What is SAP Workflow

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 Business Workflow is particularly suitable for
situations in which work processes have to be run through
repeatedly, or situations in which the business process
requires the involvement of a large number of agents in a
specific sequence.

The workflow definition is the set of rules that determine the

path that the process takes. For example, how a purchase
requisition is processed, from the initial request to the creation
of the purchase order.

The workflow system takes over control of the business processes. If you are already
using Organizational Management, you can use the organizational structure created
there to have the relevant agents carry out the individual activities. It 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 workflow. This
means that personnel changes in your organization are taken into account immediately in
the execution of a workflow.
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 Terminology
A Workflow Instance, which is often simply referred to as the workflow, is a single workflow run.
For example, the processing of a single purchase requisition for computers.

The Tasks are the steps in the process, which have to be performed either by people or
automatically by the software. For example, to check for the availability of the spare computers in
the company.

A Work item is the task instance that is performed as a single workflow step. For example,
check that there are no spare computers available in the company.

Agents are the people who process the tasks (via the work items). For example, requisitioner
and a member of the purchasing department.

Container is the place where all the data used in the workflow is collected.

Binding is the set of rules that define which data is passed to which part of the process.

You can trigger the workflow using report program by calling the function module
“SAP_WAPI_START_WORKFLOW” and the workflow items can be checked in business
workplace SBWP.
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 Workflow Builder
The central tool for creating, displaying and processing a workflow is the workflow builder
(Transaction SWDD). Within the workflow builder you can create all components of a workflow,
including all the containers you need for getting the data from one step to another.

Generally, most of the workflows are started by an event (for example, when a material is
created or when a new purchase requisition arrives). You define which data from this event
needs to be passed to the workflow via binding.

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 Exercise
Design a workflow to approve leave for employee.
The workflow should also be triggered from a report
program.

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