This is part of a series of articles, which describe the steps to integrate an extension workflow using SAP Workflow Management on Business Technology Platform (BTP Workflow) into a Flexible Workflow in SAP S/4HANA OP.
Part 1: Integrating an Extension Workflow on SAP BTP into a Flexible Workflow
Part 2: SAP BTP Cockpit Configuration for Usage of SAP Workflow Management
Part 3: SAP S/4HANA Backend Configuration to Communicate with SAP BTP
Part 4: User and Roles for SAP BTP Workflow and Flexible Workflow
Part 5: Configure Cloud Connector for Workflow Integration
Part 6: Workflow Scenario with Extension Step
Part 7: Flexible Workflow in Integration Scenario
Part 8: Extension Workflow using SAP Workflow Management on SAP BTP
Part 9: End-to-End Test of Workflow Integration Scenario
Part 10: Problem Solving of Workflow Integration Scenario
1. Scenario
2. Systems
3. Parameter Values
4. Further Information
The following blog series deals with different kinds of workflows. A Flexible Workflow will be combined with a workflow, that is created on a SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP).
Flexible Workflow is a powerful technology, which is available for ~5 years. In contrast to the older Business Workflow, you can use a much more flexible tool, which offers a variety of new and dynamic features.
I do not want to judge and worsen the Business Workflow, because this older tool also offers a lot of freedom for workflow developers - and to be honest I love working with the Business Workflow with all my heart. The newer tool follows a completely new approach and therefore is highly recommended, too!
In contrast to this, the Workflow Management offers a stand alone solution, can fastly be activated by a booster and offers a set of tools supporting the whole workflow lifecycle e.g. by
Let's imagine the following scenario:
Once a year your company is audited. To prepare the audit, you must collect some information about the collaboration with your partners. Since this might include personal data you have to get your partners approval.
For this approval by your partners you do not want to provide access to your internal SAP S/4HANA system but you want the partners to approve/reject your request via workflow. On the other hand your partners have access to the Fiori Launchpad of your SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP). So you decide to leverage the capabilities of SAP BTP workflow to enable your partners to participate in your workflows.
The intention is to create a flexible workflow for a new scenario in the backend SAP S/4HANA system, which includes a step, that calls a workflow, which is created on SAP BTP. In the above image those parts provided on SAP BTP are highlighted in orange, whereas the other steps are provided by an SAP S/4HANA system.
Involved systems and platforms:
To simplify the description, in this blog I will further on use the terms Backend, Frontend, SAP BTP and SAP BTP Launchpad.
Another issue I want to indicate is the naming "SAP BTP Workflow". Actually this means "SAP Workflow Management running on the SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP)". Since I am talking about Workflow Scenario, Flexible Workflow and the Workflow Management, I use the wording SAP BTP Workflow and hope to avoid confusion between those different kinds of workflow.
In a nutshell:
In the next pages of this blog you will create and/or use several variables. Remember the values for later use. Here is a list, which values you should make note of and where they come from and are used:
If you want to follow this guide in your own environment, I highly recommend to print/copy this table and to add your own variable values. Most of them are created and used in different parts of this blog series.
In the following linked documents you can get more information about the topics covered in the next blog articles. I recommend to visit those websites after reading the blog series in case you want to dive deeper into the topic and to broaden your knowledge.
When I tried to get everything working I started from scratch. All of my experiences are described in this blog series. If you work with an existing environment, where all the systems are connected already, lots of the described steps are processed already. And usually a workflow expert doesn't need to set up a certificate, to create destinations or has to care about systems host name and port.
However, I think, it might be helpful for you to get all information at hand even if you just need a little piece out of it.
Furthermore, my intention was to use a scenario, which is not dependent on already delivered objects. We create our own objects. This of course makes it much more complicated but hopefully it can better round out the big picture of using flexible workflows and calling a SAP BTP workflow from there.
Part 1: Integrating an Extension Workflow on SAP BTP into a Flexible Workflow
Part 2: SAP BTP Cockpit Configuration for Usage of SAP Workflow Management
Part 3: SAP S/4HANA Backend Configuration to Communicate with SAP BTP
Part 4: User and Roles for SAP BTP Workflow and Flexible Workflow
Part 5: Configure Cloud Connector for Workflow Integration
Part 6: Workflow Scenario with Extension Step
Part 7: Flexible Workflow in Integration Scenario
Part 8: Extension Workflow using SAP Workflow Management on SAP BTP
Part 9: End-to-End Test of Workflow Integration Scenario
Part 10: Problem Solving of Workflow Integration Scenario
Content
1. Scenario
2. Systems
3. Parameter Values
4. Further Information
The following blog series deals with different kinds of workflows. A Flexible Workflow will be combined with a workflow, that is created on a SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP).
Flexible Workflow is a powerful technology, which is available for ~5 years. In contrast to the older Business Workflow, you can use a much more flexible tool, which offers a variety of new and dynamic features.
I do not want to judge and worsen the Business Workflow, because this older tool also offers a lot of freedom for workflow developers - and to be honest I love working with the Business Workflow with all my heart. The newer tool follows a completely new approach and therefore is highly recommended, too!
In contrast to this, the Workflow Management offers a stand alone solution, can fastly be activated by a booster and offers a set of tools supporting the whole workflow lifecycle e.g. by
- creating workflows in a graphical and intuitive framework,
- achieving end-to-end process visibility or
- making predelivered content available.
1. Scenario
Let's imagine the following scenario:
Once a year your company is audited. To prepare the audit, you must collect some information about the collaboration with your partners. Since this might include personal data you have to get your partners approval.
For this approval by your partners you do not want to provide access to your internal SAP S/4HANA system but you want the partners to approve/reject your request via workflow. On the other hand your partners have access to the Fiori Launchpad of your SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP). So you decide to leverage the capabilities of SAP BTP workflow to enable your partners to participate in your workflows.
The intention is to create a flexible workflow for a new scenario in the backend SAP S/4HANA system, which includes a step, that calls a workflow, which is created on SAP BTP. In the above image those parts provided on SAP BTP are highlighted in orange, whereas the other steps are provided by an SAP S/4HANA system.
2. Systems
Involved systems and platforms:
- Backend SAP S/4HANA system:
- SAP S/4HANA ON PREMISE 2022
- For the version, see menu System >> Status... >> Component (button) >> tab Installed Product Versions
- We will use an on premise system, because we have to maintain several objects in the backend system directly. In a cloud system we would not have access to those objects.
- In the backend system we create the workflow scenario, DDIC objects such as a structure, table and class. We use eclipse with ADT to create a CDS view
- Frontend system:
- AS ABAP 7.52 FOR SAP S/4HANA FES
- We use the Manage Workflow app to create a flexible workflow based on the scenario, which we create in the backend system
- This system serves as gateway and provides a Fiori Launchpad
- Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP)
- Cloud Foundry environment (Neo does not cover this scenario)
- We need access to
- SAP BTP cockpit to connect the systems
- SAP Business Application Studio to create the SAP BTP workflow
- SAP BTP Fiori Launchpad to do the approval (on behalf of our partners). This is another launchpad as the one we use in the frontend system.
- Cloud Connector
- Local installation of this tool
To simplify the description, in this blog I will further on use the terms Backend, Frontend, SAP BTP and SAP BTP Launchpad.
Another issue I want to indicate is the naming "SAP BTP Workflow". Actually this means "SAP Workflow Management running on the SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP)". Since I am talking about Workflow Scenario, Flexible Workflow and the Workflow Management, I use the wording SAP BTP Workflow and hope to avoid confusion between those different kinds of workflow.
In a nutshell:
- Workflow scenario is created on the backend system via Scenario Builder
- Flexible workflow is created on the frontend via app Manage Workflows
- SAP BTP workflow is created on the SAP BTP via SAP Business Application Studio (SBAS)
3. Parameter Values
In the next pages of this blog you will create and/or use several variables. Remember the values for later use. Here is a list, which values you should make note of and where they come from and are used:
If you want to follow this guide in your own environment, I highly recommend to print/copy this table and to add your own variable values. Most of them are created and used in different parts of this blog series.
4. Further Information
In the following linked documents you can get more information about the topics covered in the next blog articles. I recommend to visit those websites after reading the blog series in case you want to dive deeper into the topic and to broaden your knowledge.
- SAP Workflow Service Integration - SAP Help Portal
- SAP Cloud Platform Workflow - Tutorial on GitHub
- How to connect to SAP Business Application Studio - Blog
- SAP Business Application Studio - SAP Help Portal
- New SAP BTP workflow content for side-by-side process extensions with SAP S/4HANA onpremise Flexible... - Blog
When I tried to get everything working I started from scratch. All of my experiences are described in this blog series. If you work with an existing environment, where all the systems are connected already, lots of the described steps are processed already. And usually a workflow expert doesn't need to set up a certificate, to create destinations or has to care about systems host name and port.
However, I think, it might be helpful for you to get all information at hand even if you just need a little piece out of it.
Furthermore, my intention was to use a scenario, which is not dependent on already delivered objects. We create our own objects. This of course makes it much more complicated but hopefully it can better round out the big picture of using flexible workflows and calling a SAP BTP workflow from there.
>> Next: SAP BTP Cockpit Configuration for Usage of SAP Workflow Management
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