Methods to Leverage and Optimize
SAP Business Workflow in Your SAP
PLM Environment
Eric Stajda
LeverX
© 2008 Wellesley Information Services. All rights reserved.
What We’ll Cover …
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Introduction
Thinking about SAP Workflow?
Using SAP Workflow in the engineering environment
Reviewing basic workflow concepts
Looking at available tools
Comparing out-of-the-box and custom methods and
events
Demo: Creating a simple workflow
Determining types of resources required
Wrap-up
1
Introduction — Today’s Discussion
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Learn how to use SAP Workflow in your engineering
environment to improve processes such as document
approvals, engineering change management, and master
data creation, and make them faster and less error-prone.
Find out how to use SAP’s Visual Workflow Builder to
create workflows that map to your organization’s
product development processes.
Gain insight into how much workflow functionality you
can deploy out-of-the-box to support a PLM scenario.
Learn how to locate standard business objects quickly
and easily and how to put them to use in creating a PLM
workflow.
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Introduction — Today’s Discussion (cont.)
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Determine if and when it makes sense to customdevelop additional business objects, methods, and
events.
Step through a live demo of how to create PLM
workflows that route documents for approval and
expedite the creation of the material master with
multiple views.
Learn what type of roles you will require in your
organization to build and maintain efficient PLM
workflows.
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What We’ll Cover …
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•
•
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•
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•
•
•
Introduction
Thinking about SAP Workflow?
Using SAP Workflow in the engineering environment
Reviewing basic workflow concepts
Looking at available tools
Comparing out-of-the-box and custom methods and
events
Demo: Creating a simple workflow
Determining types of resources required
Wrap-up
4
Why SAP Workflow?
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Here is my mantra about SAP Workflow
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Many processes are still based on paper or email
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It is all about getting the right information to the right people
at the right time
Not efficient
SAP Workflow can take these processes and formalize
them with many benefits
Let’s take a look at some benefits
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Benefits of SAP Workflow
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The quality of the process is assured by pushing the
relevant information together with links to related
transactions directly to the user.
Cycle time is reduced by pushing the process directly to
the users.
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The users receive notification of a task immediately.
The tasks are performed consistently and diligently by
the users.
The workflow system pushes all the necessary information
needed to perform a task, including a clear description of what
has to be done, how to do it, and the impact this task has on
the business process for your company.
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Benefits of SAP Workflow (cont.)
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The process instance is transparent.
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At any time, any user can check how far the process has
progressed and which stage the process has reached.
Deadline handing ensures that users perform the tasks
within the time planned.
Intelligent reporting highlights the weaknesses of a
process.
The process definition is transparent.
You can see at a glance how the process works and who will
be selected to perform the different tasks.
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What We’ll Cover …
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Introduction
Thinking about SAP Workflow?
Using SAP Workflow in the engineering environment
Reviewing basic workflow concepts
Looking at available tools
Comparing out-of-the-box and custom methods and
events
Demo: Creating a simple workflow
Determining types of resources required
Wrap-up
8
SAP Workflow in the Engineering Environment
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There are many places where workflow can be used in
the engineering environment
Many processes require data being sent for review or for
further processing
Getting the data to the right person at the right time is
the key
Some example processes where workflow can be used
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Document reviews
Requesting a new material number
Engineering change management process
BOM review
More details on next slides
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SAP Workflow in the Engineering Environment (cont.)
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Document reviews
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Scenario: A document is created in the SAP Document
Management system. At a certain point, it must be sent to an
individual for review.
This can be accomplished by a status change or manually
starting a given workflow. Once reviewed, the document is set
to be released.
Requesting a new material number
Scenario: At a certain point in the design process, new
material numbers are required.
A workflow process could be created to allow input of
required material data to be input into a form and then sent
over to a department that creates the material master in the
SAP system.
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SAP Workflow in the Engineering Environment (cont.)
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Engineering change management process
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This is the main process that usually gets workflow enabled
during a project
Processes are typically somewhat similar, and usually an
industry standard
However, each company usually has minor tweaks based on
business requirements
BOM review
Scenario: Similar to a document review. Once the SAP BOM is
created, you may want to send it to another individual for
review. This is to make sure that the content and structure is
correct.
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What We’ll Cover …
•
•
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•
•
•
•
•
•
Introduction
Thinking about SAP Workflow?
Using SAP Workflow in the engineering environment
Reviewing basic workflow concepts
Looking at available tools
Comparing out-of-the-box and custom methods and
events
Demo: Creating a simple workflow
Determining types of resources required
Wrap-up
12
Basic Workflow Concepts
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With SAP Business Workflow you can map business
processes in the SAP 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:
Encompass a sequence of activities
Reoccur in the same or similar forms
Involve several people or groups of people
Require a lot of coordination
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Key Elements
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Workflow definition
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Elements of the task
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Triggering event
Workflow template
Tasks
Business object
Methods
Events
If you understand the key elements, you will know
everything necessary to build a workflow
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What Is a Triggering Event?
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A triggering event identifies when the workflow is to
start
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What Is a Workflow Definition?
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A workflow definition is a combination of single-step
tasks
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What Are Tasks?
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Tasks are made from business objects and events
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What Are Business Objects and Methods?
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Business objects and methods are used to act upon an
object
For example, the business object “DRAW” is for the document
information record.
In the business
object, we have a
method called
“Display.” If we
execute this method,
it will display a
document
information record.
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What We’ll Cover …
•
•
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•
•
•
•
•
•
Introduction
Thinking about SAP Workflow?
Using SAP Workflow in the engineering environment
Reviewing basic workflow concepts
Looking at available tools
Comparing out-of-the-box and custom methods and
events
Demo: Creating a simple workflow
Determining types of resources required
Wrap-up
19
Tools Available
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SAP provides standard tools for developing workflows
in the system
The main tool is the SAP Visual Workflow Builder
Graphical modeler with drag-and-drop functionality
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Tools Available (cont.)
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Any process imagined can be modeled
through the workflow builder
Standard steps that can be inserted
provide a great deal of flexibility
Some of the steps that can inserted
include:
User Decision
Condition
Container operation
Event creation
Process Control
Loop
Fork
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What We’ll Cover …
•
•
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•
•
•
Introduction
Thinking about SAP Workflow?
Using SAP Workflow in the engineering environment
Reviewing basic workflow concepts
Looking at available tools
Comparing out-of-the-box and custom methods and
events
Demo: Creating a simple workflow
Determining types of resources required
Wrap-up
22
Table of Standard Business Objects
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SAP provides you with many standard tasks, business
objects, methods, and events
The table below shows the most important business
objects in SAP PLM
Business Object
Association
DRAW
Document management
BUS1001
Material Master
BUS1080
BOM
ECM
Change Master
BUS1003
Class
BUS7051
Notification
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What’s Out-of-the-Box and What’s Custom?
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For each business object, SAP provides a standard set of
events and methods for acting upon the object
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Methods: Change, Display, Create, Get Details
Events: Created, Changed
Standard events and methods can vary by business object
What is considered custom?
Business objects you create
Your own methods or events that you add to a standard business
object
Example: I would like to set a certain status on all documents
associated with an engineering change master when it is set
to the status of closed
For this example, you would have a custom method that
could be called through a task to set all documents
associated to a change master to a certain status
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Demo: What’s Out-of-the-Box and What’s Custom?
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What We’ll Cover …
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Introduction
Thinking about SAP Workflow?
Using SAP Workflow in the engineering environment
Reviewing basic workflow concepts
Looking at available tools
Comparing out-of-the-box and custom methods and
events
Demo: Creating a simple workflow
Determining types of resources required
Wrap-up
26
Creating a Simple Workflow
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Now I’ll show you a simple demonstration of creating a
workflow in the SAP system
Workflow scenario
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When the status of document information record changes
from “Draft” to “Review,” I would like to be sent a notification
to review the document
Elements we will use:
SAP Workflow Builder
Business object “DRAW” with method “Changed”
Standard SAP Task
SAP Document Management to create and change a document
SAP Inbox
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Demo: Live Demo of Creating a Simple Workflow
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What We’ll Cover …
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Introduction
Thinking about SAP Workflow?
Using SAP Workflow in the engineering environment
Reviewing basic workflow concepts
Looking at available tools
Comparing out-of-the-box and custom methods and
events
Demo: Creating a simple workflow
Determining types of resources required
Wrap-up
29
Types of Resources Required
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As demonstrated, workflow can be very simple or
complex
Your resource requirements will be based on the
complexity of the workflows you intend to implement
Resource requirements could be met by one individual
or many
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You may find or have a resource that can configure the
system, build workflows, and write any of the required ABAP
In any workflow implementation, there is usually a small
amount of Basis team support required for the initial
configuration in the system
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Types of Resources Required (cont.)
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Workflow Complexity
Resources
Simple:
Only use standard SAP business
objects, methods, and events
SAP Workflow Creator
Complex:
Use standard plus custom-developed
SAP business objects, methods, and
events
SAP Workflow Creator
ABAP
After go-live, plan to have a workflow administrator to
monitor the system for workflow errors, provide support
if a task cannot be executed, or execute reporting
requirements
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What We’ll Cover …
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Introduction
Thinking about SAP Workflow?
Using SAP Workflow in the engineering environment
Reviewing basic workflow concepts
Looking at available tools
Comparing out-of-the-box and custom methods and
events
Demo: Creating a simple workflow
Determining types of resources required
Wrap-up
32
Resources
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Book: Alan Rickayzen, Jocelyn Dart, Carsten Brennecke,
Markus Schneider, Practical Workflow for SAP (SAP
PRESS, 2002).
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The SAP Fan Club has a very active forum on SAP
Workflow
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Put together by the Developers Of SAP Workflow
#1 Book anyone interested in SAP Workflow should have
www.sappress.com/product.cfm?account=&product=H950
www.sapfans.com
SAP Business Workflow FAQ from SAP SDN
www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/wiki?path=/display/HOME/SAP%2bB
usiness%2bWorkflow%2bFAQ
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7 Key Points to Take Home
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SAP Workflow is all about getting the right information to the
right people at the right time
SAP Workflow can be used in the engineering environment
to help formalize and manage the processes surrounding
document management, engineering changes, material
creation, and other PLM processes
SAP provides a graphical Workflow Builder for modeling
your processes
There are many standard tasks, business objects, methods,
and events that can be used
Standard items delivered by SAP can be enhanced to
facilitate additional process requirements
As demonstrated, creating a workflow in SAP can be simple
Resource requirements will be based on the complexity of
the workflow you plan to implement
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Your Turn! Questions?
How to contact me:
Eric Stajda
http://www.linkedin.com/in/estajda
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