UWL Substitution Maintenance

Fri May 15 11:25:57 EDT 2015

Margaret,

I don't think this will solve the problem.  The function module you mention, SWL_SUBSTITUTION_DEFINE, just brings up the same screen that t-code RMPS_SET_SUBSTITUTE brings up.  The issue is that this function only maintains the table in the back-end system (HRUS_D2).  It does not maintain the Portal table, KMC_WF_SUBSTITUTE.

In our system, our Portal is connected to an ECC system and an SRM system.  When we create a substitution rule from the Portal, the rule is created in ECC, SRM, and also the Ad-hoc system.  The Ad-hoc system is where the KMC_WF_SUBSTITUTE table comes into play.  So when I create a rule from the portal, I see the following messages:

[cid:image001.png at 01D08F00.8F14EE70]

If I create the substitution rule in the backend ECC and SRM systems, using the function module you pointed out, the Ad-hoc system record does not get created.  If I then look at the messages for the substitution rule, I see this:

[cid:image002.png at 01D08F00.8F14EE70]

Now, granted, the person we created the rule for, could click the "Retry" button and the Ad-hoc rule would be created.  But that person is not in the office to click the Retry button.  That is why we were creating the rules for them in the first place.

The bigger issue is when someone leaves the company and we are asked to delete a rule that person created.  Because they created the rule through the Portal, the Ad-hoc (or KMC table) entry was also created.  Since there is no Admin tool for deleting substitution rules for someone else from the Portal itself, all we can do is delete the rule from the backend systems using the RMPS transaction.  But again, because the backend function does not delete the KMC table entry, after we have deleted the rules in the backend, the substitute still sees the rule in their list of Other Users' Substitution Rules:

[cid:image003.png at 01D08F01.8CA22440]

Loren Bratzler
Norfolk Southern Corporation

From: sap-wug-bounces at mit.edu [mailto:sap-wug-bounces at mit.edu] On Behalf Of Margaret Jaco
Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2015 7:45 PM
To: SAP Workflow Users' Group
Subject: [EXTERNAL] RE: UWL Substitution Maintenance

Hi,

We have been able to get around this issue. When a person goes on leave and has not set up a substitution rule using the portal we usually get calls to have someone put in place. However, at that point the 'horse has bolted' and cannot get to  the Portal to setup the substitution. We advise the employee to contact HR to do it for them. After all HR hold the cards in their hands as to who is allowed to do certain actions in the system.

HR check out to see if it is a viable request and then use a custom transaction code that runs a program that we have wrapped around function. The function is SWL_SUBSTITUTION_DEFINE.

My advice is to create a program that takes on a userid (the one of the person who has left) and then have the program use this function.

Hope this helps.

Margaret.

From: sap-wug-bounces at mit.edu<mailto:sap-wug-bounces at mit.edu> [mailto:sap-wug-bounces at mit.edu] On Behalf Of Bratzler, Loren
Sent: Friday, 15 May 2015 12:09 AM
To: SAP Workflow Users' Group
Subject: UWL Substitution Maintenance

I have brought this topic up before to the WUG and didn't get much response but I thought I would try it again.

Our company does nearly all of our workflow processing from the Universal Work List.  As such, all UWL substitution rules are created by the end-users via the "Manage Substitution Rules" screen in the UWL.  This is great because the UWL tool creates all the necessary substitution entries (HRUS_D2) in all the connected back-end systems and it creates the necessary front-end entries in the Portal database table (KMC_WF_SUBSTITUTE).

One issue that we run into is that we get a lot of requests to create a substitution rule for someone who has gone out on unexpected leave, or they just go on vacation, but don't have a substitution rule already set up.  When this occurs, we use the RMPS_SET_SUBSTITUTE tool in each of the backend systems to create the HRUS_D2 entries.  However, this tool does not communicate with the front-end Portal system so the KMC_WF_SUBSTITUTE entry is not created.  So now the two systems (front-end and back-end) are out of synch.

Another issue we run into is that when people leave the company, either due to resignation or retirement, they usually don't bother to delete the substitution rules that they have created.  And then a short time later, we get calls from the people who are substitutes for those persons asking if we can remove the retired or resigned employee from their list of users they sub for.  So again, we can use the RMPS_SET_SUBSTITUTE tool to remove the entries in the back-end systems but this still leaves the offending entries in the front-end KMC_WF_SUBSTITUTE table.  Because that entry is still in the front-end table, the retired/resigned employee still shows up in the substitute's list.

To address this, once a year, we go through a very manual process of dumping all the entries in the front-end KMC table and all the entries in the backend HRUS_D2 tables.  We then compare the user-ids in those dumps to HR data to determine which users are no longer with the company.  Once we have a list of users who are no longer valid, we manually clean up the HRUS back-end tables (via the RMPS_SET_SUBSTITUTE tool) and have our Basis team delete the unneeded entries in the KMC front-end table.

I was curious if anyone else has run into this before and if you have come up with a more elegant / automated way of handling?

Ideally, there should be an Admin tool in the front-end system to allow Substitution Rule maintenance from the Portal similar to how RMPS_SET_SUBSTITUTE works from the back end.  If there was such a tool, when we get asked to create a substitution rule for someone who is out of the office, or to delete a rule for someone who has left the company, we would do it from the Portal Admin tool and it would communicate with the back-end systems to maintain all the corresponding HRUS_D2 entries and maintain the front-end KMC_WF_SUBSTITUTE table.

This is something that I wish I had brought to the table for the Workflow Customer Influence sessions.

Loren Bratzler
Norfolk Southern Corporation

[http://logo.staples.com.au/mmh_staples_logo_email.jpg]<http://www.staplesadvantage.com.au/>

The information contained in this email and any attached files are strictly private and confidential. This email should be read only by the intended addressee only. If the recipient of this message is not the intended addressee, please call Staples Australia Pty Limited on +61 2 9335 0555 or Staples New Zealand Limited on +64 9 271 7600 and promptly delete this email and any attachments. The intended recipient of this email may only use, reproduce, disclose or distribute the information contained in this email and any attached files with the prior written permission of StaplesTM. If you are not the intended addressee, you are strictly prohibited from using, reproducing, disclosing or distributing the information contained in this email and any attached files. StaplesTM advises that this email and any attached files should be scanned to detect viruses. StaplesTM accepts no liability for loss or damage (whether caused by negligence or not) resulting from the use of any attached files.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.mit.edu/pipermail/sap-wug/attachments/20150515/08a19dc6/attachment-0001.htm
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.png
Type: image/png
Size: 7973 bytes
Desc: image001.png
Url : http://mailman.mit.edu/pipermail/sap-wug/attachments/20150515/08a19dc6/attachment-0003.png
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image002.png
Type: image/png
Size: 9231 bytes
Desc: image002.png
Url : http://mailman.mit.edu/pipermail/sap-wug/attachments/20150515/08a19dc6/attachment-0004.png
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image003.png
Type: image/png
Size: 6398 bytes
Desc: image003.png
Url : http://mailman.mit.edu/pipermail/sap-wug/attachments/20150515/08a19dc6/attachment-0005.png