Workflow inbox using Outside-In Web Enabling

[R Tannert]

Walt,
 
We have had outside-in web access to our SAP systems for three years
now (3.1H initially, now 4.0B in production and 4.6C in development),
including workflow.  Our CGI programs are written in C and use Remote
Function Calls (RFCs) to access SAP.  We have both Digital UNIX and
Solaris web servers.
 
As always when you roll your own, you have to do more work, but you
gain flexibility.  At present we have only four workflows in
production, and all are for approvals (purchase requisitions,
purchase orders, invoices, access requests).  In our implementation
the user's initial view of her inbox on the web is a list of the
types of approval that await her attention, including the number of
workitems of each type.  Each approval type is a hyperlink that leads
her to a list of the corresponding workitems, where she can either
approve/reject items in the list or else proceed to a detailed
display of an individual item to perform the approval.  We allow
every user to view everyone else's web inbox (both the summary and
list views), so we don't have to worry about forwarding workitems or
substitutions.  In each individual item's page (e.g., for a purchase
req) we list the selected agents.  If the user is authorized to
perform an approval, regardless of whether she's a selected agent, we
enable that in both the list and individual-item views.  Very few of
our users even know how to get to their workflow inbox in SAPgui!
 
Don't misunderstand that I'm advocating this approach.  At the time
we began our implementation, there was no commercial solution that
was adequate to our needs, and our users' acceptance of the new
system hinged on the success of the MM workflows on the web.  As we
move to 4.6C, if we can get our Workplace license settled to
everyone's satisfaction, we will try to move to SAP-supplied web
software if at all possible.  If you have the expertise and desire,
though, the outside-in approach is not difficult and it gives you a
lot of flexibility.
 
If you'd like more information, feel free to contact me directly.
 
Rob Tannert
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
 
>I'd be interested if anyone out there that has implemented  some type of
>Workflow Inbox when using the Outside-In approach of Web enabling your
>SAP
>system.  We are looking at rolling out some ESS functions and want to
>roll out some Workflow with that however we are not interested in
>rolling out
>ITS. Any information would be appreciated.
>
>Walt McDaniel
>Sabre