Alan Rickayzen, Jocelyn Dart,

Carsten Brennecke, M arkus Schneider

Practical W orkflow for SAPEffective Business Processes using

SAP’s W ebFlow Engine

Contents 5

Contents

Preface from the Industry 17

Preface from SAP 21

W ho Should Read This Book? 23

Acknow ledgem ents 25

Part 1 Using SAP Supplied W orkflow s 27

1 Introduction to SAP’s W ebFlow Engine 29

1.1 W hat is SAP’s W ebFlow Engine? 29

1.2 W orkflow or W ebFlow ? 32

1.3 Can I D o W ithout SAP’s W ebFlow Engine? 33

1.4 In W hich Situations Should I use SAP’s W ebFlow Engine? 35

1.4.1 Prim ary Factors 35

1.5 High-Level O verview of W hat Can be Achieved W ith SAP’s W ebFlow

Engine 40

1.6 Brief O verview of Features 41

1.6.1 Robust Integration into the m ySAP.com Com ponents 41

1.6.2 Graphical W orkflow Builder 42

1.6.3 Graphical Status Visualization 42

1.6.4 Routing M echanism s 43

1.6.5 Deadline/Escalation M anagem ent 43

1.6.6 Synchronization M anagem ent 43

1.6.7 Integration w ith Groupw are Products and m ySAP.com 44

1.6.8 Ad Hoc Process Enhancers (Q ueries, Attachm ents, Forw arding) 44

1.6.9 Integration w ith O ther System s Across the Internet 44

1.6.10 Desktop Integration (M icrosoft W ord, Lotus Sm artSuite,etc.) 44

1.6.11 Inform ation System 45

1.6.12 Robust Extensible Architecture 45

1.7 Sum m ary 46

2 Requirem ents Gathering Strategy 49

2.1 Introduction 49

2.2 Understanding the Business Process 50

2.2.1 Business Drivers for the Process 51

2.2.2 Expected Benefits of W orkflow 53

6 Contents

2.2.3 How Does the Process W ork in Theory? 54

2.2.4 How Does the Process W ork in Practice? 55

2.2.5 Unions and W orkers Councils 56

2.3 Gathering O bject D ata 57

2.3.1 W hat Data is N eeded by W orkflow 57

2.3.2 W here to Look for D ata 58

2.3.3 W hat Data Already Exists 59

2.3.4 M aking the M ost of the Data Collected 59

2.4 D eterm ining the Agents 62

2.4.1 W ho are Your Agents? 63

2.4.2 Criteria for Finding Agents 64

2.5 D eterm ining W ork Item D elivery Routes 66

2.6 Confirm ing the W orkflow D esign 67

2.7 W orkflow Adm inistration 69

2.8 Planning for Production Start 69

2.9 Planning for Future Enhancem ents 70

3 Configuring the System 73

3.1 Q uick Start: Configure SAP’s W ebFlow Engine in seconds 74

3.1.1 Autom atic W orkflow Custom izing 74

3.1.2 W hat Auto-Custom izing Does 76

3.1.3 IM G-Activities for Authorization M anagem ent 80

3.2 W orkflow -Scenarios: Task Specific Custom izing 81

3.2.1 M aintaining the O rganizational Plan 81

3.2.2 Agent Assignm ent for Tasks 81

3.2.3 Activating the triggering events for a w orkflow or a task 81

3.3 Transport and Client Copy 82

3.3.1 Transport of Cross-Client Tasks 82

3.3.2 Transport of Client-Specific Tasks 82

3.3.3 Transport of Settings for Tasks and W orkflow s 82

3.3.4 Transporting a W orkflow Definition 83

3.3.5 Client Copy 83

3.4 O verview : Custom izing for SAP’s W ebFlow Engine 83

4 W ork Item D elivery 85

4.1 The Hum an Factor 85

4.2 Inbox Features 87

4.2.1 W ork Item Text 88

4.2.2 Attachm ents 91

4.2.3 Reserving and Replacing a W ork Item 92

4.2.4 Executing a W ork Item 93

Contents 7

4.2.5 Synchronous Dialog Chains 95

4.2.6 M ultiple Execution 97

4.2.7 Executing a W ork Item O utside the Inbox 97

4.2.8 Forw arding 98

4.2.9 Priority 99

4.2.10 Resubm ission 99

4.2.11 Q ueries 99

4.2.12 Logs 99

4.2.13 Preview M ode 101

4.2.14 Enhancing the W ork Item D isplay 101

4.2.15 O utbox 102

4.2.16 Rejecting W ork Item s 102

4.3 Table of Features Available in the Principle Inboxes 103

4.4 Successful Strategies for W ork Item D elivery 104

4.4.1 E-M ail N otifications 104

4.4.2 Groupw are Integration 105

4.4.3 Portal Integration 105

4.4.4 External Users 106

4.4.5 E-M ail D ecisions 108

4.5 O ther Considerations 109

5 Agents 111

5.1 Understanding Agent Assignm ent 112

5.1.1 Possible Agents 113

5.1.2 Responsible Agents 115

5.1.3 Excluded Agents 117

5.1.4 Recipients 117

5.1.5 Actual Agent 118

5.1.6 Assigning M ultiple Agents per W ork Item 118

5.1.7 Deadline and N otification Agents 119

5.2 Agent Assignm ent Using the O rganizational Structure 120

5.2.1 The Basic O rganizational Plan 121

5.2.2 The Extended O rganizational Plan 124

5.2.3 Doing w ithout an organizational plan 125

5.3 Agent Assignm ent Using Task Groups 126

5.4 Im plem enting and M aintaining the Structure in Practice 127

5.4.1 Strategies for O rganization Plan M aintenance 127

5.4.2 Transporting O rganization Plans 128

5.4.3 Reassigning W ork Item s from O ne User to Another 129

5.4.4 Substituting Users 130

5.4.5 W hen D o You Choose to Refresh the O rg Environm ent? 131

5.4.6 Training and Encouraging Agents 132

8 Contents

6 W orkflow Adm inistration 133

6.1 Introduction 133

6.2 Reporting on W orkflow s 134

6.2.1 Reporting on W orkflow Progress 135

6.2.2 Reporting on W orkflow Perform ance 135

6.2.3 W ork Item s by Processing Duration 136

6.2.4 W ork Item s w ith M onitored Deadlines 137

6.2.5 W ork Item s per Task 137

6.2.6 Reporting on Agent Behavior 137

6.2.7 Identifying and Justifying Potential Im provem ents 138

6.3 Error Resolution 139

6.4 General Techniques for Resolving Runtim e Errors 141

6.4.1 Basic Settings for Error M onitoring 141

6.4.2 Finding and Fixing W ork Item s 142

6.4.3 W orking w ith the W ork Item Display 143

6.4.4 How to W ork w ith the W ork Item Container Display 147

6.4.5 W orking w ith the W orkflow Log 147

6.5 Resolving Agent D eterm ination Errors 152

6.5.1 Fixing W ork Item s w ith N o or W rong Agents 153

6.5.2 Preventing Agent Determ ination Problem s from Reoccurring 154

6.5.3 Support Tools for Agent Determ ination Problem s 155

6.6 Resolving Buffering Errors (The Cinderella Principle) 155

6.6.1 Fixing W ork Item s w ith Buffering Problem s 156

6.6.2 Preventing Buffering Problem s From Reoccurring 157

6.6.3 Support Tools for Buffering Problem s 157

6.7 O ther Support Tools 158

6.8 Help-D esk in the Intranet 159

6.8.1 W eb-based Help Desks 159

6.8.2 Self Help 160

6.9 D ay in the Life of a W orkflow Adm inistrator 161

6.9.1 W ho Should be the W orkflow Adm inistrator? 162

6.9.2 W ho M akes the Business Decisions in the Event of Failure? 164

6.9.3 Crisis Response 166

6.9.4 Day-to-Day M onitoring 167

6.9.5 Periodic Reality Checks 168

6.9.6 Housekeeping and Archiving 169

6.9.7 M aking the M ost of a Precious Resource 170

Contents 9

Part 2 D eveloping Your O w n W orkflow s 173

7 Creating a W orkflow 175

7.1 Introduction 175

7.2 W orkflow Builder Basics 176

7.2.1 Look and Feel of the W orkflow Builder 176

7.2.2 Building Your First W orkflow 178

7.2.3 Saving, Activating and Testing 180

7.2.4 Deadline M onitoring 182

7.2.5 Creating Container Elem ents in the W orkflow Container 184

7.2.6 Changing Container Elem ents 186

7.3 Interm ediate W orkflow Builder (Steps, Tasks and O bjects) 187

7.3.1 How to Access Data and Activities 187

7.3.2 How to Create and Use Tasks 190

7.3.3 How to Create Containers and Bindings for Tasks 194

7.3.4 Using Asynchronous Tasks 195

7.4 Advanced W orkflow Builder— Step D efinitions 197

7.4.1 W hat O ther Step Types Exist? 197

7.4.2 How to Insert N ew Steps 199

7.4.3 W hat Kinds of O utcom es Exist? 200

7.4.4 Containers and Bindings in D epth 201

7.4.5 W hich Task and Step Attributes Affect W ork Item Execution? 205

7.4.6 How to Influence the Generation and Term ination ofthe W ork

Item 206

7.5 Advanced W orkflow Builder— Special W orkflow Techniques 206

7.5.1 Reusing W orkflow s as Subw orkflow s 206

7.5.2 How to Use a M odeled Deadline? 208

7.5.3 How to Im plem ent Parallel Processing 210

7.5.4 Linking W orkflow s W ithin or Betw een System s 214

7.5.5 How to Influence a Currently Executing W orkflow 214

7.5.6 Ad-Hoc Features to Change W orkflow s on the Fly 215

7.5.7 Docum enting W orkflow D efinitions 216

7.5.8 Translating a W orkflow into O ther Languages 216

7.5.9 Transporting N ew Versions of a W orkflow 217

7.5.10 How Do You Share W orkflow Developm ent W ithin a Team ? 218

8 Business O bjects 219

8.1 Business O bject Basics 220

8.1.1 Business O bjects: Som e Basic term inology 222

8.1.2 Relationships Betw een Business O bjects 223

8.1.3 Business O bject Tools 225

8.1.4 View ing Existing Business O bject Types 227

8.2 Creating your ow n Business O bject Types 236

8.2.1 Extending Existing O bject Types Via Delegation 240