ERROR HANDLING PROCESS

FOR IDOCS

USING WORKFLOW

Error notification is the primary use of workflow in the ALE/EDI interface. When exceptions are raised in the outbound or the inbound process, workflow is started and a user responsible for handling the error receives a notification in his or her SAP Inbox. After the problem is severe enough to require the process to be restarted from the beginning, then the process in error can be purged to avoid any further processing.

The transaction for Sap Inbox is SO01.

Errors are intelligently routed to the right person based on the type of error. Errors have been grouped into various categories. A person can be responsible for handling multiple types of errors or several users can be responsible for resolving a single type of error. The system can be configured in various ways to handle errors, depending on the size of your company.

Setting Up Workflow for Error Notification

Most of the components and configuration for standard components have already been done in the standard system .You need to carry out steps that cannot be supplied by SAP, for example, the organization structure and identifying the users responsible for error handling.

Basic Workflow Settings

Transaction:SWU3

Menu Path: From the IMG, choose Basis,Workflow,Basic Workflow Settings.

You can use the Auto customizing button, but you must be logged on with the highest authorizing level. A Basis person is usually the best person to execute Auto customizing because his or her ID should have all possible authorizations.

Setting Up the EDI Organization Unit

As a person responsible for ALE/EDI customizing, you are responsible for either maintaining the organization unit for the ALE/EDI Department or providing your input to the HR groups that maintains the PD-ORG.You must first develop a strategy for your ALE/EDI organization and then carry out the steps to enter the information in the system

Developing a Strategy

Your objective is to design the organization structure so that the right person is notified and the workload can be managed efficiently. The following steps will help you to build a strategy:

•Develop a list of messages that are being used in the ALE/EDI process. Identify the task associated with each message.

•Develop a list of users who will handle application errors for each of the identified messages. When selecting a user ,make sure you select a business person and not a technical person, because most errors that occur during production are data related and business people are the best equipped to fix the data errors.

•Identify a key technical person who will handle technical problems with the interface. This person becomes the EDI administrator, he or she does not need detailed functional knowledge.

•Identify the number of positions that will be required to handle the ALE/EDI process. This number depends on the complexity of the organization, number of EDI messages and volume of EDI transactions. It is usually best to define a position for each business function; for example; one position can handle all messages related to the purchasing cycle, and another position can handle messages related to invoicing. your organization may require one person per message type.

•Identify backups for each user.

After the various objects such as positions, tasks and users are identified, you can start building the PD-ORG for the EDI group.

Building an organization unit

Transaction:PPOC

Menu Path: From the Area menu of Workflow, choose Definition Tools, Organization Plan , Create.

To Build an organization unit ,follow these steps:

1. Start the simple maintenance tool by using transaction PPOC.

2. Assign an abbreviation and name to your organization unit and click on create button.

3. Double-click on the name of the organization unit to get to an area where you can create positions and assign users

4. Create the various positions as required. You can leave the job description blank for now. Assign an abbreviation to the position and give it a meaningful name. Repeat this step for all positions identified earlier.

5.Assign users to these positions. Click on the POSITIONS and then Click on Assign Holder Button. You can now enter a UserID.Repeat this step for all positions.

Assigning a Task Profile

It is important to define the possible agents for each error task that will be used in the ALE/EDI process. To do so you ‘ll need to assign the task to various positions that can possibly execute it. Keep in mind that the possible agents are not necessarily the selected agents.You can adopt either of the following strategies for assigning the possible agents to a task:

•Possible agents = Everyone

• Possible agents = Certain positions only

In most cases the General Task assignment is the best approach. The steps are as follows.

Transaction:PFTC

Menu Path: From the Area menu of Workfklow,choose Definition Tools, Tasks.

1.Enter the task number. Click on Display.

2. From the menu,choose Additional Data,Agent Assignment, Maintain.Click on the task and press the General Task button.CheckThe general Task checkbox and save the values.

In the second strategy for assigning agents , you specifically assign each task to a set of positions that you have identified. The steps are as follows:

Transaction:PFTC

Menu Path: From the Area Menu of Workflow, choose Definition Tools, Tasks.

1. Enter the task number. Click on Display.

2. From the menu ,choose Additional Data ,Agent Assignment, Maintain.

3. Click on the task and click on the Create Button. Select the Position Radio button and then enter the position number. You can repeat this step for all positions that are to be assigned to this Task.

Setting Up Active Monitoring

Active monitoring sends a work item when the state of the system exceeds a predefined threshold state. For example if number of error IDocs for invoices exceeds 100 ,then you can have the system send a work item to a user or position.

SAP provides a report program RSEIDOCM that you can schedule to run on regular intervals or execute online.

The steps to be followed to run the report online:

1. Create a task profile .Like any other task, you need to define the possible agents for the task(TS30200088).You can use the two strategies discussed in the previous section: making the task a general Task or specifically assigning the task to certain positions, jobs or organization units.

2.Execute the report (RSEIDOCM) by using transaction se38

3.Specify the responsible PD-ORG object on the selection screen.This object could be a user,position,job,or an organization unit.

4.Define threshold values. The selection parameters allow you to specify threshold values. Most of the Parameters on the selection list are self Explanatory.The following parameters may need some explanation:

* Status group: The various status code associated with an IDOC have been categorized in status groups. This arrangement allows you to monitor the state based on a status group. For example, group 5 represents codes in this group are 02,20,21,26,27,29 and 34.You can see the grouping in table TEDS3.

* Critical IDoc no. The value in this field specifies the threshold value that is checked for sending a work item. If the state of the system exceeds this value , a work item is sent.

•Start time for batch run. From the current date and time specify the number of days,hours,minutes and seconds in the past from which the run should be executed.

•End Time for Batch Run.From the current date and time ,specify the number of days,hours minutes and seconds up to which the run should be executed.This value should be less than the start date.

Click on the Execute Button to start the report. If the system state exceeds the threshold then the person specified in the report will receive a work item.Executing the work item generates the IDOC statistics report and you can drill down to see a list of IDocs that were selected.

Setting Up an Inbound Process via Workflow.

Transaction: WE42

Menu path: From the Area menu of EDI,Choose Control Inb,process Code, Inbound with ALE Service,Processing by Task

The Steps to process an incoming IDoc via single step task or workflow are as follows:

1.Identify a standard task ,a customer task or a workflow that needs to be starting a task or a workflow for inbound. You have to develop a custom workflow to implement your business process.

2.Create a new process code and point the process code to the new workflow by using transaction WE42.

3.In the partner profile for the inbound message make sure the inbound message uses the new process code.

Setting Up Notification of Successful PostingThe ALE/EDI interface can be set up to raise an event when an IDoc posts successfully. This option is provided in the settings for an inbound process code. You can attach a single-step task or a workflow to be started when the event is raised.

The following are the steps to set up notification of successful posting:

1.Identify the application object that is created by the Idoc.You can view the setting in table EDIFCT,or execute transaction SALE and select Extensions,Inbound,Allocate function modules to logical message. A link is defined between a message, a business object and the Function module.

2.Identify the event in the application object that needs to be raised.

3.Execute Transaction BD67,select the process code used for the inbound process,and go to the details.In the application object enter values for the object type and Start Event fields as identified in step 2

4.Identify an existing Task or create a new task or a workflow that should be started based on the event.

5.Define the event linkage between the event and the workflow. This step can also be performed from the task itself by activating the triggering event.