Customizing ESS in EHP7 (Step by Step Guide)

Table of Contents
Purpose of this document

What is SAP Enhancement Package 7

Implementation Overview

Switch Framework

Support packs

Tools for new implementation / upgrade

1. Initial Setup for Employee Self Service (ESS) in EHP7

1.1Business Packages and System Requirements

1.2Web Dynpro Objects

1.3Portal Objects

1.4Prerequisite Configuration

2.Creating a Custom ESS Launchpad

3.Assigning the custom Launchpad to Floor Plan Manager

4.Locating the ESS Overview Portal iView.

5.Customizing the ESS Menu application.

6. References
Purpose of this document

This document provides a central starting point for the technical implementation of the Enhancement Package
5 Employee Self Service Module. It outlines the basic idea of the enhancement package concept and
provides an insight into the overall implementation procedure.

Additional software dependencies, which are not mentioned explicitly in the present document, might exist.
These dependencies are visible in the Upgrade Dependency Analyzer tool, available at
http://service.sap.com/uda.

This is mainly a technical document and referring the following documents beforehand will be helpful when
reading this document.

Master Guide for SAP Enhancement Package 5 for SAP ERP

Installation Guide SAP ERP 6.0 EHP7

What is SAP Enhancement Package 7

SAP has adapted its major release strategy to better fit an organizations adoption cycle. To ensure that
customers benefit from new developments and innovations while minimizing the impact on core operational
systems, SAP uses enhancement packages to speed up the delivery of new functions.

With SAP enhancement packages, you can install and activate new functions depending on your business
needs without having to perform a system upgrade.

You can selectively implement the new functions and activate the software upon business demand. As a result,
you can isolate the impact of software updates and make new functions available faster due to shortened test
cycles.

The fifth release of such Enhancement Package by SAP is termed as SAP EHP7.
 Implementation Overview

There are three different scenarios to implement an enhancement package:

Installation of an enhancement package on an existing SAP system

New installation of an SAP system including an enhancement package

Upgrade of an SAP system including an enhancement package

The installation process of enhancement packages consists of two different steps:

Technical installation of an enhancement package

Activation of new functions using the switch framework technology

You have a choice on both levels installation and activation. You do not need to install a full
enhancement package. Instead, you can update the software components that are related to the
functional enhancements you want to use.

From a business point of view, functional enhancements are grouped into business functions (BFs).
The technical installation of the business functions does not change the system behavior. The new
functions are available in the system, but are not active.

Switch Framework

After the installation, no user interface or process change takes place. You must explicitly activate new
functions so that they become visible in the system. As a result, changes are predictable and there are
no side effects as only the activated areas change.

With the switch framework technology (transaction SFW5), it is possible to control the activation of
new SAP objects in ABAP-based SAP systems. The activation process triggers a background job that
automatically performs all changes in the SAP system. It is recommended to test the installation and
up gradation on a sandbox system.
After you have activated a business function, you can see the changes and new developments in the
SAP system, for example

Menu entries

New screens

New fields on the application user interfaces

IMG activities required for the implementations

New table entries in Customizing tables and system tables

You can create a transport request with the current settings of the switch framework. You can check
functional changes and the impact of an activated business function in advance in the business
function documentation.
Support packs

SAP enhancement packages have Support Packages of their own that are equivalent to the Support
Package versions of the underlying SAP system. Install the enhancement package in combination with
the latest available Support Package stack. This approach reduces installation, modification
adjustment, and testing effort. Using this strategy, you can install SAP enhancement packages as a
normal maintenance activity together with Support Package stacks.

An enhancement package requires a specific Support Package stack level in the source release SAP
system. If the SAP system is on a lower Support Package stack level, all relevant Support Package
stacks are automatically included into the download queue, as well as the latest available Support
Packages for the enhancement package.

Please refer https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1484460 for all EHP7 related support packs

Tools for new implementation / upgrade

The enhancement package installation requires the following tools:

SAP Solution Manager Maintenance Optimizer

Installation or upgrade tools (depending on your scenario)

The SAP Solution Manager Maintenance Optimizer (transaction DSWP) supports the download of a
consistent queue that includes all necessary support packages and enhancement packages. In addition,
SAP Solution Manager calculates a valid import queue for the selected SAP system and generates the
enhancement package stack configuration file that you require for the installation.

For the new installation of an SAP system including enhancement package you use the standard
installation tool (SAPinst)

To install an enhancement package on an existing SAP system, as well as for the upgrade of an SAP
System to a higher release including an enhancement package, you use the Software Update Manager
(SUM)
1. Initial Setup for Employee Self Service (ESS) in
EHP7

1.1 Business Packages and System Requirements

The following systems, business packages and XSS components need to be installed to fully leverage
ESS (and/or MSS) services in ECC6 EHP7.

a. System Requirements

SAP Web AS ABAP 7.0+

SAP Portal 7.0+

b. Business Packages and Components

Business Package for Employee Self-Service (WDA) 1.50

Business Package for Common Parts 1.51

Business Package Talent Management Specialist 1.4 (TM only)

SAP ESS 633

PCUI_GP 633

SAP ECC 6.0 and EA-HR 605

 1.2 Web Dynpro Objects
ESS UIs are based on WebDynpro applications. Customization can be done through application
configurations delivered by SAP for each application component.

Use SE80 to access application configurations (Package Web Dynpro Application

Configurations).

The following table is a list of commonly used ESS packages and application
configurations:

Package Application Configuration. Service

PAOC_ESS_CENTRAL_SERVICES HRESS_AC_MENU ESS Overview
PAOC_ESS_PER_WDA HRESS_AC_PERSINFO Personal Information
Personal Information
PAOC_ESS_PER_XX HRESS_CC_PER_OVR_<subtype> _XX International overview
screen
Personal Information
PAOC_ESS_PER_XX HRESS_CC_PER_DTL_<subtype>_XX International detail
screen
PAOC_CATS_ESS_WDA HRESS_AC_CATS_1 Time Recording
PAOC_HAP_PA_PMP_UI HRESS_AC_PMP_EMPLOYEE Performance Appraisal
PMP

1.3 Portal Objects

The following portal contents are included in BP ESS 1.50:

a. iView:

Overview:
portal_content/com.sap.pct/every_user/com.sap.pct.erp.ess.wda.bp_folder/com.sap.p
ct.erp.ess.wda.iviews/com.sap.pct.erp.ess.wda.Overview

b. Page:
 Overview:
portal_content/com.sap.pct/every_user/com.sap.pct.erp.ess.wda.bp_folder/com.sap.p
ct.erp.ess.wda.pages/com.sap.pct.erp.ess.wda.Overview

c. Workset:

Employee Self-Service:
portal_content/com.sap.pct/every_user/com.sap.pct.erp.ess.wda.bp_folder/com.sap.p
ct.erp.ess.wda.worksets/com.sap.pct.erp.ess.wda.Employee_Self_Service

d. Role:

portal_content/com.sap.pct/every_user/com.sap.pct.erp.ess.wda.bp_folder/com.sap.p
ct.erp.ess.wda.roles/com.sap.pct.erp.ess.wda.Employee_Self_Service_WDA

To make the contents accessible, assign the role Employee_Self_Service_WDA or a

customized copy of the role to users or user groups. In User Administration. Any
custom content should be assigned to the role.

1.4 Prerequisite Configuration

a. Business Function HCM_ESS_WDA_1

Activate this business function (SFW5) to enable ESS ABAP functionality. Use SFW2 to
check its status.

b. ECC Role Assignment

Copy and customize the standard composite role, SAP_EMPLOYEE_ESS_WDA_1, depending

on the country grouping and services to be implemented for ESS.

c. Portal ESS Role Assignment

Assign to all ESS users the standard portal role: Employee Self-Service
(com.sap.pct.erp.ess.wda.Employee_Self_Service_WDA). If customization is required, make a
copy of this role.
 d. Portal System Alias

Create a portal system connection to the ECC backend with the alias
SAP_ECC_HumanResources.

For detailed information about the Initial setup required, refer following link:

https://help.sap.com/erp2005_ehp_05/helpdata/en/4f/b9088db1034075a337c537083539da/frame
set.htm
 2. Creating a Custom ESS Launchpad
A Launchpad is a collection of navigation destinations that are stored as a separate technical
object in the system.

You use a launchpad to allow users to navigate to specific goals outside of the current Floorplan
Manager application. For example, this could mean navigating to other Web Dynpro ABAP
applications, external Web pages, transactions, reports, or other business objects. The
YouCanAlsoandRelatedLinks elements are available in the toolbar of Object Instance Floor Plans
and Guided Activity Floor Plans. You can assign these elements to different launchpads. In the
floor plan for an overview page, you can integrate launchpads via the launchpad component.

For more information about Launchpads, refer the following link:

http://help.sap.com/erp2005_ehp_05/helpdata/en/78/08fcd9fa454adb89792f0556f5d712/frameset
.htm

The SAP Standard Menu for ESS looks like this on the portal

To change the Contents, like the processes seen above in each of the groups we have to create a
custom launchpad.

Go to transaction LPD_CUST. Select ESS (Role), Menu (instance) as shown below.

Once inside the ESS Menu, we will see the following applications under the ESS Launch pad:

For customization, it is better to create a new Launchpad as a copy of the Standard SAP ESS
Menu. To do this, go back to transaction LPD_CUST, and select New Launchpad.
Enter following details on the next screen

On the next screen click Copy from other Launchpad

Then select ESS- Menu

Then you should see the SAP Standard ESS launchpad on the left and the blank custom
launchpad to the right.

Click on New Folder to create new nodes like Benefits & Payment Etc on the right hand side
in ZESS Launchpad.
Once the Folders are created, we can drag and drop applications from the SAP standard
launchpad to the custom one as shown below

Once the custom launchpad is ready, we need to ensure that we see the custom launchpad on the
portal instead of the standard one. For this we need to make some modifications using the
Component Configuration in Floor Plan Manager.
We can add various types of objects in the launchpad like WebDynpro ABAP or Java Application
, a SAP transaction , a URL page , a Portal Object etc . See screenshot below :
 3. Assigning the custom Launchpad to Floor Plan
Manager
Goto transaction SE80, in the Repository Browser & select WebDynpro Comp. / Intf. . Enter
the component name FPM_LAUNCHPAD_UIBB and press enter.
Select the HRESS_CC_MENU_AREA_GROUP Component Configuration and click on Start
Configurator.

Once the Component Configuration is opened in a browser window, Change the Role property
of launchpad to ZESS as shown below. The default value should be ESS.
So far we have customized the ESS Launchpad to add / remove applications as per our need and
have assigned the custom launchpad to FPM. Now that we have the launchpad customized, lets
see how to make the Portal point to custom applications instead of the standard one.

4. Locating the ESS Overview Portal iView.

There is only one iView for ESS in EHP7. It is called as the ESS Overview IView. It displays the
content from the Launchpad we have customized so far.

The ESS Overview iView can be found under Portal Content -> Content Provided by SAP ->
End User Content -> Employee Self-Service Web Dynpro ABAP -> iView -> Overview

The Application Name property points to HRESS_A_MENU. This is the WebDynpro ABAP
application for ESS Menu. The Configuration Name points to HRESS_AC_MENU by default.
We can make a copy of this application configuration, customize it and change the iView
Property if required. Lets see how to do this in the next step.
 5. Customizing the ESS Menu application.
Following is the SAP Standard screen for ESS

In Step 1, we saw how to change the content inside each of the groups above by creating a
custom launchpad. The layout of the groups and their appearance (not their content) can be
managed by making a copy of the HRESS_AC_MENU Configuration.
 6. List of Applications configured in ESS
Here is the list of applications that are currently configured in the new ESS (Backend configured in Tcode: LPD_CUST)

RCI ESS APPS.XLSX

6. References
SAP EHP 5 Homepage
http://help.sap.com/erp605/

Business Package for Employee Self-Service (WDA) 1.50

http://help.sap.com/erp2005_ehp_05/helpdata/en/25/340b0507434193adbfe3f8fc8896c7/
content.htm

Customizing fields in overview screen

http://help.sap.com/erp2005_ehp_05/helpdata/en/77/804c18e1844944b7f8baf53159be78/
frameset.htm

Configuration of services
http://help.sap.com/erp2005_ehp_05/helpdata/en/3a/fe6eac579d4a9ead651d77
9a2dbd23/content.htm

Innovations in SAP ERP HCM

http://sapEHP7.blogspot.com/