Using Collaboration Tasks
Use
Collaboration tasks allow you to build and initiate custom workflow processes. Each workflow process potentially produces work items which are displayed in the Universal Worklist (UWL).
From the collaboration task wizard screens, you can create:
Task List (Multiple-Step Task)
Sub Process in the Universal Worklist
You can also do the following:
Export collaboration room tasks to Microsoft Excel.
Collaboration tasks use some Knowledge Management (KM) components including the Scheduler Service and the Notification Service. Leveraging the KM platform, collaboration task acts as a sub-component of the UWL. In the Universal Worklist you can easily create, trigger, and monitor workflows using the wizard. You can also receive work items generated by ad hoc processes.
Prerequisites
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You must be a portal user with assigned appropriate portal role to access the Universal Worklist.
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You must also know what process you are trying to implement and who the participants are.
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As a process initiator your email address must be properly configured in your SAP User Management Engine (UME) data.
Procedure
Accessing the Collaboration Task Wizard
The following figure shows the different applications on the portal from where you can access the collaboration task:
Creating a Task from UWL Task List, Collaboration Launch Pad, or the Collaboration Room
To launch the collaboration task wizard from the UWL and the Collaboration Room, choose:
From the Collaboration Launch Pad choose Create Task , you then have the following options:
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Create Single-step Task
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Create Task List
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Create Feedback Request
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Create Nomination Request
If you launch the wizard from the Collaboration Launch Pad or from a Collaboration Room, the information about which users have been selected is automatically propagated. The names of the selected users appear in the Assigned To field.
If you launch the wizard from a Collaboration Room, the Collaboration Room ID is propagated to the workflow wizard and to the workflow instance. A link to the Collaboration Room is displayed both on the wizard screen and the item detail screen.
You can select multiple members and groups and create tasks for all in the room.
Creating a Task from UWL Work Item Context Menu
From a UWL work item context menu choose Create Ad Hoc Request .
The UWL task ID/work item ID is propagated to the workflow wizard and to the workflow instance. A link to the work item screen is displayed both on the wizard screen and the work item detail screen.
For more information, see Sub Process.
Result
The process participants (nominees, recipients, nominators, approvers) see the workflow entry in their task list.
When the recipients execute work items, notifications are sent to those users who were specified as Trackers when the task was created. The trackers can also view the status of a workflow under Tracking in the Universal Worklist and view details of the appropriate process. All steps that have been executed in the process so far are displayed.
After completing a process, you can see all the steps along with the comments entered by the process participants displayed under Completed Tasks in the Universal Worklist. This list is visible to users tracking the task.
Example
You collaborate with other users by assigning tasks to them. Instead of sending Emails to other users, you use the collaboration task wizard to create tasks consisting of unstructured or semi-structured processes and assign them to several users. Task nominees access and complete the tasks through the UWL.
In another scenario you select an approval work item from Business Workflow. By using the collaboration task you create a workflow consisting of a feedback step and an approval step. The approval step will automatically perform the approval action on the Business Workflow work item.