Using the SAP Business Workflow to Process Planning Scenarios (SAP Library

Using the SAP Business Workflow to Process Planning Scenarios

Use

You have already defined your planning scenario to match your individual business requirements. The scenario contains different planning steps, links and various planning layouts and manual planning variants.

You can use the SAP Business Workflow to co-ordinate the sequence of the individual planning activities, thus ensuring that the authorized associate runs the planning activity at the correct time, before allowing the next associate to continue processing.

For general information about the SAP Business Workflow, see SAP Business Workflow (BC-BMT-WFM).

Prerequisites

In addition to the general settings for using workflows, you must make the following special settings before using SAP Business Workflow in MAP:

You must activate Workflow support in Customizing for cross-scenario settings in MAP.
Before planners can use transaction WXPN1 to trigger workflows manually, the relevant buttons must be available on the display screen. To make these buttons visible on the display screen for the transaction, you must activate the Use object services field in the user specific settings for planning using network (transaction WXPN1, Settings -> User-specific...). The SAP Business Workflow is one of the SAP object services that is automatically available for business objects.

Features

Object technology is used to create the interface between the SAP functions and the workflow system.

The methods and events for triggering workflows are made available using the object type.

The following elements are made available to help you create a workflow in MAP that matches your organizational requirements and business processes:

Object type REPORT Generic object for Reports

This object type can be used, for example, to define tasks for planning step links, for a specific method in SAP Copy Management or for manual planning, as they are technically similar to reports.

You can copy the attributes, methods and events that have already been defined from the object type definition in the Business Object Repository.

Object type BUS1177 Scenario for Merchandise and Assortment Planning

You can copy the attributes, methods and events that have already been defined from the object type definition in the Business Object Repository.

Object type BUS3061 Manual Planning Merchandise and Assortment Planning

Standard tasks that can be used when defining workflows

WXP_D_DISP MAP: Display planning data

using the Display method in BUS3061

WXP_D_GETID: Generate the planning session ID

using the GetObjectReference method in BUS3061

WXP_D_PLAN MAP: Create planning data

using the Change method in BUS3061

Standard roles used to find the processing associate for workflows

WXP_PLANNER: Merchandise and Assortment Planning Planner (MAP)

processes standard task WXP_D_PLAN

WXP_VERIFIER: Planning Data Controller (MAP)

processes standard task WXP_D_DISP

WXP_COORD Planning Co-ordinator (MAP)

The planning co-ordinator oversees the running of the standard tasks listed above, and is informed when the planning status is changed, the latest end date and deadlines are exceeded, and when processing is completed. The planning co-ordinator is also responsible for running automatic planning.

Associates are identified using the tasks and activities to which they are assigned. The responsibilities of associates responsible for creating and verifying planning data can be defined in the planning layout and manual planning variants. The planning co-ordinator is responsible for observing deadlines and running planning reports. The following parameters are therefore used to define the areas of responsibility of the associate concerned: Planning layout, manual planning variants, reports and report variants.

You can change the above roles to match your requirements. Alternatively, you can assign different tasks for defining associates for processing or running other tasks.

Example

Workflow WXP_BPDEMO can be used as a reference workflow for MAP.

It contains the object types, standard tasks and standard roles that are detailed above, and uses the following steps taken from Best Practice Scenario 1_SAP:

1_SAP_2 Target planning
1_SAP_3 Merchandise planning
1_SAP_9 Open-to-buy (OTB)

Note

The business objects for manual planning that are contained in the reference workflow only contain planning layouts. The reference workflow does not, however, contain manual planning variants which can also be part of the business object. This therefore means that default parameters for the planning layout (for example, entering a purchasing organization or a plan version) cannot be defined in the reference workflow.

The planning co-ordinator triggers the workflow. Workflows are then created for the associates responsible for processing the steps listed below:

Step	Description		Object type
1	Gross margin planning at a higher level (target planning)	Manual Planning	BUS3061
2	Break down gross margin to lower levels (merchandise category level)	Top-down link between target planning and merchandise planning, via SAP Copy Management	REPORT
3	Create a second version for merchandise planning	"Copy version" in Automatic Planning	REPORT
4	Use the new version to plan gross margin at merchandise category level. The results of target planning, disaggregated at merchandise category level, are displayed for you to use as a comparison.	Manual Planning	BUS3061
5	Aggregate gross margin planning at merchandise category level to gross margin planning at a higher level	Bottom-up link between target planning and merchandise planning, via SAP Copy Management	REPORT
6	Check if gross margin planning is correct. If the planning is correct, continue with step 7. If the planning is incorrect, continue with step 2.	User decision with preliminary manual planning version	BUS3061
7	Stock planning at merchandise category level	Manual Planning	BUS3061
8	Release stock planning version to the active version	"Release to active version" in Automatic Planning	REPORT
9	Release the stock planning to OTB (transfer the planning data from the active version to a new version)	Use SAP Copy Management to link OTB and stock planning thus creating a new version of the planning data for OTB	REPORT

The workflow is completed.

Alternative Initial Screens

The following are alternative ways of starting your planning in your SAP System if you are using workflows for Merchandise and Assortment Planning:

To trigger the workflow: Start from transaction WXP57 Manual planning with workflow support or start from the network plan (transaction WXPN1)
Use transaction SBWP to receive and edit workitems in the Business Workplace.