Automatic Forwarding: What is a functional document?

[Trant, David]

Jocelyn,
 
Thanks for your explanation.  I thought I'd share my colleague's response, =
plus some additional analysis I had done, with the group in case anyone els=
e has interest in this topic.  Her response is:
 
While the explanation below for forwarding "Functional" documents makes per=
fect sense and is how I would have thought it worked, that IS NOT consisten=
t with my testing.  When I marked "forward functional documents only", I DI=
D NOT get any actual workflow work items in my Outlook.  I DID receive the =
"just mail" type of messages (one is attached so you can see it).
So, my testing result seems to be exactly opposite of what you were told.
Jan
 
My additional analysis is documented as follows:
 
I spoke with Jan this morning and got the results of her testing.  We still=
 don't know exactly what a functional document is, but after our conversati=
on I opened up a random document in my own R/3 inbox and looked at the attr=
ibutes tab.  I noticed a field called Sensitivity that has the following va=
lues available:
 
501 Standard
502 Confidential
503 Functional
 
The help on this field says:
 
Sensitivity description                                                    =
 =20
                                                                           =
 =20
Use                                                                        =
 =20
                                                                           =
 =20
    Select the sensitivity for the document.                               =
 =20
                                                                           =
 =20
Dependencies                                                               =
 =20
                                                                           =
 =20
                                                                           =
 =20
                                                                           =
 =20
    Confidential documents, distribution lists and folders are not visible =
 =20
    to substitutes who logon to your mailbox.  Your system administrator ma=
y=20
    also have specified that confidential documents cannot be sent to      =
 =20
    external addresses (for example, via fax or Internet).                 =
 =20
                                                                           =
 =20
                                                                           =
 =20
It's still somewhat clear as mud, but I think the key to observe is that a =
lot of this stuff is really geared toward true substitution, i.e. sending y=
our work to somebody else, versus simply forwarding your own work to a diff=
erent delivery system that is also owned by you.
 
Jan confirmed that "also place in inbox" has no bearing on work items.  The=
y always show up in R/3 regardless.  I believe our recommendation should ge=
nerally be that if someone is a power user, they consider not using automat=
ic forwarding at all.  If they think they still need it so they know right =
away that a critical work item has been delivered to them, then they think =
long and hard whether they expect to read non-work item documents directly =
in R/3.  If they feel comfortable that they'll read notifications in Outloo=
k and not need to view them via the workplace, then do not check "also plac=
e in inbox."  Only in the rare case where a user needs to see items in Outl=
ook, but normally uses their R/3 workplace to review e-mail documents (not =
work items) should they check this box.  For occasional users, the recommen=
dation is to use automatic forwarding, and to not check "also place in inbo=
x."  Everyone should choose the radio button "forward all documents" unless=
 we learn something later that influences this advice.
 
I've posted the question to the workflow users group as to exactly what a f=
unctional document is.  I'll forward any responses I might get.
 
David
 
If someone sees a flaw in the above or has additional information, I'd love=
 to hear it.  Otherwise, I feel comfortable that we've done enough with thi=
s one to publish a policy and move on.
 
Thanks again,
David
 
P.S.  Jocelyn:  good call on chastising me for outdated and incorrect EBP k=
nowledge.  I should have followed my gut and not responded at all without b=
eing sure of the answer :)
 
 -----Original Message-----
From:   SAP Workflow [mailto:Owner-SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU]  On Behalf Of Dar=
t, Jocelyn
Sent:   Monday, February 23, 2004 12:50 AM
To:     SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject:        Re: Automatic Forwarding:  What is a functional document?
 
Hi David,
"Functional" document =3D work item.
Otherwise they are just mails.  (Email notifications from RSWUWFML are just=
 mails too of course.)
Jocelyn
 
-----Original Message-----
From: SAP Workflow [mailto:Owner-SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU] On Behalf Of Trant=
, David
Sent: Saturday,21 February 2004 3:51 AM
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Automatic Forwarding: What is a functional document?
 
 
When you enable automatic forwarding in office settings in the business wor=
kplace, there is a checkbox to also place in inbox and radio buttons to for=
ward all documents or forward functional documents only.  The "also place i=
n inbox" checkbox does not appear to affect workflow items, as they will co=
ntinue to show up in the R/3 workplace regardless, which makes sense to me =
given that SAP needs to retain ownership of the fact that work remains to b=
e done whereas with a simple document, once it is sent, SAP does not care a=
nymore.  Where it gets confusing is toggling between forwarding all documen=
ts and functional documents only.  During tests using one of our more compl=
ex workflows, we saw a mixture of documents showing up in R/3 when the "for=
ward functional documents" button was chosen in conjunction with "also plac=
e in inbox" unchecked.  We even saw a workflow item message (the kind gener=
ated by RSWUWFML that says you have work to do ... login to SAP and do it..=
=2E.) show up in t!
he R/3 document section.  Of course, from there, trying to double-click on =
the attachment that normally launches a SAPGui session to take you to the w=
ork fails.  The SAP help, of course, basically says a functional document i=
s a document that is functional.  Can anyone give me a more useful definiti=
on?  Right now, we're just telling people to always choose "forward all doc=
uments," but it would be nice to understand the difference.
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