Questions re MAPI elimination and WF Substitutions

[Martinek, Jerry]

Does anyone have PRODUCTION experiences with eliminating MAPI from the
delivery of WIs to the selected agent(s) Outlook Inbox? Especially when the
WF approval process utilizes background approval steps.
 
Has anyone built and currently is using in production a non-SAP solution to
manage WF substitutions? The idea is that this custom front-end could then
be used by a support/admin/secretary to define the required, temporary WF
substitutions. The non-SAP solution could be an Outlook form or a WEB
(outside in) page.
 
Constraint - Must use Outlook Inbox for all SAP Mail/Notifications and WI
deliveries.
System: - SAP 46C and 46D Windows GUI. Occasional users use the HTML Gui.
BO: - heavily customized BUS2105
 
We have a production WEB based Purchase Requisition mini application (i.e.
create/monitor and approve). Its successful rollout and corporate acceptance
is based on solving a number of annoying issues. Based on our experience to
date, the issues are MAPI and planned and unplanned absences.
 
First, with MAPI we encounter ongoing support issues that are either related
to training, PC literacy, and experience, SAP GUI for Windows, etc...  The
original selling features/benefits are not being realized.
 
Second, WF substitution is a difficult process to sell to the approvers and
therefore requires ongoing support activities. The approvers either can't
remember how to do it because they don't do it on a regular basis (i.e.
occasional users), forget, intimidated by SAP Workplace, takes too long or
don't use SAP. Again, the original selling features/benefits are not being
realized.
 
At this point, the most obvious solution to eliminating MAPI from the
process is to add a WEB based delivery solution for the delivery of
notifications and WIs to the agent(s).
 
To date we have learned that you can use either RSWUWFML or imbed a URL in a
task description that is then sent to the user which would then launch our
customized WEB approval transaction.
 
The main problem with the non-WI notification approach is our customized
background approval process. We would end up sending approval notifications
to the selected agent(s) for each background approval step that the system
processed on their behalf.
The description for note 131795 (RSWUWFML) mentions a number of points that
don't really answer our concerns. The key to the success of this program
solving our problem is whether it can exclude the Wis that were delivered
the last time the program ran?
 
Is anyone using either of the two mentioned options? If yes, what types of
issues have you encountered?
 
The members of this group have been asking lots of questions about WF
substitutions and mail autoforwarding. To date, I haven't seen a note
regarding a customized front-end to manage the process from outside of SAP
by other users (i.e. secretaries, clerks or admin staff).
I know that some of this could be managed by HR functionality but at this
point it's a black box solution. Furthermore, the HR group is not in a
position to support us in our timeline.
 
Has anyone used this approach to manage the WF substitutions? If yes, what
types of issues have you encountered?
 
Thank you in advance
Jerry Martinek
ICBC SAP Competency Center
 
 
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