How to Set Up the Email Notification for Flexible Workflow in SAP S/4HANA Cloud

[rosydp]

Background

SAP has provided a Standard Solution to notify the users about new work items generated by flexible workflow and displayed in the 'My Inbox' app.

Introduction

The default notification in SAP S/4HANA Cloud is through alerts that are displayed in the SAP Fiori Launchpad, but it is also possible to configure the system to notify users via email about new work items in their inbox.

Moreover, it is possible to configure the system to send notification for approval or rejection of requests.

In this blog the steps to set up the email notification for the Release of credit memo request will be shown.

Pre-requisites

• The Flexible workflow has been already configured (not covered in this blog)


• Sender email address must be setup in the system.

How to set up the email notification

For the setup of the email notification and customising of the email workflow messages, we will use the “Maintain Email Templates” app:

Fig. 1 Maintain Email Template

 

From the pre-delivered tab, search for the ‘SWF_CRT_NOTIFIY_RECIPIENTS’ email template (Fig. 2):

 

Fig.2 Pre-delivered email templates

 

Create a copy of the template following the pattern specified in the standard email description <YY1>_<Scenario_id>_CRT_ALL or <YY1>_<Scenario_id>_CRT_<ACTIVITY_NODEID>.

For the notification about the approval or rejection we will use the pre-delivered template SWF_WORKFLOW_COMPLETE_NOTIFY with the following pattern:

• <YY1>_<Scenario_id>_COMPLETE_POSITIVE


• <YY1>_<Scenario_id>_COMPLETE_NEGATIVE

 

The scenario ID is the WS number linked to the flexible workflow. It can be found in the app “Manage Workflow Scenario”(Fig.3):

Fig. 3 Workflow scenario ID for Credit Memo Requests

 

This info is provided also by the standard cds view I_WorkflowScenarioDefText:

Fig.4 Scenario ID

Alternatively, we can access to the ‘Support Information” option of a selected work item in the 'My Inbox" app:

Examples:

• For the overall release of regular purchase requisitions, the scenario ID is 02000458 and the activity node ID is 19, so we will use YY1_02000458_CRT_19.

 

• For the item-level release of regular purchase requisitions, the scenario ID is 02000471 and the activity node ID is 20, so we will use YY1_02000471_CRT_20.

 

• For the Credit Memo the scenario ID is 02000029, so we will use YY1_02000029_CRT_ALL.

 

The copy of the email template for the Credit Memo Request will look like the following (Fig.5).

Fig.5 Credit Memo Request email template

The following are the available fields that can be used to pass the values in the email subject and body:

 

We can customise the email subject and the body. In our case, we also added the URL to navigate to the work item. The receiver will click on the link that will open the related work item directly in the 'My Inbox' app (Fig. 6 😞

Fig. 6 Custom email template body

 

Fig. 7 Email sent with the link to work item

 

Configure the default system email address

As prerequisite to be able to send email notifications, the sender email address must be setup in the system.

Via Manager your Solution -> Application Platform and Infrastructure -> Output Management -> System Administration -> Define Default Email Sender Address

Fig. 8 Define Default Email Sender Address via Manager Solution

In CBC, go to "Define Default Email Sender Address':

Fig. 8 Define Default Email Sender Address via CBC

 

Conclusion

This blog demonstrates how to setup the system sender address via 'Manage your Solution' and CBC and how to setup Email Notification for Flexible Workflow in SAP S/4HANA Cloud.

We created custom email templates as copy of the pre-delivered 'SWF_CRT_NOTIFIY_RECIPIENTS’ email template and found the scenario ID info needed to adhere to the specific pattern as suggested in the email template description.

 

If you’d like to ask questions, share feedback and thoughts, please use the comment section and/or post questions in the SAP S/4HANA Cloud community and follow me for further blogs.

 

Thanks,

Rosaria (Rosie)

[Ole1]

Hi Rosaria,

thanks a lot for this blog.

Do you know if there exists an overview of the activity node IDs? Or where did you get them from?

 

Thank you very much in advance.

[rosydp]

Hi olefloegel

 

you can find some of the activities node IDs at the following link in section "Mandatory: Define step names and decision options in My Inbox"

https://help.sap.com/viewer/af9ef57f504840d2b81be8667206d485/2021.000/en-US/copyea6b8eb4b5964ba487c7...

 

Regards

Rosaria (Rosie)

[former_member236626]

Hi Rosaria,

Thanks so much, this was extremely helpful.  I have a question - how to link the template with the specific flexible workflow we are using?  Is it only the naming convention that provides the link, or is there anything else needed?

Thanks,

Rob

[rosydp]

Hi Rob,

the Template to inform task recipients is SWF_CRT_NOTIFY_RECIPIENTS.

It can be used to send notification mail to the recipients of the work item. The custom templates has to follow the pattern: <YY1>_<ScenarioId>_<CRT>_<ACTIVITY_NODEID> or <YY1>_<ScenarioId>_CRT_ALL.

The scenario ID is the "link" between the template and the flexible workflow. In Fig.3 and Fig.4 above you can find how to retrieve the correct scenario ID.

 

Regards

Rosaria(Rosie)

 

[Dhanesh_Mohan]

Hi Rosaria,

Your blog is very much Informative and helpful.

I was successfully able to setup flexible email for PBD approvals. However we have a requirement where we need to attach PBD output PDF in flexible workflow, also the approver should have the option to approve/reject via email. Is this possible, if so how can we achieve this ??

If you can suggest , it will help us a  lot.

Thanks,

Dhan

[former_member790019]

Hi Rosaria,

 

Sender id is showing DDIC in sost. How I can change to another id .

[joos]

Hi Rosaria,

Thanks for the clear explanation.

Is there a possibility to make the URL to navigate to the work item dynamic? So having different url's for test and productive systems?

 

Thanks in advance,

Joos

[0024250039]

Hi Rosaria,

Thanks for the clear explanation.

I didn't understand if the notification is active by default or if this configuration is needed to send by e-mail?

I configured the flexible workflow but it is not in the SBWP. Is there any configuration needed to activate?

[rosydp]

Hi Joos,

 

the URL must be set to point to the correct system as the work item is specific for the system.

 

Regards

Rosaria(Rosie)

[kent_2804]

Hi Rosaria,

Thanks for the clear explanation.

I'm in S/4HANA (not cloud), i want to change the default user or email sender, can you please help me.

 

Thanks.

 

[sterling_wu]

I have the same question

[kent_2804]

Hi sterling.wu

Please useSE38 -> Program BTC_MASS_JOB_CHANGE

Job: SAP_WORKFLOW_OUTPUT_MANAGEMENT

Change user in job.

[Pawan]

Hello Rosaria,

Thank you for the detailed blog.

We implemented the email notification for Condition Contract flexible workflow using the above steps in our OP version, but it is not showing up in SOST.

Do we need to do any separate configuration for OP systems apart from the steps suggested above?

Regards,

Pawan

[tgdfudi1]

Hey Pawan
You may have not planned the following Programm as a job: RSWF_OUTPUT_MANAGEMENT

Regards

Diego

[tgdfudi1]

Hello Rosaria

You need the correct naming convention to send emails successfully.

So why is there a tab in the flexible workflow where you could assign the e-mail templates.

The assignment then seems to have no effect? You know something about it?



Example in the Sales Quotation

 

[former_member824805]

Hi Everyone ,

I have created an Email template for PR release approval process and its working fine. The Problem is email template is also triggering for Auto Approval for PR release . This should not be trigger .Anyone have idea how to restrict the mail process for that.

Thanks

Dinesh Kumar

[shubhanshu_agrawal1]

Hi,

In my case, SLG1 log says template created by us has been used and mail has been processed for PO flexible workflow task WS00800238. SBWP has the correct email content as configured in template and same with SWIA. However, mail generating in SOST is having totally different content from the SBWP.

SBWP has "Approval of Purchase Order XXXXXXXX" ,however SOST is getting " Task 'Workflow for Article Outbound' has been created'". I am not sure why it is happening.

Thanks in advance

Shubhanshu

[vaibhav_kumar_13]

Dear Rosaria,

I have developed one custom flexi workflow but facing challenges. I have followed steps mentioned in the blog and can send email to approvers. But there is a requirement to send email to CC and BCC who are not approvers. So I cannot use a USER decision activity step in Flexi.

Could you please guide how it can be achieved?

We already crossed the dead line and planning to redevelop all in classic WF.

 

Regards,

[ankitshirsat43]

Hi Rosaria,

In FIORI I am unable to use manage your solution application, is there any other possible way to configure the default system email address ?

Thanks in advance,

Ankit Shirsat

[rosydp]

Hi Ankit,

 

you should access via CBC to setup te default system email address.

[akgfgn]

Hi Rosaria, Thanks for the detailed blog! I would like to know, how you have inserted the URL to navigate to the work item ? The picture you have attached, custom email template body is not clear. I tried by zooming in, but no luck. Could you please help me to understand, how you have achieved it?

[vijayamore]

Hello Rosaria

 

I setup the process but still email notifications are not getting triggered. Can you please guide me how to check logs or error? or what else I need to check so emails will be triggered

 

Regards

Vijaya

[S0018265868]

Can reminders be triggered if the workflow has not been actioned?

[sivaganapathyr]

Hello Rosaria,

 

Can we add a PDF attachment to the mail template?

 

Regards,

Siva R

[sivaganapathyr]

Hello Rosaria,

 

Can we add the PDF attachment to the mail template?

 

Regards,

Siva R

[Rajesh_Prajapat]

Hi @rosie_21

First of all thanks for sharing such a knowledgeable document. i need little bit more guidance on this.

I am sucessfully, able to use the below template

WF_CRT_NOTIFIY_RECIPIENTS’

 

But struggling on below , i am trying to use below template for Approval and Rejection Confirmation mail but not able to succeed.

SWF_WORKFLOW_COMPLETE_NOTIFY with the following pattern:

• <YY1>_<Scenario_id>_COMPLETE_POSITIVE


• <YY1>_<Scenario_id>_COMPLETE_NEGATIVE

Appreciable if you help on this.

[former_member876724]

rosie_21 rosie81

Hi This was so infiormative if you have or find any reg The Flexible workflow has been already configured (not covered in this blog) can you please send me or post here vinodkumar.nemalipuri1@gmail.com

[Saurav_Thakur]

Hi @rosie_21

Thanks for the detailed information about workflows.

Is there any option/config to send the reminder e-mails if the approver has not approved the document and still pending at his end.

FYI, We are using SAP Public Cloud.

 

Thanking you in advance.

[G_Koushik_Reddy]

Hi Vijaya,

You may have already received a response or got a solution to this query; nevertheless, I'm providing a reply here for the benefit of others.

The likely cause is that your receiver and sender domain addresses may not be configured. To verify this, please utilize the "Monitor Email Transmissions" app and select the "Send Test Email" option located next to the Gear Icon. Enter your email address and click the "Send Test Email" button. If the email is successfully sent, you should receive it; otherwise, configure the domains as per the instructions provided when the Send Test Email fails.

I hope this information proves helpful.

Best Regards,

Koushik

[G_Koushik_Reddy]

Hi Claire,

Yes. You can use Deadlines functionality to send a reminder if the Workflow has not been actioned.

Best Regards,

Koushik

[G_Koushik_Reddy]

Hi Saurav,

Yes. You can use Deadlines functionality to send a reminder if the Workflow has not been actioned.

Best Regards,

Koushik

[Mithun_Kumar]

Thanks @rosydp Rosie,

This helped a lot in setting up the email notifications for a client's flexible WF.

But now there's a new issue. As we've a number of preconditions setup for different types of WFs in the manage WF app, if all of those conditions are not met, the fall back is the predelivered Auto-Approve option, which is as required. However, for this Auto-approve case, they don't want any email to be sent out to the requester.

Any idea if this is possible to setup somehow?

[karthikeyansermaiya]

Is this will work on S4 HANA On-Premise System????

[KjetilKilhavn]

Yes @karthikeyansermaiya, this works in an on-premise system as well. These email templates are nice for informing about the outcome of an approval process. In some cases you would perhaps want to notify only about rejections, for instance in processes where the normal and expected outcome is an approval.

Some flexible workflow scenarios also have a deadline notification email template (e.g. purchase requisition approval and purchase order approval). It can be used to notify the recipient of the workitem. In my opinion those should only be used to notify about an approaching (or passed) deadline, while the extended notification for business workflow solution is a better solution for email notifications about work items waiting to be processed. Unfortunately we haven't set it up here yet, so at the moment I am not sure how well it will work with flexible workflows.

[viva_kd]

Thanks for the blog,
how do i Add custom Variable in Subject and Body for PO EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS ?

Thanks 

[zbigniew_kocwin2]

Hello,

I have a requirement to send an e-mail notification to the PO creator at the end of workflow (after final approval). Please could you support where I can change it?

Example:

I have a PO with 2 levels approval. Right now every time the PO is approved the PO creator gets two times the same e-mail notification.

The goal is to send the e-mail notification after final PO approval (after second level approves the PO).

I cannot find anywhere the customizing for it.

Thanks

ZK

[KjetilKilhavn]

@zbigniew_kocwin2 Unless you tell us about your solution, especially how those emails are sent today, it is very difficult to advise you, because we have no idea what you have done to set this up already.

What release are you on? Do you use release procedures or flexible workflow? Are you using SAP standard flexible workflow for purchase order? Do you use the standard email template to notify about approved purchase order, or do you have a custom solution that sends those notifications.

Perhaps you should even throw in a few screenshots of your customizing and configuration and the workflow log for a document where two emails have been sent.

And finally you should probably post this as a question, not as a comment to a blog.

[erwin_van_der_linden]

Hi Rosaria,

Thanks for the great blog. Is this also working for S4HANA public cloud? I was able to set up the email notification and template for the credit note approval SWF_CRT_NOTIFIY_RECIPIENTS. I used the name YY1_WS02000029_CRT_ALL

However with SWF_WORKFLOW_COMPLETE_NOTIFY I have issues. When I want to use below namespace it is not working.

• <YY1>_<Scenario_id>_COMPLETE_POSITIVE
• <YY1>_<Scenario_id>_COMPLETE_NEGATIVE

It looks like the field is to short. When I use YY1_020000029_Complete_Positive it is not working. and YY1_WS020000029_Complete_Positive  does not fit. Any suggestions?

[KjetilKilhavn]

Perhaps this could be one of those easy to solve mysteries, @erwin_van_der_linden. 
Your scenario ID has 9 digits in "YY1_020000029_Complete_Positive", so if that is a name you have copied & pasted, then try again with "YY1_02000029_Complete_Positive" and it may work. 

[erwin_van_der_linden]

Thanks @KjetilKilhavn  this one is working. 

[Adhil]

Hello 

I've created a flexible workflow for WS02000029, I've copy the following email templated into my company name space.

/***/SD_SLS_CMR_APPROVAL_EMAIL

/***/SD_SLS_CMR_DEADLINE_EMAIL

/***/SD_SLS_CMR_REJECT_EMAIL_T

/***/SD_SLS_CMR_RELEASE_EMAIL_

/***/SD_SLS_CMR_REWORK_EMAIL_T

/***/02000029_COMPLETE_NEGATIV

/***/02000029_COMPLETE_POSITIV

/***/SWF_CRT_NOTIFY_RECIPIENTS

When the requestor creates a credit memo, the email goes to the Approver as well as the deadline email that is /***/SD_SLS_CMR_APPROVAL_EMAIL and /***/SD_SLS_CMR_DEADLINE_EMAIL.

The problem is when the Approver Approves/Rejects or Reworks, theres no email sent out to the requestor.I've check SOST and theres no email in the queue, email addresses are maintained for the requestors in SU01.

The 2 decision tasks 02000054 and 02000055 are binded for WS02000029 in transaction PFTC.

There workflow works fine, its just the emails that dont get sent out.

  Is there some steps that I'm missing somewhere?

We are using S4/HANA 2023 on premise, SAP FIORI for S4HANA 2023

Thanks

Adhil

[Adhil]

@KjetilKilhavn  will you be able to assist with my issue above?

[KjetilKilhavn]

Unfortunately I am not familiar with that solution (flexible workflow scenario) @Adhil, and as far as I can tell you haven't provided enough information for someone who isn't familiar with the scenario to have an opinion on what the problem could be.

Instead of commenting on this blog you should explain your problem properly and create your own post (question) where people can comment, ask for more detail, and suggest a solution.

Questions are like bug reports, if you don't provide enough information for people to understand what you try to do, what you have done, what you expect and what you got that wasn't as expected (personally I prefer that people also provide information about what they have already done themselves to try and figure out what the problem is), you can't expect people to be able to provide good suggestions on how your problem can be solved (or in some cases tell you that your expectations are the problem and everything works as designed).

[Ranjaniv]

Thanks for the blog @rosydp.

I configured flexible workflow and receiving emails as well. Is there any possibility to add recipients who are not approvers as CC in purchase order approved email. we are using Fiori 23 and don't have access to Manage your solution fiori app. Please advise 

@KjetilKilhavn @rosydp