Workflow localization, translation, multi-language WF-dialogs

[MikeB]

Hi Workflow Gurus,

Question is about workflow localization / translation / globalization / internationalization…

Suppose, I have a complex workflow, which consists of a number of sub-workflows. This WF has been initially developed in English (including all dialogs), but now I want to offer this WF in other languages. Of course, I can begin to pass over each WF/sub-workflow element and to begin to type localized dialog via built-in translation tool of SAP where it is possible, but it may take a lot of time, especially if there are a lot steps in WF.

Is there any best practice for workflow localization, what is the best approach to supply the same workflow in English, German and French to your customers? Is there any way to get/build a dictionary of all dialog, used in all steps in WF and its subworkflows and after that to translate it to the desired language?

Thanks.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

I also would be very interested of hearing if someone has found a way to easily translate a workflow or has a tool for it. Many times the translation can become an own sub-project (this applies also some other SAP functionality which do not offer proper translation tools).

Basically it is not that hard - you probably just want to translate the "visible parts", and this includes just the dialog tasks: maintain the work item text and description in PFTC (this is a bit annoying since you need to log in with the destination language to maintain the work item text). Many times this is enough. But then if you have user decision in the workflow, these you need to go to translate the step to WF builder SWDD.

If you want to make things perfect, you must maintain all the texts in the workflow itself too (in WF builder in the translation menu): all the step names, outcomes, etc. These texts are visible e.g. in the logs etc. so users will most probably have access to these although they are not in the daily use. Luckily the translation tool in the WF builder is quite good, because it lists nicely all the texts of the workflow, and offers a input field to maintain the translation. And if you are after perfection, you need to go back to translating the tasks - the background tasks which will be visible in the logs...

Then, if the developers haven't translated the possible applications that are called inside the workflow, it really can become a project. For example it can be a huge task to translate a big web dynpro ABAP application (some translations come from data elements, some from OTRs, then you will have the messages, etc.)

Kind regards,

Karri

[MikeB · Accepted solution]

Hi, Karri

I appreciate your comment, I'm agree with you, as far as I realize, WF localization may really become a separate project from time consumption point of view.

One more point regarding to localization.

Suppose, I'm a WF initiator and I started the WF in English, the next step (user decision) should be executed by French speaking agent, the third one is a task for German native speaker. I would like to offer the best user experience for each one of the agents and show dialogs on their-own mother tongue.

Is it possible to show different steps of the same WF in different languages, according to SAP GUI language of specific agent? I tried to do that, but I paid attention, that WF language is defined at the first step and is inherited from the language of WF initiator.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Users should be able to see the work items in their logon language (if you have translated the tasks). It shouldn't matter what is the language of the workflow instance (=which language was used to start the workflow). When the user opens his inbox, the work item language is the same as users logon language. Just test and you will see.

Kind regards,

Karri

[MikeB · Accepted solution]

Hi Karri,

I've checked the subject of work item language and find out, that «inheritance» of the language from WF initiator is a «feature» of my generic WF-design (I define and fill-ins all dialogs at the first step, right after WF has been initialized), so I have to reconsider this concept.

What I found out is when I want to enter a translation for a user decision step (title and parameters) via Translation menu of SAP GUI this menu is disabled and has a grey out, while the object I want to translate is in change mode. What should I do in order to have ability to enter the translation?

Thanks.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi,

About your design: I am not sure if I understood what you have done. But the main idea here was that the workflow (and SAP itself) will take care of displaying the texts in correct language if translations exist. Perhaps you have done something that this does not happen, but I guess this is the concept that you need to reconsider?

About your translation problem: When you do translations for workflow objects in SWDD, you should do them in the "main window". Do not e.g. enter/drill-down into a step and try to do translations there (this might be reason why the menu is disabled - I am too busy to check this right now). Now it might be that the user decision (and its texts) cannot be translated at all from the SWDD translation menu (the user decision stuff is not visible in translation view?). You might need to log in to the system with the destination language, open SWDD, and then maintain the user decision step texts directly in the user decision step. I am not sure about this and cannot check right now, but worth to check, if you are having problems maintaining user decision translations.

Kind regards,

Karri

[MikeB · Accepted solution]

Dear Karri,

Thank you a lot for your attention and time.

A bit of words about my design, I wanted to develop some generic workflow, that could suit to multiple similar processes and, in order to supply desired level of generality, I pass specific dialog to the workflow from outside. So, dialog is filled at the beginning of the workflow by execution ABAP workflow dedicated class method, so I suppose, I have to reconsider the design.

I'll check your recommendation and let you know if it works.

BTW, the relevant article at SCN Wiki:

Multi language functionality Implementation in ABAP-Workflow

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

OK, I see what you've done. Probably not the best design for workflow due to the problems in translations. Texts cannot be populated in the beginning (or during) of workflow unless you are 100% sure of the languages of the work item recipients (and even then it is not probably the best idea).

Perhaps the most common language problems in workflows are caused by the email sending steps and the workflow reminders (Extended notifications). I've seen some freaky stuff with extended notifications (three different languages in one email)...

Regards,

Karri

[MikeB · Accepted solution]

I checked all options, you've mentioned above and now I would like share my experience, but before I see important to summarize the initial task.

Originally I built a generic workflow that suits to a multiple different from the context point of view, but similar from the structure point of view processes. E.g. suppose, we have three different processes, which should be approved by exactly the same persons, in order to do that I built some generic workflow and dynamically fill it by suitable dialogs.

In addition to this, I want to assure that my process is a language independent and will work with multi-language agents inside of the same process (e.g. one agent is French speaker and another agent is English-one).

After multiple tries I've arrived to the conclusion, that SAP Workflow engine allows to you either to build generic workflow on the specific language or language-generic workflow with concrete process, but not the both the same time.

In bottom line, you have to choose, what strategy you want to go — generic process programming on specific language or specific process, but multi-language (language independent).

Please, feel free to share the way to overcome this limit.