All that is needed for configuring Substitution in MSS

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A lot of you would be aware that with HR Renewal 1.0 feature pack 1, new substitution functionality is available in MSS. A very good overview of all the features offered with this functionality can be found here. Important thing to note is that substitution is now enabled not only for workflow based approvals but also for non-workflow based approvals (like - CATS approval) and MSS applications (like – homepage, team page, process and form applications etc.). Also a new Substitution Overview page is available which makes it easy for a substitute to work on behalf of substituting manager. It offers the view of team of the substituting manager and the delegated applications that could be launched on behalf.

 
 
 
 
 
 
In this blog I would like to outline all the steps needed to configure/setup the substitution functionality in MSS. I also hope that it helps comprehend all the aspects of substitution functionality in MSS.

First Things First

In order to use the this functionality in MSS, some of the basic things that you need to carry out are as follows: 

1. Activate the business function HCM_MSS_WDA_2. You can read the documentation of business function here.
2. With HR Renewal 1.0 a new PFCG role is available for manager user SAP_MANAGER_MSS_NWBC_3. In addition to all MSS applications this role has the new “Substitution Overview” page and also an application for managing substitution rules. The home page of MSS has a new application configuration which now includes a UI block to provide quick information about Substitutions.
3. A new PFCG role is available SAP_MANAGER_MSS_SUBST_SR_NWBC. This is a light weight role which has only few MSS applications which are required by a Substitute to work on behalf like – POWL Inbox,Substitution Overview. This role can be assigned to users in the organization who are not managers (no MSS role assigned), but could be possible substitutes for managers like – assistants or secretaries.

Configurations for setting up Substitution

All the configuration steps for setting up Substitution functionality can be found under following path in IMG:

IMG -> Personnel Management -> Manager Self-Service(WDA) -> Substitution

1. Preliminary step is to define task classes, substitution profiles and then assign task classes to one or more substitution profiles. In the next step we will see that task classes could be used for classifying the MSS applications, workflow/non-workflow tasks.

 
          The substitution profiles defined here are available to the user while creating a substitution rule in "Manage Substitution Rules" application as seen in screenshot below. So when a user creates a substitution rule to another user with a specific substitution profile, all the workflow tasks/MSS applications classified using corresponding task classes get delegated to the substitute.  

2.  In the next step configure a repository of MSS applications which could be delegated in your organization. This is done in launchpad customizing under role MSS and instance SUBSTITUTION. Classify these MSS application by assigning task classes as defined in above step. Example – If the “Process Browser” application in process and forms area is one of the applications which could be delegated then put this as part of this Launchpad. Set the parameter “SUBST_CLASSIFICATION” to appropriate task class defined before.

Note –

1. For workflow tasks, task classification can be assigned in transaction PFTC.
2. For non-worflow approvals, task classes have to be defined with id as set in the corresponding POWL. You can find more information in the IMG documentation.

   3. Activate the default implementation of BAdI HRMSS_SUBSTITUTION. The "Substitution Overview" application calls this BAdI to get the active substitution rules and list of applications substituted by user. You can read the IMG documentation and BAdI documentation to know more about this step.

   4. Optionally implement and activate BAdI WF_SUBSTITUTE. This BAdI is called when substitution rules are created or deleted by user in the "Manage Substitution Rules" application. In this BAdI implementation,for example, you could write code for sending email notifications.

   5. Last but not the least, define authorizations with regard to substitution. You can consider assigning the light weight MSS role SAP_MANAGER_MSS_SUBST_SR_NWBC to substitute users who are not managers. Define appropriate values for authorization objects in this role. Additionally if you use structural authorization then a new structural profile could be created for substitute users. The profile could be configured with function module HRMSS_SUBST_GET_ORG_ASSIGNMENT which reads the active substitution rules and determines the root organization units.