You can use this standard task to create a workflow step to enable users to edit a form in an organizational process, for example, a workflow step to create or correct data. Executing a work item calls up a form application in which users can edit the form of a form scenario in the portal. You can additionally define the following:
Provide functions such as Save Draft
or Forward to Expert
. They are optional elements that you can have in the form application.
Specify where data is to be saved. You can decide whether the data is to be saved directly to the database of the back-end system (to update infotypes, for example) as well as in the process object.
Standard Task: 04000018
ID: Process
Name: Process PD (Personnel Development) Form
For the authorization object P_ASRCONT, the activity P (Process) is used for the authorization check. For more information, see Authorization Concept of HCM Processes and Forms.
When a user accesses a work item that is executed with this task, a form application is called. It has the following three views:
Edit
In this view, the users can display, enter, and change data in the form. They can carry out the following actions, provided that you specify in this standard task that the relevant buttons are made available:
Save Draft
Back to Author
Withdraw Process
Send to Expert
Next
Depending on the settings, the agent can see the Review and Send
button or the Next
button. By choosing either of these buttons, the user goes to the next view. The system first checks the data. Depending on your settings in the
container elements SEND_VARIATION and SEND_EXPERT_IF_INCONSTENT, the user can, for example, complete the work item even if the data is incorrect or send the data to an expert for error handling.
Review and Send
In this view, the user can check the data entered and complete the editing of the form by choosing the Send
button. The system sends the data entered asynchronously to the back-end system. It sets the status of the work item
to Completed
and continues with the next step in the workflow.
Completed
The user receives a confirmation that the data has been sent successfully. The work item disappears from the user's Universal Worklist
.
In the container definition, you can define the following types of container elements:
Container elements that control which form scenario is used with which scenario step when the task is executed
Container elements that control which of the optional functions are made available when the task is executed
If you use this task, you must also do the following tasks in the relevant workflow step:
Data flow of task container
Rule for agent determination with respective data flow to rule container
Programming exit CL_HRASR00_POBJ_WF_EXIT
Data Flow: Import Elements
Form (FORM) – Mandatory
This element specifies which form scenario is used when the workflow step is executed. It consists of a structure with the following fields, which you have to define for use with this task:
Form Scenario (FORM_SCENARIO)
Enter the form scenario that is to be used within the workflow step.
Form Scenario Version (FORM_SCENARIO_VERSION)
Enter the version of the form scenario that you want to use.
Do Not Save Directly (SUPPRESS_SAVE)
You can use this field to override the value of the SEND_VARIATION element. You can use this field to control subworkflows, for example:
Enter an X if you do not want the data to be written to the infotypes in the database of the back-end system. This setting is valid even if the value A (Check and Save) has been set in the SEND_VARIATION element.
Enter nothing if the data is to be saved according to the settings in the SEND_VARIATION element.
Data type (type name on the Data Type tab page in the ABAP Dictionary Data Type field): HRASR00_FORM_KEY_ELEMENT
Form Scenario View (FORM_SCENARIO_STAGE) – Mandatory
Enter the scenario step that is to be used for the workflow step. You must have already defined the step in the Create Form Scenario
Customizing activity (view cluster HRASR00FSCN).
When defining the data flow in the workflow container, you can use a value help (F4) for the FORM_SCENARIO_STAGE field. This allows you to access your Customizing entries. You can use the value help in the Workflow column and, in the subsequent dialog box, the value help for the field in the Temporary Check Results of Table column. If the column is not visible, you can use the Enter Constant function.
Data type (Data Type tab page, ABAP Dictionary Reference field): Structure HRASR00_PROCESS_MODELLING and Field FORM_SCENARIO_STAGE
Processor role (PROCESSOR_ROLE) – Optional Here you enter the role of the processor who executes the workflow step. If you do not specify a processor role, the HR Administrator (HRASRA) processor role is assigned in the standard release. It is necessary to enter the processor role, for example, for Data Tracking at the process-step level and for Message Mapping.
For more information, see Customizing for Personnel Management under
.Data type (Data Type
tab page, ABAP Dictionary Reference
field): Structure
HRASR00_PROCESS_MODELLING and Field
PROCESSOR_ROLE
Send Variant
(SEND_VARIATION) – Optional
You can use this element to specify how you want the system to proceed when executing the Review and Send
or Send
functions. The element
specifies:
Whether the data is saved in the infotypes in the back-end system
Whether the user processing the work item can complete the work item, even if error messages were issued in the back-end system due to inconsistent data
Note
When a user executes a work item, the system checks the data in the form against the business logic for the fields that you have linked to the form fields when configuring the form. These checks can cause error messages in various categories, such as insufficient authorization, collisions between data records, or incorrect or inconsistent data. For more information, see Error Handling.
The following values are possible:
BLANK = Do not save (do not tolerate errors)
This is the default parameter. The system checks the data against the business logic in the back-end system, meaning it checks the data entered. The user must resolve the error before he or she can complete the work item. To do this, the user can request the help from an expert who then returns the work item to the user. When the user has completed the work item, the data is not written to the back-end system's database.
B = Do not save (tolerate errors)
The data is checked automatically in the back-end system. If error messages occur due to inconsistent data, the system can tolerate these messages and dynamically provide the user with the Next function. When the user has completed the work item, the data is not written to the back-end system's database. The work item is sent to the next agent.
This setting is useful if an expert, such as an HR administrator, performs a workflow step following this step. The user can complete the work item even if the entered data is inconsistent.
Note
Only errors that occur due to inconsistent data are tolerated in this procedure (for example, missing authorizations). When theses errors occur, the system dynamically shows the Send to Expert
button in the form application and automatically controls the further
processing through an expert.
Note the interaction of the SEND_VARIATION and SEND_EXPERT_IF_INCONSISTENT elements here.
A = Save (do not tolerate errors)
The data is automatically checked against the business logic in the back-end system and written to the infotypes in the back-end system. Error messages are not tolerated; users must enter all data correctly before they can continue editing the form. The user can request an expert's help for this.
Caution
If a work item is completed with SEND_VARIATION = A, the system also saves any process steps that were entered in previous steps but not yet saved in the back-end system. If this setting is made, you therefore have to ensure that the user in a particular step is also able to correct incorrect data entered by other users. The corresponding fields must therefore be visible and modifiable in the form.
Data type (Data Type
tab page, ABAP Dictionary Reference
field): Structure
HRASR00_PROCESS_MODELLING and Field
SEND_VARIATION.
Save Draft
button (SAVE_DRAFT_BUTTON_VISIBLE) – Optional
You use this element to specify whether a button is provided to the user to temporarily save the entries in the form. Once the user has temporarily saved the data and the step is not
yet completed, the corresponding work item continues to be available to the user in the Universal Worklist
for processing with all previously entered data.
X = Save Draft
button is visible
The user can save the current processing status of the form using the Save Draft
button.
BLANK = Not visible
The Save Draft
button is not visible and is therefore not available to the user (default setting).
Data type (Data Type
tab page, ABAP Dictionary Reference
field): Structure
HRASR00_PROCESS_MODELLING and Field
BUTTON_IS_ENABLED.
Back to Author
button (BACK_BUTTON_VISIBLE) – Optional
You use this element to specify whether a button is provided to the user to return a form to the initiator of a process.
X = Back to Author
button is visible
The user can return the form to the initiator by choosing the Back to Author
button. In this case, the processing status (PROCSTATE, see below) receives the value BACK.
Note that you must take account of this behavior in subsequent modeling of the workflow.
BLANK = Not visible
The Back to Author
button is not visible and is therefore not available to the user (default setting). Data type (Data Type tab page, ABAP Dictionary Reference field): Structure HRASR00_PROCESS_MODELLING and field BUTTON_IS_ENABLED
Data type (Data Type
tab page, ABAP Dictionary Reference
field): Structure
HRASR00_PROCESS_MODELLING and Field
BUTTON_IS_ENABLED.
Process Cancellation
button (WITHDRAW_PROCESS_BUTTON_VISIBLE) – Optional
You use this element to specify whether a user can withdraw a process. Withdrawing a process has the following effects:
The entire process is stopped.
All work items in the relevant workflow steps and workflow template that are not completed receive the status Cancelled
.
The process object is assigned the status Withdrawn
.
All open work items disappear from the universal worklists of all involved in the process.
Note
The withdrawal of a process triggers a workflow of its own. For more information, see Customizing for Personnel Management
under .
The element can have the following properties:
BLANK = Not visible (button not visible)
The Process Cancellation
button is not visible and is therefore not available to the user (default setting).
ALWAYS = Visible (button visible and active, even after saving to back-end system) The Process Cancellation
button is always available. The user can cancel the entire process.
Caution
You can use this setting to cancel a process even if data has already been saved in the infotypes. Note that this can affect your dataset.
IF_NO_SAVE = Visible before save (button is visible and active until saving to the back-end system)
The Process Cancellation
button is only available to users while the recorded data has not yet been saved in the back-end system.
Data type (Data Type
tab page, ABAP Dictionary Reference
field): Structure
HRASR00_PROCESS_MODELLING and Field
WITHDRAW_BUTTON_VISIBLE.
Expert
button (SEND_EXPERT_IF_INCONSISTENT) – Optional
Users who are not experts at entering personnel data can encounter insolvable problems if error messages occur due to inconsistent data. For this reason, you should allow the system to
dynamically show the Send to Expert
button in the form application when such errors occur and if no suitable agent can correct the errors in the workflow step that follows.
Note
Note the description of the SEND_VARIATION element. For more information, see Error Handling.
X = Send to Expert
button is visible
The Send to Expert
button is dynamically displayed if error messages occur due to inconsistent data.
Caution
If you specify SEND_EXPERT_IF_INCONSISTENT = X together with SEND_VARIATION (Send Variant) = B, the behavior of SEND_EXPERT_IF_INCONSISTENT overrides that of SEND_VARIATION. This means that if the agent receives error messages due to inconsistent data, he or she cannot complete the work item. The agent must either correct the entered data or send the work item to an expert.
The interaction between SEND_EXPERT_IF_INCONSISTENT and SEND_VARIATION is only relevant for errors in the Inconsistent Data
error category. The system always provides the Send to Expert
pushbutton for errors of the following error
categories, even if you have set SEND_EXPERT_IF_INCONSISTENT = BLANK:
Data Collision
No Authorization
Object Is Locked (for background steps only)
Incorrect Customizing
For this reason, a user who receives error messages due to inconsistent data can only complete the work item under the following conditions:
He or she corrects the data entered.
He or she forwards the work item to an expert.
BLANK = Not visible
The Send to Expert
button is not visible and is therefore not available to the user (default setting).
Data type (Data Type
tab page, ABAP Dictionary Reference
field): Structure
HRASR00_PROCESS_MODELLING and Field
BUTTON_IS_ENABLED.
Container Definition: Export Elements
Processing Status (PROCSTATE) – Optional
You can use this element to specify that the processing status is to be transferred from the workflow step to the workflow container once the work item is completed (data flow: workflow <- Edit Form
step).
If the processing status is known in the workflow container, you can process the other workflow steps in accordance with the processing status.
Example
A workflow step for editing a form can be completed with the processing status PROCESSED or BACK.
If the work item is completed with the PROCESSED status, the next workflow step should be carried out by an HR administrator.
If the work item is completed with the BACK status, the next workflow step should be carried out by the person who initiated the process.
You model the following workflow steps depending on the processing status.
To transfer the processing status to the workflow container, you must have previously created a suitable container element in the workflow container:
For example, element = PROCSTATE
For example, name = processing status
Data type (Data Type
tab page, ABAP Dictionary Reference
field): Structure
HRASR00_PROCESS_MODELLING and Field
PROCESSING_STATUS
The processing status can have the following values:
PROCESSED
The work item was processed successfully. The user has chosen the Send
function in the view of the form application Review and Send
.
BACK
The user has chosen the Back to Author
function.
ERROR
An error occurred in executing the work item. This status is possible only if you entered B for the SEND_VARIATION element.
Note
For withdrawn processes, you no longer have to react to a processing status in the workflow. There is therefore no processing status for Withdrawn
.
Container element notify_via_e-mail - Optional
You use this container element to specify whether an e-mail notification is sent to the next agent involved in a process. If e-mail notification is set to X
= TRUE, an e-mail
is sent to the agent, advising them that there is a work item waiting to be processed. They can access the work item directly from the body of the e-mail. If it is set to _ = FALSE, no e-mail is sent; the agent can access work items to be processed in the UWL.
Container element BUSINESS_STATUS - Optional
You use this container element to specify whether the business status is visible to the user in the process browser. If business status is set to X
= TRUE, you can see the
business status for the request step. If it is set to _ = FALSE, only the processing status is displayed; the business status cannot be seen.