Practical Workflow for SAP
2nd Edition
Published on 25. June 2009
Book
Hardback
953 pages
978-1-59229-285-1 (ISBN)
Description
Nobody said workflow in SAP was simple-but with this book, you can take a step in the right direction. Demystify your workflow processes with comprehensive coverage that includes instructions on deploying and extending existing workflows, as well as directions for creating your own successful workflow projects. Learn about upgrading workflows, the universal worklist (UWL), ABAP Objects, and more. In these 1000 pages, you're sure to find the information you need.
Topic Highlights:
Using SAP-supplied workflows
Developing your own workflows
Using SAP Business Workflow in SAP Business Suite applications
More details
Other editions
New editions
Book
07/2014
3rd Edition
SAP PRESS
€79.95
Article not available at the moment
Previous edition
Alan Rickayzen | Jocelyn Dart | Carsten Brennecke
Practical Workflow for SAP
Effective Business Processes using SAP's WebFlow Engine
Book
07/2002
1st Edition
SAP PRESS
€59.90
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Persons
Author
Alan Rickayzen is the product manager of Alloy, the first joint software product between IBM and SAP. This integrates IBM Lotus Notes with SAP and includes workflow decision management. He has been with SAP since 1992 and in data processing since 1988. In 1995, he joined the SAP Business Workflow group performing development work as well as consulting for various major U.S. customers. During this time, he amassed a good technical knowledge of the product before moving in 1998 to workflow product management where he was the principal liaison for the SAP workflow user groups. He has written regularly for SAP journals and was an author of the first edition of Practical Workflow for SAP. In his pursuit of Interoperability he became one of the original authors of the Web standard BPEL4People and WS-HumanTask, which have now been taken to Oasis. Alan Rickayzen graduated from Kings College, London with a bachelor of science degree in physics.
Jocelyn Dart is an SAP employee and has a number of specialties, including SAP Business Workflow, SAP Interactive Forms by Adobe, and HCM Processes and Forms. She has been involved with SAP products since 1990 on various customer sites. In 1994, she joined SAP Australia as a help desk support consultant. Later, she became an instructor giving courses in ABAP, Internet Transaction Server, SAP Business Workflow, SAP SRM, and SAP Interactive Forms by Adobe. She is currently a SAP Field Services consultant advising various major Australian and New Zealand customers. She is acknowledged as a global expert in SAP Business Workflow and regional expert in HCM Processes and Forms. Jocelyn Dart has a bachelor's degree in applied science. (Computing Science) from the University of Technology, Sydney.
Ginger Gatling is a senior product manager with SAP NetWeaver Management. She joined SAP in 1997 and spent her first seven years within Educational Services at SAP America. She taught more than 30 classes, including SAP Business Workflow, security, SAP CRM Middleware, integration, and administration courses. Additionally, she authored classes on SAP NetWeaver Business Warehouse security and system auditing. In 2004, she joined the SAP NetWeaver organization, working for SAP Labs, where she has served as product manager for BPM topics (including SAP Business Workflow, Universal Worklist, SAP NetWeaver Business Process Management), integration topics (SAP NetWeaver Process Integration), and other SAP NetWeaver topics as required. She is an active member in the Americas SAP User Group, serving on the board of her local North Texas ASUG Chapter, and she is a big fan and contributor to SDN and business process expert communities. Ginger has a master's degree in music theory from Northwestern University.
Erik Dick started his professional career as an independent software developer for personal computers. He did basic studies in computer science at TU of Kaiserslautern until 1997. He then joined the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering as a professional software developer to support scientific projects (C++/Java SE). In 2001, he continued his career as a JEE expert at SAP Markets in the area of Content Integrator (Master Data Management). He then transitioned to SAP AG, working in the SRM development organization as an architecture developer for the SRM workflow framework (ABAP). Since 2008, he has worked as senior developer for the architecture group of SAP NetWeaver Business Process and Event Management.
Oliver Hilss is a senior developer equally experienced in Java and ABAP technologies. He has been with SAP since 2001. After working as a Java developer in the area of Master Data Management he joined the SRM development team within the SAP Business Suite organization. During the past four years, Oliver was in charge of workflow-related development within the SAP SRM application and contributed significantly to corresponding architecture and design decisions. Oliver graduated in computer science at the University of Applied Sciences, Furtwangen.
Somya Kapoor is a product manager within Information Worker Solutions concentrating on Duet. She joined SAP in 2005 and had the opportunity to work on new and exciting SAP emerging solutions such as xApps (Resource Planning and Management [xRPM], Product Definition [xPD]), Enterprise Search, and Duet. She is an active contributor to the online communities SDN, BPX, and Microsoft TechNet. Somya has a bachelor's degree in computer science and master's degree in software engineering from San Jose State University.
Silvana Kempf studied civil engineering at Bauhaus University Weimar and BTU Cottbus. After graduating, she started her career as a Java developer at SAP Markets in 2001 in the area of Content Integrator (Master Data Management). She then transitioned to SAP AG, working in the SRM development organization. She started as an ABAP developer, and then became the project lead for workflow. In this context, she achieved the Project Management Professional (PMP) certificate by PMI. After working within SAP SRM for three years, she became a project manager for the SAP NetWeaver organization. She currently works as a project manager for Java Server and Infrastructure development.
Susan Keohan is a senior application developer at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. She has worked with SAP since 1995, when MIT began its implementation. She has been designing and implementing processes with SAP Business Workflow since 1997, starting with SAP R/3 release 3.1C. She was instrumental in founding the ASUG Workflow and BPM Special Interest Group as well as the SAP-WUG mailing list. In 2002, Susan transferred to MIT Lincoln Laboratory to begin a new SAP implementation there - with many workflow applications to develop and maintain. She has presented various workflow-related topics at ASUG conferences and continues to serve as the Program Chair for the Workflow and BPM SIG. In 2008, Susan achieved one of her highest professional honors - to be named an SAP Mentor.
Thomas Kosog has been with SAP America since 1994 and in software development since 1986. As a Platinum Workflow Consultant, Thomas has designed and implemented SAP Business Workflows on several customer projects in almost all SAP applications and releases, especially in the SRM, HR organizational charts, Finance, and Master Data areas. Thomas has also given many workflow trainings and has been a speaker for workflow presentations at SAP TechEd and ASUG. Most recently, Thomas has been focused on the integration of Web Dynpro ABAP applications and SAP Interactive Forms by Adobe into custom built workflows as well as performing customization of work items in the Universal Worklist of the SAP NetWeaver Portal.
Paul Médaille is well known in the SAP technical community for his conference presentations, webinars, and contributions to SDN. Paul has been with SAP for more than 10 years as a consultant, educator, and product manager, with deep knowledge of Basis, SOA, and SAP NetWeaver Process Integration. He has a degree in mathematics from the University of California at Davis, and lives in Eugene, Oregon, with his wife Jessica and two greyhounds.
Mike Pokraka is an independent consultant who started working with SAP in 1997. His previous background was in both business and technical areas, having just left a data processing and high-volume laser printing bureau, which he cofounded five years prior in 1992. Upon joining the SAP world, he worked in various diverse areas ranging from database administration to MM/SD, ABAP development, and EDI, before finally discovering SAP Business Workflow in 2000 and working with it ever since. He is also a regular speaker at conferences such as ASUG and SAP TechEd and was nominated as an SAP Mentor for 2009.
Shalini Sabnani is a senior developer specializing in workflow and ABAP. She has been working with Innovapost since the company formed in 2001 developing and supporting one of the largest SAP implementations in North America. Since her original SAP implementation in the 1990s, Shalini has acquired many years of hands-on, real-world, client experience implementing and managing large SAP systems. She is currently part of Innovapost's Application Management team performing development work on various critical client projects within Canada. Prior to joining Innovapost, Shalini spent several years consulting to clients on various IS/IT matters with a particular expertise in data architecture. Shalini holds an honors degree in computer science and a bachelor of commerce degree from Pune University, India.
Jörn Sedlmayr joined SAP AG in 2005 and is a senior software developer. He studied industrial engineering at the university (TH) of Karlsruhe. After graduating, Jörn joined BASF IT Services GmbH as a custom developer for various modules of SAP R/3 and for SAP SRM, with a major focus on SAP Business Workflow design, development, and administration in these areas. Since he joined SAP, he has been working as a developer on various topics within SAP CRM, namely CRM Service, Resource Planning, and CRM Worklist integration for workflow.
Ted Sohn has developed numerous workflow applications for SAP internal and major U.S. customers. He is a Platinum consultant in the area of SAP NetWeaver development. He is unique because his expertise covers both ABAP and Java. His expertise includes SAP Business Workflow, Universal Worklist, Web Dynpro ABAP, Web Dynpro Java, Development Component based Java development, and so on. He also has solid experience in SAP NetWeaver Development Infrastructure (NWDI) administration. His current projects focus on SOA and SAP NetWeaver Business Process Management.
Content
... Foreword ... 27
... Preface ... 29
1 ... Introduction ... 39
... 1.1 ... What Is SAP Business Workflow ... 39
... 1.2 ... What Is SAP NetWeaver Business Process Management ... 42
... 1.3 ... How Does SAP Business Workflow Fit Into the SAP Overall Business Process Management Strategy ... 43
... 1.4 ... In Which Business Situations Should I Use SAP Business Workflow ... 44
... 1.5 ... What Can Be Achieved Using SAP Business Workflow ... 49
... 1.6 ... Features of SAP Business Workflow ... 49
... 1.7 ... Some Terminology ... 55
2 ... Requirements Gathering Strategy ... 57
... 2.1 ... Introduction ... 57
... 2.2 ... Understanding the Business Process ... 59
... 2.3 ... Gathering Object Data ... 66
... 2.4 ... Determining the Agents ... 72
... 2.5 ... Determining Work Item Delivery Routes ... 77
... 2.6 ... Confirming the Workflow Design ... 78
... 2.7 ... Workflow Administration ... 80
... 2.8 ... Planning for Production Start ... 80
... 2.9 ... Planning for Future Enhancements ... 81
3 ... Configuring the System ... 83
... 3.1 ... Quick Start: Configure the SAP Workflow Engine in Seconds ... 85
... 3.2 ... Task-Specific Customizing ... 91
... 3.3 ... Transport and Client Copy ... 92
... 3.4 ... Customizing for the SAP Workflow Engine ... 94
4 ... Work Item Delivery ... 95
... 4.1 ... The Human Factor ... 95
... 4.2 ... SAP Business Workplace ... 98
... 4.3 ... Universal Worklist ... 111
... 4.4 ... Examples of Universal Worklist Customizing ... 121
... 4.5 ... Extended Notifications ... 125
... 4.6 ... Business Workflow Workplace ... 128
... 4.7 ... External Users ... 130
... 4.8 ... Other Considerations ... 131
5 ... Agents ... 133
... 5.1 ... Understanding Agent Assignment ... 134
... 5.2 ... Agent Assignment Using the Organizational Structure ... 144
... 5.3 ... Agent Assignment Using Task Groups ... 150
... 5.4 ... Implementing and Maintaining the Structure in Practice ... 151
6 ... Workflow Administration ... 161
... 6.1 ... Reporting on Workflows ... 162
... 6.2 ... Error Resolution ... 168
... 6.3 ... General Techniques for Resolving Runtime Errors ... 171
... 6.4 ... Working with the Work Item Display ... 176
... 6.5 ... Working with the Workflow Log ... 182
... 6.6 ... Resolving Agent Determination Errors ... 188
... 6.7 ... Other Support Tools ... 195
... 6.8 ... Help Desk in the Intranet ... 196
... 6.9 ... A Day in the Life of a Workflow Administrator ... 198
7 ... Using SAP NetWeaver Business Warehouse for SAP Business Workflow Reporting ... 211
... 7.1 ... SAP NetWeaver Business Warehouse Basics for the Workflow Expert ... 212
... 7.2 ... Standard Workflow Analysis with SAP NetWeaver Business Warehouse ... 214
8 ... Creating a Workflow ... 221
... 8.1 ... Workflow Builder Basics ... 222
... 8.2 ... Enhancing Your Workflow ... 231
... 8.3 ... Basics of Containers and Bindings ... 246
... 8.4 ... Steps ... 251
... 8.5 ... Documenting, Translating, Transporting, and Team Development ... 259
9 ... Advanced Workflow Design Techniques ... 263
... 9.1 ... Step Conditions ... 263
... 9.2 ... How to Implement Parallel Processing ... 267
... 9.3 ... Reusing Workflows as Subworkflows ... 273
... 9.4 ... Modeled Deadlines ... 274
... 9.5 ... Containers ... 276
... 9.6 ... Binding ... 282
... 9.7 ... Blocks and Local Workflows ... 284
... 9.8 ... Ad-hoc Features and Review Workflows ... 286
10 ... Business Objects ... 289
... 10.1 ... Business Object Basics ... 291
... 10.2 ... Creating Your Own Business Object Types ... 307
... 10.3 ... Creating Business Object Type Components ... 313
... 10.4 ... Business Object Type Programming ... 329
... 10.5 ... Some Useful Predefined Object Types ... 345
... 10.6 ... Real-World Examples for Business Object Customizing ... 347
11 ... ABAP Classes ... 353
... 11.1 ... ABAP Classes Basics ... 354
... 11.2 ... Comparing ABAP Classes and BOR Objects ... 358
... 11.3 ... Utility Classes ... 361
... 11.4 ... Business Classes ... 374
... 11.5 ... Exception Classes ... 387
... 11.6 ... Events ... 392
... 11.7 ... Using BOR Objects in Classes ... 401
... 11.8 ... Recommendations and Advanced Topics ... 406
12 ... Agent Determination Rules ... 413
... 12.1 ... Determining Agents Through Rule Resolution ... 414
... 12.2 ... Rule Basics ... 415
... 12.3 ... Agent Determination Rule Resolution in the Workflow Step ... 420
... 12.4 ... What Happens If Rule Resolution Has No Result ... 421
... 12.5 ... Responsibility Rules ... 423
... 12.6 ... Agent Determination Using SAP Organizational Data ... 427
... 12.7 ... Function Modules as Rules ... 429
... 12.8 ... Evaluation Paths as Rules ... 434
... 12.9 ... Other Options for Responsible Agent Assignment ... 437
... 12.10 ... Real-World Example of Agent Determination Rules ... 438
13 ... Using Events and Other Business Interfaces ... 441
... 13.1 ... Understanding Events ... 442
... 13.2 ... How to Know What Events Exist ... 444
... 13.3 ... Defining Events ... 447
... 13.4 ... Raising Events from Business Applications ... 447
... 13.5 ... Using Events in Workflows ... 457
... 13.6 ... Generic Object Services ... 470
... 13.7 ... Starting Workflows from Messages ... 474
14 ... Custom Programs ... 475
... 14.1 ... The Engine ... 475
... 14.2 ... Workflow APIs ... 484
... 14.3 ... Advanced Business Interface Techniques ... 488
... 14.4 ... Office Document Interfaces ... 499
15 ... Service-Enabling Workflows ... 501
... 15.1 ... Workflow in the Context of a Business Process ... 501
... 15.2 ... Web Services and Service-Oriented Architecture ... 502
... 15.3 ... What Is Service-Oriented Architecture ... 507
... 15.4 ... SOA at SAP ... 510
... 15.5 ... Implementing the Service Interface for a Workflow ... 512
16 ... Advanced Diagnostics ... 535
... 16.1 ... The Tools of the Trade ... 535
... 16.2 ... The Diagnosis Logs ... 537
... 16.3 ... Debugging with the ABAP Debugger ... 543
... 16.4 ... Preparing a Task to Go to Production ... 549
17 ... Upgrading SAP Business Workflow ... 555
... 17.1 ... First Steps to Upgrading Workflow ... 555
... 17.2 ... Steps to Take Before the Upgrade Begins ... 557
... 17.3 ... Steps to Take During and After the Upgrade ... 559
... 17.4 ... Important SAP Notes ... 563
18 ... User Interface Options ... 567
... 18.1 ... Inbox and the User Interface ... 568
... 18.2 ... Containers, Bindings, and Data Flow ... 570
19 ... Using Web Dynpro ABAP ... 575
... 19.1 ... Example Based on User Decision ... 576
... 19.2 ... Required Settings in Web Dynpro ABAP ... 583
... 19.3 ... Configuration for the Universal Worklist ... 590
... 19.4 ... Ensuring the User Only Executes the Work Item in the Universal Worklist ... 592
20 ... Using Web Dynpro Java ... 593
... 20.1 ... Real-World Example of Web Dynpro Java and Workflow ... 593
... 20.2 ... What Must Be Done on the Workflow Side ... 595
... 20.3 ... What Must Be Done on the Java Side ... 603
... 20.4 ... What Must Be Done in the Universal Worklist ... 608
21 ... Using Business Server Pages ... 613
... 21.1 ... Building the Example BSP and Workflow ... 613
... 21.2 ... Launching the BSP and Transferring Data ... 622
... 21.3 ... Completing Workflow Tasks from BSP Applications ... 629
22 ... Using Forms ... 637
... 22.1 ... SAP Interactive Forms by Adobe ... 637
... 22.2 ... SAP Business Workflow Forms ... 638
23 ... Alloy -- Lotus Notes Integration ... 645
... 23.1 ... The Design Paradigm ... 646
... 23.2 ... Prerequisites for Alloy ... 652
... 23.3 ... Generic Workflow Capabilities ... 653
... 23.4 ... Adding New Decisions to Alloy ... 653
... 23.5 ... Standard Alloy Decisions ... 660
24 ... Duet -- Microsoft Office Integration ... 661
... 24.1 ... Design Time Layout ... 663
... 24.2 ... How an Approval Workflow Application Works in Duet ... 666
... 24.3 ... Prerequisites to Use the Duet Workflow Approval Template ... 669
... 24.4 ... Creating Your Approval Workflow Application ... 670
25 ... SAP Supplier Relationship Management ... 679
... 25.1 ... Approval Processes ... 681
... 25.2 ... SAP SRM Approval Frameworks ... 688
... 25.3 ... Process-Controlled Workflow in Detail ... 690
... 25.4 ... Real-World Example of a Process-Controlled Workflow ... 704
... 25.5 ... Application-Controlled Workflow in Detail ... 710
... 25.6 ... Real-World Example of Application-Controlled Workflow ... 724
... 25.7 ... Inbox ... 726
... 25.8 ... Offline Functionality ... 727
... 25.9 ... Deadline Monitoring ... 728
... 25.10 ... Recommendations When Getting Started ... 729
26 ... SAP Customer Relationship Management ... 735
... 26.1 ... Introduction ... 736
... 26.2 ... Customizing and Workflow Administration ... 745
... 26.3 ... Integrating Your Own Workflows ... 746
... 26.4 ... SAP CRM Worklist ... 749
... 26.5 ... SAP CRM Standard Workflows ... 760
... 26.6 ... Sample Implementation of a Customer Workflow in SAP CRM ... 764
27 ... SAP ERP Human Capital Management --Processes and Forms ... 793
... 27.1 ... Business Overview ... 794
... 27.2 ... Technical Overview of HCM Processes and Forms ... 802
... 27.3 ... Standard Workflows in HCM Processes and Forms ... 809
... 27.4 ... Workflow Techniques ... 811
... 27.5 ... Creating Your Own Workflows ... 816
... 27.6 ... Universal Worklist Configuration ... 820
28 ... Setting Up an SAP-Provided SAP ERP Workflow ... 825
... 28.1 ... How Can You Find Workflows Delivered by SAP ... 826
... 28.2 ... What Is the Business Scenario ... 828
... 28.3 ... Which SAP Workflows Are Involved ... 829
... 28.4 ... How Is the Workflow Started ... 830
... 28.5 ... How Do I Activate This Scenario ... 831
... 28.6 ... Commonly Used SAP ERP Workflows ... 833
29 ... ArchiveLink ... 835
... 29.1 ... What Is ArchiveLink? ... 836
... 29.2 ... ArchiveLink Standard Scenarios ... 838
... 29.3 ... Business Object Types ... 842
A ... Tips and Tricks ... 845
... A.1 ... Working with Wizards ... 845
... A.2 ... Working with Email ... 847
... A.3 ... Showing the Decision Maker in a Follow-On Step ... 853
... A.4 ... Creating Your Own User Decision Template ... 854
... A.5 ... Using Secondary, Before, and After Methods ... 855
... A.6 ... Looping Through a Multiline List ... 857
... A.7 ... Creating Object References Dynamically ... 858
... A.8 ... Deadlines Based on the Factory Calendar ... 859
... A.9 ... Making the Most of Modeled Deadlines ... 863
... A.10 ... Ad-Hoc Anchor Step ... 864
... A.11 ... Review Workflows ... 865
B ... Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Guide ... 867
... B.1 ... A Workflow That Does Not Start ... 867
... B.2 ... A Workflow That Stops in Mid-Track ... 872
... B.3 ... The Most Likely Causes (and How to Avoid Them) ... 873
... B.4 ... Binding Problems with the Workflow Trace ... 877
... B.5 ... Why Duplicate or Multiple Workflows Are Triggered ... 878
... B.6 ... Why an Agent Does Not Receive a Work Item ... 879
... B.7 ... Why the Wrong Agent Receives the Work Item ... 881
... B.8 ... Why the Work Item Follows the Wrong Route ... 882
C ... The Administrator's First Aid Guide ... 883
... C.1 ... Resolving Work Item Errors ... 883
... C.2 ... Resolving Workflow Instance Errors ... 888
... C.3 ... Finding Workflows That Appear to Have Disappeared ... 891
... C.4 ... Resolving Event Linkage Errors ... 892
D ... Workflow Macros ... 897
... D.1 ... Macros Specific to Object Type Programs ... 897
... D.2 ... Macros for General Workflow Programming ... 898
E ... Preparation for Java Development ... 901
F ... Additional Information for SAP SRM ... 907
... F.1 ... Available Business Configuration Sets ... 907
... F.2 ... BAdI Implementations for Agent Determination ... 908
... F.3 ... Process-Controlled Workflow Advanced Troubleshooting ... 920
... F.4 ... Application-Controlled Workflow Advanced Troubleshooting ... 924
G ... The Authors ... 927