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Methods to Leverage and Optimize SAP Business Workflow in Your SAP PLM Environment
Eric StajdaLeverX
1
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
2
Introduction — Today’s Discussion
• 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.
3
Introduction — Today’s Discussion (cont.)
• Determine if and when it makes sense to custom-
develop 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.
4
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
5
Why SAP Workflow?
• Here is my mantra about SAP Workflow
� It is all about getting the right information to the right people
at the right time
• Many processes are still based on paper or email
� Not efficient
• SAP Workflow can take these processes and formalize
them with many benefits
� Let’s take a look at some benefits
6
Benefits of SAP Workflow
• 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.
� 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.
7
Benefits of SAP Workflow (cont.)
• The process instance is transparent.
� 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.
8
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
9
SAP Workflow in the Engineering Environment
• 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
� Document reviews
� Requesting a new material number
� Engineering change management process
� BOM review
• More details on next slides
10
SAP Workflow in the Engineering Environment (cont.)
• Document reviews
� 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.
11
SAP Workflow in the Engineering Environment (cont.)
• Engineering change management process
� 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 …
• 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
13
Basic Workflow Concepts
• 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
14
Key Elements
• Workflow definition
� Triggering event
� Workflow template
� Tasks
• Elements of the task
� Business object
� Methods
� Events
• If you understand the key elements, you will know
everything necessary to build a workflow
15
What Is a Triggering Event?
• A triggering event identifies when the workflow is to
start
16
What Is a Workflow Definition?
• A workflow definition is a combination of single-step
tasks
17
What Are Tasks?
• Tasks are made from business objects and events
18
What Are Business Objects and Methods?
• 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.
19
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
20
Tools Available
• 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
21
Tools Available (cont.)
• 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
22
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
23
Table of Standard Business Objects
• SAP provides you with many standard tasks, business objects, methods, and events
• The table below shows the most important business objects in SAP PLM
NotificationBUS7051
ClassBUS1003
Change MasterECM
BOMBUS1080
Material MasterBUS1001
Document managementDRAW
AssociationBusiness Object
24
What’s Out-of-the-Box and What’s Custom?
• For each business object, SAP provides a standard set of events and methods for acting upon the object� 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
25
Demo: What’s Out-of-the-Box and What’s Custom?
26
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
27
Creating a Simple Workflow
• Now I’ll show you a simple demonstration of creating a
workflow in the SAP system
• Workflow scenario
� 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
28
Demo: Live Demo of Creating a Simple Workflow
29
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
30
Types of Resources Required
• 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
� 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
31
Types of Resources Required (cont.)
• 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
SAP Workflow Creator
ABAP
Complex:
Use standard plus custom-developed
SAP business objects, methods, and
events
SAP Workflow Creator
Simple:
Only use standard SAP business
objects, methods, and events
ResourcesWorkflow Complexity
32
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
33
Resources
• Book: Alan Rickayzen, Jocelyn Dart, Carsten Brennecke,
Markus Schneider, Practical Workflow for SAP (SAP
PRESS, 2002).
� 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
• The SAP Fan Club has a very active forum on SAP
Workflow
� 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
34
7 Key Points to Take Home
• 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
35
Your Turn! Questions?
How to contact me:
Eric Stajdahttp://www.linkedin.com/in/estajda
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