Question Re: Workflow integration using webservice in Technology Q&A

Workflow integration using webservice

Former Member — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:45:05 GMT

Hi All,

I would like to use webservice to ingrate approve/reject option in workflow. As we don't use outlook/lotus applications ,

I am looking for a webservice option to integrate 3rd party application for approve/reject option.

We can use a link to email with application's approve/reject option.

Any input on this?

Thanks

Bala

Re: Workflow integration using webservice

Former Member — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:29:08 GMT

Hi,

What kind of approval task do you have? You have to find out a way to programatically to complete the task. Check the SAP_WAPI* function modules. You should find a function for completing the work item and a a function to trigger an event (or check Jocelyn Dart's blog about triggering ABAP OO events).

Once you know how to programatically complete your work item with the wanted outcome, then you can for example build a function for this purpose. And once you have function, the rest will be relatively easy. Check out the wizard about creating a web service based on a function module (basically everything will be breated automatically with the wizard) - there are nice tutorials and guides in SDN about how to create this kind of web services.

These are some general guidelines about how to approach your problem. Check these out, and probably you wil have some more questions after that.

Regards,

Karri

Re: Workflow integration using webservice

Former Member — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:29:42 GMT

Thanks for the information. Certainly it gave me some confidence level. I am looking for Employee records change approval in ESS. At present there is no WF attached to the Iview where an employee can change their personal data.

Once a user changes, it needs to go to multiple human resource admins, so any one of them can approve or reject.

I have used webservices and integration application. However never used with WF . Do you mean to say SAP_WAPI* FM's can be used to link to approval/reject option for outbound and inbound into SAP? There are approximately 70 FM's. Just wanted to check before looking into each one of them.

Thanks

Bala

Re: Workflow integration using webservice

Former Member — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 09:01:20 GMT

Well, now it seems that you are having a workflow problem and not a web services problem. You should not worry about executing the work items with web services, before you have the workflow in place. So please stop looking the SAP_WAPI* functions for now.

Is there a workflow that you can use for your purpose? You really need to sit down and design/build the workflowfirst (and if there is a workflow already that you can use, you need to configure it for your business scenario). Once you have the details about the approval tasks that you will use in your workflow, then it will make sense to start looking into the web services part and the SAP_WAPI functions.

For example, if your decision task will be a so called decision task, there is a function that you can use for completing this kind of task programatically.

BUT, now when I see that you have ESS, it means that you have a portal. And in portal you will have UWL, which you could use instead of executing the approvals from email&web services.

And have you checked the "Personnel change request" functianality or "HCM processes and forms" framework?

My advice is just to design & get the details of the workflow first. You cannot design/build your web service(s) before that.

Regards,

Karri

PS. Once you have the needed information about the workflow, lot of guys in this forum can tell you the correct function module to use.

Edited by: Karri Kemppi on Oct 3, 2009 7:02 PM

Re: Workflow integration using webservice

Former Member — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 15:14:15 GMT

We have implemented UWL. THe issue with UWL is users need to share the inbox for approving same task.

Probably this would be an easier solution than using an another application with WS

Thanks Karri.

Bala

Re: Workflow integration using webservice

Former Member — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:03:10 GMT

>We have implemented UWL. THe issue with UWL is users need to share the inbox for approving same task.

What do you mean by this? Nobody need to share anything, if you design your workflow correctly. If you are able to send the emails to the correct person, then you must be able to assign the workflow task to correct user as well, and only this user will see the task in his/her UWL.

But, definately you should use UWL, if you already have it in place.

Regards,

Karri

Re: Workflow integration using webservice

Former Member — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:36:50 GMT

Karri,

We recently implemented UWL and it is in initial stage. However I agree with your point it can't be shared.

As original request was to use an explicit approve/reject button in an email, I asked the question about WS integration.

I hope we will be able to convince our business users with UWL. Otherwise I will open another message.

Thanks

Bala

Re: Workflow integration using webservice

Former Member — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:38:58 GMT

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Edited by: BalaG on Oct 5, 2009 6:39 PM