Key steps to scope a SAP Business Workflow solution

What questions should be asked when defining a workflow relevant business process?

Listed below are questions that need to be asked and answered for each step / task of the process.

Briefly the areas that we concentrate on are as follows:

1. Feeding Tasks / Events – This relates to the process that leads to the initiation of the task at hand. Is it called by a business event or does it follow another task? 
2. Following Tasks / Events – This refers to the departure points on conclusion of the task at hand. Several tasks can be created in parallel or a single task can be created. All need to be described. Business events may also be triggered from a task which, in turn, spawns other business processes. 
3. Supporting Data – This refers to all information that the person performing the task requires in order to perform the task successfully 
4. Resultant Data – This refers to all information that is created on the execution of the task that is relevant for future use in the process 
5. Task Detail – What functionality does the task itself have to provide the agent of the workflow? 

Feeding Tasks / Events

1. What precedes the initiation of this task? Event or Task or both? 
• How are these events raised? 
2. Does the task have to wait for several tasks / events to complete? 
• What are these tasks and what are their timings? 

Following Tasks / Events

1. What tasks or events (or both) follow the completion of this task? 
2. Do these follow on tasks need to occur in parallel or series? 
3. Does any notification of the action taken to complete the task need to be made and to whom? This is treated as a follow on event. 
4. Do we need to wait for something (another event, terminating event) before the following tasks are called 

Supporting Data

1. What data is required to be available, on hand, in order to complete the task successfully? This includes electronic and other media. 
• What specific business objects are needed during the task life-cycle? 

Resulting Data

1. What data is created by the task at hand that is relevant to the future process? 
• Do we need to let the workflow know about any new data objects following this task? 

Task details

1. Can the task be rejected? If so please explain in detail the follow on process 
2. Does the task wait for a terminating event? If so what are these events? 
3. Where will the task be executed? ECC, CRM, UWL, Portal, Email, … 
• Do you need a notification that you have a workflow item other than in the SAP Business Workplace? 
4. Does there need to be an opportunity to add notes to the task?
5. Is there a need to link to another object at this time?

Role

1. Who should perform this task? Role, user, manager, position, system 
• Is there logic that needs to be applied to determine the task agent? 
• Are their authorization requirements around who can execute this task? 

Actions

1. What actions does the person need to perform in order complete the task? 
• Functionality, transactions , … 
2. Do the results of these actions need to be recorded for later access? 
3. Are there secondary functions that need to be performed prior to, or after the actual execution of the task? 

SLA - Service Level Agreement

1. What is the latest that this task can start and finish (with reference to preceding tasks or workflow start)? Treat exceptions to these SLAs as follow on tasks 
2. What is the earliest that this task can start and finish (with reference to preceding tasks or workflow start)? Treat exceptions to these SLAs as follow on tasks 

General

1. Consider performance implications 
2. Consider data integrity issues 
3. Understand general security considerations
4. Discuss and understand archiving requirements
5. Understand the functionality of the workflow inbox 
6. Understand the needs around how the workflow tasks are to be delivered to the agent
• Via email
• Via the UWL on the portal
• Via SAP GUI
• Via smart device
• Via Web
7. Know standard workflow reporting options 
• What are the reporting requirements around workflow?
• Standard Workflow Information System (WIS) reports

Basis

1. Ensure that Basis have the monitoring capability for the workflow system 
2. Ensure that a workflow administrator is enabled and equipped to help correct errant workflows