Business Process Workflow

Business Process

Definition

A business process can be defined as a set of

activities and tasks that, once completed, will
accomplish an organizational goal.

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Business Processes Workflow

Objectives
Developing and implementing a business process workflow lets
you:
Define procedures for business-process oriented monitoring,
error handling, and escalation management for a company's
core business processes
Establish the communication links between the businessdepartment end users and the IT department
Define the roles and responsibilities for all persons involved in
the customers support organization

By following your strategies, you ensure the smooth and reliable flow
of your core business processes
2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

When to Use a Flowchart

To develop understanding of how a process is done.

To study a process for improvement.

To communicate to others how a process is done.

When better communication is needed between people involved with the

same process.

To document a process.

When planning a project.

2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

Basic Procedure In Creating A Business Process

Workflow

Define the process to be diagrammed. Write its title at the top of the work
surface.

Discuss and decide on the boundaries of your process: Where or when does
the process start? Where or when does it end? Discuss and decide on the
level of detail to be included in the diagram.

Brainstorm the activities that take place. Write each on a card or sticky note.
Sequence is not important at this point, although thinking in sequence may
help people remember all the steps.

Arrange the activities in proper sequence.

When all activities are included and everyone agrees that the sequence is
correct, draw arrows to show the flow of the process.

Review the flowchart with others involved in the process (workers,

supervisors, suppliers, customers) to see if they agree that the process is
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reserved.
accurately.

Microsoft Visio
Microsoft Visio is a diagramming and vector graphics application and is part of
the Microsoft Office family.

Microsoft Visio can be used to create simple or complicated diagrams. It offers a

wide variety of built-in shapes, objects and stencils to work with. You can also
make your own shapes and import them, if youre willing to do all that extra work.
The driving ideal behind Visio is to make diagramming as easy as possible for the
user, and I think Visio is on the right track.

2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

Sample Process Flow Diagram

Maintain
Company
Organizational
Structures
(560)

New Hire /
Rehire
Administration
(563)

Workforce
Time
Management
(575)

Benefits
Administration
(575)

HR
Administrator

Triggering
Event

Employee Transfer Administration

HR Manager

Change in
Position

Decision
to Move
Positions

Leave of
Absence (LOA)
Processing
(568)

Payroll and
Post Payroll
Processing
(566)

SAP ERP
Reporting for
HCM
(559)

Transfer /
Relocation

Yes

Compensatio
n Manager

Manager

No
Change
in Pay?

Yes

Decision
to
Promote/D
emote

Move of
Position

No

Transfer /
Relocation?

No

Change in Pay

2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

Legend: Commonly Used Symbols in Flowcharts

<Functio
n>

Symbol

Description

Usage Comments

Band: Identifies a user role, such as Accounts Payable Clerk or Sales

Representative. This band can also identify an organization unit or group, rather
than a specific role.

Role band contains tasks common to that role.

The other process flow symbols in this table go into these rows. You have as
many rows as required to cover all of the roles in the scenario.

External
to SAP

External Events: Contains events that start or end the scenario, or influence the
course of events in the scenario.

Business
Activity /
Event

Unit
Process
Process
Reference

SubProcess
Reference

Process
Decision

Flow line (solid): Line indicates the normal sequence of steps and direction of flow
in the scenario.
Flow line (dashed): Line indicates flow to infrequently-used or conditional tasks in
a scenario. Line can also lead to documents involved in the process flow.

Connects two tasks in a scenario process or a non-step

event

Business Activity / Event: Identifies an action that either leads into or out of the
scenario, or an outside Process that happens during the scenario

Does not correspond to a task step in the document

Unit Process: Identifies a task that is covered in a step-by-step manner in the

scenario

Corresponds to a task step in the document

Process Reference: If the scenario references another scenario in total, put the
scenario number and name here.

Corresponds to a task step in the document

Sub-Process Reference: If the scenario references another scenario in part, put the
scenario number, name, and the step numbers from that scenario here

Corresponds to a task step in the document

Process Decision: Identifies a decision / branching point, signifying a choice to be

made by the end user. Lines represent different choices emerging from different
parts of the diamond.

Does not usually correspond to a task step in the

document; Reflects a choice to be made after step
execution

2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

Legend: Commonly Used Symbols in Flowcharts

Symbol

Diagram
Connection

Hardcopy /
Document

Financial
Actuals

Budget
Planning

Description

Usage Comments

To next / From last Diagram: Leads to the next /

previous page of the Diagram

Flow chart continues on the next / previous page

Hardcopy / Document: Identifies a printed document,

report, or form

Does not correspond to a task step in a document;

instead, it is used to reflect a document generated
by a task step; this shape does not have any
outgoing flow lines

Financial Actuals : Indicates a financial posting

document

Does not correspond to a task step in a document;

instead, it is used to reflect a document generated
by a task step; this shape does not have any
outgoing flow lines

Budget Planning: Indicates a budget planning

document

Does not correspond to a task step in a document;

instead, it is used to reflect a document generated
by a task step; this shape does not have any
outgoing flow lines

Manual Process: Covers a task that is manually done

Does not generally correspond to a task step in a

document; instead, it is used to reflect a task that is
manually performed, such as unloading a truck in
the warehouse, which affects the process flow.

Existing Version / Data: This block covers data that

feeds in from an external process

Does not generally correspond to a task step in a

document; instead, this shape reflects data coming
from an external source; this step does not have
any incoming flow lines

System Pass / Fail Decision: This block covers an

automatic decision made by the software

Does not generally correspond to a task step in the

document; instead it is used to reflect an automatic
decision by the system that is made after a step has
been executed.

Manual
Process

Existing
Version /
Data

System
Pass/Fail
Decision

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