Flexible New Time Recording Application
Many SAP HCM Clients are using SAP Timesheet and Leave request application separately as delivered by SAP. But for some it is like a double maintenance headache & it could be little frustrating for an hourly employee to keep sick/vacation & work hours at two difference places with all separate approval process. So ideally they want to use only SAP Timesheet application with Leave request process built-in. We know SAP has delivered a very robust application as a part of new Enhancement 6-7 with an active integration between SAP Timesheet and Leave Request. No doubt I like this application because it is very user-friendly, robust & flexible. And I think this application can fulfill any customer specific requirements around Time Recoding Process (CATS).
Anyway let’s come back to this requirement. This requirement sounds very easy because all you need is to add permissibility of an absences (Vacation/Sick) type for timesheet application that’s all.
But requirement doesn’t end here. SAP has delivered a Team Calendar application with direct team or direct subordinates view group with Leave Request application.
Standard SAP Time Recording application doesn’t have a Team Calendar but it has a Calendar view to see public holiday and timesheet entries. Apparently this was a big deal for bi-weekly employees to plan their vacation & we can’t complete this requirement without Team Calendar integration. They have decided to create a complete custom process for this. But I know the fact that SAP never delivers a product which can’t be customized to suite customer specific requirements without much effort but the challenge was timing & resources.
After looking little deep inside I have found a possible way to do this using SAP new WD component configuration. This is the beauty of SAP Products that you will always find simple ways to perform complex things.
So what I have done. First, I listed down all applications with related component configuration related to CATS Team Calendar and copied them into ‘Z’ version except application.
Timesheet Application
Application- HRESS_A_CATS_1
Configuration- HRESS_AC_CATS = ZHRESS_AC_CATS
Component Configuration- HRESS_CC_CATS_1 = Z_HRESS_CC_CATS_1
Team Calendar Application
Application – HRESS_C_LEA_TEAM_CALENDAR
Configuration – HRESS_AC_LEA_TEAM_CALENDAR = ZHRESS_AC_LEA_TEAM_CALENDAR
Component Configuration – HRESS_CC_OVP_TEAM_CALENDAR (Well, I didn’t copy this because we don’t need to do anything with Team Calendar functionality)
Next, I went into WD editor to edit component configuration Z_HRESS_CC_CATS_1 & checked UIBB Page for existing timesheet application. I did this step because there are more than one delivered Pages for one OVP application.
After a few trials I found source page used by our Time Recording application. We are using “RECORD_CATS_TAB” Page with tabs configuration. I think it is really important to identify correct source page of your existing Timesheet application before you proceed for component configuration.
Under Section_1 you will see tab configuration of the Timesheet application. This made my job way easier. Here I have added a 3rd UIBB component name “Team Calendar” HRESS_C_LEA_TEAM_CALENDAR and configuration name HRESS_CC_OVP_TEAM_CALENDAR with default view W_MAIN same as delivered by SAP.
Now I want to add this new UIBB under tab configuration so I have copied SAP standard TAB configuration to ZHRESS_CCU_CATS_HR_TAB. ( I don’t want to mess with SAP standard Tab Config )
Next click on Configure UIBB and change sequence index to 3.
Now save everything under one transport.
Use test employee’s login & open Timesheet Application.
Success! You will see Team Calendar Tab and you will think everything is working fine. But everything is not as easy as you see. J This was like a biggest challenge for me and problem’s queue was waiting for me.
SAP has designed Team Calendar application only to work with the Leave Request. We have added Team Calendar application in the Timesheet but Team Calendar application is still looking for an event trigger from Leave Request application. So I have to write a small enhancement check under Team Calendar application to separate calls between them using custom parameter name “T”. I am passing below application parameters.
HIDE_CLOCK_TIMES_IN_WEEKLY=space&LRF_ARQ_MODE=R&VIEW=T
wd_comp_controller->go_fpm->mo_app_parameter->get_value(
EXPORTING
iv_key = ‘VIEW’
IMPORTING
ev_value = ls_view ).
IF ls_view = ‘T’.
* Initialize Team Calendar with Data for Default period.
wd_this->initialize_cale_data( ).
New WD Framework (Application, Component & UIBB) Configuration is an easy way to deliver dynamic requirements based on custom application parameters and/or backend business logic, where content generation is controlled from R/3 backend system. It helps create dynamic user-friendly applications.