Designing Mobile
ERP Approval Forms for
BlackBerry Users
Introduction
What does this presentation cover?
 This presentation describes how a real-world SAP customer has used
the SAP ABAP Workbench to create optimized SAP Approval forms for
BlackBerry device users within their organization
 It covers the following topics:
– Understanding the mobile requirements
– Using SAP ABAP Workbench to build optimized web-based approval
forms for BlackBerry users
– Key lessons learned
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Mobility Requirements
Mobilizing Purchase Requisition Approvals
Typical Mobile Applications
Sales Needs
– View and update accounts and transactions
Executives
– Remote approval and communication
Business Intelligence
– Real-time access to confidential information
Workflow
– Target participants could be anywhere
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Challenges to be Overcome
Mobility is a fact of today’s business
 Executive and Sales / Field Service Reps have to be mobile in today’s
global business place
Timeliness
 Cached information is not sufficient
 Real-time workflow is impossible with disconnected or sync-based
solutions
Security
 Typical applications require secure communications
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Mobility Requirements
Mobilizing Purchase Requisition Approvals
Purchase Requisition Approval Process
Background
 IT has its own purchasing department
– Preferred vendors
– Pre-negotiated contracts
– No blanket orders
 Purchasing process is efficient
 Approvals take multiple days
chasing managers
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Purchase Requisition Approval Process
Requsitioner
Request to Purchase
Request for approval
IT Help Desk
cost center
manager
Approval for
Purchase
Remedy
Ticekt
with Order
Details
$
$
Workflow Level 1 :
Basic CC Aproval
$
Purchasing
Approval
Workflow Level 2:
Dollar Value Escalation
SAP
Purchase
Requisition
Approval
Senior Financial
Manager
Workflow Level 3
Special Cost Element
Escalation
Approval
Special GL
Approver
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Application Requirements
SAP Workflow
 3 processes: manager approval; $ escalation; special GL approval
SAP Portal
 SAP authentication
SAP Users for Approvers
 Appropriate signing authority for escalations
 $1 for basic manager approval
SAP Java Connector Object Library and Java
 Used to build status page and requisition detail
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Application Challenge #1
Approval on BB Desired / Authentication (SAP vs. Windows)
 Two groups of skill sets within existing IT staff:
– Web developers (java / jsp but no SAP)
– SAP developers (abap / bsp)
 Significant work required to build application to pass credentials using
Java and JCO
 SEM already had the ”glue” to bridge login but required SAP knowledge
 Compromise = BSP (essentially html wrapper for ABAP)
– ABAP can talk to SAP (workflow and authentication)
– Result:
-
Login to SAP
Talk to SAP workflow : approve/reject/cancel
Look at details of requisitions
Check status of approval process
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Application Challenge #2
 Travel, Vacation, etc.
 Managers away and requisition sits waiting approval
 Need to set availability from blackberry
 Solution:
– Web Interface to SAP workflow to set start / end dates
– Rules established for re-routing
– Administrator access to ”break” loops
- I’m away and redirect it to you
- You’re away and redirect it to me
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Approval Request on Desktop
Workflow email from SAP has two links: desktop & blackberry
Links provide:
– Purchase approval status info
– Requisition details (3 views)
– pageview parameter:
- 1 – blackberry (narrow display)
- 2 – printable
- 3 – normal layout
From: Workflow-System [mailto:WF-BATCH@MyCo.NET]
Sent: October 19, 2005 10:22
To: Elsa Painter
Subject: PR 3366 is pending your approval
Purchase requisition # 3366 is ready for approval.
Total value for Cost Centre 202020: $5,500.00
Total value for requisition: $5,500.00
At your desk: To approve/reject this PR, please click on the link
below and when prompted, log in using your Windows login and password.
Once the page loads, click on your Universal Worklist and select
the task related to this PR# to approve or reject.
http://abc.myco.net:50000/irj/portal
Using your BlackBerry: To approve/reject this PR click on the
link below and when prompted, log in using your SAP login and password.
Once the page loads in your BlackBerry browser, click on Approve, Reject
or Cancel.
http://abc.myco.net:8000/sap/bc/bsp/sap/ZITPRA/prapr.do?PR=3366
WI: 000000503769
Step: FIR1
GUID: GrP6Y3bw1CJX00002cMT7m
EPAINTER@myco.com
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Approval Request on the BlackBerry
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Requisition Status and Order Details
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Efficiency Gained from Process
Dramatic reduction in turn around time
 From days to minutes
Sarbanes-Oxley compliance
 Provides auditable trail of approval process
Supports Mobile Executives
 Eliminates need to ”delegate” approvals
 Can be processed anywhere and anytime
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ASUG and SAP: Partners in Education
ASUG, the Americas’ SAP Users’ Group, is the world’s largest, customer-run community of SAP
professionals and partners, with 45,000 individual members and 1,700 companies represented. ASUG
delivers the highest value to member companies, allowing them to maximize their SAP investments.
Some highlighted benefits include:
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Access to a year-round community for SAP customers and partners
Diverse mix of educational topics and events through a variety of formats
Exclusive opportunity to influence SAP future product direction
Unparalleled networking opportunities with a dynamic professional network
Unprecedented partnership with SAP
Access to ASUG Groups and Chapters
To learn more about ASUG, visit the ASUG booth in the SDN Clubhouse, or visit our Web site at
www.asug.com.
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