One possible solution (Re: Automatically replacing a workitem)
Kjetil Kilhavn
kjetilk at statoil.com
Wed Jun 16 06:30:05 EDT 2004
This is not an automatic solution. Neither a pretty or elegant solution.
But it might work as intented...
Create a new workflow with work item as the business object.
Use a program to start this new workflow for all work items which were
reserved more than X (e.g. 36 or 60) hours ago. Let the agent of the
reserved work item be the agent of the new work item.
User decision task: keep work item reserved for me; replace work item to
allow others to handle it.
Use API function to release work item.
--
Kjetil Kilhavn
|--------+-------------------------------------->
| | Koenraad Janssens |
| | <koenraad.janssens at sidmar.ar|
| | celor.com> |
| | Sent by: SAP Workflow |
| | <Owner-SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.ED|
| | U> |
| | |
| | |
| | 16.06.2004 10:21 |
| | Please respond to "SAP |
| | Workflow Users' Group" |
| | |
|--------+-------------------------------------->
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
| To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU |
| cc: (bcc: Kjetil Kilhavn) |
| Subject: Re: Automatically replacing a workitem |
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Hi Jocelyn
The problem is that we need this parameter to be set as general task... so
we can't choose forwarding not allowed. We can only try to "educate" the
people using the system.... but as you surely know changing a user's
behaviour is a very difficult task.......... (if not impossible..
sometimes)
Kind regards
Koenraad Janssens
SIDMAR N.V.
jocelyn.dart at sap.com
Sent by: Owner-SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
16/06/2004 09:44
Please respond to SAP-WUG
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
cc:
Subject: Re: Automatically replacing a workitem
Koenraad,
In 4.6D and above you can set a task to "no forwarding allowed".
Jocelyn
-----Original Message-----
From: SAP Workflow [mailto:Owner-SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU] On Behalf Of
Koenraad Janssens
Sent: Wednesday,16 June 2004 5:27 PM
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: Automatically replacing a workitem
Hi
We have a nightly background job which searches tasks for certains org.
units..... and replaces the reserved work items. (to increase throughput
times)
This is a program which uses functions like RH_MULTIPLE_OBJ_WI_SELECT (to
select WI's), checks the status and if status is reserved:
SWW_WI_ADMIN_READY.
The only problem are forwarded workitems..... these aren't traceble with
this implementation. Therefor we discourage our users to use the forward
button in their inbox. (Does anyboy know how we can disable this function
for users?)
Kind regards
Koenraad Janssens
SIDMAR N.V.
Patrick.DeValensartSchoenmaeckers at pmintl.com
Sent by: Owner-SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
15/06/2004 09:18
Please respond to SAP-WUG
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
cc:
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
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