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Definition of SAP Workflow

Workflow is defined as the automation of a business process, in whole or part, during which documents, information or tasks are passed from one participant to another for action, based on set of procedural rules.

When SAP Workflow needed?

• SAP Workflow particularly beneficial

• when different people are involved in different parts of the process
• when the users need to be reminded of what they need to do
• When the duration of the process is critical and deadlines have to be met

By automating the process, you free the users from having to know what to do when. Work items are sent to the participants notifying them of what they have to do, and a single click on the notification calls the correct transaction and navigates to the relevant screen.

How does SAP workflow work?

When the workflow runs it creates work items which are like e-mails, but they have the advantage that they contain the intelligence needed to execute the relevant task with the correct data when the operational user executes them,

They provide their own functionality so that the operational user has access to everything that is useful to improve the flow of the process, they disappear on their own when they have been executed by someone else or made obsolete.

These work items can be received in the R/3 business workplace, MS Outlook (or any other MAPI compatible client), Lotus Notes, or work item notifications can be distributed by e-mail

Purpose of SAP Business Workflow

• SAP Business Workflow can be used to define business processes that are not yet mapped in the R/3 System. These may be simple release or approval procedures, or more complex business processes such as creating a material master and the associated coordination of the departments involved.
• SAP Business Workflow is particularly suitable for situations in which work processes have to be run through repeatedly, or situations in which the business process requires the involvement of a large number of agents in a specific sequence.
• SAP provides several workflows that map predefined business processes. These workflows do not require much implementation

Integration

SAP Business Workflow uses the existing transactions and functions of the R/3 System and does not change the functions. You can combine the existing functions of the R/3 System to form new business processes with SAP Business Workflow. The workflow system takes over control of the business processes.

Technical Principles

• The definition and execution of Workflow can be divided into four main areas.

• Business Workplace
• Workflow Builder
• Tasks
• Business Object Repository (BOR)

• BUSINESS WORKPLACE
  • Work items are displayed to the user for execution in their SAP Inbox

• WORKFLOW BUILDER
  • Workflow definitions are defined which are made up of steps that control the workflow or the tasks to be executed. This linking is defined in Workflow Builder.

• TASKS
  • Tasks describe elementary business activities. They always refer to the method of the object. Tasks can be background tasks or dialog tasks.

• OBJECTS AND OBJECT TYPE
  • Object type describes the data with which you want to work in workflow, e.g. MATERIAL. Each Object type has methods in which activities are defined which can be executed with data e.g. creation of material.

General Procedure Model

• With SAP Business Workflow, you can map business processes in the R/3 System and process them (several times if required) under the control of the workflow system
• A workflow management system can process and monitor structured processes that:
  • Contain a sequence of activities
  • Reoccur in the same or similar forms
  • Involve several people or groups of people
  • Require a lot of coordination
  • Process Flow
    • Objects and Object Type
    • You identify all objects involved in your business process.
    • You check whether the relevant object types with their methods, attributes and events are defined in the Business Object Repository.
      • If you find an object type whose definition meets your requirements, you can use it without making any modifications.
      • If you find an object type whose definition does not quite meet your requirements, you extend its definition.
      • If you do not find a suitable object type, you define your own object type.

• Tasks

You identify the tasks involved in your business process.

You establish which object method is to be executed for the task

• Rules for Agent Determination

You identify possible agent rules in your business process .

You use these rules when agents are to be found using specific, business, functionally-oriented criteria.

• Events

You define the events used to initiate and control the Workflow.

• Workflow

To describe a business process, create a workflow template.

The tasks defined are to be included in the workflow template.

Demo Example

• Process Flow
  • An employee enters a notification of absence (leave request) in the R/3 System by filling out the relevant input template.
  • The direct superior of the employee is responsible for approving or rejecting the notification of absence. The R/3 System determines the direct superior automatically on the basis of the organizational plan maintained.
  • If the request is approved the creator is notified by mail:
  • If the request is not approved, the creator is informed and can decide whether to withdraw the notification of absence or revise it. If the superior has given reasons for the rejection in an attachment, the creator can take these into consideration.
  • If the creator revises the request, it is submitted to the superior for approval again. The applicant can also add an attachment, which can then be accessed by the superior.
  • This cycle is repeated until either the superior approves the leave request or the creator withdraws it.
  • The applicant can find out the current processing status at any time by looking in their workflow outbox.

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