Sap Workflow Lesson 1

Workflow

Purpose
SAP Business Workflow has the technology and tools for automated control and processing of cross-application processes.
You can use workflow within the Project System to automate and integrate the performance of cross-application and cross-department processes within one project.
The Project System uses _ Predefined standard tasks in purchasing, confirmation, and during configuration changes _ Workflow tasks in milestones, which can also be user-defined.




Preparations and Customizing

Use

To use Workflow in the Project System, you must make the following settings in Customizing for Workflow and the Project System:

Maintain your company’s organization structure
Link the predefined standard tasks with the authorized people in your company
Activate existing event receiver links between triggering events and consuming
workflow tasks.

Name a technical person responsible for each standard workflow template.
Determine whether a work item should be created and make the appropriate setting in
Customizing for network type parameters.
Determine whether a work item should be created if there is a deviation in the duration and work, and make the appropriate setting in Customizing for confirmation parameters.


Standard Tasks in the Project System

SAP has predefined the following standard workflow tasks and provided them with the Project System:
Standard Task TS20000653: Purchase Order Change
If you change dates or quantities of material components in a network with externally processed activities, for which a purchase order has already been created, the system automatically creates a work item.

The purchasing agent receives a message in the mail system regarding the changes that need to be made. This person can then make the necessary changes to the purchase order directly from the mail system.

Standard task TS00007944: Enter actual data

You can create a work item for confirmation from the information system. The pool of
confirmations can be sent to various addresses, for example, to a user or a work center.

Standard Task TS00008015: Deviation in the Confirmation is too Large
If the duration or work exceeds the values you defined in the confirmation parameters in Customizing, the system automatically creates a work item: The MRP controller receives a work item by mail and can display the confirmation or network. The MRP controller can also use the mail system to contact the person who made the confirmation.


Standard Task TS00200040: Change Network
SAP has predefined this standard task which you can use as a model for creating your own standard tasks and workflow tasks for the milestones in a network. This standard task calls up the change network transaction. You can use it to define your own standard tasks and workflow tasks.

WS20000265 Configuration Change Management
This workflow template contains the following standard tasks:
TS20000477 Display change management
TS20000478 Create text
TS20000479 Display text
TS20000480 Make change
User-defined Standard Tasks and Workflow Tasks in


Milestones

You can use the milestone function start workflow task in a network to start:

Standard tasks
Tasks
Workflow tasks

depending on the status of the activity to which the milestone is assigned. You can use network and activity data for the task.
The tasks must meet certain conditions. For more information on how to define user-defined standard and workflow tasks, refer to the Implementation Guide for the Project System under Workflow .


Purpose

If, during network processing, either an external material (non-stock item) or an external service (external activity/service activity) has to be procured, a purchase requisition is created. This is procesed by the purchaser, who creates on or more purchase orders. This is noted in the network.
If changes occur in the nezwork with regards to the ordered materials or services (changed quantities or dates), the sytem automatically changes the purchase requisition. However, any purchase orders that have already been created must be changed manually by the responsible purchaser.

Process Flow

You can use the SAP Business Workflow to inform the responsible purchaser, if based on a change in a network

The required quantity or the requirements date of an external material or service changes or
An external material item or external activity is deleted or
An external activity becomes an internal activity or
The external material or service is no longer required, because the network now has the Technically completed status

And one or more purchase orders have been created for the purchase requisition
The purchaser receives a work item, in which all the relevant changes that affect the external materials or services are listed. He/she can view the purchase requisitions and the existing purchase orders that are affected. It is also possible to edit the purchase orders and to create new orders.



Technical Implementation

Object Types

The interface between the R/3 functionality and the workflow system has been
implemented using object technology. As a result, this topic contains information of a more technical nature, which is now required for a first overview.


In this context, the following object types are important:
BUS2002: Network
Position in the object repository: Project System
T024: Purchasing group
Position in the object repository: Materials management _ Sales