SAP Business Workflow

Purpose
SAP Business Workflow can be used to define business processes that are not yet mapped in the
R/3 System. These may be simple release or approval procedures, or more complex business
processes such as creating a material master and the associated coordination of the departments
involved. SAP usiness !or"flo# is particularly suitable for situations in #hich #or" processes
have to be run through repeatedly, or situations in #hich the business process re$uires the
involvement of a large number of agents in a specific se$uence.
%ou can also use SAP Business Workflow to respond to errors and exceptions in other, existing
business processes. %ou can start a #or"flo# #hen predefined events occur, for example an
event can be triggered if particular errors are found during an automatic chec".
SAP provides several #or"flo#s that map predefined business processes. These #or"flo#s do
not re$uire much implementation. &or an overvie# of these SAP #or"flo#s, refer to Workflow
Scenarios in Applications.
Integration
SAP Business Workflow uses the existing transactions and functions of the R/3 System and does
not change the functions. %ou can combine the existing functions of the R/3 System to form ne#
business processes #ith SAP Business Workflow. The #or"flo# system ta"es over control of the
business processes. 'f you are already using SAP Organizational Management, you can use the
organi(ational structure created there to have the relevant agents carry out the individual
activities. 't is possible to have an activity carried out by a position. This ensures that the
respective occupiers of the position can carry out the individual activities during execution of the
#or"flo#. This means that personnel changes in your organi(ation are ta"en into account
immediately in the execution of a #or"flo#.
Features
SAP Business Workflow provides a number of tools for defining and analy(ing #or"flo#s as #ell
as for monitoring operation.
The Workflow Builder is for displaying and ma"ing changes to #or"flo#s. %ou can ma"e small
extensions directly to the original #or"flo#s supplied by SAP, such as carrying out your o#n
agent assignments or changing deadline monitoring.
There are several !or"flo# !i(ards to support you in the definition of #or"flo#s, #ith #hich you
can create specific parts of a #or"flo#. The Workflow Wizard Explorer gives you an overvie# of
the existing !or"flo# !i(ards.
'n order to ma"e the functions of the R/3 Systems available to a #or"flo#, you use business
ob)ects, #hich you can define and analy(e in the Business Object Builder. These business
ob)ects are made available to the #or"flo# in reusable tas"s. The Business Wizard Explorer
gives you an overvie# of all existing tas"s.
The end user receives information about the activities they are to carry out in their Business
Workplace. This provides them #ith a central overvie# of all the activities that they are
authori(ed to carry out. They can commence the activities from here.
Several tools are available to the #or"flo# system administrator, #ith #hich they can control and
analy(e the current #or"flo#s. The #or"flo# system administrator is notified of problems
automatically by the system.