Definition of an Agent Determination Rule (SAP Library

Definition of an Agent Determination Rule

Use

You use this function if you want to define more rules in addition to the agent determination rules delivered by SAP.

Prerequisites

If you want to use the rule in a workflow, you must be familiar with workflow definition and with the organizational environment in which the workflow will be used. This means you are capable of determining a suitable rule category for each workflow step.

Features

When defining an agent determination rule, you specify the following:

Which information must be available so that rule resolution can be performed when the workflow is executed.

This information constitutes the rule parameters. They are defined as elements of the rule container.

The regulations in rule resolution that are used to determine the appropriate employees.

The rule resolution procedure is specified by the rule category.

Note

The rule container of all rules performed at the same time contains the export element _RULE_RESULT. After the rule has been executed, the export element contains the result. You can use binding to transfer the result to the workflow container where it can be put to further use. This is only necessary if you still need the agents responsible for the step in the further course of the workflow.

Rule Category Agent Determination: Responsibilities

When rule resolution is performed, an assignment table is evaluated in which Organizational Management objects (jobs, positions, users, organizational units) are assigned to the various versions of the rule parameters. This assignment table was explicitly created during rule definition.

For more information, see Defining Rules Using Responsibilities.

Rule Category Agent Determination: Organizational Data

When rule resolution is performed, the system evaluates SAP organizational objects, such as materials controller, planner group, shipping point, or sales office, which are maintained in the master data of an application object.

This type of rule resolution requires the use of a separate maintenance transaction independent of rule definition to create assignments between the SAP organizational objects and the organizational objects in Organizational Management (jobs, positions, users, organizational units) with which they are related.

For more information, see Defining Rules Using Organizational Data.

Rule Category Agent Determination: Function to be Executed

When rule resolution is performed, a function module is accessed that facilitates evaluations as required. The function module evaluates a table that is maintained in Customizing. The function module must adhere to a given interface, and is specified during rule definition.

For more information, see Defining Rules Using Function to be Executed.

Rule Resolution Based on Evaluation Paths

When rule resolution is performed, the system uses information that is available in Organizational Management on the basis of relationships between individual objects that are maintained in an organizational plan.

This information can be used, for example, if you need to determine the head of an organizational unit, or the remaining members of the organizational unit, starting from the initiator of the workflow.

From a technical perspective, this rule resolution is a special case of the Rule Type Agent Determination: Function to be Executed. You use the function module RH_GET_STRUCTURE. In addition, you must enter an evaluation path.

For more information, see Rule Resolution Using Evaluation Paths.

Rule Category Agent Determination: Function to be Executed Asynchronously

When performing rule resolution, the system calls an ABAB class, which allows as many evaluations as required. The ABAP class must support the interface IF_SWF_IFS_ASYNCHRONOUS_RULE. The work item is created with the initial status Ready, and has no recipient. If the rule has determined responsible agents, they are fed into the work item. The system determines the recipients, and they receive the work item in their workflow inbox.

For more information, see Defining Rules Using Function to be Executed Asynchronously.

Rule Category Agent Determination: Organization Model

This rule category is currently only used in the environment of mySAP Customer Relationship Management. For further information, see the SAP Library under BBP/CRM -> Customer Relationship Management -> Organizational Management in CRM -> Determining Organizational Data -> Rule Resolution using the Organization Model.