Storage Scenarios with Integration of SAP Business Workflow (SAP Library

Storage Scenarios with Integration of SAP Business Workflow

Purpose

By integrating SAP Business Workflow you ensure that the right tasks automatically reach the right agents at the right time. ArchiveLink supports the following workflow scenarios:

Storing for subsequent entry

An employee in the mail depot scans in the incoming document, (if it is not already in electronic format), and then stores it in a storage system. Using SAP Business Workflow, a link to the document is sent to the employee responsible, who then enters the application document.

The scenario is suitable for dealing with large numbers of documents. The scenario saves time and costs by replacing conventional post distribution within a company, therefore speeding up processing.

Storing and entering

The same person carries out storing the incoming document and entering the corresponding application document. The mail depot forwards the document straight to the employee responsible, who scans it in at their desk (if it is not already in electronic format), stores it, and enters the application document.

The scenario is suitable for protected documents, for example in personnel. The scenario is not recommended for storing large numbers of documents, because changing between storing documents and entering the application document can affect efficiency.

Storing for subsequent assignment

The incoming document is related to an existing application document. The document is scanned in by an employee in the mail depot, (if it is not already in electronic format), and then stored. Using SAP Business Workflow, a link to the document is sent to the employee responsible, who assigns it to the existing application document.

The scenario is suitable for documents which do not have their own application document, for example, a cover letter for an invoice), or for documents that are only stored at a particular point after the document has been entered. This scenario is suitable for large numbers of documents.

Storing and assigning

The incoming document is related to an existing application document. The same person stores the document and assigns it to an application document. The mail depot forwards the document straight to the employee responsible, who scans it in at their desk (if it is not already in electronic format), stores it, and assigns it to the existing application document.

The scenario is suitable for protected documents, for which no other application document is entered.

Process Flow

An agent of the mail depot or application department (depending on the scenario, see above) starts the storage process by selecting a document type and a storage scenario for the document. The agent can only select a scenario that has previously been defined for the document type in Customizing.

The storage system confirms successful storage. ArchiveLink then starts the workflow and creates a work item. A work item is the characteristic form of a workflow task at runtime. The work item is also given the link to the stored document. It is sent to one or more agents, as defined in the default settings maintenance (see Customizing Workflow Scenarios). An agent executes the work item.

ArchiveLink provides two workflows that consist of one task each.

For the scenarios Storing for subsequent entry and Storing and entering, SAP provides the task TS 30001128 (previously: TS 0000 7869). This task carries out the following functions:

Displays the stored document
Calls the input template of the application document. (The agent enters the application document; the SAP System creates a business object and allocates a business object ID.)
Forms a link between the business object ID and the document ID

For the scenarios Storing for subsequent assignment and Storing and assigning, SAP provides the task TS 30001117 (previously: TS 0000 7869). This task carries out the following functions:

Displays the stored document
Requests the existing business object ID that is to be assigned to the incoming document
Forms a link between the business object ID and the document ID.

Result

The stored document is linked to the corresponding application document. You can use the following methods to check the link entry:

Display the attachments from the open application document (see Displaying Attachments).

Search for the document using ArchiveLink administration; all the data for the link entry is displayed in the hit list (see Administration of Stored Documents).

Note

In addition to the workflow scenarios described here, ArchiveLink offers server-based storage with integration of SAP Business Workflow. For more information, see Server-Based Storage.