Automatically replacing a workitem

[Dart, Jocelyn]

Hi All,
A couple of things to note:
 
a) Latest releases include new administrator functions to re-execute agent determination rules, or administrator forward or replace with considerably more ease. See SWI2_ADM1, SWIA for instance.
 
b) Not all inboxes reserve when the user selects the work item - the UWL is a case in point.  So as long as the user hasn't actually acted, backing out will still leave the work item available for others.
 
c) See the WAPIs - there is a WAPI to replace work items that you could use to replace previously reserved work items.
You would need to make an assumption that reserve is never used deliberately.  Alternatively you could have a report which reminds people they have reserved certain work items rather than just automatically replace them.
 
Jocelyn
 
-----Original Message-----
From: SAP Workflow [mailto:Owner-SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU] On Behalf Of de Valensart Schoenmaeckers, Patrick
Sent: Tuesday,15 June 2004 5:18 PM
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: Automatically replacing a workitem
 
 
Well, Jim, there is no much I can add to this except that I completely agree
with you!
We have quite complex business processes, with lot of exceptions, and would
be very difficult (impossible?) to build a wokflow agent determination that
sticks to the reality.
 
Let's illustrate this by a concrete example: A marketing director is
responsible for the "Event Marketing" cost center, and has five brand
managers reporting to him. The marketing director is initially the only
approver for expenses on that cost center, but he has delegated his approval
to his brand managers (for expenses up to 25.000$). That means we have an
agent determination table (could also be a rule with responsibilities) with
the following entries:
 
Cost center     MaxAmount       Agent
EventMark       999999999       DirectorMaketing
EventMark       000025000       BrandManager1
EventMark       000025000       BrandManager2
EventMark       000025000       BrandManager3
EventMark       000025000       BrandManager4
EventMark       000025000       BrandManager5
 
Now let's say an incoming invoice of $10.000 is parked and assigned to
EventMark cost center. The invoice approval workflow will determine all five
brand managers as responsible agents. And here comes the problem! The only
way to have a more precise agent determination would be to use the WBS
element on which the expense is assigned, or even in some cases the vendor
number! In both cases it would mean thousands of entries to maintain either
in a table like in my example above or in responsibilities.
 
This is why I consider a not perfect agent determination as being in fact
more pragmatic, but with that downside of users having to (but regularly
forgetting) to replace a workitem when it is not for them.
 
Any thought on the above is welcome.
 
Cheers,
 
Patrick
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Sauceman [mailto:sauceman at tennessee.edu]
Sent: Monday, June 14, 2004 7:44 PM
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: Automatically replacing a workitem
 
Patrick,
 
We have the same situation and I have searched in vain for a solution to
function as you suggest. With all due respect, I believe SAP has made some
assumptions regarding work items that are not valid in all situations.
Reality is that human beings sometimes postpone decisions for a variety of
reasons: to get more information, procrastination, the phone rings, etc.
Whatever the reason, the work item remains reserved by that agent and others
cannot access it. We need a way around this situation.
 
The act of executing the work item and then backing out should not
PERMANENTLY reserve the work item to that agent. After the agent decides to
delay his/her decision and complete the work item at a later time, it should
immediately be available to all other selected agents. In my (and others)
opinion, it should be a separate, intentional act to permanently reserve the
work item.
 
Using "Confirm end of processing" is not the answer because the user does
not want to complete the work item nor should he/she be forced to do so. In
fact, the user frequently wants his/her colleague (who is another selected
agent) to make the decision. However, because the work item is automatically
and permanently reserved, the colleague cannot see it unless the first agent
remembers to replace it -- which is rarely.
 
I believe your question like mine is whether the system can provide a way to
ONLY have the work item reserved while it is actively be accessed by an
agent. Thereafter, we want it to again be available to all selected agents.
 
Can the system be configured to act this way or can we write an ABAP report
to replace work items that are not currently being used?
 
Best regards,
 
Jim Sauceman
University of Tennessee
 
-----Original Message-----
From: SAP Workflow [mailto:Owner-SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU] On Behalf Of
Scheinoha John
Sent: Monday, June 14, 2004 12:25 PM
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: Automatically replacing a workitem
 
Patrick,
 
   We are currently using SAP 4.6C.  If you look at your workflow task
via SAP transaction PFTC, at the bottom of the Basic Data tab is an
Execution section.  There is a "Confirm end of processing" check box.
If you activate this functionality, when the user executes the work
item, then backs out of the screen (F3), a pop-up window will appear to
the user stating the work item has to be completed explicitly.  At this
point the user can press the "Complete work item" button or press the
"Cancel" button.  The "Complete Work Item" button will complete the work
item.  The "Cancel" button cancel the work item processing and return
the work item to the user's inbox.
 
   You might want to try this functionality.  We use this functionality
on some of our workflow applications.  The only word of caution I have
is some users will execute the work item, not complete it and the work
item will stay in "Committed" state.  I use SWI2_ADMIN on a daily basis
to review which work items are in a Committed state.
 
 
Hope this helps,
     John
 
 
>>> araskin at eOutlook.com 06/14/04 10:26AM >>>
My gut feeling (from the little that I know of your situation) is to
ask 'Why are users executing items and then cancelling execution?'. If
they need some info first then I suggest you create an attachment so
that the user can see what it is that they need to see before execution.
If its because they are not skilled or do not have authorisation then
perhaps you should revisit your work routing rules.
 
I am sorry for throwing more questions at you (and more importantly not
answering your original question) but it might save you more issues down
the line.
 
Alon
 
________________________________
 
From: SAP Workflow on behalf of de Valensart Schoenmaeckers, Patrick
Sent: Mon 14/06/2004 15:50
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Automatically replacing a workitem
 
 
 
Hi fellow workflowers.
 
I have several workflow steps which are using custom dialog methods.
Very
often, users are executing workitems of these workflow steps, and then
canceling execution.
This creates a lot of mess because these people usually forget to
replace
the workitem. Thus I would like to find a way to force them to do so,
but I
do not see how. I bet that just adding a piece of code in my method
wouldn't
make it, and that neither a secondary method would. Anyone has already
tried
to do that (with a certain degree of success...)?
 
Thanks and kind regards,
 
Patrick