A Comprehensive Guide to Implementing SAP ERP HCM Processes and Forms

Fernando T. de Mattos Accenture

2009 Wellesley Information Services. All rights reserved.

In This Session

What Well Cover

As clients needs are evolving beyond the classical area of operational process execution to a centralized delivery of services, a demand for a more flexible adaptive framework is needed when it comes to HCM processes. Today you will: Understand what the HCM Processes and Forms framework is and when it should be used Get a realistic understanding of the costs and resources required to create your own forms and understand which skills are required Leave with a summarized list of required steps to activate your own standard and customized forms Review real-life implementation examples on how to establish a team and design, build, test, and deploy your own forms
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Introduction Looking at the big picture Cross process execution Examining the architecture Implementing SAP ERP HCM Processes and Forms Lessons learned Wrap-up

SAP/Adobe Partnership Overview

What Is an Adobe Interactive Form?

SAP/Adobe strategic partnership Partnership signed in June 2002 Solution available since SAP NetWeaver 2004 Adobe provides: Open technology, de-facto standard for forms Benefits of combination of PDF with XML Benefits of SAP/Adobe collaboration Integration of Adobes PDF technology into SAP solutions Adobe Reader delivered 500 million times worldwide User-friendly design tool lowers cost of operations Reuse of existing PDF forms Natural look and feel of forms Close linking of processes and forms (real integration)

A PDF Document ...

View with Adobe Reader Paper-like layout Work offline

... with Form Fields Background Services

Pre-filled application values Pre-filled list boxes, help values, Automatic data extraction and integration in application

User Handling
Save locally Distribute via email/Portal Apply digital signature Print locally

HCM Processes and Forms Overview

The Value Proposition

Process integration into SAP NetWeaver Portal roles for support of collaborative processes in HR Employee, Manager, and HR Administrator Flexible definition Forms (Adobe Interactive Form Designer) Process (configuration and SAP Business Workflow) Integration into Digital Personnel File (DPF) Standard delivery contains: Example processes Workflow task repository Back-end services for HR master data Replace old Personnel Change Request (PCR) solution
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Enable process efficiency through automation and easy user interfaces with HCM Processes and Forms
The Value Enable the automation of paper-based processes and achieve the: - Reduction of process cycles - Reduction of manual steps (and thus errors) Facilitate multiple end users to contribute to an HR process and how it is achieved SAP Business Workflow, Process Configuration, and Digital Personnel File

Adobe Interactive Forms as common interface for all involved users Integration of involved portal roles

HR able to provide a wider service offering to (global) Enhancement of self-service offering with more HR customers processes Allow HR to stay in control of the processes Achieve transparency/traceability and thus further drive improvements and compliance Push work items to responsible users through the portal infrastructure and allow permanent access to running process through flexible search Analytical content and infrastructure 7

What Well Cover

Solution Portfolio Building Blocks

Introduction Looking at the big picture Cross process execution Examining the architecture Implementing SAP ERP HCM Processes and Forms Lessons learned Wrap-up

source: SAP

Process Execution Overview

Process Execution Initiator: Employee

The Employee can start processes only for him/herself He/she starts in the standard processes from the Life and Work Events area by clicking on a service link The links to start processes can be embedded in all other area pages of ESS
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Process Execution Initiator: Manager

Process Execution Initiator: HR Administrator

The Manager has his/her own Start Application where he/she can use the options All Employees and Directly Subordinate Employees to select an employee for a process using the Object and Data Provider (OADP) based views

The HR Administrator selects an employee using a simple or advanced search, with help searches similar to those available in SAP WinGUI-based transactions

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Source: SAP

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Cross Role Process Execution Start by Manager (1)

Cross Role Process Execution Select a Process (2)

Manager starts a process by selecting an employee and

by selecting a process

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Cross Role Process Execution Manager Enters Data (3)

Cross Role Process Execution HR Admin Adds Data (4)

The manager gets a form designed to the business needs of a process He/she can get information about the form in the form or through links He/she enters data in his/her area of the form After entering the data, he/she sends the form

The next business role in the process, here an HR Administrator, receives a work item in his/her Universal Worklist (UWL) The administrator can see who has been involved in the process The administrator adds data and sends the form

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Cross Role Process Execution Employee Adds Data (5)

Process Execution Save Draft

The next processor, an employee, gets an email that points him/her toward a form As the other involved user he/she adds data and sends the form In this example, after the data has been entered it is transferred into the back-end system and the process is finished

Allows the user to interrupt the work on a form In this case, an item shows up at UWL, which can be called at a later time This function can be used multiple times

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Process Execution Attachment Handling

Process Execution Skip Employee Assignment

During configuration, different attachment categories can be customized and assigned to a specific step Thus an uploaded document can be classified directly The available functions (upload, view, delete) can be specified per step Additionally, it is possible to specify that the upload of an attachment is mandatory for a process step
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To start a process without selecting an employee, select the Skip Employee Selection option Only available on Enhancement Package 4

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What Well Cover

HCM Processes and Forms Technical Components

Introduction Looking at the big picture Cross process execution Examining the architecture Implementing SAP ERP HCM Processes and Forms Lessons learned Wrap-up

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SAP ERP 6.0 Enhancement Package 13 HCM with Personnel Administration (PA) and Time Management (PT) Read and update PA and Time infotypes Enhancement Package 4 HCM with Organizational Management (PD) Read and update OM infotypes Internal Service Request (ISR) Communication framework between SAP NetWeaver Portal and SAP back end SAP Business Workflow Route forms for approval and processing Send notification emails to employee

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HCM Processes and Forms Technical Components (cont.)

Full Integration into SAP NetWeaver

SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio ABAP Workbench

SAP NetWeaver Portal 7.0 User access to forms, processes, and actions SAP NetWeaver BI 7.0 Analytics/Metrics (BI CONT 703), SP 04 SAP Interactive Forms by Adobe (ability to change) Integration with SAP NetWeaver infrastructure Edit and review process data Update back end Business Packages (choose at least one) Employee and Manager Self-Service HR Administrator Records Management (Optional) Storage of process instances and objects E.g., form data, drafts, attachments

SAP NetWeaver Application Server Java PDF Object ABAP PDF Object

Adobe Document Services Adobe Document Services J2EE Engine 24

source: SAP

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Adobe LiveCycle Designer in SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio

Adobe LiveCycle Designer in ABAP Workbench

source: SAP

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Runtime Architecture

Process Execution Architecture

A set of runtime services, deployed on the SAP Web Application Server, that: Sets Adobe Reader rights to enable users to annotate forms, save them locally, and include digital signatures for authentication using the free and ubiquitous Adobe Reader software Extracts data from SAP applications into Interactive Forms and transfers form data back into SAP applications using XML

General Features: The number of process steps is not fixed and can be freely designed Loops and branches are possible It is possible to save data to the back end at any step of the process, including the last step
Process

Step 1 (Start)
Select Process Edit and send Form

Step 2
Select Work Item Edit and send Form

Step
Select Work Item and Edit Form

Step
Select Work Item and Edit Form

Follow-Up
Transfer Form and Attachments to DPF

source: Adobe

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Delivered iViews with HCM Processes and Forms

iView iView Description
Managers can use this iView to request an administrative change for an employee. The manager runs an HCM Processes and Forms process. In the first step of the Start Processes iView, the manager selects an employee. In the second step, he or she selects a process and starts it (shows the Start Processes iView). Changed to WD for ABAP in EhP2. As of EhP2 this iView allows employees to monitor open processes in which they are involved. This iView and the Start Processes iView provide a user interface that the manager can use to request an administrative change for one of his or her employees. In the HRAS Process iView, the manager runs a process from HCM Processes and Forms for the affected employee. This iView gives the manager an overview of all the processes that he or she initiated. Managers can use this iView to display forms. Forms cannot be edited here. 30

Delivered iViews with HCM Processes and Forms (cont.)

iView iView Description
Managers can use this iView to search for running or completed processes that were run for an employee in their area of responsibility. Managers determine the required employee in the Employee Search iView. When managers call the iView, the following search criteria are filled: Employee = employee selected in Employee Search iView Selection period = current year When it is called, the iView immediately displays a list of all the processes that meet these search criteria. If the process searched for is not included in this list, the manager can change all search criteria, except for the employee, and start a new search. The manager can also display a list of the process steps for a process. Available for both Managers and Employees (EhP4 only); it allows users to display all processes related to the employees once completed. 31

Start Processes

Status Overview

Search Processes

HR Administrative Services (HRAS) Process

Open Processes Display Processes

Digital Personnel File (DPF)

New Services Provided via the Homepage Framework

PCR vs. HCM Processes and Forms

Check if all relevant entries are available as Service Key available as EhP2

source: SAP

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source: SAP

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Standard Delivered Forms

Enhancement Package 13
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

What Well Cover

Enhancement Package 4 *
1. 2. 3. 4.

9.

10. 11.

12. 13. 14. 15.

Hiring (US and Germany) Rehire (US and Germany) Transfer (International) Transfer (Initiated by e-Recruiting) Maternity Leave (Germany) Birth of a Child (US and Germany) Termination (US and Germany) Salary Change using Annual Salary (International) Salary Change Using Pay Scale Wage Group and Level (International) Special Payment (International) Special Payment w/o Personnel Department (International) Change of Address (US) Change in Working Time (International) Company Loan (International) Membership Fees Sports Club (International)

5.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

11.

Change Jobs Business Attributes Change Job Name and Description Change Org Units Attributes Change Org Unit Name and Description Change Position Name and Description Change Position Business Attributes Create Organization Unit Create Position Delete Position Delimit Assignment of Position to Org Unit Move an Unoccupied Position
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Introduction Looking at the big picture Cross process execution Examining the architecture Implementing SAP ERP HCM Processes and Forms Lessons learned Wrap-up

* This is a preliminary list provided by SAP yet to be officially confirmed.

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Roles

Configuration Expert/Adobe Form Developer

What are the roles and functions for the development of HCM Processes and Forms? HCM Processes and Forms configuration expert/Adobe form developer ABAP developer SAP Business Workflow specialist Portal content and UWL specialist

Functional resource (go-to person) responsible for configuring and documenting Use transaction HRASR_DT Design Time for Processes and Forms to configure the Processes and the Form Scenarios Use transaction SFP Form Builder with Adobe LiveCycle Designer to configure the form layout and bind the form field-tofield from the ISR interface Use FormCalc (Adobes proprietary language) or JavaScript for event processing in the form

Transaction HRASR_DT is available as of Enhancement Package 2

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Design Time for Processes and Forms SAP Definition

Design Time for Processes and Forms SAP Definition (cont.)

Design Time for Processes and Forms provides you with all functions for creating a new form scenario and editing the settings for an existing form scenario In the object selection area of Design Time, you have two options for creating or editing a form scenario: Either using the Process option, or directly using Form Scenario Integration If you use Process in the object selection area to access Design Time for Processes and Forms, you can display and edit the settings for the process and for the related form scenarios In the Form Scenario area you can directly display and edit the settings for form scenarios and forms

Features You can make the following settings for the form scenario: Definition of form fields Creation and editing of form Definition of scenario steps Configuration of back-end services You can also define the following additional properties for a form scenario Attachment types Links for additional information Rules User events Message mapping
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Design Time Screenshots

PA/PT Service (List of bonded fields)

ABAP Developer

Works closely with the HCM Processes and Forms Configuration Expert/Adobe Form Developer to develop the Generic Services Each Generic Service is a BAdI Implementation HRASR00GEN_SERVICE_BASIC Accessed from HRASR_DT or transaction SE19 (Business Add-Ins: Implementations)

All configuration steps available in one view

Form Calc

Form Layout Design

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Workflow Specialist

Workflow Integration Screenshot

Workflow Template assigned to Process

Work off of the process flow Provide input into the Form Scenarios and steps as they impact how SAP Business Workflow would behave Develop some utility or testing tool to help identify problems sooner Bulk of the work will be around building the approver determination logic and related code

Usually it is easy to find a resource that can play both the ABAP and Workflow specialists

Direct access to transaction SWDD (Workflow Builder)

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Portal Content and UWL Specialist

Portal Administration Screenshots

Responsible for setting up the necessary portal roles (MSS, HR Admin, etc.), as well as handling any needed UWL configuration for our process related task steps Use Content Administration role to create or change existing HCM Processes and Forms-related iViews Change the application parameters for those forms that will not require a selection of employee (Hire or OM forms)

Display available Processes based on a Group

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Process Implementation Overview

CONFIG ABAP FORM WF Process Create Adobe Form 4 F Test Process 7 C A F W P C A F W Correct Process (recycle) 8 W 9
source: SAP

Example Workplan

Create Form Scenario and ISR Scenario 3 C A P

Create Business Blue Print of Process 1 P

Preparation for technical implementation 2 C P

Based on most recent experience, a medium complex HCM Processes and Forms form with one level approval takes approximately 450* hours Includes the effort to design, build, and unit test of all resources

Create WFTemplate 5

Create Process 6 C Roll-Out

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* First time around

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Tools (1): Copy/Manage Form Scenarios

Tools (2): Check Consistency of Form Scenarios

Manage Form Scenarios This customizing activity enables you to copy, transport, and delete ISR and Form Scenarios

Check Consistency of Form Scenarios This activity delivers a consistency check on a Form Scenario You should use this check every time you create or change a Form Scenario

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Tools (3): Check Consistency of Process

Tools (4): Process Execution (Test)

Check Process This activity delivers a consistency check of a process You should use this check every time you create or change a process

Process Execution (Test) This activity delivers the option to test a complete process in the back end You can start a process or continue a process that was started from the Portal

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Tools (5): HR Admin Administration Tool

What Well Cover

Transaction: HRASRPROCESS_UTILITY

Introduction Looking at the big picture Cross process execution Examining the architecture Implementing SAP ERP HCM Processes and Forms Lessons learned Wrap-up

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Lesson 1 Configuration

Lesson 2 Back-End Update

SAP Note 1075650 provides a fix on the short dump error shown below. This is applicable for ER-HR 602 release. Daylight Saving logic caused short dump with running the process through transaction hrasr_test_process or through the portal SAP Note 1001092 Deactivate Maternity Leave BAdI implementation to remove error when testing a process (Generic Service ZXYZ has more than one implementation)

Updating multiple subtypes of one Infotype on the same form Apply SAP Note 1177353 and 1043692 For infotype SAP_PA, each field record index should be 1 Updating HRP tables (up to EhP4) Can be handled using SAP Business Workflow to call a function to update/modify the tables since those tables are not available in forms Use function module RH_CUT_INFTY Use function module RH_INSERT_INFTY to insert a new record Can also use an enhanced generic service to update the tables, but there are no examples provided by SAP on how to use this service
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Lesson 3 Generic Services

Lesson 4 Process Steps

Do not tie more than one generic service to a BAdI or vice-versa All user exits done on screens through PA30/PA40 must be redone in the generic services SAP_PA must be the last generic service executed in customizing or changes made afterwards will not be saved in the back end

Upon rejection, initiator attempts to reopen item and short-dumps The function module with the problem is: HR_ASR_WI_PREDECESSORS_GET Apply SAP Notes 1150476 and 1150464 Fields not editable when clicking on previous step Apply SAP Notes 1108082 and 1108318 Error messages can be displayed on forms only during a standard check event or a custom check event, not during the initialize event

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Lesson 5 Form Layout

Lesson 5 Form Layout (cont.)

Tab functionality (input fields only) SAP Note 88727 Workaround is to adjust the accessibility tab option to "none" on each field This is not recommended because it could lead to accessibility issues For more detail, refer to: http://help.sap.com/erp2005_ehp_03/helpdata/EN/af/94c04175 46cd17e10000000a155106/frameset.htm Making a field required in Adobe does not actually make it required on the form Make sure any field that you want required has been programmed into the generic service to throw an error if its not entered
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Make all non-standard buttons required to be clicked (set a flag if user clicks on field), otherwise, the user could check and send the form without filling it out entirely Make sure not to select the check box Limit Trailing Digits for your decimal fields If that check box is selected and SAP Business Workflow is attaching a form to send notification to a user, this field will have a blank value Form Scripting set to flow for containers on form allows for values, when hidden, to not just be blank space but to disappear all together. Also, when hiding it through scripting set it to hidden not to invisible. Header and footer will be in the master page while the rest of the data containers would then be flowed instead of positioned.
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Lesson 6 Form Authorization

Lesson 7 Error Handling

SU53 usually does not pick up authorization failures Use transaction ST01 (Trace) on users with the following: SAP_ALL to see which authorization objects are being checked Failed User to see exactly which authorization they fail on Even if the trace shows nothing, we have worked with developers to debug Turn-off authorization Use BAdI HRASR00AUTH_CHECK Pre-requisite apply SAP Note 1178745 Used across all HCMPF functionality (e.g., Search Processes, Employee Search, etc.)
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To ignore errors at check event: Use rules to skip generic services to ignore specific types of errors If you make a field required on the form, you still need to throw an error message in the generic service if the user doesnt enter information Cannot throw error messages in the initialize event of a custom generic service Must be done in the do_operations method Hide warning messages that SAP_PA throws that are not needed by the user and will not prevent the correct update in the back end

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Lesson 8 Custom Infotypes

What Well Cover

Custom infotypes can be used provided that the relevant infotype is already decoupled. If not, perform the following: 1. Become familiar with the concept of decoupled infotypes 2. Decouple the relevant infotype using the relevant functions in transaction PM01 3. Test the decoupled infotype using the test transaction PUIT_UI 4. Integrate fields from your decoupled infotype in your Form Scenario and test using the relevant process with the back-end report In addition, you need to define a class for the new framework (e.g., CL_HRPA_INFTY_XXXX where XXXX is the infotype number) Otherwise SAP_PA will not work

Introduction Looking at the big picture Cross process execution Examining the architecture Implementing SAP ERP HCM Processes and Forms Lessons learned Wrap-up

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Resources

Resources (cont.)

SAP Service Web site http://service.sap.com/erp * Follow SAP ERP Human Capital Management Workforce Process Management HCM Processes & Forms Media Library SAP Help Online HCM Processes and Forms http://help.sap.com/erp2005_ehp_02/helpdata/en/82/b6b94278 560c31e10000000a1550b0/frameset.htm SAP SDN Blogs HCM Processes & Forms: Gotchas, Bugs and Other Curiosities www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/weblogs?blog=/pub/wlg/10037
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SAP Notes Support Package Requirements 1052522 for SAP ERP 6.0 Enhancement Package 2 1095233 for SAP ERP 6.0 Enhancement Package 3 1024326 Corrected UI for role HR Administrator available 1048386 SAP MSS/ESS: Setting up HCM Processes & Forms Web Dynpro ABAP 981090 Country Availability of HR Process and Forms 953982 Adjustments to Adobe Forms for ZCI 741381 ISR: Documentation for ISR Control Library

* Requires login credentials to the SAP Service Marketplace

* Requires login credentials to the SAP Service Marketplace

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7 Key Points to Take Home

7 Key Points to Take Home (cont.)

Seamless integration with SAP increases desirability of forms Simplify your workflow approvals (consistency) Maximize the use of a testing (sandbox) environment Utilize SAP-provided field validation; minimize the number of customer-specific user checks to expedite development, testing, and performance Design your security authorization sooner than later Utilize your resources HCMPF framework requires different set of skills hard to find in one resource Allocate enough time to build and train your team Involve SAP as part of team Co-location is a must!
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Identify and staff a Workflow Administrator team To resolve approval issues To resolve routing issues Should consider SAP Center of Excellence (COE)/Shared Services approach

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Your Turn!

Disclaimer
SAP, R/3, mySAP, mySAP.com, xApps, xApp, SAP NetWeaver, Duet, PartnerEdge, and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries all over the world. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies. Wellesley Information Services is neither owned nor controlled by SAP.

How to contact me: Fernando De Mattos fernando.t.de.mattos@accenture.com

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