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TFIN50 Lesson: Document Parking and Workflow
Lesson: Document Parking and Workflow
Lesson Overview
The workflow option for parking documents is presented in this lesson. Extensive
knowledge which cannot be provided by this course is required to set up the
workflow. The lesson is intended to enable the Financial Accounting application
manager to design a plan for this area and ensure coordination between the
relevant department and specialists in the workflow area.
Lesson Objectives
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
Describe how to use the workflow when parking documents
Name the advantages of using workflow when parking documents
Business Example
Various employees are involved in posting Financial Accounting documents
within the relevant department. One employee parks the documents, another one
checks the account assignment and supplements account assignment objects, if
necessary, and then ensures the posting is made in order to update the transaction
figures. The department would like to find out to what extent the SAP system is
able provide support for this process flow.
Workflow in One Sentence
Figure 182: Workflow in One Sentence
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Unit 8: Parking Documents TFIN50
In the SAP business workflow, the four process dimensions
Organizational structure (Who?)
Process structure (When? In what order? Under what circumstances?)
Function (What?)
Information (With which data?)
are combined to allow business processes to be carried out as efficiently as
possible.
The process to be displayed as workflow is stored in the system in parameters
using a graphic definition tool. During the process the workflow manager - and
hence the system - performs all the tasks that were worked out when the process
was defined. As a result, the user is relieved of any avoidable organisational tasks
and can concentrate on the aspects of his or her actual work.
Figure 183: The Five Essential Questions on Every Business Process
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Figure 184: Benefits of the SAP Business Workflow
The SAP Business Workflow supports processes of your company within an SAP
system. It also supports the communication between business processes operated
on different systems.
The SAP Business Workflow provides the end user with all information required
to perform the next step.
SAP provides standard workflow templates in order to depict business processes.
You can customize these SAP workflow templates or create your own.
Figure 185: Workflow Management Architecture
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Workflow Management Architecture
In short, workflow means getting the right work to the right employee at the right
time.
The SAP Business Workflow is structured in three layers. This modularization of
the components involved is the basis for a high degree of flexibility.
The right work: Whatever you wish to perform during the workflow: it must
be implemented in the Business Object Repository as a method of a business
object type.
At the right point of time: The process level describes the business process in a
sequence of individual steps. The worklow definition is the total of all steps put
together. Individual steps can refer to methods of the BOR (Business Object
Rep.), but they can also be used to control the process, i.e. to, for example,
enable loop-type processing, query conditions, provide values in the interface (=
container). Workflow Builder is the tool used for the maintenance of the process
level.
To the right processor: The organizational level establishes a link to the
organizational structure.
There is a group of potential processors available for each task which is able
to be perfomed as part of the workflow.
This group can be restricted by specifications on the processor in the
workflow step. The selected processors receive a work item at their business
workplace during the runtime. The corresponding method of the business
object type is started once the work item is performed.
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TFIN50 Lesson: Document Parking and Workflow
Workflow
Figure 186: Workflow: Design and Procedure I
Workflows are usually initiated by a triggering event. Events are used to display
the changes in status of objects within the system. Like methods, they are defined
in the object repository for each object type. Events are initiated in the respective
applications.
Example: The workflow for account assignment approval (WS0100000) is
started by triggering themarking for organizational change event when saving a
parked document with the specification of a measure.
Work items represent single-step tasks during runtime. They are sent to the
responsible processors by the workflow manager.
Whenever a processor accepts a work item in order to process it, the work item
disappears from the inboxes of the other processors.
Whenever a work item is processed, the corresponding object method is called up.
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Unit 8: Parking Documents TFIN50
Figure 187: Example: Designing the (Entire) Workflow for a Parked
Document
For every business step, ask yourself:
What work has to be done?
You consequently know which object type and method you require.
With dialog steps: Who is carrying out the work?
You consequently know which processors are responsible.
What text is supposed to be displayed at the workplace of the person
receiving the work item?
This text is treated as a task when creating the step. Store your answers in
the design.
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Figure 188: Workflow: Areas of Application
WHAT Is Carried Out? Tasks Related to the Workflow
Posting invoices
Releasing purchase requisitions
Changing material masters
Approving leave
Creating customer accounts
Deleting purchase orders
Creating requirement requests via the Internet
Tasks represent steps of the business process. The process to be shown must be
divided into individual tasks during the definition. The definition of the workflow
determines the tasks and the order in which they are to be carried in the process.
Tasks refer precisely to one object type of the business object repositories and to
exactly one of their methods defined there. In exceptional cases a business process
may only have one task. A workflow definition should be created even in these
cases, however. Tasks are represented by work items during the runtime of the
workflow. The work items appear in the inbox of the receiver.
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Unit 8: Parking Documents TFIN50
Figure 189: Task Definition: Possible Processors WHO is doing
something?
Each task must be assigned possible processors. This is the group of employees
at your company, who come into question for carrying out the respective task.
WHO Is Doing Something?
Figure 190: WHO Is Doing Something? Workflow Steps and Responsible
Processors
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You define a workflow step when you enter a job in the workflow definition.
In this workflow step you can enter responsible processors. Furthermore you
can exclude processors explicitly. The slide shows you how to assign processors
during the step.
The system calculates the intersection of possible processors and responsible
processors for the runtime. It is then checked whether each user included in it has
been excluded in the workflow step definition. If the results of both inspections
are positive, the user receives a work item in his or her inbox and then belongs to
the receivers of the work item.
Figure 191: User Interface: Inbox in the SAP System
The Business Workplace consists of three screen areas:
Selection tree: You can find the selection tree on the left side of the Business
Workplace. Here you can select work items to be executed, workflows which
you have started or documents.
Worklist: The worklist is displayed at the top right of the Business-Workplace
screen in case you want to mark the Workflow folder. The system automaticlly
puts the entries in groups in this folder. There are special folders in which you can
find overdue work items or missed deadline work items. If you mark Inbox in the
selection tree, you can see all work items and documents in this area of the screen.
Work item preview: The work item selected from the work list is displayed in a
preview at the bottom right of the screen. Not all functions of the work item
display or workflow protocol are available. It is possible for the user to make a
decision from within the work item preview.
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Figure 192: Inbox
The work items can be performed directly in the worklist. The corresponding
applications are started directly and provided with the required data by
double-clicking on them. Recipients can display the attachments of the work item
and add new ones. You can add various types of documents to a work item as
attachments, e.g. SAPscript documents, Microsoft Office documents or Internet
pages.
The WebFlow Engine determines the recipients of the work item. All selected
recipients can view the work item and perform it at their Business Workplace.
Only one user can perform the work item, however. If, therefore, a user starts to
perform the work item, the other recipients are unable to perform this work item. A
recipient can accept a work item. An accepted work item can only be performed by
the user who has accepted it. By selecting Put Back, you can disable the reserved
status of the work item and make it accessible again to all selected processors. The
status of the work item is then set back to ready. You can define that concluding
the processing of a workflow step has to be confirmed explicitly. After processing
a work item, a dialog box appears in which you can finish processing the work
item. The work item remains in the worklist and is set to performed if you select
Cancel at this point of time. You can set Set to completed within the worklist for
work items with the performed status. The work item can be performed several
times or passed on as long as this has not been done.
Workflow and Financial Accounting
Workflow variants can be created for document parking in Customizing of FI.
Whether the document release is supposed to be active is specifeid here together
with the minimum amount for which this is necessary.
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The company codes can be assigned workflow variants. No documents are
released if any company code is not assigned a workflow variant.
Figure 193: Assigning Workflow Variants to Company Codes
It is possible to apply different release procedures to different accounts receivable
and payable. This can be controlled by means of the Release Group field in the
master record of accounts receivable and accounts payable.
The release group is required in order to determine the release approval path at
the time of processing. The release approval path is determined by the workflow
variant in connection with the document type and release group.
The subworkflow which is initiated by releasing the amount and who is to release
are determined by the release approval path and the particular amount. If no
release group is defined, the initial release group is then used for access.
Figure 194: Calculation of the Release Approval Path
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The release procedure is represented by subworkflows in the workflow
terminology. For document parking, workflow variants (in combination with
release approval paths) are assigned amounts, which determine the release
procedures to be initiated and performed. The subworkflows control the individual
release procedures, e.g. the number of release approval levels to be run through.
By default, subworkflows are supplied as workflow templates for reference. The
first subworkflow (WS10000052) contains a single-level release, the second one
(WS10000053) a two-level release and the third one (WS10000054) a three-level
release. With the single-level release, a person must release the document. The
principle of dual control can be supported with the two-level release, and the
principle of triple control with the three-level release. The respective subworkflow
is triggered by parked documents during the initial entry.
Figure 195: Assignment of Subworkflows
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TFIN50 Lesson: Document Parking and Workflow
Exercise 32: Document Parking and
Workflow
Exercise Objectives
After completing this exercise, you will be able to:
Understand the process for parking documents as part of the workflow
Business Example
In your company, you want to use a workflow for document parking. For
documents over 500 EUR, the amount should be released by an authorized
employee.
Task:
First you make sure that the workflow variant 1000 is defined for your company
code. You then park the document and thus start a workflow. Next, another
employee receives the parked document for further processing (to release the
amount). You log on under a different user name and release the amount for your
document.
1. Make sureWorkflow variant 1000 (Variant IDES FIPP-WF) is defined for
your company code AC##.
2. Document parking and processing (workflow variant 1000): Park a
document for a vendor invoice in your company code (AC##) (vendor
AC202-## for EUR 700).
Make sure that you enter the invoice with the park document transaction
FV60 (Accounts Payable! Document Entry! Document Parking!
Park or Edit Invoice).
Choose PARK/SAVE FULLY
3. Display the document that has been parked. Where can you get information
on the subject of workflow and what information is available?
4. You want to get an idea of how the workflow, which was started when your
document was parked, looks. You are particularly interested to know which
group of people are able to release your document.
5. Releasing a parked document: Log on to your system and client using the
user name WF-FI-1. Your instructor will give you the password.
Release the document you parked yourself under a different user name. Take
a look at the protocol for this and log user WF-FI-1 off from the system.
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Unit 8: Parking Documents TFIN50
Solution 32: Document Parking and
Workflow
Task:
First you make sure that the workflow variant 1000 is defined for your company
code. You then park the document and thus start a workflow. Next, another
employee receives the parked document for further processing (to release the
amount). You log on under a different user name and release the amount for your
document.
1. Make sureWorkflow variant 1000 (Variant IDES FIPP-WF) is defined for
your company code AC##.
a) Choose IMG! Financial Accounting! Financial Accounting Global
Settings! Company Code! Enter Global Parameters.
Select your company code (AC##) and click the Detail (F2) pushbutton
in the application toolbar.
In the Processing parameters section, enter 1000 for Workflow variant.
Workflow Variant 1000 (IDES FIPP-WF variant)
Save your entries by clicking on the disk in the standard toolbar.
2. Document parking and processing (workflow variant 1000): Park a
document for a vendor invoice in your company code (AC##) (vendor
AC202-## for EUR 700).
Make sure that you enter the invoice with the park document transaction
FV60 (Accounts Payable! Document Entry! Document Parking!
Park or Edit Invoice).
Continued on next page
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TFIN50 Lesson: Document Parking and Workflow
Choose PARK/SAVE FULLY
a) SAP Easy Access! Accounting! Financial Accounting! Accounts
Payable! Document Entry! Document Parking! Park or Edit
Invoice (FV60).
Vendor AC202-##
Document date Current date
Posting date Current date
Company code AC##
Amount 700
Currency EUR
Calculate tax x
Select/set switch
Tax code 1I (10% course input tax)
Text Invoice parking
G/L acct 400020
D/C S
Amount *
In the application toolbar, click on Save as completed or follow the
menu Document! Save as completed.
You receive a message in the status bar: "Document 18000000xx
AC## was parked."
Please make a note of the document number.
Continued on next page
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Unit 8: Parking Documents TFIN50
3. Display the document that has been parked. Where can you get information
on the subject of workflow and what information is available?
a) You can also go directly from the entry screen to the document display
by choosing Document! Display. The parked document is displayed
(title bar: Display parked customer invoice 19000000xx AC## 200x).
Hint: (Alternatively choose SAP Easy Access! Accounting
! Financial Accounting! Accounts Payable! Document
! Display (FB03). Enter the company code, the fiscal year,
and the document number, or use the search function with the
Document List pushbutton on the application toolbar.)
Click theWorkflow tab page. Here you can find information about
workflow control. A release is required. The release path 1000 is
shown.
4. You want to get an idea of how the workflow, which was started when your
document was parked, looks. You are particularly interested to know which
group of people are able to release your document.
a) Choose SAP Easy Access! Office. Double-clickWorkplace. Choose
Outbox! Started workflows. Select the transaction on the right-hand
side of the screen by clicking the work item title, then the Display
Workflow Log button (scroll symbol).
The amount still has to be released.
You can find more information by means of the Processor pushbutton.
5. Releasing a parked document: Log on to your system and client using the
user name WF-FI-1. Your instructor will give you the password.
Continued on next page
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TFIN50 Lesson: Document Parking and Workflow
Release the document you parked yourself under a different user name. Take
a look at the protocol for this and log user WF-FI-1 off from the system.
a) Log on to the system using the user name WF-FI-1.
System is designated by your instructor
Client is designated by your instructor
User WF-FI-1
Password is designated by your instructor
Language: Local language
When the License Information for Multiple Logon dialog box appears,
choose Continue with this log on without ending existing log-ons.
Using work list in the office area you can find a list of documents
available for processing.
Choose Office! Workplace! Inbox! Workflow! Grouped
according to task! Release Amount
On the right of the screen, select the document you want to process
(usually the one posted by you under a different user name).
Click the Execute icon. The document is displayed and checked by
you. The document is OK and can be posted. You release the document.
Click the Release pushbutton on the application toolbar (Release
document).
The amount release process is now finished.
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Unit 8: Parking Documents TFIN50
Lesson Summary
You should now be able to:
Describe how to use the workflow when parking documents
Name the advantages of using workflow when parking documents
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TFIN50 Unit Summary
Unit Summary
You should now be able to:
Describe the functionality of document parking
Identify the differences between parking documents and holding
documents
Park Financial Accounting documents
Edit, delete or post parked documents
Describe how to use the workflow when parking documents
Name the advantages of using workflow when parking documents
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Unit Summary TFIN50
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TFIN50 Test Your Knowledge
Test Your Knowledge
1. A document number is assigned by means of the document type with the
Hold Document function.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.
! True
! False
2. Which statements are right?
Choose the correct answer(s).
! A A company code can be assigned several wokflow variants.
! B A task can be assigned one possible processor only.
! C It is possible to design multilevel workflow sequences.
! D The same workflow variant can be assigned to several company
codes.
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Test Your Knowledge TFIN50
Answers
1. A document number is assigned by means of the document type with the
Hold Document function.
Answer: False
A number is assigned by means of the document type with the Park
Document function. With Hold Document, the user assigns a designation.
2. Which statements are right?
Answer: C, D
One workflow variant can be used for several company codes. It is possible
to create multilevel workflow secuences. Individual tasks can usually be
assigned several possible processors.
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TFIN50 Course Summary
Course Summary
You should now be able to:
Create organizational units for Financial Accounting
Maintain master data
Influence the entry of posting transactions
Analyze and explain posting transactions
Display special G/L transactions in the system
Use the document parking function within the system and define it
appropriately
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Course Summary TFIN50
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