SAP Business Workflow - Architecture

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As mentioned in the previous chapter, SAP Workflow has a three-layered architecture. Following are the three layers in SAP Workflow architecture −

  • Business Object
  • Business Process
  • Organization Model
Architecture

In SAP Workflow architecture, business object is the smallest unit and is at the bottom level. Business Object in SAP Business Workflow is defined as a collection of methods or events for an entity in the business process. Few common Business Objects in SAP system include: Customer, Material, and Vendor. With the use of Business Objects, all services are provided in the form of executable methods.

There is a Business Object Repository, which is an object-oriented approach used to model Business Objects and Processes. It is a collection of Business Object types and Interface types with their components such as attributes, methods and events.

In the Workflow architecture, business processes are at the middle level and they define the steps to be performed as part of the Workflow. Business processes are defined in the Workflow Builder. Each work process is termed as an activity and contains a single step task or the workflow template. Business logic using ABAP code are defined in Business Objects.

In SAP Workflow architecture, organization model is the top layer. Organization model contains people or group of people who are responsible for taking actions in a Business Workflow. People who are responsible for taking an action is also known as actual agent and they are defined in the workflow activity of the Business Workflow.

You can create new Business Object using Business Object Builder. Events in Business Object are responsible for the initial start of the workflow and also for the termination of the workflow. Events are also used to call subsequent tasks in the workflow. All the tasks defined under the Workflow will be executed in the mentioned order as per the Workflow definition.

Common task examples include −

  • Release Document
  • Post Invoice
  • Approve Absence
  • Run Report
  • Change Material
  • Call
  • Check Work and many more

The following image depicts how a task is performed in SAP Workflow and how it interacts with object type and object methods, organization model, events and texts.

Model
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