Workflow FIORI improvements

Projects are starting to use more and more FIORI applications; My Inbox is usually one of the first and then in other applications that are implemented we want to show the users the workflow status. Here are a few improvements we made with the UI development team to improve the workflow integration to the applications.

Replacing the documents tab with a business object documents tab

In many workflows using the sap business workplace we have added links for showing/editing DMS documents linked to the business object from the workitem. When we started using the My Inbox application, we did not want to lose this type of functionality, so we added a new tab to enable the users to add DMS documents linked to the business object (purchase order, PM notifications etc.)

Also, a lot of organizations don’t want the users adding documents directly to the workflow since they can’t be viewed from the business process application. In the old business workplace adding documents is not so intuitive, however, the My Inbox app is has a better UI for adding documents, there is an easy to use tab for that and it is (the documents tab) visible from the start, so we usually replace the regular links tab in the My Inbox with the new tab.

Adding links to applications

In the regular SAP GUI the workflow approvers have object links to the business objects allowing them to view the data in the same way as the creator of the object.

In the My Inbox app, the business object links tab calls a Fiori ITS display of a SAP GUI transaction, however, if the process was started by an application, the approver (viewing ITS) and the creator of the objects (using the app) are not viewing the same screen, which could lead to misunderstandings.

We wanted to give the workflow approvers the options to view the same screen so we used BADI /IWPGW/BADI_TGW_TASK_DATA to give users a link from the bottom of the workitem description to the relevant app and so the approver can see the same screen as the regular app users.

Adding a workflow overview to the applications

In the regular SAP GUI almost all the transactions have a GOS button which allows them to view workflow process, and users who now are working on FIORI apps still want to view this data, actually they usually request to view future approvers as well.

We developed a generic interface: sand a business object and a key and receive the approver list (approver code/description/start date/end date etc.), rejection will be displayed at the start of the list, errors at the end. Now the UI developers could easily add the same workflow overview tab to all the apps which have an approval process.

Adding a Fiori view to the business workplace

Some organizations have both FIORI/UI5 application-based processes and SAP GUI processes active in the same time. Users who still work mainly on the SAP GUI based business workplace now get both types of types of approval tasks. when the workflow approval is based on the Fiori app (SWFVISU customizing calling an approval app), users can’t approve the workitem form the business workplace transaction and need to go to the My inbox app to approve the new tasks forcing them to work on 2 different inboxes.

For these users we developed a screen with a html container showing the business application of the object being approved and having approve/reject buttons. Although this was not as good as using the My inbox app for approval this was still good enough to allow them to work from the business workplace.