Sap Successfactors Employee Central - The Comprehensive Guide (2018).pdf

Luke Marson, Murali Mazhavanchery, Rebecca Murray

SAP®SuccessFactors® Employee Central The Comprehensive Guide

•

Rheinwerk r.J ... <>h1 ..~

Contents Foreword ................................................................................................................................................

25

Introduction ..........................................................................................................................................

27

PART I

Foundations

1

Employee Central Basics

37

1.1

Globalization and Localization ......................................................................................

38

1.2

Data Models ...........................................................................................................................

40

1.2.1 1.2.2 1.2.3 1.2.4

Succession Data Model ....................................................................................... Corporate Data Model ........................................................................................ Country-Specific Succession Data Model ..................................................... Country-Specific Corporate Data Model .......................................................

41 42 43 43

1.3

Admin Center ........................................................................................................................

44

1.4

Employee Central Settings ..............................................................................................

44

1.5

Foundation Objects ............................................................................................................

45

1.5.1 1.5.2 1.5.3 1.5.4

Organizational Structures ................................................................................. Job Structures ........................................................................................................ Pay Structures ........................................................................................................ Miscellaneous Foundation Objects ................................................................

46 47 48 49

1.6

Person, Worker, and Users ..............................................................................................

49

1.7

Employee Interface, Information, and Maintenance ..........................................

50

1.7.1 1.7.2 1.7.3 1.7.4

Employee Profile ................................................................................................... People Profile ......................................................................................................... Quickcard ................................................................................................................ Employee Files .......................................................................................................

50 50 51 52

1.8

Transactions and Self-Services ......................................................................................

53

1.9

Event, Event Reasons, and Workflows .......................................................................

53

1.10 Extensibility ...........................................................................................................................

54

7

Contents

Contents

1.11 Business Configuration UI ...............................................................................................

55

3.2

Scenarios for Creating Roles ...........................................................................................

93

1.12 HRIS Sync ................................................................................................................................

57

3.3

Creating Groups and Roles ..............................................................................................

94

1.13 Reporting ................................................................................................................................

57

1.14 Deployment Models for SAP Customers ...................................................................

58

1.15 Summary .................................................................................................................................

61

3.3.1 3.3.2 3.3.3 3.3.4

94 97 98 99

3.4

2

Implementation Steps and Considerations

63

2.1

Implementation Considerations ..................................................................................

63

2.1.1 2.1.2 2.1.3 2.1.4 2.1.5

Project Checklist ................................................................................................... Project Team Structure ...................................................................................... Project Methodology .......................................................................................... Project Delivery ..................................................................................................... Working with Third-Party Providers ..............................................................

64 64 67 73 74

Setting Up Employee Central .........................................................................................

74

2.2.1 2.2.2 2.2.3

Setup Checklist ..................................................................................................... Provisioning ........................................................................................................... Admin Center ........................................................................................................

75 76 78

Post-Implementation and Ongoing Administration ...........................................

81

2.3.1 2.3.2

SAP SuccessFactors Support ............................................................................. Post-Implementation System Maintenance ...............................................

81 82

Implementation Resources .............................................................................................

83

2.4.1 2.4.2

Customer Administrator Resources ............................................................... Implementer Resources .....................................................................................

83 85

2.5

Summary .................................................................................................................................

87

3

Role-Based Permissions

89

Overview .................................................................................................................................

89

3.1.1 3.1.2

90 91

2.2

2.3

2.4

3.1

8

Groups and Roles ................................................................................................. Administrators ......................................................................................................

Defining Groups .................................................................................................... Creating Roles ........................................................................................................ Assigning Roles to Groups ................................................................................. Maintaining Users’ Roles and Rights .............................................................

Permissions ............................................................................................................................ 100 3.4.1 3.4.2 3.4.3

Common User Permissions ............................................................................... Administrator Permissions ................................................................................ Troubleshooting Permissions ...........................................................................

101 110 112

3.5

Summary ................................................................................................................................. 115

4

Events and Workflows

4.1

Employee Status .................................................................................................................. 117 4.1.1 4.1.2

4.2

Event Reasons ........................................................................................................ Event Derivation ...................................................................................................

122 128

Workflows .............................................................................................................................. 133 4.3.1 4.3.2 4.3.3 4.3.4 4.3.5 4.3.6 4.3.7 4.3.8 4.3.9 4.3.10 4.3.11 4.3.12

4.4

118 119

Events and Event Reasons ............................................................................................... 120 4.2.1 4.2.2

4.3

Active versus Inactive .......................................................................................... Employee Status Changes .................................................................................

117

Approver Groups ................................................................................................... Workflow Configurations .................................................................................. Creating a Workflow ........................................................................................... Assigning Workflows to Triggers ................................................................... Email Notifications .............................................................................................. Accessing Workflow Requests ......................................................................... Workflow Approval Process .............................................................................. Setting Reminders ................................................................................................ Delegation ............................................................................................................... Workflow Audit Trail ........................................................................................... Administering Workflows ................................................................................. Reporting .................................................................................................................

135 140 145 148 153 159 162 164 165 168 169 176

Summary ................................................................................................................................. 177

9

Contents

Contents

1.11 Business Configuration UI ...............................................................................................

55

3.2

Scenarios for Creating Roles ...........................................................................................

93

1.12 HRIS Sync ................................................................................................................................

57

3.3

Creating Groups and Roles ..............................................................................................

94

1.13 Reporting ................................................................................................................................

57

1.14 Deployment Models for SAP Customers ...................................................................

58

1.15 Summary .................................................................................................................................

61

3.3.1 3.3.2 3.3.3 3.3.4

94 97 98 99

3.4

2

Implementation Steps and Considerations

63

2.1

Implementation Considerations ..................................................................................

63

2.1.1 2.1.2 2.1.3 2.1.4 2.1.5

Project Checklist ................................................................................................... Project Team Structure ...................................................................................... Project Methodology .......................................................................................... Project Delivery ..................................................................................................... Working with Third-Party Providers ..............................................................

64 64 67 73 74

Setting Up Employee Central .........................................................................................

74

2.2.1 2.2.2 2.2.3

Setup Checklist ..................................................................................................... Provisioning ........................................................................................................... Admin Center ........................................................................................................

75 76 78

Post-Implementation and Ongoing Administration ...........................................

81

2.3.1 2.3.2

SAP SuccessFactors Support ............................................................................. Post-Implementation System Maintenance ...............................................

81 82

Implementation Resources .............................................................................................

83

2.4.1 2.4.2

Customer Administrator Resources ............................................................... Implementer Resources .....................................................................................

83 85

2.5

Summary .................................................................................................................................

87

3

Role-Based Permissions

89

Overview .................................................................................................................................

89

3.1.1 3.1.2

90 91

2.2

2.3

2.4

3.1

8

Groups and Roles ................................................................................................. Administrators ......................................................................................................

Defining Groups .................................................................................................... Creating Roles ........................................................................................................ Assigning Roles to Groups ................................................................................. Maintaining Users’ Roles and Rights .............................................................

Permissions ............................................................................................................................ 100 3.4.1 3.4.2 3.4.3

Common User Permissions ............................................................................... Administrator Permissions ................................................................................ Troubleshooting Permissions ...........................................................................

101 110 112

3.5

Summary ................................................................................................................................. 115

4

Events and Workflows

4.1

Employee Status .................................................................................................................. 117 4.1.1 4.1.2

4.2

Event Reasons ........................................................................................................ Event Derivation ...................................................................................................

122 128

Workflows .............................................................................................................................. 133 4.3.1 4.3.2 4.3.3 4.3.4 4.3.5 4.3.6 4.3.7 4.3.8 4.3.9 4.3.10 4.3.11 4.3.12

4.4

118 119

Events and Event Reasons ............................................................................................... 120 4.2.1 4.2.2

4.3

Active versus Inactive .......................................................................................... Employee Status Changes .................................................................................

117

Approver Groups ................................................................................................... Workflow Configurations .................................................................................. Creating a Workflow ........................................................................................... Assigning Workflows to Triggers ................................................................... Email Notifications .............................................................................................. Accessing Workflow Requests ......................................................................... Workflow Approval Process .............................................................................. Setting Reminders ................................................................................................ Delegation ............................................................................................................... Workflow Audit Trail ........................................................................................... Administering Workflows ................................................................................. Reporting .................................................................................................................

135 140 145 148 153 159 162 164 165 168 169 176

Summary ................................................................................................................................. 177

9

Contents

5

Contents

Extensibility

179

5.1

Metadata Framework (MDF) ..........................................................................................

180

5.2

Extension Center .................................................................................................................

182

5.2.1 5.2.2 5.2.3

Scenarios for Creating Extensions .................................................................. Components of an Extension ........................................................................... Parent and Child Associations .........................................................................

183 185 186

Using Extension Center ....................................................................................................

187

5.3 5.4

6.4

Business Rule Execution Log ........................................................................................... 246

6.5

Summary ................................................................................................................................. 248

7

Foundation Objects

7.1

Creating Extensions in Extension Center .................................................................

190

Creating Picklists .................................................................................................. Creating Object Definitions .............................................................................. Adding Existing Generic Objects ..................................................................... Adding an Extension to ESS or MSS ............................................................... Publishing an Extension ....................................................................................

191 195 211 213 214

7.2

5.5

Maintaining Extension Data ..........................................................................................

214

7.3

5.6

SAP Cloud Platform ............................................................................................................

216

5.7

Summary .................................................................................................................................

219

Business Rules

221

7.3.1 7.3.2

6.1

How Business Rules Work ...............................................................................................

222

6.1.1 6.1.2 6.1.3 6.1.4 6.1.5

Parameters ............................................................................................................. Functions ................................................................................................................ Model Objects ....................................................................................................... Rule Execution ...................................................................................................... Limitations with Business Rules .....................................................................

224 224 227 230 235

Creating a Business Rule ..................................................................................................

236

6.2.1 6.2.2 6.2.3

Choosing the Correct Base Object .................................................................. Tips for Creating Rules ....................................................................................... Creating Messages and Referencing Workflows .......................................

242 242 242

Offcycle Event Batches .....................................................................................................

243

6.3.1 6.3.2

243 246

6.3

10

Creating an Offcycle Event Batch ................................................................... Monitoring Offcycle Event Batches ...............................................................

7.5

250 252

Organizational ....................................................................................................... Job .............................................................................................................................. Pay ............................................................................................................................. Miscellaneous ........................................................................................................

254 255 256 258

Associations and Propagation ....................................................................................... 259 Associations ............................................................................................................ Propagation ............................................................................................................

260 260

Configuration ........................................................................................................................ 262 7.4.1 7.4.2

6

Structures and Key Terms .................................................................................. Foundation Objects versus MDF Foundation Objects .............................

Categories ............................................................................................................................... 253 7.2.1 7.2.2 7.2.3 7.2.4

7.4

6.2

Basics ......................................................................................................................................... 249 7.1.1 7.1.2

5.4.1 5.4.2 5.4.3 5.4.4 5.4.5

249

Corporate Data Models ...................................................................................... Configuring MDF Foundation Objects and Object Definitions .............

262 266

Creating Foundation Object Data ................................................................................ 270 7.5.1 7.5.2

Importing Templates ........................................................................................... Manual Creation ...................................................................................................

270 273

7.6

Extending Foundation Objects ...................................................................................... 277

7.7

Summary ................................................................................................................................. 278

8

Data Imports and Data Migration

8.1

Importing Data ..................................................................................................................... 280 8.1.1 8.1.2 8.1.3 8.1.4

Processes and Considerations .......................................................................... Import Templates ................................................................................................. Types ......................................................................................................................... Scheduling Imports ..............................................................................................

279

280 287 291 312

11

Contents

5

Contents

Extensibility

179

5.1

Metadata Framework (MDF) ..........................................................................................

180

5.2

Extension Center .................................................................................................................

182

5.2.1 5.2.2 5.2.3

Scenarios for Creating Extensions .................................................................. Components of an Extension ........................................................................... Parent and Child Associations .........................................................................

183 185 186

Using Extension Center ....................................................................................................

187

5.3 5.4

6.4

Business Rule Execution Log ........................................................................................... 246

6.5

Summary ................................................................................................................................. 248

7

Foundation Objects

7.1

Creating Extensions in Extension Center .................................................................

190

Creating Picklists .................................................................................................. Creating Object Definitions .............................................................................. Adding Existing Generic Objects ..................................................................... Adding an Extension to ESS or MSS ............................................................... Publishing an Extension ....................................................................................

191 195 211 213 214

7.2

5.5

Maintaining Extension Data ..........................................................................................

214

7.3

5.6

SAP Cloud Platform ............................................................................................................

216

5.7

Summary .................................................................................................................................

219

Business Rules

221

7.3.1 7.3.2

6.1

How Business Rules Work ...............................................................................................

222

6.1.1 6.1.2 6.1.3 6.1.4 6.1.5

Parameters ............................................................................................................. Functions ................................................................................................................ Model Objects ....................................................................................................... Rule Execution ...................................................................................................... Limitations with Business Rules .....................................................................

224 224 227 230 235

Creating a Business Rule ..................................................................................................

236

6.2.1 6.2.2 6.2.3

Choosing the Correct Base Object .................................................................. Tips for Creating Rules ....................................................................................... Creating Messages and Referencing Workflows .......................................

242 242 242

Offcycle Event Batches .....................................................................................................

243

6.3.1 6.3.2

243 246

6.3

10

Creating an Offcycle Event Batch ................................................................... Monitoring Offcycle Event Batches ...............................................................

7.5

250 252

Organizational ....................................................................................................... Job .............................................................................................................................. Pay ............................................................................................................................. Miscellaneous ........................................................................................................

254 255 256 258

Associations and Propagation ....................................................................................... 259 Associations ............................................................................................................ Propagation ............................................................................................................

260 260

Configuration ........................................................................................................................ 262 7.4.1 7.4.2

6

Structures and Key Terms .................................................................................. Foundation Objects versus MDF Foundation Objects .............................

Categories ............................................................................................................................... 253 7.2.1 7.2.2 7.2.3 7.2.4

7.4

6.2

Basics ......................................................................................................................................... 249 7.1.1 7.1.2

5.4.1 5.4.2 5.4.3 5.4.4 5.4.5

249

Corporate Data Models ...................................................................................... Configuring MDF Foundation Objects and Object Definitions .............

262 266

Creating Foundation Object Data ................................................................................ 270 7.5.1 7.5.2

Importing Templates ........................................................................................... Manual Creation ...................................................................................................

270 273

7.6

Extending Foundation Objects ...................................................................................... 277

7.7

Summary ................................................................................................................................. 278

8

Data Imports and Data Migration

8.1

Importing Data ..................................................................................................................... 280 8.1.1 8.1.2 8.1.3 8.1.4

Processes and Considerations .......................................................................... Import Templates ................................................................................................. Types ......................................................................................................................... Scheduling Imports ..............................................................................................

279

280 287 291 312

11

Contents

8.1.5

Contents

Advanced Import Errors .....................................................................................

312

Exporting Data .....................................................................................................................

317

8.2.1 8.2.2

Types ........................................................................................................................ Scheduling Exports ..............................................................................................

317 319

8.3

Mass Deleting Generic Object Data via Import .....................................................

320

8.4

Permissioning Imports and Exports ............................................................................

320

8.4.1 8.4.2 8.4.3 8.4.4 8.4.5

Employee Central Import Entities .................................................................. Manage User ......................................................................................................... Employee Central Import Settings ................................................................. Manage Foundation Objects ............................................................................ Metadata Framework .........................................................................................

321 322 323 324 324

Data Migration from SAP ERP HCM ............................................................................

324

8.2

8.5

8.5.1

SAP ERP to Employee Central Data Migration Rapid-Deployment Solution ................................................................................................................... Infoporter ................................................................................................................

325 328

Summary .................................................................................................................................

330

8.5.2

8.6

9.3.3 9.3.4 9.3.5 9.3.6 9.3.7

9.4

Using Positions in SAP SuccessFactors Succession & Development ... Creating Requisitions from Positions ............................................................ Job Profiles and Positions ..................................................................................

353 353 354

Company Structure Overview ........................................................................................ 355 9.5.1 9.5.2

9.6

347 348 350 351 351

Position Management in Other SAP SuccessFactors Applications ................ 352 9.4.1 9.4.2 9.4.3

9.5

Transferring and Reclassifying Positions ...................................................... Making Mass Changes on Positions ............................................................... Maintaining Hierarchies .................................................................................... Maintaining the Stable Headcount Area ...................................................... Using Right to Return ..........................................................................................

Defining Structures .............................................................................................. Permissions .............................................................................................................

355 357

Summary ................................................................................................................................. 358

10 Employee Data

359

10.1 Views ......................................................................................................................................... 360

PART II

Features and Functionality

9

Position Management

333

9.1

Implicit Position Management .....................................................................................

334

9.2

Positions Overview .............................................................................................................

335

9.2.1 9.2.2 9.2.3 9.2.4 9.2.5

Structure ................................................................................................................. Types ........................................................................................................................ Position Org Chart ............................................................................................... Position Entry Date and Time in Position .................................................... Security ....................................................................................................................

337 338 338 341 341

9.2.6 9.2.7

Full-Time Equivalent ........................................................................................... Mass Positions ......................................................................................................

342 343

Setting Up Position Management ...............................................................................

344

9.3.1 9.3.2

344 345

9.3

12

Filtering Positions ................................................................................................ Synchronizing Positions and Incumbents ...................................................

10.1.1 10.1.2 10.1.3 10.1.4

Public Profile ........................................................................................................... Personal Information .......................................................................................... Employment Information .................................................................................. Other Views ............................................................................................................

363 365 373 380

10.2 History and Audit Trail ...................................................................................................... 382 10.2.1 10.2.2

History Within Employee Central ................................................................... Audit Trail ................................................................................................................

383 384

10.3 Self-Services ........................................................................................................................... 386 10.3.1 10.3.2

Employee Self-Services ....................................................................................... Manager Self-Services .........................................................................................

386 388

10.4 Transactions ........................................................................................................................... 391 10.4.1 10.4.2 10.4.3 10.4.4 10.4.5 10.4.6

New Hire .................................................................................................................. Configuring the New Hire/Rehire Transaction .......................................... Transfers .................................................................................................................. Promotions ............................................................................................................. Reclassification ...................................................................................................... Job Changes ............................................................................................................

391 393 394 394 394 395

13

Contents

8.1.5

Contents

Advanced Import Errors .....................................................................................

312

Exporting Data .....................................................................................................................

317

8.2.1 8.2.2

Types ........................................................................................................................ Scheduling Exports ..............................................................................................

317 319

8.3

Mass Deleting Generic Object Data via Import .....................................................

320

8.4

Permissioning Imports and Exports ............................................................................

320

8.4.1 8.4.2 8.4.3 8.4.4 8.4.5

Employee Central Import Entities .................................................................. Manage User ......................................................................................................... Employee Central Import Settings ................................................................. Manage Foundation Objects ............................................................................ Metadata Framework .........................................................................................

321 322 323 324 324

Data Migration from SAP ERP HCM ............................................................................

324

8.2

8.5

8.5.1

SAP ERP to Employee Central Data Migration Rapid-Deployment Solution ................................................................................................................... Infoporter ................................................................................................................

325 328

Summary .................................................................................................................................

330

8.5.2

8.6

9.3.3 9.3.4 9.3.5 9.3.6 9.3.7

9.4

Using Positions in SAP SuccessFactors Succession & Development ... Creating Requisitions from Positions ............................................................ Job Profiles and Positions ..................................................................................

353 353 354

Company Structure Overview ........................................................................................ 355 9.5.1 9.5.2

9.6

347 348 350 351 351

Position Management in Other SAP SuccessFactors Applications ................ 352 9.4.1 9.4.2 9.4.3

9.5

Transferring and Reclassifying Positions ...................................................... Making Mass Changes on Positions ............................................................... Maintaining Hierarchies .................................................................................... Maintaining the Stable Headcount Area ...................................................... Using Right to Return ..........................................................................................

Defining Structures .............................................................................................. Permissions .............................................................................................................

355 357

Summary ................................................................................................................................. 358

10 Employee Data

359

10.1 Views ......................................................................................................................................... 360

PART II

Features and Functionality

9

Position Management

333

9.1

Implicit Position Management .....................................................................................

334

9.2

Positions Overview .............................................................................................................

335

9.2.1 9.2.2 9.2.3 9.2.4 9.2.5

Structure ................................................................................................................. Types ........................................................................................................................ Position Org Chart ............................................................................................... Position Entry Date and Time in Position .................................................... Security ....................................................................................................................

337 338 338 341 341

9.2.6 9.2.7

Full-Time Equivalent ........................................................................................... Mass Positions ......................................................................................................

342 343

Setting Up Position Management ...............................................................................

344

9.3.1 9.3.2

344 345

9.3

12

Filtering Positions ................................................................................................ Synchronizing Positions and Incumbents ...................................................

10.1.1 10.1.2 10.1.3 10.1.4

Public Profile ........................................................................................................... Personal Information .......................................................................................... Employment Information .................................................................................. Other Views ............................................................................................................

363 365 373 380

10.2 History and Audit Trail ...................................................................................................... 382 10.2.1 10.2.2

History Within Employee Central ................................................................... Audit Trail ................................................................................................................

383 384

10.3 Self-Services ........................................................................................................................... 386 10.3.1 10.3.2

Employee Self-Services ....................................................................................... Manager Self-Services .........................................................................................

386 388

10.4 Transactions ........................................................................................................................... 391 10.4.1 10.4.2 10.4.3 10.4.4 10.4.5 10.4.6

New Hire .................................................................................................................. Configuring the New Hire/Rehire Transaction .......................................... Transfers .................................................................................................................. Promotions ............................................................................................................. Reclassification ...................................................................................................... Job Changes ............................................................................................................

391 393 394 394 394 395

13

Contents

10.4.7 10.4.8 10.4.9

Contents

Compensation Changes ..................................................................................... Leave of Absence .................................................................................................. Terminations/Retire ............................................................................................

395 395 396

10.5 Configuration ........................................................................................................................

396

10.5.1 10.5.2 10.5.3 10.5.4

XML Data Models ................................................................................................. Data Model Structure ......................................................................................... Manage Business Configuration .................................................................... Best Practices and Considerations .................................................................

397 397 399 401

10.6 Summary .................................................................................................................................

402

12.1.2

Profiles ......................................................................................................................

433

12.2 Payroll Time Sheet .............................................................................................................. 433 12.2.1 12.2.2 12.2.3

Composition ........................................................................................................... Setup ......................................................................................................................... Using Payroll Time Sheet ...................................................................................

434 435 436

12.3 Time Off ................................................................................................................................... 440 12.3.1 12.3.2 12.3.3

Setup ......................................................................................................................... Features and Functions ...................................................................................... User Groups ............................................................................................................

440 444 448

12.4 Summary ................................................................................................................................. 456

11 Payments

403

11.1 Compensation Information ............................................................................................

403

11.2 Pay Scale Structure .............................................................................................................

404

13.1 Global Benefits ..................................................................................................................... 457

11.3 Location-Based Payments ...............................................................................................

406

13.2 Configuration ........................................................................................................................ 459

11.4 Advances .................................................................................................................................

406

13.3 Using Global Benefits ........................................................................................................ 461

13 Benefits

11.4.1 11.4.2 11.4.3 11.4.4 11.4.5

457

Setting Up Eligibilities ........................................................................................ Requesting an Advance ...................................................................................... Viewing Advances ................................................................................................ Advances Objects ................................................................................................. Setting Up Advances ...........................................................................................

407 412 414 415 416

13.4 Country-Specific Benefits ................................................................................................. 464

11.5 Deductions .............................................................................................................................

418

13.6 Summary ................................................................................................................................. 466

11.5.1 11.5.2 11.5.3 11.5.4

One-Time Deductions ......................................................................................... Recurring Deductions ......................................................................................... Deductions Objects ............................................................................................. Setting Up Deductions .......................................................................................

419 420 422 423

11.6 Summary .................................................................................................................................

425

13.3.1 13.3.2

Benefits Enrollment ............................................................................................. Benefits Claim .......................................................................................................

461 463

13.5 US-Specific Benefits ............................................................................................................ 465

14 Multiple Employments

467

14.1 Basic Concepts ...................................................................................................................... 467 14.2 Global Assignments ............................................................................................................ 468

12 Time Management

427

12.1 Time Management Overview ........................................................................................

427

12.1.1

14

Objects .....................................................................................................................

428

14.2.1 14.2.2 14.2.3 14.2.4 14.2.5 14.2.6

Basic Concepts ....................................................................................................... Sending an Employee on a Global Assignment .......................................... Managing Home and Host Assignments ..................................................... Global Assignment Address .............................................................................. Ending a Global Assignment ............................................................................ Converting a Global Assignment to a Permanent Employment ..........

468 472 475 479 479 481

15

Contents

10.4.7 10.4.8 10.4.9

Contents

Compensation Changes ..................................................................................... Leave of Absence .................................................................................................. Terminations/Retire ............................................................................................

395 395 396

10.5 Configuration ........................................................................................................................

396

10.5.1 10.5.2 10.5.3 10.5.4

XML Data Models ................................................................................................. Data Model Structure ......................................................................................... Manage Business Configuration .................................................................... Best Practices and Considerations .................................................................

397 397 399 401

10.6 Summary .................................................................................................................................

402

12.1.2

Profiles ......................................................................................................................

433

12.2 Payroll Time Sheet .............................................................................................................. 433 12.2.1 12.2.2 12.2.3

Composition ........................................................................................................... Setup ......................................................................................................................... Using Payroll Time Sheet ...................................................................................

434 435 436

12.3 Time Off ................................................................................................................................... 440 12.3.1 12.3.2 12.3.3

Setup ......................................................................................................................... Features and Functions ...................................................................................... User Groups ............................................................................................................

440 444 448

12.4 Summary ................................................................................................................................. 456

11 Payments

403

11.1 Compensation Information ............................................................................................

403

11.2 Pay Scale Structure .............................................................................................................

404

13.1 Global Benefits ..................................................................................................................... 457

11.3 Location-Based Payments ...............................................................................................

406

13.2 Configuration ........................................................................................................................ 459

11.4 Advances .................................................................................................................................

406

13.3 Using Global Benefits ........................................................................................................ 461

13 Benefits

11.4.1 11.4.2 11.4.3 11.4.4 11.4.5

457

Setting Up Eligibilities ........................................................................................ Requesting an Advance ...................................................................................... Viewing Advances ................................................................................................ Advances Objects ................................................................................................. Setting Up Advances ...........................................................................................

407 412 414 415 416

13.4 Country-Specific Benefits ................................................................................................. 464

11.5 Deductions .............................................................................................................................

418

13.6 Summary ................................................................................................................................. 466

11.5.1 11.5.2 11.5.3 11.5.4

One-Time Deductions ......................................................................................... Recurring Deductions ......................................................................................... Deductions Objects ............................................................................................. Setting Up Deductions .......................................................................................

419 420 422 423

11.6 Summary .................................................................................................................................

425

13.3.1 13.3.2

Benefits Enrollment ............................................................................................. Benefits Claim .......................................................................................................

461 463

13.5 US-Specific Benefits ............................................................................................................ 465

14 Multiple Employments

467

14.1 Basic Concepts ...................................................................................................................... 467 14.2 Global Assignments ............................................................................................................ 468

12 Time Management

427

12.1 Time Management Overview ........................................................................................

427

12.1.1

14

Objects .....................................................................................................................

428

14.2.1 14.2.2 14.2.3 14.2.4 14.2.5 14.2.6

Basic Concepts ....................................................................................................... Sending an Employee on a Global Assignment .......................................... Managing Home and Host Assignments ..................................................... Global Assignment Address .............................................................................. Ending a Global Assignment ............................................................................ Converting a Global Assignment to a Permanent Employment ..........

468 472 475 479 479 481

15

Contents

14.2.7 14.2.8

Contents

Using SAP SuccessFactors While on Global Assignment ........................ Intelligent Services ..............................................................................................

481 482

14.3 Concurrent Employment .................................................................................................

483

14.3.1 14.3.2 14.3.3 14.3.4

Adding a Concurrent Employment ................................................................ Managing Secondary Employments .............................................................. Ending a Secondary Employment ................................................................... Switching a Secondary Employment to be the Primary Employment .......................................................................................................... Converting a Secondary Employment to a Primary Employment ....... Using SAP SuccessFactors While on a Secondary Employment ........... Intelligent Services ..............................................................................................

488 489 489 490

14.4 Pension Payouts ..................................................................................................................

490

14.3.5 14.3.6 14.3.7

14.4.1 14.4.2 14.4.3 14.4.4

483 486 487

Adding a Pension Payout ................................................................................... Managing Pension Payouts .............................................................................. Ending a Pension Payout ................................................................................... Using SAP SuccessFactors While Having a Pension Payout ...................

490 492 494 495

14.5 Summary .................................................................................................................................

495

16.1.2

Limitations ..............................................................................................................

508

16.2 Performing Mass Changes ............................................................................................... 509 16.2.1 16.2.2

When to Use Mass Changes ............................................................................. Preparing to Use Mass Changes ......................................................................

509 510

16.3 Using Manage Mass Changes ........................................................................................ 512 16.3.1 16.3.2

Set Up Mass Change ............................................................................................ Execute Mass Change .........................................................................................

512 515

16.4 Summary ................................................................................................................................. 516

17 Employee Central Payroll

517

17.1 Overview ................................................................................................................................. 517 17.2 Processes ................................................................................................................................. 518 17.3 Access ........................................................................................................................................ 519 17.4 Self-Service Transactions ................................................................................................. 520 17.4.1 17.4.2

15 Contingent Workforce Management

497

15.1 Configuration ........................................................................................................................

498

15.1.1 15.1.2 15.1.3

Employee Self-Services ....................................................................................... Manager Self-Services .........................................................................................

520 521

17.5 Payroll Control Center ....................................................................................................... 523 17.6 Summary ................................................................................................................................. 525

Vendor and Work Order ..................................................................................... Contingent Lifecycle ............................................................................................ Importing Contingent Workforce Information ..........................................

498 500 501

15.2 Viewing a Contingent Worker ......................................................................................

501

15.3 SAP Fieldglass Integration ..............................................................................................

503

18.1 Creating a Document Template .................................................................................... 528

15.4 Summary .................................................................................................................................

505

18.2 Creating Email Settings for a Document Template .............................................. 530

18 Document Generation

527

18.3 Mapping Fields ...................................................................................................................... 532

16 Mass Changes

507

16.1 Employee Data Mass Changes ......................................................................................

507

16.1.1

16

Capabilities ............................................................................................................

508

18.3.1 18.3.2 18.3.3

Supported Objects ................................................................................................ Performing Mapping ........................................................................................... Using Rules for Mapping ....................................................................................

532 532 534

18.4 Generating a Document ................................................................................................... 534 18.4.1

HR Administrator ..................................................................................................

535

17

Contents

14.2.7 14.2.8

Contents

Using SAP SuccessFactors While on Global Assignment ........................ Intelligent Services ..............................................................................................

481 482

14.3 Concurrent Employment .................................................................................................

483

14.3.1 14.3.2 14.3.3 14.3.4

Adding a Concurrent Employment ................................................................ Managing Secondary Employments .............................................................. Ending a Secondary Employment ................................................................... Switching a Secondary Employment to be the Primary Employment .......................................................................................................... Converting a Secondary Employment to a Primary Employment ....... Using SAP SuccessFactors While on a Secondary Employment ........... Intelligent Services ..............................................................................................

488 489 489 490

14.4 Pension Payouts ..................................................................................................................

490

14.3.5 14.3.6 14.3.7

14.4.1 14.4.2 14.4.3 14.4.4

483 486 487

Adding a Pension Payout ................................................................................... Managing Pension Payouts .............................................................................. Ending a Pension Payout ................................................................................... Using SAP SuccessFactors While Having a Pension Payout ...................

490 492 494 495

14.5 Summary .................................................................................................................................

495

16.1.2

Limitations ..............................................................................................................

508

16.2 Performing Mass Changes ............................................................................................... 509 16.2.1 16.2.2

When to Use Mass Changes ............................................................................. Preparing to Use Mass Changes ......................................................................

509 510

16.3 Using Manage Mass Changes ........................................................................................ 512 16.3.1 16.3.2

Set Up Mass Change ............................................................................................ Execute Mass Change .........................................................................................

512 515

16.4 Summary ................................................................................................................................. 516

17 Employee Central Payroll

517

17.1 Overview ................................................................................................................................. 517 17.2 Processes ................................................................................................................................. 518 17.3 Access ........................................................................................................................................ 519 17.4 Self-Service Transactions ................................................................................................. 520 17.4.1 17.4.2

15 Contingent Workforce Management

497

15.1 Configuration ........................................................................................................................

498

15.1.1 15.1.2 15.1.3

Employee Self-Services ....................................................................................... Manager Self-Services .........................................................................................

520 521

17.5 Payroll Control Center ....................................................................................................... 523 17.6 Summary ................................................................................................................................. 525

Vendor and Work Order ..................................................................................... Contingent Lifecycle ............................................................................................ Importing Contingent Workforce Information ..........................................

498 500 501

15.2 Viewing a Contingent Worker ......................................................................................

501

15.3 SAP Fieldglass Integration ..............................................................................................

503

18.1 Creating a Document Template .................................................................................... 528

15.4 Summary .................................................................................................................................

505

18.2 Creating Email Settings for a Document Template .............................................. 530

18 Document Generation

527

18.3 Mapping Fields ...................................................................................................................... 532

16 Mass Changes

507

16.1 Employee Data Mass Changes ......................................................................................

507

16.1.1

16

Capabilities ............................................................................................................

508

18.3.1 18.3.2 18.3.3

Supported Objects ................................................................................................ Performing Mapping ........................................................................................... Using Rules for Mapping ....................................................................................

532 532 534

18.4 Generating a Document ................................................................................................... 534 18.4.1

HR Administrator ..................................................................................................

535

17

Contents

18.4.2 18.4.3

Contents

Employee and Manager Self-Services ........................................................... Error and Warning Messages When Generating Documents ..............

537 538

18.5 Summary .................................................................................................................................

538

20.5 Employee Central Advanced Reporting ..................................................................... 559 20.5.1 20.5.2

Standard Delivered Reports .............................................................................. Custom Reports .....................................................................................................

559 560

20.6 Creating Reports .................................................................................................................. 562

19 SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Service Center

539

19.1 SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Service Center Architecture .............

539

19.2 Ask HR ...................................................................................................................................... 19.2.1 19.2.2

540

Tickets ...................................................................................................................... Agent ........................................................................................................................

541 543

19.3 Enabling SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Service Center ....................

545

19.4 Implementation Best Practices .....................................................................................

546

19.4.1 19.4.2 19.4.3 19.4.4

Integrated Project Management .................................................................... Mix of Skills ............................................................................................................ Change Management and Communication ............................................... Realistic Success Metrics ...................................................................................

546 547 547 547

19.5 Summary .................................................................................................................................

547

20.6.1 20.6.2 20.6.3 20.6.4 20.6.5 20.6.6

Creating a New Report ....................................................................................... Adding a Component to a Report ................................................................... Creating a Component ....................................................................................... Setting Up a Pivot Query .................................................................................... Completing a Report ........................................................................................... Sharing a Report ...................................................................................................

562 563 565 567 568 569

20.7 Scheduling Reports ............................................................................................................. 570 20.7.1 20.7.2 20.7.3

Creating a Bundle ................................................................................................. Adding Items to a Bundle .................................................................................. Scheduling a Bundle ............................................................................................

570 570 571

20.8 The Report Center ................................................................................................................ 572 20.9 Summary ................................................................................................................................. 574

21 Mobile

575

21.1 Enabling Features ................................................................................................................ 577 21.2 Activation and Deactivation ........................................................................................... 578

20 Reporting

549

20.1 Report Components and Methods ..............................................................................

549

20.1.1 20.1.2

Report Components ............................................................................................ Reporting Methods ..............................................................................................

550 551

20.2 Ad Hoc Reporting ................................................................................................................

552

20.3 Online Report Designer ....................................................................................................

553

20.3.1 20.3.2

Implementation ................................................................................................... Users and Permissions .......................................................................................

555 556

20.3.3

Running Reports ...................................................................................................

558

20.4 Operational Data Store ....................................................................................................

558

18

21.3 Managing Mobile Devices ............................................................................................... 580 21.3.1 21.3.2

Manage Mobile Devices ..................................................................................... Deactivate Mobile Devices as an Administrator ........................................

580 581

21.4 Using SAP SuccessFactors Mobile ................................................................................. 582 21.4.1 21.4.2 21.4.3 21.4.4

Employee Self-Services ....................................................................................... Manager Self-Services ......................................................................................... Time Off ................................................................................................................... Other Features .......................................................................................................

583 585 587 590

21.5 Summary ................................................................................................................................. 592

19

Contents

18.4.2 18.4.3

Contents

Employee and Manager Self-Services ........................................................... Error and Warning Messages When Generating Documents ..............

537 538

18.5 Summary .................................................................................................................................

538

20.5 Employee Central Advanced Reporting ..................................................................... 559 20.5.1 20.5.2

Standard Delivered Reports .............................................................................. Custom Reports .....................................................................................................

559 560

20.6 Creating Reports .................................................................................................................. 562

19 SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Service Center

539

19.1 SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Service Center Architecture .............

539

19.2 Ask HR ...................................................................................................................................... 19.2.1 19.2.2

540

Tickets ...................................................................................................................... Agent ........................................................................................................................

541 543

19.3 Enabling SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Service Center ....................

545

19.4 Implementation Best Practices .....................................................................................

546

19.4.1 19.4.2 19.4.3 19.4.4

Integrated Project Management .................................................................... Mix of Skills ............................................................................................................ Change Management and Communication ............................................... Realistic Success Metrics ...................................................................................

546 547 547 547

19.5 Summary .................................................................................................................................

547

20.6.1 20.6.2 20.6.3 20.6.4 20.6.5 20.6.6

Creating a New Report ....................................................................................... Adding a Component to a Report ................................................................... Creating a Component ....................................................................................... Setting Up a Pivot Query .................................................................................... Completing a Report ........................................................................................... Sharing a Report ...................................................................................................

562 563 565 567 568 569

20.7 Scheduling Reports ............................................................................................................. 570 20.7.1 20.7.2 20.7.3

Creating a Bundle ................................................................................................. Adding Items to a Bundle .................................................................................. Scheduling a Bundle ............................................................................................

570 570 571

20.8 The Report Center ................................................................................................................ 572 20.9 Summary ................................................................................................................................. 574

21 Mobile

575

21.1 Enabling Features ................................................................................................................ 577 21.2 Activation and Deactivation ........................................................................................... 578

20 Reporting

549

20.1 Report Components and Methods ..............................................................................

549

20.1.1 20.1.2

Report Components ............................................................................................ Reporting Methods ..............................................................................................

550 551

20.2 Ad Hoc Reporting ................................................................................................................

552

20.3 Online Report Designer ....................................................................................................

553

20.3.1 20.3.2

Implementation ................................................................................................... Users and Permissions .......................................................................................

555 556

20.3.3

Running Reports ...................................................................................................

558

20.4 Operational Data Store ....................................................................................................

558

18

21.3 Managing Mobile Devices ............................................................................................... 580 21.3.1 21.3.2

Manage Mobile Devices ..................................................................................... Deactivate Mobile Devices as an Administrator ........................................

580 581

21.4 Using SAP SuccessFactors Mobile ................................................................................. 582 21.4.1 21.4.2 21.4.3 21.4.4

Employee Self-Services ....................................................................................... Manager Self-Services ......................................................................................... Time Off ................................................................................................................... Other Features .......................................................................................................

583 585 587 590

21.5 Summary ................................................................................................................................. 592

19

Contents

PART III

Contents

Integration

22 Integration Basics 22.1 Integration Overview ........................................................................................................ 22.1.1 22.1.2 22.1.3

23.1.13 SAP Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) ............................................ 23.1.14 SAP Business ByDesign ....................................................................................... 595 596

Packaged Integrations ........................................................................................ Integration Technology ...................................................................................... PI Pass Through .....................................................................................................

597 600 601

22.2 Adapters ..................................................................................................................................

602

22.3 APIs ............................................................................................................................................ 22.3.1 22.3.2

652 653

23.2 Packaged Integrations with Third-Party Solutions .............................................. 655 23.2.1 23.2.2 23.2.3 23.2.4 23.2.5

Time and Attendance .......................................................................................... Benefits .................................................................................................................... Payroll BPO .............................................................................................................. Microsoft Active Directory ................................................................................. IBM Kenexa Talent Management Suite ........................................................

655 658 660 662 663

23.3 Summary ................................................................................................................................. 667

603

OData API ................................................................................................................ Compound Employee API ..................................................................................

604 605

22.4 Standard Integration Templates ..................................................................................

607

22.5 Employee Delta Export .....................................................................................................

609

22.6 Summary .................................................................................................................................

610

24 Integrating Employee Central with SAP SuccessFactors HCM Suite

669

24.1 User Data File ........................................................................................................................ 669 24.2 SAP SuccessFactors Compensation and Variable Pay ......................................... 672 24.3 SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting Management ......................................................... 674

23 Integrating Employee Central with Other Applications

24.4 SAP SuccessFactors Onboarding ................................................................................... 675 611

24.5 SAP SuccessFactors Succession Planning .................................................................. 675 24.6 Job Profile Builder ................................................................................................................ 676

23.1 Packaged Integrations with SAP .................................................................................. 23.1.1 23.1.2 23.1.3 23.1.4 23.1.5 23.1.6 23.1.7 23.1.8 23.1.9 23.1.10 23.1.11 23.1.12

20

Integration Considerations ............................................................................... Employee Data ...................................................................................................... Organizational Data ............................................................................................ Cost Center Data .................................................................................................. Time Pay Components Data ............................................................................. Absence Data ......................................................................................................... Side-by-Side ........................................................................................................... Employee Central Payroll .................................................................................. Cross-Application Time Sheet (CATS) ............................................................ SAP S/4HANA ........................................................................................................ SAP Fieldglass ........................................................................................................ SAP Identity Management ................................................................................

612 613 615 624 628 631 633 635 639 641 642 646 649

24.7 Employee Central Payroll Integration ........................................................................ 676 24.7.1 24.7.2

BSI .............................................................................................................................. Web Services ..........................................................................................................

676 677

24.8 Summary ................................................................................................................................. 678

25 Integration Center

679

25.1 Integration Center Basics ................................................................................................. 679 25.1.1 25.1.2 25.1.3

Concept and Capabilities ................................................................................... Setup Overview ..................................................................................................... Accessing the Integration Center ....................................................................

680 680 682

21

Contents

PART III

Contents

Integration

22 Integration Basics 22.1 Integration Overview ........................................................................................................ 22.1.1 22.1.2 22.1.3

23.1.13 SAP Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) ............................................ 23.1.14 SAP Business ByDesign ....................................................................................... 595 596

Packaged Integrations ........................................................................................ Integration Technology ...................................................................................... PI Pass Through .....................................................................................................

597 600 601

22.2 Adapters ..................................................................................................................................

602

22.3 APIs ............................................................................................................................................ 22.3.1 22.3.2

652 653

23.2 Packaged Integrations with Third-Party Solutions .............................................. 655 23.2.1 23.2.2 23.2.3 23.2.4 23.2.5

Time and Attendance .......................................................................................... Benefits .................................................................................................................... Payroll BPO .............................................................................................................. Microsoft Active Directory ................................................................................. IBM Kenexa Talent Management Suite ........................................................

655 658 660 662 663

23.3 Summary ................................................................................................................................. 667

603

OData API ................................................................................................................ Compound Employee API ..................................................................................

604 605

22.4 Standard Integration Templates ..................................................................................

607

22.5 Employee Delta Export .....................................................................................................

609

22.6 Summary .................................................................................................................................

610

24 Integrating Employee Central with SAP SuccessFactors HCM Suite

669

24.1 User Data File ........................................................................................................................ 669 24.2 SAP SuccessFactors Compensation and Variable Pay ......................................... 672 24.3 SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting Management ......................................................... 674

23 Integrating Employee Central with Other Applications

24.4 SAP SuccessFactors Onboarding ................................................................................... 675 611

24.5 SAP SuccessFactors Succession Planning .................................................................. 675 24.6 Job Profile Builder ................................................................................................................ 676

23.1 Packaged Integrations with SAP .................................................................................. 23.1.1 23.1.2 23.1.3 23.1.4 23.1.5 23.1.6 23.1.7 23.1.8 23.1.9 23.1.10 23.1.11 23.1.12

20

Integration Considerations ............................................................................... Employee Data ...................................................................................................... Organizational Data ............................................................................................ Cost Center Data .................................................................................................. Time Pay Components Data ............................................................................. Absence Data ......................................................................................................... Side-by-Side ........................................................................................................... Employee Central Payroll .................................................................................. Cross-Application Time Sheet (CATS) ............................................................ SAP S/4HANA ........................................................................................................ SAP Fieldglass ........................................................................................................ SAP Identity Management ................................................................................

612 613 615 624 628 631 633 635 639 641 642 646 649

24.7 Employee Central Payroll Integration ........................................................................ 676 24.7.1 24.7.2

BSI .............................................................................................................................. Web Services ..........................................................................................................

676 677

24.8 Summary ................................................................................................................................. 678

25 Integration Center

679

25.1 Integration Center Basics ................................................................................................. 679 25.1.1 25.1.2 25.1.3

Concept and Capabilities ................................................................................... Setup Overview ..................................................................................................... Accessing the Integration Center ....................................................................

680 680 682

21

Contents

Contents

25.2 Using the Integration Catalog ....................................................................................... 25.2.1 25.2.2 25.2.3

683

Access the Catalog ............................................................................................... Download a Template ........................................................................................ Deploy a Template ...............................................................................................

683 685 685

25.3 Creating a Custom Outbound Integration ...............................................................

686

25.3.1 25.3.2 25.3.3 25.3.4 25.3.5 25.3.6 25.3.7 25.3.8

Select a Format Type ........................................................................................... Choose a Starting Point for Data Selection ................................................. Options .................................................................................................................... Configure Fields .................................................................................................... Filter and Sort ........................................................................................................ Destination Settings ........................................................................................... Scheduling .............................................................................................................. Review and Run ....................................................................................................

686 687 689 690 691 692 693 693

25.4 Monitoring Integrations ..................................................................................................

694

25.5 Security Information .........................................................................................................

697

25.6 Summary .................................................................................................................................

698

26 Intelligent Services

699

26.1 What Is Intelligent Services? ..........................................................................................

700

26.1.1 26.1.2

Leave of Absence .................................................................................................. Becoming a New Manager ................................................................................

700 700

26.2 How Does Intelligent Services Work? ........................................................................

701

26.3 Intelligent Services Center ..............................................................................................

703

26.4 Creating Custom Subscribers .........................................................................................

706

26.4.1 26.4.2

Event Connector ................................................................................................... Integration .............................................................................................................

706 708

26.5 Monitoring Events ..............................................................................................................

709

26.6 Reporting ................................................................................................................................

711

26.7 Standard-Delivered Events .............................................................................................

711

26.8 Summary .................................................................................................................................

715

22

Appendices

717

A

Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 717

B

The Authors ............................................................................................................................ 725

Index ........................................................................................................................................................

727

23

Contents

Contents

25.2 Using the Integration Catalog ....................................................................................... 25.2.1 25.2.2 25.2.3

683

Access the Catalog ............................................................................................... Download a Template ........................................................................................ Deploy a Template ...............................................................................................

683 685 685

25.3 Creating a Custom Outbound Integration ...............................................................

686

25.3.1 25.3.2 25.3.3 25.3.4 25.3.5 25.3.6 25.3.7 25.3.8

Select a Format Type ........................................................................................... Choose a Starting Point for Data Selection ................................................. Options .................................................................................................................... Configure Fields .................................................................................................... Filter and Sort ........................................................................................................ Destination Settings ........................................................................................... Scheduling .............................................................................................................. Review and Run ....................................................................................................

686 687 689 690 691 692 693 693

25.4 Monitoring Integrations ..................................................................................................

694

25.5 Security Information .........................................................................................................

697

25.6 Summary .................................................................................................................................

698

26 Intelligent Services

699

26.1 What Is Intelligent Services? ..........................................................................................

700

26.1.1 26.1.2

Leave of Absence .................................................................................................. Becoming a New Manager ................................................................................

700 700

26.2 How Does Intelligent Services Work? ........................................................................

701

26.3 Intelligent Services Center ..............................................................................................

703

26.4 Creating Custom Subscribers .........................................................................................

706

26.4.1 26.4.2

Event Connector ................................................................................................... Integration .............................................................................................................

706 708

26.5 Monitoring Events ..............................................................................................................

709

26.6 Reporting ................................................................................................................................

711

26.7 Standard-Delivered Events .............................................................................................

711

26.8 Summary .................................................................................................................................

715

22

Appendices

717

A

Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 717

B

The Authors ............................................................................................................................ 725

Index ........................................................................................................................................................

727

23

Foreword With more than 2,000 organizations relying on Employee Central, this new edition is timely. Since the last edition, we have been through several releases, with many enhancements, some large, some small. While documentation, training, and various online learning channels enable customers and consultants to learn about SAP SuccessFactors and Employee Central, this book fills an important need. It provides a strong overview of the solution combined with practical advice from leading experts. Luke, Rebecca, and Murali have done a fine job with this edition. It is readable, precise, and provides actionable guidance. SuccessFactors now has close to 50 million users. One day earlier this year, we had 2 million users log on. The growth of both the customer base and the product scope has been very significant, so demand for information and guidance on how to move to Employee Central has grown too. Employee Central now has over 10 million users and continues to exhibit robust growth. Organizations around the world are seeking nev,r ways to manage their people processes. Employee Central has developed as a product over the years in response to this demand and will do so in the future too. Customers also drive innovation. Whether it is new demands from new customers, or the wise words of long-standing customers, listening to the business requirements of our customers drives much of what we do. They share their best practices with us, allow us to incorporate these practices into our software, and share this knowledge with others. It would be remiss of me not to thank those customers here. We also get to observe trends in the consumer software market, learn from them, and then deliver enticing experiences to enterprises. Simplicity remains at the center of what we do. Being simple to use, simple to implement, and simple to operate informs every investment decision. Besides being well-timed, this book also offers a wide range of expertise. The authors are especially well qualified to develop this book. Luke Marson grew up with HR software, with his father, Paul Marson, being one of the leading experts on SAP on-premise HCM. Over the past five years, Luke has become one of the leading consultants on Employee Central and SAP SuccessFactors, having implemented projects all over the world. He is a regular speaker at events, and he

25

Foreword

writes on implementation and products on the SAP SCN site and Linkedln. He works closely \Vith SAP SuccessFactors product management in Germany and San Francisco, and he is a Certified Professional in Employee Central and an SAP Mentor Alumni. Murali Mazhavanchery is VP of product management at SAP SuccessFactors responsible for Employee Central, and he has worked on it since its inception. He has been responsible for most of the decisions that have shaped the product, and his knowledge of the solution and how it should be deployed is unrivalled. Rebecca Murray has spent more than six years delivering Employee Central implementations. She is a Certified Professional in Employee Central and a certified Dell Boomi AtomSphere developer. She developed curriculum and trained consultants at SuccessFactors Employee Central Academy for SAP Education. She has completed dozens of implementations at large and small firms, global and single-country, and is a leading go-to resource for Employee Central. I would like to thank Luke, Murali, and Rebecca for taking the time and applying their knowledge to write this important book. Thomas Otter Global Vice President, Product Management SAP SuccessFactors SAP SE

26

Introduction SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central is a next-generation, core HR solution that enables organizations to flexibly manage all of their HR needs while providing a system of engagement that aligns with the user interface and user experience expectations of the modern workforce.

Employee Central is the core HR system of the SAP SuccessFactors HCM Suite and provides a complete set of end-to-end core HR capabilities for enterprises that wish to leverage the cloud for their HR needs. Employee Central is an innovative, evolving, and flexible solution that can meet the business requirements of organizations of all shapes and sizes and places a strong emphasis on globalization. SAP SuccessFactors HCM Suite For more deta ils on the SAP SuccessFactors HCM Suite, including background of SAP SuccessFactors and its technical architecture, see SuccessFactors with SAP ERP HCM: Business Processes and Use by Amy Grubb and Luke Marson (2nd edition, SAP PRESS, 2015).

Although Employee Central shares a strong overlap with SAP ERP HCM and many other HR systems for common core HR functionality, SAP has no intention to rebuild SAP ERP HCM in the cloud. In many cases, organizations find the early 1990s SAP ERP HCM core system cumbersome and outdated. Employee Central aims instead to offer fresh ideas and new methodologies for how core HR processes are run in the twentyfirst century. Employee Central is a Software-as-a-Service (Saas) solution, meaning it benefits from being hosted in the cloud and is multitenant, so all customers are always on the most recent release. In addition, new releases and patches are pushed automaticallyoften with no effort required from the customer. As previously stated, globalization is a core strength of Employee Central. The solution caters to global businesses, while it has localizations for legal compliance and reporting in 71 countries and in 35 languages.

27

Introduction

As one would expect from a core HR system, Employee Central offers a wealth of functionality to ensure that it meets the needs of every company. This functionality enables organizations to manage employee data, provides access to that data via selfservice capabilities, and enables various actions to be performed. The effective-dated platform within Employee Central ensures that historical data changes can be viewed, tracked, and audited. Various other capabilities provide users with the ability to manage benefits, time recording, time off, and their own data with built-in \vorkflow options. In addition, administrators can manage employees who have multiple jobs, who go on assignment to other countries, or who are contingent workers. The functionality available in Employee Central includes the follo•ving: • New hire and rehire processing • Terminations • Transfers and promotions • Job and compensation changes • Job and position reclassifications • Employee Self-Service (ESS) and Manager Self-Service (MSS) • Workflows and events • Position Management • Payroll (with Employee Central Payroll) • Benefits • Time Management (time recording and absence management) • Global assignments • Concurrent employment • Management of contingent workers • Pay scale progression and location-based payments • Advances and deductions • Alternative cost distribution • Document generation • Shared services (with Employee Cent ral Service Center) • Pensions payouts • Apprenticeship management • Mass changes

28

Business Drivers for HR in the Cloud

• Reporting and analytics • Extensibility (custom objects and custom applications) • Robust permissions framework • Mobile app • Deep integration capabilities (APis, packaged integrations, Intelligent Services, etc.) • Data migration Frequent releases also mean that enhancements and new functionality are provided on a regular basis. We will touch on this soon, but first we'll take a look at some of the business drivers for using a core HR system in the cloud.

Business Drivers for HR in the Cloud There are many advantages to moving core HR to Employee Central, and there are also some key benefits of using a multitenant Saas solution, such as the following: • No upgrades or patches • No hardware • Reduced maintenance • Regular releases • Always on the latest version The time and money saved when considering these perks can be quite substantial, but aren't always the main drivers for moving your core HR to the cloud. Although they are certainly key factors, there are also other business drivers that can provide great value to your organization. In addition to the multitenant and cloud-based features of Employee Central, there are also business drivers specific to using Employee Central. Business drivers such as hard return on investment (ROI) indicators, reduced total cost of ownership (TCO) which can typically be between three and five times less than on-premise-and the need for fewer IT staff maintaining the systems are one set of benefits. However, there are also "soft" ROI indicators, such as the following: • Ease of use/user experience • Localization • Mobility

29

Introduction

• New ideas and modern design • Built-in self-service and workflow approvals • Extensibility • New functionality • Speed of innovation • System of engagement Coupled with the need to upgrade an aging on-premise HRIS (or fo r customers without a current HRIS}, there can be a compelling business case for many organizations to make the move to Employee Central. The next section disc usses how SAP's strategy and roadmap enable customers to make this move.

SAP SuccessFactors Strategy and Roadmap SAP's strategy is to build out a feature-rich and feature-complete core HR system that reflects twenty-first century business practices and modern technology advances while not replicating SAP ERP HCM functionality in Employee Central. Due to the nature of HR technology, there will always be a large overlap in the type of functionality available in both systems and in competitor systems. However, SAP works to design parallel functionality in a way that befits how it is used by enterprises today. In some areas, SAP ERP HCM offers richer functionality, and in others, Employee Cen tral is superior. Over time, SAP plans to have superior functionality in Employee Central, but it is v.rorth remembering that it took SAP almost 20 years to create a robust SAP ERP HCM system, and so it will take time for there to be parity in depth and richness of functionality. With that said, moving to Employee Central can bring great benefits not found in SAP ERP HCM. From the outset, SAP has focused on the areas it knows best: globalization, enterprisegrade features, and flexibility. That said, each of these areas has been approached from a new perspective by SAP product management. For example, customization is no longer a feature of the cloud; it has been replaced by extensibility capabilities. We will touch on what this means in Chapter 5. Due to the ever-changing nature of SAP's evolving and fl uid roadmap for SAP SuccessFactors, it is almost impossible to provide roadmap information in this book that will remain relevant and up-to-date during its entire lifetime. SAP is continuously looking at evolving the existing features and functionality while also introducing

30

Licensing and Release Cycle

new capabilities to enhance the core HR experience. Integration is a continuous part of the overall roadmap for both Employee Central and the SAP SuccessFactors HCM Suite as a whole. SAP SuccessFactors Integration For fu rther details on t he integration with SAP SuccessFactors HCM fo r SAP or thirdparty vendors, see Integrating SAP SuccessFactors with SAP by Vishnu Kandi, Venki Krishnamoorthy, Donna Leong-Cohen, Prashanth Padmanabhan, and Chinni Reddygari (SAP PRESS, 2015). SAP releases a public roadmap for SAP SuccessFactors HCM Suite- including Employee Central- each quarter on SAP Service Marketplace. This roadmap should be consulted for an overview of what SAP plans to release. It should be noted that SAP is not committed to releasing functionality on the roadmap, but provides instead an indication of those areas that it is considering for investment during the calendar year and beyond. The roadmap can be found at http://service.sap.com/roadmap. There, click the Product and solut ion road maps button and then click the Line of Business button.

Licensing and Release Cycle The licensing and release cycles for Employee Central (and SAP SuccessFactors) differ from that for SAP ERP HCM. In this section, we will take a look at these cycles.

Licensing Employee Central is licensed on an annual subscription basis with a fee per employee in the system. A contract length of three or five years is not uncommon. There are no additional fees, and the subscription currently includes a subscription for SAP Cloud Platform Integration (formerly called SAP HANA Cloud Integration) and the Dell Boomi AtomSphere middleware platforms for integrating Employee Central with other systems, such as SAP ERP or a third-party solution. At some point in the future, it is possible that Dell Boomi AtomSphere will no longer be offered to nevv subscribers of Employee Central. Currently, most new integrations are only being made available on SAP Cloud Platform Integration.

31

Introduction

Release Cycle

SAP SuccessFactors provides four releases per year for Employee Central, known as quarterly releases. Each quarterly release may contain a mix of new features, major enhancements, minor enhancements, and bug fixes. Releases are named for the quarter in which they are released and so are called Ql, Q2, Q3, and Q4. However, historically each release has a four-digit code denominating the two-digit year and twodigit month of the release, and this code may remain in common usage for some time. For example, the May 2017 release was called bl705, and the August 2017 release was called b1708. Quarterly releases are first released into a preview environment, a month before the production system. This enables you to review new features and functionality prior to release in production, which can be useful for universal features (which is defined in the following list}. Table 1 details the typical quarterly release cycles. Release

Test

Production

01

February

March

02

May

June

03

August

September

04

November

December

Table 1 Quarterly Release Cycles

These releases are pushed into the system automatically and require no effort from the customer. New features are split into the following three types, each of which affects a customer differently: • Opt-in Opt-in features involve customers proactively enabling features if they wish to use them. This is usually performed in the Upgrade Center in the Admin Center. • Opt-out Opt-out features involve customers proactively disabling features if they do not wish to use them. • Universal Universal features are enabled for all customers and cannot be disabled. These are

32

Licensing and Release Cycle

often communicated well in advance and are focused on stability or user interface enhancements. Now that we've looked at the licensing parameters and release cycle of SAP SuccessFactors, next \ve'll provide an example of key enhancements released over the past few years.

Key Enhancements

To give some idea of what sort of enhancements have been released in the past and at what speed innovations are coming, Table 2 provides a brief overview of the key enhancements released in the last few years. Release

Feature

Q3 20 12 (bl 207)

Mass Changes

Q42012 (b1210)

Position Management

Q4 2012 (bl210)

Global Assignments

Q3 2013 (bl 308)

OData API

Q4 2013 (b 1311)

Income Tax Declarations

Q2 2014 (bl405)

Global Benefits

Q3 2014 (bl408)

Concu rrent Employment

Q3 20 14 (b 1408)

Employee Central Service Center

Q4 20 14 (b 1411)

Payroll Time Sheet

Q2 2015 (bl 505)

Contingent Workforce Management

Q3 2015 (bl 508)

Document Generation

Q3 2015 (bl 508)

Intelligent Services

Q2 2016 (bl 605)

Apprentice Management

Q2 2016 (bl 605)

Point-to-Point Integration

Q3 2016 (bl 608)

Forms as a Service

Table 2 Recently Released Key Enhancements

33

Introduction

Release

Feature

03 2016 (bl 608)

Protection Aga inst Unfair Dismissal

04 2016(b1611)

Pay Scale Grade Progression

02 2017 (bl 705)

Company Structure Overview

Table 2 Recent ly Released Key Enhancement s (Con t.)

It is also worth noting that some major enhancements- including those mentioned previo usly- continue to be further enhanced in each release.

Summary In this introduction, we provided a look at what Employee Central is and gave some background on the solution, featu res, functional ity, business drivers, strategy, roadmap, licensing, and release cycle. In the following chapters, we will begin to dig deeper into the concepts of Employee Central, aspects of implementation, exten sibility, features and functionality, and integration. In Chapter 1, •ve will begin our Employee Central journey with a look at the basics and foundation needed to get started. We hope that you find this title informative and useful in your cloud core HR jou rney, both as a fo undation and as an ongoing reference.

Luke Marson Murali Mazhavan chery Rebecca Murr ay

34

PARTI

Foundations

Chapter 1

Employee Central Basics Employee Central offers a complete hire-to-retire system for the requirements ofa modern workforce. However, such a robust offering has a number of different pieces that you should understand before jumping into the solution processes.

Employee Central belongs to a suite in which individual components can operate independent of one another. It is not a requirement that a customer enable Employee Central to use the talent management, workforce analytics, or mobile applications in the suite. This offers a unique value proposition to the customer: start anywhere and go anywhere. Customers can choose to deploy Employee Central where the business imperative is most urgent. When such a system is implemented, it becomes important to understand the nuances of the suite to deliver the maximum value to the customer. The SAP SuccessFactors system is designed to be a self-service application. This design manifests in many ways, such as in the term user, which equates not only to a user logging into the system, but also to a worker. Detailed Configuration

For detailed configuration instructions, view the handbooks provided on SAP Service Marketplace, available at http://service.sap.com/ec-ondemand and http://

help.sap.com/hr_ ec. Provisioning is the part of the system that enables features with a cost implication. Sometimes, switches for specific features that have no cost impact to the customer are placed there as well. Customers do not have access to Provisioning, although some settings can be enabled by Support or through the Upgrade Center. Troubleshooting should always begin with Provisioning. If the Provisioning settings are not set correctly, the system will not work as expected.

37

1 Employee Cent ral Basics

Understanding the different moving pieces of Employee Central and its key terminology is vital for building a foundation before transitioning to more advanced topics. This chapter discusses the basic terms, components, and elements that you need to understand in order to configure and administer Employee Central. We'll begin with a discussion of Employee Central's global reach.

1.1

Globalization and Localization

Employee Central is a global HR system. It comes with localizations for over 90 countries and features over 42 different languages (with full translations for standarddelivered fields). In the Employee Central world, localizations include country-specific fields, picklists, validations, rules, reports, features, and more. This enables organizations to manage employees across different geographies while maintaining a global template of processes. Some examples of localizations include the following: • National ID formats and data input validation: - Documento Nacional de Identidad (DNI) for Argentina - Tax File Number (TFN) for Australia - Cedula de Identidad y Electoral (CIE) for Dominican Republic - National Insurance Number for UK - Social Security Number (SSN) for USA • Address formats • Legal entity data fields: - CUIT for Argentina - NAF Code for France - Certificado de Identificaci6n Fiscal (ESP) for Spain - Federal Reserve Bank ID for USA • Job classification data fields: - Asco Code for Australia - Occupational Classification for Canada - INSEE Code for France

38

1.1

Globalization and Localization

- Inail Code for Italy - Standard Occupational Classification Code for UK • Personal information data fields: - Naturalized Citizen for Brazil - Name of Father/Husband/Legal Guardian for India - Military Certificate Number for Jordan and Lebanon - Iqama Number for Saudi Arabia - Professional Category ASM fo r Switzerland • Job information data fields: - Occupational Code for Brazil - Labor Protection for China - New Calculation Average PPU for Czech Republic - Working Time Directive for UK - EEO Job Group fo r USA • Reporting information: - Summary of Recent Employee Events (My Simplification) for Argentina - Work and Residence Permits (MoMi) for the Netherlands - Employment Equity Workforce Analysis (EEA2) for South Africa - Affirmative Action Plan (AAP) for USA - Equal Employment Opportunity analysis (EEO) for USA • Picklists: - Military Certificate Status in Egypt - Counties in the UK - States in the US - Contract Type by country - Pay Scale Type by country • Validations: - National ID - Bank Account - Address

39

1 Employee Cent ral Basics

We'll touch on globalization and localization features at various points throughout the book. Now that you understand the breadth of Employee Central's reach, next we'll discuss the building blocks of Employee Central: data models.

1.2 Data Models The data model structure of Employee Central is built around several object types that interact with each other. Figure 1.1 shows the full logical object model st ructure of Employee Central. !Foundation Objects

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Figure 1.1 Logica l Obj ect Model of Employee Centra l

The objects in Figure 1.1 are color coded for the four different types of objects used in Employee Central: • Foundation Objects Foundational objects used to populate Employment Objects; see Section 1.5 for more details.

40

1.2 Data Models

• Person Objects Objects related to the person, such as Personal Information or National ID card information. • Employment Objects Objects related to a person's employment, such as Job Information or Compensation Information; multiple employments could exist ifan employee has a concurrent or global assignment. • Generic Objects Objects created in the Metadata Framework (MDF), including common objects such as positions and some Foundation Objects; see Section 1.10 for more details. Not shown in the diagram is the user object, which represents the user account (whether or not you use Employee Central). When using Employee Central, the user account is the basis of an employee. The system creates the user account automatically when an employee is hired and the appropriate data is populated into the User Data File (UDF). The Employee Profile reads and displays data from the UDF. When Employee Central is not used, the UDF is the employee record for the SAP SuccessFactors HCM Suite. The UDF stays up-to-date with HRIS Sync, ~vhich we cover in Section 1.12. Four XML data models define the data structures in Employee Central: • Succession Data Model • Corporate Data Model • Country-Specific Succession Data Model • Country-Specific Corporate Data Model Data models are XML-based, although some of their elements can be maintained in various screens in the Admin Center in Employee Central. We'll cover those elements throughout the book. Let's take a brief look at each of these models now.

1.2.1

Succession Data Model

The Succession Data Model contains the definition of the central objects in Employee Central. The Succession Data Model, contrary to its name, is not an entity relationship

41

1 Employee Central Basics

model; it is an XML file that contains the field properties and the user interface (Ul) definition. Historically, user elements and fields were the single place to define user attributes. User Sys Info-sometimes used interchangeably with the Employee Profile-was the canonical data of a person, user, and v.rorker. In simple terms, it represents a current snapshot of all person and employment data. For processes that do not need effective-dating, it represents employee data. HRIS Sync keeps the data in sync between the elaborate structure of Employee Central and the snapshot. When adding Employee Central in a talent instance, augment the Succession Data Model in the following manner: 1. Add all of the items between the background elements and the custom filters (tab

elements, HRIS elements, and actions). 2. Add dg-filters between element-permission and view- t emplate. 3. Add hris -sync-mappings at the bottom, after view-t emplate and before f i nal/suc cession -data -model. 4. Review any custom fields (1- 15) for changes. 5. Update the standard elements that have picklists added. 6. Remove the field requirements of the standard elements, because now they need to be updated through Employee Central. 7. Load the XML in Provisioning, as shown in Figure 1.2. 8. Be sure the admin users are set up in the UDF. Import/Export Data Model

Please select eijher import or export action for the data model.

® 0

Import File:

Browse...

I

Export file (Select 'Save' not 'Open')

I Submit I Figure 1.2 Import/Export Data Model in Provisioning 1.2.2 Corporate Data Model

The Corporate Data Model contains the Object Definitions of the Foundation Objects. This includes the fields, labels, picklists, and so on found on each object. Since the Q4

42

1.2

Data Models

2014 release, Foundation Objects have been migrated away from the Corporate Data Model to the MDF. As a result, the Corporate Data Model includes some Foundation Objects, whereas others are managed through the various MDF screens in the Admin Center. The Corporate Data Model also defines associations between Foundation Objects and Generic Objects. An association is a relationship between two objects. SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting also uses the Corporate Data Model for the job code entity-based requisitions. We'll cover Foundation Objects in Chapter 7 and the MDF in Chapter 5.

1.2.3 Country-Specific Succession Data Model

The Country-Specific Succession Data Model defines country-specific local attributes and behaviors. This includes country-specific fields for HRIS elements found in the Succession Data Model and those HRIS elements that are purely country-specific in nature, such as National ID. This data model is split up by country and includes a number of different elements: • Global Information The localized fields that are part of the Personal Information portlet. • Home address information Defines the address formats used for an employee's address. • National ID Defines the ID type and display format for national IDs, such as Social Security number; it is important to note that the system stores the data with the formatting. • Job, compensation, and employment information A field on the Job Information portlet may be defined as a country-specific field; it is important to note that a custom field defined in more than one country should have the same label, picklist, required, and visibility attributes across all countries. The Compensation Information and Employment Information portlets are also found in the Country-Specific Succession Data Model.

1.2.4 Country-Specific Corporate Data Model

The Country-Specific Corporate Data Model will-after the migration of the Job Classification object to the MDF-contain the country-specific formatting of the Location

43

1 Employee Central Basics

only. At one point in time, the Company (Legal Entity) and Job Classification local were defined in this data model. Legal Entity and Job Classification have been migrated to the MDF. Only the Corporate Address {tied to the Location object) is defined in the Country-Specific Corporate Data Model. Now that we've looked at the main data models found in Employee Central that form the foundation, let's took at Employee Central's UI-based module.

1.3 Admin Center The Admin Center is the Ul-based configuration module designed for system administrators, HR administrators, and {in some cases) managers to perform various administrative activities. In the system, the Admin Center was previously called OneAdmin and Admin Tools. Much of the configuration performed in Employee Central- including for objects in the Succession Data Model and Country-Specific Succession Data Model-occurs in the Admin Center. Once all of the Foundation Objects are migrated onto MDF, the Corporate Data Model and Country-Specific Corporate Data Model will cease to be, and all configuration will be possible in the Admin Center. Common Admin Center configuration and maintenance activities include the follo\ving: • Creating and maintaining Foundation Object data • Modifying employee data objects and importing data into them • Tracking stalled workflows and changing routes ofworkflows in flight • Managing security

1.4 Employee Central Settings Features of employee central can be enabled through this page (see Figure 1.3). Prior to this page being available, features could only be enabled through the provisioning.

44

1.5

Foundation Objects

Admin Center

Manage Employee Central Settings Please make sure lhal you read lhe linked implemenlalion guide belore making or changing lhese senings.

Time and Attendance Management

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4°111 )

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Deductions Management Advances

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Figure 1.3 Employee Central Settings

1.5

Foundation Objects

Foundation Objects is a collective term for the elements that define the foundational

structures used to populate employee master data. They are classified into four groups:

45

1 Employee Central Basics

• Organizational structures • Job structures • Pay structures • Miscellaneous/other Foundation Objects We will cover Foundation Objects in detail in Chapter 7, but we'll run through these various structures briefly now. 1.5.1 Organizational Structures

Legal Entity, Business Unit, Division, Department, and Cost Center make up the basic structures of the enterprise. Location is also used as an organizational structure element. You can create additional custom objects based on your organization's structure. The hierarchy of the organizational structures is as follovvs: • Legal Entity This is at the top of the organizational hierarchy. It controls all country-specific behavior. In the Employee Central organizational management design, Legal Entity serves regulatory purposes and is specific to a country by definition. • Business Unit This is at the top of the business hierarchy. Typically, Business Units tend to be organized either geographically or by lines of business (LOB). In some cases, it is a combination of both. It is best to leave Business Units and Legal Entities independent of each other, as they serve two disparate purposes. • Division and Department Division follows the Business Unit. A Department is a people unit. • Cost Center This is a financial unit and is typically maintained in a finance system. Frequently, there is a link between Cost Centers and Departments. In the case of SAP ERP Financials, a delivered integration feeds the cost centers directly to Employee Central. It is a best practice to keep the Departments and Cost Centers separate, as finance cost center restructuring is very common and will likely cause changes to security, reporting, and workflow configurations if cost centers drive those processes. In addition. as many levels of the organizational structure may be defined to create the structure necessary to support the organization.

46

1.5

Foundation Objects

1.5.2 Job Structures Job Classification is the basic unit of the job structure. Job Functions and the Job Profile Builder make up the remainder of job structures. The following describes each of these structures: • Job Classification Job Classification defines t he elements of a job, such as pay grade, level, standard working hours, employee class, and so on. Job Classifications have global and local attributes, meaning that th ey have country-specific values and country-specific fields . Cou ntry-specific values can include job title; the field is valid for each country, and the value in each country may be different. Country-specific fields exist only in one country, for example FLSA Status for the USA, Standard Occupational Classification Code for the UK, and so on. • Job Functions Job Classifications are grouped into Job Functions, which are used to group Job Classifications into direct labor vs. indirect labor or administrative, professional, operational, and so on. You can use this attribute in reporting. • Job Profile Builder Job Classifications are used in conjunction with families and roles to provide integrated talent management (see Figure 1.4). They also form the basis of the Job Profile Builder. The Job Profile Builder creates a rich job profile that includes fa m ily, roles, certifications, competency, education, physical requirements, skills, interview questions, and so on. Job Profiles can be driven by Job Classification or by positions.

Set Up Families and Roles Certification Competency Employment Condition Education • Degree Education - Major lntei\'iew Question ob Responsibility Physical Requirement Relevant Industry Skill

Figure 1.4 Elements of a Job Profile, Including Families and Roles

47

1 Employee Central Basics

1.5.3 Pay Structures Pay Component, Pay Component Group, Pay Range, Pay Grade, Frequency, Currency, and Pay Scale Structure make up the pay structures. The following list describes these elements: • Pay Component This is the unit of compensation administration. Compensations and deductions both share the Foundation Object. Pay Components are either recurring or nonrecurring. Likewise, they are either target or actual. Recurring pay targets may be used for nonrecurring payments, which enables reporting of targets vs. actuals. Pay Components can be units, amounts. or percentages. • Pay Component Group Pay Components are grouped into Pay Component Groups, which you can use to create annualized compensation and to enable the creation of salary packages for employees. They also may be used in compensation planning, in which the basic pay is multicomponent. Pay Component Groups are always annualized and expressed in terms of one currency. • PayRange This is used to define the range of pay for a given period, with a min, mid, and max point created. Pay Range is used to calculate the Compa Ratio and Range Penetration. • PayGrade Pay Grades (also simply known as Grades) classify people into levels. Job Classifications are tied to Pay Grades, and a Grades itself has a Pay Grade Level that is used to identify the relative level of the Grade. This attribute can distinguish a promotion vs. a demotion from a lateral move. • Frequency This is a non-effective-dated Foundation Object that contains the annualization factor. When the annualization factor is O, then standard hours for the employee are used. • Currency and Currency Conversion This provides an effective-dated list of currencies and their associated conversion rates. • Pay Scale Structure This enables Pay Component values for employees to be defined based on a fixed pay structure. This is often used for unionized employees, for whom collective

48

1.6

Person, Worker, and Users

bargaining and contractual agreements exist to control employees' pay on a scaling basis.

1.5.4

Miscellaneous Foundation Objects

Other miscellaneous Foundation Objects exist and are mainly used for workflows. These include: • Workflows This is used to define the route of the workflow. Workflows have approvers, contributors, and CC roles. Contributors can comment on a workflow, but cannot approve them. CC roles are notified after the workflov• is completed. In some cases, worktlows are set up with CC roles only. • Dynamic Role Assignment This provides a rule-based assignment of an approver based on foundational attributes. Using dynamic role assignment, you can define different approvers for different populations. For example, Controller could be defined for any combination of Business Unit, Legal Entity, Department, Job Classification, Grade, and so on.

1.6 Person, Worker, and Users SAP SuccessFactors and Employee Central is built on a canonical of person types. Understanding the following person types is necessary to configuring the system: • Person: Stands for a unique individual who is stored in the system and is represented by one person-id-external. This identifier can be changed if necessary. • Worker: A \Vorker has a direct relationship to the organization. In the system, a global assignment or concurrent employment will create one employment record for each such instance. These instances are tied back to the same person. It is also referred to as assignments in some cases. • Dependent: A dependent does not have a direct relationship to the organization. The dependent is related to another person. The dependent does not have a username and therefore cannot access the system. • Contingent Worker: A worker who does not have a contractual employment relationship with the organization. Chapter 15 goes into detail around Contingent Workforce Management. Prior to the availability of Contingent Workforce Management,

49

1 Employee Central Basics

many customers used the Employee Class field on the job information to identify contingent workers. • User: Anyone who can log into the system. The user is uniquely identified by the username.

1.7 Employee Interface, Information, and Maintenance This section looks at the tools provided by SAP SuccessFactors and Employee Central for UI capabilities, access to employee information, and managing that information.

1.7.1 Employee Profile

The Employee Profile is a snapshot of a person, employment history, talent. and learning information. In the case of effective-dated entities, it represents a snapshot of the current effective record. This is also referred to as the UDF. The Employee Profile consists of three parts: • User information • Background portlets • Talent information With the release of the People Profile (see Section 1.7.2), the latest iteration of the SAP SuccessFactors UI, the Employee Profile has effectively merged into Employee Central.

Further Resources We will not be covering the Employee Profile in this book, although it is covered in detail in SuccessFactors with SAP ERP HCM: Business Processes and Use by Amy Grubb and Luke Marson (2nd edition, SAP PRESS, 2015).

1.7.2 People Profile

The People Profile is the latest version of the SAP SuccessFactors UL This user interface uses SAPUIS technology to bring the SAP Fiori experience to SAP SuccessFactors. The salient features of this UI are as follows:

50

1.7 Employee Interface, Information, and Ma intenance

• Consumer-grade user experience (UX) • In-context employee, manager, and professional UX • Single dashboard experience • Responsive and role-based UI • Improved navigation and information discovery • Flexible and extensible administration • Coherent and efficient profile data entry With this UI, Employee Central and the Employee Profile merge into a single application. Figure 1.5 shows an example of the People Profile.

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Figure 1.5 People Profile 1.7.3 Quickcard The quickcard is accessed via the Search box at the top of the screen (typically to the left of the user menu), from the Org Chart, or from the My Team tile on the homepage ifthe user is a manager. Figure 1.6 shows the expanded quickcard after searching for a specific employee. Typically, only the top third of the quickcard shows. The Take Action hyperlink is located below Direct Reports. Clicking it expands the full menu of options.

51

1 Employee Cent ral Basics

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All actions and Employee Files views are displayed in the quickcard menu. Other available vie'l.vs and actions from modules other than Employee Central are also available, such as vievving the Variable Pay Statement.

1.7.4

Employee Files

Employee Files is where employee data is viewed and maintained by all users. It has built-in self-service capabilities for employees and managers, which are all controlled by role-based permissions (RBP). Employee Files show both Employee Central and non-Employee Central screens (known as views). Several views are used for Employee Central: • Personal Information • Employment Information • Pending Requests • Payroll Information • Time Sheet • Time Off

52

1.9 Event. Event Reasons, and Workflows

• Manage Time Off • Employee Benefits Customers only using Employee Central, but who wish to display education, skills data, and so on, can leverage the Employee Profile vie'"' as i,vell. If a generic object has been created with the configuration UI, then that can also be viewed in Employee Files. We'll discuss these screens in more detail in Chapter 3, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, and Chapter 14.

1.8

Transactions and Self-Services

Employee Central prides itself on having fully inclusive self-service capabilities. Unlike some other HR systems (particularly on-premise HR systems), no special selfservice portal is required to access self-service transactions. In fact, Employee Central is designed with self-service principles included and uses a simple but robust mechanism to control self-service access and actions. Employees, managers, HR administrators, or any other user group can be provided self-service access via the RBP framework. Self-service transactions are provided the same way, and users with this level of access can use the Take Action menu in the Personal Information screen or Employment Information screen to run a transaction or action. Transactions can also be accessed via the quickcard. Depending on the system configuration and features enabled, transactions can include changing Job Information, Compensation Information, and Employment Details, giving a spot bonus. sending someone on global assignment, giving an advance, terminating an employee, and more.

1.9

Event, Event Reasons, and Workflows

As you would expect of a core HR system, Employee Central uses events, Event Reasons, and employee statuses for the lifecycle of an employee. Event Reasons drive both the event and the status of an employee. When taking an action for an employee -depending on the type of action- you can select an event and Event Reason. The employee's status will be driven by the Event Reason selected. If required, Event Reasons can be dynamically derived by the system

53

1 Employee Central Basics

based on rules. This means that managers and other users using self-service do not need to select the Event Reason manually, promoting better accuracy for historical data changes. We'll cover this topic in detail in Chapter 4. Workflows can be applied to specific employee events. A workflow in Employee Central applies controls around transactions. It enables approval chains to be defined with various types of approvers and auditable history. The workflow rules were defined in an XML file until the Q2 2015 release, when the ability to define workflows in the business rules was released. Workflo\vs support pushback to the initiator, inflight changes with route recalculation and without route recalculation, delegation, and more. The route change without recalculation enables a final check before confirmation, during which any errors can be corrected by a professional user. \t\lorkflows are covered in detail in Ch apter 4.

1.10

Extensibility

Employee Central provides a means for extensibility, allowing users to move beyond the standard system setup. Employee Central uses the MDF, Rules Engine, and extensions created on SAP HANA Cloud Platform to achieve as expanded setu p. The MDF is a set of tools for building SAP SuccessFactors applications. The MDF contains an object and a UI definition and is the framework on \vhich all new Employee Central functionality is built. Position Management, Time Off, Employee Benefits, deductions, advances, and income tax declarations are examples of functionality built on the MDF. The MDF is also the platform for extensibility of the application. Customer-specific objects may be defined in the MDF. At this point, Employee Customers may add up to 25 parent custom objects within their subscriptions. A core set of Employee Central objects is not built on the MDF. These objects are being migrated to the MDF in a phased manner, starting with the Foundation Objects. This project is referred to as EC2MDF. Many of the Foundation Objects have been migrated, but at the time of writing, some objects have not yet been migrated. Objects and fields defined by the customer are automatically prefixed with cust_ in order to separate delivered objects from customer-defined objects. These custom objects can be added into Employee Files, used by administrators, or even used as lookup tables. Many use cases exist for creating custom objects.

54

1.11

Business Configuration UI

The Rules Engine is used to enforce business rules behavior. The Rules Engine enables validation, defaulting, and similar behaviors. Rules may be attached to objects or fields by means of triggers such as onini t, onChange, and on Save for objects defined in the MDF and for non-MDF objects as well. The Rules Engine also contains a list of functions for specific purposes, ranging from mathematical functions to date/time functions to derivation functions and more. Functions are constantly added. Typically, Time Management or Position Management drive them, but more and more general functions are added to enable specific types of processing. Almost all delivered business logic in Employee Central moves through the Rules Engine. Rules can be used to set data, raise errors and warnings, and trigger events. Rules are triggered on online transactions as well as offcycle batch transactions. Offcycle batch processing was introduced in the Q3 2015 release, and over the next few releases there will be significant enhancements to these capabilities. Besides the MDF and Rules Engine, further extensibility can be fou nd with SAP HANA Cloud Platform, on which you can build Employee Central extension applications. These extension applications enable you to build custom applications and function ality and embed them in Employee Central so that to the end user they seem part of the Employee Central offering.

1.11 Business Configuration UI The parts of Employee Central that are not on the MDF can be configured using the Business Configuration UI (BCUI). The person- and employment-related objects that form the core of Employee Central can be configured here. The types of changes that are typically performed through the BCUI include the following: • Changing the picklist attached to a field • Changing the reference type of a field • Enabling or disabling a custom field • Changing the field label and/or the translations of the field label • Changing the HRIS Sync mapping to the Employee Profile Figure 1.7 shows the Job Information portlet in the BCUI, and Figure 1.8 shows details of the Position field on Job Information.

55

1 Employee Central Basics

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1.12

HRIS Sync

HRIS Sync is a process that creates a snapshot of current data from Employee Central in the UDF and keeps this data synchronized when changes are made to data in Employee Central. This snapshot is used in the Employee Profile and by many of the talent applications in SAP SuccessFactors. HRIS Sync runs in two modes: real-time and offline. The real-time synchronization is executed whenever a prospective change is made. The offline process runs as a scheduled job to process any future-dated transaction that has become effective. HRIS Sync is delivered out of the box for the standard fields, such as first name, last name, department, division, and so on. A section in the Succession Data Model called custom-sync-settings may be used to override the delivered sync or add custom sync mappings. Additional Resources For more information on the fields that are synchron ized in real time, refer to SAP Note 2172427 (HRIS Sync-Data Synch ronization From EC to EP).

1.13

Reporting

Reporting in Employee Central comes in three forms: • Ad hoc reporting Schema-based reporting tool for building queries on the fly and making reports available to other users. • Advanced reporting In-depth reporting tool that provides over 70 standard reports and provides an intuitive user interface to build simple and complex reports \Vith the Online Report Designer (ORD). It is built on Operational Data Store (ODS) technology. • Employee Delta Export Employee Delta Export is designed to export a delta of employee data from Employee Central to be used with small country payrolls. This is covered in Chapter 22, Section 22.5. We'll cover reporting in more detail in Chapter 20.

57

1 Employee Central Basics

1.14 Deployment Models for SAP Customers SAP SuccessFactors has four deployment models: Talent Hybrid, Side-by-Side, Core Hybrid, and Full Cloud HCM-all of which are shown in Figure 1.9. Employee Central uses only the Core Hybrid, Side·by·Side, and Full Cloud HCM deployment models. The Talent Hybrid deployment model is not used by Employee Central in SAP SuccessFactors since only the talent modules are used, rather than the HRIS (Employee Central). Talent Hybrid

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Figure 1.9 SAP SuccessFactors Deployment Models

In the Full Cloud HCM deployment model, all HR applications are in the cloud with some other processes in SAP ERP, such as sales distribution or materials manage· ment. In this deployment model, other processes may exist in third-party solu· tions. In the Core Hybrid deployment model, core HR and talent applications are in the cloud with some other HR processes (such as time and attendance and/or payroll) in SAP ERP. In this deployment model, other processes may exist in third-party solutions other than SAP ERP. In the Side-by-Side deployment model, the existing SAP ERP HCM system is retained and Employee Central is added to the landscape for existing and/or new employee

58

1.14

Deployment Models fo r SAP Cust omers

populations. For an example use case, let's say t hat an existing subsidiary or newly acquired subsidiary has no HCM system and is put into an instance of Employee Central instead of the existing SAP ERP HCM system, which could be a costly exercise. Another possible use case might be that a "big bang" implementation of Employee Central is not feasible or possible, but introducing Employee Central brings strategic value. There are numerous reasons that a company may choose the Side-by-Side model. It may be that a customer wishes to take advantage of new innovations while retaining the existing SAP ERP HCM investment or that the customer wishes to roll out Employee Central across the organization for MSS or ESS while keeping HR administrators using SAP ERP HCM. Two types of Side-by-Side deployment model exist (see Figure 1.10): • Consolidated In the consolidated scenario, Employee Central is used as the system of record for all employees, but some processes are still performed in SAP ERP HCM. In this scenario, data is replicated back to SAP ERP HCM. • Distributed In the distributed scenario, employees are split across Employee Central and SAP ERP HCM. Access for all employees is through Employee Central, but all changes are made in the respective system in which the employee belongs. For employees mastered in SAP ERP HCM, a UI mash-up exists to access on-premise functionality through Employee Central. Figure 1.11 shows an example of this.

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59

1 Employee Central Basics

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1.15 Summary

1.15

Summary

In this chapter, we covered the basics of Employee Central. We looked at the concepts of globalization and localization, the various data models, and extensibility and deployment models for integration. Throughout, we discussed common elements of Employee Central, such as events and transactions, as well as the People Profile and the Admin Center. We hope that this brief introduction has provided some insight into the topics that lie ahead. In the next chapter, we'll take a look at implementation steps and other implementation aspects that you'll need to consider as you implement Employee Central in your organization.

61

Chapter 2

Implementation Steps and Considerations Proper preparation can ensure a successful implementation. There are several steps and considerations to review prior to starting an Employee Central implementation and several items to track during and after implementation.

People who are excited to implement Employee Central often say they want to hit the ground running. People who are overwhelmed by the process are often hesitant to get going. In both cases, we need a clear-cut path to follow so that our runners don't trip and our distressed friends can see the light. Having a tried-and-true project plan, a formally defined project team. and a series of defined steps to follow to completion will help us successfully implement Employee Central. In this chapter, we will examine the proper steps for getting started with an Employee Central implementation, including pre-work and kick-off. We will discuss the concept of the project team and member roles, and we will review SAP's project methodology: SAP Activate. The chapter ends with information about post-go-live maintenance and support resou rces.

2.1 Implementation Considerations We need to think about and understand several things before embarking on an Employee Central implementation. We need to be able to answer questions such as "Who is involved?" and "What will each person be doing?" We must give thought to the idea of balancing scope vvith timelines and resource availability. This section highlights the steps we need to take during a project lifecycle and what things a project team should think about while in its infancy.

63

2

Implement ation St eps and Considerations

2.1.1

Project Checklist

The project checklist contains a series of steps that a project manager and/or lead consultant should complete prior to beginning an Employee Central implementation. Getting things moving is the first step and a signal to all involved that the sales cycle is over and the project implementation portion is about to begin. The checklist is geared toward the implementation team, but there are overlapping activities for customer participants as well. The project checklist is divided into four main categories with subtasks. The following is a high-level overview of the project checklist; a full copy is available for implementation consultants through the SAP Partner Portal: • Internal kick-off meeting and transition from sales to professional services: - Review documentation gathered and produced during the sales cycle - Review the scope of \vork (SOW) to ensure full understanding of project comm itments - Engage technical resources if they are required • Set up SAP Business ByDesign or other project planning solutions: - Set up initial project plan, including start and end dates - Confirm project tasks and time estimates, including time estimates and resources when known - Secure project resources • Set up project initiation documentation/repository: - Set up a repository for p roject documentation (e.g., SAP Customer SharePoint) • Introductory call with implementers/customer: - Arrange a call to introduce the customer team and the implementation team - Deliver full kick-off presentation to customer team to highlight the project scope and timeline - Review the SOW to ensure expectations will be met - Help customer enroll in the Customer Community and register for Project Team Orientation (PTO) training

2.1.2 Project Team Structure

A good project team is essential for a smooth implementation, but just as critical to a project's success is a thorough understanding of each team member's role and

64

2.1

Implementation Considerations

responsibilities. Work cannot be performed in a vacuum. Implementation team members m ust bring a solid understanding of the system's capabilities and best practices recommendations to the project. Customer team members must contribute their business drivers and understanding. Table 2.1 shows the expertise brought to the table by both customers and SAP SuccessFactors team members. Customer Team

SAP SuccessFactors Team

• • • • •

• Product expertise • Best practices • SAP SuccessFactors HCM domain knowledge and experience • Proven implementation expertise • Expert technica l skills

Business drivers Implementation objectives Overall project management Cu rrent process and system knowledge Management and business issues

Table 2.1 Customer Team and SAP SuccessFactors Team Skills A solid project team structure must be determined and communicated to all team members. The follov.ring team member structure suggestions have proven successful: • Implementation team Members of the implementation should be knowledgeable about Employee Central and be familiar with best practices setups and scenarios. The implementers should be able to guide the project team in making decisions. • Implementation project team leader This individual must work closely with the customer project manager to ensure that the scope remains constant and consistent and that all team members are 1.vorking toward project completion. He or she must keep work on track and escalate issues as needed. • Main functional consultant/solution architect This person is responsible for the requirements gathering and configuration of the Employee Central solution. He or she also works hand-in-hand with the customer during testing and training to ensure a smooth transition. In the event of additional functional consultants, this main resource may act as more of a solution architect. A solution architect performs the same outward facing role as a lead consultant but does not participate in much of the system configuration. He or she performs quality assurance reviews as the project progresses.

65

2 Implementation Steps and Considerations

• Additional functional consultants Depending on the size and scale of the project, additional consultants may be needed to assist with configuration, data load preparation, and documentation. • Lead technical consultant This individual is responsible for the technical activities required for the project, including integration, interfaces, and any single sign-on (SSO) functionality . • Functional/technical liaison In very large projects or projects with numerous interfaces, a liaison may help organize data and ensure that consistent data values and codes are used across all systems. • Customer team Members of the customer team should be knowledgeable about their business processes and have a clear vision about the future desired state of the Employee Central solution. • Overall p roject manager The overall project manager has day-to-day oversight of the project and is responsible for keeping all team members in alignment with project goals. He or she is also responsible for the project budget and for resource gathering as needed. This individual often keeps track of project planning documents and organizes meetings between parties. • Business lead The business lead is the head customer representative who is a specialist in the area being implemented and has the ability to make day-to-day decisions regarding requirements. This person is often in line to become an administrator or primary HR user within Employee Central. • Business specialists/generalists Business specialists and generalists provide good insight into current and futu re vision states of the company's business. These people actively participate in requirements gathering and testing to help ensure that the planned vision is being realized. • Technical team members These individuals are traditionally members of the company's information technology (IT) group. They are necessary to the project because they can confirm network and computer availability, help with firewalls and SSO, and provide SFTP sites when needed. Their level of involvement depends on the size and scope of the project.

66

2.1 Implementation Considerations

• Auxiliary team members Other participants may be needed during various phases of the project cycle. Common examples include company trainers, internal auditors, change management specialists, and communications specialists. • Others In addition to the previously listed team members, the customer team should have project sponsors and a steering committee to help drive the vision and the need for change across the organization. Often, a project sponsor from the implementer team will be a member of the steering committee to ensure continuity between the teams. Project Managers In the init ia l days of implementing Employee Central, the customer traditionally provided the project manager. With the increased functionality of Employee Centra l and t he overwhelming business need to exchange data with advanced time and payroll systems, we often see a ded icated project manager assigned to the team from either the customer or the implementer. With so many moving pieces, you may need a dedicated resource with experience in managing a large-scale, multi-system solution. Project responsibilities should be doled out during the kick-off meeting. Some items may be specifically called out in the SOW, such as end user training and materials, but other items may still be up in the air. Resources should be assigned to create project documentation, maintain and update the documentation, produce administrator training materials, and so on. You don't want to begin a project with a series of assumptions about responsibilities. Every task should be planned for in a detailed project plan. Keeping a project team on task and working toward common goals can be an overwhelming task. SAP has developed a best practices methodology to help project teams work together and achieve milestones.

2.1.3 Project Methodology

Employee Central is implemented according to the SAP Activate methodology. SAP Activate is the project implementation methodology used for all of SAP's cloud implementations. It breaks the implementation into four phases and designates a series of activities and deliverables for each phase. Using a standard approach to

67

2 Implementation Steps and Considerations

implementation helps ensure quality and consistency from project to project. SAP Activate uses best practices templates and predefined content to help accelerate implementations, from discovery all the way to go-live. The SAP Activate methodology consists of four phases : 1. Prepare

2. Explore 3. Realize 4. Deploy At the end of each phase is a quality gate (q-gate) that acts as a checkpoint to ensure phase completion. SAP Activate History SAP Activate evolved from t he SAP Launch methodology, which was based on BizXpert, a methodology exclusive t o SAP SuccessFactors implement ations. In August 2014, t his method became applicable to all SAP cloud solutions and was renamed SAP Launch t o denote the cha nge. Today it goes by SAP Activat e. In this section, we will review the four phases of the SAP Activate method, beginning with the prepare phase. Prepare In the prepare phase, the project team works to thoroughly understand the project scope, role definitions, timelines, and budget (see Figure 2.1). Let's go over the key tasks of this phase: • Internal kick-off meeting takes place within the implementation team The team begins the project checklist, and the project manager meets with the sales team for official transition and to become acquainted with the project and its scope. • Project planning and resource booking Both the customer team and the implementation team begin to acquire and secure appropriate resources. The teams direct some effort to planning a timeline and major milestones. • Project Team Orientation The customer team attends PTO training (see Section 2.4.1).

68

2.1

Implementation Considerations

• Kick-off meeting The customer team and implementation team come together to meet and learn about expected responsibilities and desired outcomes. • Confirm integration requirements The customer team and implementation team come together to determine and confirm integration requirements. To pass the q-gate for the prepare phase of the project, all stakeholders agree to the scope of the project. Change orders may be needed for activities beyond the scope. Prepare

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Figure 2.1 Prepare Phase

Explore During the explore phase, the system possibilities and business needs are reviewed together. The scope of the project is confirmed and a thorough gap analysis is

69

2

Implement ation Steps and Considerations

conducted. Prerequisites are reviewed and accomplished. Project management activities continue during this phase (see Figure 2.2). Prepare

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Figure 2.2 Explore Phase

Typical activities during this phase include the following: • Confirm project scope • Determine and complete prerequisites • Confirm and integration prerequisites • Prepare a baseline configuration in the development environment • Establish a preliminary plan for data migration Realize

During the realize phase, the solution is configured, reviewed, and tested a series of three times. Each time through the process is called an iteration, and each project has three iterations. During this phase, the solution is not only built but is fine-t uned to meet the customer's requirements. Project management activities continue during this phase (see Figure 2.3).

70

2.1

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Implementation Considerations

Realize

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Typical activities during this phase include the following: • Configuration and refinement • Data migration • Integration 1.vork • Custom report creation • Initial admin training • Iteration testing There is also a verification portion of the realize phase of SAP Activate which includes the final user acceptance testing (UAT}, in which the customer performs a final round of testing. Not only is the solution tested in a standalone manner, but all integrations and touch points are tested as 1.vell. This means that any interfaces built for other systems should be tested in a real-life manner during this phase.

71

2 Implementation Steps and Considerations

Typical tasks du ring the verify process of the realization phase include the following: • UAT

• Integration testing (end-to-end with all data points participating) • Robust administrator training • End user training for managers, employees, and business partners • The initial creation of a cutover/go-live plan To pass the q-gate for the realize phase of the project, all stakeholders agree that the solution has been satisfactorily configured to meet the requirements that were given and the system is ready for go-live. End users, administrators, and HR persons are ready to use the system. Deploy

The deploy phase of the project begins with the preparation of the production environment, ramps up with the move of configuration from the development and test environments into production, includes the import of employee data into production, and ends with the active use of the system (see Figure 2.4). Realize

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72

2.1

Implementation Considerations

Typical deploy activities include the following: • Revision and execution of the cutover/go-live plan • Handover of the system to the customer • A predetermined period of support by the implementation team • Transition of the customer to the SAP SuccessFactors support team • Completion of the project To pass the q-gate for the deploy phase of the project, all stakeholders agree that the cutover is complete. 2.1.4

Project Delivery

With the scope defined, the team assembled, and a methodology in place, the only thing left for us to do is to deliver the solution. Project delivery is not just an end result; rather, it is a project-long process whereby we constantly work toward goals, track and measure progress, and celebrate milestones. We use a project plan, tracking tools, and documentation to help us along this process. When implementing Employee Central, we have a series of documents available to us to assist with t he tracking and measuring process. These documents are part of the SAP Activate J\.1eth odology Roadmap, a bank of templates and collateral that helps us meet and document the milestones in SAP Activate. Examples of these template documents include the following: • Project Kick-Off • Customer Welcome Kit • Project Plan • Configuration Workbooks System requirements are gathered and documented within the Configuration Workbooks. Employee Central has the following workbooks to choose from, depending on the scope of the project: - Foundation Objects - Employee Data - Event Reasons and Transactions/Workflow - Time Off - Position Management - Benefits - Basic Profile 73

2 Implementation Steps and Considerations

• Status Report Templates • Meeting Note Templates • Sign-Off Templates for the four q-gates The SAP Activate Methodology Roadmap is available for users from the SAP Portal via the menu path HCM Cloud Partner Services· Implementation· Launch Delivery Toolkit.

2.1.5 Working with Third-Party Providers Depending on the scope and nature of your implementation, you may need to work with third-party providers. This is fairly common with Employee Central implementations, because time, benefits, and payroll solutions from third parties are supported. A third-party solution may already exist and only require integration, or it could be a part of a larger HRIS transformation implementation. Regardless of the scenario, we \viii need to engage the third party that produces the solution and work closely with both functional and technical representatives to fully understand data needs and connectivity options. If Employee Central supplies demographic data to a third-party system, then Employee Central must contain the third party's required data fields . Do not forget to take third-party requirements into account during your own requirements gathering processes. Important! Do not delay in establishing contact with third-party providers. Many of them will offer helpfu l t ips for data set up and exchange. You must ensure t hat you gather and store all data necessary to support their processes if their dat a will originate in Employee Centra l. Now that we've looked at the various implementation considerations and SAP Activate methodology, let's discuss setting up Employee Central.

2.2 Setting Up Employee Central The set up required for Employee Central involves a number of steps, and each should be considered carefully. In this section, we will begin by looking at the setup checklist provided by SAP SuccessFactors for implementation. We'll then look at the tasks that must be completed in Provisioning and the Admin Center to connect all of the dots.

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2.2

2.2.1

Setting Up Employee Central

Setup Checklist

SAP SuccessFactors has a recommended 16-step implementation sequence that should be used when implementing Employee Central. The 16 steps represent the key tasks and areas of configuration that should be completed to have a fully functioning Employee Central solution. The steps should be implemented in order, and each step should be completed before moving on to the next because there are numerous dependencies involved. Most of these steps are the responsibility of the implementation consultant, but customer involvement is key in some areas. Let's review the 16-step sequence: 1.

Activate Employee Central and its supporting components by completing the Provisioning setup under Compa ny Settings.

2. Create a super admin in Provisioning. 3. Define and set up the Corporate Data Model. 4. Define and set up the Country-Specific Corporate Data Model. 5. Define and set up the MDF Foundation Objects. 6. Define and set up the Succession Data Model. 7.

Define and set up the Country-Specific Succession Data Model.

8. Import the picklists template. 9. Create your Foundation Objects. 10. Configure the Propagation Rules Data Model. 11. Optional: Set up Event Reason Derivation Rules. 12. Optional: Configure Workflow Rules. 13. Set up role-based permissions (RBP). 14. Import employee data. 15. Set up and run HRIS Sync as a recu rring job. 16. Optional: Set up Leaves of Absence. These 16 steps should be considered the golden standard by which all Employee Central projects are implemented. Following each step in order will result in a thoroughly executed solution. The first two steps contain activities that must be executed in Provisioning. Provisioning is the backend setup area available only to implementers. If you are an implementer, you should be sure to perform these actions when you first begin a project. If you are a customer, these steps should have been completed for you.

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2 Implementation Steps and Considerations

Let's review the activities and settings that should be completed in Provisioning for a new customer setup. 2.2.2 Provisioning Provisioning is the backend area of SAP SuccessFactors in which modules and additional functionality are selected and activated for customers. Some options are preselected for us, and others must be manually applied based on the modules being implemented and the desired functionality of each module. Employee Central is probably the most complex module to provision. because it contains multiple dependencies and offers numerous enhancements or optional pieces of functionality. As new functionality is released, new options may need to be selected or provisioned. Older options do not need to be deselected, because SAP SuccessFactors builds new functionality on the premise that older functionality will be added to or replaced. This section assumes that the implementer has access to Provisioning. If you are an implementer and do not have the appropriate access. you should contact your onboarding manager for assistance. He or she will ensure you receive the proper training and request Provisioning access fo r you. Once you are logged into Provisioning, select the company you are setting up and then choose Edit Company Settings · Company Settings. This brings up the complete listing of assigned and available-to-be-assigned functionality. Each section has its own Save button, so sections should be filled out one at a time. Provisioning settings should be made in the following areas: • Enable Employee Central V2 and dependent entities Dependent entities include Foundation Objects, Employee Profile, People Profile, Generic Objects, Effective-Dated Data Platform, Role-Based Permission, Admin 2.0, Version 11, and Version 11 Uls • Enable Optional Functionality Optional functionalites include Time Off, Position Management. Alternative Cost Centers, Global Assignment. Global Benefits, and Payment Information • Enable Employee-Specific Reporting Employee-Specific Reporting includes Ad Hoc Report Builder and Standard Reports Bin, Employee Profile, Foundation Objects, Person and Employment Info, Job Information. Person and Employment Audit, Person and Employment Export, Recurring Compensation Information, Non-Recurring Compensation Information, and RBP reports

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2.2

•

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Employee Central Provisioning Settings A complete listing of Employee Central Provisioning settings is available for implementers in the Employee Central Master Implementation Guide, which can be fou nd at http://help.sap.com/hr_ ec?current=hr_compensation. This guide is updated each quarter t o reflect module changes and should be consulted each quarter to ensu re that updates are accounted for. A link to the guide is available on the SAP Service Marketplace, refere nced in Section 2.4.2.

Manage Employee Central Settings (Ad min Center) Manage Employee Central Settings is an administrator page available in the Admin Center which allows implementers and cust omer administrators t o enable new Employee Cent ral f unctiona lity. Many items that are enabled in Provision ing during implementation can also be enabled on this page. It allows customer administrators to add new functionality on an on-going basis. An example of M anage Employee Central Settings is shown in Figure 2.5.

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2 Implementation Steps and Considerations

2.2.3 Admin Center

The Admin Center of SAP SuccessFactors is the main area for system administrators to monitor and maintain Employee Central and other SAP SuccessFactors modules. This area allows for the maintenance of Foundation Objects, system settings, and employee data. Access to different sections of this area is controlled through RBPs (see Chapter 3). Ad min Center History Prior to t he 2015 Q3 release, t he Adm in Center was known as Admin Tools. The Admin Center still contains Admin Tools, along with additional functionality. Admin Tools has been available in its current form since 2011. Prior to 2011, Adm in Tools was available with a different look and feel. This setup is sometimes referred to as Old Admin Tools. Although a handful of legacy cust omers continue to use Old Admin Tools, it has become obsolete as of Q3 2015 and is not supported for general use. There are currently two supported versions of the Admin Center: OneAdmin and Next Gen Admin. OneAdmin is a standalone version, whereas Next Gen Admin functions as an add-on or enhancement to OneAdmin. They are both supported in a single system, and each individual admin user can choose which version he or she prefers to use. Let's explore both OneAdmin and Next Gen Admin. OneAdmin OneAdmin is the core area of the Admin Center. In OneAdmin, administrators have the ability to make changes to modules- such as Employee Central- and to maintain employee and foundation data. It is the area we traditionally think of when we hear the terms Admin Tools and Adm in Center. The following applications are supported in OneAdmin (see Figure 2.6): • Admin Tools - Company Processes & Cycles - Manage Employees • Tool Search • Upgrade Center • My (Administrator) Favorites

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2 Implementation Steps and Considerations

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Figure 2.7 Next Gen Admin Each portlet can be accessed and drilled into for more information. Administrators who use Next Gen Admin can switch back and forth between Next Gen Admin and the Admin Center by clicking on the Switch back to link on each screen. as shown in Figure 2.8. Admin Center .~w.t!?!!.~..;9~~~ -~...!:

Figure 2.8 Switch Between t he Admin Center and Next Gen Admin In order to use Next Gen Adm in, RBPs and the Action Search feature must be enabled as prerequisites. RBP must be activated by an implementer or SAP SuccessFactors support. The Action Search feature can be enabled by that same party or by applying

80

2.3 Post-Implementation and Ongoing Administration

the appropriate upgrade from the Upgrade Center. See Section 2.4 for more information about the Upgrade Center. Once these two items are enabled, we can apply the Next Gen Admin upgrade to our system by applying the Next Gen Admin update from the Upgrade Center in Admin Tools. Navigate to Admin Center· Upgrade Center· Important· Upgrades. Select the upgrade titled Next Gen Adm in and click Apply. The system will first check for the two prerequisites mentioned previously. If both have been met, then you can choose to apply the update. If the update is successful. you 1.vill receive a confirmation message, as shown in Figure 2.9. 0

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Figure 2.9 Successful Application of the Next Gen Ad min Upgrade Congratulations! You've completed your Employee Central implementation and are ready for the next steps. In the next section, we will discuss the post-implementation considerations and ongoing administrative tasks in Employee Central.

2.3

Post-Implementation and Ongoing Administration

If you're an implementer, then you should ensure that your customer is fully trained and comfortable maintaining the system. In this section, we will discuss the use of SAP SuccessFactors support for customers, and post-implementation maintenance for system health. 2.3.1 SAP SuccessFactors Support

After an agreed-upon period of post-go-live support, implementers should complete the project close-out documentation (see Section 2.1.4} and transition customers over to SAP SuccessFactors support. The process of transitioning to SAP SuccessFactors support should begin approximately four weeks prior to go-live. This allows enough time for making introductions, sharing documentation, and conducting orientations. Once go-live completes and the implementation team rolls off the project, the SAP SuccessFactors support team will be the customer's primary point of assistance.

81

2 Implementation Steps and Considerations

There are three levels of support available, and each level has a slightly different transition and use process. The support site can be accessed by all customers by going to support.sap.com. Once there, the follov,ring support cases are available: • Enterprise Support, Cloud Edition The implementer should introduce the customer to the Enterprise Support process by sending an orientation email with a link to the SuccessFactors Support Resource Kit. This kit contains information about the support process, how to get assistance, anticipated response times, and how to receive product updates. • Platinum/Premium Experience Plan Support The implementer should first contact the customer success manager and arrange for a check in fou r weeks prior to go-live. The implementer \Viii bring the customer success manager up to speed on the status of the project. The implementer will also send the customer a copy of the SuccessFactors Support Resource Kit. At an introductions meeting, the customer success manager will meet the customer, and avenues for ongoing support and product updates will be reviewed at that time. • Preferred Care Support Preferred Care Support begins at the start of the project implementation, so no transition process is needed. If you're a customer, in addition to knowing how to contact support, you may have additional post-go-live maintenance activities that you may need or want to perform within the system. 'vVe discuss these activities in the next section.

2.3.2 Post-Implementation System Maintenance

Employee Central was built with flexibility and ease of use in mind. The system can accommodate restructuring and mass data changes well. As your organization changes shape and size, so too can Employee Central. When mass data changes need to be made, the system can assist by accepting data in multiple manners. Here are a few of the most commonly performed system maintenance tasks, with references to instructions: • Adding and editing Foundation Data: - Use the Manage Organization, Pay and Job Structures, and Manage Data areas of the Adm in Center for small to moderate changes (see Chapter 7, Section 7.5.2). - Import Foundation Object templates for large changes (see Chapter 7, Section 7.5.1)

82

2.4

Implementation Resources

• Reorganizing teams and groups of employees: - Use the Manage Mass Changes tool (see Chapter 16) • Monitoring and advancing stalled workflows (see Chapter 4, Section 4.3) • Monitoring scheduled jobs and page views (see Section 2.2.3 on Next Gen Admin) • Updating RBPs (see Chapter 3) • Helping with reporting (see Chapter 20) All of these post-implementation administrative tasks should be considered after golive to ensure a smooth transition and continued upkeep. In the last section of this chapter, we will provide customer-specific and implementer-specific resources for Employee Central implementations.

2.4 Implementation Resources Various resources are available to assist implementers and customers during all phases of a project and well after go-live. Resources are tailored to the specific type of user/audience so as to give direct and relevant information. Let's review some of best and most useful resources for customers and implementers in the next sections.

2.4.1

Customer Administrator Resources

Customers have an array of resources available before, during, and after Employee Central implementations. These resources include the follo>ving: • SAP SuccessFactors Customer Community • SAP Learning Hub • SAP SuccessFactors Upgrade Center • SAP Support Team/Representative Let's look at these various resources in detail. SAP SuccessFactors Customer Community

The Customer Community is available for customers prior to the start of an implementation. This site links customers to other customer users and offers documentation, discussion forums, best practices documents, product information, and links to training, among other things. This is a wonderful place for initial resources and for

83

2

Implementation Steps and Considerations

ongoing information and product updates. The Customer Community site can be accessed directly from the main SAP SuccessFactors website or by navigating to http://community.successfactors.com. It is recommended that customers register for and join the community and continue to use it as long as they are customers. Checking back frequently will keep you informed of planned and released updates. SAP Learning Hub The Training link at the top of the Customer Community website will direct customers to Register for Training and then to the SAP Learning Hub (training.sap.com). Within the Learning Hub, there are links for module training classes, including the PTO session. These sessions help prepare customers to actively engage in project requirements gathering and discussions by teaching basic concepts and definitions and by calling out decision points that may need to be made. The Cloud Learning Center also contains links for Adm in Training Courses and Job Aids. The Employee Central PTO training course and other trainings can be found by selecting the Employee Central link from the homepage, as shown in Figure 2.10.

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SAP SuccessFactors Upgrade Center The Upgrade Center is another resource that is helpful to customer administrators after implementation. The Upgrade Center is discussed in Section 2.4 and provides notice of updates as well as the ability to activate them.

84

2.4

Implement ation Resources

SAP Support Team/Representative Another resource available to customers post-implementation is the SAP SuccessFactors support team. Many Employee Central customers, depending on their chosen level of support, have designated support representatives to help them navigate post-go-live activities, including maintenance and updates. 2.4.2 Implementer Resources There are also numerous resources that exist to assist implementers. The most commonly used resources include the following: • SAP Service Marketplace and help.sap.com • SAP PartnerEdge • SAP SuccessFactors HCM Cloud Operations • SAP Jam groups • Internal Release Readiness (IRRs} Sessions and Documents Let's walk through each of these resources now. SAP Service Marketplace The SAP Service Marketplace (https://service.sap.com) is the main online resource for all SAP implementers. It contains official documentation, configuration guides, and links to other internal resources. There is a specific breakout for cloud products, and within this breakout you can drill down to find information on SAP SuccessFactors and Employee Central. Additional information can also be found at the SAP Help Portal (help.sap.com).

SAP PartnerEdge SAP PartnerEdge (or the internal SAP Portal if you are an SAP employee) contains useful information about project methodology, collateral for presentations and trainings, and links to other sites and collateral. It provides tools and resources to support the implementation and delivery of the SAP SuccessFactors HCM Suite, including Employee Central. The website can be found by navigating to partneredge.sap.com. SAP Success Factors HCM Cloud Operations The SAP SuccessFactors HCM Cloud Operations Portal (or the internal SAP Portal if you are an SAP employee) contains useful information about systems, provisioning,

85

2 Implementation Steps and Considerations

and instance access as well as links to other sites and collateral. It provides tools and resources to support the demo and delivery of the SAP SuccessFactors HCM Suite, including Employee Central. The website can be found by navigating to hcmcloudops.successfactors.com and is shov.rn in Figure 2.11. Search

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Several SAP Jam groups exist to help implementers tackle roadblocks and ask configuration questions. There are groups specific to Employee Central (such as the EC Enablement Group) and groups related to auxiliary topics, including integration (e.g., SAP SuccessFactors Integration for Partners) and product updates (e.g., SuccessFactors Quarterly Releases for Partners). Often, specific groups have closed memberships. Asking a colleague who is already a member for an invite or posting on the bulletin boards can be effective ways of joining these groups. Internal Release Readiness Sessions and Documents

Internal Release Readiness (IRR) Sessions and Documents are vitals tools for staying up-to-date on new functionality and current best practices. Implementers should attend and review quarterly releases to make sure they are keeping pace with new enhancements and are able to recommend the best course of action for customers. Information about IRR can be found by joining the SuccessFactors Quarterly Releases for Partners SAP Jam group mentioned in the previous section.

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2.5 Summary

2.5 Summary In this chapter, we examined activities that should take place prior to starting a project, during implementation, and post-go-live. We explained that proper planning and preparation is just as essential to a project's success and that having a properly staffed team '"'ith '"'ell-defined roles is a good beginning step to launch a project. Appropriate support and maintenance after implementation ensures a consistent and properly functioning solution. In the next chapter, we will examine RBPs and determine ho1.v they can be used to simplify system and module access.

87

Chapter 3 Role-Based Permissions Role-based permissions (RBPs)form the foundation for permission and access to all the major components of Employee Central. They provide the framework for dynamically controlling what different users can see and do.

A complete Human Resou rces Information System {HRIS} needs a dynamic means for controlling access and authorizations across its complete system offering and entire user base. Employee Central uses the RBP framework to meet this requirement. RBPs are an essential part of Employee Central. In this chapter, we look at what RBPs are, their functions, how they are created, how they control access to areas of the system, and how certain business scenarios and requirements will drive the expansion of roles. We also spend some time reviewing the best way to go about troubleshooting any issues that arise, except for during the initial setup process and ongoing security maintenance.

3.1

Overview

RBPs are the driving force behind each end user's personal system experience. RBPs control wh ich menu options and tiles are presented on the homepage as well as specific access control within each SAP SuccessFactors module. They are the reason that a regular employee sees different options than a manager or administrator. RBPs are used across all modules within the SAP SuccessFactors suite and are an absolute requirement for Employee Central customers. Some modules have additional module-specific permissions settings outside of RBP, but Employee Central permissions are contained within the RBP framework. Let's take a look at some basic RBP elements.

89

3 Role-Based Permissions

Role-Based Permission Framework The RBP framework is the current best practices solution fo r controlling permissions in SAP SuccessFactors. It is a required element for all new customers and is absolutely essential for Employee Central. Legacy customers, including t hose running Employee Central vl.O, may be using the former framework, known as Administrat ive Domains. This framework is no longer implemented and has been replaced with t he RBP framework. Customers wishing to implement Employee Central or upgrade from Employee Central vl.O must first switch to the RBP framework. This is an absolute requirement.

3.1.1 Groups and Roles The main premise behind the RBP framework is the creation of groups and roles. These two elements allow us to tailor the user experience at an employee-level granularity. The next two sections look at groups and roles in greater detail. Groups A group is a collection of employees with similar characteristics bundled together for the purpose of assigning permissions and authorizations. \11/e define groups when we have clusters of employees who need certain permissions. We also define groups to indicate which groups of employees certain users should have visibility into or control over. This type of group is informally referred to as a target population. The setup of all groups follows the same format, and groups and target groups can be used interchangeably in different roles. Roles A role is a list of access/ permissions that members of a group will have when they access the system. Within each role, we define who should be given the role, what permissions are included, and what, if any, target groups are applicable. Roles and groups are tied together in the role definition, as shown in Figure 3.1.

User Group (Granted Users)

Figure 3.1 Groups and Roles

90

Permission Role

User Group (Target Users)

3.1 Overview

3.1.2 Administrators There are two main types of administrators involved in the setup and maintenance of RBPs: system (security) administrators and super administrators. Depending on the size of your organization, these administrative roles may fall to the same person or persons, as is sometimes the case for smaller companies. Larger companies should consider delegating these responsibilities separately to assist with segregation of duties. Let's discuss both administrator types in more detail. Security Administrator Asecurity administrator controls admittance to the system and permissions access to specific modules and fields for various users and groups. These tasks are all accomplished by managing permission groups and roles-a key task for security admins. To accomplish these tasks, security admins access Manage Permission Groups and Manage Permission Roles under Manage Employees· Set User Perm issions in the Admin Center (see Figure 3.2). You will learn more about groups and roles in Section 3.2 .

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Figure 3.2 Manage Permission Groups and Roles Security admin assignments are made and maintained by super administrators, who we will discuss next. Super Administrator When speaking in terms of permissions, super administrators are persons who control who can be a security admin. These users have access to Manage Role-Based Permission Access under Manage Employees · Set User Permissions in the Admin Center (see Figure 3.3).

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3 Role-Based Permissions

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Figure 3.3 Manage RBP Access in the Adm in Center, Available Only to Super Adm ins With this access, the super admin maintains a listing of security admins and also has the ability to designate other individuals as fellow super admins. To add a new security admin, follow the menu path Manage Employees· Set User Perm issions· Manage Role-Based Permission Access and then click Add User. On the Manage Role-Based Permission Access screen, select Add User to designate a person as a security admin. If you want someone to also be a super admin, select the Allow access to this page checkbox for that user, as sho"vn in Figure 3.4. Remove a user from the security admin and/or super admin role by deleting that user's row and/or by deselecting the checkmark.

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92

Allow access to this page

0

3.2

Scenarios for Creating Roles

Tip An implement ation consultant should designat e one or more persons to be th e initial super admins before completing an implementation. Customers who no longer have access to their implementation partner or don't know who the super admins are can open a support t icket with SAP SuccessFactors and w ill be able t o receive help in determining who has this access and making new assignments.

3.2

Scenarios for Creating Roles

When it comes to Employee Central, we usually start by thinking about the core best practices roles : • Employee on Others Allows all employees to view the directory, Org Chart, and Public Profiles. • Employee Self-Service Allows the employee to view basic self-data and update Personal Information. • Manager Self-Service Allows managers to perform basic management tasks and possibly run team reports. • HRManager Allows HR managers to actively manage their areas of responsibility, including managing new hires, entering transactions, and approving manager initiation proposals. • HR Administrator or General Administration Allows HR administrators to manage large populations of employees or employees spread across the organization, including running global reports that include head count reports and often the upkeep of the Foundation Tables. • Super Administrator Allows for full administrative access for system maintenance and health purposes and to assist with global reporting, if needed. Beyond these roles, we encounter scenarios in which additional or supplemental roles are needed. This often stems from a need for segregation of duties on the HR team side. Instead of employees being supported by a centralized HR team or an individual HR manager, we frequently encounter cases in which localized HR teams

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3 Role-Based Permissions

manage their own local areas. In such cases, you can create groups for the local HR teams and groups for the target local employees and tie them together using a role. Often, you can use the same role and multiple assignment statements- each with its own permission group and target group. You can also create roles as needed for auxiliary persons. You may have a need for people outside of HR to have more than just basic access to the system. Examples of auxiliary roles include IT managers, payroll administrators, time keepers, benefits administrators, and finance team members.

3.3 Creating Groups and Roles Now that we've explored what permissions may be needed to help support the Employee Central setup, let's look at how groups and roles are configured in the system. Setting up RBPs is a three-step process: 1. Defining groups

Be sure to include both permission receiver groups and target groups. 2. Creating roles

Go through and assign all of the needed permissions and viev;s for the role. 3. Assigning roles to groups

More than one group can be assigned to a role with the same or diffe rent target groups. In the sections that follow, we will walk through these three steps, their corresponding configurations, and some maintenance concerns. 3.3.1 Defining Groups

Groups are defined and maintained by navigating to Ad min Center• Manage Security• Manage Permission Groups. Click on the Create New button to create a new group. Tip

The system can infer multiple known groups using already assigned relationships. Groups do not need to be created for the fo llowing populations because the system can inherently determine them:

94

3.3 Creating Groups and Roles

• All em ployees • Managers • Second managers • Matrix managers • HR managers • Custom mangers We'll now begin walking through the process of defining a group: 1. Begin by giving your group a name in the Group Name field. It should be something descriptive and meaningful. 2. Next, choose your group members. Start by identifying what characteristics tie the employees together. Are they all in the same department or location? Choose the identifying characteristic from the dropdown menu under Pick a Category, and enter in the specific values in the Conditions section. To choose all accountants, for example, set Category to Job Information - Job and set Condition to Accountant. Click the Save button to complete your setup. 3. We can also use multiple characteristics chained together. If you want all accountants in the Atlanta office and the Beijing office, click Add Another Category for Job Information - Location and set the values to Atlanta and Beijing. This way, an accountant working at either location would be included. 4. We also have the option of using distinct people pools to pull in another grouping of unrelated employees. If you click Add Another People Pool, you can specify including all IT managers in Munich, for example. In this scenario, all accountants in Atlanta, all accountants in Beijing, and all IT managers in Munich would be included in the group. 5. From time to time, we may need to exclude certain people from our defined groups. Assume that you want to include all of the people listed previously, but not if they work in the Client Service department. Under Exclude these people from t he group, select the Department field from the Category dropdown. In the values area, enter in "Client Service." Now, your group will leave out those persons in the Client Service department. Figure 3.5 shows a complete picture of how this scenario is configured in the system. Click the Update button in the top-right corner to see the group population.

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3 Role-Based Permissions

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Figure 3.5 Compound Permission Group Defin ition, Including Multiple People Pools and an Exclusion The group definition you just created uses employee characteristics to bundle its members together. This type of group is referred to as a dynamic group, because its membership changes based on the characteristic changes of individual employees. If a member has the data characteristic required to be in the group, then the employee is placed in the group. If the employee's data changes and lacks the data characteristic required, then he or she will be removed from the group without intervention from a security admin. In a static group, the members of the group are manually assigned and unassigned. Static groups are created in the same manner, but instead of specifying a universal characteristic such as department or location. \ive choose user or username. Static groups require manual maintenance and updates as its members move around the organization and therefore are not a preferred option. However, there will be times when static groups are the only option available, especially when defining niche groups and roles in the system to be granted to only a few individuals.

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3.3 Creating Groups and Roles

A common use scenario for group creation is to gather employees together by country, location, or department. These groups can then be used as target populations during role setups. For example, if you want to give HR generalists in Poland the ability to manage HR tasks for all employees in Poland, you will need two separate groups: • HR generalists in Poland (In the Job field enter "HR Manager" and in the Country field enter "Poland", with both set in the same people pool). • All employees in Poland (In the Country field, enter "Poland").

3.3.2

Creating Roles

Roles are defined and maintained by navigating to Adm in Center· Manage Security· Manage Permission Roles. Click on the Create New button to create a ne\v role. The following steps walk through the process of creating roles: 1. Begin by giving your role a name in the Role Name field. It should be something descriptive and meaningful. Also, be sure to include a description; it will help administrators in the future who may need to make updates. Figure 3.6 shows the starting point for creating a new role. Let's create a Manager Self-Service (MSS) role as an example.

Admin Center Back lo Admin Cenler

Permission Role Detail 1. Name and description ' Role Name: ~[ E_ C_ ManagerSelfServ -ice Description: [MSS Role for all Managers

2. Pennission settings Specify what permissions users in lllis role should have.

1

Pem1ission . . .

3. Grant th is rol e to ... Select a group whom you want to grant lllis role to. You may want a group edit records within her own department ~ Add ...

Figure 3.6 First Step of Role Defin ition

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3 Role-Based Permissions

2. Next, add the permissions you want to assign to your group members. Click on the Permission ... button and make the relevant selections for this role. Consult Section 3.3.4 for help determining vvhat permissions are needed for particular Employee Central roles. To assign a permission, select the checkbox in line with the field for the permission to which you are granting access.

3.3.3 Assigning Roles to Groups

We complete this last step in RBP setup within the role definition. Assign groups and roles together by clicking on Add ... under Grant this role to ..., as shown in Figure 3.6. A popup appears in which you are asked to complete the following steps : 1. Select who should receive this role. You have a few choices available:

- Use a permission group (created in Step 1, Section 3.3.1). Select more than one, if needed. - use one of the system-known groups mentioned in Step 1, Section 3.3.1: managers. HR managers, everyone, or so on. - Choose whether this role should be extended up to each recipient's manager, and if so, how many levels up. - For this MSS example, grant this role to All Managers. 2. Determine the Target Population or the group(s) of employees that this role should be extended over by doing the following: - Select a group that was previously defined in Ma nage Permission Groups or select Direct Reports. You can also employ a combination of those two options in complex scenarios. - For this MSS example, the target population is Granted User's Direct Reports. This selection \¥ill permit managers to view and edit data for their direct reports. You can also select how many levels down a manager can drill into his or her chain of command. Figure 3.7 shows the completed view of our MSS assignment example. 3. If you're setting up an HR manager or payroll-related role, consider checking the box marked Exclude Granted User from having t he permission access to him/herself. Checking this box prohibits a user from making administrative changes to his/her own record and helps ensure compliance protocols are followed.

98

3.3 Creating Groups and Roles

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Figure 3.7 Complet ed Role Assignment for Basic MSS

Multiple Assignments We can make mult iple assignments to a single role by repeating this section and the steps above multiple times; continue clicking on t he Add ... button in Figure 3.6 to add multiple assignments. If, for example, you defined an HR Administrator role and want to assign that role to HR admins in Poland to manage employees in Poland and to HR admins in Argentina to manage employees in Argentina, you can make two assignment entries for the same HR Administrator role. You do not need to create a separate role if the permissions are the same and on ly the groups are changing. 3.3.4 Maintaining Users' Roles and Rights From this point in the process and onward, employees will dynamically move in and out of groups as their job roles and positions change. This makes group maintenance virtually unnecessary. The exception to this statement is when security group participants were defined through direct assignment instead of a logical group statement or position assignment. These hardcoded entries will need to be maintained going forward. An example of such a scenario would be t he direct assignment by user or

99

3 Role-Based Permissions

username to specialists or administrators to a special permission group. Another exception would be when a company changes its organizational structure or adds or acquires employees in a new location. Acquisitions are such an example. To maintain an existing group, the security administrator should navigate to Ad min Center • Manage Security • Man age Perm ission Groups. Click on the name of the group you wish to edit (each group name is also a hyperlink). The group will open in edit mode for changes to be made. Be sure to click on the Done button when finished. Roles may need to be maintained as a user group's use of the system is expanded or due to some functional change. Examples of functional changes include adding new pay components or event reasons and expanding Employee and Manager Self Services. Roles also need to be updated whenever a new group is created. The new group must be assigned to a new or existing role. To maintain an existing role, the security administrator should navigate to Admin Center· Ma nage Security· Manage Permission Roles. Click on the name of the role you wish to edit (each role name is also a hyperlink). The role will open in edit mode for changes to be made. Be sure to click on the Done button when finished. New groups and roles can be created in an ongoing fash ion to support additional business needs. Examples of such needs include acquiring a new company, expanding to a new location, and adding a new functional piece or module to your SAP SuccessFactors system.

3.4 Permissions The complexity and magnitude of Employee Central requires a security framework of equal form, and the RBP framework meets this standard. RBPs are designed to give Employee Central granular field-level access control and country-specific capabilities, and to manage effective-dated entities- all within a single framework. Permissions for Employee Central and other modules can be found in Ad min Center • Manage Permission Roles. Follow the steps from Section 3.3.2 to create roles. Before diving into the process of creating groups and roles, let's look at the most commonly used areas of RBPs as they relate to Employee Central.

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3.4 Permissions

3.4.1

Common User Permissions

It's easy to get lost in the setup and maintenance of RBPs for general Employee Central users. There are many data fields maintained in Employee Central. and many of them can be permissioned individually; that makes for a lot of checkboxes! Let's see if we can break down some of the key areas and simplify the process. Employee Data Employee data may be the most cumbersome area for managing permissions. On the Permission settings screen, select Employee Data (see Figure 3.8). Fields here are specific to the Employee Profile and Employee Central, as well as fields that overlap both areas. At its base, Employee Data contains fields viewed and maintained in the Employee Profile. When Employee Central is enabled, its non-effectivedated fields are added to the bottom of this permission set. The fields from HR Information down to the bottom of the page relate directly to Employee Central. The complete listing of fields is broken out in the remainder of this section and includes the following: • HR Information • Employment Detai ls • Global Assignment (if activat ed) • HR Actions • Future-Dated Transaction Alert • Transactions Pending Approva l • View Workflow Approval History • Pay Component Groups • Pay Components Because these data fields are non-effective-dated-meaning no history is stored-we can only view or edit these data fields (see Figure 3.8): • View The data field or portlet is visible to the user. No history is maintained. • Edit The data field or portlet can be edited by the user. No history is maintained.

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3 Role-Based Permissions

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Figure 3.8 Non-Effective-Dated Employee Central Fields, Found in t he Employee Data Permission Category In the following subsections, we will walk through the common settings found here for managing permissions for employee data. HR Information

The HR Information permission settings are conducted at the port/et level. This means that giving someone View or Edit access to this item includes all of the data fields defined with the portlet. More information on Employee Central portlets and fields can be found in Chapter 10. The common portlets in this area include: • Person Info • National ID Card • Phone Information • Email Informat ion • Business Email Add ress This is broken out individually to allow for changes to a personal email addresses while leaving the business email addresses intact. • Socia l Accounts Information • Persona l Contacts • Direct Deposit Newer implementations may have this object defined under MDF Objects. • Payment Information Newer implementations may have this object defined under MDF Objects.

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3.4 Permissions

• Global Assignment • Work Permit Info • Leave of Absence • Spot Bonus • Spot Bonus Edit Action Employment Details

This section refers to the Employment Details portlet available in Employment Information (see Chapter 10). These permissions are made at the field level and include hire and termination fields: • Employment Details MSS An Edit option here permits users to make changes through the Take Action button, which includes a configurable workflow typically given to managers. • Employment Detai ls Edit An Edit action here permits users to directly make changes without workflow approval; typically given to HR managers. • Hire Date • Termination Date • Original Start Date • OK to Rehire • Payroll End Date • Last Date Worked • Regret Termination • Eligible for Salary Continuation • Eligible for Stock • Stock End Date • Salary End Date • Benefits End Date • Begin Salary Continuation • End Salary Continuation • Updated Hire Date • Attachment

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3 Role-Based Permissions

HR Actions

This section includes permission settings for actions in the system. Permissions here are typically assigned to HR managers and in part to regular managers. The following permission settings can be found in HR Actions: • Update Employment Records Indicates whether a user should have access to the Take Action button, which is typically reserved for MSS functionality. • View Higher Grades The permission for a user to see grades higher than his/her own in the Take Action screens; numerical pay grades must be used and assigned for this permission to function. • hireAction The permission to add a ne'A' hire. • reH ireAction The permission to rehire a former employee. • Terminate/Retire The permission to terminate or retire an employee. • plan LeaveOfAbsenceAction The permission to plan a leave of absence. • returnleaveOfAbsenceAction The permission to end a leave of absence. Future-Dated Transaction Alert

In this area, you control whether a user can view a future-dated transaction alert. If you select View, a hyperlink alert (see Figure 3.9) will display next to the portlet in question, indicating that there is a future-dated change planned. The following elements are effective-dated and eligible for fut ure-dated alerts: • Personal Information • Addresses • Job Information • Compensation Information • Job Relationships • Dependents

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3.4 Permissions

Personal Information I) Pending

future change in Personal lnfonnabon (Nov 3. 2015) Effective as of Jan 1, 1990

"'Personal Information Prefix Ms. First Name Emily

Middle Name Jane Last Name Clarie Suffix No Selection

Figure 3.9 Future-Dated Transaction Alert in the Persona l Information Portlet Transactions Pending Approval

In this area, you control whether a user can see a proposed change that is still pending approval. If you select View, a non-hyperlink alert will display next to the portlet in question, indicating that there is a transaction pending approval. The alert is not clickable, and no further information about the pending change and approval chain is available. If you select Edit, a hyper link alert (see Figure 3.10) will be displayed instead. Clicking the hyperlink shows information about the proposed transaction that is pending approval. Compensation Information O Change Bonus Amount pending approval (Aug 30. 2015)

Effective as of Jul 30, 2011 Pay Type Salarted no1es PayG<0up Is Eligible For Bene6t No Is Eligible For Car No

Figure 3.10 Hyperlinked Transaction Pend ing Approval Alert View Work/low Approval History

The View Workflow Approval History settings allow you to view workflow approval histories for your effective-dated portlets. If a data change has been made and a workflow was involved, the system saves this information. Selecting View will allow users to see the workflow history in the History section of each of the following portlets: • Pe rsonal Information • Addresses • Job Information

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3 Role-Based Permissions

• Compensation Information • Job Relationships Pay Component Groups

This section lists all of the Pay Component Groups (see Chapter 7, Section 7.2.3) defined in your system. Since Pay Component Groups are system-calculated amounts, you cannot edit them. If you select View here, then users will have the ability to see this Pay Component Group on the Compensation Information portlet. Pay Components

This option lists all of the Pay Components defined in your system. If you select View here, then users \Nill have the ability to see this Pay Component on the Compensat ion Informat ion portlet. If you select Edit, then users will have the ability to add, edit, and delete values for this Pay Component within the Compensation Information portlet, subject to workflows if configured accordingly. Employee Central Effective-Dated Entities The next section down is Employee Central Effective Dat ed Entities (see Figure 3.11). Although this is a long section, it's broken into categories (complete field listings for your system can be viewed directly in your system or in your Configuration Workbooks): • Persona l Information • Addresses (available at the portlet level, not the field level) • Job Information • Compensation Information • Job Relationships • Dependents (only relevant if you are using Dependent Management) v User Pennissions (aljbratjoo

ComPfnsation Emolovee Data ~:gee Central Effective Dated

Figure 3.11 Menu Path for Employee Central Effective-Dated Entities

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3.4 Permissions

Every field found in these portlets is available for permissioning. You can create a customer-specific end user experience with this level of granularity. You can have fields available just for HR managers, have other fields tied to MSS, and keep employees up-to-date on their basic records. Let's look at the permission options at the individual field level. Because this section contains your effective-dated fields, you know that historical records are involved. The following available permission choices are enhanced to reflect this: • View Current View the current record/field. • View History View all historical records/entries. • Edit/Inse rt Create a ne'"' entry. • Correct Correct an erroneous record without creating a new entry. • Delete Remove an entry completely. In addition to field settings, you can also make portlet action settings. Each portlet listed has the first two rows/entries set aside for action settings (see Figure 3.12): • Actions This row controls what views or changes can be made within the history view and outside of the Take Action button for effective-dated portlets. It controls what a user can do when clicking a record's History button: - View Current allows you to view the current record. - View History allows you to vie'"' historical records. - Ed it/ Insert allows you to Insert a New Record within the history view, thereby bypassing workflow approval (typically reserved for HR managers).

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3 Role-Based Permissions

• Edit Link This row controls which portlets can be changed using the Take Action button: - Edit/Insert can use the Take Action button to propose a data change for the fields you have Edit access to and route the proposal through your defined workflow process. For Personal Information portlets for which Take Action is not applicable, this setting instead includes an Ed it link on the portlet face. An ed it made in th is manner will still route through the workflow process if defined (see Figure 3.13) . Personal Information

.

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Figure 3.13 Portlet View for Personal Information, Showing the Edit Link This sample is a best practices arrangement fo r Employee Self Services (ESS). An employee can view current and historical records and can propose changes through the Edit link, subject to workflow approvals. Employee Views Employee views are the various employee records that you can see listed under an

employee's People Profile or Employee Records dropdown \.Vithin Employee Files. An example is shown in Figure 3.14. When selecting Employee Views, choose the views each user group should have access to when reviewing data, as shown in Figure 3.15. The SAP SuccessFactors modules enabled and the configuration steps taken determine \.vhich views are shown in the RBP listing for selection. At a minimum, Employee Central users should have some access to Personal Information, Employment Information, and Pending Requests. If additional feat ures such as Time Management are in place, then additional views may be needed.

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3.4

1't

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Public Profile Personal 1nrormat1on Employment 1nrorma... Pending Requests Manage Time Ott Talent Profile Personal Info Elenefils scorecard Payroll Information Tuition Reimbursement

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3 Role-Based Permissions

Tip If you are trying to assign permissions to a particular view but cannot find the view in t he perm ission select ion list, be sure t hat t he view has its Show checkbox selected in the following menu path: Admin Center· Employee Files · Configure Employee Files.

Miscellaneous Permissions Various miscellaneous permissions may need to be enabled depending on the functionality implemented. We will not cover this section in detail but keep in mind that permissions can be set here for both standard and custom-created MDF objects. The permission settings are the same in this section as in other sections (View/ Edit for non-effective-dated entities and History/ Current/ Edit/Correct/ Delete for effectivedated entities). One new addition is the ability to set Import/ Export permissions at the object level. Metadata Framework Foundation Objects MDF Foundation Objects are permissioned in this section. This is essential for users to be able to view and select MDF Foundation Objects within the system. The permission settings are the same in this section as in other effective-dated entity sections: History, Current, Edit, Correct, and Delete. 3.4.2 Administrator Permissions On the administrative side, there are several permission areas that help you update and maintain Employee Central. Whether you need to add a new location in the Foundation Tables or set up and monitor integrations, you can make the relevant permission settings using RBPs. This means that you can tailor administrative roles based on need and use. A time administrator can have access to manage holiday calendars, whereas a global HR manager can oversee the job catalog. Both can operate in Admin Tools without total administrative access. The following are some of the most commonly assigned administrative permissions in Employee Central and their uses: • Manage User Several key Employee Central settings are made for managing users: - Add New User: To hire new employees into the system

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3.4 Permissions

- Manage Pending Hires : To hire accepted candidates from SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting or SAP SuccessFactors Onboarding - Reh ire Inactive Employee: To rehire inactive employees through the Admin Center - Include Inactive Employees in the search : To sho'"' the Include Inactive Employees checkbox during searches - Import Employee Data : To import Employee Central-related employee data into the system - Manage Workflow Requests: To monitor and control in-process and completed workflow notices - Manage Workflow Groups: To create and maintain workflow groups for ESS and MSS • Manage Compensation You only need to worry about one setting here, \
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3 Role-Based Permissions

- View - Create - Insert - Correct - Delete • Metadata Framework The three most commonly used selections are as follows : - Configure Object Definitions: To create new objects and picklists for use in the MDF - Manage Data: To create instances of data based on MDF objects - Configure Business Rules: To create rules and logic statements and set up workflows for use in Employee Central • Manage Business Configuration This section has only one permission: Succession Model Elements. This allows an admin to access the Manage Business Configuration area, in which changes to the Succession Data Model and Country-Specific Succession Data Model can be made in real time. 3.4.3 Troubleshooting Permissions Troubleshooting permission issues is a typical implementation activity. Even experienced implementers are occasionally faced with new or unique roles requirements that must be worked through. A production security administrator may also need to troubleshoot RBPs from time to time as changes are made based on business requirements and new functionality. You will likely be made aware of the need for troubleshooting when a team member or colleague reports having too much or too little access to the system. Following these important steps when troubleshooting to ensure timely resolution: 1. Confirm the employee's claim by using the proxy functionality (if available to

you) or by asking for a screen capture of the issue. 2. View the employee's existing security assignments by navigating to the View User Permission security administrator function: Ad min Center· Manage Employees· View User Permission. This path is shown in Figure 3.16.

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3.4 Perm issions

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Figure 3.16 View User Permission 3. Type in the employee's name or other identifying characteristics and click on the Search button. 4. Click on the View Permission hyperlink next to the appropriate employee (Figure 3.17). Admin Center Sack 10 Admin Center

Vfew user Permission Use this page 10 view user permission. Advanced Search

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Department Human Resoorces US (5(l1:;oo(}1)

Location Corporate. US·Phladelphia (0300· 0001)

Figure 3.17 Searching for and Selecting the Relevant Employee Record A popup window will open and display all of the permissions assigned to the selected employee and the role or roles which grant each particular position. Use this information to identify the missing permission or the extraneous permission. For your convenience, the permissions are organized into collapsible sections by function (Figure 3.18).

113

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J ob Code HR Professic (50029122)

3 Role-Based Permissions

View Permission: Charles Richardson Permission Role

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Analytics permissions Recr uiting Permissions Calibration

Manage Documents Manage Position Metadata Framework Employee Central Effective Dated Entities Manage Job Profile Builder Manage Advances

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Employee Data Manage Time Off Manage On/Offboarding Payroll Permissions Employee Views

Variable Pay Individual View Combined Statement Personal Information Employment Information

c9 , MSS c9 View Employee Self Service c9 , MSS c9 View Employee Self Service c9 , MSS c9 , MSS for Contingent Workforce c9 View Employee Self Service c9 , MSS c9 , MSS for Contingent View

Employee Self Service

Workforce

15' c9 , MSS c9

Scorecard

View

Employee Self Service

History

View

MSS c9

Manage Ti me Off

c9 , MSS c9 View Employee Self Service c9 , MSS c9 View All Employee search and Login c9 , Employee Self Service c9 , MSS c9 , MSS for Contingent Workforce c9 View Employee Self Service c9 , MSS c9

Compensation Statements Tal ent Profile Variable Pay Statement

View

, MSS for

Contingent Workforce

c9

Employee Self Service

Figure 3.18 A User's Permission Settings Broken Out by Funct ional Area When making updates to a group definition or a role definition it is important to remember that the changes will impact all members of the respect ive group. As you begin your troubleshoot ing efforts be sure to identify Vl•hether changes should be applied to all members of the group or just some (or even just one) members of the group. Depending on this decision a new group and/ or role may need to be created

114

3.5 Summary

to support you r efforts. Role based perm issions in general and troubleshooting in particular can be very iterative processes. It may take a few run throughs to achieve the desired result. Testing, both positive and negative, is hugely important in these endeavors.

3.5 Summary In this chapter, you learned abou t RBPs, how they relate to Employee Central. and how to create them within the system. They are a dynamic way to control access to and within the SAP SuccessFactors platform. In the next chapter, we discuss events and Event Reasons and explore how they relate to employee history and workflow approvals.

115

Chapter 4 Events and Workflows Employee Central manages the various employee events that occur during the lifetime of an employee. Multiple reasons can be created for each event. Coupled with workflows, this provides an automated way to manage events and have them approved in a robust process.

An employee will typically undergo several different events throughout his or her lifetime at an employer. This process begins immediately with a Hire event, and may include any number of other events, such as Transfers, Promotions, Pay Changes. and Terminations. Employee Central manages each of these events and provides customers with the ability to define multiple Event Reasons for each event. These Event Reasons identify the specific reason that an event took place. Although not always directly linked, events and v.rorkflows can work mutually to enable approval of data changes created by an event prior to the event being committed to the employee's record. These workflows typically arise in ESS and MSS scenarios. Workflows ensure that employees and managers enter the correct data, but also- more importantly- enable compliance with decisions that may have financial and legal implications. In this chapter, we'll look at the events provided in the system and how Event Reasons can be created and used. We'll then take a look at v.rorkflows in detail. covering the concepts and objects that enable worktlows to operate, how and where worktlows are triggered, the workflow process, and general administrative activities. Before we examine events and Even t Reasons, we should first briefly look at the different employee statuses that employees can have.

4.1 Employee Status Employees can have an employee status that identifies their active or inactive status within the organization. Employee Central provides nine employee statuses:

117

4 Events and Workflows

• Active • Unpaid Leave • Paid Leave • Retired • Suspended • Terminated • Furlough • Discarded • Dormant The employee statuses provided in the system cannot be changed, but the label of each Employee Status can be changed (e.g., Paid Leave could be renamed to Paid Leave ofAbsence). The Employee Status can be displayed in an employee's Job Information portlet and is also visible in the History screen of that portlet. The Employee Status field is shown in the Job Information section in Figure 4.1. Job Information

~

G

El!ective as of. Mar 10, 2011

Employee Status ~

~·

Active

Laurent Moulet Supervisor

Job c1ass1rica110n

Executive Management (50071000)

Job Tiiie

Presid ent United Kingdom

Pay Grade

Salary Grade 16 (GR-16)

ReguJarfTemporary

Regular

Standard Weekly Hours

40

Working Days Per Week

5

FTE

1

Is Fulttime EmpJoyee

Yes

Radford JobCode Notes

Figure 4.1 Job Information Portlet We'll now look at the active and inactive statuses and also how statuses are changed for employees.

4.1.1 Active versus Inactive All employee statuses consider the employee still to be active within the organization, with the following exceptions:

118

4.1 Employee Status

• Retired • Terminated • Discarded • Furlough When an employee has any of these four statuses, he or she is considered to be inactive. If Employee Central is integrated \Vi th other systems, such as a payroll or a benefits system, then the employee may become inactive in those systems as well when their status changes to one of these inactive employee statuses. Retired is used with the Pensions Payouts feature,

which is covered in Chapter 14, Sec-

tion 14.4. 4.1.2 Employee Status Changes The employee status of an employee cannot be changed manually: It is always changed by an Event Reason. Event Reasons can have an employee status assigned, although it is not mandatory. When an event occurs for an employee and an Event Reason is selected (either manually or automatically by the system using an Event Derivation), then the employee's status will change to the status assigned to the Event Reason. Ifthe Event Reason has no employee status assigned, then the employee's status will remain unchanged. Let's look at the following two examples: • An employee with an Active status receives a salary increase using a customerspecific Event Reason, called Annual Salary Increase. The Annual Salary Increase Event Reason has no employee status assigned, because a salary increase doesn't change the status of an employee. Therefore, the employee's status remains as Active. • Afew months later, the employee decides to leave the company, so an administrator performs a termination in the system with a customer-specific Event Reason called Resignation. The Resignation Event Reason has Terminated assigned as the employee status. Therefore, the employee becomes inactive with the status Terminated. We will look more closely at how employee statuses are assigned to Event Reasons in Section 4.2.l. Now that you are familiar with employee statuses, let's move onto looking at events and Event Reasons.

119

4

Events and Workflows

4.2

Events and Event Reasons

The system provides a standard set of events, and you cannot extend this set of events. This set of events is provided as a picklist. You can modify the event labels for each enabled language, just as other picklist labels can be renamed. Periodically, SAP SuccessFactors may introduce new events into the system. Table 4.1 shows the standard picklist provided as of the Q2 2017 release. Event

Code

Additional Job

1

Defunct

Assignment

2

Defunct

Assignment Com pl etion

3

Defunct

Completi on of Probation

15

Ava ilable for manual use only

Data Change

5

Miscellaneous data change

Demotion

4

Change injob

Furlough

11

Leave of absence

Hire

H

Hi re/ rehire

Job Change

16

Change injob

Job Reclassification

9

Job reclassification

Leave of Absence

10

Leave of absence

Pay Rate Change

12

Compensation change

Position Change

13

Change in position or position reclassification

Probation

14

Ava ilable for manual use only

Promotion

8

Change injob

Rehire

R

Hire/rehire

Return from Disability

22

Leave of absence

Return to Work

23

Leave of absence

Table 4.1 List of Events

120

4.2

Events and Event Reasons

Event

Code

Suspension

7

Avai lable for manual use only

Termination

26

Term in at ion

Transfer

6

Job and/or position transfer

Add Global Assignment

GA

Global assignment

End Global Ass ignment

EGA

Global assignment

Away on Global Ass ignment

AGA

Global assignment

Back from Global Assignment

BGA

Global assignment

Obsolete

OGA

Global assignment

Start Pension Payout

SPP

Pensions payout s

Discard Pension Payout

OPP

Pensions payouts

End Pension Payout

EPP

Pensions payout s

Start Contingent Worker

SCWK

Contingent Workforce Management

End Contingent Worker

ECWK

Contingent Workforce Management

Table 4.1 List of Events (Cont.)

Before you can use an event, it must have at least one Event Reason created; we will cover hovv to create Event Reasons in the next section. Typically, most processes require the system to be configured to read the appropriate event and Event Reasons or for Event Reasons to be selected manually. In some instances, events exist that either need to be assigned manually by an HR administrator or are legacy events (those marked as "Available for manual use only" in Table 4.1). The events and Event Reasons selected are stored in an employee's history and can be viewed by users with appropriate permissions to view the history of the Job Information or Compensation Information portlets. The Job Information history can be seen in Figure 4.2. Typically, around half of Employee Central customers use Event Derivation in order to have the system automatically select the event and Event Reason based on the action performed by the user. This can be extremely useful for customers who use MSS, in which having the user select the correct Event Reasons has an impact on data

121

4 Events and Workflows

integrity, triggering the correct workflow, and in some cases triggering integrations to external systems. We will cover Event Derivation in Section 4.2.2. Change History

x

Job lnformat1on Changes

Jan 7. 2013 (2 of 2) '

Last up
-

F~SA

StatJS Exempt

Employee Status Employee Status

Jan 7 , 2013 (1of2) Data Ch3nge

Active

Event Event

D3ta Ch3nge

Event Reason

Data Change (DATACHG}

Position Information

Supervisor Geoff Hill

Incumbent of Parent Position

Mys GBBJ!ef

Job Ctassification Management & Planning (50070999) EA!JiOOOAAg (i0000074)

Position

Assembly Man3ger (50000203)

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Jan 07, 2013

Time In

Pos~ion

4 Ye3rs 6 Months 16 Days

Job Tille Engi neering Manager

Organizational Information

EA!l'AOOAAg

Company

BestRun

FLSA Status 19107

Business unn

Products (PRODS)

Division

Manufacturing (MANU)

1nse11 New Recor
u SA (3000)

oe1e1e

Edd

Figure 4.2 Job Information History Customers can choose to have users manually select the event and Event Reason instead when performing an action in the system. Now, let's take a look at how Event Reasons and event derivations are managed in Employee Central.

4.2.1

Event Reasons

An Event Reason describes \vhy an event has occurred. For example, Resignation may be the reason for which a Termination event has occurred. For every event that occurs in the system, an Event Reason must be selected. As described in Section 4.1.2, an Event Reason can also change the employee status of an employee. Although you cannot create events, you can create an infinite number of Event Reasons in the system. Event Reasons are Foundation Objects (we will cover Foundation

122

4.2 Events and Event Reasons

Objects in detail in Chapter 7) and are therefore created in the Admin Center in Employee Files· Manage Organization, Pay and Job Structures. We will cover this process later in this section. Please note that at some time in the future, Event Reasons will be moved onto t he Metadata Framework (MDF} and will then be managed in Employee Files· Manage Data. Figure 4.3 shows an example of an Event Reason in the Manage Organization, Pay and Job Structures screen. ,.......__, BestRua tll Bac:t: to

~n

Aclmtn ~- v

Cet'l'.er

Manage OrganizabOO, Pay and Job Sll\lctures Se<1rch:

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Updated bf ad'nindlr on Monday August 24 2015 6 32 S4 PM EQT

Figure 4.3 Transfer- Department Cha nge Event Reason SAP SuccessFactors provides 178 Event Reasons that you can import into the system, although these Event Reasons do not need to be uploaded if you wish to start from scratch or you can only use a selected number of the provided Event Reasons. Table 4.2 provides a small selection of Events Reasons, their events, and the assigned employee status for some of the standard provided Event Reasons. As we discussed in Section 4.1.2, not all Event Reasons have an employee status assigned and this is reflected in the table. Event Reason

Event

Employee Status

Internal Internationa l Transfer

Hire

Active

Loan from Parent Company

Hire

Active

Table 4.2 List of Event Reasons

123

4 Events and Workflows

Event Reason

Event

Employee Status

New Hire

Hire

Active

Family and Medical Leave Act

Leave of Absence

Unpaid Leave

Long Term Disability

Leave of Absence

Unpaid Leave

Unpaid Maternity/Patern ity Leave

Leave of Absence

Unpaid Leave

Paid Maternity/Paternity Leave

Leave of Absence

Paid Leave

Lump Sum Merit Increase

Pay Rate Change

N/A

Merit

Pay Rate Change

N/A

Promotion

Pay Rate Change

N/A

Job Reclassification

Pay Rate Change

N/A

Norma l Retirement

Termination

Retired

Vol Termination-Health Reasons

Termination

Terminated

Inv Termination-Insubord inate

Termination

Terminated

Vol Termination - Personal

Termination

Terminated

Inv Termination Non-Performance

Termination

Terminated

Transfer- Department Change

Transfer

N/A

Reorganization

Transfer

N/A

Table 4.2 List of Event Reasons (Cont.) Event Reasons come into play whenever a change occurs in any fields in either the Job Information or Compensation Information portlets, or when certain transactions run. Such changes can occur through using the Take Action option and selecting Change Job and Compensation Info (typically an MSS activity) or Termination, or by inserting a new record in the History screen of either the Job Information portlet or the Compensation Information portlet (typically a HR administrator activity). The New Hire and Rehire transactions also involve selecting Event Reasons.

124

4.2 Events and Event Reasons

When a new employee is hired, the user can select any Event Reason created for the Hire event. The same is true for a Rehire transaction and Event Reasons created for the Rehire event. The Termination action enables the user to select the appropriate Event Reason from those created for the Termination event (see Figure 4.4). Terminate Terminate * Termination Date LJ ""'

Enter Date * Termination Reason

~ Selecllon

II

Deatn (TERIDEAT)

Early ReUrement (TERERLRT)

Inv Attendance (TERIATTD)

Salary Ena Date

0.

Enter Date...

Bonus Pay Expiration Date LJ ""'

Enter Date .. Inv Elimination or Position (TERIREDN)

Inv Termination Non-Performance (TERINONP)

Inv Termination - Disnonesty (TERIDISH)

Eligible for Salary continuation

NO

v

Inv Termination - Divestment (TERI DIVS)

cancel

'1

:» l

----------------------------

Figure 4.4

Event Reasons in the Termination Action

Event Reasons for the Termination events always link to the Job Information record and are viewable in the History screen of the Job Information portlet. The Event Reason for the Termination event also appears in the Employment Details portlet, as shown in Figure 4.5. The Event Reason fo r the Compensation Information will remain unchanged from the last change made prior to the termination.

125

4 Events and Workflows

':"""~ __) James Patrick Upatrick) TS

v

EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION

Employment Details

VP Shared SeMCeS

PROFILE

"' Header

SCORECARD

Employment Details

m

Asof Today

COMPENSATION STATEMENTS

Take Action

NOTES

COi

,,

Hire Oa~e

Jan 06. 2014

Service Date

First Date Worked

Jan 06, 2014

lnitiat Stock Grant

011g1na1 sian Date

Jan 06, 2014

5enl0rl1y s1an Date

Jan 06, 2014

ProfessiOnal servtce Date

Benems E11g101111y s1an Date

Jan 06, 2014

Jan 06. 2014

tnnJaJ Option Grant

Prevtous EmplOyment tD EllgrDte ror Stock

cc:

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No

CX>nbngentVV<>fker

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No

Term ination Termination Date

Jun 15, 2016

Stock EncJ Date

Jun 15, 2016

Termination Reason

Vol Resign.:1tion to Competitor

salary End Date

Jun 15. 2016

(TERVCOMP)

Benefits End Date

Jun 15. 2016

OK to Rehire

No

PayrOll End Date

Jun 15, 2016

Last Date WO
J un 15, 2016

Date

Regret Termination

No

Notes

EllgrDte ror salary

No

Al1achment Bonus Pay Expr.ition

Jun 15, 2016

Continuauon

Time Account Balance as of Termination Date Sk::kness (Entnlernent)

vacauon (Enuuement}

20 d3ys :tY.lil:iblt

I

St>oW tess

4..5 d:ays av:iil:tblt

I

Figure 4.5 Employment Details Portlet for a Terminated Employee Now that we've looked at when Event Reasons are used, we'll examine at the process of creating Event Reasons. As mentioned previously, Event Reasons are created in the Admin Center in Employee Files• Manage Organizat ion, Pay and Job Structures. Remember, at some point in the future Event Reason objects will migrate to the MDF, at which time they will be created in Employee Files· Manage Data using a slightly different process from the one that we will discuss here. To create a new Event Reason, select Event Reason from the list in the Create New dropdown. Enter the start date in the Effective as of date field (typically 01/01/ 1900), and then enter values for the follov.•ing remaining fields, which can be seen in Figure 4.3:

126

4.2

Events and Event Reasons

• Event Reason ID The Event Reason code. • Event Reason Name The name of the Event Reason. • Description An optional description of the Event Reason. • Status Whether the Event Reason is Active or Inactive. • Event The event for which the Event Reason is created. • Employee Status The employee status of the employee after the event has occurred. • Follow-Up Activity in Position For a Position Management-related Event Reason, this determines if a Position Reclassification or Position Tra nsfer action should occur. • Payroll Event Used for integration to SAP ERP Payroll and Employee Central Payroll systems; enables a Payroll Event from one of these systems to be replicated instead of the event of the Event Reason. • Display in Internal Job History Portlet Used to indicate if Job Information records using this Event Reason should show on the Internal Job History portlet in the Employee Profile. Event Reason ID, St atus, and Event are mandatory fields. If you are not using Event Derivation, then the Employee St atus field must be left blank. As a minimum, you should create Event Reasons for the following events: • Hire • Rehire • Termination • Leave of Absence and Return to Work (if Leave of Absence is used} • Data Change Once created, an Event Reason is available for use in the system. For Event Derivation, additional configuration is required, which we will cover in the next section of this chapter.

127

4 Events and Workflows

Event Reasons can be restricted by country by creating an association between the Event Reason Foundation Object and the Country Generic Object. Once the association exists, each Event Reason can be assigned to one or more countries. The Event Reason will then only be available for employees of a company that has the associated country assigned to it.

4.2.2

Event Derivation

Event Derivation-technically known as the youCal c event rules- is a feature in Employee Central that enables the event and Event Reason to be derived automatically within MSS depending on what field changes the user makes. This significantly reduces user error, which can impact data accuracy and integrity, the Job History portlet on the Employee Profile, and integrations triggered by the Event Reason. Although Event Reasons are selected automatically with Event Derivations, any user with the appropriate permissions can manually change them in the History screen of the Job Information and Compensation Information portlets. Additionally, during a Termination action the user must still manually select and Event Reason for the Termination. Event Derivation triggers when data changes via using the Take Action option and selecting Change Job and Compensation Info. Any data changed in the Job Information, Job Relationships, or Compensation Information portlets triggers Event Derivation, although Event Reasons are not stored for changes to Job Relationships; they are merely cosmetic in nature when triggering a workflow. Event Derivation is triggered by configurable rules. We cover the Rules Engine in detail in Chapter 6, although we will look at configuring Event Derivation with the Rules Engine a little later in this section. Important! Prior to the Q2 2015 release customers used the XML-based rules for Event Derivation. After t he Q2 2015 release customers are recommended to migrate to t he business rules-based Event Derivation rules. If you have not migrated t hen you must still have ru les updated via Provisioning. Once a change has been submitted- or if workflow is used, once the change has been approved by the last approver- the change is made to the employee data and the event and Event Reason are recorded against the change in the database. As

128

4.2 Events and Event Reasons

mentioned previously, the event and Event Reason are then viewable in the History screen of the relevant portlet. When using workflow, the Event Reason will be shown in the Please confirm your request box that displays once the Submit button is clicked (see Figure 4.7 ahead). Example of Event Derivation Let's take a look at how this works in practice. In Figure 4.6, the user selected the Change Job and Compensation Info action for an employee and changed the Department from Engineering US to Quality Assurance US. Change Job and Compensation Info Incumbent of Parent Position

* Position Engineering Man...

No Se/ecuon

v

Position Entry Date Feb 26, 2013

v

nme In Position

ffi

4 Years 4 Months 27 Days

Organizational Information * Company BestRun USA (3000)

v

* Business Unit Proaucts (PRODS)

v

Division Manufacturing (MANU)

Depanment v

Quality Assurance US (50150013)

v

E•gi•eeli•g us E59150015)

cancel

Save

Figure 4.6 Change of Department in an Employee's Job Information Next, the user scrolls to the bottom and clicks the Submit button. The workflow popup box (Please confirm your request) opens (Figure 4.7). In this box, you can see the Event Reason for the change: Transfer w/o Pay- Change.

129

4 Events and Workflows

Please confirm your request SuDm1tting Transfer w/o Pay Change request for Ben Shervin.

I

l'=nler your comment here

ShOw wof'know participants

cancel

Confinn

Figure 4.7 Workflow Popup Box Subsequent Workflow Approval screens, like the screen shown in Figure 4.8, display the Event Reason.

,---....,

BestRun

~

Empklyee F1ies

Geon HID (gn111)

v

~

E.mploye• files

Ask HR

Sad to. Home P~

Wor1
Do you approve this request?

Engineering Managet

Phil•delphla (3500·0001) 4 Olrta Reports

Transfer w/o Pa.y Change For Ben Shervin

In

I ,..,

by AMya Song on

ly 25 2017

EtredlveOate IUfy 25. 2017

Acbv1ty

V19W Wcmklw PafUCipants

Initiated by Aanya Sing on Juty 25.

2017

Organlzatlonal Information Oepal1meflt

Quality Assur.inc1 us (50150013) EAt-..r4AotW4' (li91iG01iJ

Job Information Countty

Unitt
Attachments Job lnf0<mation AtlaefV'r.enl Upload attadlment

Figure 4.8 Workflow Triggered for Change of Job Information Data

130

4.2 Events and Event Reasons

Now that we've looked at how an Event Derivation works, we'll take a look at configuring Event Derivation. Configuring Event Derivation Rules Event Derivation rules are configured in the Rules Engine, but some existing customers may have their rules configured in the legacy method via the rules XML. Customers may migrate to the Rules Engine-based Event Derivation at any time, but must consider that this requires building all of the existing rules in the Rules Engine manually. Note We will only cover configuring Event Derivation rules using t he Rules Engine in t his chapter. An experienced implementation consultant should handle changes to XMLbased rules until you have migrated to Event Derivat ion using t he Rules Engine. Two steps are required to configure an Event Derivation rule: 1. Create a business rule that defines the Event Derivation trigger and the output Event Reason. 2. Assign the business rule to the appropriate portlet (Job Information or Compensation Information) on which it should trigger. Let's run through these steps in detail. First, navigate to Employee Files • Configu re Business Rules in the Admin Center to create the rule. Create a new business rule for the specific portlet (e.g., Job Information). The IF conditions should stipulate the trigger rules, whereas the THEN condition should set the wfConfig field to equal the Event Reason you wish to apply. Let's take a look at a rule example. In Figure 4.9, you can see a business rule that sets the Event Reason field to Promotion - Pay Change. The IF condition is set to check if the value of the Pay Grade Level field is less than the previous value and that the value of the Annualized Salary Changed field is equal to Yes. Once created, a business rule must be assigned to either the Job Information or Compensation Information portlet as an onSave event in the Admin Center via Com pany Set t ings • Manage Business Confi guration. Figure 4.10 shows our rule assigned to the Department field in Manage Business Configurati on.

131

4

Events and Workflows

,--..., BestRun t:t

AOm01 Center

v

Conftgure Business Ru._s create New Rutt

Advoinced ..

Promotion With Pay Change Rule (Promotion_with_pay_change_Rul e)

History- c 01 J01Mto0

Ta1<e Acton .,.

Basic Information

0 tnsert Ntw Rte0td

Parameters

RlM UU1ed

0 110111900

COfltext

Employee Updates (EmployeeUpdltes)

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Job lnfonn.ilkln Model Job lnform.llion Modtl

Colapse All

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... If

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Job lnform41tion Model Pay Gr~ Vakie Pay Gracte Lt\-e4 J

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Yes

I.

Then

Updated btt v4admln on Satunlay, 09'C8tnber 12 2015 1·3122 AM EST

Figure 4.9 Promotion with Pay Change Event Derivation Rule

.

EVEHT_LOCNCHO tEVEHT_LOCNCtiG)

.

~ EVEHT_NEWHIREPMFOA.M (EVENT_NEW..

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Figure 4.10 Assigning a Ru le t o a Field in Manage Business Configuration

132

4.3

Workflows

Once the field is added. save your changes. and your Event Derivation trigger is complete. Additional Resources For more information on configuring and using Event Derivation, refer to the section Using MDF-Based Business Rules for Event-Reason and Workflow Derivation of t he Employee Central Master handbook found at http://help.sap.com/hr_ec. Now that we've covered events and Event Reasons. let's turn our attention to workflows.

4.3 Workflows Whereas Event Reasons define the reason behind a particular action or event, workffows provide the mechanism to ensure that such actions, events, or employee master data changes are adequately approved and auditable. Most organizations-including yours-use some form of approval chain for certain actions or data changes, and Employee Central has a robust framework to manage workflow approvals. Refer back to Figure 4.8 for an example of a workflow in flight. Workflows approvals have one or more approvers assigned, and the workflow will route through each approver in order until the last approver has approved the workflow. At that point, the changes that are subject to the workflow become visible in the system (future-dated changes will be visible in History but won't become active until the effective date of the change is reached). We recommend that you keep your workflows simple. rather than creating large approval chains. The more workflows that have more approvers, the Jess likely it is for these workflows to receive approval as time goes on. In addition to approvers. workflows can also have contributors and/or CC users. Contributors have the ability to view a \'IOrkflow and to add comments to the workflow while it is active. CC users receive a notification upon the approval of a workf!o\v. For each of these groups-approvers, contributors. and CC users-there are a number of different approver types available, which we will discuss when look at the \iVorkflow Configuration. These approver types enable the system to derive the recipient of the workflow, such as the employee's manager or the employee's HR manager.

133

4 Events and Workflows

Workflows can be triggered on Gen eric Objects, effective-dated Foundation Objects, the New Hire, Rehi re, and Internal Hire transactions, changes made to portlets on the Employment Information screen using the Take Action menu (including Global Assignments), or by using the Edit button on the following portlets on the Personal Information screen: • National ID Information • Personal Information (including Global Information fields) • Address Information • Work Permit Information • Payment Informat ion • Dependents Information The Biographical Information, Contact Information, or Primary Emergency Contact portlets do not support workflows. History Portlet and Workflows Workflow s do not t rigger when inserting or correcting a record on the History screen of a portlet. Figure 4.11 shows the triggering of a workflow after making a change on the Change Job and Compensation Info screen, accessed via the Take Action button on either the Personal Information or Employment Information screen. By clicking the View workflow participants b utton, the use r can see all of the approvers of the workflow before submitting it, as shown in Figure 4.11. The user also can add a comment. Workflows, like Event Reasons, are Foundation Objects and are configu red in the Ad m in Center in Employee Files· Manage Organization, Pay and Job Structures. We will cover this process in Section 4.3.3. Workflow trigger rules are set up in the Rules Engine. We will cover this in Section 4.3.4. Despite configuration settings, at the time of writing, role-based permissions are not supported for the follow ing types ofworkflows: • New Hire/Rehire • Global Assignment • Concurrent Employment • Pen sion s Payout

134

4.3

Workflows

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We'll now look at the different elements of creating workflows, starting with the different approver groups that you'll need to create prior to configuring your ,,.,,orkflows.

4.3.1

Approver Groups

In this section, we will discuss the two approver groups used in workflows-Dynamic Roles and Workflow Groups-and how they can be used to identify approvers, contributors, and notified individuals. Dynamic Roles Dynamic Roles dynamically determine the recipient, contributor, or CC role of an

individual based on defined organizational attributes. For example, you may create a Dynamic Role called Compensation Manager through which you define the person

135

4 Events and Workflows

responsible for approving compensation changes for each division. Figure 4.12 shows an example of a Dynamic Role. The default attributes available for Dynamic Roles include the following: • Company • Business Unit • Division • Department • Location • Cost Center • Job Classification • PayGrade • PayGroup • Position ,..---...,

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Figure 4.12 Compensation Ma nager Dynamic Role You can add other Foundation Objects, such as Event Reasons and custom Foundation Objects. For each attribute or combination of attributes selected, an approver is selected by approver type. There are three approver types:

136

4.3 Workflows

• Person • Position • Dynamic Group You can only use Dynamic Roles in workflows used for Employee Central objects and the Position object. Dynamic Roles are Foundation Objects and therefore are created in the Admin Center in Employee Files• Manage Organization, Pay and Job Structures. Use the Create New dropdown to create a new Dynamic Role, define the ID and name, and then select the various different attributes for each approver. In Figure 4.13, we created a new Dynamic Role called Benefits Coo rdinator. Here, we ~viii define different approvers if the employee's organization assignment matches the following attributes: • Division is Corporate Services and Location is Atlanta • Division is Corporate Services and Location is Bost on • Division is Manufacturing ,.,..-...,

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Now, click Save, and the Dynamic Role is created; you can see the result in Figure 4.15. ~

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Now that we've looked at Dynamic Roles, let's take a look at Workflow Groups. Workflow Groups Workjlow Groups-also known as Dynamic Groups-are groups of individuals that

all receive a workflow simultaneously. All members of a Workflow Group have the ability to approve the workflow, and the workflow will be available for approval for all group members until the first group member approves it. Once approved, the 138

4.3 Workflows

workflow is no longer available for approval by other group members. Figure 4.16 shows a Workflow Group. You create Workflow Groups in the same way as Permission Groups, which we discussed in Chapter 3, Section 3.1.2. They use the same set of fields to include and exclude members. Workflo\.v Groups are also used for contributors and CC roles. For contributors, all members in the group will be able to comment on a workflow until it is approved. For CC roles, all members of the group will receive notification of the workflow approval. To create a Workflow Group, go to the Admin Center and select Employee Files· Manage Workflow Groups. Click the Create Group button, enterthe group name, and then select the inclusion and exclusion criteria as you would when creating a Permission Group. Click Done to save the group. x

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Figure 4.16 Workflow Group for t he US HR Analyst Team Now that we've looked at Dynamic Roles and Workflow Groups, it's time to look at the Workflow Configurations themselves.

139

4 Events and Workflows

4.3.2 Workflow Configurations

Workflows are defined by Workflow Configurations, which are Foundation Objects. Technically, a workflow is made up of several Foundation Objects: • Workflow Configuration (wfConfig) • Workflow Step Approver (wf StepApprover) • Contributor Type (wfConfigCont ributor) • CC Role Type (wfConfigCC) A Workflow Configuration is broken up into four sections, represented by the objects just listed. These sections are as follows: • Workflow attributes • Approvers • Contributors • CC roles Figure 4.17 shows a Workflow Configuration for a Promotion workflow. ,.--...,

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140

4.3

Workflows

In the sections that follow, we 1.vill look at each of these workflow sections in greater depth, including descriptions of both Foundation Object workflows and Generic Object workflows. Workflow Attributes The attributes used to define a Workflow Configuration and its overall behavior (not approval flow) are as follows: • Workflow ID The unique identifier for the Workflow Configuration. • Name The name of the workflow. • Description An optional description of the workflow. • Remind in Days The number of days after which a reminder notification is sent to the current approver of a workflow (a reminder is sent on a recurring basis based on the value of the field). The Reminder in Days field is used if a reminder email should be sent by the system to the current approver of the workflow after a certain period if no action has been taken on the 1.vorkflow. The value should be the number of days after which an email reminder is sent. A reminder email is sent every number of days until action is taken on the email. We will cover this in more detail in Section 4.3.8. • Is Delegate Supported Determines whether a user can set up a workflow to be manually delegated or to be autodelegated in his or her To Do homepage tile. Is Delegate Supported is a Boolean field that enables the Auto Delegation option and the Delegate option for approvers of a workflow. We will cover this in more detail in Section 4.3.9. • Alternate Workflow Defines the workflow to use if a future-dated transaction already exists. For example, you are making a Job Information change for an employee on July 1, 2016. AJob Information change record already exists for August 1, 2016. In this scenario, it is possible to trigger a different \VOrkflow so that alternative approvers can approve the workflow. This could be desired so that HR administrators can review the change before it is approved, so that no duplicates or contradicting changes are made that are already in the future-dated record.

141

4 Events and Workflows

• Escalation Defines the Esca lation configuration to use. An Escalation configuration defines the auto-escalation of a \VOrkflow to a specified approver after it has stalled for a specified number of days. The Escalation configuration is a Generic Object created in Manage Data that defines a target approver for each workflow step and a period of days after which to escalate the workflow to the target approver. • Redirect CC Users Workflow Approval Page Defines if CC users can access the workflow approval page or if they just get a notification. Approvers In this part of the Workflow Configuration, each approver step is defined. Every approver step must be approved before the worktlow is approved. If the workflow cannot derive an approver, then the step is skipped, and if no approvers can be derived, then the worktlow is automatically approved. For each approver step, there are several attributes to configure: • Approver Type The type of approver selected. There are a number of approver types that determine ho•v the approver should be selected or derived by the system. These approver types are as follows: - Role : A specific Approver Role - Dynamic Role: An individual will be derived based on the criteria of the Dynamic Role - Dynamic Group : A Workflow Group - Position : The holder or holders will be selected - Position Relationsh ip: A specific Approver Role • Approver Role Dependent on the Approver Type. Use the Approver Role field to select the value of the Role, Dynamic Role, Dynamic Group, or Position once the Approver Type is selected. When Dynamic Role, Dynamic Group, or Position is selected in the Approver Type field, the Approver Role field values will be a list of the respective objects. When Position Relationship is selected in the Approver Type field, the Approver Role field values will be different (Position, Parent Position, and Parent Parent Position). If Role is selected as the value of the Approver Type field, then the Approver Role field will provide the following list of approver roles that are used to derive the approver based on the employee who is the subject of the workflow:

142

4.3 Workflows

- Self: The individual who initiated the request - Manager: The manager of the employee - Manager's Manager: The manager of the manager of the employee - Employee HR : The HR manager of the employee (as defined in the Job Relationships portlet on the Employment Information screen) - Matrix Manager: The matrix manager of the employee (as defined in the Job Relationships portlet on the Employment Information screen) - Custom Manager : The custom manager of the employee (as defined in the Job Relationships portlet on the Employment Information screen) - Second Manager: The second manager of the employee (as defined in the Job Relationships portlet on the Employment Information screen) - Additional Manager: The additional manager of the employee (as defined in the Job Relationships port let on the Employment Information screen) If an Approver Role is set as an approval step in a workflow but no user is assigned, then that step of the workflow will be skipped. For example, the approval step will be skipped if Employee HR is set as the Approver Role in a workflow but the employee who is the subject of the workflow doesn't have an HR manager assigned. • Context Determines whether this is the current Approver Type (Source) or future Approver Type (Target); only triggers if the approver changes as part of the data changes that trigger the workflow. Use the Context field when the value that is changed in the transaction is an Approver Role (excluding Self). There are two options : - Source - Target For example, an employee's manager changes. If the Approver Role field value is Manager and the Context field value is Sou rce, then the employee's current manager is selected as t he approver. Ifthe Approver Role field value is Manager and the Context field value is Target, then the employee's proposed nevi manager is selected as the approver. • Edit Transaction Determines whether the approver can edit data that is part of the workflow (Ed it without Route Change}, can edit the data and have the workflow reroute all the way through the approver chain (Ed it with Route Cha nge}, or cannot edit any data (No Ed it).

143

4 Events and Workflows

• Relationship t o Approver Determines whether the Approver Type is related to the initiator of the 'Norkflow (Initiator) or the subject of the \VOrkflow (Employee). • No Approver Behavior What should happen if the workflow reaches an approver that cannot be derived (e.g., a position with no incum bent, an employee has no manager, the employee's manager has no manager, there is no HR manager assigned, etc.); either the step is skipped (Skip th is Step). or the workflo\v is cancelled (Stop the Workflow). • Respect Permission Determines whether RBP permissions are respected (Yes) or not (No) for the user when viewing data in the workflow approval page. Contributors As mentioned, contributors have the ability to comment on a workflow during the approval process. Once the workflow is approved, contributors are no longer able to comment on it. Contributors have a similar but smaller list of fields as approvers: • Contributor Type • Contributor • Relationship to Approver • Context • Respect Permission The Contribut or Type and Contributor fie lds correspond to the Approver Type and Approver Role fields. The Contributor Type field has the same values as the Approver Type field, although for contributors there is an additional value available: Person. This value enables you to select an individual employee in the Contributor field . CC Roles CC Roles are individuals that are notified of the completion of a workflow. CC roles have an almost identical set of attributes as contributors: • CC Role Type

• cc Role • Relationship to Approver • Context • Respect Permission

144

4.3 Workflows

Like with contributors, the cc Role Type and cc Role fields correspond to the Approver Type and Approver Role fields. The CC Role Type field has the same values as the Approver Type field, but also has the Person value as well as External Email. The External Email value enables a notification to be sent to a specified email address once the \.Yorkflow is approved. Before we move onto the workflow creation process, let's take a look at Foundation Object and Generic Object workflows. Foundation Object Workflows Foundation Object workt1ows have some limitations compared to worktlows used for employee data changes. Workflows for Foundation Objects can only be triggered on effective-dated Foundation Objects and will always trigger when a Foundation Object is created, changed, or deleted (i.e. it cannot trigger only for one of those scenarios). Workflows for Foundation Objects only support Dynamic Group and Position as values for the Approver Type and Contributor Type fields. For CC users, the only values available for the CC Role Type fields are Dynamic Group, Position, Person, and Externa l Email. You cannot edit or update active worktlows. If the changes made by the initiator are incorrect, then the workt1ow must be rejected and the correct changes made by the initiator. Generic Object Workflows Workflows for Generic Objects do not support Dynamic Role as an Approver Type, Contributor Type, or CC Role Type. However, there is an exception for a Position object. Next, we will look at an example while walking through the workflow creation process. 4.3.3 Creating a Workflow

Now that we've reviewed the various options available when creating a workflow, let's take a moment to look at an example of creating a workflow in action. For our example, let's create a workflow for an employee change of position. In our workt1ow, vve want four approvers: current HR representative, new HR representative, new manager, and the new manager's manager. We also want to notify the

145

4 Events and Workflows

current manager and notify the IT helpdesk via its shared email inbox. The workflow should also have a three-day reminder. First, let's define the attributes. These include the JD, name, and description of our workflow and the reminder, delegation, alternative workflow, and CC user redirection page. With exception of the reminder, let's use the default values. Figure 4.18 shows the attributes for our workflow, including t he three-day reminder. Next, let's define each of the approver steps. Add each step one by one, starting wit h the employee's current HR representative. For all approver steps. set the Relationship to Employee field value to Employee and the Respect Permission field value to Yes, but set different values for the Ed it Transaction and No Approver Behavior fields depending on the approver. ~

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4.3

Workflows

Figure 4.19 shows the four configured approver steps for each of the approvers we want in our workflovv: current HR representative, new HR representative, new manager. and the new manager's manager. Step 1 • AWover Type

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In a similar process, define the CC users, which are the current manager and the IT Helpdesk shared email in box. Figure 4.20 shows the configured CC users. Cc Role • CC ROie

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Once you've finished the configuration, click the Save button to save the workflow. Figure 4.21 shows what our completed workflow looks like.

147

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4 Events and Workflows

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Figure 4.21 Finished Workflow Configuration Now that we've set up a workflow, it's time to look at workflow triggers.

4.3.4

Assigning Workflows to Triggers

No matter on \vhich type of field or object the workflow is triggered, a business rule defines the trigger rule(s). The process is similar to creating business rules for Event Derivation. The key difference when creating a business rule to trigger a workflow is that the THEN condition should always set the wfConfig field of the base object to be the workflow configuration that will be triggered (for a Model object, it should be wfConf ig . Value). Figure 4.22 shows an example of this type of business rule for an address change. In order to compare new values to previous values for a field (i.e., identify if there has been a change), use the model version of a base object. For example, to compare

148

4.3 Workflows

address fields to determine change, use the Address Model base object instead of the Address base object. EC WF Address Changes (ECWFAddressChanges)

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Figure 4.22 Workflow Trigger Rule Example

Additional Resources For more information on configuring and using Workflow derivation for Employee Central objects, refer to the section Using MDF-Based Business Rules for Event-Reason and Workjlow Derivation of the Employee Central Master handbook found at http:// help.sap.com/hr_ec.

We'll no,v look at the process of assigning workflows to trigger on different objects. Personal Information and Employment Information Triggers Workflovvs triggered on changes to Personal Information portlets using the Edit button or to Employment Information portlets using the Take Action menu (including 149

4 Events and Workflows

Global Assignments and Pensions Payouts) use Workflow Derivation, the same process that is used for Event Derivation. As \Vith Event Derivation, workflows were triggered historically by creating rules in an XML file. Importa nt! Just like with Event Derivation, customers who are stil l using t he legacy XML-based rules are recommended to migrate to t he business rules-based workflow rules. Business rules created for Workflow Derivation are assigned the same way as business rules created for Event Derivation, in the Admin Center in Company Settings· Manage Business Configuration. Assign these rules to the appropriate portlet as required. Many workflows trigger based on specific Event Reasons, so the IF conditions of a business rule to trigger a workflow can reference an Event Reason, just like the New Hire example seen in Figure 4.23. These business rules are assigned immediately after the Event Derivation business rule on the Manage Business Configuration screen. ~

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Figure 4.23 New Hire Workflow Trigger

150

4.3 Workflows

New Hire and Rehire Workflows for New Hire or Rehire are assigned to the Job Information portlet in the Admin Center in Company Settings· Manage Business Configu ration. A business rule for triggering a workflow for New Hire or Rehire should use the Job Information base object and have the IF conditions check ifthe Event Reason field is equal to any Event Reasons that you have configured in your system for hire or rehire. Figure 4.23 shows an example of a New Hire workflow trigger. Foundation Object Triggers Foundation Objects can trigger workflows, whether traditional Foundation Objects or Foundation Objects that have been migrated to the MDF as Generic Objects. For Foundation Objects that have been migrated to the MDF, refer to the following section on Generic Object triggers. Jn this section, we will focus on traditional Foundation Objects. Workflows for Foundation Objects trigger whenever an object is created, modified, or deleted. It is not possible to trigger a workflow on just one of these actions; a workflow will trigger on each of these actions as per the IFconditions defined in the business rule. Business rules created for Foundation Objects require adding a parameter in order to define the workflow configuration. To do this when creating a new business rule, fol low these steps: 1. Select the base object in the Base Object field.

2. Click the Manage Parameters hyperlink. 3. In the Code column, enter the value "FO\iVorkflo\v." 4. Enter a name in the Name column; this will be relevant later. 5. In the Object dropdown, select FO Workflow. 6. Click Apply. Prior to clicking the Apply button, the Manage Parameters window should look like Figure 4.24. Parameters

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Code

Object

Context

context

SystemContext

Business Unit

BusinessUnit

Business Unit

FOWof1dlow

FOWof1dlow

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FO Wor1<11ow

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Figure 4.24 Parameters for Foundat ion Object Workflows 151

4 Events and Workflows

After completing the rest of the business rule information, configure the THEN condition to set the Workflov,r Configuration. Select Set in the first dropdown, and click the + button next to the name you defined in step 4 in the second dropdown and select the field Workflow Information . Select the Workflow Configuration, and click the Save button. Your business rule will look similar to that shown in Figure 4.25. ,......._.,

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Figure 4.25 Business Rule for a Foundation Object Workflow Workflows for Foundation Objects must have the business rule assigned to the object in the Corporate Data Model as an onSave event. An implementation consultant typically performs this process. Generic Object Triggers For Generic Objects-including MDF Foundation Objects and Time Off objectscreate a business rule per the Personal Information or Employment Information workflows and assign it to the Object Definition. Assign business rules created to trigger workflows to the object definition under Rules as a val i dat eRul es event. This might look like the example shown in Figure 4.26. Chapter 6 covers assigning business rules to Generic Objects.

152

4.3 Workflows

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4.3.5 Email Notifications Once a '"'orkflow is triggered. an approver is notified of the workflow by email. Email notificatio ns are sent out automatically for a variety of workflow-related actions, including approvals, rejections, pending, comments, delegations, and more. You cannot turn off email notifications for workflows. You can manage email notifications in the Admin Center in Com pany Settings · E-Ma il Notification Templates Sett ings. There are 18 email notification templates used by the system, as described in Table 4.3. Workflow Email Notification Template

Scenario

Workfl ow Act ion Ap proval Notification

Workfl ow requi res approval

Workflow Action Rejected Notification

Workflow has been rejected

Workflow Action Pend ing Notification

Re minder for pending workfl ow

Workflow Action Cancelled Notifica tion

Workflow has been cancelled

Table 4.3 Workflow Email Notification Templates

153

4

Events and Workflows

Workflow Email Notification Template

Scenario

Workflow Action Skipped Notification

Workflow has been skipped

Workflow Comment Posted Notification

Comment has been posted to workflow

Workflow Action Lock Down Notification

Workflow has been locked down by an adm inistrator

Workflow Action Unlock Notification

Workflow has been unlocked by an adm inistrator

Workflow Action Contributor Notificat ion

Recipient is a contributor t o a workflow that has been submitted for approval

Workflow Action Cc Role Notification

Notification that workflow has been approved

Workflow Step Approved Notification

Workflow step has been approved

Workflow Sentback Notification

Workflow has been sent back t o initiator by an approver

Workflow Action Delegate Notification

Workflow has been delegated

Workflow Action Delegate Revoke Notification

Workflow delegation has been revoked

Workflow Action Delegate Decline Notification

Workflow delegation has been declined by the delegate

Workflow Action Escalate Notification

Workflow has been escalated

Workflow Action Escalate Revoke Notification

Workflow escalation has been revoked

Workflow Action Escalate Dec Ii ne Notification

Workf low esca lation has been declined by the escalated approver

Table 4.3 Workflow Email Notification Templates (Cont.)

You can modify any email notification template, and can change the following attributes:

• Priority • Subject

• Body

154

4.3

Workflows

The email subject and email body are configurable for each enabled language. Figure 4.27 shows an example of the Workflow Action Approval Notifi cation workflow email template. w orkllow Action Approval Notification Completed worldlow notification will be sent when a work1!ow is approved. The email will go to the person initiating the work1!ow. To Customize Email Template Alerts: • • • •

Pick the locale for the alert Modify ttle Subject and Body to meet your needs. Click "'High PrioritY" for alert if approprite. Click save changes.

Set Email Priori!)' 0 High Priority Email Subject: The ((HRIS_ACTION)] action for ((SUBJECT_USER)) has b J Switch to English US (English US) • Specify Different Template for Each Form

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2013 Compensation & Equit Email Body:

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Hello [[CURRENT_OWNERJJ. A [(EVENT_REASON]] for ((SUBJECT_USER)] has been submitted by ([CREATED_USER)] on [(CREATED_TIMEJJ. You are required to review the request for approval. Click the following link to view your approval request. ([VIEW_LINK))

I Save Changes I

'

Figure 4.27 Workflow Action Approval Notifica t ion Email Template

As you can see in Figure 4.27, tags can insert dynamically determined values into the email that the template generates. Table 4.4 lists common tags used for workflow email notifications at the time of writing. Definition

( (ACTION_TYPE ))

Type of action fo r Foundat ion Object workflows

((APPROVAL_CHAIN))

Approval chain up to th e current user w ho gets the not ification

((CREATED_PERSON_ID_EXTERNAL) )

Person ID extern al of the user who initiated the workflow

Table 4.4 Email Template Tags

155

4

Events and Workflows

Definition

[[CREATED_TIME)]

The date and time when the workflow was init iated

[[CREATED_USER ]]

User who initiated the workflow

[[CREATED_USER_EMAI L]]

Email of the user who initiat ed the workflow

[[CURRENT_OWNER]]

Current approver of the workflow (not to be used for a rejecter of a workflow)

[[DELEGATEE]]

User who has been delegated the workflow

[[DELEGATOR))

User w ho is delegating the workflow

[[EFFECTIVE_DATE]]

Date that the data change/action will be effective

[[END_DATE])

Date that the employee time off will end

[[ESCALATION_NE\~_APPROVER ))

User who is new approver of a workflow after an escalation

[[ESCALATION_PREV_APPROVER )]

User who was the previous approver of a workf low before an escalation

[[EVENT])

Event for the action

[[EVENT_REASON JJ

Event Reason for the action

[[INITIATOR_COMMENT]]

The first comment by the initiator of the workflow

[[PERSON_ID_EXTERNAL]]

Person ID external of the employee who is the subj ect of the workflow

[[RECENT_APPROVAL_DATE]J

The date of the most recent approval of the workflow

[[RECENT_COMMENT_POSTED]]

The comment that was posted on a workflow

[[RECENT_COMMENT_POSTED_BY]]

User t hatwho posted a comment

[[RECENT_COMMENT_POSTED_DATE)]

The date t hat the comment was posted by the user

Table 4.4 Email Template Tags (Cont.)

156

4.3

Workflows

Definition [(RECENTLY_APPROVED_ BY) ]

The most recent approver ofUser who sent back the wo rkflow

((RECENTLY_APPROVED_BY_COMMENT))

Any comments by the most recent approver ofuser who sent back the workflow

((RECIPIENT_NAME))

Recipient of the email

[(REC I PI ENT_USERNAME]]

Username of the recipient of the email

[[REJECTED_ BY ]]

User thatwho rejected the workflow

((REJ ECTED_BY_COMMENT]]

Comment s by the user thatwho rejected the workflow

[[REJ ECTED_ BY_DATE ] J

Date that the workflow was rejected

[ [START_DATE ]]

Date that the employee time off wi ll start

( ( SENTBACK _BY ]]

User that sent back the workflow

[ (SEN TBACK_ BY_COMMENT)]

Comments by the user that sent back the workf low

[[SUBJECT_USER ]]

Full name of the employee who is the subj ect of the workflow; for Foundation Object workflows it wi ll use the object name and for Generic Object workflows it will use the external name (if no external name exists it wil l use the external code)

((SUBJECT_USER_ID] ]

User ID of th e employee who is the subject of the workflow; for Foundati on Object workflows it will return a blank value

((SUBJECT_USERNAME ])

Username of the employee who is the subj ect of the workflow; for Foundation Object workflows it will return a blank va lue

((SUBJECT_USER_COSTCENTER]]

Cost Center of the employee who is the subject of the workflow

((SUBJECT_USER_DEPARTMENT]]

Department of the employee who is the subject of the workflow

Table 4.4 Email Template Tags (Cont.)

157

4

Events and Workflows

Definition [[SUBJEC T_USER_JOBCODE]]

Job Code of the employee who is the subj ect of the workflow

[[SUBJEC T_USER_ JOBTI TLE]]

Job Tit le of the employee who is the subject of t he workflow

[[SUBJEC T_USER_LEGAL_ENTITY]]

Lega I Entity of t he employee who is the subj ect of the workflow

[[SUBJEC T_USER_LOCALJOBTITLE]]

Local Job Title of the employee who is the subject of the workflow

[[SUBJEC T_USER_PREFERRED_NAME] ]

Preferred name of the employee who is the subject of the wo rkflow

[[SUBJEC T_USER_BUSI NESS_UNIT]]

Business Unit of t he employee who is t he subj ect of the workf low

[[SUBJEC T_USER_LOCATI ONJJ

Location of the employee who is t he subject of t he workflow

[[ TIME_OFF_TYPE] ]

Time Off type

[[VIEW_LINK]]

Hyperlink to the workflow approval page; for CC Role workflows the link w ill go to the profile of the employee, to t he initiator' s page for a nonuser based Generic Object workflow, and to Manage Organization, Pay and Job Structures page for obj ect-based workflows.

Table 4.4 Email Template Ta gs (Cont.)

Latest list of tags The latest list of ta gs ca n be found in the Implementing and Configuring Workflows

in Employee Central gu ide found at http://help.sap.com/hr_ec.

Figure 4.28 shows the email generat ed by the system f or the Vvorkflow Action Approval Notification emai l template.

158

4.3 Workflows

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4.3.6 Accessing Workflow Requests users can access workflow requests in several places: • Approve Requests tile on the Home Page • Manage Pending Requests tile on the Home Page • Portlets for which a workflov.r is pending approval We'll look at each of these now. Approve Requests Tile The Approve Requests tile on the Home Page takes the user to the My Workflow Requests page, a single page in which to view and approve workflow requests. This can also be accessed from the notifications icon on the navigation bar. All workflows are listed and show basic details about the subject employee of the workflow, details of who initiated the workflow, when it is effective by, and when it was received, and

159

-

OX

4 Events and Workflows

also provides the ability to approve each workflow or multiple workflows simultaneously. Figure 4.29 sho\'IS the My Workflow Requests page after clicking on the Approve Requests tile. r-.... BestRun t::t

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Figure 4.29 My Workflow Requests page Requests page By showing the filters (by clicking the funnel icon) you can filter workflow requests by a number of options, including:

•

Event reason

•

Company

• •

Request type

• •

Business Unit

• • •

Date range

• • •

Department

Request for Initiated By Initiated date range

Division Cost Center Location

Manage Pending Requests The Pending Requests page- accessed via the Action Search-provides workflow init iators, approvers, contributors, and individuals assigned as CC users with the ability 160

4.3 Workflows

to view workflows requests that they have submitted or are part of. The Pending Requests screen is broken up into four portlets: • Requests Waiting for My Approval Submitted workflows that require approval by the user • Requests Still In Progress that I Approved Active workflows that the user has approved • My Requests Waiting for Approval

Workflows that the user has submitted that are still active and waiting to be approved • My Notifications

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Bon"" For Jeremy Thibaul1· effective06/0112016

Figure 4.30 Pending Requests Screen

161

v

4 Events and Workflows

Access the Workflow Approval screen by clicking the appropriate hyperlink. Portlet Notifications If a user has the appropriate permissions, he or she will see a notification in a portlet in the Personal Information or Employment Information screens on which a workflow has been submitted. This looks like the example seen in Figure 4.31. Once the workflow is approved, this notification will disappear. Job Information

"' G

Ellective as or: Jan 7. 2013 © Transferw/o Pay Change pending approval (Aug 9, 2017)

Employee Status

Active

Geoff Hill Supeivtsor Job Classrfication

Management & Planning (50070999)

Job Tdle

Assembly Manager

Pay Grade

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Regular/Temporary

Regular

Standard weekly Hours

40

Working Days Per Week

5

FTE

1

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Radford JobCO
Figure 4.31 Pending Workflow Notification in Job Informat ion Portlet Click the hyperlink to view the Workflow Approval screen. Now that we've covered how users are notified ofworkflow requests, let's take a look at the approval process itself. 4.3.7 Workflow Approval Process Once a workflow has been submitted and an approver notified, it's time for the approver to approve the workflow. An approver accesses the Workflow Approval screen from the hyperlink found in the email notification, from the Approva I Request tile, or from the Pending Requests screen. The Workflow Approval screen usually looks like the screen shown in Figure 4.32. The screen contains six areas (listed counter-clockwise) : • Workflow Overview Lists the Event Reason/action, initiator, date of submission, effective date of the action, and hyperlink to view the workflow participants.

162

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Figure 4.32 Workflow Approval Screen •

Workflow Detai ls

Shows the data changes made that are being approved in the workflow (subject to permissions, if configured). •

Comment

Allows the approver or contributor to add comments to the workflow, which will appear in the Activity log. • Approval Options Provides options for the approver to approve the workflow, cancel it or send it back to the initiator, delegate the workflow (if configured), or make changes to the

163

4

Events and Workflows

data being approved (if configured), or for the initiator to withdraw the request. The approval options provide the approver with the ability to perform a number of actions on the workflow, some of which depend on the settings made on the Workflow Configuration covered in Section 4.3.2. These options include the follow1ng: - Approve: Approves the workflow step - Send Back: Sends the workflow back to the initiator - Delegate: Allows the user to delegate the workflow to another user - Update: Allows the user to make changes to the data being approved - Withdraw: Only available for the initiator; enables the initiator to cancel the workflow request • User who is subject of the workflow Shows a brief overview about the user who is the subject of the workflow. • Activity Displays a log of all activities on the workflovv, such as comments, approvals, and delegations. Once the approver has approved the workflow, it will move to the next approver in the approval chain. If the approver is the last approver in the approval chain, then the entire workflow is approved and the changes become active in the system. Now, let's take a look at setting reminders for workflows.

4.3.8 Setting Reminders

Email reminders can be set up in the system by setting a value in the Remind in Days field in the Workflow Configuration(s) for which you would like email reminders to be sent. When set with a value (in days), the system will send an email reminder to the current approver of the workflow after the number of days defined in this field if no action has been taken on the workflow. The system determines "action" as activities such as adding a comment, changing an approver, and approving the workflow. The reminder email is sent again after the same number of days and will continue to be sent out the number of days specified until action is taken. For example, if the value of the Remind in Days field is set to 5, then a reminder email will be sent five days after the workflow has been received by the approver. A reminder email will then be sent to the approver every five days until action is taken on the workflow.

164

4.3

Workflows

The content of reminder emails are sent using the Workflow Action Pending Notification email template. If the vvorkflow is sent back to the initiator and a reminder is triggered, the system will use the Workflow Sentback Notification email notification template. See Section 4.3.5 for details on workflow notifications. In order to send reminder emails, a quartz job needs to be set up in Provisioning. Note that a global value can be set on the quartz job that is effective for all workflows, irrespective of what is put into the Remind in Days field of any workflow.

4.3.9 Delegation Delegation of workflows is possible, enabling another user (delegatee) to receive and approve a workflow instead of the original approver (delegator). A delegatee can reject the delegation and return the workflow back to the delegator. Once a workflow has been delegated, it cannot be delegated further by the delegatee. If a delegatee becomes inactive (i.e., he or she is terminated or retires), then the delegation will be cancelled and the delegator will become the approver of any active workflows. Delegated vvorkflows appear in the delegate's Approve Requests tile and in the Pending Requests screen. There are two types of delegation: • Manual delegation • Auto delegation Enable both manual delegation and auto delegation for each workflow by setting the Is Delegate Supported field to Yes on the appropriate workflow configuration. Let's look at each type of delegation. Manual Delegation Manual delegation allo>vs the delegator to manually delegate a workflow to a delega-

tee within the Workflow Approval screen by selecting the Delegate option at the bottom of the screen, as shown in Figure 4.32. The delegator selects the Delegate option and then selects the user to be the delegatee in the Delegate Request popup window, as shown in Figure 4.33. The delegator then clicks the Send button and is asked to confirm the action by clicking the Delegate button. After the delegator clicks the Delegate button, the delegatee \viii be made the approver of this step of the workflow, and a notification will be sent that the delegate

165

4

Events and Workflows

has been delegated a workflovv to approve. The email notification \viii use the Workflo•v Action Delegate Notification template. See Section 4.3.5 for details on vvorkflow notifications. Bae to Pend -ig Requests Page

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Auto Delegation Auto delegation automatically redirects an approver's workflows to a specified deleg-

atee. This cou ld be useful for an executive delegating h is or her workflows to an executive assistant or a manager delegating workflows while on vacation, for example. Auto delegation is effective for all workflow approvals required after it has been enabled by the delegator and is not effective for existing workflows that require approval by the delegator. Any active workflows need to be delegated manually by the approver. Set up auto delegation by selecting the Auto Delegate option in the

166

4.3 Workflows

Quick Links tile on the Home Page (either in the Favorites menu or the Available menu), as shown in Figure 4.34. Quick Links tnteNic?W SCheduJing

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Figure 4.34 My Info Links Tile After selecting this option, the Configure Delegation of Workflows popup window opens, as shown in Figure 4.35. Here, the user should select the Delegate my approva Is checkbox and then find the user who will be the delegatee for all of the delegator's workflows. Once complete, clicking the Save button will save the delegation. Configure Delegation of Workftows

" Delegate my approvals James Klein(S02934)

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167

4 Events and Workflows

To cancel an auto delegation, select the Auto Delegate option Quick Links tile on the homepage, uncheck the Delegate my approvals checkbox, and then click the Save button. Now that we've covered delegation, let's look at the workflow audit trail.

4.3.10 Workflow Audit Trail

You can view the workflow approval audit trail for data changes in the Address, Personal Information, Job Information, Job Relationships, and Compensation Information portlets by navigating to the History screen of the portlet, selecting the appropriate record, clicking the Take Action button, and selecting the View Approval Hist ory option. The View Approval History option only displays for records approved by a workflow. Figure 4.36 shows the workflow approval audit trail. Change History

x

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168

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4.3 Workflows

4.3.11 Administering Workflows You can administer workflows and workflow configurations in the Admin Center. There are several options in the Admin Center to administer workflows and associated configurations: • Manage Workflow Requests • Manage workflow requests with invalid approvers • Manage Workflow Groups • Invalid User in Dynamic Role • Manage Organization, Pay and Job Structures • Manage Data (for Auto Delegate Configuration) • Admin Alerts tile in the Admin Center Let's briefly explore each of these options and their capabilities. Manage Workflow Requests The Manage Workflow Requests transaction provides administrators with the ability to administer active and inactive workflows in the system. It covers all workflows with a subject user (i.e., it does not show Foundation Object workflows). Access it from the Employee Files menu in the Admin Center. First, the Manage Workflow Requests transaction presents the user with the Search Workflow Requests popup, which enables the user to select the type of workflows that he or she wishes to view. Figure 4.37 shows the popup and all of the search criteria. At least one search criteria must be selected, and any combination can be used. The user can choose from the following search options: • Requested By Initiator of the workflow • Requested For The employee who is the subject of the workflow • Request Type The Event Reason that was triggered • Request Status The status of the workflow; choose from the following: - Initialized: This is unused - Pending: The workflow is pending approval

169

4 Events and Workflows

- Completed: Approved workflows - Rejected : Rejected workflows - Cancelled : Cancelled workflows - Locked: Locked workflows - Sentback: Workflows that have been sent back • Effective Date From and Effective Date To Date that the changes become effective once approved • Requested Start Date and Requested End Date Date the workflow was initiated Manage Workftow Requests Search

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170

4.3 Workflows

Now, let's go through a quick example. If you wanted to search for all active workflows that were pending approval, you would open the Request Status dropdown, select Init ialized, and click the Search button. After you enter search criteria and click the Search button, you will see a list ofworkflows that meet the criteria. Figure 4.38 shows a list ofworkflows that meet the example criteria.

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Figure 4.38 Active Workflows in PENDING Status The table of results has several columns, many of which are included in the search criteria. View the \Vorkflow by clicking the hyperlinked value in the Request Type column. Notice the following two columns: • Actions A list of actions to take on the workflow • Stalled For Days The num ber of days for which the workflow has been stalled (i.e., no action has been taken) There are several actions available for each \VOrkflow. When you click the Take Action button in the Action column, a menu of six options opens. When you select an

171

4 Events and Workflows

option, you will see a popup box in which to take the action. The six options are as follows : • Lock Down Lock down the workflow so it is no longer active • Add Another Approver Add an additional approver to the workflow • Change Approvers Change the current and any subsequent approvers • Remove Approvers Remove any approvers after the current approver (the current approver cannot be removed) • Route Request Reroute the workflow to a future approver • Decline Reject the workflovv Figure 4.39 shows an approver change in progress after selecting Change Approvers.

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Figure 4.39 Changing a Workflow Approver Manage Workflow Requests with Invalid Approvers The Manage workflow requests with invalid approvers t ransaction located in the Employee Files menu in the Admin Center provides the user with a list ofworkflows that have an approver assigned who is no longer active in the system (i.e., the user has been terminated). Figure 4.40 shows the list ofworkflows with invalid approvers. The list looks similar to the list shown in Manage Workflow Requests. As in that transaction, vievv the workflow by clicking the hyperlinked value in the Request Type colum n. The list of actions in the Take Action menu are also the same. By using this

172

4.3 Workflows

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Figure 4.42 Dynamic Role with Invalid Approvers Manage Organization, Pay, and Job Structures Manage Workflow Configurations in the Manage Organization, Pay and Job Structures transaction is covered in Section 4.3.3. Manage Data (Auto Delegate Configuration) Configurations for each auto delegation can be viewed, modified, and deleted in the Admin Center in Employee Files · Manage Data. Select Auto Delegate Config as the object type in the Search dropdovvn and a selectable list of users who have enabled auto delegation will appear in the subsequent column. The list displays users with both active and previous auto delegations. Once loaded, you can modify the Auto Delegation Config to add, modify, or remove an auto delegation. Figure 4.43 shows an example of an auto delegation enabled for Aanya Sing. Use the Take Action button to modify or delete an existing auto delegation. To create a new auto delegation, select Auto Delegate Config in the Create New dropdown, enter the necessary details, and click Save.

174

4.3 Workflows

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Figure 4.43 Auto Delegate Config Object Ad min Alerts tile The Adm in Alerts tile in the Admin Center (seen in Figure 4.44) shows the number of stalled workflows for the number of day's threshold defined in the Home Page settings.

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Clicking on the hyperlink below STALLED WORKFLOW REQUESTS (showing as For more than 3 days in Figure 4.44) will open up the Stalled Workflows window.

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4 .3.12

Reporting

It is possible to report on workflows using several standard reports delivered in

Employee Central Advanced Reporting. These are : • Open Workflow Requests Lists all still pending workflow requests that need to be approved (workflows with workflow request status = pending). • Workflow Request Analysis Lists all processed workflow requests in a certain time range. • Workflow Processing Statistics Lists the total number ofworkflow requests per workflow status according to the request types and the event reasons.

176

4.4 Summary

• Workflow Processing Time Statistics Provides the processing times for the different workflow requests steps. Figure 4.46 shows the Open Workflow Requests report.

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Additional Resources For more information on configuring and using Workflows in Employee Central objects, refer to t he Implementing and Configuring Workflows in Employee Central handbook found at http://help.sap.com/hr_ec.

4.4 Summary In this chapter, we examined employee status, events, Event Reasons, and vvorkflows. We discussed how these concepts are used, when they are used, and ho'"' they are configured. We also demonstrated how they support the different processes in the system and enable employee history and approvals to be accurate and logical. In the next chapter, we'll take a deep dive into the extensibility options in Employee Central and how you can leverage these to create new objects, screens, and applications for your system.

177

Chapter 5

Extensibility Inevitably, the behavior or functionality of HR applications need to be changed or extended beyond their delivered state. SAP Success Factors features a robust framework to adapt the standard Employee Central application.

Employee Central has the unique position of belonging to a suite in which individual components can operate independently of one another. This factor presents both a challenge and an opportunity. The product has to be adaptable to a seemingly endless combination of configurations. The principal concept of extensibility in Employee Central is that there is no best practice. There are leading practices and practices optimized for the specific customer, and these tend to change over time. The 20-25% of customization capabilities that exist in legacy on-premise software are replaced by a set of extensibility features. Although the standard Employee Central solution is highly configurable, the focus of extensibility is extending beyond the standard configu rability. Extensibility really is about creating new functionality where it does not exist in the system. There are two focus areas for Employee Central extensibility: • Metadata Framework (MDF) and Extension Center • SAP Cloud Platform Additional Resources You can read more about extensibility in SAP SuccessFactors in Chapter 4 of SuccessFactors with SAP ERP HCM: Business Processes and Use by Amy Grubb and Luke Marson (2nd edition, SAP PRESS, 2015). In this chapter, we'll take a look at the MDF in an Employee Central context and then discuss SAP SuccessFactors Extensions that are built with SAP Cloud Platform. We'll also take a look at how to create custom objects, and how to create custom screens in

179

5 Extensibility

Employee Files for these objects. Lastly, we'll look at how SAP Cloud Platform can help

bring your unique ideas to life.

5.1

Metadata Framework (MDF)

The MDF is an extensibility framework that allows users to create, modify, and maintain custom objects, screens, and business rules within the SAP SuccessFactors UL Although it contains enough complexity to handle complicated requ irements, it's also simple enough for customers to learn and use without needing outside expertise. The MDF requires no coding, because everything is created via the UL Extension Center is the UI frontend for the MDF, although MDF transactions are still available for technical users in the SAP SuccessFactors system. The beauty of the MDF is that it enables customers to create objects without risking the safety and stability of their and other customer instances within the data center. Because the MDF uses metadata to influence a central set of technical system components instead of creating new technical components, the system is safeguarded and future-proofed to enable quarterly releases to be installed without adversely affecting customer functionality or operation of their instances. Custom objects created using Extension Center are called Extensions, although the underlying object is called a Generic Object. The standard enterprise license of Employee Central provides 25 Generic Objects for customer consumption. This figure does not include objects delivered by SAP SuccessFactors in quarterly releases. Only the top-level object counts within the limit of 25 objects. If there are child objectsfor example, for country-specific fields or for detailed data- they are not considered against the overall count. Generic Objects are defined through an Object Definition. The Object Definition defines various attributes about the Generic Object, including the following: • Code, label, and status of the object • Whether the object is effective-dated and to what extent • If the object is visible to the AP! • How the object version history is handled • What worktlow to use. how pending data is treated, and what To Do category to use for Generic Object workflows • Fields, and which fields are searchable \¥hen searching for an object • Associations \
180

5.1

Metadata Framework (MDF)

• Whether a different business key format should be used • Whether the Generic Object is permissioned and which permissions category it is located in • Business rules that should trigger from the object Object Definitions can have up to 200 custom fields, which can be of various datatypes. Some standard fields are delivered for Object Definitions- such as Name and Code- and SAP SuccessFactors-delivered Generic Objects may have a number of standard fields defined, depending on the nature of the Generic Object. Object Definitions are created during the creation of an Extension in Extension Center. Figure 5.1 shows the Object Defin ition of the Be nefit Generic Object in the Configure Object Defin itions transaction in the Admin Center. ft

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converslonFactor

s1Flelds.s1Fleld5 t

255

Decimal

Details

{16} More

Figu re 5.1 Object Definition of t he Benefit Generic Object

181

5 Extensibility

This chapter will foc us on Employee Central-specific elements of creating Extensions. For the full definition of a Generic Object and how to create one, please refer to the Metadata Framework (MDF} implementation handbook found at http://help.sap.com/ hr ec.

We'll now look at Extension Center as a tool to build Extensions that we can use in our system.

5.2

Extension Center

Extension Center enables simplified creation and management of Generic Objects and their component parts, called an Extensions. Extension Center offers a one-stop shop to create and maintain all MDF Extensions. You can view and change a Generic Object and all entities that interact with that object-such as rules, workflows, and Configuration Uls. You can also create new entities. Figure 5.2 shows the Extension Center homepage. catla Granl v Q;xk lO ~Ceimw

Extension Center Extensaoo Cen«er tS a one.Slop page for aeat1ng and managing custom elements lf'I Succes.sFauors From

here. 'IOU C$n create entirely ne"v elements M

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edil ex$C1fJ ones to meel \vt\lltevor your business

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$ 1 Ex'ten.sion Company Car ~ 2 Objects

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3 Ot>i«I

flto-1.se All Resuns

Figure 5.2 Extension Center The Extension Center incorporates all of the transactions needed to build the component parts of an Extension and publish your overall Extension for use in the system.

182

5.2

Extension Center

It also gives you a holistic view of your extensibility assets in one central location, including the different objects used in Extensions. The Extension Center is accessed in Admin Tools under Company Settings. 5.2.1

Scenarios for Creating Extensions

Extensions are typically created for one or more of the following purposes : • Custom Foundation Objects Extensions can be used to add additional org structure objects (e.g., a Sub-Division or Regional Location) or to add other Foundation Objects. • Custom Person or Employment Objects Extensions can be created to add to Employee Files. There are many use cases, such as Tuition Reimbursement or Objects on Loan. • Business objects Data about business objects can be stored. For example, you can store data about different assets or detailed data on projects. This use case applies for SAP SuccessFactors to store benefits data and work schedules, for example. • Lookup table Extensions can be used as lookup tables for other functionality. For example, you can look up workflows by attribute or user to run a check on attributes when running rules or calculations. Time Off uses lookup tables for storing seniority data. • Configuration table Tables to store configuration data for applications such as Time Off or global assignments are reasonably common. For Global Assignments, they may be screens of configuration settings, whereas for Time Off or Benefits, they could be objects that determine \
183

5 Extensibility

0

James Reed (jreed) PERSONAL INFORMATION

v

SalesManager

EMPlOYMENT INFORMATION

TALENT PROFILE

Tuit ion Reimbursement

Tuition Reimbursement

"

NOTES

HISTORY

GI

Et!edlve as ot Jan 05,2017 Description

IGJ

company

Ace USA (ACE_ USA)

Department

SOies ( SALES)

Currency

USO

Program

Groduat• (Groduate)

School

Brown University ( Brown)

IGJ

Classes Course

Sales Effectiveness

Tuition

1,500

Grade

B or Equlvelant ( B)

Relmt>ursement

1,350 Show more

Figure 5.3 Tuition Reimbursement Extension in ESS

Another example m ight include an Extension to use as a workflow lookup table within a business rule that triggers a workflow. Figure 5.4 shows an example of this type of Extension in the Manage Data transaction in the Admin Center. ft

Admin Center •

v

°' Search for actions orpeople

Emily Clark (admin) •

.t

successfact<:?rs~ MSAP~

Bad
Manage Data \

Search :

Worktlow lookup By Reason

...

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•

Advanced

Create New :

No Selection

...

,

'

Workflow Lookup By Reason: DeptTransfer (DeptTransfer)

Take Adion •

' externalCode Oep1Transfer Role HR Manager

Event Reason Transfer Department Change 4

wteon•o WF_HR_Manager (HR_M_STEP).

Updated by admin on Thursday, September 17, 2015 3:22:23 PM PDT

Figure 5.4 Workflow Lookup Table Extension

184

5.2

Extension Center

Let's now take a look at the components of an Extension.

5.2.2

Components of an Extension

Extensions are always made up of an Object Definition, but they may be made up of a number of MDF components based on the business requirements of the Extension. These components are the following: • Fields • Relationships • Rules • Worktlows • Uls • Properties • Security With the exception of Uls and the workflow and rules objects themselves, the remaining components are actually part of the Object Definition itself that we discussed in Section 5.1. However, in Extension Center they are broken out to enable logic grouping of components and attributes for configuring Extensions that make more sense to the user. In addition to these components, the following are other objects that in some cases need to be created as part of the Extension: • Picklists • Business Rules • Workflow Configurations • Configuration Uls In Extension Center, all of these components can be created as part of the Extension creation process. Figure 5.5 shows the architecture of an Extension; in this diagram you can see all objects in the system that form part of an Extension, along "vith related components to the right of these objects. For example, you configure Rules as part of the Generic Object but these are references to actual Business Rule objects. Likewise, Workflows can be assigned using rules in the Rules component on an Extension.

185

5 Extensibility

Fields Generic Object

-

~

I I

Relationships Ru les

Generic Object

11

Workflows

11

Properties

11

Security

Generic Object

I

Rules

I

I

Workflows

I

Workflow Configuration

I

Workflows

I

Configuration UI

I

UI

I

I

Fields

I

Business Rule

Picklist

Figure 5.5 Archit ecture of an Extension

Before we take a brief look at creating an Extension, let's discuss parent and child associations, which will impact our Extension design.

5.2.3 Parent and Child Associations

Sometimes-particularly for self-service Ext ensions-it's normal to use a single parent Generic Object in an Extension for an employee record and have a child Generic Object used to store multiple records for that employee record. For instance, in the Tuition Reimbursement Extension example shown in Figure 5.3, two Generic Objects are used as part of the Extension. One Generic Object is used for the Tuition Reimbursement Extension parent object itself, and a second child Generic Object stores each reimbursement request that is made by the employee. Each of these child records are linked to the main Tuition Reimbursement Generic Object. Both objects fo rm part of the same Tuition Reimbursement Extension.

186

5.3

Using Extension Center

This means that a single record can be kept for an employee for a fixed or permanent period, but multiple child records can be created as needed. The system also provides a logical method of storing transactional data against an employee. However, there are many use cases when one or more child Generic Objects can be used. It's worth looking at some of the SAP SuccessFactors-delivered Generic Objects to understand how such scenarios play out in practice. Before we go through the process of creating an Extension, let's take a quick look at using Extension Center.

5.3

Using Extension Center

Extension Center is accessed in the Admin Center from the Company Settings menu. Figure 5.6 shows the h omepage of the Extension Center. The homepage displays all Extensions in the system, which can be displayed as tiles (the default view) or as a list. Both MDF Extensions and SAP Cloud Platform Extensions are managed here.

W

-8t

Q.

Admin Toolsv

Search h6ons Of Peoj)le

v

...

ca11a Grant v

Sack to: Ml'TW'I Center

Extension Center Ex1ension C..nter is a one-stop page for creating and managing custom elements in SuccessFactors. From here, you can create entirely new elements as well as edit existing ones to meet whatever your business needs maybe

Create Extension

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Inventory (Internal)

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Figure 5.6 Extension Center Homepage

187

5 Extensibility

Additionally, it is possible to search through your Extensions and their components using the search box. Figure 5.2- which we saw earlier in the chapter- shows the search in action. To view details of an Extension, simply click on the tile of that Extension to go to the Extension Detail screen for the Extension. We can see this in Figure 5.7. e;!! 1fi-

Aamin Tools v

cana Grant v

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Figure 5.7 The Extension Detail Screen As well as viewing details of the Extension, we can also make changes here and publish or re-publish the Extension so it can be used in the instance. We'll cover some of these topics as we go through creating an Extension in the next section of this chapter. Figure 5.8 shows the details of the Rules component of Generic Object.

188

5.3 Using Extension Center

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Figure 5.8 Generic Object Details There are two tabs located below the Description box that enable you to view all of the Generic Objects (OBJECTS) or all Picklists (PICKLISTS) that are part of the Extension. You can then select any of those General Objects or Picklists to view more details about them. We'll see more of this shortly in the chapter. For all of these Generic Objects and Picklists, you can view them as tiles or a list like with the Extension on the homepage of the Extension Center. Ho11vever, there is also a third option called the Entity Relationship View, which displays the relationships of all Generic Objects and Picklists in the Extension. You can see this in Figure 5.9.

189

5 Extensibility

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Now let's take a look at the process of creating an Extension in Extension Center.

5.4

Creating Extensions in Extension Center

Creating an Extension is a relatively straightforward activity and uses a guided configuration wizard to support the creation process. Generic Objects and Picklists can be re-used across multiple Extensions, so you don't have to re-invent the wheel when creating your Extension. Picklists Create the Picklists you need before you creat e your Extension so that t hey are al ready ava ii able to select when you defi ne the fields of your Extension.

190

5.4 Creating Extensions in Ext ension Center

To create an Extension, click on the Create Extension button in the Extension Center homepage (as shown in Figure 5.6 earlier in the chapter). You'll be taken to the Extension Detail screen where you can begin creating your Extension. This is shown in Figure 5.10. Back to: Extension Center

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Figu re 5.10 Extension Det ail Screen When Creating an Extension The first activities to complete in the Extension Detail screen are: 1. Select an icon for the Extension (this is optional). 2. Enter the name of the Extension in the Title field. 3. Enter a code for the Extension in the External Code field. 4. If you wish, you can enter a description in the Description field. Once this is done then it is time to create any Picklists that you are going to use in your Extension. Remember, you can use any existing Picklists in your Extension, so you don't need to re-create any Picklists that already exist. In this example, we're going to create a simple Employee Self-Service application for grievance reporting. We'll start by defining the Picklists we're going to use.

5.4.1

Creating Picklists

Picklists can be created or existing Picklists added to the Extension by clicking the Picklist(s) tab and then selecting one of two options: Add New Picklist or Add Existing Picklist.

191

5 Ext ensibility

Administering Picklists Pickl ists ca n be admi nistered in the Admin Cent er in Company Settings· Configure Object Definitions. There, you can either create a new Picklist or view, ma inta in, or delete an exist ing Picklist. You can also view and modify standard-delivered Picklists t here. To create a new Picklist, select Add New Pickl ist to open the Edit Picklist screen. Enter the code of the Picklist in the Picklist Code field and the name of you r Picklist in the Picklist Name field. The following are a n um ber of other fields as part of the Picklist definition: • Display Order Influences the ordering of the values that are defined for the Picklist. The following three values are available: - Alphabetical : Lists the values alphabetically. -

Numeric: Lists the values n umerically.

-

None: Displays the values in the order they are defined in the Picklist and is the defau lt behavior of a Picklist.

• Parent Picklist Defines whether the Picklist has a parent Picklist that d rives which values from the Picklist are available for selection based on the value selected for the parent PickJist. A common example is using the Country Picklist as a parent Picklist and then defining country-specific values. • Effective Start Dat e The start date drives when the Picklist values are available and is used to enable versioning of Picklist values. We recommend entering "01/01/1900" for the date, which ensu res that the Picklist is always available for use. Once these fields have been maintained, it is time to create the values that will be displayed in the Picklist. This is done by clicking the Add Va lue button in the Va lues section for each value we want to add. For each value, the following fields exist: • Label : The dropdown value seen in the Ul. This is a translatable field. • Non-unique Externa l Code : This field is read-only, so it can be ignored. • Externa l Code : This defines the code of the value.

192

5.4 Creating Extensions in Extension Center

• Pa rent Pick list Value: If a parent Picklist is used, then select the value from the parent Picklist linked to this value. For example, ifthe parent Picklist is Country and this value is fo r the United States, then select USA in this field. This means that the value will only be displayed in the UI if the Country value selected by the user matches the value defined in Parent Picklist Va lue. • Status : Whether the value is active or inactive. Once you have filled in the fields. the screen should look like Figure 5.11. Edit Picklist Version·

v

* Pickl1sl Code cust_grlevanceStatus PK:kl1st Name

ACUve?

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*Effective Start Date Jan 1. 1990

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Figure 5.11 A New Picklist Being Created Once your Picklist is finished, click the Save button to save it. The effective date of the record will then appear as the version of the Picklist at the top of the screen and the last modified date will be shown at the bottom of the screen along with your username. Click Close to return to the Extension Deta il page.

193

5 Ext ensibility

You can now create additional Picklists, or you can add an existing Picklist to your Extension. To add an existing Picklist to your Extension, click Add Existing Picklist, as previously seen in Figu re 5.10. This will take you to the Add Existing Picklist screen, where you can select one or more Picklists to add to your Extension. This screen can be seen in Figure 5.12. Add Existing Picklist

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!search PICl<JIS/S

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Found in Extensions

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advanceType

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D

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Benefit Housing City category

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Nov 11, 2015

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0

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cancel

save

Figure 5.12 Add Existing Picklists Screen Once you've selected the Picklists to add, click the Save button. You will then return to the Extension Deta il screen where you can see all Picklists added to your Extension. These new Picklists can be seen in Figure 5.13.

194

5.4 Creating Extensions in Extension Center

Back to: Extension Center

Extension Detail

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Icon & Tl!le

, 11 I

Grievance Reporting

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Status

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grievanceReporting

'

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0

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Figure 5.13 The Extension with Picklists Added Now that we've created our Picklists, we can move onto creating our Generic Object definition.

5.4.2 Creating Object Definitions

Like with Picklists, you can either create a new Object Definition or add an existing Object Definition. We'll look at both processes, but first we'll look at creating an Object Definition. To do this, select the Object(s) tab and then select Add New Object; you will be taken to the Object Detail screen. Administering Generic Objects Generic Objects can also be admin istered in the Admin Center in Company Settings • Configure Object Definitions. There, you can either create a new Generic Object or view, ma intain, or delete an existing Generic Object. You can also view and modify standard-delivered Generic Objects there.

195

S Extensibility

Enter the name of the Generic Object name in the Label field (use the globe icon in the right side of the textbox to enter the label in multiple languages), a code in the Code field, and you can optionally enter a description in the Description field. Below the section where you enter the Label and Code of the Generic Object, you will find each section for each component of the Object Definition. By default. the Fields section is open. Figure 5.14 shows the Object Detail screen along with the open Fields section. Back 10. Extension

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Grievance Repo~g

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Sections You can only ma intain the Fields, Relationships, Workflows, and Properties sections before saving the Generic Object. Once you've saved t he Generic Object, you can maintain the Rules, Uls, and Security sect ions. We'll now go through each of these sections in order, starting with the Fields section.

196

5.4 Creating Extensions in Extension Center

Fields There are a nu mber of standard fields - most beginning with mdf- and many of them are system fields that should be left as is. The main system fields that you will need to use are described in the following list. Bear in mind that the name for some of these fields in Generic Objects delivered by SAP SuccessFactors may vary from those used when creating a Generic Object. You can change the value in the Name field, but the system automatically provides the Database Field Name. The following fields are provided by standard: • externa lCode The code of the object record. The Data Type of this field can be changed to any number of different types, but two of the most common for Employee Central are as follows: - User: Used for Generic Objects that will be used in self-service. - Auto Number: Used if you want the system to generate an ID for the object record automatically. • externa lName This field is often left as is. In some self-service scenarios, it would be set to have no visibility because it doesn't make sense to name a record. When you change the effective-dating type for the Generic Object (we'll cover this a little later), then the following two other fie lds are added : • effectiveStartDate This field stores the start date of records for effective-dated objects. • transactionSequence If yo u are using effective-dating of Mu ltiple Changes per Day, then you need this field, and it should remain unchanged. For each field, the following attribu tes are available by defa ult: • Label The label of the field that displays in the UL • Name The name of the field in the Object Definition.

197

5 Extensibility

• Data Type There are multiple data types available for a field. Many of them will be used regularly. Some of the most common that you will use are as follows : - Boolean : A Yes or No field. - Date: Stores a date in the format of the user's locale. - Picklist: A Picklist. - Translatable: A string field that can be translated into each language enabled in the system. - Generic Object: A list of records for a specific Generic Object. - Foundation Object : A list of records for a specific Foundation Object. - Attachment: A field that holds an attachment. - User: An employee in the system; used for the externalCode field in every ESS Generic Object. • Visibility If the field should be visible in the UL In some instances, it's useful to hide certain standard-delivered fields . • Requi red Whether a field entry is mandatory. Additional attributes are available after selecting the Advanced Options button to the right (the down arrow). There are a number of attributes available for configuration; at the following are the most important attributes that you are likely to use: • Help Text The help text to display alongside a field. This field can be translated for each language enabled in the system. • Include Inactive Users When the value of the Data Type attribute is set to User then this can be used to determine whether inactive users should be part of the list of users. • Default Value You can enter a default value for a field here. • Status Defines if the field is active or inactive.

198

5.4 Creating Extensions in Extension Center

• Maximum Lengt h Defines the maximum length of the input value. The default is 255 characters, but the maximum depends on the following Data Type attributes: - Name and externalCode: 128 characters. - String: 4,000 characters for pre-delivered objects. - Number: 4,000 characters, but it is recommended not to exceed 38. - Decimal : 4,000 characters, but it is recommended not to exceed 38. The Maximum Length also considers the decimal points of the value of this type of field. • UI Field Renderer Used to prevent the External Code of a Picklist or Generic Object being shown after the label (when seen in a dropdown list). The possible field values are as follows: - displayPicklistWithoutExte rnalCode: Used for Picklists. - displayGOWithoutExternalCode: Used for Generic Objects. • Hide Seconds When the Data Type attribute is set to a value that contains the time, this attribute can set whether seconds should be shown or hidden. • Valid Values Source When the Data Type value is Foundation Object or Generic Object then the code of that object should be entered here; for a Picklist, the Picklist is selected from a dropdown list. • Hide Old Value Determines ifthe old value of a fie ld should be shown with a strikethrough next to the field when the value has changed. • Private or Sensitive Informat ion Enables or disables masking of on-screen data, typically personally identifiable information (PII). • Transient Determines ifthe field is a transient field (i.e., no value is stored on the database for this field) . Figure 5.15 shows some of these attributes.

199

S Extensibility

Status

Picklist

cust_grievanceStatus

v

Editable

v

Advanced Options * Database Field Name

Help Text

Include Inactive Users

Default value

NO * Status Active

Inactivated By

Maximum Length

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v

Hide seconds NO Transient NO

cust_grievancestatus

v

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NO

Cascade v

I

Condition @ * Field fd

-

1illI * value

+

Add Row

Field Criteria @

Figure 5.15 Advanced Options for a Field Below the attributes you can find the Condition section and the Field Criteria section. The Condition section enables you to make the visibility of the field dependent on the value of another field matching the condition you define. For example, you are creating a field called subLocation on your Generic Object and you only want it to appear when the value of the field location is equal to China. To define a condition, simply enter the target field in the Field Id attribute and the matching value(s) in the value attribute. Use the Add Row button to add one or more additional values for the condition. Field Criteria can be used to filter the list of objects when the Data Type attribute of the field is Foundation Object, Generic Object, or Picklist. It determines matching criteria with the target object based on the value of another field on the Generic Object. For example, your Generic Object has a field that has Data Type attribute as Generic

200

5.4

Creating Ext ensions in Ext ension Center

Object and the reference object is company. You then add a field with Data Type attribute as Generic Object and reference the cost center object. On this field, you place a Field Criteria to be the company field on your Generic Object and the company field on the cost center object. To add a Field Criteria, simply enter the source field in the Source Field Name attribute (e.g., the field on your target object) and the target (matching) field in the Destination Field Value attribute. You can also enter a default matching value if you wish in the Default Destination Value attribute. You can use the Add Row button to add one or more additional field criteria. Below the list of fields is the Add Field button, which you can use to add additional fields. The system allows up to 200 custom fields on each Generic Object. There are two additional sections below the fields: Business Keys and Searchable Fields. Business Keys are used to define the unique key for each record of any object in the system (including standard employee objects, legacy Foundation Objects, and Generic Objects). The Business Keys section enables you to define the Business Keys used for this Generic Object if you don't wish to use the standard combination (typically, externalCode and effectiveStartDate for an effective-dated object or externalCode for a non-effective dated object). Simply click the Add Row button for each field you want to use for the Business Key and enter the field in the Field attribute. Quite often this section is left blank, meaning the default Business Keys will be used. In the Searchable Fields section, you can define all of the fields that can be used to search for the Generic Object in Ma nage Data. As with the Business Keys section, simply click the Add Row button for each fie ld you want to use for the Business Key and enter the field in the Field attribute. Note that if the field is a custom field it should begin cust_ and if you are referencing a Picklist label then you need to append your field with . l abel. Once all the fields, Business Keys, and Searchable Fields have been added, you can move onto adding any Generic Object relationships by clicking on Relationships on the left side. Relationships After the fields have been defined, you can create any associations to other Generic Objects as required in the Relationships section. If a child Generic Objects has not yet

201

5 Extensibility

been created or added to the Extension. then skip this part and come back to it once you have created or added the child Generic Objects. To create an association. click the Add Relationship button. You will then be pre· sented with the following attributes to enter: • Label The label for the association that \viii be seen on the UI. • Name A name for the association. • Destination Object The target Generic Object of the relationship. • Multiplicity There are two options to select from, as follows: - One-to-One: The Generic Object record can be related to only one other child Generic Object record. - One-to-Many: One Generic Object record can be related to many records of the child Generic Object. • Type There are two options to select from, as follows: - Composite : The related Generic Object record can exist only as a child of a Generic Object record. - Valid When : The related Generic Object record can exist with or without the parent Generic Object record. Additional attributes are available after selecting the Advanced Options button to the right (the down arrow). Many of these should attributes should be familiar (e.g., Visi· bility, Required, or Status). so we'll just focus on the following attributes specific to associations: • Source Object Column The field name of the parent Generic Object to which the Generic Object should be mapped. • Destination Object Column The field name of the child Generic Object to which the Generic Object should be mapped.

202

5.4 Creating Extensions in Ext ension Center

• UI Association Renderer This is currently not supported, so leave it blank. • Condition Very similar to field-based Conditions, except that it defines vvhether the visibility of the associations is dependent on the value of a field on the Generic Object that matches the condition you define. • Field Criteria Again, similar to field-based Field Criteria, except that it is used to filter the values listed for the association based on the criteria defined. Now you've added any associations, vie can move onto adding workflows by selecting Workflows in the left-side menu. Remember that we cannot add any Business Rules yet (in the Rules section), as we need to save our object first, vvhich requires us to complete the definition. Workflows If your Generic Object only requires an approval workflow, then this is the section where you would configure that. If your Generic Object needs some form of conditional workflow, you should add that via a Business Rule in the Rules section. There are the following three options available to you when you reach this section: • Open Workflow Engine Opens up the Manage Organization, Pay, and Job Structu res transaction in a separate windovv so that you can search, create, edit, or delete a Workflow Foundation Object as per the standard process. • Create New Workflow Enables you to create a Workflow Foundation Object. • Select Existing Workflow Enables you to select an existing Workflow Foundation Object. The process for creating a Workflow is the same as the process covered in Chapter 4, so we will not cover it here. Once a Workflow has been created or selected, you can see the Workflovv listed under Workflows on the left side. You also have the option to edit or remove the Workflow if needed. Figure 5.16 shows an existing Workflow that has been added. You can see it listed on the left side (Data Change) under Workflows.

203

S Extensibility

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Figure 5.16 Adding an Existing Workflow to a Generic Object Now we're done with our Workflow, we can move onto the final section before we save our Generic Object: Properties. Properties The Properties section defines the core attributes of the Generic Object, such as the effective-dating, AP! visibility, and status. There are two sections of properties: Basic Properties and Advanced Properties. Let's look at these now. Under Basic Properties, there are the following three core properties: • Effective Dating Defines the type of dating for your object. There are the following four types available: - From Parent : Used for child objects to inherit the effective dating value of their parent object.

204

5.4 Creating Extensions in Extension Center

- None: The object is not effective-dated (i.e., history is not saved \vhen object data changes). - Basic: History is saved, but only one record can be created per day. - Multiple Changes Per Day: Multiple historical records can be created through the lifecycle of the object data. • API Visibility If your Generic Object data needs to be used for integration via an API, then set this field to either Edit or Read Only, depending on which type of data access you want for your Generic Object. You can set it to Not Visible if you don't want your data exposed to the AP!. • Status Whether the Generic Object is active or inactive. Under Advanced Properties, there are a number of additional properties, as follo\.YS:

• API Sub Version Defines whether you wish to use version 1.0 (Vl.O) or 1.1 (Vl.1) OData AP! version. It is recommended to leave this field blank. • MDF Version History This attribute defines what sort of history is saved for deleted values. There are the following three options: - No: No history records are stored for any operation. - Delet e History: Only history records from the delete operation are stored in internal history or audit tables. The data deleted by a full purge import and translatable fields are also included. - Complete History: History records from any operation (e.g., create, insert, update, delete, etc.) are available in internal history or audit tables. The data deleted by a full purge import and translatable fields are also included. Leaving this field blank treats the behavior the same as selecting No. • Default Screen This attribute defines the default UI when you have m ultiple Uls. At this stage a UI hasn't been defined so you can ignore this field. You only need to come back to it if you create two or more Uls in the UI section later. • Subject User Field This field defines the field that holds the user ID when you are defining an

205

S Extensibility

Employee Self-Service object. If you make the externalCode field a field with Data Type of User then this attribute will be updated automatically when you save the Generic Object. • To Do Category This attribute defines vvhich category on the Homepage To Do tile that any pending workflows will be displayed in. • Pend ing Data Determines if data changes that are pending workflow approval are visible before or after the workflow is approved. Once you are done with defining your properties, it's time to save the Generic Object. Scroll back to the top of the screen, click the blue Action button on the right side of the screen, and select Save Object. Once the Generic Object has been saved, you'll be take back to the Extension Detail page-as we see in Figure 5.17-which also shows our newly created Generic Object (Grievance Reporting). Back to: ExtenSJon Center

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206

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5.4 Creating Extensions in Extension Center

Now the object is saved, \Ve can move onto defining any Business Rules by selecting the Generic Object and then selecting Rules in the left menu. Rules The Ru les enables Business Rules to be triggered at certain points of the object lifecycle. The key trigger points used are as follows: • Initialization Triggers rules when creating a Generic Object record, also known as an oninit event. Initialization rules are typically used for setting field defaults on a Generic Object. • Validation Validates data entry in a Generic Object or triggers a workflow after a Generic Object is saved in the UI, also known as an onValidate event. • Saving Triggers rules when saving a Generic Object record, also known as an onSave event. • After Saving Triggers alerts or notifications after a Generic Object record is saved, also known as an onPostSave event. • Deletion Triggers rules after a Generic Object record is deleted, also known as an onDelete event. For each of these trigger points, you can either create a new rule using the Add New Rule button or add an existing rule using the Add Existing Rule button. In Chapter 6 we'll cover how to create a Business Rule. Additionally, below these options you'll see each field in your Generic Object listed after the word Field: {e.g., Field: externalCode). By selecting one of these fields, you can create or assign a rule to trigger vvhen that field is changed. Once any rules have been added, you'll see the number of rules next to the appropriate category under Rules, as well as a total next to the Rules section. Next, let's look at creating a UI for our Generic Object in the UI section. Uls When an Extension is accessed through self-services, it uses a Configuration Ulthat is associated to a Generic Object. AConfiguration UI enables a Generic Object definition

207

5 Ext ensibility

to be configured and formatted for display to employees in Employee Files. Because the self-service user experience is important, the layout of the Generic Object fields that you wish to display for employees- and how you want to display those fields may differ from the layout and configuration of the Object Definition that was created. Configuration Uls present a variety of options to enable a flexible object layout when displayed in the Employee Central UI. Administering Configuration Uls Configurat ion Uls can also be administered in the Ad min Center in Company Settings· Manage Configuration UI. There, you can eit her create a new Configurat ion UI or view, maintain, or delete an existing Configuration UI. You can also view and modify standard-delivered Configu ration Uls there. Once you've clicked on the UI section on the left side, you'll see the Configuration UI editor. The Configuration UI editor is a drag-and-drop, what-you-see-is-what-youget (WYSIWYG) editor. The Configuration UI object enables the self-service view of the Generic Object to differ from how the object is viewed in Manage Data. This can be useful when you want to expose these objects to employees in a more simplified fashion and remove more technical or administrative fields needed by administrators. To create a Configuration UI, first enter a code for the Configuration UI in the Id field, which you can see in Figure 5.18. Below this, you'll see all of the Generic Object fields automatically rendered in the Configuration UI, some of which you can also see in Figure 5.18. Those fields can be renamed, removed, or hidden. Rules also can also be assigned to fields here so that they only trigger when the object is maintained in selfservice (e.g., by an employee and/or a manager). You can change the layout of fields and add fields to sections (called groups). Groups can have titles and borders and also can be set to be collapsible in the UI. In Figure 5.19, you can see that the effectiveStartDate field has been moved to below the externalCode field. You can also see that two icons have appeared next to the effectiveStartDate field, the Edit Properties icon (a pen) and the Delete icon (a red cross).

208

5.4

Creating Extensions in Extension Center

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209

5 Extensibility

By clicking on the Edit Propert ies icon, you can open up the specific properties for that field. This is shown in Figure 5.20. You can make changes such as make the field invisible or read only, change the label, or assign a UI-specific rule to it. Fields

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Figure 5.20 Properties of a Field in t he Configuration UI Once you have finished making changes to your Configuration UI, click the Save button. After you have finished creating your Extension, the Configuration UI needs to be added to Employee Files for access by employees and/or managers. We'll cover that Section 5.4.4. Next up is the final section of the Generic Object, Security. Security The Security section defines whether the Generic Object is going to be permissioned or will be visible to any user with access to a transaction for which the object is consumable. There are the following four attributes available : • Secu red Defines if the object is secured; there are the following three options:

210

5.4 Creating Extensions in Extension Center

- No: Leaves the object and its data unsecured. - Yes: Secures the object and makes it permissionable via the permission category defined in the Perm ission Category attributes. - Custom : Do not use this option. • Permission Category Defines which of the available categories the field will be visible in when defining the permissions of permission roles. • RBP Subject User Field Defines v.rhich field is used to apply the permissions if the Subject User Field (defined in the Properties section) is maintained. Th is field is filled automatically if the Subject User Field is maintained. • CREATE Respects Target Criteria Defines whether Create permission respects the Target Criteria of the Permission Role assignment. There are t\¥0 options : Yes and No. Below these options is the Add Perm ission Role button, which allovvs you to add the Generic Object to a Permission Group. Once you have com pleted the Security section then your Generic Object definition is complete. You can go ahead and save it (click the blue Action button at the topright side of the screen and select Save Object) and return to the Extension Deta il page by clicking the blue Action button at the top right side of the screen and selecting Close. Note that you'll also see the Permanently Delete option in the Action button menu after the first time it is saved. This button- as expected-permanently deletes the Generic Object definition.

5.4.3 Adding Existing Generic Objects

Now that we've seen how to create a Generic Object definition, we'll now briefly look at adding an existing Generic Object to your Extension. An existing Generic Object is added by selecting the Add Existing Object button on the Extension Detail screen (in the Object(s) tab). Once selected, this will open the Add Existing Object window (see in Figure 5.21). Here you have the following two categories from which to select one or more Generic Objects:

211

5 Ext ensibility

• Extension Objects Any Generic Objects you have created in Extension Center. This category is selected by default. • SuccessFactors Objects Generic Objects provided by SAP SuccessFactors in the system. In either category, select one or more Generic Objects using the checkbox on the left of the Generic Object name and click the Save button. Add Existing Object

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Figure 5.21 Available Generic Objects to Add to Our Extension Once the Generic Object(s) is added, save the Extension by selecting the blue Action button in the top-right and selecting Save Extension. Now let's look at how to add an Extension to Employee Files for Employee or Manage Self-Service scenarios.

212

5.4 Creating Extensions in Extension Center

5.4.4 Adding an Extension to ESS or MSS

As we discussed previously, Configuration Uls need to be added to Employee Files so they can be available in Employee or Manager Self-Services. This is performed in Admin Center in Employee Files· Configure People Profile. In the Configure People Profile screen, drag a block of type Live Profile MDF Information to the specific section of the People Profile screen (the Live Profile MDF Information block can be found under Custom Blocks toward the bottom of the list). In the right part of the window, select the Configuration UI in the MDF Screen ID dropdown. The screen should look like Figure 5.22. ,,..-...,

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Figure 5.22 Adding an Extension to the Employee Files UI Once this is done, click 1.vhere it says Untitled to the left of the Live Profile MDF Information block. In the right part of the screen, enter the name of the section as it should appear in the Employee Files UL Once this is done, click Save. Once the Extension is published, it can be viewed and managed by employees and managers (as long as they have the appropriate permissions). We'll now look at the publishing process.

213

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5 Extensibility

5.4.5 Publishing an Extension

Once our Extension is finished and we wish to make it live in the system, we need to publish the extension. Instance Synchronization Setup Before you can publish t he Extension, you'll need to make sure that an Instance Synchronization connection is set up between the source and target instances. This should be done as part of t he implementation of Employee Central. On the Extension Detail screen for our Extension, click the blue Action button and click Publish Extension. The Publish Extension window will open up with all available instances to publish the Extension to, as seen in Figure 5.23. Select the target instance and click Next. Publish Extension ~ase

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Figure 5.23 Publishing an Extension You 1.vill then see the confirmation window. Click the Publish button to publish the Extension. And au voila, the Extension is complete!

5.5 Maintaining Extension Data Generic Objects are typically managed by employees and managers in Employee Files, as we've covered in Section 5.2.1. A workflow can be assigned to Generic Objects via business rules, which means that a conditional workflow can be applied for employees and managers when they edit data via self-services.

214

5.5 Maintaining Extension Data

For administrators, Generic Object data can be managed through the Admin Center in Employee Files • Manage Data. Generic Object data is created and maintained by selecting the Generic Object in the Create New dropdown located on the right side of the screen. To view, maintain, or delete existing Generic Object data, select the Generic Object in the Search dropdown and then select the record to edit in the adjacent dropdown. You will now see the object record. In Figure 5.24, we can see data for a Generic Object record for an employee. We can view the history of all of the changes to this employee's record for this object. ,--..... BestRun

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Figure 5.24 Viewing Object Data in Manage Dat a Depending on the permissions of the user, he or she can be correct or delete each record by using the Take Act ion button or insert a new record by using the Insert New Record button at the top right of the record. Figure 5.25 shows the same data in the employee's Employee Files screen. It is possible to mass delete Generic Object data using a data import. This is covered in Chapter 8, Section 8.3. Additional Resources For more deta ils on maintaining Generic Object data, refer to the Metadat a Framework (MDF) implementation handbook found at http://help.sap.com/hr_ ec.

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5 Extensibility

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5.6 SAP Cloud Platform SAP Cloud Platform is a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) offering that enables t he creation of extension applications for many cloud and on-premise SAP systems, as well as non-SAP systems and mobile devices. Users can build extension applications for certain SAP products, such as SAP Financial Service Network, SAP S/4HANA, and SAP SuccessFactors. SAP offers an SAP Cloud Platform extension package for SAP SuccessFactors that provides the tools to build extension applications for Employee Central. These extension applications inherit the theming of SAP SuccessFactors so that they look and behave like they are part of the SAP SuccessFactors system. By using the OData AP!, they can read and write data in Employee Central. There are many use cases for extension applications. In some cases, the standarddelivered functionality or the MDF cannot meet your needs. When you need to create more complicated functionality, you or your partner can build applications for Employee Central. You can even buy Employee Central applications from an app store!

216

5.6

SAP Cloud Platform

This functionality works in SAP SuccessFactors by creating applications on SAP Cloud Platform. These applications are called Extensions. Extensions are custom applications coded in Java or another programming language that leverage various UI technologies. SAP provides a software development kit (SDK} fo r the comm only used Eclipse development environme nt. An extension called Enterprise Alumni is shown in Figure 5.26. Dashboard

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217

5 Extensibility

The SAP App Center enables customers to browse, test, and buy applications from across the SAP portfolio. Within the SAP App Center there is a section for SAP SuccessFactors applications, which includes extension applications and solution extensions (such as SAP Time and Attendance Management by Workforce Software and SAP Benefits Administration by Benefitfocus). The SAP App Center can be seen in Figure S.28. SAP

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Each extension app or solution extension listed on the SAP App Center can be viewed, with several details provided for each app. Figure S.29 shows an extension app listed on the SAP App Center. The SAP App Center can be accessed at http://www.sapappcenter.com. Additional Resources You ca n read more about SAP Cloud Platform in Getting Started with SAP Cloud Plat-

form by James Wood (SAP PRESS, 2015). Specifically, Chapter 11 covers extending SAP SuccessFactors w it h SAP Cloud Platform. In addition, for more information on SAP Cloud Platform in an SAP SuccessFact ors context , refer to t he SAP Cloud Platform, Extension Package for SAP SuccessFactors guide found at http://help.sap.com/cloud4hr.

218

5.7

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5.7 Summary In this chapter, we looked at some of the Employee Central-foc used parts of the MDF and its Extension Center frontend. Although we didn't cover the low-level technical details, we did cover the key functionality that is important in an Employee Central context. We looked at the creation scenarios for Extensions, how they are related, how data is accessed in self-serv ices, and how data is maintained by admin istrators. We also discussed the SAP Cloud Platform and how it enables extension applications to be created for Employee Central. Now that we have the object model foundation in place, "''e should take a look at the Foundation Objects that define employee master data in Employee Central.

219

Chapter 6 Business Rules Business Rules enable you to modify the behavior of the system in many ways, without performing customizations. From hiding fields to triggering workflows to kicking off an Intelligent Service, Business Rules provide a great deal offunctionality and flexibility.

The Rules Engine is a powerful part of the Metadata Framework (MDF) that enables changes to behavior across the SuccessFactors, including Employee Central. The Rules Engine is a foundational part of extensibility and can be used for a variety of different purposes, as follows : • Setting default values in the New Hire process • Defining person IDs or IDs of other objects • Propagating data • Calculating the value of a field when a portlet loads or when data changes in a field • Changing the values of fields based on the values of other fields • Showing or hiding fields based on other field values • Performing numerical field calculations • Retrieving values from lookup tables • Defining Event Reasons and workflows for self-service • Setting up alerts and notifications • Triggering Intelligent Services This is by no means a comprehensive list of use cases. The flexibility available to define rules, combined with the standard-delivered rule functions provided in the system, means that there are multiple ways to apply Rules Engine functionality across the system and for different use cases.

221

6 Business Rules

Additional Resources You can read more about extensibility in SAP SuccessFactors in Chapter 4 of SuccessFactors with SAP ERP HCM: Business Processes and Use by Amy Grubb and Luke Marson (2nd edition, SAP PRESS, 2015). Additionally, you can find more details in the Configuring Business Rules in SuccessFactors implementation handbook found at http://help.sap.com/cloud4hr.

In this chapter, we'll take a look at how Business Rules work, some of the use cases available, how to build and apply rules in the system. scheduling rules for batch events, and how to perform rule traces with the Business Rule Execution Log.

6.1

How Business Rules Work

There are two aspects to how Business Rules work in the system: how the rules themselves work and how the triggering of rules work. We'll look at both of these within this chapter. Business Rules (also simply called rules) can be created for legacy Foundation Objects, Generic Objects (including MDF Foundation Objects), and for Employee Central objects (Person and Employment objects). Rules have a standard logic flow and are configured with the following five sections: • Rule attributes: Attributes such rule name, ID, type, base object type, effective date, and description • If conditions: The logic to trigger the rule • Then conditions: The logic to execute once the rule is triggered • ELSE conditions: The logic to execute ifthe If conditions are not met • ELSE If conditions: The logic to execute if the ELSE conditions are not met Each Business Rule is built for a specific object type (the Base Object) and uses If conditions to determine the trigger conditions of the rule and Then conditions to determine what will happen when the trigger conditions are met. ELSE and ELSE If conditions can also be used to add in different multistep conditions. Both AND and OR operators are supported within rules, and many functions (such as mathematical, date/time, select/lookup, concatenate/substring, etc.) are provided for use in If. Then, ELSE, and ELSE If conditions. You can also set the If conditions to be always true, i.e.,

222

6.1

How Business Rules Work

the Then conditions always trigger when a rule is triggered, as is often used for field defaults or for field-level changes that trigger a rule. Figure 6.1 shows an example of a rule that sends a number of fields on an employee's Job Information based on their company. ~

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Figure 6.1 A Business Rule That Sets a Number of Attributes Condit ionally

Rules are effective-dated, meaning that a rule change can be future-dated. This could be important, for example, to set a new eligibility for a compensation or benefits enrollment in the fu ture. Say that your compensation eligibility is going to change on the January 1, 2019. Instead of waiting until January 1, 2019, to make the change, you can create a new record for the rule 11Vith the date of January 1, 2019, for when the new record of the rule will go into effect.

223

6 Business Rules

Let's now look at a few other concepts related to how rules work. We'll start by looking at rule parameters before moving onto functions, Model objects, rule execution, and some of the limitations of the business rules framework.

6.1.1

Parameters

Rules can have parameters added, which are used for specific purposes and are defined by SAP SuccessFactors (i.e., you cannot add your own parameters). For example, Time Off accrual rules or rules that trigger alerts and notifications need to have parameters added to enable t he If and Then conditions to be executed. If parameters are needed, SAP provides details of what parameters to configure in the appropriate implementation handbook.

6.1.2 Functions

A function can be used within a rule to perform specific operations or calculations. These enable you to add specific complexity to your rules, such as performing mathematical calculations or deriving the user that is logged into the system. Functions always have a set of brackets after their name, such as Concat enate() or Difference In Calendar Years() . When using functions, it is important to note that the data type of the field you have selected will define which functions are available to use. And likewise. once you've selected a function that will drive the fields that can be used within the function. For example, if the field you wish to use has a data type of String, then the Multiply() function will not be available for that field. Likewise, if you select the Multiply() function then the input fields for that function can only be fields of data type Decimal or Number. In Table 6.1, you can see the mapping of data types between objects in Employee Central and the Rules Engine. Employee Central Object Data Type

Rules Engine Data Type

String

Text

Boolean

Boolean

Date

Date

Double

Decimal

Table 6.1 Object and Ru les Engine Data Type Mapping

224

6.1

Employee Central Object Data Type

Rules Engine Data Type

Decimal

Decimal

Big Decimal

Decimal

Long

Number

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How Business Rules Work

Table 6.1 Object and Rules Engine Data Type Mapping (Cont.)

For fields that are Foundation Objects, Generic Objects, and Picklists the Rules Engine treats them as text fields, although- by default-these fields will have their list of values shown (e.g., the list of the Foundation Objects or the value of the Picklist). Fields with an Enum data type will also show the list of values tied to the Enum. There are various groups of functions, some of which are listed below: • Mathematical Fun ction s These enable mathematical operations to be performed on fields of data type Decimal or Number. They include functions such as the following: - Add() - Di vi de( ) - Opposite Sign() - Round() - Random( )

• Module-Specific or Feature-Specific Functions These functions are provided for specific modules or features, which must be enabled in the instance for them to be available. For example, Position Management functions, Pay Scale Structure functions, Time Off functions, etc. These functions can include the follow ing: - Get Pay Range By Positi on () - Get Number Of Eligible Days() - Get Pens ionable Salary() - Is Employee Full Time Worker() - Next Pay Scale Level from Pay Scale Structure()

225

6 Business Rules

• String Functions These functions enable operations to be performed on fields that have data type of String. They include functions such as the following: - Concatenate () - Format() - Replace() - Substring() - To Uppercase() • Time-Related and Date-Related Functions These functions enable date and time-related operations to be performed on or with fields that have data type Date, Decimal, or Number. They include functions such as the following: - Day Of Month () - Difference In Calendar Years() - Get Number Of Months From Start Date Until End Date() - Timestamp Current Time UTC pl us Offset Minutes() - Today() • Intelligent Services Functions ("Execute" Functions) These functions a re used in Then statements of rules that are used for triggering Intelligent Services. They include functions such as the following: - Trigger First Time Manager Event () - Trigger New Hire Event() - Trigger Worker Job Classification Change Event() - Trigger Worker Long Term Disability Event() - Trigger Worker Manager Change Event( ) • Other/Miscellaneous Functions Any other functions t hat don't fall into the other groups of functions. This includes functions such as the following: - Get Next Value() - Is Empty() - I s User in Permission Group() - Login User() - Lookup()

226

6.1

How Business Rules Work

For a full list of functions, refer to the Using Business Rules in SAP SuccessFactors handbook found at http://help.sap.com/cloud4hr.

6.1.3 Model Objects Many Employee Central objects have a Model version. The Model version of an object has the following three uses: • Enables fields to have the visibility set • Enables fields to be made req uired or not required • Enables a rule to compare a previous value of a field with the current value being set For example, Job Information Model allows any field on Job Information to have its attributes changed by a rule, such as be made not visible or made required. Model versions of objects are named simply with the object name appended with the word "Model''. For example, the Model version of the National ID Information object is called National ID Information Model. The Employee Information Model object also allows any field of any HRIS Element of an employee to be part of the same rule. This can be useful for setting field defaults or querying data in different parts of the employee's data set. Some Employee Central objects store data in rows and columns, i.e., they have multiple rows of records. The Model version of these objects have specific restrictions abo ut how rules using these objects can be built. These Model objects include the following: • Compensation Model • Email Information Model • Job Relationships Model • National ID Information Model • Recurring Pay Components Model • Social Accounts Information Model • Spot Bonus Model • Work Permit Information Model For these objects, if you wish to set the visibility or required attributes ofa column of data then the If condition of your rule needs to be set to Always True; in the Then con-

227

6 Business Rules

ditions, you should only put conditions to set the visibility or required attributes (i.e., you should not put any conditions to set field values here). Entire rows of data cannot have their visibility or required attributes changed. Setting Field Attributes Using Model Objects On Model objects, attributes for a field are set in the same way that field values are set. When defining Then conditions of Model objects to set the visibility or required attribute of a field, you will need to add the option for either attribute in a text field. These options are as follows: • Required, v\Thich can be the following: - true: The field will become required - false: The field will no longer be required • Visibility, which can be the following: - both : The field will be visible and editable - view: The field will be visible but read-only - none: The field will not visible In Figure 6.2, a field from the Job Information Model is being set to be required in the Then conditions of a rule. Then

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Required Fields Standard delivered fie lds t hat are required in t he system configuration should not be set to be not required using a business rule. Doing this may lead to errors or cause instability in t he system. For a full list, please refer to t he Implementing Business Rules in SAP SuccessFactors handbook at http://help.sap.com/cloud4hr.

228

6.1 How Business Rules Work

Comparing Previous and New Values You can use the Value and Previous Value attributes to compare the new value of a field against its previous value in the If conditions. This can be seen in Figure 6.3. ..l If Job Information Model.Employee Oass.Value is not equal to

Job Information Model.Employee Class.Previous Value ,

•

Figure 6.3 Comparing the Previous Value and Current Value of a Field You can also compare specific changes to a field, such as a previous value being a specific value and the new value being a specific value. Figure 6.4 shows an example of this. i:il If

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Figure 6.4 Comparing Specific Previous and Cu rrent Va lues When setting a value in the Then conditions, you must use the Value attribute of a field. Previous Va lue in Then Conditions You cannot set the previous va lue of a field in the Then conditions of a rule. The system will ignore any Then conditions that set the previous value of a field. Model object rules are assigned to events in the same way as "regular" objects. onSave Events Rules that use Model objects should not be assigned to onSave events. Now let's look at how rules are assigned and executed.

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6 Business Rules

6.1.4 Rule Execution

Rules can be triggered at the object level or the field level for Foundation Objects, Generic Objects, and Employee Central objects. Trigger Events For rules assigned at the object level for any type of object, rules can be assigned to trigger on any of the following events: • oninit (called Initialization o r Initialize Rul es for Generic Objects) Triggers the rule when the New Hire transaction loads • onSave (called Saving or Save Rules for Generic Objects) Triggers the rule when the portlet or screen (e.g., Add New Employee, Employment Informat ion, or Persona l Informat ion) is saved after being modified; for Employee Central Objects this event is used to trigger workflows For Generic Objects, the following additional events are available: • onValidate (also called Validation or Validate Rules for Generic Objects) Triggers a workflow after a Generic Object is saved • postSaveRules (called After Saving or Post Save Rules for Generic Objects) Triggers a rule used for workflow for Generic Objects • onDelete (called Deletion or Delete Rules for Generic Objects) Triggers a rule used to delete Generic Object records For Employee Central objects, the following additional events are available: • onView Triggers the rule when the portlet loads (not available for the Home Address portlet or Primary Emergency Cont act portlet) • saveAlert Triggers a rule for the Alerts and Notification feature • onPostSave • Triggers rules used for event derivation • onEdit Triggers a rule to default the values for editable fields in the payment Info object in Employee Central (not available for any other object)

230

6.1 How Business Rules Work

Field-level rules can only be assigned as onChange rules, which means that they trigger whenever the value of the field changes. For the Add New Employee Wizard, only onini t, onSave, and onChange events are available. A rule is defined for the Add New Employee Wizard by the object selected as the Base Object for the rule, which we will discuss in Section 6.2.l. Assigning a Rule Multiple Times Within One HRIS Element While it is possible to assign a rule multiple times in the same HRIS element using different t rigger events, t he rule wil l only t rigger for the first t rigger event. A workaround is to copy t he rule and assign t he copied rule to a different trigger event. Rules are assigned in a number of ways, depending on the object. Legacy Foundation Objects Rules are assigned to Legacy Foundation Objects in the Corporate Data Model XML. To assign the rule at the object level, add the trigger-rule code below the last label tag inside the hris-element tag. To assign the rule at the field level, add below the last label tag inside the hris -field tag. Example t rigger-rule code usually looks like t he following: Generic Objects Rules are assigned to Generic Objects in the Configure Object Definitions transaction or Extension Center in the Admin Center. Select the Generic Object you wish to assign the rule to, click the Take Action menu, and select Make Correction. To assign the rule at the object level, do the following steps: 1. Scroll down to the Ru les section. 2. Under the heading of the appropriate event (e.g., Save Rules), select the dropdown that contains the text No Selection and select the rule you want to assign. 3. Click Save. In Figure 6.5 you can see a rule being assigned to a Generic Object.

231

6

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Figure 6 .5 Assigning a Rule to a Generic Object

To assign the rule at the field level, do the following steps: l

Select Deta ils for the field you want to assign the rule to and scroll down to the Rules section.

2. In the External Code dropdown, select the rule to assign. 3. Click Done.

4. Scroll down to the bottom and click Save. In Figure 6.6 you can see a rule being assigned to a field of a Generic Object.

232

6.1 How Business Rules Work

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2. In the Rules dropdown, select the rule to assign. 3. In the Event Type dropdown, select the appropriate event (e.g., onini t or onVi ew). 4. In the Base Object dropdown, select the base object your rule was created for. 5. Click Save.

233

6 Business Rules

Figure 6.7 shows a rule being assigned to the personlnfo HRIS Element in Manage Business Configuration.

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Figure 6.7 Assigning a Rule to the person Info HRIS Element To assign the rule at the field level, do the following steps: 1. Select Details for the field you want to assign the rule to and scroll down to the

Trigger Ru les section. 2. In the Rules dropdown, select the rule to assign. 3. In the Event Type dropdown, select onChange. 4. In the Base Object dropdown, select the base object your rule was created for. 5. Click Done. 6. Scroll to the bottom and click Save.

234

6.1

How Business Rules Work

6.1.5 Limitations with Business Rules

Although business rules are highly flexible and powerful, there are a number of limitations that exist in the framework. We'll cover some of the more important limitations, including the following: • Limitation in application of cross-portlet rules It is not possible to have rules using a Person Employee Central object as Base Object to update a field in an Employment Employee Central object. or vice-versa. For example, a rule in the Personal Information object cannot update a field in the Job Information portlet, and vice versa. • No test run capability As of today there is no possibility to perform a test run of a rule; all rules must be tested in a non-productive instance before being enabled in a productive instance. • Model Objects do not exist for Legacy Foundation Objects or Generic Objects Since Model objects do not exist for these type of objects, rules cannot be created to set field attributes or enable previous values to be compared with new values. • Inability to create custom functions Custom functions cannot be created, so you can only use functions provided in the system. • Inability to set Foundation Object values from Employee Central objects It is not possible to use a rule on an Employee Central object to set a Foundation Object value. For example, you cannot create a rule with Base Object of Job Information to set the Name field of the Department assigned to an employee's Job Information. • Single branching only When building rules, it's not possible to have a set of If conditions determining certain variables or attributes and then subsequent sets of If conditions that then set the conditions for the rule to trigger. In essence, it means that all possible condition combinations need to be defined in the If conditions, which makes for longer processing time and more complex rules. For example, let's say that you need different logic to determine the worktlow depending on a combination of the length of time since the last pay increase and the amount of salary increase as compared with the maximum pay. Let's say there are a total of eight outcomes. Ideally, you would derive both of those variables

235

6 Business Rules

first, then be able to do a branching based on the values of those variables. Instead, you need to first create four branches based on possible values for length of service, then you'd need to create an entry for the salary increase calculation fo ur times, then have each of the calculation branch into two possible values for a total of eight conditions. Now let's look at creating a rule in the system.

6.2

Creating a Business Rule

Rules are created and maintained in the Admin Center in Company Settings· Configure Business Rules. When building an Extension in Extension Center, you can create any rules directly in the Extension Center. On the Configure Business Rules screen, you can either create a new rule or view, maintain, or delete an existing rule. To view, maintain, or delete a rule, select the rule in the Search dropdown. When viewing an existing rule, the same screen and information can be seen as when creating a rule. When viewing a rule, you can also edit it, in which case you'll see the same screen as when creating a new rule. To create a new rule, select the Create New Rule button located on the right side of the screen. After clicking the Create New Rule button, you must select one of the various rules scenarios. The rule scenarios available to you depend on what features you have enabled in your instance. No matter what is enabled, you 1.vill always have the Basic rule scenario option available to create a rule of any type from scratch. Depending on what is enabled, you may see categories for the following: • Intell igent Services Center (ISC) Create a rule to trigger an Intelligent Services event. • Position Management Create a rule specifically for a Position Management scenario. • Time Management Create a rule specifically for a Time Management scenario. In Figure 6.8 we can see the different rule scenarios available.

236

6.2 Creating a Business Rule

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Figure 6.8 Rule Scenarios Once you've selected a rule scenario, enter the basic details on the right side of the screen, such as the Rule Name, Rule ID, Start Date, and Description. If you have selected the Basic rule scenario, then you need to select the Base Object (we'll discuss this more in Section 6.2.1) and- if required-a Rule Type. This can be seen in Figure 6.9. Once you've entered the details, click the Continue button to begin entering rule criteria. Before setting your If and Then conditions, you can-if necessary-set any rule parameters in the Parameters section. We don't need to set any in our example. In our example rule (which can be seen being created in Figure 6.10), we will set the Work Schedule field value to 2-Weeks Rotating Early-Late Shifts if the employee's Depa rtment is Mechanical Services US and the Pay Grade Level of the employee's Pay

237

6 Business Rules

Grade is less than or equal to 4. This rule would be assigned to the Position field of Job Information as the Department and Pay Grade fields propagate from the Position field, which we' ll cover shortly. For this rule, we'll use a parent and operator fo r the If condition. ~

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238

6.2 Creating a Business Rule

The first step is to select the Department field in the dropdown that contains the text Select Left Expression. In the dropdown you'll see all the fields for the Job Information object. Fields that are data type Foundation Object or Generic Object will have a + sign to the left of them, meaning that they can be expanded to select fields from that object (or associated objects. from which fields can be selected). For Model objects, all fields have + sign to the left of them that expand the attributes mentioned earlier (Previous Va lue, Required, Value, and Visibility). ~

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239

6 Business Rules

value - which means you can select an object or Picklist value in the next dropdown- or it may be Text-meaning that you must enter a text value- or it may be Number- meaning that you must enter a numeric value. Irrespective, it is also possible to select something different, including another field or a function . If the default is left then you can select or enter a value in the fourth dropdown. If you select a field then the fourth dropdown will disappear; if you select a function then the fourth dropdown will be replaced by function-specific input fields (an example of which is shown in Figure 6.11). Then S.i C4mP«1s.ik>n lnfonnttion New S-.y 10 bt equal to Rate from Pay Scar. Struc:t\Q() , Pay Scale l evel: Compeosalion lnformatlon Employment Details Job Information.Pay Scale level Pay Scale level Pay Compc>nent: Effec1ive Dai.:

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240

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Figure 6 .13 Rule to Validate Pay ment Information 241

6 Business Rules

6 .2.1

Choosing the Correct Base Object

The Base Object defines which fields and related objects you can use when creating the rule and which events the rule can be assign ed to. For Employee Cent ral objects, it also affects pages and events. For example, if your rule is going to trigger on the National ID Information portlet then you would select Nationa l ID Information as your Base Object when creating the rule. For the Add New Employee Wizard, you should select either the Employee Information or Employee Information Model object as the Base Object. If you want to change the attributes of fields or compare previous values with current values of a field on an Employee Central object, select the Model object. For all other Employee Central portlets, select the object or Model object that corresponds. For legacy Foundation Objects or Generic Objects, select the object.

6 .2.2 Tips for Creating Rules The following are a couple of key tips when creating rules that will reduce processing time of the system: • Ordering of If conditions The ordering of If conditions can greatly affect how quickly a ru le is t riggered; you should put the conditions most likely to trigger at the top so if they do trigger, the rule no longer needs to process the rest of the If conditions. • Length of the Rule Long rules are always going to take more time to process; consider this when building rules. Now let's take a brief look at creating messages and referencing workflows in rules.

6 .2.3 Creating Messages and Referencing Workflows You can use a rule to raise a message to provide information, a 11varning, or an error. Information and warning messages give the user a message on-screen with the appropriate icon, while an error message does the same but prevents the user from continuing until they have resolved the error. These are created by using Raise Message in the Select Output Type dropdov.rn in the Then condition, selecting a Message Definition object (Message Definition is a Generic Object) in the Message dropdown, and selecting the severity of the message in the Severity dropdown. A workflow can be triggered using a rule by selecting Set in the Select Output Type dropdown in the

242

6.3 Offcycle Event Batches

Then condition, selecting the wfConfig field of the object, and then in the last dropdown, selecting the Workflow Configuration that will be raised. Now let's take a look at the offcycle event batches functionality.

6.3 Offcycle Event Batches Offcycle event batches enables the execution of rules on a batch of Employee Central object records on a periodic basis (e.g., daily). Typically most rules are triggered based on the action ofa user. However, in some cases it is required that a rule is triggered on a set of records periodically or based on a future-dated event occurring. For example, you may wish to update an employee's record based on an anniversary date or perform an update of an employee's pay scale level every year. At the time of writing, offcycle event batches can be created for the following objects: • Job Information • Employment Details • Employee Time • \Nork Order Offcycle event batches are performed using the Off Cycle Event Batch Generic Object. This Generic Object has a filter condition and an associated rule. The filter is used to select the records that the rule will run against. Please note that only a single HRIS Element can be updated by the rule. The effective date for the records created by the rule is always the date on which the offcycle event batch is run. It is not possible to use date as an If condition for the rule. 6.3.1 Creating an Offcycle Event Batch To create an offcycle event batch, you must first define the rule that will be executed (if it doesn't exist already). then create any Offcycle Event Batch Groups, and then create the Off Cycle Event Batch Generic Object record. Previous Va lues in Job Information Offcycle Event Batches When creating rules for processing Job Information offcycle event batches that require a check aga inst a previous value, you must add the previous Value parameter manually to t he rule (previousValue must be the Code of the parameter). Please note that using previous values only works with Job Information.

243

6 Business Rules

Offcycle Event Batch Groups are created in the Admin Center in Manage Off Cycle Event Batch Groups. In the Manage Off Cycle Event Batch Groups screen, click Create New Group to create the group. Groups are defined in the same way Permission Groups and Employee Groups are defined. The Off Cycle Event Batch Generic Object record is created in Manage Data in the Admin Center. Figure 6.14 shows an Off Cycle Event Batch Generic Object record. ,.---..,

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Figure 6.14 An Offcycle Event Batch Generic Object Record To create a new Off Cycle Event Batch Generic Object record, select Off Cycle Event Batch in the Create New dropdown. Maintain the follo>ving fields: • Code A code for the record • Associated Rule The rule to execute when the offcycle event batch is run • Base Object The base object on which to execute the rule • Status Whether the offcycle event batch is active or inactive; if the status is set to Inactive then the offcycle event batch will not process • Frequency You can optionally maintain a frequency to execute the rule; the values are Daily, Weekly, or Monthly

244

6.3 Offcycle Event Batches

If you select Job Information or Employment Detai ls as the value of Base Object, then the following fields will be displayed below the Base Object field (maintaining these fields is optional): • Off Cycle Event Batch User Group You can select an Off Cycle Event Batch Group for the rule to run against • Include all matched records in every run You can choose to include all matched records in every run or not • Include inactive records You can choose whether to include inactive records to be executed by the rule Next it is time to define the filter that will be used to trigger the rule in the toFilter section. You can add multiple filter conditions and the system will treat them as OR fi lters (e.g.. only one fi lter must apply but not all filters can apply). There are fou r fields that must be maintained for each filter condition, as follows: • Filter Field The field on which to filter; these are all the date fields available on the Base Object selected previously • Operator The operator of the filter that relates the field you selected in Filter Field to the offset you define in the Offset field. There are the following five values to choose from: - is equal to

- is after

- is before

- is on or after

- is on or before • Offset The date offset from the field selected in Filter Field • Offset Unit The unit of the value entered in the Offset field. There are the following seven options: - Year(s)

- Day(s)

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- Hour(s)

- Month(s)

- Minute(s)

- Week(s) Once you have finished defining your filter(s), click Save to save the Off Cycle Event Batch Generic Object record.

245

6 Business Rules

Let's look at a quick example to understand how these settings filter the records that the rule will execute on. Let's say we want to trigger a rule to update an employee's Benefits Eligibility field in Employment Details after they have reached two years of employment. After creating the rule to update the field, we would set the following values in the filter (in the toFilter section): • Filter Field: Hire Date • Operator: is equal to • Offset: 2 • Offset Unit: Year(s) Figure 6.15 shows what this example '"ould look like. tofilter ._ Operator

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Figure 6.15 Our Filter 6.3.2 Monitoring Offcycle Event Batches Offcycle event batch jobs can be monitored in Mon itor Job in the Admin Center. Look for the BizX Daily Rules Processing Job. Additional Resources You can also find more details in the Batch Rules Processing Using Of!CycleEventBatch handbook found at http://help.sap.com/cfoud4hr. Now let's take a look at the Business Rules Execution Log.

6.4 Business Rule Execution Log The Business Rule Execution Log is used to perform rule traces. You can setup the Business Rule Execution Log to perform logging of specific rules to help determine if 246

6.4 Business Rule Execution Log

they are executing as expected and to analyze errors with rule execution. Every time the rules are run, a log is created and you can download the log as a CSV file. The Business Rule Execution Log is accessed in the Admin Center in Company Settings• Business Rule Execution Log. The Business Rule Execution Log user interface is the same as using the Manage Data interface; you can search for existing rule traces (whether they are active traces or not) which can be edited or deleted, and you can create new rule traces. In order to demonstrate how rule traces work, we'll quickly create a rule trace. To create a rule trace, select Rule Trace in the Create New dropdown on the right side of the screen. There are then the following four fields to maintain: • Code Enter a code for your rule trace • Name Enter a name for your rule trace • Start Date Enter the date on which the rule trace should begin • End Date Enter the date on which the rule trace should end; note that a rule trace can only be active for a maximum of two days You'll also notice the Log Link field below the End Date field, which cannot be maintained. Once your rule is saved, this will show the Download Log link next to it so that you can download the rule trace log. If the trace hasn't run or hasn't been successfully executed then the log vvill be empty. Once you've entered the details in these fields, you can select the rule(s) to trace in the dropdown in the Rules to be traced section. Click Save to save your rule trace. Your rule trace will look like the trace seen in Figure 6.16. Once saved, the rule trace will execute on the date(s) defined in the rule trace. At any point during or after this period, you can go to the rule trace and download the logs that we mentioned previously. Impact on System Performance Every time a trace is performed on a ru le using the Business Rule Execution Log the performance of t he system is negatively impacted. It is important to on ly perform a trace when required and to turn off the logging of any rules when it is no longer

247

6 Business Rules

needed. It is also recommended to perform rule t races in productive environments outside of business hours and to control the tracing process; for example, do not run a t race for a rule in a scenario t hat performs mass processing or updat es or run multiple traces at the same t ime. ~

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6.5 Summary In this chapter, we looked at Business Rules, how they can be utilized for a variety of scenarios, and some of the key aspects of the Rules Engine. We also looked at how to create a business rule and use it in the system, including the offcycle batch event functionality. We then looked at the Business Rule Execution Log that can be used to perform rule traces. Based on this chapter, you should have a good understanding of all facets of Business Rules and how to apply them in your system. Now that we have extensibility covered, we will take a look at the Foundation Objects that define employee master data in Employee Central.

248

Chapter 7

Foundation Objects Foundation Objects are the building blocks of employee records within Employee Central. By creating a listing of data values from which to populate employee records, we are assured standardized data that is consistent and reportable.

Valid, consistent, and organized data is an absolute must for any organization looking to execu te mean ingfu l reports and simplify data entry processes. Having set values to choose from when populating a field provides consistency. Organizing these set values and giving them characteristics of their own takes this process further. In Employee Central, we accomplish this task by utilizing Foundation Objects. In this chapter, we'll introduce you to the Employee Central Foundation Objects, beginning by walking through an overview of key terms and differences between regular Foundation Objects and MDF Foundation Objects (see Section 7.1). In Section 7.2, we'll dive into the different categories to define Foundation Objects. Then, in Section 7.3, we'll see how Foundation Objects work together through the use of associations and propagation. Section 7.4 will walk through the configuration of Foundation Objects before we finally move on to the creation and extension processes in Section 7.5 and Section 7.6, respectively. Let's begin with an overview of the basics.

7.1

Basics

Foundation Objects are categories or structures for listings of data that are set up to

be used across an entire company. Each object has a series of defining data fields associated with it that extends its characteristics. It's sometimes easy to think of Foundation Objects as index cards or card catalog entries from the library. Each object has a series of acceptable values, or cards. When you pick a card and examine it, you will see additional characteristics of that card's value. These characteristics help further define an employee who is assigned an object.

249

7

Foundation Objects

Foundation Objects offer a single, pre-delivered list of values a user can select from when populating a data field. There are several benefits to using Foundation Objects in Employee Central, some of the most important of which are as follows: • Eliminates the need for an end user to determine a free text entry for a field. • Resulting standardized values can be easily reported on and/or used as report filters. • Provides the ability to build in known associations between Foundation Objects, whereby one selected value helps drive available values in a second field. • Provides the ability to have data propagate or autofill from one field to another based on the selected Foundation Object. This helps to streamline the data entry process because fewer fields need to be entered manually. There are quite a few key terms to know and structures of which to be cognizant in order to take full advantage of all that Foundation Objects have to offer. Let's explore these terms and structures together.

7.1.1

Structures and Key Terms

On the surface, Foundation Objects are just structures for defining selection sets or listings of data values available to populate a given field- but they are more than that. Attached to each value is a list of properties that can be applied or inherited along with the value. Location, for example, may have a sample value of World Headquarters Atlanta. However, when setting up this value we also included an address of 123 Main Street, Atlanta, Georgia, as one of its characteristics. When you select World Headquarters Atlanta as an employee's work location, you know not only the Location where an employee works, but also the specific address of the Location, all without having to enter in an address on the employee's record (see Figure 7.1). This is one powerful aspect of Foundation Objects. Another key aspect of Foundation Objects is that they are effective-dated. This means that you store historical records and document changes to items as an organization changes. If a department name changes or a restructuring occurs, you do not lose any previous records. Instead, you can end date one record and place the new record on top. You can also delimit records no longer in use so that they cannot be selected and assigned to employees.

250

7.1 Basics

Location: Atlanta (US_ATL) Effective as of 01 101/1990 Blue indicates that the item changed on this date Code US_ATL Standard Hours 40 Name Ananta

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Figure 7.1 Location Foundation Object

We sometimes throw around terms interchangeably when working with Foundation Objects. A Foundation Object is the type of data listing you want to define, such as Location in the previous example. Foundation Data refers to the customer-specific values that populate your Foundation Object. Looking back to the previous example, World Headquarters Atlanta would be an example of Foundation Data because it is a specific master data entry listed for a specific customer. You store Foundation Data in Employee Central in Foundation Tables. Although each of these three terms-Foundation Object, Foundation Data, and Foundation Tablesrefer to different and unique things, they are often used interchangeably. It's up to us to determine whether a colleague or document is referring to the definition of a structure (Foundation Object) or the customer-specific master data populating the structure (Foundation Data). For those of you interested in technical or system jargon, Foundation Objects are defined in the Employee Central system as HRIS elements. These HRIS elements are effective-dated, meaning you store a start date and end date for records related to

251

7

Foundation Objects

these objects. If our World Headquarters in Atlanta moved buildings. the new address could be recorded \Vith a particular start date and the previous address saved for historical purposes. You do not need to overwrite entries in order to support current data. Each Foundation Object or HRIS element can have multiple characteristic data fields or properties that help define the object. These fields are known technically in the system as HRIS.fields. The address state of Georgia in the preceding Location scenario is an example of an HRIS field. Each Foundation Object or HRIS element has a Code field, a Name field, and a Start Date field.

7.1.2 Foundation Objects versus MDF Foundation Objects There is an in-process plan to migrate existing Foundation Objects from their current platform, defined in XML data models, to being defined on the Metadata Framework (MDF). The MDF provides customers more options and flexibility in their Object Definitions and gives the option to skilled customer admins to make configuration changes as needed, because the MDF is accessed in the graphical user interface (GUI) found within the Admin Center. These MDF Foundation Objects are sometimes also referred to as Generic Objects (the term given to objects defined within the MDF). At the time of publication (Fall, 2017), the fol1011ving Foundation Objects have been successfully moved to the MDF: • Legal Entity and Legal Entity Local • Business Unit • Division • Department • Cost Center • Job Classification and Job Classification Local • Job Function • Pay Calendar • PayGroup • Job Family (now considered to be deprecated) This means that configuration and associations for these objects occurs in the MDF portion of the Admin Center and not in the XML data models that traditionally used to define these objects. Permission settings and Picklist definitions vary slightly as well.

252

7.2

Categories

Now that we've provided a basic overview of the structure of Foundation Objects and some important keys terms and discussed the differences between regular and MDF Foundation Objects, let's turn our attention in the next section to the different categorizations of Foundation Objects.

7.2

Categories

There are three key categories that nearly all Foundation Objects can be sorted into: Organizational, Job, and Pay. Other Foundation Objects that do not fit into one of these major categories can be grouped together and labeled as Miscellaneous. Table 7.1 provides a complete listing of these objects. The key categories are defined as follows: • Organizational These objects help create a company organizational structure and identify where in the structure an employee is found. • Job These objects help keep a consistent job catalog and are used to classify an employee's work assignment and job-related characteristics. • Pay These objects allow you to store tables of pay-related data, including payment types, groupings, and information related to payroll calendars. • Miscellaneous Foundation Objects that do not fit into one of the above three main categories. Miscellaneous

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Location

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Dynamic Role

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253

7 Foundation Objects

Let's take a look at the Foundation Objects shown in Table 7.1 and briefly discuss their use. 7.2.1 Organizational Organizational objects provide the organizational structure of a company and align each employee within that structure. The components used are as follows: • Company/Legal Entity The terms Company and Legal Entity can be used interchangeably. This is the highest-level building block for an organizational structure and is a required field on an employee's record. As true legal entities are established and registered in a single country, so too are Legal Entity objects. Each instance of a Legal Entity (Company) object must be tied to one and only one country. This country assignment helps drive which country-specific fields to display on an individual employee's record. It also helps determ ine local currency, language, and standard working hours (optional for this object) for employees assigned to the company. See Section 7.4.2 of this chapter for information about Country and Currency assignments on the Company/Legal Entity object. • Business Unit A Business Unit represents a breakout of operating functions within an organization. It is the second level building block in an organizational structure and can span across multiple companies and countries. • Division A Division is the third level of an organizational structure and usually starts to narrow down an employee's position within a company. Depending on an organization's structure, vve often see Division tied to either a Company or a Business Unit as a further defining point. • Department A Department is the fourth and most specific level of an organizational structure. It usually narrows down the group or team that an employee reports to and is often headed by the employee's manager. We often see a Department fall directly subordinate to a Division. Don't Have Four Levels to Your Organizational Structure? Don't worry if you don't have fou r levels to your organizationa l structure. These fou r objects reflect commonly used organizational structures, but your organization may

254

7.2 Categories

have more or fewer than four levels. Within Employee Central, you can remove and reorganize these four levels and even add additiona I levels if warranted. If a level needs to be removed, we recommend removing the Business Unit. Legal Entity is a required level, and Division and Department are key fi lters for other SAP SuccessFactors modules. Therefore, if you need to remove one level, Business Unit's absence will have t he least impact across the entire system suite. • Location ALocation is a specific physical work place for an employee. Each location can have a country-specific address. • Location Group A Location Group is a combination of multiple Locations for reporting or filtering purposes. This value does not display directly on an employee's record, but is derived by the system to assist administrators. An example ofa Location Group is an entry called "Europe" that groups together all of the specific Locations within Europe. When running a report for that region, an HR manager would not need to select each individual Location but could instead select the Location Group. • Cost Center ACost Center is usually a budget unit defined by your organization's financial system. It is not a direct part of an organizational structure but rather part of a financial or budget structure. Many companies align Cost Centers to Departments. If such a relationship exists, then you can utilize this information to help streamline data entry using associations, as discussed in Section 7.3.l. • Geozone A Geozone is a grouping of Locations that typically fall \Vithin the same cost-ofliving spans. Use Geozone to help offset higher- and lower-than-average costs of livings and their impact to the salary range. A high-cost-of-living area may have a special premium or adjustment percentage allotted to it, whereas a low-cost-of-living area may have a reduced range. Geozone contains a field called Adjustment Factor to help indicate the offset amount when reviewing salary ranges. 7.2.2 Job

Job objects allow for a consistent and consolidated job catalog and have the advantage of sharing their characteristics with employees through inheritance. The components used are as follows:

255

7

Foundation Objects

• Job Classification AJob Classification, sometimes referred to as Job Class, Job Code, or simply Job, is a specific job or role within an organization. It helps identify what work an employee does and how that work is classified. Job Classification is a key element in the system. You can derive many characteristics from a Job and apply them directly to the employee. Characteristics such as Employee Type, Regular/Temporary, and Employee Class are just a few examples. • Job Function A/ob Function helps you sort jobs based on functional work performed. This is a

field that allows HR managers to grab groups of employees who perform similar work or functions. Job Functions can be very broad (i.e., Information Technology Group} or very specific (i.e., Accountants). Try to find a balance between being too general and too specific based on the reporting needs of your company and the generalness/specificity used in determining your Job Classifications and/or Business Units. You don't want to recreate data just for the sake of having it here. 7.2.3

Pay

Pay objects are used to handle pay- and compensation-related data. They include information about not only payments and deductions, but also frequency and pay periods. These objects include the following: • Pay Component A Pay Component is a specific payment or deduction assigned to an employee. Each specific type is denoted through a separate Pay Component. Pay Components can be one-time (such as a retention bonus) or recurring (such as annual salary). Pay Components are ideally defined globally, but on occasion some countryspecific listings may be required. Modifications to the standard-delivered Pay Component setup can render Pay Components country-specific. If you do not provide a currency when creating an instance of a Pay Component, then the system will default to the employee's local currency. Wage Types Pay Components in SAP SuccessFactors are typically called Wage Types in on-prem ise SAP ERP Human Capital Management (HCM).

256

7.2 Categories

• Pay Component Group A Pay Component Group is a grouping together of various Pay Components. This is helpful when looking for summations, totals, and annualizations, for example. A great example of a simple Pay Component Group is Total Annual Compensation, which can be a sum of annual salary and annual bonus. Pay Component Groups are able to convert various frequencies and currencies and display an annualized amount.

Currency Exchange Rates Pay Component Groups must have a currency exchange reference to access in order to group together pay components of differing currencies. This fu nctionality is stored as a generic MDF object known as Currency Exchange Rate. The Currency Exchange Rate is a standard delivered MDF object that replaced the previously used Currency Conversion Rate Tables. The new object definition is CurrencyExchangeRate under Configure Object Definitions. To view and maintain conversion values, go to Manage Data and create or search for Currency Exchange Rate. An example of such an entry is shown in Figure 7.2. BestRun

~

Adm•°"'"' •

Currency Exchange Rate: OEFAULT-CAO·EUR (DEFAULT-CAO-EUR)

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Figure 7.2 Example of a Cu rrency Exchange Rate Entry

Technical Wage Types Pay Component Groups in SAP SuccessFactors are typically ca lled Technical Wage Types in on-premise SAP ERP HCM.

257

7 Foundation Objects

• Frequency Each pay component must have a designated Frequency to indicate at what interval the payment is made. Examples include one-time (payments), annual (salary), and hourly (wage). • Pay Group A Pay Group is a grouping together of employees with the same payroll run information. These groupings are typically determined by your payroll system. • Pay Calendar For each Pay Group, there is the option to use a Pay Calendar. A Pay Calendar holds information about a Pay Group's pay periods, including work period, pay dates, and check dates. • PayGrade A Pay Grade is a grade or a level on a pay scale that indicates where in a fixed structure of pay ranges an employee falls. This field is typically tied directly to a Job Code. A Pay Grade will typically point to a Pay Range or another type of pay structure. • Pay Range A Pay Range is a span of pay that is typically awarded for a particular Pay Grade. Because Pay Grade is typically tied to Job Code, another way to interpret Pay Range is that it is a span of pay typically applied to a Job. An employee holding a specific Job would likely or should likely have a salary or hourly wage found within the Pay Range. A Pay Range is used to help compute Compa Ratio and Range Penetration. These values indicate how well an employee's pay fits into the Pay Range guidelines. 7.2.4

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous Foundation Objects is the classification for all other standard delivered Foundation Objects as well as most of the custom (customer specific) Foundation Objects (especially those not used to augment the organizational structure). They include information about workflows and transaction event reasons. These objects include the following standard delivered items: • Event Reason An Event Reason is a code assigned to an event or transaction on the employee record side to indicate why a particular change has taken place. This helps with reporting because you can tell not only how many new hires or terminations you've processed in a given period but also why t hese actions have taken place. Turnover reports are much more meaningful if you can designate not only the

258

7.3

Associations and Propagation

number of departures but also why employees terminated their employment. Event Reasons are typically defined globally to allow for global standardization and reporting. Modifications can be made to the standard configuration to permit for country-specific Event Reasons, if needed. In this scenario, you may sacrifice some global reporting capabilities. • Workflow Configuration The Workflow Configuration object allows you to define workflow routings and approvers. Types of participants available are Approvers, Contributors, and CC Participants. More information about workflows can be found in Chapter 4, Section 4.3. • Workflow Contributor A Workflow Contributor is a person who contributes to a workflov,r. This Foundation Object is somewhat misleading, because the various types of Contributors (Role, Dynamic Role, Person, Dynamic Group) are defined outside of this object and merely referenced within this object for importing purposes. The actual assignment of a Contributor to a workflow can also happen within the workflow definition itself if defined vvithin the Admin Center. • CC Role A CC Role is a person or persons (Role, Dynamic Role, Person, Dynamic Group, External Email Address) that receive notice of a completed workflow. This Foundation Object is somewhat misleading, because the various types of CC Participants (Role, Dynamic Role, Person, Dynamic Group, External Email Address) are defined outside of this object and merely referenced within this object for importing purposes. The actual assignment of a Contributor to a workflow can also happen within the workflow definition itself if defined within the Admin Center. • Dynamic Role A Dynamic Role is a workflow participant that varies based on data criteria at the employee level. If the intention is to send the vvorkflow to the head of an employee's faction, then the system can determine this recipient based on the employee's faction assignment. The recipient therefore varies based on the employee involved in the workflow.

7.3

Associations and Propagation

Now that you've learned a little about each Foundation Object, let's explore how they work together and enrich the system. Two key means of doing so are through associations and propagation.

259

7

Foundation Objects

7.3.1 Associations Foundation Objects can be tied together using relationships known as associations. We put associations in place to help with data entry and validation. If your organization rolls Departments up into Divisions, then you have a relationship between the Department and Division objects. When you hire a new employee into a certain Division, you don't want to have to sort through all Departments to find the correct assignment. You only want to see the Departments that roll into that Division. An association assignment will help you do just that. An association identifies which two Foundation Objects are related, in which direction the relationship flows, and the degree of the relationship. In the previous example, the related objects are Division and Department. The relationship flows up from Department to Division and allows for multiple Departments to flow into a single Division. This is known as a one-to-many association. If each Division only contained one Department, then you could set up a one-to-one association. This is the case with Pay Grades and Pay Ranges. Each Pay Range can be assigned to only one Pay Grade. Associations help with data accuracy because data ent ry persons do not need to scroll through irrelevant values or impossible data combinations. Only relevant and possible values are presented. Associations are assigned for Foundation Objects directly in the Corporate Data Model or directly in the MDF Foundation Object Definition. 7.3.2 Propagation Propagation is a tricky principle to master, but it yields huge benefits when working with employee records. The concept of propagation is that you can assign a Foundation Object to an employee's record and use that assignment to auto-populate values of related fields on the employee's record. This is possible as long as the related field has a corresponding entry on the Foundation Object side. Let's look at an example. Say you have a Foundation Object called Location (see Figure 7.3). This Location has a characteristic field called Timezone. This makes sense because each Location can have a specific timezone attached to it. For this example, say your Location value is Atlanta, Georgia and the corresponding Timezone is Eastern Standard Time (EST). When you assign an employee to the Atlanta location, you don't want to search through a list of timezones to find the correct one. You've already stored the matching timezone in the Foundation Tables and want the system to pull that value for you. Propagation will populate the Timezone field on the employee record with

260

7.3

Associations and Propagation

Eastern Standard Time (EST) if you have propagation set up properly. No entry is

needed. Organizational lntormation • Company • Business Unit Division Depanment Location Cost Center Account

Ace USA (ACE_)

•

Corporate lnduslries (ACE_IND) "' l nduslries Test (IND) Sales (SALES) AUanta (US_ATl)

•

•

• •

C Direct Sales (3 1300)

•

ob Information Timezone

US/Eastern (GMT-05:00)

•

Figure 7.3 Selecting Location Drives the Va lue of Timezone via Propagat ion

Propagation is beneficial "llvhen trying to populate job attributes on an employee record. Many data fields are already stored as characteristics of a Job Code and can be defaulted in using propagation. This will help save time and help with data accuracy. Data entry people don't need to search for values; the values are presented for them instead. If there happens to be a deviation from a standard assignment, the value can ahvays be overwritten at the time of entry directly on the employee's record. All propagations are configured in the Propagation Data 1\ilodel. An implementer can retrieve a best practices copy of the XML data model from the SAP Service Marketplace. That copy contains several commonly used propagations and can be edited to tailor existing scenarios to a company's needs and to add additional propagations. Once modifications are made, the revised Propagation Data Model should be imported into the company's system by the implementer. as shown in Figure 7.4. ~uccess1on

rnanagement

Pre-packaged Templates lmoort/Exoort Data Model lm~rtJEx~rt Count~, Soecific XML for Succession Data Model lmoort/Exoort Coroorate Data Model XML lmoort/Exoort Country Specific XML for Coroorate Data Model lmoort/Exoort HRIS Propagation Configuration XML lmoort/Exoort Rules XML for EventReason Derivation lmoort!Exoort Rules XML for Workflow Derivation

Figu re 7.4 Provisioning Import Path for t he Propagation Data Model

261

7 Foundation Objects

Now that vve've looked at how associations and propagations help Foundation Objects work together, we'll walk through the basic configuration of Foundation Objects.

7.4 Configuration Foundation Object configuration takes place after requirements gathering and is fine-tuned during the project iterations. Configuration involves taking the customer requirements and building out the foundational structures to support these requirements. With the migration process from traditionally configured Foundation Objects to MDF Foundation Objects currently ongoing. we must explore two different configuration methods: configuration via a data model and configuration within the MDF. Take Care During Requirements Gathering Take care during requi rements gathering to discuss the concepts of propagation and association. These two characteristics of Foundation Objects highlight the benefits of using Foundation Objects as opposed to elaborate Picklists thro ughout t he syst em. Please be sure to compare Foundation Object fields with employee data fi elds and build in additional fields where applicable on the Foundation Object side to help support propagation. The use of custom fields can be beneficial here.

7.4.1

Corporate Data Models

The traditional (and eventual legacy) method of configuring Foundation Objects is by usi ng XML data models. This is the only method to configure non-MDF Foundation Objects. The data models used to configure Foundation Objects are referred to as the Corporate Data Model and the Country-Specific Corporate Data Model because they help us define our company structures. The Corporate Data Model is used to define global object definitions. whereas the Country-Specific Corporate Data Model is used to define country-specific or local object requirements. These two da ta models work together almost in a parent- child manner. XML Data Models An XML data model is a technical design that allows you to structure yo ur data for storage and transmission w ithin Employee Central. Using data models, you can

262

7.4 Configuration

structure wh ich data elements and fields to define in your system. SAP SuccessFactors uses a series of best practices or commonly used setups in its data models. An implementer will work to personalize these data models according to each customer's business requirements. These models can be downloaded from the SAP Service Marketplace by permitted implementers.

Structure of Corporate Data Models Each Foundation Object is defined by an HRIS element, which has a technical name and is referred to by this technical name in the data model. One example is Location Group, shown in Figure 7.5, which has an HRIS element name of locationGroup. Each HRIS element has a series of properties that help define it (see Figure 7.5). < label>Locacion Group ~ 1 ,._J 1 ~~ < label xml : l anq="bg- BG">rpyna Ha MecTononozeHl1.e !<wr.pulan Lolcasi !<e lompolc Lolcas i Skupina umisceni GrW., Lleoliad < label xml : lanq•"da- DK">Sccdgruppc

Figure 7.5 HRIS Element locat ionGroup Each HRIS element has a series of HRIS fields that store data relating to the HRIS element. Figure 7.6 shows an example of how these fields are defined within the data model. Each field has a series of properties that help define it: • label A label that can be translated into supported languages. This label becomes the field name on the Foundation Object screen. A separate label line is included for each label translation needed. • visibility A visibility setting that indicates whether a field should be turned off, read-only (for system-calculated fields), or editable. The field's values are none, read, and both. • required A required setting that indicates whether a field is mandatory or not. Its values are true and false . • max-length A field length indicating how many characters the field should support.

263

7 Foundation Objects

• id An ID representing the field's technical field name. If a standard field is being used, then the i d value is supplied by SAP SuccessFactors. If a custom field is being created, then a custom field id should be used. • maximumFractionDigi ts A setting that indicates how many decimal places are supported for numeric fields (not shown in Figure 7.6). • showTrailingZeros Defines whether trailing zeroes are sho\vn after the decimal place. Its values are t rue and false . •

p11

A Personally Identifiable Information (PI!) setting that indicates if the field contains sensitive data that should be masked from regular view. Its values are true and f alse.
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Figure 7.6 HRIS Fields If the field is a selection set that should reference a Picklist. then the Picklist is assigned at the bottom of the HRIS field definition using a Picklist assignment statement, as shown in Figure 7.7.
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Figure 7.7 HRIS Field Definition with Picklist Assignment at the End

Custom Fields Custom fie lds are fu lly supported in both data models. Custom strings and numerous dates, longs, and doubles are available for use.

264

7.4 Configuration

Associations

Associations between Foundation Objects are configured directly within the Corporate Data Model at the end of the configuration of all HRIS fields. The association statement links together the Foundation Object with its associated Foundation Object. Figure 7.8 shows an example of an association between Location and Geozone specifying that each Location can have one and only one Geozone. '



Figu re 7.8 Associat ion bet ween Location and Geozone Defined Within the Corporate Data Model Country-Specific Corporate Data Model

The Country-Specific Corporate Data Model funct ions in the same manner but is organized first by country and then by HRIS element. Each supported and configured country has a separate segment within the file. Note that not all HRIS elements/Foundation Objects are able to support a country-specific setup. Within the traditional XML-defined setup, the following areas have standard-delivered country-specific setups for various countries: • Corporate Address for Location • Job Classification Custom fields are also supported in this data model. All properties for an individual custom field, except for Label, must be defined the same way across all the countries for which they are used. Company Company/Legal Entity also supports country-specific requ irements; however, this object has been migrated to be an MDF Foundat ion Obj ect. Therefore, its count ryspecific settings are handled within the MDF.

Caution Please review basic XML protocol carefully if you're attempting to modify t hese data models. Be warned that several different fields may have the same labels and/or

265

7 Foundation Object s

technical field names. For Employee Central, we work with t he HRIS fields defin ed within HRIS elements. Standard elements are used elsewhere in SAP SuccessFactors, but not directly in Employee Central. After tailoring the data models for a customer, we can import them in to the system using Provisioning. After selecting the Company Name from your Provisioning main screen you are able to find import links for uploading and downloading data models.

7.4.2 Configuring MDF Foundation Objects and Object Definitions

Configuration for MDF Foundation Objects takes place directly within SAP SuccessFactors via the Configure Object Definitions area of Admin Center. Navigate as follows : Admin Center· Company Settings· Configure Object Definitions. An Employee Central-provisioned SAP SuccessFactors system will come delivered with best practices definitions for all MDF Foundation Objects. The job is just to modify as needed to meet your company requirements. Once you have navigated to the Configure Object Definitions section of Admin Center, you should see the screen shown in Figure 7.9. In the top-right corner, you'll see the option to Create New objects. In the top-left corner, you'll see the option to Search for existing objects and Picklists. Your MDF Foundation Objects are already defined, so select Object Definition in the first dropdown next to Search and then the MDF Foundation Object you wish to modify in the second dropdown box. ft

Admin Center •

Emily Clark (admin) •

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Figure 7.9 Entry Screen for Configure Object Definitions Figure 7.10 shows the basic definition for our Division MDF Foundation Object. The basic properties are set at the top (Figure 7.10), and the Fields are shown at the bottom (Figure 7.11).

266

7.4

Configuration

Configure Object Definitions

" Object Definition: Division (Division) • Code Division

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Database F1ekl Name MaxitrKJm Length Oala Type

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267

7 Foundation Objects

Associations tying together MDF Foundation Objects are made directly within the MDF Object Definition. Notice the Associations area at the bottom of Figure 7.11. Modifying MDF Object Definitions Instructions on how to edit and modify MDF Foundation Objects can be found in Chapter 5. MDF Picklists An important distinction must be made between Picklists and MDF Picklists. MDF objects read from MDF Picklists and not the traditional Picklist listing. To create a new MDF Picklist, go to Configure Object Definitions and choose Create a New Picklist.

Propagation Data Model Propagations are defined within an XML data model known as the Propagations Data Model. Propagations help you to default in data values on the employee data side based on the properties of a selected Foundation Object. There are two key parts to defining a propagation scenario: • Propagation statement • Mapping statement A propagation statement identifies the triggering Foundation Object, the referential Foundation Object field, and the destination employee data field. Figure 7.12 shows an example Propagation Data Model statement in which the selection of a job in the employee data record triggers a lookup of the Job Foundation Object and returns the assigned Pay Grade to the Pay Grade field on the Employee Record. <propa9aee

.toundation-el~.ent-id• " jobCode " >



<destination hris-ele:rr.ent-id=" joblnfo" field-id="pay-qrade "/>

Figure 7.12 Propagation Data Model A mapping statement identifies the lookup key between the Foundation Object code/ ID and the triggering employee data field . This statement permits the lookup on the Foundation Object side. Figure 7.13 shows an example.

268

7.4

<propaga~ion-mapping

Configuration

f oundation-field=" jobCode .exeernalCode" hris -fie ld="joblnfo. job- code" />

Figure 7.13 Propagation Dat a Model Mapping MDF

Foundation Objects Referencing Country and Currency

MDF Foundation Objects do not reference Picklists for Country and Currency assignments but rather Generic Objects called Country and Currency. These generic objects contain properties and characteristics >vhich then extend to the referencing Foundation Object-usually Company/Legal Entity. One benefit of using objects for this assignment is that customers can inactivate values that are not needed in order to cut down on the selection list. In the case of the Country object (Figure 7.14), characteristics include: • Country code (alpha) • Country code (numeric) • Currency • Country-specific Pay Components • Count ry-specific Event Reasons r ' Best Run

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Oontal Employco UK (DEE_UK)

Figure 7.14 Sample Count ry Ent ry Showing Characteristics

269

7 Foundation Objects

For Currency. characteristics include: • Currency code • Default decimals {places) • Symbol Additional values can be added to the standard delivered listing loaded during implementation (found on help.sap.com/hr_ec). Values that are not needed can be made inactive. Additional fields can be added to the object definitions set in Configure Object Definitions, covered in Chapter 5.

7.5 Creating Foundation Object Data There are two methods used 'Nhen creating Foundation Object data: importing templates and manual creation within the system. Each administrator will likely develop a preferred method. We recommend using the import templates for initial populations to save time and effort. Ongoing maintenance can be accomplished using either method, but it's often easier for small changes or additions to be made in a manual or direct fas hion. We will walk through both methods in this section. 7.5.1 Importing Templates The process for creating Foundation Objects in Employee Central using load templates is an excellent way to add multiple entries at one time. Each Foundation Object has its own load template. Templates are generated by the system and are specific to your configuration. Load templates can also be used to purge or overwrite existing entries in the system or to make mass updates, as may be needed for Company Reorganization Exercises (ReOrgs). Load templates are accessed in Admin Center. They can be found using the following path: Admin Center • Employee Fi les • Import Foundation Data. At the top of the Import screen, you can download a blank but properly formatted Foundation Objectspecific template by clicking on the Down load a blank CSV template link (see Figure 7.15}. You will see a dropdown list of all relevant Foundation Objects and can choose the one you '"'ant to use.

270

7.5

Creating Foundation Object Data

Admin Center Back to Admon Center

Import Foundation Data Use a CSV ftle to upload multiple foundation records. Please note !hat Ille Import process could take several minutes. Tip: Not sure what data fields to include in your file? '!I:!Downloact a blank CSY (emo/a(e r.i Monitor Job

Figure 7.15 Import Foundation Data Screen

Load Template

Each load template is a comma-separated values (CSV) file containing two header rows, as shown in Figure 7.16. The first header row contains the technical name of each HRIS field, and the second row contains the field's label. It is important to keep the file in CSV format and to leave the header rows untouched. B

A 1

st art-dat e

2

Effective a s of Code

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Figure 7.16 Simplified Load Template wit h Two Header Rows

Almost all load templates v.•ill contain columns for externalCode, start-date, name, and status (see Figure 7.16). A Foundation Object joined to another by association will also have a column to enter in the associated object's external code (Column Fof Figure 7.16). When populating a template with data, keep the following helpful tips in mind: • Each object's external code must be unique. • The start date value will determine the date on which each object can be assigned to an employee. Be sure to date it back far enough to be used on employee records. • Choices for Stat us are Active or Inactive. • When referring to a Picklist value, use the Picklist label or direct value, not its external code. • When referring to other Foundation Objects, use the object's code, not its name or label.

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7 Foundation Objects

Recommendation Do not delay the data-gathering process for Foundation Objects. Spend t ime ident ifying all of the objects needed to support your organization's business, but try to avoid waiting until the last minute to do so. Foundation Object data must be imported prior to importing any employee data, so it is best to do so in a t imely manner in alignment with your project plan.

Importing the Load Template Once you finish populating a load template with your entries, import it into the system. To do so, return to Admin Center· Employee Fi les• Impo rt Foundation Data. This time, instead of downloading a blank template, scroll down to the bottom portion of the Import Foundation Data screen (see Figure 7.17). Follow these steps to import a file: 1. Select the type of Foundation Object you want to import from the radio button list.

2. Choose whether you're performing a Full Purge (overwrite objects existing on the file with the new data contained in the file) or an Incremental Load (adds these values as new records in an object's history). 3. Select the file for import. 4. Choose the corresponding file format. If there is any doubt about which format to use, choose Unicode {UTF-8) so as not to lose any multi-character set formatting. 5. Click the Validate Import File Data button. The system then reviews a subset of the file to ensure that the proper header rows have been u sed and that appropriate field val ues have been selected. 6. Once the file passes validation. go back through and click the Import button to complete the load process. 7. Depending on the size of your file, it may be loaded directly and a results message displayed right on the screen. With larger files, the import job may process in the background and an email message will be sent to confirm the import. You can also actively monitor the import job's progress by clicking on the Monitor Job button at the top-left side of the screen or by selecting Mon it or Job from Admin Center.

272

7.5

Creating Foundation Object Data

ata Use a csv me to upload multiple roundation records. Please note tllat tile import process could take several minutes. Tip: Not sure what data nelds to Include In your ftle? '!lJ Downtoaa a Clank CSV1emo1are r.i Monitor Job

Type:

•

Location

I

Pay Group Pay Calendar Pay Component Pay Component Group FreQuency Job Classification Type:

•

Full Purge Incremental Load

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•

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Validate Import File Data

Import

Figure 7.17 Import Foundation Data Screen with Key Areas Highlighted

Note At the t ime of writing (December 2015), all Foundation Objects, even MDF Foundation Objects, can be loaded via template in this manner and from this screen. In addition, MDF Foundat ion Object s can also be loaded into the syst em using the Import and Export Data portion of the Adm in Center. This process can be a little more involved, however.

7.5.2

Manual Creation

Manual additions to the Foundation Data and regular updates also can be made manually within the system. This is a task usually carried out by global administrators, because Foundation Objects are for the most part global in nature. Manual admin updates is a method preferred by many to update Locations, add a new Division or Cost Center, or update the Job Classification listing. The location within the Admin Center for making changes varies slightly based on whether you're modifying a regular Fou ndation Object or an MDF Foundation Object. Let's take a look at each scenario.

273

7 Foundation Object s

Managing Traditional Foundation Object Data Manually add and edit non-MDF Foundation Objects in an area of the Admin Center known as Manage Organization, Pay and Job Structures. Navigate to this area via Admin Ce nter• Employee Files• Manage Organization, Pay and Job Structures. The resulting screen allows you to search for existing Foundation Data in order to view, edit, update, and delete entries and to create new values {Figure 7.18). ft

Admin Center •

Emily Clari< (admin) •

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Figure 7.18 Manage Organizat ion, Pay and Job Structu res Area Creating a New Entry

To create a new entry, select the Foundation Object type from the dropdown list next to the Create New header, shown in Figure 7.18. A blank entry screen for that Foundation Object will appear and will show each field that is defined as an HRIS field for this particular HRIS element. Complete the entries and click Save at the bottom of the screen (see Figure 7.19). Pay Component • Effective as of

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Figure 7.19 Blank Foundation Object Screen for a Pay Component Object

274

7.S Creating Foundation Object Data

Effective As Of Date Pay particu lar attention to t he Effective as of date at the top of the ent ry. This represents t he entry's start date. It must be set backfar enough that the object is in existence fo r an employee record it needs to be added to. If an employee needs to be assigned a Pay Component as of Ju ly 1, 2000, then the Pay Component start dat e must be on or before this date. This is a common oversight new administrators somet imes make when creating new entries.

Modifying an Existing Entry To modify an existing entry, select the Foundation Object type from the dropdown list next to the Search header, shown in Figure 7.19. From the second dropdown, select the specific entry you wish to view or edit. You can type in the name or code of this entry. Once selected, the entry should display in the center of the screen, as shown in Figure 7.20. Notice that because this is an effective-dated entity, there is an object history on the left side of the screen. This allo,vs you to track changes over time. Sack to Admin Center

Manage Organization, Pay and Job Structures Search :

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Figure 7.20 Left Side of Existing Location Entry, Ready for Viewing/Editing If you need to make a correction to the data shown, click on the Take Action dropdown shown in the History section. Then, select Make Correction or Permanently

275

7 Foundation Objects

delete record (see Figure 7.22). A correction should only be made if data is erroneous and needs to be fixed as of the already shown effective date (or if an effective date needs to be corrected). I

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Figu re 7.21 Take Action Options: Ma ke Correction or Permanently Delete Record An update to existing data is needed if there has been a change to the existing record. This happens in the case of a new Department name, a nevv Division head, a new Location address, and so on. In these cases, you do not want to overwrite existing data but rather want to keep it in History while you make a new entry in the record. Accomplish this by clicking the Insert New Record button in the top-right corner of the screen (see Figure 7.22). This allows you to add a new record without erasing previous information. 0

Location: Beij ing (CN_BJS)

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Figure 7.22 Location Record Showing Insert New Record Button Managing MDF Foundation Object Data The general process for creating and modifying an MDF Foundation Object Data entry is similar to the non-MDF Foundation Object process, but the area of the system for accessing this data is different.

276

7.6 Extending Foundation Objects

From the Manage Organization, Pay and Job Structure screen, choose to create or edit an MDF Foundation Object entry. When you do so, you are notified via a popup that the location for performing these tasks has changed. Click on the MDF Foundation Objects link (Figure 7.23) to be rerouted to the new location. Once there, the process of adding or editing an MDF Foundation Object entry is the same as the process for adding and editing non-MDF Foundation Objects described in the previous section.

0

Alert Department has been migrated to MOF. Click here to access Department: MOF Foundation Objects

Figure 7.23 Popup Alert Rerouting to the Manage Data Area Alternately, directly access the area for adding and editing MDF Foundation Object Data, the Manage Data area, from the Admin Center, via Admin Center • Employee Files • Manage Data. As you can see in Figure 7.24, the view and menu options are identical to what you saw in the Manage Organization, Pay and Job Structures area. Admin Center .

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7.6

Extending Foundation Objects

With the addition of the MDF to Employee Central, there are now several different options in terms of flexibility and customer-specific configuration. These options are seen directly with the use of Foundation Objects. Traditional data models are defined independently, but the MDF allows for universal consistency and reuse of existing

277

•

7

Foundation Objects

Object Definitions. It also allows you to build your own custom objects (foundation or otherwise) and to insert and connect them to already existing structures as needed. The greatest benefit of the lv1DF for Foundation Objects is the ability to create new and custom Foundation Objects for customers. This means that if the basic existing four-level organizational structure (Company, Business Unit, Division, Department) doesn't meet the needs of an organization, you can build new objects to help augment the existing structure. For example, you might add a SubFunction or Project Team object. You can also build non-organizational-related Foundation Objects to assist companies with managing their employee data or characterizing their organization and employees. Items such as Buildings (to further breakout campus- or plant-style Locations) and Job Market Category are common examples. These custom MDF objects can be used in the same manner as their traditional counterparts. They can be inserted into an existing structure using associations, used as filters when sorting through long data lists, and brought into parent- child relationships. In addition, they provide some extra functionality in the form of using business rules and workflows during their creation and use processes. For more information on the MDF, see Chapter 5.

7.7 Summary In this chapter, you learned about Foundation Objects and their role in the Employee Central module. We introduced propagation and associations as well as the Foundation Object creation and maintenance processes. We ended the chapter by looking at how we can extend Foundation Objects further. In the next chapter, we will take a deep dive into data imports and data migration. These two topics are important to master not only for initial system population, but also to assist with ongoing maintenance.

278

Chapter 8 Data Im ports and Data Migration Migrating your existing HR data into your new Employee Central system is a necessary and critical activity. Employee data may also need to be imported into the system from time to time.

Whether performing a one-time migration, introducing a set of new employees into the system, or updating a number of Foundation Objects, data imports are a quick and reliable method of bringing data into Employee Central. Although the OData AP! is a robust and effective way of importing data into the system, the AP! requires a greater amount of technical skill and additional technology to use. It goes without saying that importing data can be challenging. Ensuring that you meet file dependencies and use correct column formats can be a headache, and understanding the entire dataset can be difficult for even the most accomplished and knowledgeable business experts. Significant time should be put aside for data migration, particularly for larger organizations. Leveraging common extract-transformload (ETL) tools can be a great help to ensure that you get your data in the right format and in the right files so that system validations are met. Another factor is determining your current data freeze and the cutover date for your data, which may also coincide with the first transmission data for your system integration. If you're migrating historical data to Employee Central, then the number of years of history to migrate needs to be determined. If you're using SAP SuccessFactors Workforce Analytics (WFA), then we recommend migrating at least two years of data. If you're m igrating data from SAP ERP HCM and will integrate data back to SAP ERP HCM from Employee Central, then you may consider only migrating data from your cutover date. Most commonly, data migration is performed via data imports. Section 8.1 and Section 8.2 will discuss the requirements and processes that meet the needs for most customers importing and exporting data. SAP ERP HCM customers who are migrating to Employee Central will find tools and methodologies available to accelerate or facilitate data migration (see Section 8.5).

279

8 Data Imports and Data Migration

In this chapter, we'll look at the methodology and common elements fo r all data import methods and go through each type of import one by one. We'll also look at some of the more advanced import errors and how to solve them. Once we've looked at data imports, we'll move onto data exports before looking at the data migration tools available to facilitate the one-time movement of data into Employee Central.

8.1

Importing Data

SAP SuccessFactors accepts data imports in the comma-separated values (CSV) file format. The structure of the CSV import templates depends on the configuration of the system. You can export CSV import templates from the system to be filled with the data to be imported. There are the following three types of data imports for importing Employee Central data: • Foundation Object data • Generic Object data • User account and employee data Each of these has its own nuances and individual characteristics, but luckily, they share certain attributes with each other. We'll cover each type throughout this section. Prior to filling in data import files, you must understand the Employee Central data model, which we covered in Chapter 1, Section 1.2. Before we look at the import templates and data import types, Vl'e will first walk through the critical processes and considerations that you should review before beginning a data import.

8.1.1

Processes and Considerations

You should perform data imports after the system has been configured, although during the configuration iterations you should load a small subset of employee data to ensure testing and demonstration of the system according to the needs of the customer team. Typically, importing a subset of data makes it easier for a customer to understand how the system looks in a real-world scenario and enables the customer to better judge the configurations that have been made. In this section, we will look at standard data import processes, key fields, settings, and other important considerations to keep in mind when performing a data import.

280

8.1 Importing Data

Data Import Order

You import data via various transactions in Admin Center, depending on which type of import you're performing. and you should import the CSV import files in a specific order based on the type of import. When importing data for t he first time, you should import Foundation Object and Generic Object data before employee data. It's also important that you've im ported Picklists, especially those referenced in the CSV import templates. For the standard configu ration, import object data in the following order: 1.

Frequency

2.

Pay Group

3.

Location Group

4.

Legal Entity

5.

Legal Entity Local objects (e.g., Un ited States, France, Germany, etc.)

6. Geozone 7.

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16. Job Classification 17. Job Classification Local (e.g., United States, France, Germany, etc.) 18. Pay Component 19. Pay Component Group 20. Pay Range 21. Pay Calendar 22. Event Reason 23. Position 24. Time Off objects (e.g., Time Profile, Work Schedule, Holiday Calendar, etc.)

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8 Data Imports and Data Migration

25. Time Sheet objects (e.g., Time Recording Profile, Time Recording Admissibility, etc.) 26. Employee data 27. Dynamic Role 28. Workflow Configuration 29. Workflow Contributors 30. Workflow CC Roles 31. Other employee Generic Object data (e.g., Advances. Alternative Cost Distribution, Deductions, Bank, Payment Information, Time Accounts, Currency Exchange Rate, custom Generic Objects data, etc.) Depending on the system configuration, the order of objects imported may differ, and some objects may not need to be imported (e.g., Position, Time Off, or Time Sheet objects). Employee data files have a specific order that must be followed (see Section 10.1.3). There following are some caveats about imports that are important to note: • Business Unit, Division, Job Classification, and Position objects must be imported without parent objects filled and then reimported •Nith the parent objects filled, because the system needs the objects to exist before they can be referenced. • Business Unit and Division objects must be imported without the headOfUnit field filled and then reimported once employee data has been loaded, because this field references employees' user IDs. • Likewise, Cost Center must be imported without the cost Cent erManager field filled and then reimported once employee data has been loaded, because this field references employees' user IDs. • Any percentage-based Pay Component objects must be imported without the basePayComponentGroup field filled and then reimported with this required value filled after the Pay Component Groups have been imported. The system performs validation on all Foundation Object and employee data imported, including checking the data against system logic and running any business rules that have been configured, should the settings be enabled. A sanity check is performed on the first ten records in Foundation Objects and employee data imports at the point of upload; this check lists any errors that are discovered. These errors must be resolved to pass the sanity check. See Section 8.1.5 for an example of this validation.

282

8.1 Importing Data

The following file encoding formats are available for import files: • Western European (Windows/ISO) • Unicode (UTF-8) • Korean (EUC-KR} • Chinese Simplified (GB2312} • Chinese Traditional (Bigs) • Chinese Traditional {EUC-TW) • Japanese (EUC) • Japanese (Shift-JS) Real-Time Synchronous and Asynchronous Loading SAP SuccessFactors supports both real-time (synchronous) and asynchronous loading of data for Foundation Object and employee data imports. Real-time imports are performed if the number of records is below the threshold, which varies for each type of import. The threshold can be lov.•ered so that an import file can trigger an asynchronous import instead of a real-time import. Generic Object imports are always asynchronous loads. All real-time loads should complete within five minutes. Download the results of asynchronous jobs (imports and exports) from the Monitor Jobs screen, located in Admin Center in Employee Files• Monitor Job (see Figure 8.1). Monitor Jobs lltm$

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283

8 Data Imports and Data Migration

summary of the number of records processed. Access this information by clicking the Download Status hyperlink in the Down load Status column. Any asynchronously loaded job will t rigger an email upon completion of the job. Full Purge or Incremental Load Data being imported can be either a full purge or an incremental load. Full purge means that all existing records in the system are wiped for each object/ employee in the CSV import template and are replaced with the records in the CSV import template. Incremental load means that the records within the CSV import template are imported in addition to the existing records in the system. When using an incremental load, existing records in the system remain unaffected. When performing an incremental load, it's possible to perform a partial load, in which only certain values are changed and others remain unchanged. Do so by using the value &&NO_OVERWRITE&& in the field(s) to be retained. This is useful if only certain changes need to be made during a bulk import. such as changing a Department or Pay Grade only. There are certain limitations when using &&NO_OVERWRI TE&&. The following fields do not support &&NO_OVERWRITE&& in any import file: • user-id • person-id-external • externalCode • start -date • end-date • seq-number • operat ion • address fields In addition, the business key fields for each object must always be defined and cannot use &&NO_OVERWRITE&&, because they identify the object. Most business key fields are contained in the preceding list. but some additional fields can also define the business key for the following objects: • Job Classification Local FO: country • National ID Information: country and card-type

284

8.1

Importing Data

• Address Information: star t -date and addr ess -type • Email Information: emai l-type • Phone Information: phone-type • Social Account Information: domain • Emergency Contact: name and r el at ionshi p • Pay Com ponents Recurring: pay-component • Pay Components Non-Recurring: pay-component-code and pay-dat e The follo11ving imports do not support the &&NO_OVERWRI TE&& value: • Pay Calendar Foundation Object • Dynamic Role Foundation Object • Workflow Foundation Objects (Workflow Configu ration , Contributor, and CC Roles Foundation Objects) • Personal Docu ments Information {Work Permit Information) • Job Relationships Note that the &&NO_OVERWR ITE&& value cannot be used in the Job Information import for records that have an Event Reason for Hire or Rehire events. The system treats blank fields differently depending on whether the file is imported as a full purge or incremental load. When imported as a full purge load, blank values are treated as blank. When imported as an incremental load, blank values are retained ifthe field supports &&NO_OVERWRITE&&; otherwise they are treated as blank. Key Fields and Settings There are several system settings that can be set in Admin Center in Company Set tings ·Company System and Logo Settings. The follov;ing settings are all Boolean checkboxes: • Ena ble rules execution during Job Information import Enables execution of business rules when importing Job Information data. Disabling this setting will speed up the data import, because executing business rules occurs for every record and increases the processing time. This setting should be disabled if you use Event Derivation with business rules; otherwise, it will cause an internal system error when importing data. This setting does not affect business rules t hat propagate data from the position to the employee.

285

8 Data Imports and Data Migration

• Enable Forward Propagation of Job Information Data for Inserts in Incremental Imports Enables fo rward propagation of Job Information data to future-dated records when loaded in an incremental load. • Attach data with email for Import/Export jobs Enables job result data to be attached to the job completion notification email. • Suppress update of identical records during Employee Central import for supported entities Enables du plicate records to remain as is ifthere is no change to them for both full purge and incremental load imports of Personal Information, Person Info, Job Information, and Employment Information data. • Execute Business Rules and Propagation Against NO_OVERWRITE Enables business rules to be executed when importing Job Information data that uses the &&NO OVER~JRITE&& value fo r one or more fields. The following settings enable inputting a batch size as an integer: • Maximum thread pool size for Employee Central and Foundation Data imports Sets the number of batches processed at a single time; the default is five. • Batch size for Employee Central and Foundation data imports Sets the number of records for each batch; the default is 500. The following Position Management settings (found in Admin Center in Employee Files· Position Management Settings) also can impact data imports: • Do Not Adapt The Position 'To Be Hired' Status During Job History Import Defines whether the To Be Hired field on a position should be changed ifthe position becomes filled as part of a Job Information import. • Validate Position Assignment During Job Information Import Defines whether position assignments should be validated during a Job Information import (i.e., whether the position is already assigned to an employee when it is not a shared position). • Do Not Adapt Reporting Hierarchy During Position Import Defines whether the Reporting Hierarchy should be adapted to match the Position Hierarchy during a position import. • Do Not Adapt Hierarchy During Import of Leave Of Absence Records Defines whether the current hierarchy should be adapted based on a leave of

286

8.1

Importing Data

absence when the Right to Return featu re is used (i.e., employees should be reassigned to the holder of the parent position of their manager's position if their manager is on a leave of absence). Special Characters Special characters (e.g.,&,#, or"') are supported, except for caret ("), 1.vhich is not supported. Keep the following caveats in mind when using some special characters: • Any text fields that contain a comma (,)must be enclosed in quotation marks (" "). • Pipe (I) should not be used in the external Code field of a Foundation Object if that object will be used in a field defining associations for another Foundation Object. Date Formats The format of dates used in date fields is dependent on the login locale of the user. For example, if the user's locale is en_US, then the date fo rmat will be MM/DD/YYYY, whereas if the user's locale is en_GB, then the date format will be DD/MM/YYYY. Forward Propagation Job Information, Compensation information, and Pay Component Recurring entities enable future propagation of data. This means that when a new record is inserted between time slices via Incremental import, the system automatically updates the future records to the value that precedes it. There are specific settings required to enable fo rward propagation for Job Information and for Compensation information/Pay Component Recurring data. They are covered later in this chapter. Let's go over some of the basics for import templates before looking at the three data import types. 8.1.2 Import Templates All import templates consist of two header rows and multiple columns. The top row of the template is the technical fieldname. and the second row is the description of the field. Figure 8.2 shows an example of a filled CSV import file for the Legal Entity Foundation Object in Microsoft Excel.

287

8 Data Imports and Data Migration

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• Figure 8.2 CSV Import Template for Legal Entity The import templates will look familiar to anyone that understands the data model of the configured Employee Central system. Most fields will be listed with their technical field names. However, there are two main caveats, as follows: • Object references and associations Fields that reference another object (e.g., a Foundation Object or Generic Object) or have an association with another object are always in the format