Processing Worklists (SAP Library - Period-End Closing (CO-OM-CCA))

Processing Worklists

Use

You process worklists in the monitor of the Schedule Manager.

Navigating to the Monitor

Procedure

You can access the monitor in the following ways:

In the Schedule Manager, there are three ways of accessing the monitor from the screen Schedule Tasks for Task List: By selecting a calendar day, selecting the desired tasks in the daily overview, and then choosing Monitor daily overview in the application toolbar; by choosing the Monitor icon above the daily overview; or by double-clicking on a task in the daily overview.
From the menu of the application component. For example, to access the worklists of the Product Cost by Period component, go to the menu of Product Cost by Period and choose Period-End Closing ® Schedule Manager ® Worklist Monitor. Choose the following: Product Cost Collector or Cost Object Hierarchy. The screen Select Worklist appears.
In the selection screen, use the possible entries function for the Application field to select the application component for which you want to call up the worklist (such as Cost Object Controlling: Manufacturing Orders and Product Cost Collectors). Usually the appropriate application will already be shown as a default. Enter the additional selection criteria such as the period and fiscal year, and choose Enter. You can further restrict the selection with the icon Further selection criteria.

Result

The screen Schedule Manager: Monitor appears.

Working with the Monitor of the Schedule Manager

Using the Monitor

The monitor enables you to analyze the objects processed in a worklist and control how the objects are processed further. The focus is on the objects for which errors were issued.

Objects for which errors were issued in a processing step do not enter the next processing step.

You can analyze and correct the error, or you can instruct the system to skip processing (that is, not to process the objects in the corresponding step). Skipping processing can be appropriate for objects that have errors but whose value is negligible.

You instruct the system to skip processing by setting the processing status to skip processing. The system then processes the object in the next processing step as if it had been processed without errors in the previous step.

If the object is part of a hierarchy, this can also prevent the object from stopping the entire hierarchy from being processed.

The functions hierarchy display and hierarchy comparison provide support when you search for errors.

Example

When actual overhead rates were calculated in the period-end closing process, one production order was not processed due to faulty Customizing settings. The production order is assigned to a WBS element. When the cost accountant reviewed the objects in the monitor, he decided that the missing overhead is insignificant and can be disregarded, since the effort involved in finding and correcting the error would be out of proportion to the amount in question. The faulty production order should therefore be included in results analysis for the WBS element. To prevent the entire project to which the production order is assigned from being excluded from processing, the accountant sets the processing status of the production order for the step overhead to Skip processing.

On the other hand, it may sometimes be necessary to process an object again even though it has been processed without error. You do this by setting the status Repeat processing. This can be appropriate in cases where incorrect Customizing settings have resulted in improper values. The processing steps only recognize errors that are indicated as errors in the monitor. However, an object can be faulty in a business sense without necessarily generating an error message.

Such errors can only be found by checking the results by hand.

In the flow definition, you can specify that a manual check (usually by the cost accountant) should take place after certain processing steps.

To force renewed processing of the object after correcting the error (in our example, this would involve selecting another results analysis method in Customizing), you change the processing status to Repeat processing.

Example

Suppose you want to calculate results analysis data for a WBS element. In Customizing, you selected a results analysis method that causes unrealized profits to flow into inventory valuation. However, you don’t want unrealized profits to be inventoried.

It may also be necessary to force an object to be processed due to the fact that postings which debited an object after period-end closing made the period-end closing data obsolete.

Example

Suppose you have performed period-end closing for a production order. All processing steps of the production order were performed without error. The production order is then debited with additional costs that must be accounted for in period-end closing. You must therefore force the system to repeat the processing steps for the production order. In this case, you only need to force a repeat of the first processing step of the sequence. The production order is automatically included in all subsequent processing steps.

The monitor of the Schedule Manager is divided into three screen areas:

Structure tree with worklists/processing steps/jobs
Object list
Message list (you have the choice between object messages, step messages, and messages of the originating objects)

Structure of the Monitor

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text

Different functions are available in each screen area. These functions are described in the Procedure section below.

Procedure

Displaying Objects for One or More Processing Steps

You want to view the processed objects for one or more processing steps.

Note

In the object list, you can choose to view all processed objects or only the objects with errors, for example, for one or more processing steps. Since the worklist’s primary function is to assist you in analyzing the objects with errors, you should limit yourself to viewing only the objects that have errors. If you choose to view all processed objects, this will reduce system performance.

With the default settings of the standard system, objects with the following processing statuses are displayed:

Flagged for postprocessing
Processing forced manually
Error
Followup error
Hierarchy error
Minor error

For detailed information on the processing statuses updated for the objects, see the following section: Processing Status for Objects.

To view the objects, proceed as follows in the structure tree worklists/processing steps/jobs:

Double-click on a processing step in the structure tree with worklists/processing steps/jobs to generate the object list for that processing step. If there are any messages that refer to the processing step as a whole (rather than to specific objects), they are displayed in the message list.

Double-click on a worklist in the structure tree with worklists/processing steps/jobs to generate the object list for all processing steps. If there are any messages for the worklist, they are shown in the message list.

You can also select the processing steps with the context menu. Proceed as follows:

a) To display all processing steps for the objects in a worklist:

Select a worklist with the right mouse button and choose Object list - All steps in the context menu. The object list for the worklist is generated.

Note

The object list can display up to ten processing steps. If there are more than ten steps, the dialog box Select Processing Steps appears, in which you can select a maximum of ten steps.

a) To display individual processing steps for the objects in a worklist:

If you don’t want to see all processing steps for a worklist, select a worklist with the right mouse button and choose Object list - Select steps in the context menu. The dialog box Select Processing Steps appears, in which you can select a maximum of ten steps.

Note

When you process worklists for manufacturing orders, the object list has a column for the material number. The material shown in this column is usually the material that is manufactured with the order shown in that row.

In joint production, the column shows the following:

For the order header (i.e., for the object "ORD order"):

If a process material is being used, the process material is shown.
Otherwise the leading co-product is shown. The leading co-product is the co-product shown in the first order item.

For the order item (i.e., for the object "OIT order item"), the material produced with that order item is shown.

Displaying the Processing Status for Each Object and Processing Step

The object list shows the processing status for each object and processing step. A column is displayed in the object list for each processing step selected in the structure tree worklists/processing steps/jobs. This column shows the processing status of each object. The processing statuses are represented as icons. If you want to know which processing status is assigned to which icon, then click on the corresponding Legend icon above the object list. The screen Processing Status: Icon Legend appears. The This graphic is explained in the accompanying text icon in the dialog box provides explanations of the processing statuses.

For detailed information on processing statuses, including examples, see the following section: Processing Status for Objects

Filtering Objects

You can also display objects of other processing statuses through a status filter. To do so, click on the filter icon (Objects: Set status filter) above the object list. Select the relevant processing status and press Enter. All objects that have the corresponding processing status are displayed in the object list.

You can also filter objects according to criteria other than the processing status (function of the ABAP List Viewer).

Deciding Whether to Process Objects Further

You now have a list of objects. These are normally the objects with errors. You must decide whether to continue processing these objects. You have the following options:

You correct the errors.
You instruct the system to continue processing the objects even though you have not corrected the errors. This is appropriate for objects whose value is insignificant.

Reports on the objects are available to help you reach a decision.

Executing Reports

Reports can help you determine the following:

Whether the value of the object is negligible

In this case, you instruct the system not to process the object. Otherwise, you correct the error.

Whether the values calculated for an object are acceptable in a business sense. You may also want to do this for objects that were processed without error (processing status OK).

If this is not the case, then once you have corrected the problem (the error may have been caused by faulty Customizing settings), you can force further processing. You can also assign further reports with the function report assignment (if supported).

To view a report on an object, position the cursor on the object in the object list and click on the Execute report icon above the object list. Then enter the required parameters and select the report you want to see (only for projects; production orders do not allow reports to be selected). On the basis of the data in the report, you can now decide how the object is to be handled.

To analyze the error for the objects with the processing status Error, look at the messages for the object and processing step.

Messages for One or More Objects

To see the messages that were issued for one or more objects:

1. Select the objects.

In the object list, select an object by positioning the cursor on the object, holding down the left mouse button, and pressing the Ctrl key on the keyboard. Continue to select further objects in the same way.

2. View the messages.

To see the messages for the selected objects, click the Display object messages icon above the object list. You can also display the messages for one line of the object list by double-clicking on the line.

In the pull-down menu of the Display object messages icon above the object list, you can choose between the following types of messages:

Object messages

Step messages

Messages of originating objects

The object messages appear in the message list.

3. View the long text of the messages.

To analyze the error, you will normally need to look at the long text of the message. To see the long text, double-click on the message in the message list.

Step-Specific Messages (Messages Without Reference to a Specific Object)

To see the messages for a particular processing step, go to the object list and choose the drop-down menu of the Display object messages icon, and then choose Display step messages. The step-specific messages are displayed in the message list.

Messages of Originating Objects

You should look at the messages of the originating objects particularly when you want to analyze objects with the processing status Followup error.

Skipping Processing Manually

You have decided to have the system skip a processing step for one or more objects.

In the object list, select the step statuses that you want to change. Click the icon Set processing status.

If you select the status Skip processing, the system changes the processing status to Skipped manually. The object is not included in this processing step during the next execution of the processing step sequence. The object enters the subsequent processing step as if it had been processed without errors.

Forcing Processing Manually

There are two ways to force the system to reprocess objects:

Position your cursor in the object list and press the right mouse button. In the context menu, choose Repeat processing. The system changes the processing status to Postprocessing forced manually. The next time the processing step sequence is performed, the object is included in that processing step and in all subsequent processing steps.

You can also force the system to process objects by selecting the objects and clicking the icon Set processing status (icon in the object list) and choosing Repeat processing. You can select multiple objects at the same time with the following methods:

To select an entire column, click on the column header.
To select individual columns, lines, or cells, hold down the Ctrl key and click.

The system changes the processing status to Postprocessing forced manually. The next time the processing step sequence is performed, the object is included in that processing step and in all subsequent processing steps.

Editing Master Data

From the object list, you can access master data maintenance for the object. To do so, position your cursor on the relevant object and click on the Edit master data icon above the object list. The system starts a new session. You are now in the change mode of the relevant object. You can close the session by going back (green arrow).

Example

The error message Maintain the settlement rule of the sender is issued for a production order for the processing step Settlement. To maintain the settlement rule, call up the production order.

Display as Hierarchy

In the hierarchy view, the objects are displayed according to their hierarchical relationship to each other.

Select one or more objects in the object list and choose Display as hierarchy. The screen Object list - hierarchy view appears. In the hierarchy view, the object or objects you branched from are selected.

Expand the object hierarchy. This provides a quick overview of the relationships between the faulty objects. You can process objects to which a particularly large number of faulty objects are assigned.

To go back to the object list from the hierarchy, choose Back to object list.

Note

In the object list hierarchy view screen, you can only change the processing status of individual objects. Mass changes to the processing status of the objects is only possible in the object list.

In addition, a requirement for the display hierarchy function is that the objects have hierarchy information in the worklist. This is the case in the Project System and for cost object hierarchies.

Hierarchy Comparison

Objects that have hierarchy information (such as projects and cost object hierarchies) can be compared with each other using the hierarchy comparison function. This allows you to more efficiently find errors that are due to differences in the values of two periods. Comparing the data of two periods is particularly useful because the items and values of the objects in the hierarchy can change between periods.

In the project system, it is also possible to compare two versions of an original structure. The changes that were made to the version are shown in a separate window.

Before you start the comparison, you specify which two data structures you want to compare. You define one of the two structures as the original structure and the other as the version. During the comparison, the two structures are represented in the form of a hierarchical structure tree in a separate screen area. You can compare individual objects, subhierarchies, or the two complete structures. The results of the comparison are grouped into different categories:

New objects (which objects were added to the version?)
Changed objects (which object attributes were changed, and how?)
Nonexistent objects (which objects do not exist or were deleted?)
Hierarchy position of changed objects (which objects changed their position in the hierarchy?)

For detailed information on the hierarchy comparison, see the documentation under:

Logistics ® Project System ® Collaborative Engineering and Project Management ® Monitoring ® Comparing Two Folders

The Schedule Manager only supports the comparison function; synchronization is not possible.

Sending Objects

Select one or more objects in the object list and choose the Send icon above the object list. To receive a log of the transmission, choose Send log. If you choose Send to agent, the person responsible for the object receives a mail in his or her inbox (Office ® Workplace ® Inbox) with information on the required change. From this mail, you can access the screen Schedule Manager: Monitor which displays only the sent objects. Note that the filter function in the icons of the object list (Objects: Set Status Filter) is not available when you access the monitor through your office inbox.

Note

To be able to use the function for sending objects, the following settings must be made in each client:

Choose Tools ® Business Workflow ® Development ® Definition Tools ® Tasks/Task Groups ® Change.
Select task type Workflow template and enter task 20001060 (SCMA_WL_DISP). The screen Workflow Template: Change appears.
Select the tab Triggering events. Activate the event linkage by clicking the icon Event linkage active in the first column. The light symbol changes to green.
Save the data.

If no agent can be determined for the object, the dialog box Entry of Responsible Agent appears, in which you can specify the user responsible for further processing.

The object list contains the field Agent ID next to the existing column headers. This field shows the agent responsible for the object. The agent can be an R/3 user or a node in the organization plan.

On the basis of the organizational data of the objects (such as the plant, company code, and so on), you can specify criteria for each object type that are used to determine the agent.

You specify the agents responsible for the objects under:

Schedule Manager ® Extras ® Settings for worklist ® Maintain responsibilities for objects.

For detailed information on maintaining responsibilities, refer to the SAP Library under:

Human Resources ® Personnel Management ® Organizational Management ® Integration with SAP Business Workflow ® Role Resolution ® Role Definition ® Define Roles Using Responsibilities

Define Roles Using Responsibilities

Flagging Checked Objects

You can flag objects to indicate that you have checked them.

To do this, either select the check box Object checked directly, or select one or more objects and click the icon Change "checked" indicators and then in the pull-down menu:

Select indicators: selects the check boxes for the selected objects

Deselect indicators: deselects the check boxes for the selected objects

Toggle checked <-> not checked: Toggles the status for the selected objects

The indicators are only visual and have no effect on processing.

Displaying Other Worklists

To display other worklists, click the Other worklist icon at the top of the screen. The enter the required data and choose Enter. This function is only available when you access the Schedule Manager through the application components. When you access the Schedule Manager through a mail in your Office inbox, this function is not available.

Triggering Reprocessing of the Worklist
Prerequisites

Before you trigger reprocessing of the worklist, you must have done the following:

Corrected the errors of the faulty objects, or instructed the system to skip processing for those objects
Forced reprocessing of objects that are faulty in a business sense

Procedure

To trigger reprocessing, access the mail that was sent to you through the workflow. Start reprocessing from this mail.

Result

The following objects are processed:

Objects that had errors in the previous execution of the processing step sequence and whose errors have been corrected

These objects are processed starting with the processing step in which the error occurred.

Objects that had errors in the previous execution of the processing step sequence and for which the processing status Skip processing was set

These objects are processed starting with the processing step following the processing step for which the status Skip processing was set.

Objects that received the status Postprocessing forced manually

These objects are processed starting with the processing step for which the status Postprocessing forced manually was set.

See also:

Many of the icons displayed above the individual screen areas support the standard functions of the ABAP List Viewer (ALV). These icons are not explicitly explained here. The same applies to the standard ALV functions in the context menu (right mouse button). For information on the ALV, refer to the SAP Library under Cross-Application Components (CA) -> General Application Functions -> ABAP List Viewer, or under: Functions of the ABAP List Viewer