Workflow complexity

Thu Aug 29 11:36:56 EDT 2002

Hi Mike,

Not sure if this is anyway near what you are looking for, I would think of
creating a table(s) to represent the Excel workbook and WF for efficient
communication/tracking
between the users since the current process works and user do not want to
abondon it.
The users would access the MM01/MM02 directly from button in WI with
relevant view, a single step template
could be used.I feel this would leave the complication only in the Agent
determination/escalation part.
Just a different view.

Thanks,
Viren.

-----Original Message-----
From: Pokraka, Michael [mailto:michael.pokraka at kcc.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2002 4:35 AM
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: Workflow complexity

The current process is based on .... wait for it .... a large Excel workbook
with over 40 spreadsheets in it, which gets passed around 50-100 odd people.
Coordination is done by email/phone or just opening up the sheet (a good few
minutes over a slow WAN link) to see if the other party has done their bit
yet.
As archaic as it sounds, the whole thing is actually quite sophisticated and
cumbersome at the same time. The customer wants the same model in SAP, need
I say more... Process reengineering attempts have thus far been futile.

Cheers
Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: Zmudzin,Tomasz,VEVEY,GL-DS/DM [mailto:Tomasz.Zmudzin at nestle.com]
Sent: 29 August 2002 10:26
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: Workflow complexity

Micheal,

in our case the dependencies actually were coded in the customizing
(determine views that need to be completed NOW...)

While still admiring the complexity you describe, I wonder how the process
you describe works now. If it's that spaghetti-like now without workflow
support, how can your customer keep track of what's happening? If it's a
freshly designed one, I guess I'd still recommend to KISS -- the
dependencies are often hard to foresee and will backfire when any change is
needed. Paper (or electrons...) sometimes does not translate to reality
nicely...

Kind regards,
Tomasz

-----Original Message-----
From: Pokraka, Michael [mailto:michael.pokraka at kcc.com]
Sent: Thursday,29. August 2002 11:11
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: Workflow complexity

Thanks all for your most valuable input, and seeing as nobody mentioned
anything falling over I'll assume my stability concern is not a problem :-)
I've taken your suggestions on board and will evaluate feasibility.

Tomasz: you scenario is exactly the same - material master creation. The
issues that force most things into the main WF are dependencies: x needs to
have y completed before they can do their bit. The info the client wants is
of course nothing like the Mat. Master views - rather an agent will fill in
e.g. 6 fields across 4 views (read: develop custom screens), as well as a
LOT of custom data (including documents, spreadsheets etc.)
Another twist to the story is that customer wants to create a few materials
in one workflow, entering common data only once. Our client has a long and
unusual shopping list for this project!

Thanks again to all
Michael

-----Original Message-----
From: Griffiths, Mark [mailto:mark.griffiths at sap.com]
Sent: 29 August 2002 09:46
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: Workflow complexity

Task Groups can be really useful to simplify agent assignment for this size
of process - then you may only need to do your agent assignment 10  or 20
times rather than a few hundred.

Also if your process changes slightly and you add new tasks all you need to
do is add them to your task group and when they are transported the agent
assignment will already be there through their task group relationship.

Cheers,

Mark

SAP UK

-----Original Message-----
From: David Weston
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Sent: 28/08/02 21:25
Subject: Re: Workflow complexity

Michael, just a couple of comments:-

1. try using sub workflows if you can to reduce the no of steps if
possible
2. Can be hard to navigate and find things with hundreds of steps !!
3. The agent assignment can be very tedious and time consuming !!
4. Make use of attributes in the BOR rather than have methods as steps

Thats about all the pitfalls I found. The wf I created was printed out
and covered a whole wall (a new concept in wallpaper !! :)

Cheers
Dave

-----Original Message-----
From: SAP Workflow [mailto:Owner-SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU]On Behalf Of
Pokraka, Michael
Sent: Wednesday, August 28, 2002 2:59 PM
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Workflow complexity

Greetings all,
We are on the way to building what I've affectionately dubbed 'the
workflow
from hell'. It is quite complex and involves around 35 or so different
departments (some are plant or country-specific, thus actually even
multiplying those step by no. of plants). We're still planning, but I
can
already foresee a monster with steps numbering in the 100's once we
start
adding background tasks, deadline monitoring etc.

My request for info on this list: I'd appreciate anyone who could
provide
some feedback with making huge workflows, specifically any pitfalls,
stability issues etc. I know it will be a maintenance monster (and so
does
the client, but the client is always right :-)
Sub-workflows will be used wherever possible, but some of the branching
logic forces most of the steps into the master W/F.

Thanks
Michael

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