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Concepts of SAP Business Workflow
A business workflow is an executable process embedded in SAP applications that you use to automate business processes.
Workflows are based on objects from the Business Object Repository. In the workflow definition, you specify which steps the workflow is to contain and how the underlying objects are to be processed. You can use the organizational management to control which, and in what way, individuals are involved in the processing of a workflow or each of the individual steps, at runtime.
Technical Principles of SAP Business Workflow
The definition and execution of a workflow can be divided into four main areas. A user executes workflows in their Business Workplace where the work items that they are allowed to execute are displayed. A workflow must be defined to be executed. To this end, a workflow definition is created in the Workflow Builder. This definition contains steps that are executed at runtime. The steps either control the workflow directly or contain a reference to a task. The task refers to a method of an object type in the Business Object Repository (BOR) and can be executed at runtime either automatically (background task) or by a user (dialog task).
SAP Business Workflow with its WebFlow function is an efficient cross-application tool enabling integrated electronic management of business processes. SAP Business Workflow is a solution which has been integrated fully in the SAP System and which enables customer-specific business process flows to be coordinated and controlled on a cross-application and cross-work center basis. SAP Business Workflow therefore enhances "ready-made" application software. The SAP Business Workflow definition environment can represent business processes simply and can respond to changing external conditions quickly, even in a live system, by adapting the existing business processes.
Many SAP applications use SAP Business Workflow enabling preconfigured workflow scenarios to be reused in various situations. The scenarios can either be implemented without any changes or configured for your business processes by making minor adjustments. These workflow scenarios reduce implementation time significantly and have been optimally configured for the respective application functions.
Many workflow scenarios are integrated in IDES (International Demonstration and Education System). It is possible to simulate the business processes of a model company in this fully-configured system.
Features
The workflow scenarios can be divided into three categories:
Creating Events
Events are created to report status changes for an application object and to allow a reaction to the changes.
These events can be used as triggering events for your own tasks or workflows. The events are therefore “connected” in a flexible and customer-specific way to application events, without having to modify the standard part of the application.
In some cases, the triggering of these events is not activated in the standard version, but depends on the Customizing settings. You can find further information in the Workflow scenario documentation.
Providing SAP Tasks
A task contains a task description and the connection to the application logic via the method for a business object. Before you can use a task productively, you must assign the tasks to its possible agents.
The tasks provided by SAP are generally used as steps in SAP workflows, but you can use them for your own developments as well.
If a workflow scenario only involves one task, the scenario can usually be regarded as a minimal solution for showing the connection between application functionality and the Workflow. For differentiated control, this SAP task should be replaced by a customer-specific task.
You can find further information in the Workflow scenario documentation.
Providing SAP Workflows
A workflow contains a complete workflow definition covering several steps. An SAP workflow has a complete workflow definition, but must still be adapted to the organizational environment of the customer.
In cases in which SAP workflows describe business processes which also occur in your company, or in cases in which changes should not be made to the SAP workflow for technical reasons, the SAP workflows supplied can be used without any changes or adapted using workflow configuration.
In all other cases, the SAP workflows can be used as templates for your own developments. The existing process structures of the business application components, which are often represented within a transaction, are generally not replaced. Workflow is seen as an integration level "above" the standard business functions and uses the existing transactions, function modules, and reports.
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http://help.sap.com/saphelp_erp2005vp/helpdata/en/bd/cea138edbf8213e10000009b38f842/frameset.htm
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