1 HCM Processes and Forms: A Guided Tour

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1.1 The Origin of HCM Processes and Forms

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1.1.1 Personnel Change Requests

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1.1.2 The Move to HCM Processes and Forms

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1.2 Description of an HCM Process

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1.3 Process Initiation

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1.3.1 Employee Self-Service (ESS)

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1.3.2 Manager Self-Service (MSS)

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1.3.3 HR Administrator (HRA)

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1.3.4 Exchange Infrastructure (XI) Initiation

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1.4 Form Validation

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1.5 Workflow

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1.5.1 Agent Determination and Routing

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1.6 Approvals

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1.7 Backend Updates

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1.8 Process Tracking

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1.9 Summary

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2 Building Blocks of HCM Processes and Forms

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2.1 Overview

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2.2 Processes

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2.2.1 Process Customizing

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2.2.2 Process Structure

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2.3 Scenarios

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2.3.1 Scenario Steps

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2.4 Forms

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2.4.1 Adobe Interactive Forms

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2.4.2 FPM Forms

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2.4.3 Which Form Should We Use?

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2.5 Workflow

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2.6 Backend Services

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2.6.1 Delivered Backend Services

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2.6.2 Generic Services

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2.7 Summary

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3 Integrating HCM Processes and Forms into Business Processes

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3.1 Business Objectives

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3.1.1 Process Efficiency

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3.1.2 Recasting HR: Paper Pusher to Business Partner

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3.1.3 Data Quality

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3.1.4 Process Consistency

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3.1.5 Clarity

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3.2 Barriers to Use of HCM Processes and Forms

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3.2.1 Manager Impatience with HR

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3.2.2 The Legacy of Paper-Based Processes

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3.2.3 HR Administrators as Gatekeepers

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3.3 Design Guidelines for Overcoming Obstacles

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3.3.1 80/20 Rule

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3.3.2 Have a Safety Valve

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3.3.3 KICS – Keep It Consistent, Stupid

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3.3.4 Simplify Language on Forms

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3.3.5 Provide the Right Level of Help Text

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3.4 Interaction with Existing Dynamic Actions

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3.4.1 Limitations of Dynamic Actions

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3.4.2 Current Landscape

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3.4.3 The Alternative to Dynamic Actions

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3.4.4 Options for Dealing with Existing Dynamic Actions

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3.4.5 Migrating to the Decoupled Framework

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3.5 Summary

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4 HCM Processes and Forms Projects

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4.1 Considerations before Starting HCM Processes and Forms Projects

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4.1.1 ASAP Methodology: Great for Payroll, Not Forms

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4.1.2 Why HCM Processes and Projects Are Different

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4.2 High-Level Project Plan

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4.2.1 Project Preparation

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4.2.2 Blueprint/Realization and Feedback Loops

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4.3 Testing

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4.4 Piloting

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4.4.1 Benefits of a Piloting Phase

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4.4.2 Considerations for a pilot project

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4.5 Rollout and Go-Live Support

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4.5.1 The “Hypercare “ Window

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4.6 Summary

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5 Getting Started

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5.1 Overview

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5.2 New Client Setup

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5.2.1 Business Functions

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5.2.2 User Interface Activation

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5.2.3 Reference Number Ranges

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5.3 Records Management/Case Management Setup

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5.3.1 Records Management

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5.3.2 Case Management

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5.4 Process Status Setup

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5.5 Workflow Setup

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5.5.1 Cross-Process Workflow Event Linkage Activation

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5.5.2 Setting HCM Processes and Forms–Specific Tasks as General

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5.6 Sample Processes

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5.7 Summary

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6 Process Design

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6.1 Overview

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6.2 Initial Process Configuration Steps

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6.2.1 Process Validity

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6.2.2 Processes for Multiple Employees

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6.2.3 Workflow Template Assignment

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6.2.4 Process Initiator Roles

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6.2.5 Process Groups

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6.2.6 Collisions

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6.2.7 Frequency Restrictions

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6.3 Form Scenario Definition

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6.3.1 Form Scenario Fields

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6.3.2 Form Definition

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6.3.3 Scenario Steps

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6.3.4 Backend Services

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6.3.5 SAP Service Fields

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6.3.6 Generic Service Fields

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6.4 SAP Termination Sample Process

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6.4.1 Multiple Forms/Form Scenarios for a Single Process

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6.4.2 Multiple Initiators

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6.4.3 Additional Information

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6.4.4 Transferring Fields between Form Scenarios

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6.4.5 Transferring Attachments

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6.5 Rules

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6.6 Message Mapping

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6.7 Miscellaneous Process Attributes

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6.7.1 Attachment Types

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6.7.2 Additional Information

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6.7.3 User Events

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6.8 HCM Process Testing

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6.8.1 Form Scenario Customizing Check

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6.8.2 Process Customizing Check

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6.8.3 Process Testing

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6.9 Summary

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7 Designing Adobe Forms

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7.1 Overview

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7.2 Adobe Livecycle Designer

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7.2.1 Menu Bar/Toolbar

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7.2.2 Hierarchy and Data View

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7.2.3 Object Library and Object Palette

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7.2.4 Script Editor

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7.2.5 Form Design Area

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7.3 Linking Data to the Form

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7.3.1 From Form to Database: Your Data’s Long, Strange Trip

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7.3.2 Data Binding

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7.4 Basic Scripting

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7.4.1 FormCalc vs. JavaScript

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7.4.2 Events

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7.4.3 Scripting Tips and Samples

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7.5 Lessons Learned in Form Design in HCM Processes and Forms

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7.5.1 Simplicity Should Be a Primary Consideration

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7.5.2 Subforms Are Your Best Friends

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7.5.3 Give It Up, ISR. You’re Embarrassing Yourself

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7.5.4 It’s Not Always About What You Show

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7.5.5 When In Doubt, Type It Out (Or Link to It)

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7.6 Summary

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8 Designing FPM Forms

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8.1 Getting Started by Copying an Existing Form

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8.1.1 Finding SAP Sample Forms and Making the Process Copy

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8.1.2 Copying the Form

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8.2 FPM Form Builder Environment

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8.3 Sections in Detail

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8.3.1 Toolbar

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8.3.2 General Settings

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8.3.3 UIBB Schema

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8.3.4 Repository Panel

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8.3.5 Preview Panel

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8.4 Adding Elements to the Form

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8.4.1 Adding an Element from the Repository Panel

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8.4.2 Adding an Element from the Preview Panel Toolbar

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8.5 Field Types

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8.5.1 Scenario-Specific Fields

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8.5.2 General Form Fields

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8.6 Using Groups in Your Form

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8.6.1 Creating a Group

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8.6.2 Adding Elements to Your Group

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8.6.3 Moving Groups within the Form

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8.6.4 Group Limitations

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8.7 Summary

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9 Workflow in HCM Processes and Forms

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9.1 Workflow Background

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9.1.1 Benefits of SAP Business Workflow

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9.1.2 Basic Workflow Concepts

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9.2 Workflow in HCM Processes and Forms

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9.2.1 HCM Processes and Forms Workflow Parameters

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9.2.2 Delivered SAP Tasks for HCM Processes and Forms

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9.2.3 Workflow Templates

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9.2.4 Agents in HCM Processes and Forms

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9.2.5 Relationship between Workflow And Processes

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9.3 Summary

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10 User Interface Integration

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10.1 Available Options for HCM Processes and Forms UI

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10.1.1 Roles within the SAP NetWeaver Portal

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10.1.2 Roles within the SAP NetWeaver Business Client

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10.2 Enhancement Package 4

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10.2.1 The “Magic” of the Start Application

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10.2.2 Employee Self-Service (ESS)

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10.2.3 Manager Self-Service

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10.2.4 HR Administrator

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10.3 Enhancement Package 5

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10.3.1 Web Dynpro for ABAP Employee Self-Service Role

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10.3.2 Embedded Org Chart Visualization

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10.3.3 Manager Self-Service Add-On

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10.4 Enhancement Package 6 and HR Renewal 1.0

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10.5 Inbox Options

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10.5.1 Universal Worklist (UWL)

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10.5.2 POWL Inbox

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10.6 A Tale of Two Start Applications

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10.6.1 ASR_PROCESS_EXECUTE_FPM

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10.6.2 ASR_PROCESS_EXECUTE_OVP

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10.7 Summary

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11 Securing Your HCM Processes and Forms

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11.1 Introduction

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11.2 Your Starting Point—Example Delivered Roles

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11.2.1 Considerations for Using SAP-Delivered Roles

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11.3 Designating Use of New Authorization Methods

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11.3.1 Options for Designation of Authorization Methods

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11.3.2 Designating Use of New Authorization Globally

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11.4 New Authorization Object P_ASRCONT

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11.4.1 Content Groups

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11.4.2 Setting Up Process Groups and Scenario Groups

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11.4.3 Attachment Types

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11.5 New HR Forms Authorizations: To Use or Not To Use?

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11.6 Alternative Authorization Method: HRASR00AUTH_CHECK BADI

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11.7 Guidelines for Use of HCM Forms Authorizations

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11.7.1 Start by Asking Questions during Blueprinting

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11.8 Recommendations

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11.9 Summary

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12 HCM Processes and Forms Administration

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12.1 SAP Case Management (Transaction “SCASE”)

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12.1.1 Anatomy of SCASE

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12.1.2 Case Searching and Viewing Results

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12.1.3 History Section

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12.2 Records Management (Transaction ORGANIZER)

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12.3 Other Administrative Tools

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12.3.1 Workflow Troubleshooting: Work Item Analysis

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12.3.2 HR Administrator’s Workbench

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12.4 Summary

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13 Other Use Cases for HCM Processes and Forms

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13.1 Multilingual Forms

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13.1.1 Implementation Impacts

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13.1.2 HCM Processes and Forms Translation How-To

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13.2 Delivering HCM Processes and Forms to Mobile Devices

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13.2.1 SAP Sybase Unwired Platform (SUP)

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13.2.2 Skymobile (Sky Technologies)

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13.2.3 Kairos (Aragon HR)

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13.2.4 Mobile Workplace (3i)

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13.3 Offline Form Completion

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13.4 Summary

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14 Resources

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14.1 Google

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14.2 SAP Community Network

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14.3 SAP Help Portal

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14.3.1 Tutorial

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14.4 SAP Service Marketplace

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14.4.1 Media Library

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14.4.2 SAP Notes

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14.5 Subscription Services

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14.5.1 HR Expert Online

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14.5.2 SAP User Groups

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Appendices

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A SAP Delivered Example Forms

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B Generic Services

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C The Authors

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