EBP Shopping Cart goes to all users when SLAPPROVER value is bad

[Dart, Jocelyn]

Hi David,
There has been some work done to prevent this - as per OSS note 491804.
If 491804 is not handling all occurrences then report it back to OSS and get them
to fix it.  I would consider the situation you have described as a bug - under no circumstances should
a failed agent determination result in an email to all possible agents.
 
There has been a continual improvement in this area but the determination
procedures are complex so developers need this sort of feedback when things go wrong.
 
It is also possible to improve the robustness of the SLAPPROVER attribute by setting up
appropriate search helps and validation, so it would be worthwhile suggesting this be done also.
 
This has not yet been done in SRM 3.0 (EBP 4.0).
 
If you want to do something in the meantime, I notice that in table T77OMATTR
there is an opportunity to include a check function module.  Not sure if this exists
in your version but it does actually let you validate the attribute according to your own rules.
 
You can change table T77OMATTR - just use transaction SM30 - e.g. to add custom attributes or
checks - just be careful not to lose the standard SRM attributes or their settings.
 
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: SAP Workflow [mailto:Owner-SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU] On Behalf Of Trant, David
Sent: Thursday,8 January 2004 8:01 AM
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: EBP Shopping Cart goes to all users when SLAPPROVER value is bad
 
 
Happy New Year!
 
Twice in one week, during the holidays of course, we had an approval task and corresponding Outlook e-mail notification go to all EBP users, including naturally the executives and CEO.  We had a similar problem last summer due to a problem with the product category, and at that time implemented note 491804, EBP Shopping cart goes to all possible agents.  Our hope had been that the note would have addressed all occurrences, but clearly it does not cover problems with SLAPPROVER.  We are on EBP release 3.0.  In one case, the administrator mistyped the value of the SLAPPROVER extended attribute for someone in the GUI transaction PPOCA_BBP.  In the second occurrence, someone left the company and the administrator changed the SLAPPROVER value at a high level in the hierarchy, but did not realize that one particular user within that organization for some reason had her own SLAPPROVER value rather than inheriting it from the higher level.  In both examples, agent determination failed!
, and therefore the task went to all possible agents, which meant everyone since it's a general task.
 
Is anyone aware of a note other than 491804 to address this issue?  Also, does anyone know whether future EBP releases might add more robustness to either the SLAPPROVER/user maintenance process, or further address the issue of agent determination failures with general tasks?  Some attributes have search helps and consistency checks (indeed, sometimes you must use the search help in order to associate the correct GUID), but in 3.0 SLAPPROVER has neither.  Our administrator has remarked that it is possible to type one name in the browser user maintenance transaction and another in the GUI org structure maintenance.
 
Just an editorial comment:  my management has stated repeatedly that under no circumstances do they ever want a task going to all users.  They understand the idea of sending tasks to all possible agents upon agent determination failure, but do not believe that should extend to general tasks.  I'm aware of the checkbox on role/rule definitions to err out when agent determination fails, but this doesn't cover all scenarios.  I'd be happy to hear of anyone else's ideas on preventing these mass task deliveries at a global level.
 
Thanks,
David
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