SRM 5.0 - Lesson Learned

[Susan R. Keohan]

All,

We are on SRM 5.0, developing custom workflows,but based on the N-step 
BADI workflows as a model.  We had copied the N-step BADI workflows to 
customer versions, and then applied changes as necessary to incorporate 
all our own routing requirements.

In the PO workflow, we noticed that on one level of approval, even if 
one of the selected agents processed the PO, the workflow log showed the 
workitem as 'forwarded'... and the workitem was still awaiting 
processing.  Some hours and hours of debugging followed, to little, or 
no avail.  Various tricks, such as using BBP_WFL_TRACE provided 
interesting, but basically useless, information.

Long story short, we overlooked a feature in the N-Step BADI workflows. 
  At the workflow definition header-level, where the container elements 
are defined, the SAP-delivered workflows have a container element 
'Subworkflow Number', with an initial value set (for example, 
WS14000145).  When we copied the workflows over, these initial values 
came along.  When we deleted this initial value, the workflow no longer 
mis-behaved.

I am sure someone with a deeper knowledge of SRM/WF can explain why this 
is so.  For now, I am just happy that the issue is resolved.

Happy WF-ing.
Sue
-- 
Susan R. Keohan
SAP Workflow Developer
MIT Lincoln Laboratory
244 Wood Street
LI-200
Lexington, MA. 02420
781-981-3561
keohan at ll.mit.edu