Analysis of a specific workflow
Hi all,
do you know if there's an easy way, using a standard transaction, to retrieve where are the open tasks belonging to a specific workflow without accessing each workflow log?
For example, all the tasks for purchase reqs or contracts or orders (since there are custom workflows for these documents).
Thanks a lot in advance.
Best regards.
Angelo
Hi,
I don't think you have that flexibility in filtering the open tasks for analysis. But, did you tried using T.code WSI2_FREQ - Work Item per Task, where under Task filter you have the parameter Application Component, where you can use the application like purchase req's etc. Not sure weather it will help your analysis perfectly.
Veerender.
Similar Messages
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Using Role as WF Admin for a specific workflow - Reg
HI All,
I am trying to define a WF Admin for a specific workflow. I know we can maintain a USER ID or EXPRESS(WFsyst-agent) or Rule for this in the Version Dependent tab of Basic Data for wflow template.
But, when i give a Role(Custom R:XXXXXXX role), and do the syntax check, it is giving me the following error and am not able to proceed further.
"Organizational object 'R:PR044_TRAVEL_MANAGER' not available".
My guess is the agent that you give here should be an Org. Obj. For ex., when we specify a USER ID, then the Admin for this witem is shown as "ORGUSXXXXX" and similarly when we assign this custom role, may be it is trying to find if this role is an org. obj (which is obviously not) and hence the error.
Have any of you tried this ROLE option here and can you pl explain me what is wrong with my setting.
I'd appreciate your quick response as this is very critical for me.
Thanks in advance.
venuMike,
I thought i had solved it. But, when i am trying now with a role "RXXXXXXX" that is 14 char, its not working again.
Can anybody tell me if there is any limitation on the role name (should start with Y or Z) or char length (14 char or 12..).
Your immediate response is greatly appreciated.
========
Hey, i just foudn that its the limitation with 12 char ..not Y or Z..and also found this OSS note 860251. It discussed the issue, but not a solution other than choosing a 12 char length for Role name.
Anybody, any ideas ?
Thanks in advance,
venu
Edited by: Venugopal Jogi on Jul 14, 2008 6:07 PM -
How to get the Asset's current step under a specific workflow process via API?
Everyone,
Is there a way to get the asset's current step for a specific workflow process by the WebCenter Sites API? We are showing out the asset created within the WebCenter Sites in another application via its API. We would like some actions get to be done once determined assets went into a specific step of a workflow process. Any suggestions are welcomed.
Regards!Here is some information from the FDK Programmer's guide page 115:
IMPORTANT: A valid text range can span multiple paragraphs, subcolumns, or text frames.
It cant span multiple flows, footnotes, table cells, or text lines.
It is possible for a document to have no text selection or insertion point at all. This can occur in
the following circumstances:
● One or more graphic objects in the document are selected
● One or more entire table cells in the document are selected
● There is no selection of any type in the document
So, I did select one or more entire table cells in the document in my first test. It's logical that the result was not like expected.
But selecting one or more entire table cells is a crucial requirement for my plugin, is there anyway to get things straight?
Simply put, I want to enable users to select one or more table cells in the document, and I want to get the object handles of the first cell and the last cell through Framemaker API calls. How?
Many thanks in advance!
Best Regards,
Ellen N. Zhao -
How to skip the Analysis level in the workflow for manual investigation?
Hi Experts,
My requirement is to bypass the Analysis level for manual investigation in the workflow template number WS15100038. I tried to set the 'skip first decision step?' step as true to bypass the analyst level by setting the container element "IMMEDIATE_LEVEL1" as 'X' then I created a claim but it still went to the analysis level . Not sure what i'm missing. Help, pls!Hello !
Take the copy of the standard workflow and delete the analysis step(container step too).
Now save and activate the workflow.By this way, you will able to accomplish the requirement.
Regards,
S.Suresh -
Hi!
I have a workflow requirement which is specific to a particular participant.
Does the ALBPM tool provide a in built feature to enable this.
What I saw until now was that role-specific assigment is possible? Can we have a person-spcific task allocationHi,
Do you mean you want to send the instance to one particular participant, rather than to all participants within an entire role?
If that is the case use split-n and join.
Write the following code in split-N:
participantObj = Participant.find("participanName");
copy = clone(this);
copy.Participant.Next = participantObj;
This code snippet will send the copy of instance to the particular participant.
hope this helps,
SilverWink -
New to PrPro with specific workflow questions
Hi, All!
I'm a 20+ year video veteran wading into the Premiere Pro pool this year. I have an extensive Avid and FCP background. Please don't hold that against me! I also realize this is long, but I'm trying to cram everything in so you can see where I've been to possibly re-route me, make it understandable, and at least a wee bit interesting.
I'm currently running PrPro 5.5.2 on a MBP 2.8 GHz Intrel Core 2 Duo with 4GB RAM. My media storage is a 2TB Sonnet Tempo RAID partition over eSATA to an Express34 card on the MBP.
I've sucessfully been doing AVC-Intra projects in PrPro for the last few months. This new project is different, and I want to see if there is any way to make my process more efficient. It's a very simple project, but it's very long. I'm finding as I do my workflow tests that the render, export and conversion process I had been doing for the short AVC-Intra projects (which were in the 5-7 minute range) are going to be very time consuming on this project, which has a hefty 2 1/2 hour run time over 14 modules. The editing is simple, if not cookie-cutter. It's creating the deliverables that's going to be the real bear here. I'm hoping your collective experience can offer me a better workflow that what I've cobbled together from my other knowledge and previous forum searches.
The nitty gritty:
These videos are basically putting a narrator to PowerPoint presentation and prettying it up with a music stinger at the open and close and adding a nicer-than-PPT transition betweeen the slides. I have an AIFF audio track for narration, AIFF music file from SmartSound, PNG graphic files (converted PowerPoint deck), & an animated Apple PNG transition. (from the Digital Juice people. It's one of their "Swipes".)
I started with a AVC-Intra timeline because that seemed to me to be the highest quality. I understand this was probably my first error. The renders are taking about run time for the module. With these elements and the following deliverables, what Sequence Settings do you recommend I should be using?
My deliverables will be myriad, which is why I want to export out a high-quality master file out of PrPro and then do the mulitple conversions to other sizes & codecs in a compression app. I have Encore, Sorenson Squeeze, and Compressor at my disposal. I'm guessing Encore will be my friend here, but it's also the one I know the least.
I tried exporting out a ProRes file. That took over 40 minutes on a 14 minute module. Then I converted that to a 640 x 360 H.264 to upload as an approval file. That took about 35 minutes. (I used Compressor becasue I have a droplet craeated for that and it's what I have been sucessfully been using to make small, good-looking files that my clients can reasonably download or stream).
Next I tried exporting out the highest quality H.264 at 1920x1080 and tried converting that using my Compressor droplet. That took 50 minutes to export out of PrPro, but it saves me one step of converting to a full size H.264. What I'm not sold on is whether or not that file is the best file I should be using to make the other deliverables.
What I will eventually need to deliver is a family of H.264 in various sizes from 1920x1080 to 320x180 & an authored DVD. So we're talking hours of processing for each one if I go with what I know.
Since the only thing that moves in these videos are a handful of animated transitions (10-15 per module) and a fade in & fade out, my gut tells me I could make this happen faster if I only changed a few things in my workflow. I'm just at a loss as to what those things might be.
Another little note. The client will wnat to custominze these with different logos, so I will have to be able to get in, add or change a logo super, and re-export and re-convert all 2 1/2 hours multiple times. A more efficeint way to do that would be very helpful. Both for my sanity and my clients' budget.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!
deb>avoid 24 hours of processing
Adding to what was just posted
The computer I replaced in 2010 was based on the Pentium4 CPU (Windows XP with CS3) and when I was done editing my SD video and ready to create a DVD, I would start Encore before I went to bed, so it would have an ISO ready for disc writing in the morning
The computer I have now is described in http://forums.adobe.com/thread/652694 and my entire process of going from AVCHD to an SD AVI and then the encoding to ISO in Encore is just a bit over real time (maybe twice real time, but that is subjective, not based on a stop watch)
CPU cores and speed plus lots of ram (12Gig for my motherboard... 16Gig for newer technology motherboards) and multiple fast hard drives ALL make a difference
Your computer is, very simply, just barely able to run PPro... I have NO idea what is available in the Mac world, but to have "acceptable" speed, you need a new computer -
Hiding Button in UWL for specific workflow task items
Hi -
In UWL, is there a way to control the visibility of standard buttons like "forward", "replace", or "create Adoc Request" based on the task type.
Example, i would not want to provide the "forward" button option for a specific tasks like expense tasks.
We are on EP 6 and ECC 5.0
Helpful answers will be rewarded with points.
Thanks
PRI don't think excluding the actions on the uwl iview property will fully solve this problem as, from what I understand, the actions should only be removed for certain tasks. The way to achieve this is to create different views for the tasks. This can be done in the uwl xml config file. You can assign tasks to be displayed by specific views, and within the definition of these views you can remove/add actions as well as modify the look and feel (to a certain extent). However, this will only affect the buttons/actions you see on the view section of the task - not the uwl list itself as the actions on the list are generic.
Check the following document which describes how to configure the uwl - check the section on views:
[How to configure the uwl.pdf|https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/a3461636-0301-0010-3787-978f5ac8bd45]
Cheers,
Dion -
Automator crashes when I try to run a specific workflow..
Hi there,
I've been trying to add a workflow to Automator in Lion to Get Contents of Clipboard and then run the action Text to Audio File. It crashes with the console output below. I've tried sourcing the text from elsewhere such as the frontmost TextEdit window and this works fine. Any ideas?
5/09/11 1:14:20.709 PM Automator: -[NSConcreteAttributedString getCharacters:range:]: unrecognized selector sent to instance 0x402618be0
5/09/11 1:14:20.710 PM Automator: An uncaught exception was raised
5/09/11 1:14:20.710 PM Automator: -[NSConcreteAttributedString getCharacters:range:]: unrecognized selector sent to instance 0x402618be0
5/09/11 1:14:20.710 PM Automator: (
0 CoreFoundation 0x00007fff8a59a986 __exceptionPreprocess + 198
1 libobjc.A.dylib 0x00007fff8a0e6d5e objc_exception_throw + 43
2 CoreFoundation 0x00007fff8a6265ae -[NSObject doesNotRecognizeSelector:] + 190
3 CoreFoundation 0x00007fff8a587803 ___forwarding___ + 371
4 CoreFoundation 0x00007fff8a587618 _CF_forwarding_prep_0 + 232
5 CoreFoundation 0x00007fff8a50e3ab CFStringGetCharacters + 139
6 SpeechDictionary 0x000000010865a5e6 _ZN20SLCFStringTextSource6RefillERPtS1_PKt + 270
7 SpeechDictionary 0x0000000108659cef _ZN15SLLexerInstance6RefillEi + 33
8 SpeechDictionary 0x000000010866e191 _ZN11SLLexerImpl9NextTokenEv + 633
9 SpeechDictionary 0x000000010865a0e7 _ZN13SLLexerBufferixEm + 71
10 SpeechDictionary 0x000000010866bcdd _ZN15SLPostLexerImpl9NextTokenEv + 43
11 SpeechDictionary 0x00000001086acfba _ZN17SLStemTrackerImpl9NextTokenEv + 42
12 SpeechDictionary 0x000000010865a0e7 _ZN13SLLexerBufferixEm + 71
13 SpeechDictionary 0x0000000108655e24 _ZN12SLTuplesImpl9NextTokenEv + 62
14 MacinTalk 0x0000000108559a5e _ZN11MTFEBuilder9PeekTokenEv + 34
15 MacinTalk 0x000000010855985a _ZN11MTFEBuilder13ParseSentenceEv + 44
16 MacinTalk 0x000000010855965d _ZN14MT3BEngineTask15ParseNextPhraseEPv + 429
17 MacinTalk 0x00000001085593af _ZN10MTBEWorker12ExecuteTasksEv + 321
18 libdispatch.dylib 0x00007fff894612f1 _dispatch_source_invoke + 614
19 libdispatch.dylib 0x00007fff8945dfc7 _dispatch_queue_invoke + 71
20 libdispatch.dylib 0x00007fff8945e124 _dispatch_queue_drain + 210
21 libdispatch.dylib 0x00007fff8945dfb6 _dispatch_queue_invoke + 54
22 libdispatch.dylib 0x00007fff8945d7b0 _dispatch_worker_thread2 + 198
23 libsystem_c.dylib 0x00007fff8ed153da _pthread_wqthread + 316
24 libsystem_c.dylib 0x00007fff8ed16b85 start_wqthread + 13
5/09/11 1:14:20.710 PM Automator: *** Terminating app due to uncaught exception 'NSInvalidArgumentException', reason: '-[NSConcreteAttributedString getCharacters:range:]: unrecognized selector sent to instance 0x402618be0'
*** First throw call stack:
0 CoreFoundation 0x00007fff8a59a986 __exceptionPreprocess + 198
1 libobjc.A.dylib 0x00007fff8a0e6d5e objc_exception_throw + 43
2 CoreFoundation 0x00007fff8a6265ae -[NSObject doesNotRecognizeSelector:] + 190
3 CoreFoundation 0x00007fff8a587803 ___forwarding___ + 371
4 CoreFoundation 0x00007fff8a587618 _CF_forwarding_prep_0 + 232
5 CoreFoundation 0x00007fff8a50e3ab CFStringGetCharacters + 139
6 SpeechDictionary 0x000000010865a5e6 _ZN20SLCFStringTextSource6RefillERPtS1_PKt + 270
7 SpeechDictionary 0x0000000108659cef _ZN15SLLexerInstance6RefillEi + 33
8 SpeechDictionary 0x000000010866e191 _ZN11SLLexerImpl9NextTokenEv + 633
9 SpeechDictionary 0x000000010865a0e7 _ZN13SLLexerBufferixEm + 71
10 SpeechDictionary 0x000000010866bcdd _ZN15SLPostLexerImpl9NextTokenEv + 43
11 SpeechDictionary 0x00000001086acfba _ZN17SLStemTrackerImpl9NextTokenEv + 42
12 SpeechDictionary 0x000000010865a0e7 _ZN13SLLexerBufferixEm + 71
13 SpeechDictionary 0x0000000108655e24 _ZN12SLTuplesImpl9NextTokenEv + 62
14 MacinTalk 0x0000000108559a5e _ZN11MTFEBuilder9PeekTokenEv + 34
15 MacinTalk 0x000000010855985a _ZN11MTFEBuilder13ParseSentenceEv + 44
16 MacinTalk 0x000000010855965d _ZN14MT3BEngineTask15ParseNextPhraseEPv + 429
17 MacinTalk 0x00000001085593af _ZN10MTBEWorker12ExecuteTasksEv + 321
18 libdispatch.dylib 0x00007fff894612f1 _dispatch_source_invoke + 614
19 libdispatch.dylib 0x00007fff8945dfc7 _dispatch_queue_invoke + 71
20 libdispatch.dylib 0x00007fff8945e124 _dispatch_queue_drain + 210
21 libdispatch.dylib 0x00007fff8945dfb6 _dispatch_queue_invoke + 54
22 libdispatch.dylib 0x00007fff8945d7b0 _dispatch_worker_thread2 + 198
23 libsystem_c.dylib 0x00007fff8ed153da _pthread_wqthread + 316
24 libsystem_c.dylib 0x00007fff8ed16b85 start_wqthread + 13
5/09/11 1:14:20.710 PM [0x0-0x75075].com.apple.Automator: terminate called throwing an exception
5/09/11 1:14:21.452 PM com.apple.launchd.peruser.501: ([0x0-0x75075].com.apple.Automator[2424]) Job appears to have crashed: Abort trap: 6
5/09/11 1:14:21.594 PM ReportCrash: Saved crash report for Automator[2424] version 2.2 (329) to /Users/Steve/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Automator_2011-09-05-131421_Stevens -MacBook-Pro.crashI think the suggestion would have been to update Microsoft Office, which is not available from the App Store. You need to get it from Microsoft.
What you can do is run the Microsoft Auto Update utility. Open Finder and click on Go > Go to Folder. Then enter the following (copy and paste)
/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/MAU2.0
If you are running MS Office 2011 then you will see the Microsoft AutoUpdate utility. Double-click to open and get the latest update. -
Show specific workflow process name started by batch through command line?
I have created a batch to start up a workflow process
"start task for component WfProcMgr with ProcessName=\"xx Import Promotion Rule\", RowId = $1"
may I know if I can have any means to know the status of task and showing which processes I kicked (i.e. xx Import Promotion Rule)?
Many appreciations if anyone can help.Have you listed the tasks?
There will be one for WfProcMgr and most likely complete or in error.
Just list all WfProcMgr to filter the others and you should get what you are looking for...
Not really sure what you are trying to do precisely so I hope this helps -
Offline approval: Resend email on specific workflow
Hi all.
SRM 4.0
We use item based approval and offline solution, where every SC is approved through emails only. Usually, when an approver claims that the email from the workflow/work item has not been sent to him, we go to SOST and find the mail, and sends it again. However, in some cases the email cannot be found in SOST, meaning that the work item has most likely never been sent before; although the workflow log claims that the work item is lying in the approver's inbox (SAP inbox of course). Is there a way to force the RSWUWFMLEC program that sends the emails to run on 1 particular work item? Or is it just not possible to make the workflow resend the email? Remember - the email is not in SOST, so it seems that RSWUWFMLEC has just skipped this work item to begin with, and apparently now it is too late...
Looking forward to information!Hi again.
Here is what I have in SWI6 for the SC:
Current data for started workflow: Item-Based Approval 10043494
Steps in this process so far
Step name Status Result Time stamp Agent
Approval of SC of DKBODPRA Value: 5.233,00 DKK Ready 08.07.2008 - 09:30:41 Information...
Information objects addressed so far
I cannot see where I can get that pop-up you mention? Can I find the relevant number within the workflow log itself?
Got the number, trying to proceed.
Edited by: Dennis Mogensen on Jul 11, 2008 12:21 PM -
How to generate a report for all Analyses which conatins a specific column
Hello Experts
I am trying to generate a report of all Analyses which contains a specific column. We are currently using OBIEE 11.1.1.7.0.
I have tried to use the command line options using ./runcat.sh, but did not find any arguments that can filter the analyses by a specific column used.
Any help is much appreciated.
Regards
RakeshHi Rakesh,
SampleApp has your answer: everything is available for free, just copy/paste and run on your own instance.
http://slc02ojw.oracle.com:7780/analytics/saw.dll?Dashboard&PortalPath=%2Fshared%2F10.%20Lifecycle%20and%20Admin%2F_port…
(as long as this instance will be up...)
In the dashboard named "10.31 Webcat Analysis" you have a columns to analysis report where you select the presentation column and you get all the reports using it.
This dashboard require a script to be run on your catalog, it will parse it and extract all the column info (and many other interesting things) and load it in a database. The scripts are simple and well documented, so you can easily adapt them to your own environment.
If you want the script there is no miracle solution: download SampleApp and extract it (it's not small, but with all the great content it has we can't complain about that ...). -
WorkFlow Tutorials with Screen Shot
HI Experts,
Can anyone send WorkFlow Tutorials with Screen Shots??..My email id is <REMOVED BY MODERATOR>.. Full points will be rewarded for this immediate help..Thanks..
Edited by: Alvaro Tejada Galindo on Jun 6, 2008 1:52 PMHi Satheesh,
Please find some questions related to WorkFlow
1. Is there a good book about this subject?
Yes, "Practical Workflow for SAP" by Rickayzen, Dart, Brennecke and Schneider. Available from SAP press at the end of July. A german translation of this workflow book is also available directly from Galileo-Press, the publisher.
2. How do I convince my company to use workflow?
Feedback from user groups emphasizes that although the competitive advantage gained by using workflow eclipses the financial savings, it is the financial savings that are the deciding factor when obtaining support from senior management. Projects getting the blessing at the CEO level are much easier to manage, and far more likely to reach their goal within the project time frame. So plan well, and don't neglect the business case.
Because the following questions deal with the financial case in more detail, this section will finish by listing the competitive advantages.
The quality of the process is assured by pushing the relevant information together with links to related transactions directly to the user. Managers don't have the time to search for information so give them what they need to reach the correct decision.
Cycle time is reduced by pushing the process directly to the users. The users receive notification of a task immediately and can even be prioritized by the system.
The tasks are performed consistently and diligently by the users. The workflow system pushes all the necessary information needed to perform a task, including a clear description of what has to be done, how to do it and the impact this task has on the business process for your company. At any time, the user can check the list of tasks pending and determine at a glance which are the important tasks, and which tasks can be completed the next day without any negative impact.
The process instance is transparent. Any user can check at any time how far the process has progressed and which stage the process has reached. For example the call center can immediately see the status of a purchase order, an employee requisitioning a purchase would see at a glance if a colleague has been sitting on it for too long, the ad hoc notes made when approving an engineering change request are visible long after the request has gone into production.
The process is flexible, allowing it to be changed on the fly without retraining everyone involved. The description accompanying the change takes care of on-the-fly process improvements.
Deadline handing ensures that users perform the tasks within the time planned. Escalation measures ensure that the failure to meet a deadline can be corrected by other means.
Intelligent reporting highlights the weaknesses of a process. Often there is a simple cure to such weaknesses such as reeducating the users involved in the bottleneck or providing additional information (automatically). The difficulty of a non-automated process is identifying such bottlenecks.
The process definition is transparent. You can see at a glance how the process works and who will be selected to perform the different tasks. Think of the workflow as the process book. If you can spot the pattern and define the process without headaches, you can create a workflow definition effortlessly. However, don't forget that if a company has business processes that are erratic and lack a consistent pattern, the company is very likely to be losing a lot of money in terms of lost contracts, labor intensive administration and low customer confidence. It is my personal opinion that automating exactly this type of processes will yield the best returns, but only if you limit yourself to automating the basic skeleton of the process first. Don't get bogged down in the detailed exception handling. That can be done in the next phase once you've checked the process statistics and determined which exceptions are worth tackling.
As with most software the reasons for automating business processes are primarily to increase the competitive edge of your company and to cut costs. Although the increase in competitively gained by radically reducing process times is by far the most insignificant gain from workflow, you should not ignore the cost savings. The cost saving calculations are needed by upper management in order to approve workflow projects. This upper management signature will be very useful in different phases of the project and cannot be underestimated.
3. How do I calculate the cost saved by workflow?
Calculate the cost of the manual process in terms of man hours. Don't neglect the time spent gathering information. Ask the following questions:
Is the user forced to log into different systems, or scan through printed documentation....?
Does a skilled user spend time on parts of a task, where less skilled (less expensive) user could do the groundwork? I.e. Can a single task be split into skilled and unskilled tasks to free the skilled worker for work where his/her skills are really needed?
Is time spent researching the progress of a process (usually done by someone not involved in the process directly)?
Is time spent determining who to give the task to next?
Probably the most significant cost will the be the cost of failure?
How often does the process fail?
What is the real cost of failure? Loss of a contract? Loss of a customer? Law suit?
If the failure can be rectified, how labor intensive is it?
4. What are typical costs saved by workflow?
A manually processed accounts payable invoice will cost about 25 USD. After workflow enabling about 15 USD (one example based on customer feedback from a user group meeting).
5. What are typical reductions in processing time caused by workflow?
A traditional paper based approval process involving three people will typically take seven days to complete. The automated process will take one day (results based on customer feedback).
6. What do customers say are the strengths of SAP WebFlow?
WebFlow is the internet functionality of SAP Business Workflow. Based on customer feedback from the various regional users groups, the main strengths of SAP Business Workflow are:
Robust production workflow system, (upgrade continuity with the rest of the SAP system, versioning, scalability, no gluing....)
Standard workflow templates delivered by SAP can be used out-of-the-box or tweaked to deliver the optimum business process for your company. Workflows can be up and running including training in under a day (thanks to the knowledgeware delivered as part of the template packet).
Seamlessly integrated into the SAP environment, be it R/3, Business to Business Procurement, CRM, APO, mySAP.com.... Examples of integration are:
Business Reporting (WIS),
Context sensitive availability at any time through the system menu (available anytime, anywhere)
More and more standard SAP functionality is being provided by using SAP Business Workflow so your homegrown workflows fit the landscape exactly,
More and more workflow functionality is available directly within the SAP transaction or Web MiniApp.
WebFlow is becoming more and more important because companies are no longer being judged by their own performance but by the combined performance of the company AND its partners. In other words it is not enough that the business processes within your company run smoothly and faster than your competitors. You have to ensure that the processes between you and your partners are also as fast, efficient and flexible as possible. WebFlow delivers this.
7. How are users notified about their work pending?
The users are informed by a work item which you may think of as being very like an e-mail. The difference is the work item contains intelligence and by executing the work item you will be taken to the form or SAP transaction that makes up the step in the workflow. This form or transaction could be a decision, a request for information or a request for confirmation that a particular task has been performed.
The work item is usually accompanied by a description of what has to be done, where to refer to when assistance is needed (help desk, intranet...) and a summary of information about the business object or process which enables the operator to attack the task immediately.
This work item can be received and executed in MS OutlookÒ, Lotus NotesÒ, mySAP Workflow MiniApp or the SAP integrated inbox. If this is not enough, the workflow system can transmit e-mail notifications directly to any mail system, informing the user of the need to log in to the SAP system to execute the task. The e-mail notification is done on a subscription basis so that users can de-subscribe from this service if they already check their work item inbox regularly.
8. What workflow reporting is available and is it useful?
Standard workflow reports exist which allow the administrator to check statistics such as the frequency and average duration of the workflow processes. However the real strength of the workflow reporting is that it allows reports to be configured which analyze the process statistics in combination with the data involved within the workflow process and the organizational units associated with the process. For example you can determine the average time invested in a failed contract renewal request, the time taken to create material masters in different plants or the frequency of rejected purchase requisitions on a department to department basis. Often, big reducations in cost or cycle time can be obtained without touching the workflow definitions. Reeducating a particular group of users or incorporating supplementary information in a work item description can often cause dramatic improvements on the cycle times of particularly critical subsets of the process. It is not unusual that this may have a big impact on specific products, plants or organizational units. This will show up in the WebFlow reporting in LIS or the Business Warehouse but it might not show up in traditional statistical workflow reporting. Even though the average time does not change significantly, the impact on costs and profit can be dramatic.
9. How do I choose who to distribute the tasks to?
A work item is assigned to one or more users. Whoever reserves or executes the task first wins and the work item vanishes from the other users' inboxes. This eliminates the need to assign the user to one single user. I.e. No need for complicated algorithms to determine which single user will receive the work item and no need to worry about what will happen when one user is ill for the week (also taken care of by sophisticated substitution mechanisms which can be linked to the SAP organizational model).
Tasks can be assigned to an organizational unit but the strength of the workflow system is to enable business rules which select users according to the data being processed. For example, you might have one group of users associated with one quality notification type. The workflow can be configured to query the QM module directly to determine the users. You can define fallbacks using the default role associated with a task and allow agents to be specified on the fly by a supervisor.
Tasks can be assigned to office distribution lists which is useful when you want your users to subscribe or unsubscribe to a particular task. A typical use of this would be where you have a work rote or want to reduce user maintenance to an absolute minimum. The users subscribe or unsubscribe by joining or leaving an office distribution list (one mouse click).
10. What happens when a deadline is missed?
This depends on your workflow definition. In the simplest case an e-mail is sent to another user by the system (typically your supervisor so watch out!). However in more sophisticated scenarios a missed deadline can redirect that path that the workflow takes. One customer uses deadlines to automatically make an approval if the deadline is missed (at about the eighth approval level!!!). This gives the user the chance to make rejections but does not force him/her to go into the system to approve the other 99.9% of the requests. In safety critical environments the workflow might trigger off preventative action when a deadline is missed or might put other processes on hold. There is no limit as to how you can use this functionality.
11. What deadlines can be monitored?
Many different types of deadlines can monitored. At the single workflow step level you can define deadlines which trigger when the work item has not completed within a certain time and other deadlines when no one starts working on the work item within a given time. You can specify the task deadline statically (e.g. 1 week) or dynamically (e.g. 1 week for material type A and 2 weeks for all the other materials). The offset can be related to the step (e.g. you have 1 week to complete this step) or related to the process (e.g. complete within 2 weeks of the complete process starting, irrespective of how long your colleagues have hogged the previous steps).
Last but not least, deadlines can be set for sub-processes, which is often more important than the deadline of a single step in a workflow.
12. How can I check the status of a workflow?
This is one of the very cool features of SAP Business Workflow. You can usually navigate directly from the business object to check the workflow progress. For example, while viewing a purchase order you can select "workflow" from the system menu or toolbar and you will see a list of workflows related to the purchase order. Usually just one, but if you have created a few of your own and these have been triggered you will see the status of these too. And that is not all. You also see a simplified summary of all the steps that have taken place so far including who performed them, when they were executed and which ad hoc notes were attached.
13. How are workflows triggered?
Workflows can be triggered automatically by changes in the system or manually by an operator. Manually triggered workflows are good for processes that remedy a problem the operator has noticed or for dealing with a forms-based requests (E.g. my PC won't boot). Automatically triggered workflows are useful because the operator does not even have to be aware of the workflow's existence to trigger it. In addition to triggers embedded in transactions there are also generic triggering mechanisms such as a change in the status of a business object or a change in the HR data. Irrespective of how the workflow is triggered, it is linked to the business object as described in the previous answer and can be tracked easily. Because WebFlow is part of the basis system, this triggering is reliable and easy to implement.
Workflows may be triggered by events but this is not essential. The event-handling makes it easy to trigger workflows from transactions and system changes without you having to make modifications. If you are creating your own report or transaction which triggers a workflow, avoid events and trigger the workflow directly with the WAPI function call. This is particularly important when triggering a workflow from outside the SAP system. This method reduces flexibility (the workflow ID is hard-coded) but increases performance if this is an issue (we're talking about 50 000 work items a day here!).
Any exception handling workflows that are intended to be triggered manually can be triggered from the system menu when viewing the relevant transaction. The SAP system has the intelligence to suggest workflows that can be triggered manually based on the authorization of the operator and the context that the operator is working in. No additional customizing is needed here.
14. What open interfaces are supported?
The most significant interface supported is the Wf-XML standard from the Workflow Management Coalition. This is an independent organization of which SAP is a funding member, along with most other major workflow vendors. The Wf-XML interface is based on XML and allows workflows from different vendors to communicate with each other. A detailed description of the interface is available on the WfMCs web site at www.wfmc.org.
15. What is Wf-XML used for?
Although a company is far better off workflow enabling their system with SAP WebFlow when SAP software is used anywhere within the process, a collaborative process can take place between partners using different software platforms employing different workflow systems. To support SAP customers in this situation, WebFlow offers the open interface Wf-XML. This allows Business Processes enabled using different tools to communicate and control each other. Any workflow tool offering this interface can connect up with other tools that also offer this interface.
Wf-XML is the only open interface for supporting interoperability of business processes, independent of what the business process being integrated.
16. Where does Wf-XML come from?
Wf-XML comes from the Workflow Management Coalition, an independent body of workflow vendors, customers and higher education establishments.
17. How does the workflow call procedures from non-SAP systems?
The Actional control broker integrates directly into SAP WebFlow enabling proxy objects to be called directly from the workflow step. When called, the proxy method will make a call to the outside system either as a background task or as a dialogue step. These proxy objects are generated in the SAP system using a converter which converts the objects interface (DCOM, CORBA...) to the SAP syntax. A syntax converter also lets developers view any object in any of the participating systems in the developer's preferred language.
18. How can I get the workflow initiator information in my task?
1) From your triggering event to the workflow, bind the event creator element to the workflow initiator element.
2) Create a workflow container element based on USR01.
3) Add a step based on USR01.FINDUSERFROMAGENTSTRUCTURE to convert your initiator to a USR01 object.
4) Pass the USR01 object to each task you want to display the details.
Mailing
19. What differences are there between a work item and a notification mail?
a) The work item cannot be used to notify several users.
Mails can be routed to several users, just like work items. When a mail is sent, and one recipient reads and deletes the mail, all other recipients will still have access to their own copy in their own inbox. However, when a work item is processed by one of the recipients it will automatically disappear from all the other inboxes. So you can see that a work item is unsuitable for notifying several users.
It is also worth noting that a mail can be forwarded in many different ways (fax, internet...) whereas the work item cannot.
b) The work item holds up the workflow
When the workflow sends a mail (usually as a background step) it continues with the process immediately after transmitting the mail. When a work item is generated, the workflow will not continue until the work item has been processed. This slows down the process. Occasionally this is what is intended (using the work item as an approval step without the ability to reject) but usually you will better off using mails for notifications.
Note: You can send business objects as references with the mail either as a business object reference attached to the mail or as an URL (ABAP required).
What is the difference between sending a mail to a recipient list compared to sending individual mails via a dynamic loop?
Performance. Sending 1 mail to 20 recipients will cost considerably less performance than sending 20 individual mails. If the mail is sent as a SAP Office mail (as opposed to e-mail, fax...) disk space will also be a factor because the SAP office mail will only exist once in the database, with references being created for each of the recipients.
The only time you need to consider individual mails with a dynamic loop is when the text of the mail varies from one recipient to another.
20. How do I send a standard text as an e-mail from workflow?
It is very easy sending standard text , which may include data from the workflow. You simply create a background step which sends the work item description. This may include variables which will be substituted when mail is sent.
In early releases you have to create your own task based on the method SELFITEM SendTaskDescription. In later releases a wizard is available for creating the step and in release 4.6 there is even a step type which does this all for you automatically.
Whichever path you take, there is very good online documentation describing exactly what has to be done.
21. How do I send a complex text from the workflow?
You may create mails using SAPscript. These mails can include conditions which are evaluated in order to determine which text blocks which are used in the mail. Workflow variables can be used in these conditions and workflow variables can be substituted into the body of the e-mail text.
22. How do I send really complex mails from the workflow?
If you this is not enough for you will probably want to write your own ABAP routines for generating the text and generating the attachments to go with the text.
Use the function group SO01 which contains functions of the form SO_*_API1 which are ideal for creating your own sophisticated messages. There are plenty of advantages of how these are used within the SAP system.
23. How do I send reports?
There are wizards (Release 3.1) which will create workflows for you to send reports to a distribution list. You can specify whether the results should be transmitted or evaluated at the time the recipient wishes to view the report. It is usually better to send the evaluation because this allows the recipient to see the results instantaneously, without having to wait for the report to execute first.
Deadlines
24. How can I configure the workflow so that different types of messages are sent out to different people depending on how late the processing is?
Follow these steps:
1. Specify a deadline period for the step.
2. Specify a name for the event. This adds new branch from the step.
3. Add a new step to the branch which sends a mail message.
4. Add another step to the branch which sends out the second deadline warning (see mail steps above). Use deadlines in this step to configure an earliest start so that the second message is not sent until a further time has elapsed.
5. Repeat step 5 as often as you like.
25. How can I configure the workflow so that when the deadline is missed the workflow step is simply skipped?
This is tricky to explain but easy to implement once you know how.
Follow these steps (in later releases there is a wizard which takes you through the steps):
1. In the terminating events view of the workflow step activate the "obsolete" event and give it a name.
2. Specify a deadline period for the step.
3. Specify a name for the event. This adds new branch from the step.
4. Add a new step to the deadline path. This step must be of type "process control".
5. Select the control "Make step obsolete" and use the search help to specify the workflow step that has the deadline. Only steps with obsolete paths defined will be displayed (see step 1).
26. How do I trigger a workflow with an e-mail?
You can customize the system to call a BOR method when an external mail (fax, e-mail...) arrives in the system. You BOR method should either trigger the e-mail directly or trigger an event. To customize this user exit use the transaction SCOT.
27. How can I make sure that user's access their tasks via the workflow and not via the menu or launch pad?
The routing mechanism for work items uses roles and organizational assignments to determine who receives which work item. However the routing does not provide extra authorization checks based on the routing configuration. If you want to ensure that the tasks are executed within the workflow, and not via the standard transaction, service or MiniApp, then you will have to apply your own protection.
The simplest way of doing this is to remove the standard transaction from the user's menu or Workplace role (but include it in the supervisor's role, just in case).
If you want to allow the user to execute the task from the menu if and only if they have received the work item then you should replace the standard transaction with your own custom built transaction. Your own transaction simply calls the standard transaction but performs it's own authorization check first, based on the routing mechanism used in the workflow. Tip: Add a second (ored) authorization check to make sure that a supervisor can execute the transaction in an emergency.
28. What is a workflow? What is a single-step task?
A single-step task is based on an object type from the object business repository (BOR) (for example, a purchase order) and a method for the object (for example, change). A workflow can contain several single-step tasks and activities such as loops and forks. Through a workflow, you create a logical sequence for the single-step tasks. The tool for creating or changing these types of workflows (workflow template) is the Workflow Builder (transaction SWDD).
29. What is a work item (important terms)?
A work item is the runtime object of a workflow or of a single-step task.You can execute dialog work items with the inbox (transaction SBWP). Each workflow and single-step task started is assigned a unique number known as the work item ID.
30. How is an event triggered from the application and a workflow then started?
An event can be triggered from the application in three different ways:
Directly:
Within the application, the SWE_EVENT_CREATE function module or the SWE_EVENT_CREAT_IN_UPD_TASK function module, for example, generates an event in the update.
With a change document:
Change documents are written within the application when you change application objects in the update. You can link events that have the same key with these types of change documents via transaction SWEC.
With status management:
The SWE_EVENT_CREATE_STATUS function module triggers an event in the same way as the direct method when a status is changed. This event contains the object type (for example, purchase order), the object key (for example, purchase order 4711) and other information. Using transaction PFTC, you can assign the event to a specific workflow or single-step task. More settings are available in transaction SWE2.
31. How are the responsible agents determined?
You can assign agents to a single-step task in transaction PFTC. For example, you can do this using organizational units, work center roles or positions. Within a workflow pattern, you can assign specific agents for this workflow to a single-step task. The overlap between both numbers of 'possible agents' represents the number of agents ('selected agents') who have the work item in the inbox later.
32. What is the difference of between an e-mail and a work item?
E-mails and work items are two completely separate things. They just happen to be displayed in the same inbox. An e-mail is a message sent to one or several people. However, a work item is a runtime object of a single-step task or workflow. Consequently, a work item cannot be deleted from the inbox of a user. In this case in fact, you have to adjust the agent assignment or delete the work item as described in note 49545.
33. PFAC no longer works for my role responsibility setup...
Use tx: OOCU_RESP
34. How do I transport workflow definitions and agent assignments?
When transporting workflows, you have to differentiate between the workflow definition and the agent assignment.
A workflow definition is a workbench request. When you save the workflow, a workflow version is created and a request written. Further information about the transport or about the status management is provided in note 378487 and in the notes mentioned there under related notes.
However, where the agent assignment is concerned, this is a Customizing request. To allow transport of agent assignments, the value of the semantic abbreviation CORR for the TRSP group name must be empty in table T77S0.
35. How do you debug a background workflow process?
In your method write the following code:
data exit.
Do.
if exit = 'X'.
exit.
endif.
enddo.
Run the workflow, causing an infinite loop on that step, and then go to SM50.
Here you can debug the process.
36.What is the Workflow basic Customizing?
Before you can use the Workflow module, you must first execute the basic Customizing in transaction SWU3. All of the listed points should be green (the number range for customer tasks is no longer required). A detailed description of the activities is provided in the relevant information buttons. You can also execute some (but not all) of the points using the Automatic Customizing button. See the online documentation for an exact description of what happens there. The RFC destination must work correctly and the user (usually WF BATCH) should have the SAP_ALL profile.
37.: What options do I have as a user to configure the inbox individually?
You have the following options:
You can create separate user-dependent or user-independent layouts so that you can adapt the displayed columns individually. You can access the function in the Workplace via an application function key.
You can set filters to set certain criteria for individual columns or several columns simultaneously, according to which specific work items are then filtered.
You can add dynamic columns in the layout that then display dynamic elements for certain tasks and users from the work item container. However, this is only possible if all tasks in the inbox belong to just one task. If they have several tasks in the inbox, filtering serves no useful purpose because all tasks are first completely read once. You can define these dynamic columns using transaction SWL1.
38. What does the substitute rule system look like in the workflow?
You have a choice of two different substitute rulings:
Active substitute ruling (for example, for absence due to vacations): In this case, the items belonging to the absent person are automatically assigned to the substitutes inbox (in addition to his own work items).
Passive substitution (for example, for absence due to illness): the substitute must explicitly assume the substitution and can only view the items of the absent person in this mode.
For other questions, you must also refer to note 74000.
39. How can users be automatically notified that new work items are available for processing?
Unfortunately, the dialog box that informs users of new work items which appears in SAPoffice is not available within SAP Systems.
However, the following two options are provided:
In the Workflow Builder, you can designate the item as an express item via additional data. The user then receives a corresponding express dialog box.
The RSWUWFML report (note 131795) is a more flexible option. This report sends an e-mail to an external Internet address to notify the user of new work items.
40. Can I set deadlines for the latest processing of work items?
this is where you can use deadline monitoring for work items. In the Workflow Builder, you can set dates for a requested/latest start/end date for each individual step. You must schedule the SWWDHEX job via transaction SWU3 for this. Schedule the job permanently in the production system otherwise it is difficult for the job to schedule individual deadline monitoring scenarios when workflow is heavy.
41. Can I also execute work items with external programs such as Outlook?
You can use the Web GUI for HTML instead of the Windows GUI. However, note that some functions do no work in the WEB GUI, due to technical restrictions in the browser. You must refer to note 487649 on this subject.
SAP also provides interfaces which allow you to process work items with external programs such as Lotus Notes or Microsoft Outlook. Refer to notes 77099, 98408 and 454845 for details.
More stuff on WORKFLOW
Transactions
AWUV Wizard for event creation Definition tools -> Event creation -> Set up with wizard
MCA1 Workflow Information System Reporting -> Workflow Information System (WIS)
OOAW Evaluation paths
PFAC Maintain standard roles
PFAC_CHG Change roles Definition tools -> Standard roles -> Change
PFAC_DEL Delete roles Definition tools -> Standard roles -> Delete
PFAC_DIS Display roles Definition tools -> Standard roles -> Display
PFAC_INS Create roles Definition tools -> Standard roles -> Create
PFOM Maintain assignment to SAP organizational objects Definition tools -> SAP org. objects -> Create assignments
PFOS Display assignment to SAP organizational objects Definition tools -> SAP org. objects -> Display assignments
PFSO Organizational environment of a user
PFT Maintain customer task
PFTC General task maintenance
PFTC_CHG Change tasks Definition tools -> Task/Task groups -> Change
PFTC_COP Copy tasks Definition tools -> Task/Task groups -> Copy
PFTC_DEL Delete tasks Definition tools -> Task/Task groups -> Delete
PFTC_DIS Display tasks Definition tools -> Task/Task groups -> Display
PFTC_INS Create tasks Definition tools -> Task/Task groups -> Create
PFTR Standard task for transaction
PFTS Standard task
PFWF Maintain workflow task (customer)
PFWS Maintain workflow template
PPOC Create organizational plan Definition tools -> Organizational plan -> Create
PPOM Maintain organizational plan Definition tools -> Organizational plan -> Change
PPOS Display organizational plan Definition tools -> Organizational plan -> Display
SWDA Ongoing Settings Administration -> Settings
SWDC Workflow editor administration data
SWDM Business Workflow Explorer Definition tools -> Business Workflow Explorer
SWE2 Display and maintain event type linkage Utilities -> Events -> Type linkages
SWE3 Display instance linkages Utilities -> Events -> Instance linkages
SWE4 Switch event log on/off Utilities -> Events -> Event/log -> On/Off
SWEC Link change documents to events Definition tools -> Event creation -> Change documents -> Linkage
SWED Assignment of change document objects to object types Definition tools -> Event creation -> Change documents -> Define workflow properties
SWEL Display event log Utilities -> Events -> Event log -> Display
SWF3 Workflow Wizard Explorer Definition tools -> Wizards -> Workflow Wizard Explorer
SWF4 Workflow Wizard Repository Definition tools -> Wizards -> Workflow Wizard Repository
SWI1 Selection report for workflows Utilities -> Work item selection
SWI2 Work item analysis Reporting -> Work item analysis
SWI3 Workflow outbox Runtime tools -> Workflow outbox
SWI4 Task analysis Reporting -> Task analysis
SWI5 Workload analysis Reporting -> Workload analysis
SWI6 Object links Runtime tools -> Object links
SWI7 Workflow resubmission folder From Integrated Inbox or Workflow Outbox
SWI8 Error overview Part of administration of workflow runtime system (transaction SWUF)
SWL1 Settings for dynamic columns Customizing, part of ongoing settings
SWLC Check tasks for agents Utilities -> Consistency check -> Organizational assignment
SWLD Workbench for Workflow 4.0
SWLP Copy plan version
SWLV Maintain work item views Customizing, part of ongoing settingS
SWLW Workbench for Workflow 3.0
SW01 Business Object Builder Definition tools -> Business Object Builder
SW06 Customizing object types From Business Object Builder, choose Settings -> Delegate -> System-wide
SWU0 Event simulation Utilities -> Events -> Simulate event
SWU2 RFC monitor Utilities -> Workflow RFC monitor
SWU3 Customizing consistency check Utilities -> Customizing
SWU4 Consistency check for standard tasks Utilities -> Consistency check -> Task -> Standard task
SWU5 Consistency check for customer tasks Utilities -> Consistency check -> Task -> Customer task
SWU6 Consistency check for workflow tasks Utilities -> Consistency check -> Task -> Workflow task
SWU7 Consistency check for workflow templates Utilities -> Consistency check -> Task -> Workflow template
SWU8 Switch technical trace on/off Utilities -> Technical trace -> On/off
SWU9 Display technical trace Utilities -> Technical trace -> Display
SWUD Diagnostic tools Utilities -> Diagnosis
SWUE Trigger event Utilities -> Events -> Generate event
SWUF Runtime system administration Administration -> Runtime system
SWUG Workflow start transactions Definition tools -> Workflow start transactions
SWUI Start workflows From the R/3 initial screen, choose Office -> Start Workflow
SWUS Start tasks Runtime tools -> Start workflow
SWUY Wizard for message linkage to workflow Definition tools -> Wizards -> Create "Call workflow from message"
SWX1 Create notification of absence
SWX2 Change notification of absence
SWX3 Display notification of absence
SWX4 Approve notification of absence
SWXF Form applications: Access point Environment -> Demo examples -> Fill out form
Reports
RSWWWIDE Delete work items
RHSOBJCH to fix PD Control Tables
Tables
SWW_OUTBOX - Lists Workflows in outbox together with status
SWW_CONT - Container Contents for Work Item Data Container
SWW_CONTOB- Container Cont. for Work Item Data Container (Only Objects)
SWWLOGHIST- History of a work item
SWWORGTASK- Assignment of WIs to Org.Units and Tasks
SWWUSERWI - Current Work Items Assigned to a User
SWWWIHEAD - Header Table for all Work Item Types
<REMOVED BY MODERATOR>
Regards,
Amber S
Edited by: Alvaro Tejada Galindo on Jun 6, 2008 1:51 PM -
Hi guys please provide me the concepts on workflow
hi guys,
please provide me the concepts on workflow.
i have no idea on workflow,
if you have any helpfull documentation and also some scenarios where u have faced and solved those,also some real time examples.
please help me, and also i will give points if it is helpfull.
thanks.
prasadnn.Hi Prasad
Please find some questions related to WorkFlow
1. Is there a good book about this subject?
Yes, "Practical Workflow for SAP" by Rickayzen, Dart, Brennecke and Schneider. Available from SAP press at the end of July. A german translation of this workflow book is also available directly from Galileo-Press, the publisher.
2. How do I convince my company to use workflow?
Feedback from user groups emphasizes that although the competitive advantage gained by using workflow eclipses the financial savings, it is the financial savings that are the deciding factor when obtaining support from senior management. Projects getting the blessing at the CEO level are much easier to manage, and far more likely to reach their goal within the project time frame. So plan well, and don't neglect the business case.
Because the following questions deal with the financial case in more detail, this section will finish by listing the competitive advantages.
The quality of the process is assured by pushing the relevant information together with links to related transactions directly to the user. Managers don't have the time to search for information so give them what they need to reach the correct decision.
Cycle time is reduced by pushing the process directly to the users. The users receive notification of a task immediately and can even be prioritized by the system.
The tasks are performed consistently and diligently by the users. The workflow system pushes all the necessary information needed to perform a task, including a clear description of what has to be done, how to do it and the impact this task has on the business process for your company. At any time, the user can check the list of tasks pending and determine at a glance which are the important tasks, and which tasks can be completed the next day without any negative impact.
The process instance is transparent. Any user can check at any time how far the process has progressed and which stage the process has reached. For example the call center can immediately see the status of a purchase order, an employee requisitioning a purchase would see at a glance if a colleague has been sitting on it for too long, the ad hoc notes made when approving an engineering change request are visible long after the request has gone into production.
The process is flexible, allowing it to be changed on the fly without retraining everyone involved. The description accompanying the change takes care of on-the-fly process improvements.
Deadline handing ensures that users perform the tasks within the time planned. Escalation measures ensure that the failure to meet a deadline can be corrected by other means.
Intelligent reporting highlights the weaknesses of a process. Often there is a simple cure to such weaknesses such as reeducating the users involved in the bottleneck or providing additional information (automatically). The difficulty of a non-automated process is identifying such bottlenecks.
The process definition is transparent. You can see at a glance how the process works and who will be selected to perform the different tasks. Think of the workflow as the process book. If you can spot the pattern and define the process without headaches, you can create a workflow definition effortlessly. However, don't forget that if a company has business processes that are erratic and lack a consistent pattern, the company is very likely to be losing a lot of money in terms of lost contracts, labor intensive administration and low customer confidence. It is my personal opinion that automating exactly this type of processes will yield the best returns, but only if you limit yourself to automating the basic skeleton of the process first. Don't get bogged down in the detailed exception handling. That can be done in the next phase once you've checked the process statistics and determined which exceptions are worth tackling.
As with most software the reasons for automating business processes are primarily to increase the competitive edge of your company and to cut costs. Although the increase in competitively gained by radically reducing process times is by far the most insignificant gain from workflow, you should not ignore the cost savings. The cost saving calculations are needed by upper management in order to approve workflow projects. This upper management signature will be very useful in different phases of the project and cannot be underestimated.
3. How do I calculate the cost saved by workflow?
Calculate the cost of the manual process in terms of man hours. Don't neglect the time spent gathering information. Ask the following questions:
Is the user forced to log into different systems, or scan through printed documentation....?
Does a skilled user spend time on parts of a task, where less skilled (less expensive) user could do the groundwork? I.e. Can a single task be split into skilled and unskilled tasks to free the skilled worker for work where his/her skills are really needed?
Is time spent researching the progress of a process (usually done by someone not involved in the process directly)?
Is time spent determining who to give the task to next?
Probably the most significant cost will the be the cost of failure?
How often does the process fail?
What is the real cost of failure? Loss of a contract? Loss of a customer? Law suit?
If the failure can be rectified, how labor intensive is it?
4. What are typical costs saved by workflow?
A manually processed accounts payable invoice will cost about 25 USD. After workflow enabling about 15 USD (one example based on customer feedback from a user group meeting).
5. What are typical reductions in processing time caused by workflow?
A traditional paper based approval process involving three people will typically take seven days to complete. The automated process will take one day (results based on customer feedback).
6. What do customers say are the strengths of SAP WebFlow?
WebFlow is the internet functionality of SAP Business Workflow. Based on customer feedback from the various regional users groups, the main strengths of SAP Business Workflow are:
Robust production workflow system, (upgrade continuity with the rest of the SAP system, versioning, scalability, no gluing....)
Standard workflow templates delivered by SAP can be used out-of-the-box or tweaked to deliver the optimum business process for your company. Workflows can be up and running including training in under a day (thanks to the knowledgeware delivered as part of the template packet).
Seamlessly integrated into the SAP environment, be it R/3, Business to Business Procurement, CRM, APO, mySAP.com.... Examples of integration are:
Business Reporting (WIS),
Context sensitive availability at any time through the system menu (available anytime, anywhere)
More and more standard SAP functionality is being provided by using SAP Business Workflow so your homegrown workflows fit the landscape exactly,
More and more workflow functionality is available directly within the SAP transaction or Web MiniApp.
WebFlow is becoming more and more important because companies are no longer being judged by their own performance but by the combined performance of the company AND its partners. In other words it is not enough that the business processes within your company run smoothly and faster than your competitors. You have to ensure that the processes between you and your partners are also as fast, efficient and flexible as possible. WebFlow delivers this.
7. How are users notified about their work pending?
The users are informed by a work item which you may think of as being very like an e-mail. The difference is the work item contains intelligence and by executing the work item you will be taken to the form or SAP transaction that makes up the step in the workflow. This form or transaction could be a decision, a request for information or a request for confirmation that a particular task has been performed.
The work item is usually accompanied by a description of what has to be done, where to refer to when assistance is needed (help desk, intranet...) and a summary of information about the business object or process which enables the operator to attack the task immediately.
This work item can be received and executed in MS OutlookÒ, Lotus NotesÒ, mySAP Workflow MiniApp or the SAP integrated inbox. If this is not enough, the workflow system can transmit e-mail notifications directly to any mail system, informing the user of the need to log in to the SAP system to execute the task. The e-mail notification is done on a subscription basis so that users can de-subscribe from this service if they already check their work item inbox regularly.
8. What workflow reporting is available and is it useful?
Standard workflow reports exist which allow the administrator to check statistics such as the frequency and average duration of the workflow processes. However the real strength of the workflow reporting is that it allows reports to be configured which analyze the process statistics in combination with the data involved within the workflow process and the organizational units associated with the process. For example you can determine the average time invested in a failed contract renewal request, the time taken to create material masters in different plants or the frequency of rejected purchase requisitions on a department to department basis. Often, big reducations in cost or cycle time can be obtained without touching the workflow definitions. Reeducating a particular group of users or incorporating supplementary information in a work item description can often cause dramatic improvements on the cycle times of particularly critical subsets of the process. It is not unusual that this may have a big impact on specific products, plants or organizational units. This will show up in the WebFlow reporting in LIS or the Business Warehouse but it might not show up in traditional statistical workflow reporting. Even though the average time does not change significantly, the impact on costs and profit can be dramatic.
9. How do I choose who to distribute the tasks to?
A work item is assigned to one or more users. Whoever reserves or executes the task first wins and the work item vanishes from the other users' inboxes. This eliminates the need to assign the user to one single user. I.e. No need for complicated algorithms to determine which single user will receive the work item and no need to worry about what will happen when one user is ill for the week (also taken care of by sophisticated substitution mechanisms which can be linked to the SAP organizational model).
Tasks can be assigned to an organizational unit but the strength of the workflow system is to enable business rules which select users according to the data being processed. For example, you might have one group of users associated with one quality notification type. The workflow can be configured to query the QM module directly to determine the users. You can define fallbacks using the default role associated with a task and allow agents to be specified on the fly by a supervisor.
Tasks can be assigned to office distribution lists which is useful when you want your users to subscribe or unsubscribe to a particular task. A typical use of this would be where you have a work rote or want to reduce user maintenance to an absolute minimum. The users subscribe or unsubscribe by joining or leaving an office distribution list (one mouse click).
10. What happens when a deadline is missed?
This depends on your workflow definition. In the simplest case an e-mail is sent to another user by the system (typically your supervisor so watch out!). However in more sophisticated scenarios a missed deadline can redirect that path that the workflow takes. One customer uses deadlines to automatically make an approval if the deadline is missed (at about the eighth approval level!!!). This gives the user the chance to make rejections but does not force him/her to go into the system to approve the other 99.9% of the requests. In safety critical environments the workflow might trigger off preventative action when a deadline is missed or might put other processes on hold. There is no limit as to how you can use this functionality.
11. What deadlines can be monitored?
Many different types of deadlines can monitored. At the single workflow step level you can define deadlines which trigger when the work item has not completed within a certain time and other deadlines when no one starts working on the work item within a given time. You can specify the task deadline statically (e.g. 1 week) or dynamically (e.g. 1 week for material type A and 2 weeks for all the other materials). The offset can be related to the step (e.g. you have 1 week to complete this step) or related to the process (e.g. complete within 2 weeks of the complete process starting, irrespective of how long your colleagues have hogged the previous steps).
Last but not least, deadlines can be set for sub-processes, which is often more important than the deadline of a single step in a workflow.
12. How can I check the status of a workflow?
This is one of the very cool features of SAP Business Workflow. You can usually navigate directly from the business object to check the workflow progress. For example, while viewing a purchase order you can select "workflow" from the system menu or toolbar and you will see a list of workflows related to the purchase order. Usually just one, but if you have created a few of your own and these have been triggered you will see the status of these too. And that is not all. You also see a simplified summary of all the steps that have taken place so far including who performed them, when they were executed and which ad hoc notes were attached.
13. How are workflows triggered?
Workflows can be triggered automatically by changes in the system or manually by an operator. Manually triggered workflows are good for processes that remedy a problem the operator has noticed or for dealing with a forms-based requests (E.g. my PC won't boot). Automatically triggered workflows are useful because the operator does not even have to be aware of the workflow's existence to trigger it. In addition to triggers embedded in transactions there are also generic triggering mechanisms such as a change in the status of a business object or a change in the HR data. Irrespective of how the workflow is triggered, it is linked to the business object as described in the previous answer and can be tracked easily. Because WebFlow is part of the basis system, this triggering is reliable and easy to implement.
Workflows may be triggered by events but this is not essential. The event-handling makes it easy to trigger workflows from transactions and system changes without you having to make modifications. If you are creating your own report or transaction which triggers a workflow, avoid events and trigger the workflow directly with the WAPI function call. This is particularly important when triggering a workflow from outside the SAP system. This method reduces flexibility (the workflow ID is hard-coded) but increases performance if this is an issue (we're talking about 50 000 work items a day here!).
Any exception handling workflows that are intended to be triggered manually can be triggered from the system menu when viewing the relevant transaction. The SAP system has the intelligence to suggest workflows that can be triggered manually based on the authorization of the operator and the context that the operator is working in. No additional customizing is needed here.
14. What open interfaces are supported?
The most significant interface supported is the Wf-XML standard from the Workflow Management Coalition. This is an independent organization of which SAP is a funding member, along with most other major workflow vendors. The Wf-XML interface is based on XML and allows workflows from different vendors to communicate with each other. A detailed description of the interface is available on the WfMCs web site at www.wfmc.org.
15. What is Wf-XML used for?
Although a company is far better off workflow enabling their system with SAP WebFlow when SAP software is used anywhere within the process, a collaborative process can take place between partners using different software platforms employing different workflow systems. To support SAP customers in this situation, WebFlow offers the open interface Wf-XML. This allows Business Processes enabled using different tools to communicate and control each other. Any workflow tool offering this interface can connect up with other tools that also offer this interface.
Wf-XML is the only open interface for supporting interoperability of business processes, independent of what the business process being integrated.
16. Where does Wf-XML come from?
Wf-XML comes from the Workflow Management Coalition, an independent body of workflow vendors, customers and higher education establishments.
17. How does the workflow call procedures from non-SAP systems?
The Actional control broker integrates directly into SAP WebFlow enabling proxy objects to be called directly from the workflow step. When called, the proxy method will make a call to the outside system either as a background task or as a dialogue step. These proxy objects are generated in the SAP system using a converter which converts the objects interface (DCOM, CORBA...) to the SAP syntax. A syntax converter also lets developers view any object in any of the participating systems in the developer's preferred language.
18. How can I get the workflow initiator information in my task?
1) From your triggering event to the workflow, bind the event creator element to the workflow initiator element.
2) Create a workflow container element based on USR01.
3) Add a step based on USR01.FINDUSERFROMAGENTSTRUCTURE to convert your initiator to a USR01 object.
4) Pass the USR01 object to each task you want to display the details.
Mailing
19. What differences are there between a work item and a notification mail?
a) The work item cannot be used to notify several users.
Mails can be routed to several users, just like work items. When a mail is sent, and one recipient reads and deletes the mail, all other recipients will still have access to their own copy in their own inbox. However, when a work item is processed by one of the recipients it will automatically disappear from all the other inboxes. So you can see that a work item is unsuitable for notifying several users.
It is also worth noting that a mail can be forwarded in many different ways (fax, internet...) whereas the work item cannot.
b) The work item holds up the workflow
When the workflow sends a mail (usually as a background step) it continues with the process immediately after transmitting the mail. When a work item is generated, the workflow will not continue until the work item has been processed. This slows down the process. Occasionally this is what is intended (using the work item as an approval step without the ability to reject) but usually you will better off using mails for notifications.
Note: You can send business objects as references with the mail either as a business object reference attached to the mail or as an URL (ABAP required).
What is the difference between sending a mail to a recipient list compared to sending individual mails via a dynamic loop?
Performance. Sending 1 mail to 20 recipients will cost considerably less performance than sending 20 individual mails. If the mail is sent as a SAP Office mail (as opposed to e-mail, fax...) disk space will also be a factor because the SAP office mail will only exist once in the database, with references being created for each of the recipients.
The only time you need to consider individual mails with a dynamic loop is when the text of the mail varies from one recipient to another.
20. How do I send a standard text as an e-mail from workflow?
It is very easy sending standard text , which may include data from the workflow. You simply create a background step which sends the work item description. This may include variables which will be substituted when mail is sent.
In early releases you have to create your own task based on the method SELFITEM SendTaskDescription. In later releases a wizard is available for creating the step and in release 4.6 there is even a step type which does this all for you automatically.
Whichever path you take, there is very good online documentation describing exactly what has to be done.
21. How do I send a complex text from the workflow?
You may create mails using SAPscript. These mails can include conditions which are evaluated in order to determine which text blocks which are used in the mail. Workflow variables can be used in these conditions and workflow variables can be substituted into the body of the e-mail text.
22. How do I send really complex mails from the workflow?
If you this is not enough for you will probably want to write your own ABAP routines for generating the text and generating the attachments to go with the text.
Use the function group SO01 which contains functions of the form SO_*_API1 which are ideal for creating your own sophisticated messages. There are plenty of advantages of how these are used within the SAP system.
23. How do I send reports?
There are wizards (Release 3.1) which will create workflows for you to send reports to a distribution list. You can specify whether the results should be transmitted or evaluated at the time the recipient wishes to view the report. It is usually better to send the evaluation because this allows the recipient to see the results instantaneously, without having to wait for the report to execute first.
Deadlines
24. How can I configure the workflow so that different types of messages are sent out to different people depending on how late the processing is?
Follow these steps:
1. Specify a deadline period for the step.
2. Specify a name for the event. This adds new branch from the step.
3. Add a new step to the branch which sends a mail message.
4. Add another step to the branch which sends out the second deadline warning (see mail steps above). Use deadlines in this step to configure an earliest start so that the second message is not sent until a further time has elapsed.
5. Repeat step 5 as often as you like.
25. How can I configure the workflow so that when the deadline is missed the workflow step is simply skipped?
This is tricky to explain but easy to implement once you know how.
Follow these steps (in later releases there is a wizard which takes you through the steps):
1. In the terminating events view of the workflow step activate the "obsolete" event and give it a name.
2. Specify a deadline period for the step.
3. Specify a name for the event. This adds new branch from the step.
4. Add a new step to the deadline path. This step must be of type "process control".
5. Select the control "Make step obsolete" and use the search help to specify the workflow step that has the deadline. Only steps with obsolete paths defined will be displayed (see step 1).
26. How do I trigger a workflow with an e-mail?
You can customize the system to call a BOR method when an external mail (fax, e-mail...) arrives in the system. You BOR method should either trigger the e-mail directly or trigger an event. To customize this user exit use the transaction SCOT.
27. How can I make sure that user's access their tasks via the workflow and not via the menu or launch pad?
The routing mechanism for work items uses roles and organizational assignments to determine who receives which work item. However the routing does not provide extra authorization checks based on the routing configuration. If you want to ensure that the tasks are executed within the workflow, and not via the standard transaction, service or MiniApp, then you will have to apply your own protection.
The simplest way of doing this is to remove the standard transaction from the user's menu or Workplace role (but include it in the supervisor's role, just in case).
If you want to allow the user to execute the task from the menu if and only if they have received the work item then you should replace the standard transaction with your own custom built transaction. Your own transaction simply calls the standard transaction but performs it's own authorization check first, based on the routing mechanism used in the workflow. Tip: Add a second (ored) authorization check to make sure that a supervisor can execute the transaction in an emergency.
28. What is a workflow? What is a single-step task?
A single-step task is based on an object type from the object business repository (BOR) (for example, a purchase order) and a method for the object (for example, change). A workflow can contain several single-step tasks and activities such as loops and forks. Through a workflow, you create a logical sequence for the single-step tasks. The tool for creating or changing these types of workflows (workflow template) is the Workflow Builder (transaction SWDD).
29. What is a work item (important terms)?
A work item is the runtime object of a workflow or of a single-step task.You can execute dialog work items with the inbox (transaction SBWP). Each workflow and single-step task started is assigned a unique number known as the work item ID.
30. How is an event triggered from the application and a workflow then started?
An event can be triggered from the application in three different ways:
Directly:
Within the application, the SWE_EVENT_CREATE function module or the SWE_EVENT_CREAT_IN_UPD_TASK function module, for example, generates an event in the update.
With a change document:
Change documents are written within the application when you change application objects in the update. You can link events that have the same key with these types of change documents via transaction SWEC.
With status management:
The SWE_EVENT_CREATE_STATUS function module triggers an event in the same way as the direct method when a status is changed. This event contains the object type (for example, purchase order), the object key (for example, purchase order 4711) and other information. Using transaction PFTC, you can assign the event to a specific workflow or single-step task. More settings are available in transaction SWE2.
31. How are the responsible agents determined?
You can assign agents to a single-step task in transaction PFTC. For example, you can do this using organizational units, work center roles or positions. Within a workflow pattern, you can assign specific agents for this workflow to a single-step task. The overlap between both numbers of 'possible agents' represents the number of agents ('selected agents') who have the work item in the inbox later.
32. What is the difference of between an e-mail and a work item?
E-mails and work items are two completely separate things. They just happen to be displayed in the same inbox. An e-mail is a message sent to one or several people. However, a work item is a runtime object of a single-step task or workflow. Consequently, a work item cannot be deleted from the inbox of a user. In this case in fact, you have to adjust the agent assignment or delete the work item as described in note 49545.
33. PFAC no longer works for my role responsibility setup...
Use tx: OOCU_RESP
34. How do I transport workflow definitions and agent assignments?
When transporting workflows, you have to differentiate between the workflow definition and the agent assignment.
A workflow definition is a workbench request. When you save the workflow, a workflow version is created and a request written. Further information about the transport or about the status management is provided in note 378487 and in the notes mentioned there under related notes.
However, where the agent assignment is concerned, this is a Customizing request. To allow transport of agent assignments, the value of the semantic abbreviation CORR for the TRSP group name must be empty in table T77S0.
35. How do you debug a background workflow process?
In your method write the following code:
data exit.
Do.
if exit = 'X'.
exit.
endif.
enddo.
Run the workflow, causing an infinite loop on that step, and then go to SM50.
Here you can debug the process.
36.What is the Workflow basic Customizing?
Before you can use the Workflow module, you must first execute the basic Customizing in transaction SWU3. All of the listed points should be green (the number range for customer tasks is no longer required). A detailed description of the activities is provided in the relevant information buttons. You can also execute some (but not all) of the points using the Automatic Customizing button. See the online documentation for an exact description of what happens there. The RFC destination must work correctly and the user (usually WF BATCH) should have the SAP_ALL profile.
37.: What options do I have as a user to configure the inbox individually?
You have the following options:
You can create separate user-dependent or user-independent layouts so that you can adapt the displayed columns individually. You can access the function in the Workplace via an application function key.
You can set filters to set certain criteria for individual columns or several columns simultaneously, according to which specific work items are then filtered.
You can add dynamic columns in the layout that then display dynamic elements for certain tasks and users from the work item container. However, this is only possible if all tasks in the inbox belong to just one task. If they have several tasks in the inbox, filtering serves no useful purpose because all tasks are first completely read once. You can define these dynamic columns using transaction SWL1.
38. What does the substitute rule system look like in the workflow?
You have a choice of two different substitute rulings:
Active substitute ruling (for example, for absence due to vacations): In this case, the items belonging to the absent person are automatically assigned to the substitutes inbox (in addition to his own work items).
Passive substitution (for example, for absence due to illness): the substitute must explicitly assume the substitution and can only view the items of the absent person in this mode.
For other questions, you must also refer to note 74000.
39. How can users be automatically notified that new work items are available for processing?
Unfortunately, the dialog box that informs users of new work items which appears in SAPoffice is not available within SAP Systems.
However, the following two options are provided:
In the Workflow Builder, you can designate the item as an express item via additional data. The user then receives a corresponding express dialog box.
The RSWUWFML report (note 131795) is a more flexible option. This report sends an e-mail to an external Internet address to notify the user of new work items.
40. Can I set deadlines for the latest processing of work items?
this is where you can use deadline monitoring for work items. In the Workflow Builder, you can set dates for a requested/latest start/end date for each individual step. You must schedule the SWWDHEX job via transaction SWU3 for this. Schedule the job permanently in the production system otherwise it is difficult for the job to schedule individual deadline monitoring scenarios when workflow is heavy.
41. Can I also execute work items with external programs such as Outlook?
You can use the Web GUI for HTML instead of the Windows GUI. However, note that some functions do no work in the WEB GUI, due to technical restrictions in the browser. You must refer to note 487649 on this subject.
SAP also provides interfaces which allow you to process work items with external programs such as Lotus Notes or Microsoft Outlook. Refer to notes 77099, 98408 and 454845 for details.
Hi ,
More stuff on WORKFLOW
Transactions
AWUV Wizard for event creation Definition tools -> Event creation -> Set up with wizard
MCA1 Workflow Information System Reporting -> Workflow Information System (WIS)
OOAW Evaluation paths
PFAC Maintain standard roles
PFAC_CHG Change roles Definition tools -> Standard roles -> Change
PFAC_DEL Delete roles Definition tools -> Standard roles -> Delete
PFAC_DIS Display roles Definition tools -> Standard roles -> Display
PFAC_INS Create roles Definition tools -> Standard roles -> Create
PFOM Maintain assignment to SAP organizational objects Definition tools -> SAP org. objects -> Create assignments
PFOS Display assignment to SAP organizational objects Definition tools -> SAP org. objects -> Display assignments
PFSO Organizational environment of a user
PFT Maintain customer task
PFTC General task maintenance
PFTC_CHG Change tasks Definition tools -> Task/Task groups -> Change
PFTC_COP Copy tasks Definition tools -> Task/Task groups -> Copy
PFTC_DEL Delete tasks Definition tools -> Task/Task groups -> Delete
PFTC_DIS Display tasks Definition tools -> Task/Task groups -> Display
PFTC_INS Create tasks Definition tools -> Task/Task groups -> Create
PFTR Standard task for transaction
PFTS Standard task
PFWF Maintain workflow task (customer)
PFWS Maintain workflow template
PPOC Create organizational plan Definition tools -> Organizational plan -> Create
PPOM Maintain organizational plan Definition tools -> Organizational plan -> Change
PPOS Display organizational plan Definition tools -> Organizational plan -> Display
SWDA Ongoing Settings Administration -> Settings
SWDC Workflow editor administration data
SWDM Business Workflow Explorer Definition tools -> Business Workflow Explorer
SWE2 Display and maintain event type linkage Utilities -> Events -> Type linkages
SWE3 Display instance linkages Utilities -> Events -> Instance linkages
SWE4 Switch event log on/off Utilities -> Events -> Event/log -> On/Off
SWEC Link change documents to events Definition tools -> Event creation -> Change documents -> Linkage
SWED Assignment of change document objects to object types Definition tools -> Event creation -> Change documents -> Define workflow properties
SWEL Display event log Utilities -> Events -> Event log -> Display
SWF3 Workflow Wizard Explorer Definition tools -> Wizards -> Workflow Wizard Explorer
SWF4 Workflow Wizard Repository Definition tools -> Wizards -> Workflow Wizard Repository
SWI1 Selection report for workflows Utilities -> Work item selection
SWI2 Work item analysis Reporting -> Work item analysis
SWI3 Workflow outbox Runtime tools -> Workflow outbox
SWI4 Task analysis Reporting -> Task analysis
SWI5 Workload analysis Reporting -> Workload analysis
SWI6 Object links Runtime tools -> Object links
SWI7 Workflow resubmission folder From Integrated Inbox or Workflow Outbox
SWI8 Error overview Part of administration of workflow runtime system (transaction SWUF)
SWL1 Settings for dynamic columns Customizing, part of ongoing settings
SWLC Check tasks for agents Utilities -> Consistency check -> Organizational assignment
SWLD Workbench for Workflow 4.0
SWLP Copy plan version
SWLV Maintain work item views Customizing, part of ongoing settingS
SWLW Workbench for Workflow 3.0
SW01 Business Object Builder Definition tools -> Business Object Builder
SW06 Customizing object types From Business Object Builder, choose Settings -> Delegate -> System-wide
SWU0 Event simulation Utilities -> Events -> Simulate event
SWU2 RFC monitor Utilities -> Workflow RFC monitor
SWU3 Customizing consistency check Utilities -> Customizing
SWU4 Consistency check for standard tasks Utilities -> Consistency check -> Task -> Standard task
SWU5 Consistency check for customer tasks Utilities -> Consistency check -> Task -> Customer task
SWU6 Consistency check for workflow tasks Utilities -> Consistency check -> Task -> Workflow task
SWU7 Consistency check for workflow templates Utilities -> Consistency check -> Task -> Workflow template
SWU8 Switch technical trace on/off Utilities -> Technical trace -> On/off
SWU9 Display technical trace Utilities -> Technical trace -> Display
SWUD Diagnostic tools Utilities -> Diagnosis
SWUE Trigger event Utilities -> Events -> Generate event
SWUF Runtime system administration Administration -> Runtime system
SWUG Workflow start transactions Definition tools -> Workflow start transactions
SWUI Start workflows From the R/3 initial screen, choose Office -> Start Workflow
SWUS Start tasks Runtime tools -> Start workflow
SWUY Wizard for message linkage to workflow Definition tools -> Wizards -> Create "Call workflow from message"
SWX1 Create notification of absence
SWX2 Change notification of absence
SWX3 Display notification of absence
SWX4 Approve notification of absence
SWXF Form applications: Access point Environment -> Demo examples -> Fill out form
Reports
RSWWWIDE Delete work items
RHSOBJCH to fix PD Control Tables
Tables
SWW_OUTBOX - Lists Workflows in outbox together with status
SWW_CONT - Container Contents for Work Item Data Container
SWW_CONTOB- Container Cont. for Work Item Data Container (Only Objects)
SWWLOGHIST- History of a work item
SWWORGTASK- Assignment of WIs to Org.Units and Tasks
SWWUSERWI - Current Work Items Assigned to a User
SWWWIHEAD - Header Table for all Work Item Types
Reward poits if helpful.
Regards,
Amber S -
gugys i have a training on workflow of two hours
so i wanna do som initial preperation to ask som questions
plz tel me
what are the imp topics of workflow that should be covered in the session
if u have any step by step guide
plz send me at [email protected]
or all kind of documents
plz give me the links if u have
plz help me its urgent
thanks in advanceHi Anit,
Please find some questions related to WorkFlow
1. Is there a good book about this subject?
Yes, "Practical Workflow for SAP" by Rickayzen, Dart, Brennecke and Schneider. Available from SAP press at the end of July. A german translation of this workflow book is also available directly from Galileo-Press, the publisher.
2. How do I convince my company to use workflow?
Feedback from user groups emphasizes that although the competitive advantage gained by using workflow eclipses the financial savings, it is the financial savings that are the deciding factor when obtaining support from senior management. Projects getting the blessing at the CEO level are much easier to manage, and far more likely to reach their goal within the project time frame. So plan well, and don't neglect the business case.
Because the following questions deal with the financial case in more detail, this section will finish by listing the competitive advantages.
The quality of the process is assured by pushing the relevant information together with links to related transactions directly to the user. Managers don't have the time to search for information so give them what they need to reach the correct decision.
Cycle time is reduced by pushing the process directly to the users. The users receive notification of a task immediately and can even be prioritized by the system.
The tasks are performed consistently and diligently by the users. The workflow system pushes all the necessary information needed to perform a task, including a clear description of what has to be done, how to do it and the impact this task has on the business process for your company. At any time, the user can check the list of tasks pending and determine at a glance which are the important tasks, and which tasks can be completed the next day without any negative impact.
The process instance is transparent. Any user can check at any time how far the process has progressed and which stage the process has reached. For example the call center can immediately see the status of a purchase order, an employee requisitioning a purchase would see at a glance if a colleague has been sitting on it for too long, the ad hoc notes made when approving an engineering change request are visible long after the request has gone into production.
The process is flexible, allowing it to be changed on the fly without retraining everyone involved. The description accompanying the change takes care of on-the-fly process improvements.
Deadline handing ensures that users perform the tasks within the time planned. Escalation measures ensure that the failure to meet a deadline can be corrected by other means.
Intelligent reporting highlights the weaknesses of a process. Often there is a simple cure to such weaknesses such as reeducating the users involved in the bottleneck or providing additional information (automatically). The difficulty of a non-automated process is identifying such bottlenecks.
The process definition is transparent. You can see at a glance how the process works and who will be selected to perform the different tasks. Think of the workflow as the process book. If you can spot the pattern and define the process without headaches, you can create a workflow definition effortlessly. However, don't forget that if a company has business processes that are erratic and lack a consistent pattern, the company is very likely to be losing a lot of money in terms of lost contracts, labor intensive administration and low customer confidence. It is my personal opinion that automating exactly this type of processes will yield the best returns, but only if you limit yourself to automating the basic skeleton of the process first. Don't get bogged down in the detailed exception handling. That can be done in the next phase once you've checked the process statistics and determined which exceptions are worth tackling.
As with most software the reasons for automating business processes are primarily to increase the competitive edge of your company and to cut costs. Although the increase in competitively gained by radically reducing process times is by far the most insignificant gain from workflow, you should not ignore the cost savings. The cost saving calculations are needed by upper management in order to approve workflow projects. This upper management signature will be very useful in different phases of the project and cannot be underestimated.
3. How do I calculate the cost saved by workflow?
Calculate the cost of the manual process in terms of man hours. Don't neglect the time spent gathering information. Ask the following questions:
Is the user forced to log into different systems, or scan through printed documentation....?
Does a skilled user spend time on parts of a task, where less skilled (less expensive) user could do the groundwork? I.e. Can a single task be split into skilled and unskilled tasks to free the skilled worker for work where his/her skills are really needed?
Is time spent researching the progress of a process (usually done by someone not involved in the process directly)?
Is time spent determining who to give the task to next?
Probably the most significant cost will the be the cost of failure?
How often does the process fail?
What is the real cost of failure? Loss of a contract? Loss of a customer? Law suit?
If the failure can be rectified, how labor intensive is it?
4. What are typical costs saved by workflow?
A manually processed accounts payable invoice will cost about 25 USD. After workflow enabling about 15 USD (one example based on customer feedback from a user group meeting).
5. What are typical reductions in processing time caused by workflow?
A traditional paper based approval process involving three people will typically take seven days to complete. The automated process will take one day (results based on customer feedback).
6. What do customers say are the strengths of SAP WebFlow?
WebFlow is the internet functionality of SAP Business Workflow. Based on customer feedback from the various regional users groups, the main strengths of SAP Business Workflow are:
Robust production workflow system, (upgrade continuity with the rest of the SAP system, versioning, scalability, no gluing....)
Standard workflow templates delivered by SAP can be used out-of-the-box or tweaked to deliver the optimum business process for your company. Workflows can be up and running including training in under a day (thanks to the knowledgeware delivered as part of the template packet).
Seamlessly integrated into the SAP environment, be it R/3, Business to Business Procurement, CRM, APO, mySAP.com.... Examples of integration are:
Business Reporting (WIS),
Context sensitive availability at any time through the system menu (available anytime, anywhere)
More and more standard SAP functionality is being provided by using SAP Business Workflow so your homegrown workflows fit the landscape exactly,
More and more workflow functionality is available directly within the SAP transaction or Web MiniApp.
WebFlow is becoming more and more important because companies are no longer being judged by their own performance but by the combined performance of the company AND its partners. In other words it is not enough that the business processes within your company run smoothly and faster than your competitors. You have to ensure that the processes between you and your partners are also as fast, efficient and flexible as possible. WebFlow delivers this.
7. How are users notified about their work pending?
The users are informed by a work item which you may think of as being very like an e-mail. The difference is the work item contains intelligence and by executing the work item you will be taken to the form or SAP transaction that makes up the step in the workflow. This form or transaction could be a decision, a request for information or a request for confirmation that a particular task has been performed.
The work item is usually accompanied by a description of what has to be done, where to refer to when assistance is needed (help desk, intranet...) and a summary of information about the business object or process which enables the operator to attack the task immediately.
This work item can be received and executed in MS OutlookÒ, Lotus NotesÒ, mySAP Workflow MiniApp or the SAP integrated inbox. If this is not enough, the workflow system can transmit e-mail notifications directly to any mail system, informing the user of the need to log in to the SAP system to execute the task. The e-mail notification is done on a subscription basis so that users can de-subscribe from this service if they already check their work item inbox regularly.
8. What workflow reporting is available and is it useful?
Standard workflow reports exist which allow the administrator to check statistics such as the frequency and average duration of the workflow processes. However the real strength of the workflow reporting is that it allows reports to be configured which analyze the process statistics in combination with the data involved within the workflow process and the organizational units associated with the process. For example you can determine the average time invested in a failed contract renewal request, the time taken to create material masters in different plants or the frequency of rejected purchase requisitions on a department to department basis. Often, big reducations in cost or cycle time can be obtained without touching the workflow definitions. Reeducating a particular group of users or incorporating supplementary information in a work item description can often cause dramatic improvements on the cycle times of particularly critical subsets of the process. It is not unusual that this may have a big impact on specific products, plants or organizational units. This will show up in the WebFlow reporting in LIS or the Business Warehouse but it might not show up in traditional statistical workflow reporting. Even though the average time does not change significantly, the impact on costs and profit can be dramatic.
9. How do I choose who to distribute the tasks to?
A work item is assigned to one or more users. Whoever reserves or executes the task first wins and the work item vanishes from the other users' inboxes. This eliminates the need to assign the user to one single user. I.e. No need for complicated algorithms to determine which single user will receive the work item and no need to worry about what will happen when one user is ill for the week (also taken care of by sophisticated substitution mechanisms which can be linked to the SAP organizational model).
Tasks can be assigned to an organizational unit but the strength of the workflow system is to enable business rules which select users according to the data being processed. For example, you might have one group of users associated with one quality notification type. The workflow can be configured to query the QM module directly to determine the users. You can define fallbacks using the default role associated with a task and allow agents to be specified on the fly by a supervisor.
Tasks can be assigned to office distribution lists which is useful when you want your users to subscribe or unsubscribe to a particular task. A typical use of this would be where you have a work rote or want to reduce user maintenance to an absolute minimum. The users subscribe or unsubscribe by joining or leaving an office distribution list (one mouse click).
10. What happens when a deadline is missed?
This depends on your workflow definition. In the simplest case an e-mail is sent to another user by the system (typically your supervisor so watch out!). However in more sophisticated scenarios a missed deadline can redirect that path that the workflow takes. One customer uses deadlines to automatically make an approval if the deadline is missed (at about the eighth approval level!!!). This gives the user the chance to make rejections but does not force him/her to go into the system to approve the other 99.9% of the requests. In safety critical environments the workflow might trigger off preventative action when a deadline is missed or might put other processes on hold. There is no limit as to how you can use this functionality.
11. What deadlines can be monitored?
Many different types of deadlines can monitored. At the single workflow step level you can define deadlines which trigger when the work item has not completed within a certain time and other deadlines when no one starts working on the work item within a given time. You can specify the task deadline statically (e.g. 1 week) or dynamically (e.g. 1 week for material type A and 2 weeks for all the other materials). The offset can be related to the step (e.g. you have 1 week to complete this step) or related to the process (e.g. complete within 2 weeks of the complete process starting, irrespective of how long your colleagues have hogged the previous steps).
Last but not least, deadlines can be set for sub-processes, which is often more important than the deadline of a single step in a workflow.
12. How can I check the status of a workflow?
This is one of the very cool features of SAP Business Workflow. You can usually navigate directly from the business object to check the workflow progress. For example, while viewing a purchase order you can select "workflow" from the system menu or toolbar and you will see a list of workflows related to the purchase order. Usually just one, but if you have created a few of your own and these have been triggered you will see the status of these too. And that is not all. You also see a simplified summary of all the steps that have taken place so far including who performed them, when they were executed and which ad hoc notes were attached.
13. How are workflows triggered?
Workflows can be triggered automatically by changes in the system or manually by an operator. Manually triggered workflows are good for processes that remedy a problem the operator has noticed or for dealing with a forms-based requests (E.g. my PC won't boot). Automatically triggered workflows are useful because the operator does not even have to be aware of the workflow's existence to trigger it. In addition to triggers embedded in transactions there are also generic triggering mechanisms such as a change in the status of a business object or a change in the HR data. Irrespective of how the workflow is triggered, it is linked to the business object as described in the previous answer and can be tracked easily. Because WebFlow is part of the basis system, this triggering is reliable and easy to implement.
Workflows may be triggered by events but this is not essential. The event-handling makes it easy to trigger workflows from transactions and system changes without you having to make modifications. If you are creating your own report or transaction which triggers a workflow, avoid events and trigger the workflow directly with the WAPI function call. This is particularly important when triggering a workflow from outside the SAP system. This method reduces flexibility (the workflow ID is hard-coded) but increases performance if this is an issue (we're talking about 50 000 work items a day here!).
Any exception handling workflows that are intended to be triggered manually can be triggered from the system menu when viewing the relevant transaction. The SAP system has the intelligence to suggest workflows that can be triggered manually based on the authorization of the operator and the context that the operator is working in. No additional customizing is needed here.
14. What open interfaces are supported?
The most significant interface supported is the Wf-XML standard from the Workflow Management Coalition. This is an independent organization of which SAP is a funding member, along with most other major workflow vendors. The Wf-XML interface is based on XML and allows workflows from different vendors to communicate with each other. A detailed description of the interface is available on the WfMCs web site at www.wfmc.org.
15. What is Wf-XML used for?
Although a company is far better off workflow enabling their system with SAP WebFlow when SAP software is used anywhere within the process, a collaborative process can take place between partners using different software platforms employing different workflow systems. To support SAP customers in this situation, WebFlow offers the open interface Wf-XML. This allows Business Processes enabled using different tools to communicate and control each other. Any workflow tool offering this interface can connect up with other tools that also offer this interface.
Wf-XML is the only open interface for supporting interoperability of business processes, independent of what the business process being integrated.
16. Where does Wf-XML come from?
Wf-XML comes from the Workflow Management Coalition, an independent body of workflow vendors, customers and higher education establishments.
17. How does the workflow call procedures from non-SAP systems?
The Actional control broker integrates directly into SAP WebFlow enabling proxy objects to be called directly from the workflow step. When called, the proxy method will make a call to the outside system either as a background task or as a dialogue step. These proxy objects are generated in the SAP system using a converter which converts the objects interface (DCOM, CORBA...) to the SAP syntax. A syntax converter also lets developers view any object in any of the participating systems in the developer's preferred language.
18. How can I get the workflow initiator information in my task?
1) From your triggering event to the workflow, bind the event creator element to the workflow initiator element.
2) Create a workflow container element based on USR01.
3) Add a step based on USR01.FINDUSERFROMAGENTSTRUCTURE to convert your initiator to a USR01 object.
4) Pass the USR01 object to each task you want to display the details.
Mailing
19. What differences are there between a work item and a notification mail?
a) The work item cannot be used to notify several users.
Mails can be routed to several users, just like work items. When a mail is sent, and one recipient reads and deletes the mail, all other recipients will still have access to their own copy in their own inbox. However, when a work item is processed by one of the recipients it will automatically disappear from all the other inboxes. So you can see that a work item is unsuitable for notifying several users.
It is also worth noting that a mail can be forwarded in many different ways (fax, internet...) whereas the work item cannot.
b) The work item holds up the workflow
When the workflow sends a mail (usually as a background step) it continues with the process immediately after transmitting the mail. When a work item is generated, the workflow will not continue until the work item has been processed. This slows down the process. Occasionally this is what is intended (using the work item as an approval step without the ability to reject) but usually you will better off using mails for notifications.
Note: You can send business objects as references with the mail either as a business object reference attached to the mail or as an URL (ABAP required).
What is the difference between sending a mail to a recipient list compared to sending individual mails via a dynamic loop?
Performance. Sending 1 mail to 20 recipients will cost considerably less performance than sending 20 individual mails. If the mail is sent as a SAP Office mail (as opposed to e-mail, fax...) disk space will also be a factor because the SAP office mail will only exist once in the database, with references being created for each of the recipients.
The only time you need to consider individual mails with a dynamic loop is when the text of the mail varies from one recipient to another.
20. How do I send a standard text as an e-mail from workflow?
It is very easy sending standard text , which may include data from the workflow. You simply create a background step which sends the work item description. This may include variables which will be substituted when mail is sent.
In early releases you have to create your own task based on the method SELFITEM SendTaskDescription. In later releases a wizard is available for creating the step and in release 4.6 there is even a step type which does this all for you automatically.
Whichever path you take, there is very good online documentation describing exactly what has to be done.
21. How do I send a complex text from the workflow?
You may create mails using SAPscript. These mails can include conditions which are evaluated in order to determine which text blocks which are used in the mail. Workflow variables can be used in these conditions and workflow variables can be substituted into the body of the e-mail text.
22. How do I send really complex mails from the workflow?
If you this is not enough for you will probably want to write your own ABAP routines for generating the text and generating the attachments to go with the text.
Use the function group SO01 which contains functions of the form SO_*_API1 which are ideal for creating your own sophisticated messages. There are plenty of advantages of how these are used within the SAP system.
23. How do I send reports?
There are wizards (Release 3.1) which will create workflows for you to send reports to a distribution list. You can specify whether the results should be transmitted or evaluated at the time the recipient wishes to view the report. It is usually better to send the evaluation because this allows the recipient to see the results instantaneously, without having to wait for the report to execute first.
Deadlines
24. How can I configure the workflow so that different types of messages are sent out to different people depending on how late the processing is?
Follow these steps:
1. Specify a deadline period for the step.
2. Specify a name for the event. This adds new branch from the step.
3. Add a new step to the branch which sends a mail message.
4. Add another step to the branch which sends out the second deadline warning (see mail steps above). Use deadlines in this step to configure an earliest start so that the second message is not sent until a further time has elapsed.
5. Repeat step 5 as often as you like.
25. How can I configure the workflow so that when the deadline is missed the workflow step is simply skipped?
This is tricky to explain but easy to implement once you know how.
Follow these steps (in later releases there is a wizard which takes you through the steps):
1. In the terminating events view of the workflow step activate the "obsolete" event and give it a name.
2. Specify a deadline period for the step.
3. Specify a name for the event. This adds new branch from the step.
4. Add a new step to the deadline path. This step must be of type "process control".
5. Select the control "Make step obsolete" and use the search help to specify the workflow step that has the deadline. Only steps with obsolete paths defined will be displayed (see step 1).
26. How do I trigger a workflow with an e-mail?
You can customize the system to call a BOR method when an external mail (fax, e-mail...) arrives in the system. You BOR method should either trigger the e-mail directly or trigger an event. To customize this user exit use the transaction SCOT.
27. How can I make sure that user's access their tasks via the workflow and not via the menu or launch pad?
The routing mechanism for work items uses roles and organizational assignments to determine who receives which work item. However the routing does not provide extra authorization checks based on the routing configuration. If you want to ensure that the tasks are executed within the workflow, and not via the standard transaction, service or MiniApp, then you will have to apply your own protection.
The simplest way of doing this is to remove the standard transaction from the user's menu or Workplace role (but include it in the supervisor's role, just in case).
If you want to allow the user to execute the task from the menu if and only if they have received the work item then you should replace the standard transaction with your own custom built transaction. Your own transaction simply calls the standard transaction but performs it's own authorization check first, based on the routing mechanism used in the workflow. Tip: Add a second (ored) authorization check to make sure that a supervisor can execute the transaction in an emergency.
28. What is a workflow? What is a single-step task?
A single-step task is based on an object type from the object business repository (BOR) (for example, a purchase order) and a method for the object (for example, change). A workflow can contain several single-step tasks and activities such as loops and forks. Through a workflow, you create a logical sequence for the single-step tasks. The tool for creating or changing these types of workflows (workflow template) is the Workflow Builder (transaction SWDD).
29. What is a work item (important terms)?
A work item is the runtime object of a workflow or of a single-step task.You can execute dialog work items with the inbox (transaction SBWP). Each workflow and single-step task started is assigned a unique number known as the work item ID.
30. How is an event triggered from the application and a workflow then started?
An event can be triggered from the application in three different ways:
Directly:
Within the application, the SWE_EVENT_CREATE function module or the SWE_EVENT_CREAT_IN_UPD_TASK function module, for example, generates an event in the update.
With a change document:
Change documents are written within the application when you change application objects in the update. You can link events that have the same key with these types of change documents via transaction SWEC.
With status management:
The SWE_EVENT_CREATE_STATUS function module triggers an event in the same way as the direct method when a status is changed. This event contains the object type (for example, purchase order), the object key (for example, purchase order 4711) and other information. Using transaction PFTC, you can assign the event to a specific workflow or single-step task. More settings are available in transaction SWE2.
31. How are the responsible agents determined?
You can assign agents to a single-step task in transaction PFTC. For example, you can do this using organizational units, work center roles or positions. Within a workflow pattern, you can assign specific agents for this workflow to a single-step task. The overlap between both numbers of 'possible agents' represents the number of agents ('selected agents') who have the work item in the inbox later.
32. What is the difference of between an e-mail and a work item?
E-mails and work items are two completely separate things. They just happen to be displayed in the same inbox. An e-mail is a message sent to one or several people. However, a work item is a runtime object of a single-step task or workflow. Consequently, a work item cannot be deleted from the inbox of a user. In this case in fact, you have to adjust the agent assignment or delete the work item as described in note 49545.
33. PFAC no longer works for my role responsibility setup...
Use tx: OOCU_RESP
34. How do I transport workflow definitions and agent assignments?
When transporting workflows, you have to differentiate between the workflow definition and the agent assignment.
A workflow definition is a workbench request. When you save the workflow, a workflow version is created and a request written. Further information about the transport or about the status management is provided in note 378487 and in the notes mentioned there under related notes.
However, where the agent assignment is concerned, this is a Customizing request. To allow transport of agent assignments, the value of the semantic abbreviation CORR for the TRSP group name must be empty in table T77S0.
35. How do you debug a background workflow process?
In your method write the following code:
data exit.
Do.
if exit = 'X'.
exit.
endif.
enddo.
Run the workflow, causing an infinite loop on that step, and then go to SM50.
Here you can debug the process.
36.What is the Workflow basic Customizing?
Before you can use the Workflow module, you must first execute the basic Customizing in transaction SWU3. All of the listed points should be green (the number range for customer tasks is no longer required). A detailed description of the activities is provided in the relevant information buttons. You can also execute some (but not all) of the points using the Automatic Customizing button. See the online documentation for an exact description of what happens there. The RFC destination must work correctly and the user (usually WF BATCH) should have the SAP_ALL profile.
37.: What options do I have as a user to configure the inbox individually?
You have the following options:
You can create separate user-dependent or user-independent layouts so that you can adapt the displayed columns individually. You can access the function in the Workplace via an application function key.
You can set filters to set certain criteria for individual columns or several columns simultaneously, according to which specific work items are then filtered.
You can add dynamic columns in the layout that then display dynamic elements for certain tasks and users from the work item container. However, this is only possible if all tasks in the inbox belong to just one task. If they have several tasks in the inbox, filtering serves no useful purpose because all tasks are first completely read once. You can define these dynamic columns using transaction SWL1.
38. What does the substitute rule system look like in the workflow?
You have a choice of two different substitute rulings:
Active substitute ruling (for example, for absence due to vacations): In this case, the items belonging to the absent person are automatically assigned to the substitutes inbox (in addition to his own work items).
Passive substitution (for example, for absence due to illness): the substitute must explicitly assume the substitution and can only view the items of the absent person in this mode.
For other questions, you must also refer to note 74000.
39. How can users be automatically notified that new work items are available for processing?
Unfortunately, the dialog box that informs users of new work items which appears in SAPoffice is not available within SAP Systems.
However, the following two options are provided:
In the Workflow Builder, you can designate the item as an express item via additional data. The user then receives a corresponding express dialog box.
The RSWUWFML report (note 131795) is a more flexible option. This report sends an e-mail to an external Internet address to notify the user of new work items.
40. Can I set deadlines for the latest processing of work items?
this is where you can use deadline monitoring for work items. In the Workflow Builder, you can set dates for a requested/latest start/end date for each individual step. You must schedule the SWWDHEX job via transaction SWU3 for this. Schedule the job permanently in the production system otherwise it is difficult for the job to schedule individual deadline monitoring scenarios when workflow is heavy.
41. Can I also execute work items with external programs such as Outlook?
You can use the Web GUI for HTML instead of the Windows GUI. However, note that some functions do no work in the WEB GUI, due to technical restrictions in the browser. You must refer to note 487649 on this subject.
SAP also provides interfaces which allow you to process work items with external programs such as Lotus Notes or Microsoft Outlook. Refer to notes 77099, 98408 and 454845 for details.
More stuff on WORKFLOW
Transactions
AWUV Wizard for event creation Definition tools -> Event creation -> Set up with wizard
MCA1 Workflow Information System Reporting -> Workflow Information System (WIS)
OOAW Evaluation paths
PFAC Maintain standard roles
PFAC_CHG Change roles Definition tools -> Standard roles -> Change
PFAC_DEL Delete roles Definition tools -> Standard roles -> Delete
PFAC_DIS Display roles Definition tools -> Standard roles -> Display
PFAC_INS Create roles Definition tools -> Standard roles -> Create
PFOM Maintain assignment to SAP organizational objects Definition tools -> SAP org. objects -> Create assignments
PFOS Display assignment to SAP organizational objects Definition tools -> SAP org. objects -> Display assignments
PFSO Organizational environment of a user
PFT Maintain customer task
PFTC General task maintenance
PFTC_CHG Change tasks Definition tools -> Task/Task groups -> Change
PFTC_COP Copy tasks Definition tools -> Task/Task groups -> Copy
PFTC_DEL Delete tasks Definition tools -> Task/Task groups -> Delete
PFTC_DIS Display tasks Definition tools -> Task/Task groups -> Display
PFTC_INS Create tasks Definition tools -> Task/Task groups -> Create
PFTR Standard task for transaction
PFTS Standard task
PFWF Maintain workflow task (customer)
PFWS Maintain workflow template
PPOC Create organizational plan Definition tools -> Organizational plan -> Create
PPOM Maintain organizational plan Definition tools -> Organizational plan -> Change
PPOS Display organizational plan Definition tools -> Organizational plan -> Display
SWDA Ongoing Settings Administration -> Settings
SWDC Workflow editor administration data
SWDM Business Workflow Explorer Definition tools -> Business Workflow Explorer
SWE2 Display and maintain event type linkage Utilities -> Events -> Type linkages
SWE3 Display instance linkages Utilities -> Events -> Instance linkages
SWE4 Switch event log on/off Utilities -> Events -> Event/log -> On/Off
SWEC Link change documents to events Definition tools -> Event creation -> Change documents -> Linkage
SWED Assignment of change document objects to object types Definition tools -> Event creation -> Change documents -> Define workflow properties
SWEL Display event log Utilities -> Events -> Event log -> Display
SWF3 Workflow Wizard Explorer Definition tools -> Wizards -> Workflow Wizard Explorer
SWF4 Workflow Wizard Repository Definition tools -> Wizards -> Workflow Wizard Repository
SWI1 Selection report for workflows Utilities -> Work item selection
SWI2 Work item analysis Reporting -> Work item analysis
SWI3 Workflow outbox Runtime tools -> Workflow outbox
SWI4 Task analysis Reporting -> Task analysis
SWI5 Workload analysis Reporting -> Workload analysis
SWI6 Object links Runtime tools -> Object links
SWI7 Workflow resubmission folder From Integrated Inbox or Workflow Outbox
SWI8 Error overview Part of administration of workflow runtime system (transaction SWUF)
SWL1 Settings for dynamic columns Customizing, part of ongoing settings
SWLC Check tasks for agents Utilities -> Consistency check -> Organizational assignment
SWLD Workbench for Workflow 4.0
SWLP Copy plan version
SWLV Maintain work item views Customizing, part of ongoing settingS
SWLW Workbench for Workflow 3.0
SW01 Business Object Builder Definition tools -> Business Object Builder
SW06 Customizing object types From Business Object Builder, choose Settings -> Delegate -> System-wide
SWU0 Event simulation Utilities -> Events -> Simulate event
SWU2 RFC monitor Utilities -> Workflow RFC monitor
SWU3 Customizing consistency check Utilities -> Customizing
SWU4 Consistency check for standard tasks Utilities -> Consistency check -> Task -> Standard task
SWU5 Consistency check for customer tasks Utilities -> Consistency check -> Task -> Customer task
SWU6 Consistency check for workflow tasks Utilities -> Consistency check -> Task -> Workflow task
SWU7 Consistency check for workflow templates Utilities -> Consistency check -> Task -> Workflow template
SWU8 Switch technical trace on/off Utilities -> Technical trace -> On/off
SWU9 Display technical trace Utilities -> Technical trace -> Display
SWUD Diagnostic tools Utilities -> Diagnosis
SWUE Trigger event Utilities -> Events -> Generate event
SWUF Runtime system administration Administration -> Runtime system
SWUG Workflow start transactions Definition tools -> Workflow start transactions
SWUI Start workflows From the R/3 initial screen, choose Office -> Start Workflow
SWUS Start tasks Runtime tools -> Start workflow
SWUY Wizard for message linkage to workflow Definition tools -> Wizards -> Create "Call workflow from message"
SWX1 Create notification of absence
SWX2 Change notification of absence
SWX3 Display notification of absence
SWX4 Approve notification of absence
SWXF Form applications: Access point Environment -> Demo examples -> Fill out form
Reports
RSWWWIDE Delete work items
RHSOBJCH to fix PD Control Tables
Tables
SWW_OUTBOX - Lists Workflows in outbox together with status
SWW_CONT - Container Contents for Work Item Data Container
SWW_CONTOB- Container Cont. for Work Item Data Container (Only Objects)
SWWLOGHIST- History of a work item
SWWORGTASK- Assignment of WIs to Org.Units and Tasks
SWWUSERWI - Current Work Items Assigned to a User
SWWWIHEAD - Header Table for all Work Item Types
Reward poits if helpful.
Regards,
Amber S -
Succesfactors - Business Rule to trigger workflow (not triggering)
Hi,
I have used Business Rules and linked them to Base Objects to default values before and this worked just fine.
Now I am trying to trigger a workflow from the moment a save is performed in the specific portlet.
The rule is kicked off (I tested with defaulting a value and that worked correctly) but I don't get the notification that a workflow is started.
This is how I configured my rule:
The SF documentation talks a lot about using the pre-defined functions, but there is no real example for triggering workflows.
I'm probably missing something... any suggestions?
Already thanks in advance for your suggestions!
Cheers,
GerritHi Sharma,
There may be many reasons if the mail is not delivered from SAP .
1. First Check with the transaction SCOT ( and SOST )
This will tell you whether SMTP Configured is working fine or not.
If there are pending ( Waiting ) items in SCOT , then it is not WF isssue ...it's related SMTP .
2. You can very well test the SAP system for mails by sending a sample mail to your email id from SBWP
3. If SCOT is working then you call drill down your analysis to application specific things i.e WOrkflow
Hope this helps ur analysis
Regards,
Vijay
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