yes, the Business Workplace is the main user interface.

2. Alternative workplaces – the universal worklist in the portal, for example, or receiving
notifications about a work item by e-mail – can also be used.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

This is correct. Yes, other ways to receive notifications about a given work item can be
defined.

3. What options do users have in customizing their own personal worklist?

Users can configure their own worklist layouts by selecting columns from the column set
and/or defining their own (dynamic) columns.

4. A user can only forward a work item to the possible agents for the task at hand.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

This is correct. The definition of the task at hand determines whether and to whom it can
be forwarded.

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 Unit 5: Learning Assessment - Answers

5. Once a user has reserved or executed a work item, it can only be replaced manually by the
same user or the workflow administrator. A new function in SAP ERP 6.0 (EHP 7) makes
automatic replacement possible.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

This is correct. The Function was introduced with ERP 6.0, EHP 7.

6. What are the different views available in the end-user workflow log?
Choose the correct answers.

X A Workflow chronicle view

X B Workflow agents view

X C Workflow objects view

X D Workflow container view

This is correct. The workflow container view is accessible through the technical log.

7. Through the workflow outbox, users can access work items they have already carried out.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

This is correct. In the workflow outbox, each agent sees the instances he or she has
started and the work items he or she has executed or forwarded.

8. Using transaction SWNADMIN, you can access a Business Server Page application that
enables you to customize how e-mail notifications are handled for work items.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

This is correct. Within transaction SWNADMIN, the BSP SWN_CONFIG gives you an easy
way to customize these e-mail notifications.

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 Unit 6
Lesson 1
Characteristics and Usage of Standard Tasks

LESSON OVERVIEW
This lesson offers an introduction to the functional core, possible agents, and maintainable
texts of standard tasks.

Business Example
The implementation team starts out by exploring the characteristics and possible uses of
standard tasks.

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
● Explain characteristics and usage of standard tasks

Current and Obsolete Task Types

Figure 72: Tasks describe business activities

Tasks describe business activities that are to be carried out.

They thus represent the “WHAT” and “BY WHAT MEANS” of how a given workflow is
executed.
Tasks are assigned possible agents. Agents represent the “WHO” aspect of the workflow.
From an organizational perspective, tasks are the central element of a workflow. One specific
task can be performed in each process step.

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Unit 6: Workflow Architecture

Information on Task Definition

Figure 74: Information on task definition

Tasks represent actions that need to be carried out. A task always refers to exactly one
method of an object type.
The action involved can be a step that the system executes on its own in the background. In
these cases, no possible agents are assigned.
The action can also be a dialog task. In these cases, the task has possible agents, which can
be assigned by following the menu path:
Additional Data → Maintain Agent Assignment
Work item text is the text found in the “Title” column of the worklist.
The task description appears in the work item preview and the work item detail display.
A notification can be sent to the corresponding recipient when a work item has been
completed.
If simple deadline monitoring has been set up for a given workflow step, a corresponding text
must be maintained for the respective deadline type.
In all texts, variables can be included that are supplied with values from the workflow interface
at runtime.
Texts for descriptions, notifications, and missed deadlines can be found on the Description
tab page.

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 Lesson: Characteristics and Usage of Workflow Templates

Workflow Builder

Figure 82: Workflows: the Workflow Builder

Workflow definitions are created in the Workflow Builder and displayed in a graphical format.
The Workflow Builder is divided into the following areas:
● Steps: A tree structure showing the sequence of workflow steps. Double-clicking a step
displays the corresponding step definition.
● Containers: Variables of the workflow interface
● Tasks: Here, tasks and workflows are available for easy insertion and navigation.
● Document templates: Displays the available document templates
● Wizards
● Team working
● Overview: Displays the whole workflow definition
● Insertable step types: All the step types available for drag-and-drop into the workflow
definition
● Messages: All messages generated in where-used lists and workflow tests are displayed
here.
● Workflows with this definition

Responsible and Excluded Agents in a Workflow Step

The possible agents you specify for standard tasks can/must be limited to the responsible
agents for each workflow step.
The example depicted in the following illustration involves an FI scenario in which invoice
verification work items are only sent to the agents responsible for the invoices of a certain
business partner.

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Unit 6: Workflow Architecture

Triggering Events

Figure 85: Workflows: triggering events

As soon as a user creates a notification of absence, the application generates the event
“Notification of absence created”.
In the basic data of the workflow template to be initiated, this event linkage must be entered
and activated.
The “Notification of absence created” event then triggers all the workflows actively linked to
it.
Once a workflow is triggered by an event, all subsequent processing steps specified in the
workflow definition will be carried out in the sequence defined until the workflow is complete.

Definition and Runtime Environment

The Workflow Engine provides components for defining processes, tasks, agents, and rules.
During runtime, the workflow definition serves as the foundation for the corresponding
workflow instances (flow items, type F). Based on the task and step definition in question,
work items are generated as runtime instances whose recipients are determined by rules,
organizational objects, roles, and expressions.

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 Lesson: Characteristics and Usage of Workflow Templates

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:
● Explain characteristics and usage of workflow templates
● Cite the main characteristics of a workflow template
● Activate the event linkage of an SAP workflow
● Use the SAP workflow
● Describe the basic interaction between definition and runtime

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 Unit 6

Learning Assessment - Answers

1. An object type is present at runtime and at definition time.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

This is correct. Yes; an object type describes an object at runtime. At runtime, the system
works with specific instances of the object type at hand.

2. Possible agents are the employees at a company that are technically able to execute a
certain task.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

This is correct. Possible agents represent the overall pool of employees who are allowed to
carry out a given task.

3. Generally speaking, how do you start a workflow?

In practice, most workflows are triggered by events.

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 UNIT 7 Monitoring and Analysis

Lesson 1
Exploring Specific Transactions for Runtime Monitoring 127

Lesson 2
Using the Workflow Log 136

UNIT OBJECTIVES

● Explore specific transactions for runtime monitoring

● Execute runtime reports for the administrator
● Execute runtime reports for the end user
● Use the workflow log

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 Unit 7
Lesson 1
Exploring Specific Transactions for Runtime
Monitoring

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
● Explore specific transactions for runtime monitoring
● Execute runtime reports for the administrator
● Execute runtime reports for the end user

Overview

Figure 87: Workflow Reports

The SAP database contains all of the information required for workflow processes. This
information can be evaluated using standard or customer-specific reports.
Runtime reporting has two main purposes:

1. Support for test analysis and error analysis

2. Improvement of business process logic based on past experience.

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 Lesson: Exploring Specific Transactions for Runtime Monitoring

Workitem Selection

Figure 91: Utilities: Work item selection

Work item selection can be found in the menu tree under:

SAP Easy Access → Tools → Business Workflow → Development → Utilities → Work item
selection
Work item selection is probably the fastest way for a workflow designer to access the
workflow log of any workflow.
Work item selection supports the following selection criteria:
● Task ID or task groups (for example, WS99900012/TS30000016)
● Work item type
● Date/time created
● Status of work item
● Priority
● Entry of a specific work item key

Selecting the “Additional Data” indicator will also display the number and version of the
workflow/task, the system administrator, and the user who executed the work item.
Depending on your selection criteria, the report might display a list of work items. By double
clicking, you can display these work items to obtain detailed information.
You can only execute and change the work item if you are a possible agent of this work item.

Item types and their Meaning

In a workflow, items represent process steps (or process instances). Depending on the
processing taking place, the Workflow Engine generates different types of items.
The following list presents a number of item types and what they mean:

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 Lesson: Exploring Specific Transactions for Runtime Monitoring

● Execute runtime reports for the end user

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 Unit 7
Lesson 2
Using the Workflow Log

LESSON OVERVIEW
This lesson takes a closer look at the different views and display options available in the
workflow log.

Business Example
Having gotten comfortable with a number of transactions for workflow runtime monitoring,
the implementation team now wants to use the further options provided by the workflow log.

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
● Use the workflow log

Different Logs

Figure 94: Workflow Logs from the Business and Technical Perspective

The workflow log offers different modes for different information requirements. Each mode
answers certain questions and is geared toward a particular user group. The following modes
are available:
● Modes for agents (no technical information)
● Modes that include technical details (those required by a workflow administrator, for
example)

The log’s standard view is for business users.

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 Lesson: Using the Workflow Log

The information you see depends on the mode you have selected in your personal workflow
settings. If you have selected the technical view, no information will be filtered out.
Workflow administrators should activate the technical view in order to avoid seeing a
simplified version. (When displaying a workflow’s log, this could prevent an administrator
from seeing all the steps at hand, which could lead to an incorrect diagnosis.)

Standard Log

Figure 95: Workflow log: workflow chronicle view

The “View: WF Chronicle” tab page of the workflow log (ActiveX) shows a hierarchy of all the
workflow steps that have been processed or are awaiting processing. If the workflow at hand
contains a structure of (sub-)workflows, they will also be displayed.
The “Details” function lists the following details on a given step in the lower portion of the
screen:
● Who executed what detailed action with the work items in question, and what the results
were
● When this action was carried out
● Which objects were involved

The “Agent” function shows:

● Selected agents
● Possible agents
● Excluded agents for a given step

The “Graphic” function switches to the graphical workflow log.

The different views (workflow chronicle, workflow agents, workflow objects) can also be
accessed in the user view (no ActiveX) of the workflow log through the “Views” menu.

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Unit 7: Monitoring and Analysis

● If you change a version of a workflow definition in a significant and incompatible way by:
- Adding steps
- Deleting steps
- Repositioning blocks (cut, paste, and so on)
- ...and no new version is generated,
● ...the graphical workflow log may no longer display the sequence that has taken place.

This problem mainly arises in the development and testing phase when a workflow definition
is modified, executed, modified again, and executed once more.
While the list-based workflow log only presents past values from the workflow runtime tables,
the graphical workflow log displays the version of the executed workflow according to its
current definition.
If the version has been changed significantly, the graphic will reflect the modified workflow
definition, but the workflow itself will follow a different sequence. As a result, the workflow
attempts to insert information from runtime tables into a workflow definition that looks
completely different. What anomalies can you look for to identify this problem?
● Steps that seem to have been skipped (this is especially apparent in a sequence of steps)
● All steps are displayed as “Executed”, even those in an alternative sequence (not a loop)
● The workflow is finished, but its execution appears to have had no direct result

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:
● Use the workflow log

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 UNIT 8 Further Topics
(Optional)

Lesson 1
Enhancing SAP Workflows 144

Lesson 2
Configuring Workflows 148

Lesson 3
Using Workflows at Your Company 153

Lesson 4
Explaining Workflow Roles 159

Lesson 5
Explaining SAP Authorizations 161

Lesson 6
Explaining Steps of a Workflow Project 162

Lesson 7
Exploring Transaction Codes and Menu Paths 167

UNIT OBJECTIVES

● Enhance SAP workflows

● Configure Workflows
● Use workflows at your company
● Explain workflow roles
● Explain SAP Authorizations
● Explain Steps of a Workflow Project
● Explore Transaction Codes and Menu Paths

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 Unit 8
Lesson 1
Enhancing SAP Workflows

LESSON OVERVIEW

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
● Enhance SAP workflows

SAP Workflow Enhancement

SAP Workflow Enhancement, Introduction
This section covers redefining standard texts in SAP tasks and making customer-specific
enhancements to certain step characteristics in SAP workflows. One of the options available
in this context is “simple deadline monitoring”, which is implemented in practice here.

Determine whether to enhance an SAP workflow or use it as-is

Figure 101: Should you enhance an SAP workflow or use it as-is?

Message texts (long texts and work item text) can always be modified.
It is also possible to redefine texts according to your needs even when you want to use
templates without other changes.

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 Lesson: Enhancing SAP Workflows

Through workflow configuration, you can modify a step in an SAP workflow without having to
copy it first.
Workflow configuration enables you to:

1. Change the agent assignment of a step

2. Set up deadline monitoring for a step

3. Prioritize work items

4. Send a notification when a step is complete

5. Deactivate logging for a step in the workflow log

A workflow’s configuration does not allow you to modify the corresponding workflow
definition.
If you want to add a new step to an SAP workflow or modify a step in a manner not listed
above, proceed as follows:

1. Copy the SAP workflow

2. Make your changes

3. Activate your new workflow template

Redefine standard SAP texts according to your needs

Figure 102: Redefining work item text

Work item text is defined at the task level and displayed in the worklist at runtime.
SAP tasks are provided with standard texts that can be redefined according to each
customer’s needs.
Procedure:

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Unit 8: Further Topics (Optional)

● Bring up the SAP task in question (display mode)

● Click the “Redefine work item text” icon directly above the work item text
● Enter your choice of text and save it

It is possible to include variables in work item text; these variables supplement the text with
current runtime data. System information, such as the current date and time or the user who
initiated the workflow, will then be inserted in place of the entered variables at runtime and
displayed in the worklist along with the fixed text of the work item in question.
Procedure for including variables:
● Bring up the work item text in question
● Move the cursor to the place where you want to insert a variable
● Select the desired variable from the interface

Figure 103: Redefining other texts

Long texts in SAP workflows can also be redefined according to your needs.
Long texts can be found in each task’s definition on the “Description” tab page.
You can maintain the following texts:
● Task description (appears in the work item preview in the Business Workplace and the
detail display of the work item)
● Completion text (sent to a user to be specified when the work item is complete)
- Work item was not processed in the period specified
● Missed deadline text (sent to a user to be specified if the work item was not processed in
the period specified

You can include variables in long texts by following the menu path: Include → Expression .

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 Lesson: Enhancing SAP Workflows

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:
● Enhance SAP workflows

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 Unit 8
Lesson 2
Configuring Workflows

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
● Configure Workflows

Workflow Configuration

The following is the usage of Workflow configuration (1):

● Purpose
- Configuration enables you to incorporate your own specific data into SAP workflows
- SAP workflows do not need to be copied
- SAP workflows do not need to be modified
● Restrictions
- Only available for the workflow template type (WS), NOT for the workflow task type
(WF)

Only the workflow template type (WS) can be configured.

There can be only one configuration for each workflow template.
You can access workflow configuration by calling transaction SWDD_CONFIG or following this
menu path: → Tools → Business Workflow → Development → Definition tools → Workflow
Configuration .

Workflow configuration (2): step types

Information about Workflow configuration (2): step types

● What step types can be configured?

- Activity
- User decision
- Document from template
- Wait for event
● What step types cannot be configured?
- Conditions, switches, event creators, process controls, container operations, loops
(UNTIL and WHILE), forks, undefined steps (and so on)

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 Lesson: Configuring Workflows

Configuration overwrites the information in a workflow definition. This is why the Workflow
Builder indicates whether a configuration exists in place of the workflow definition at hand.
You can find this information in the basic data of the workflow on the tab page
“Technical information” .
At runtime, the data in the configuration is used.
Structural changes cannot be made to workflow definitions.
If you want to add or delete a step (for example), you will need to copy the workflow template
in question.
You can then modify the duplicate according to your needs.
The old workflow task type (WF) cannot be configured.

Workflow configuration (3): step characteristics

Information about Workflow configuration (3): step characteristics

● What can be configured?

- Responsible agents
- Work item preview / customer-specific work item display
- Priority
- Reference time, duration, and unit of time for deadlines
- “Not in workflow log” indicator
- Notification
● What cannot be configured?
- Workflow sequence / structure
- Binding
- Possible actions when a deadline is missed (e-mail or modeling)
- Secondary methods

If you want to make changes to areas that cannot be configured, copy the SAP workflow in
question to a workflow template of your own.
You can then modify the workflow template however you see fit.
Expression work items:
As in the case of express e-mails, a notification will appear to let you know when an express
work item has been placed in your inbox.
Here, the corresponding workflow step must be set to priority “1” .
Notification refers to the process of informing a specified recipient that a particular work item
has been completed.
Simple deadline monitoring refers to the process of informing specified recipients that a
particular work item was not processed within a specified period.
For each workflow step, the following deadline types are available: “Requested start”, “latest
start”, “requested end” and “latest end” .

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Unit 8: Further Topics (Optional)

Figure 104: Workflow Configuration: Visual Layout

You can access workflow configuration by calling transaction SWDD_CONFIG or following this
menu path: → Tools → Business Workflow → Development → Definition tools → Workflow
Configuration .
Double-clicking a step will bring up a detail view that provides all the available configuration
options.
Fill out the detail view according to your preferences.

Simple deadline monitoring

Figure 105: Deadline Types for Workflow Steps

Requested start:
● Earliest possible time for the start of processing

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 Lesson: Configuring Workflows

● Strictly speaking, a requested start is not a form of deadline monitoring; it is the time at
which a work item first appears in an agent’s inbox.

Requested end
● The time by which a work item should be processed

Latest start
● The latest time by which the processing of a work item must begin

Latest end
● The time by which the processing of a work item must be complete.

The different deadline types available in deadline monitoring can be used to assemble an
escalation procedure.
Example:
A purchase requisition is to be approved within two weeks. If it is not, the “requested end”
takes effect and the agent currently selected is notified.
If the purchase requisition has still not been processed after three weeks, the “latest end”
takes effect and the manager of the agent in question is notified.
It is possible to start any manner of subsequent processing using modeled deadlines. (Course
BIT601)

Figure 106: Simple Deadline Monitoring

Deadlines can be defined to reference the start of a workflow, the start of a work item, or the
content of a variable.
If a deadline is missed in the context of simple deadline monitoring, the specified recipient is
notified.

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 Lesson: Using Workflows at Your Company

critical processes with deadline monitoring, approval procedures, the archiving of incoming
documents (and automatic forwarding to the people responsible for them at your company),
and the issue of notifications when certain events occur.

Figure 110: Is it Possible to Implement a Workflow? (Example)

After determining which process you want to implement, you will need to sketch out the flow
logic of all the steps in your chosen business scenario.
Each step must be assigned an SAP function.
For dialog steps, you will need to assign employees who are involved in the workflow at hand.
When planning agents, always be sure to specify a particular group (the clerk position in CO or
an organizational unit for major project consulting, for example) or individual names (Jones,
Miller, and so on).
In any case, avoid entering anonymous information.

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 Unit 8
Lesson 4
Explaining Workflow Roles

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
● Explain workflow roles

Workflow Roles
Overview of workflow roles:

● Prerequisites
- The system includes roles for all the typical workflow users. When you assign a role to a
user, a role-based user menu will appear on the SAP Easy Access screen.
- Each role has its own documentation
● Characteristics
- Workflow roles assume that the Workflow Engine will be used in a particular way. The
assumption is also made that the corresponding IMG activities have already been
completed.
- The workflow roles used are stylized, but you can still use them at your company even if
your working methods differ.

You can specify roles as possible agents for a task, or enter the agents responsible for a given
workflow step.
EBP deals exclusively with the assignment of roles.

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Unit 8: Further Topics (Optional)

Using Workflow Roles

Figure 113: Using workflow roles

Process consultant (SAP_BC_BMT_WFM_PROCESS):

Analyzes the business processes in place, identifies those that are suitable for the Workflow
Engine, and maps out a corresponding business process model. A process consultant is also
responsible for maintaining the organizational plan required for the workflow.
Workflow modeler (SAP_BC_BMT_WFM_DEVELOPER):
Implements a workflow based on the business process model developed by the process
consultant using the Workflow Engine’s definition tools.
Workflow programmer (SAP_BC_BMT_WFM_DEVELOPER):
Implements the requirements specified by the workflow modeler.
Workflow system administrator (SAP_BC_BMT_WFM_ADMIN):
Responsible for technical maintenance of the development environment and runtime
behavior after customizing.
Workflow agent (SAP_BC_SRV_USER):
An end user in a productive workflow. A workflow agent starts workflows and processes work
items in the Business Workplace.
Process controller (SAP_BC_BMT_WFM_CONTROLLER):
Evaluates a workflow from a business perspective and proposes related improvements.

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:
● Explain workflow roles

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 Unit 8
Lesson 6
Explaining Steps of a Workflow Project

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
● Explain Steps of a Workflow Project

Steps of a Workflow Project

Steps in a Workflow Project

Steps in a Workflow Project (1) are:

● Step 1: Preliminary tasks

Procedure:
- Define project team
(System administrators, process consultants, process administrators, workflow
developers, HR administrators, end users, representatives of company management)
- Define project objectives
- Results
The users at hand have been assigned various roles.
A centralized collection of documentation is available.
Objectives must be clearly defined to give everyone involved in the project a clear idea
of its direction.

Objectives must be specified by company management. A meeting with your company’s

executives is thus necessary in order to complete this item.
Objectives might include reducing costs, optimizing processes, downsizing, making a process
simpler or more transparent, or achieving greater customer satisfaction.
When working with end users, we recommend not focusing on “cost reductions”. That said,
cost reductions can stem from improved process logic.
Role assignment refers to the employees involved in a project.
In this context, a role signifies both an employee’s working role in the project and his or her
later role in the corresponding workflow.

Steps in a Workflow Project (2) are:

● Step 2: Choosing a process

Procedure:

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 Lesson: Explaining Steps of a Workflow Project

- Selecting potential processes for a workflow project

When finished, you should have established the following: actual lead and transport
times, interfaces, responsible agents, process steps
- Catalog processes
Possible criteria: costs/benefits, feasibility, departmental criteria, workload
- Decide which processes are to be implemented
- Define project team
(System administrators, process consultants, process administrators, workflow
developers, HR administrators, end users, representatives of company management)
- Describe the main steps in the process
Describe the conditions in which the process is to begin/end

Tools: interviews, meetings, analysis tools

It can be useful to determine the current costs of a given process in isolation.
It will help your cause if you can point to cost reductions that have been achieved since your
company went live with a certain workflow.
To do so, you will need to estimate the costs involved before and after its implementation.
Having an idea of where the most costs are incurred (labor, scrap, unrealized contracts, and
so on) will also help you later on in determining the requirements of process reporting.
In this project phase, the interface your individual end users will work with is also established:
● SAP GUI for Windows
● SAP GUI for HTML
● Outlook integration
● Lotus Notes integration
● Enterprise portals

This decision will also help determine the components you will need to install in the process
(an ITS and a web server, for example).

Steps in a Workflow Project (3) are:

● Step 3: Drafting the workflow process

Procedure:
- Draft workflow: Describe the steps in your business process in detail
- Determine who will be responsible for the individual steps
- Check the availability of standard functions
- Carry out application customizing
- Conduct regular reviews with end users (process users)
- Clarify who the administrator responsible for the workflow will be

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 Lesson: Explaining Steps of a Workflow Project

Steps in a Workflow Project (5) are:

● Step 5: Go-live and support

Procedure:
- Final end-user training
- Preparations in the productive system
- In the first week: Test/check functions during live operations
- One month after go-live: Conduct a workflow review with the end users and review your
workflow statistics to identify potential bottlenecks
- Result
The workflow is now live (that is, it is being used in a production environment).
Ideally, you should be able to estimate the current process costs at hand and compare
them against your previous process in a report to company management.
In doing so, you can also point out other processes that should be optimized.

Before getting started with training, decide whether all users will participate or only a select
group (“snowball” training).
If you can only train a select group of users, documentation is very important.
Make sure that the necessary facilities are available and that representatives from every
process phase receive training.
Even after all your system tests are complete, you should check whether the system is
running properly.

Success Factors

Success Factors (1) are:

● Cooperation between user department and IT.

● Active support from company management.
● Clear decision-making structures.
● If necessary: Involve your company’s employee representatives as early on as possible.
● Factor in surrounding organizational and political circumstances.
● Ensure professional project management and a dedicated approach.
● Discuss reasons for your project that involve more than just reducing costs.
● Win over end users.

Success Factors (2) are:

● Involve end users in designing the process.

● Announce the successful completion of each step (project marketing).
● For your first project, choose the process carefully.

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Unit 8: Further Topics (Optional)

Transaction code Description Classification

SWED Assignment of change Settings for change documents

document objects →object
types
SWEL Display event trace Event trace
SWI1 Selection report for work- Selection report for finding work
flows items
SWI2 Work item analysis Work item analysis
SWI3 Workflow outbox Workflow outbox
SWI4 Task analysis Task analysis
SWI5 Workload analysis Workload analysis
SWI6 Object links Object links
SWI7 Workflow resubmission Workflow resubmission folder
folder
SWI8 Error overview Error overview
SWL1 Settings for dynamic col- Define dynamic columns for inbox
umns
SWLD Workbench for Workflow Area menu of SAP Business Work-
4.0 flow (development)
SW01 Business Object Builder Business Object Builder
SWU0 Event simulation Simulation of event creation
SWU2 RFC monitor RFC monitor
SWU3 Consistency check: cus- Automatic customizing and consis-
tomizing tency check for customizing
SWU4 Consistency check for Consistency check for tasks
standard tasks
SWU7 Consistency check for
workflow templates
SWUD Diagnosis tool Error diagnosis – list of problems
and solutions
SWUE Trigger event Create an event for test purposes
SWUI Start workflows Start a task in dialog
SWUS Start tasks Start a task in dialog
SWUY Wizard for messages-work- Start a task from a message long
flow linkage text
SWXF Form applications: initial Demo example: process notifica-
screen tion of absence

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 Lesson: Exploring Transaction Codes and Menu Paths

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:
● Explore Transaction Codes and Menu Paths

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