Function documentationProcess-Controlled Workflows Locate this document in the navigation structure

 

In SAP Supplier Relationship Management (SAP SRM), you use process-controlled workflows to model and carry out approval processes for purchasing documents, such as shopping carts. Workflows provide easy and flexible implementation of approval processes. Approval processes typically run on several process levels. Throughout these process levels, a document can require different kinds of checks and can involve agents with different roles, for example:

  • A purchaser must complete a document lacking important information.

  • A specialist must check and approve technical or other product-related information in the document.

  • A manager must give financial approval, for example, if a shopping cart exceeds an employee's individual spending limit.

Responsibility for approving the items of a document can be distributed among several agents. However, at each process level, all items of the document must be decided upon. Therefore, the next process level cannot start until all agents have processed their respective items.

Users can only make decisions in an approval process if they have received a workflow work item in their Universal Worklist (UWL). If there is more than one responsible agent for the items of a document on one process level, each agent receives a workflow work item. As soon as one of them accesses his or her work item, the document is locked for other users.

Process-controlled workflows are available for the following business objects:

  • Shopping cart

  • Purchase order

  • Contract

  • RFx

  • Quote

  • Invoice

  • Confirmation

Note Note

Purchase order responses do not use the process-controlled workflow framework. Instead, the process logic is hard-coded. For more information, see Approval Workflow for Purchase Order Responses.

End of the note.

Integration

This function is used in the following business scenarios:

  • Self-Service Procurement

  • Plan-Driven Procurement

  • Service Procurement

  • Sourcing

  • Contract Management

The process-controlled workflow uses the following SAP NetWeaver technologies:

  • SAP Business Workflow

    The SAP Business Workflow provides workflow templates that drive and control the approval process. The SAP Business Workflow also creates the work items that are displayed in the responsible agent's UWL.

    For more information about SAP Business Workflow, see the related documentation for SAP NetWeaver 7.0 on SAP Help Portal at   http://help.sap.com   SAP NetWeaver Library   SAP NetWeaver by Key Capability   Application Platform by Key Capability   Business Services   SAP Business Workflow  .

  • SAP Business Rule Framework (BRF)

    You use the BRF to define triggering events and expressions that serve as start conditions for the different process levels.

    You define expressions in the BRF at design time. Expressions return a result; for example, the shopping cart limit or the total shopping cart amount. At runtime, by using these expressions, the system checks whether or not a predefined process level must be activated. For example, the system checks whether a shopping cart limit has been exceeded.

    For more information about the BRF, see SAP Help Portal at   http://help.sap.com   SAP ERP Central Component   Cross-Application Services   Business Rule Framework (BRF)   .

    Note Note

    You define settings for the SAP Business Workflow, BRF, and process-controlled workflows in SAP Solution Manager under   <project name>   Configuration   SAP SRM <release>   Basic Settings for SAP SRM   Cross-Application Settings   Business Workflow   Process-Controlled Workflow  .

    End of the note.

  • Universal Worklist (UWL)

    The UWL in the SAP NetWeaver Portal is used for delivering workflow work items to the responsible agents. From the UWL, the responsible agent can navigate directly to the application in which the task can be completed. In addition, you can use the Approve or Reject pushbuttons provided by the UWL to approve or reject a document immediately.

    Alternatively, users can access their work items directly from the document. When they open a document using the personal object worklist (POWL), the Show My Tasks button is available. Choosing the button opens a popup that displays the user’s current work items for this document.

Features

Simple Configuration at Design Time

  • Simple options for implementing complex business processes, for example, with the help of the BRF.

  • Predefined standard process level types:

    • Approval with completion

    • Approval

    • Automatic

  • Generic set of SAP Business Workflow templates, on which all processes are based:

    • Main SRM Approval Process Template (WS40000014)

    • Process Level Control (WS40000015)

    • Completion Subworkflow (WS40000017)

    • Approval Subworkflow (WS40000016)

Flexible Adaptation at Runtime

  • Adding ad hoc agents

  • Adding ad hoc reviewers

  • Forwarding work items

  • Assigning substitutes

  • Using the back-and-forth function

For more information, see Approval Workflow Features.

Approval Process Overview

An approval process overview is available for all users involved in the approval process. The process overview gives the following information:

  • History of the document: all completed process levels and any restart of the process

  • Current status of the document: all work items at the current process level

  • Forecast of further required decision steps

The approval process overview shows all work items that have been created for a process level.

Decision Sets

Responsibility for the items of a document can be distributed among several agents. The items are grouped according to the area of responsibility to which they are assigned. Each group of items represents one decision set. A work item is created for each decision set so that the responsible agents can approve or reject their respective items. For more information, see Decision Sets.