Excluded Agent is the only Selected Agent

[Dart, Jocelyn]

Hi Jim,
The excluded agent feature is working correctly - it literally means
anyone on that list CANNOT execute that work item even if they were
determined via a rule or agent assignment to the task.  So in your scenario
that leaves no-one to execute the work item so the work item is effectively
orphaned waiting for the administrator to find a proper person to execute
the work item.
 
Workflow ensures a process happens as designed.  So not being able to find
someone to perform a step doesn't in any way imply that the step should not
be performed, only that there is a problem in finding the correct agent.
Otherwise, when you really couldn't find an agent, everything would go
through to approved without anyone actually seeing it!
 
If you want to use an implied execution, then you need to set a proper test
for this, e.g.
1. Get who executed the first work item from the _WORKITEM.EXECUTEDBY... attribute
of that work item and put it in a workflow container.
2. Calculate who is going to perform the next step, e.g. using a background
task/method running RH_GET_ACTORS against your rule.
3. Use e.g. a condition step to test if your first work item agent is in the list returned by your background task and skip the execution of the second work item
if so.
 
This is a technique I've used several times in EBP where we use adhoc agent
assignment to calculate the agents in advance, but you can do the same in any
SAP release provided you set up a way to calculate the agents in advance.
 
Regards,
        Jocelyn Dart
Consultant (SRM, EBP, Workflow)
and co-author of the book
"Practical Workflow for SAP"
SAP Australia
email: jocelyn.dart at sap.com
phone: +61 412 390 267
fax:   +61 2 9935 4880
 
 
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Soady, Phil
Sent: Monday, 18 November 2002 5:36 PM
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: Excluded Agent is the only Selected Agent
 
 
Hi Jim,
 
Exclusion is aimed at preventing the wrong/invalid person executing an item.
Ie the initiator should not approve their own documents.
 
If you can determine that someone has already approved an Object/Document.
Then either just remove them via ROLE Resolution function from the list of selected
agents, or if appropriate treat the document as "approved" and move on.
 
Perhaps the workflow should never have been created ?
 
hth
 
Phil Soady
Senior Consultant
Business Technologies
SAP Australia
* : 0412 213 079
* : phil.soady at sap.com
 
 
 
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Zmudzin,Tomasz,VEVEY,GL-DS/DM [mailto:Tomasz.Zmudzin at nestle.com]
Sent: Monday, 18 November 2002 5:30 PM
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: Excluded Agent is the only Selected Agent
 
 
Technically: have the agent determination performed in a separate step (background task), then skip if no-one found.
 
Business-wise: is the skipping the desired solution? [it could be, but I have to ask :-) ]
 
Kind regards,
Tomasz
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Sauceman [mailto:sauceman at tennessee.edu]
Sent: Friday,15. November 2002 17:08
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Excluded Agent is the only Selected Agent
 
 
I have a problem with my use of the Excluded Agent feature. Our accounting transactions (Parked Documents - FIPP Object) are routed for release/approval first to the appropriate Department Head (via a Workflow Standard Role) and then to the appropriate Dean (again via a Workflow Standard Role). If
the Dean is the Acting Department Head and has already approved the transaction, I do not want him/her to have to approve it again. Therefore, I thought by declaring all previous approvers as Excluded Agents, the work item would not be created or would be created and go away. However, when the only
Selected Agent is an Excluded Agent, the work item seems to hang; it never goes to any agent nor does the workflow continue. I would prefer it to be marked "Complete" and the workflow continue to the next step or be skipped altogether. What is the best way to accomplish this?
 
Thanks in advance,
 
Jim Sauceman ......................  <mailto:sauceman at tennessee.edu> sauceman at tennessee.edu University of Tennessee ........... Voice: (865) 974-2448 OIT Computer System Services ...... Fax: (865) 974-4810 Manager of Campus Database Administration Project IRIS Workflow Team Leader