SAP Workflow Definition and Use of Customer-Specific Workflows SAP NetWeaver Course Version: 94 Course Duration: 5 Day(s) Publication Date: 2014 Publication Time:
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Contents Contents Course Overview... Course Goals... Course Objectives... v v v Unit 1: Introduction... 1 Fundamentals of Workflow Architecture... 1 Workflow and Organizational Management... 1 Unit 2: Workflow Definition in the Workflow Builder... 2 Structure of the Workflow Builder... 2 Unit 3: Business Objects and Business Object Repository... 3 Structure of Object Types in the Business Object Repository... 3 Adjusting Standard Object Types to Suit Customer Requirements... 3 Unit 4: Task Structure and Use in Workflows... 4 Definition of Tasks... 4 Integrating Tasks in the Workflow Templates and Administration of Task Groups... 4 Unit 5: Containers and Interfaces in Workflow... 5 Existing Containers and Binding Directions... 5 Container Definition and Binding Definition... 5 Unit 6: Determining the Recipients of Work Items... 6 Options for Agent Assignment and Examples of Rules... 6 Rule Definition of Type Responsibilities... 6 Interaction Between Possible and Responsible Agents... 6 Unit 7: Ad Hoc Processing Options... 7 Dynamic Determination of Agents and Tasks... 7 Enhancing workflows using the ad hoc anchor step type, and starting review processes... 7 Unit 8: Monitoring Steps in Business Processes... 8 Options for Simple and Modeled Deadline Monitoring... 8 2014 SAP SE. All rights reserved. iii
Contents Unit 9: Events and Workflow... 9 Basic Processing Logic and Definition of Events in the BOR... 9 Linking the Workflow and the Event... 9 Triggering Events in the Application... 9 Additional Start Conditions for Workflows and Event Queue... 10 Testing in the Event Environment and During Workflow Implementation... 10 Unit 10: Special Step Types and Methods of Processing...11 Forks and Multiline Attributes... 11 Loops, Form Processing, Using Document Templates and Conditions in the Workflow Step... 11 Using BLOCK and SWITCH... 11 Unit 11: Wizards...12 Wizards for the Definition of Workflow Templates... 12 Wizards for the Definition of Steps in Workflow Templates... 12 Unit 12: Tutorial...13 Tutorial... 13 2014 SAP SE. All rights reserved. iv
Course Overview Course Overview The course BIT601 provides the knowledge required for modeling and controlling business processes in customer-specific workflow templates. It covers the following areas: Creating workflow definitions using the Workflow Builder Enhancing standard business object types using the Business Object Builder Defining steps in the business process: Task definition Container and binding logic Dynamic agent determination with rules for evaluating the runtime data. Triggering events in applications Linking events to workflows Monitoring of business process steps with deadline monitoring models Target Audience This course is intended for the following audiences: Project team members who develop workflows and who are responsible for running workflows Course Prerequisites Required Knowledge SAPTec R/3 Basis Technology BIT600 Introduction to SAP Business Workflow Course Goals This course will prepare the participant to: Enhance SAP standard object types to suit your own requirements Generate and test executable workflow templates Use events to start workflow templates Use ad hoc workflow functions Use the organizational model or rules for agent determination for individual process steps Use wizards to support the design process Course Objectives After completing this course, the participant will be able to: Create an organizational plan and link organizational objects to tasks in the workflow 2014 SAP SE. All rights reserved. v
Course Overview Enhance standard object types Generate tasks (TS) Generate workflow templates (WS) Monitor/enhance interfaces (= containers) Define rules for agent determination Model deadline monitoring Determine and actively link triggering events for a workflow Trigger events within applications Use Workflow Wizards 2014 SAP SE. All rights reserved. vi
Unit 1 Introduction This unit reinforces the Workflow Engine terminology covered in the course BIT600. The unit also explains how Organizational Management can be used for agent determination in workflow, and introduces the business example that you will use in the exercises throughout the course. Lesson: Fundamentals of Workflow Architecture Describe the workflow architecture Name the steps involved in a workflow project Describe the general procedure for design and implementation. Lesson: Workflow and Organizational Management List the different options for using organizational management in a workflow Create an organizational unit with positions Describe the different ways of assigning possible agents to units in the organizational model 2014 SAP SE. All rights reserved. 1
Unit 2 Workflow Definition in the Workflow Builder This unit provides an introduction to working with the Workflow Builder. It provides an overview of the components of workflow templates, and the structure of the Workflow Builder and how to use it. Lesson: Structure of the Workflow Builder Create a workflow template with a workflow definition List the possible step types in a workflow Use the Workflow Builder 2014 SAP SE. All rights reserved. 2
Unit 3 Business Objects and Business Object Repository The activities that take place at runtime of a business process are related to business objects. This unit introduces the structure of business objects (object types) in the Business Object Repository, and explains how customers can adjust standard object types to suit their own requirements. Lesson: Structure of Object Types in the Business Object Repository Describe the use of the Business Object Repository Explain the difference between an object and an object type Describe the use of object types in workflow Lesson: Adjusting Standard Object Types to Suit Customer Requirements Create a subtype for a standard object type in the system Delegate the subtype, thus making it available in the standard system Extend the subtype by adding attributes, methods, and events 2014 SAP SE. All rights reserved. 3
Unit 4 Task Structure and Use in Workflows The Workflow Engine does not call methods of an object directly, but does so using tasks. This unit describes how these tasks are defined, and how tasks can be administrated in task groups. Lesson: Definition of Tasks Define a task Name the components of a task that you always have to maintain Understand the different ways in which synchronous and asynchronous methods are processed Lesson: Integrating Tasks in the Workflow Templates and Administration of Task Groups Integrate a standard task into a workflow step Create and maintain task groups Use the Business Workflow Explorer as an administration tool for tasks and workflows, if required 2014 SAP SE. All rights reserved. 4
Unit 5 Containers and Interfaces in Workflow The Workflow Engine uses containers to manage the data of the business process. This unit describes the different containers and how data can be transferred between them. Lesson: Existing Containers and Binding Directions Name the different containers in the Workflow Engine. Describe the possible binding directions between the containers Explain the example binding in the notification of absence workflow. Lesson: Container Definition and Binding Definition Create a workflow container element Create a task container element Understand and check container bindings Create container bindings when required 2014 SAP SE. All rights reserved. 5
Unit 6 Determining the Recipients of Work Items The possible users of individual business process steps normally have to be restricted to responsible users in the workflow step. This unit describes the different ways in which users can be restricted, and explains the definition of rules with responsibilites. It also explains how the Workflow Engine determines the work item recipients from the possible and responsible users at runtime. Lesson: Options for Agent Assignment and Examples of Rules Name the different ways of restricting possible agents Describe the rule types that can be defined Explain example for the application of rules Lesson: Rule Definition of Type Responsibilities Define a rule with responsibilities Use this rule in a workflow Ensure that a workflow step never has the status "No agent found". Lesson: Interaction Between Possible and Responsible Agents Describe how the system determines the recipients of a work item. Explain what happens if the system cannot find an intersection between possible and responsible agents. 2014 SAP SE. All rights reserved. 6
Unit 7 Ad Hoc Processing Options In the SAP Web Application Server 6.20, the Workflow Engine provides extended forms of ad hoc processing. This unit describes how users of business process steps can be determined dynamically at runtime. Tasks can be also be changed dynamically, and workflows can be dynamically extended by the addition of extra sequences. Review workflows enable you to monitor the progress of the business process, and to add documentation into the process itself. Lesson: Dynamic Determination of Agents and Tasks Determine agents dynamically at runtime Define tasks for a business process step dynamically at runtime Lesson: Enhancing workflows using the ad hoc anchor step type, and starting review processes Use the ad-hoc anchor step type to extend the workflow definition by adding an additional workflow 2014 SAP SE. All rights reserved. 7
Unit 8 Monitoring Steps in Business Processes The Workflow Engine enables you to monitor the deadlines of business process steps and to take the appropriate follow-up actions. This unit explains both forms of deadline monitoring (simple and modeled), and the differences between them. Lesson: Options for Simple and Modeled Deadline Monitoring Define and test a simple deadline for a workflow step Insert a modeled deadline into a workflow definition 2014 SAP SE. All rights reserved. 8
Unit 9 Events and Workflow Workflows are mainly started using events that are triggered by an application in the SAP system. This unit explains how to configure the system so that the Workflow Engine can process events correctly. In certain cases, workflows are only started if further conditions are met in addition to the event. This is enabled by additional start conditions in the workflow. The last lesson of the unit introduces the different ways of testing event processing and workflow processes. Lesson: Basic Processing Logic and Definition of Events in the BOR Explain the logic behind how events generated by applications find the workflows or tasks that use them. Name the steps that you have to carry out in order to work with events Lesson: Linking the Workflow and the Event Define an event as a triggering event for a workflow Activate the event linkage Trigger the event on a test basis in the system, to check whether the workflow starts and runs correctly Lesson: Triggering Events in the Application Name the options for triggering events in the different applications Use different methods to trigger events 2014 SAP SE. All rights reserved. 9
Lesson: Additional Start Conditions for Workflows and Event Queue Define additional start conditions for workflows Understand the event queue Lesson: Testing in the Event Environment and During Workflow Implementation Use transaction SWU0 to check the event linkage Use the transaction SWUE to test the triggering of events in the system without using the application Use the transactions SWELS and SWEL to activate and display the event log. Develop a procedure for testing workflows 2014 SAP SE. All rights reserved. 10
Unit 10 Special Step Types and Methods of Processing This unit describes the most important step types and methods of processing that have not yet been covered in the previous units. This includes the step types fork, loops, form step, document from template, block, local Workflow, switch. Special processing in a step covers the conditions that can be used (as of Web Application Server 6.20) to control the generation and completion of work items, and the processing of multilinear attributes in a step. Lesson: Forks and Multiline Attributes Use the step types Fork and Document from Template Process multiline attributes of an object type Lesson: Loops, Form Processing, Using Document Templates and Conditions in the Workflow Step Use the step types "loop" and "form" Enter conditions affecting the start and end of a work item in the Workflow Builder Lesson: Using BLOCK and SWITCH use the step type BLOCK evaluate the options of the SWITCH construct 2014 SAP SE. All rights reserved. 11
Unit 11 Wizards The SAP Workflow Engine uses wizards to generate individual steps in a workflow, and in some cases to create complete workflow templates. This unit explains the different options available. Lesson: Wizards for the Definition of Workflow Templates Use wizards to define complete workflows for approval and circulation procedures. Create a workflow that calls the customizing transaction or tables in a prescribed order. Lesson: Wizards for the Definition of Steps in Workflow Templates Use wizards that model missed deadlines. Call reports Dynamically assign agents Create object references 2014 SAP SE. All rights reserved. 12
Unit 12 Tutorial Lesson: Tutorial Define a workflow with all its components Trigger a workflow using events Test a workflow process 2014 SAP SE. All rights reserved. 13