SAP Workflow

Workflow

Contents Preface

Chapter 1

What

... is workflow?

Chapter 2

Why

... is workflow useful?

Chapter 3

How

... workflow is done in SAP R/3

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Chapter 1

What

... is workflow?

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Automating Corporate Processes Proof of Delivery Trouble Report

Sales

Sales Order

Sales Management

Product Planning

Customer Service

Budget Forecast

Production Planning

Customer

Packing Slip Invoice

Order Processing

Assembly Order

Asse mbly

Assembly Order

Packing Slip

Shipping & Receiving Shipping Order Packing Slip

Accounting

Product

Invoice

Product Product .

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Business processes Treasury

Risk management

Financial Accounting

Credit control

Controlling

Sales and Distribution Logistics Production

Exchange hedging

Handling payments

Customer invoice posting

Incoming order

Financing decision

Vendor selection

Transfer order

Evaluation

Incoming order posting

Intercompany billing

Sales profit

External billing

Intercompany billing

Vendor selection

Production order

Service profitability

Order profitability

Costing document

Production

Delivery

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What does workflow do? Treasury

Risk management

Financial Accounting

Credit control

Controlling

Sales and Distribution Logistics Production

Exchange hedging

Handling payments

Customer invoice posting

Incoming order

Financing decision

Vendor selection

Transfer order

Evaluation

Incoming order posting

Intercompany billing

Sales profit

External billing

Intercompany billing

Vendor selection

Production order

Service profitability

Order profitability

Costing document

Production

Delivery

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Workflow Management

"A Workflow Management System is one which provides procedural automation of a business process by management of the sequence of work activities and the invocation of appropriate human and/or IT resources associated with the various activity steps."

The Workflow Management Coalition, "The Workflow Reference Model"; Version 0.6, 28th June, 1993, page 7.

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Chapter 2

Why

... is workflow useful?

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Benefits of Workflow

Reliability Productivity Quality .

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Workflow: Advantages of the SAP Solution Consistency Consistency modeling modeling--definition definition--control control--monitoring monitoring Less Lesscomplexity complexity through throughpowerful powerfulapplications applications Integration Integration with withthe theorganizational organizationalmodel model Openness Openness through throughinterfaces interfaces Short ShortImplementation Implementation Pre-built Pre-builtworkflow workflowexamples examples ABAP/4 ABAP/4development developmentworkbench workbenchsupport support .

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With and without workflow TRADITIONAL

Initiative Monitoring

User Supervisor

Paper Documents Flow of information passive

WORKFLOW SUPPORTED

System (user) System Electronic active

Flow of control

Sequential Hard coded in application (transaction t1 calls t2 ...)

Parallel separate programming level -> reusable transactions -> small size

Unit of control

Individual function (atomic transaction)

Whole process (beyond transaction boundaries)

In a nutshell

"Stop and Go"

Work flow

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Chapter 3

How workflow is done in SAP R/3 The definition of a workflow The workflow at runtime Additional Comments

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Position of the workflow in the system Business Workflow

SD

FI

MM

CO

PP

AM

R/3

QM

PS

PM

WF HR

Integrated Applications

IS

Business Middleware Layer

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Chapter 3

How workflow is done in SAP R/3 The definition of a workflow The workflow at runtime Additional Comments

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Graphical representation of a workflow

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Structure of a Workflow Definition Conditional Process Loop

Activity

Parallel Process Loop

IF Loop

Deadline Monitoring

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Workflow definition Activity Workflow definition Workflow-Definition Workflow-Definition

• •Activity Activitytotobe beexecuted: executed: Task, Task, Workflow Workflowtask task • •Responsibilits Responsibilitsfor forthe the execution: execution: Actor, Actor,Role Role • •Deadlines, Deadlines,costs costs • •Responsibility Responsibilityififthere thereisis no user action: no user action: Person Personinincharge charge concerning concerningdeadlines deadlines • •Notificaton Notificatonwhen whenaction action has been taken: has been taken: Person Personinincharge charge concerning concerningtaken takenaction action

Task

Object method .

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Task Definition Standard Standardtask task (SAP (SAPdefined) defined)

Object Objectmethod method

Task Task (customer (customerdefined) defined)

Workflow Workflowdefinition definition

Workflow Workflowtask task

OOrrgg..oobbjejecctsts

CCrreeaatitningg eevveenntsts

Task Taskcontainer container

DDeefa fauultltrroolele,, rroolele

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Workflow Object Components Object type Key structure

Attributes

Field references Status attributes

Workstation program Transactions

virtual attributes Function module Implementation Report Methods

Parameter container ABAP coding Return values

Events .

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SAP Business Workflow uses the Organisational Model as the basis for the workflow routing structure The Organisational Management z Organisational units ÎDepartments, groups, projects z Positions ÎPurchasing Manager ÎPurchasing Agent z Jobs ÎPurchase computers ÎEstablish vendor contracts z Workplaces ÎLocation

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Role Based Routing Workflow Manager z z Role Role Restrictions Restrictions Roles Rolesare are restricted restricted based based on on the the data data and and item item being being processed processed

z z Task Task (definition) (definition)

Person in charge of Finance Customer O- Z

Customer H-N

Post Postdocument document Î Î Linked Linked to to position position Person in Person in charge charge of ofFinance Finance

z z Role Role (definition) (definition) Person Personin in charge charge of of posting posting Î Î Attributes Attributes of of the the role role Customer Customer Invoiced Invoiced amount amount

z z Work Work Item Item (activity (activityat at runtime) runtime) Post Postdocument document 4712 4712 Î Î Customer Customer H. H. R. R. Miller Miller

Î Î Invoiced Invoiced amount amount $258,300 $258,300

Customer A- G

Invoiced amount: < $250,000 Invoiced amount: > $250,000

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Chapter 3

How workflow is done in SAP R/3 The definition of a workflow The workflow at runtime Additional Comments

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Definition and Runtime Components Definition

Runtime

Workflow definition (Workflow editor)

Workflow

Graphic implementation of Workflow procedures

Workflow control Workflow coordination

Activity

Workitem

Object method

Deadline monitoring Escalation

Linkage with persons, groups and roles

Method call

Object type

Object

Enhanced object description

Activation of methods Accessing attributes Creation of events

Methods Attributes Events

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Integrated Inbox Functions: z Process mail and workflow items z Send and receive notifications Internal and external systems Fax, E-mail, Internet, etc.

z Reschedule work z Attachments to inbox items Notes, documents, objects, etc.

z File/manage documents and mail

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Workflow Manager

Workflow Manager

Record history Resolve messages

Create work items

SD

FI

MM

Evaluate conditions

R/3 QM

Client / Server ABAP/4

Process events Monitor deadlines

PS

Allocate agents Organize data flows

Manage cross application flows

Synchronize process

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Background Scheduling and Deadline monitoring

Workflow System Start date

waiting for events

Example

latest end

Release of invoice

Background Start date

EDI pre-entry complete invoice

Dialog latest start latest end

release invoice post invoice

Key: Background Dialog

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Monitoring Processes How many customer problems are in process? What is the status? How old are the problems? How is the work distributed? What is the resolution status for a specific customer? How many active items are there?

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Process reporting

How many problems have been reported in the last quarter? How many problems were reported by problem type? What was the average processing time by problem types? How often did processing exceed deadline? How many exceptions were processed?

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Chapter 3

How workflow is done in SAP R/3 The definition of a workflow The workflow at runtime Additional comments

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What does SAP deliver A table driven Workflow Definition tool An application independent Workflow Management engine A new user interface (work list client) Workflow enabling in SAP applications Ready-to-use standard SAP task definitions Sample SAP workflow templates

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SAP workflow templates

EDI / ALE: Error handling PP: engineering change management PM: malfunction messages PS: changes in corresponding purchase orders SD: contract management LIS: triggering events when reaching threshholds MM: release of requisitions: events for selected codes FI: Preliminary posting, budget release, Financial Calendar AM: mass processing of assets PD: Management of conferences and other events

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Desktop Integration Other applications Windows *

SAP System Direct

No. 1 front end for R/3 On-line Documentation

WinHelp WinWord Excel

RFC Server

R/3 Applications

Project Access MS Mail Visual Basic OLE Automation Clients

ODBC MAPI RFC Server

R/3 Basis System DB R/3 Mail R/3 Applications

* Windows ‘95 supported with first shipment .

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The Openness of SAP Business Workflow Integration and openness External Externalworklist worklist client client External workflow External workflow manager manager

Workflow management

OLE OLEautomation automation External External applications applications

Tasks / Work items

z SAP provides easy-to-use interfaces at all levels of the SAP Business Workflow architecture: Îworkflow management level Îwork queue / work item management level Îobject management level Îevent level

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External External objects objects

Objects

SAP transactions

z SAP is an active member of the Workflow Management Coalition to ensure that the interfaces of workflow products and applications converge.