Show TOC

Background documentationSet Up the Rule-Based Workflow

 

MDG for material uses advanced workflow capabilities by combining the SAP Business Workflow with the SAP Business Rule Framework plus (BRFplus) tool. This section describes how to activate and load the necessary settings for BRFplus.

Check that the steps for Rule-Based Workflow are imported by the BC-Set by running the following activity in Customizing: Start of the navigation path General Settings Next navigation step Process Modeling Next navigation step Workflow Next navigation step Rule-based Workflow Next navigation step Define Change Request Steps for Rule-Based Workflow End of the navigation path.

The following are the default steps required for all change request types. This table shows an example for the MAT01 change request type:

Type of Change Request

Change Request Step

Keys

Successful Validation Required

Description

MAT01

0

Empty

Empty

Processing

MAT01

90

Empty

Checked

Final Check

MAT01

91

Empty

Empty

Activation

MAT01

92

Empty

Empty

Revision/Cancel BG

MAT01

93

Empty

Empty

Validation

MAT01

95

Empty

Empty

Revision Processing

MAT01

99

Empty

Empty

Complete

Due to technical restrictions further settings cannot be included in the BC-sets. Perform the following checks and take action as required:

  1. Check for existing decisions tables and generate the decision tables and rules for each change request type either in Customizing or by running the system transaction USMD_SSW_RULE. If this step is not possible, go to step 2, otherwise go to step 3.

  2. Export the content from client 000 and import it into your hub client.

  3. Maintain your content in the decision tables, reflecting your governance process. You can use the pre-delivered SAP content as a starting point.

More detail on these steps is available below.

To activate and load the necessary settings for BRFplus proceed as follows:

  1. Check for existing decisions tables and generate the decision tables and rules for each change request type in Customizing underStart of the navigation path General Settings Next navigation step Process Modelling Next navigation step Workflow Next navigation step Rule-Based Workflow Next navigation step Configure Rule-Based Workflow End of the navigation path

    Enter the change request types one after the other and choose the Continue button. After reviewing the decision tables you can leave this step without any further activities. If you get an error that the object is not available, proceed to the next step, otherwise skip to step 3. You can also makes these settings using the transaction USMD_SSW_RULE.

  2. Export the content from client 000 and import it into your hub client.

    1. Call transaction BRFplus in the 000 client.

    2. Choose the Personalise button and then choose Expert from the drop-down menu in the User Mode field or activate the flag Show Technical Aspects on the General tab.

    3. Search for the object USMD_SSW_CATA_MAT01 using the Workbench menu by choosing Open Object. Use the following values to search:

      • Object Type CA: Catalog

      • Name: USMD_SSW_CATA_MAT*

    4. From the search result select USMD_SSW_CATA_MAT01

    5. To export the content from client 000, select the application in the repository (not the catalog entry) then choose Start of the navigation path Tools Next navigation step XML Export End of the navigation path.

      Select the object and then select Export XML for Entire Application from the Export XMLmenu. Generate the XML file and download it. You can ignore the warnings on missing values not in the value list. The file size of each XML file should be approximately 101kb. The system may require you to assign the import to a transport.

    6. To Import the content into your MDG main client run the BRFplus transaction, from the Tools menu choose XML Import, select your XML file, and choose Upload File.

    7. Repeat these steps for all relevant change request types.

    The structure import will also include the values in the three pre-delivered decision tables. For testing the standard workflow configuration you need to copy and activate the two entries in the DT_USR_AGT_GRP_MATXX from user ANZEIGER to one or two existing user IDs in your system.

    Note Note

    For the change request types for Multiple-Record Processing there are no BRFplus decision tables delivered. You can use the Export To Excel and Import From Excel functions in BRFplus to copy the decision tables from other change request types.

    End of the note.

  3. Maintain your content in the decision tables, reflecting your governance process. You can use the pre-delivered SAP content as a starting point.

    Note Note

    If you extend the BRFplus decision tables make sure that the status of the final step is set to 05 Final Check Approved or 06 Final Check Rejected.

    End of the note.

    The following are the minimal settings for the relevant change request types.

    • DT_SINGLE_VAL_MAT01

    • DT_NON_USER_AGT_GRP_MAT01

    • DT_USER_AGT_GRP_MAT01

    DT_NON_USER_AGT_GRP_MAT01 and DT_SINGLE_VAL_MAT01 contain the automated steps and follow-up logic used by the BRFplus. The follow-up logic can either result in an automated step or in a user task that will be made visible as a workflow.

    The users involved in the Master Data Governance process need to be included in table DT_USER_AGT_GRP_MAT01 so that they can receive and execute the workflow tasks. Maintain agents (for example the users or organizations in the Portal Content and Portal Role Assignment sections of this document) for all change request types and their associated workflow steps. Each condition alias that appears in the DT_SINGLE_VAL_MAT01 table needs at least one processor, either automatic or user (group). Therefore, for all non-automated steps at least one entry needs to exist in DT_USER_AGT_GRP_MAT01.

    Conduct this maintenance for all relevant change request types. Further details on the workflow concepts can be found here. The following change request types appear in the standard delivery: MAT01, MAT02, MAT06, MAT0A, MAT0B, MATLMRP, MATLPUR, MATLSAL, MATLUOM, MATMRP, MATPUR, MATSAL, MATUOM.

    The following step types are pre-delivered by SAP:

    Step Type

    Short Description

    Actions

    1

    Check Change Request

    01 Agree; 02 Disagree

    2

    Approve Change Request

    03 Approve; 04 Reject

    3

    Process Change Request

    05 Finalize Processing; 06 Send for Revision

    4

    Revise Change Request

    07 Resubmit; 08 Withdraw

    5

    Activate Change Request

    09 Activate; 10 Send for Revision

    6

    Approve Change Request (Without Rejection)

    03 Approve; 06 Send for Revision

    7

    Revise Change Request (Without Rejection)

    05 Finalize Processing

    8

    Activate Change Request

    09 Activate; 04 Reject

    The following agent types exist:

    User Agent Type

    Short Description

    US

    User

    O

    Organizational Unit

    C

    Job

    S

    Position

    AG

    Role

    SU

    Special User (Value for requestor: INIT. Value for previous-step user: LAST.)

    The following is the standard content pre-delivered by SAP:

    DT_SINGLE_VAL_MAT01/2/6/A/B

    Previous Step

    Previous Action

    Condition Alias

    New Step

    New Change Request Status

    00 (Create Change Request)

    No value

    1

    90 (Final Check)

    02 (Changes to be executed)

    90 (Final Check)

    09 (Activate)

    2

    91 (Final Approval)

    02 (Changes to be executed)

    90 (Final Check)

    04 (Reject)

    3

    95 (Revision Processing)

    10 (To Revise: Perform Changes)

    91 (Final Approval)

    31 (Activation Successful)

    4

    99 (Complete)

    05 (Final Check Approved)

    91 (Final Approval)

    <>31 (Activation Successful)

    5

    90 (Final Check)

    11 (Process Errors After Activation)

    92 (Revision/Cancel BG)

    No value

    6

    99 (Complete)

    06 (Final Check Rejected)

    95 (Revision Processing)

    07 (Request Again)

    7

    90 (Final Check)

    02 (Changes to be executed)

    95 (Revision Processing)

    08 (Withdraw)

    8

    92 (Revision/Cancel BG)

    02 (Changes to be executed)

    DT_USER_AGT_GRP_MAT01/2/6/A/B

    COND_ALIAS

    AGENT_GROUP

    STEP_TYPE

    USER_TYPE

    USER_VALUE

    1;5;7

    001

    8 (Activate Change Request)

    US

    ANZEIGER

    3

    001

    4 (Revise)

    US

    ANZEIGER

    DT_NON_USER_AGT_GRP_MAT01/2/6/A/B

    COND_ALIAS

    AGENT_GROUP

    PROCESS_PATTERN

    2

    001

    06 (Activation (Bypass Snapshot))

    4;6

    001

    99 (Complete (Sub-)Workflow)

    8

    001

    08 (Roll back change request)

    Notes

    • It is necessary to activate your new entries for each of the three decision tables.

    • The quickest way to allow users to participate in any workflow step for testing purposes is to copy the two default entries in the DT_USER_AGT_GRP_MAT01/2/6/A tables and change the entries as follows:

      • User Type: AG (Role)

      • User Value: SAP_MDGM_MENU_06 (The MDGM role of PFCG/SU01)

    • If the system cannot find a processor for your change requests check the background steps of the change requests workflow log to see if a work item with the description Set Status x for Change Request y is in process or in error. If this is the case regenerate the authorization profile of SAP_ALL or include USMD* authorization objects into the authorization for the user WF-Batch.

    • Choosing the process pattern 06 Activation (Bypass Snapshot) means that the material will be activated, even if the material record was changed in the backend system since the change request was created. Any backend changes are lost upon activation.