Print this articleSAP Business Workflow – Advanced Programming with ABAP OO
As Workflow moves towards ABAP OO programming to enhance and eventually replace the Business Objects, this is becoming a must for all workflow consultants and developers.
This is presently a one day course to be taken either by experienced workflow consultants or, in addition, by those who have attended the BIT610 standard workflow programming course.
The course is run on Web AS 6.20 and has the following prerequisites: BIT600, BIT601, BIT610 and BC400 & BC401
After completing this course, you will be able to:- Identify all points in the workflow system at which programming is possible or necessary.
- Create your own classes and use them in the workflow architecture
- Use Container Parameter Interface as the new application programming interface (API) for workflow related functions (check, receiver type, and so on)
- Creating a Class with Instance Handling
- Creating Attributes for Workflow Class
- Creating Methods for Workflow Class
- Creating Exception and Event Handling for Classes
- Creating and Test Workflow Functions with ABAP Classes
Use
Before you can create or edit existing data records on an applicant, you must know the names of the infotypes in which they are grouped. Otherwise it is not possible to access specific data records or indeed store data in the correct place in the system.
Integration
The Recruitment infotypes
Many of the infotypes used in Personnel Administration are also used in Recruitment:
If necessary you can also use other Personnel Administration 
infotypes
Features
In addition to these Personnel Administration infotypes, Recruitment also has some infotypes of its own that can be used specially for applicants:
Definition
The Applications infotype (4001) is used to store information on whether an application was made in response to an advertisement, or is an unsolicited application.
Use
A new data record of the Applications infotype (4001) is created for every application received from an applicant. Each record is linked to a specific point in time, that is, the start and end date of the record contain the date on which the application was received.
The time constraint for this infotype is 3.
Definition
The Applicant Actions infotype (4000) serves as a record of all applicant actions carried out for an applicant. These applicant actions might be:
- Data entry procedures (e.g. Initial entry of basic data, Enter additional data)
- Procedures which change the overall status of the applicant (e.g. Reject applicant, Put applicant on hold)
Use
The most important piece of information contained in this infotype is the applicant's overall status (e.g. processing, on hold, rejected). This depends on the last action performed for the applicant. If, for example, the action type Put applicant on hold is performed, the applicant is assigned the overall status on hold. In the standard SAP system, a new record is created in the Applicant Actions infotype (4000) for every action type performed for an applicant.
In addition to data on the action type that was performed, the Applicant Actions infotype (4000) also contains information on whether or not an applicant has been recommended by an employee (reference employee). If this is the case, you can store the name of the reference employee in a text not used in evaluations.
The time constraint for this infotype is 1.
Definition
You use the Vacancy Assignment infotype (40029 to enter the names of the vacancies to which the applicant has been assigned.
Use
Assign the applicant to a vacancy. The applicant will then be included in the selection procedure for this vacancy. The status of the applicant’s vacancy assignment shows where the applicant is in the selection procedure.
You can assign one applicant to the selection procedures for several vacancies. If you do this, you have to assign different priorities to the vacancy assignments. There must also be a vacancy assignment status for each assignment for the applicant.
The time constraint for this infotype is 2.
Definition
You use the Applicant’s Personnel Number infotype (4005) to enter an internal applicant’s personnel number.
Use
The system enters this number automatically in the corresponding Applicant’s Personnel Number infotype (4005) for all internal applicants. This means that it contains a data record for each internal applicant.
The time constraint for this infotype is B.
Definition
You use the Applicant Activities infotype (4003) to enter the activities that have been created for an applicant.
Use
Activities carried out for an applicant within a selection procedure are entered, logged and planned in the Recruitment system by means of applicant activities. In other words, applicant activities are administrative stages through which an applicant passes during the course of the application procedure. Correspondence with applicants is also handled by means of applicant activities.
You can only display applicant activities in applicant master data (you cannot edit them here). To create or change applicant activities, choose Applicant activity ® Maintain.
The time constraint for this infotype is 3.
Definition
You use the Status of Applicant Activities infotype (4004) to specify the following for an applicant:
- Whether any planned activities exist for this applicant
- Whether any recurring tasks have to be performed (such as sending a message, or printing a letter)
Use
Each applicant has one Status of Applicant Activities (4004) infotype record. This is created and updated automatically.
The Status of Applicant Activities infotype (4004) contains data that is required for running certain reports (for example, reports that affect recurring tasks).
Definition
The Employee’s Applicant Number infotype (0139) is used to store an employee’s applicant number.
Definition
You can store an employee or applicant’s educational details in infotype Education (0022).
Use
If you want to depict an employee or applicant’s complete educational history, create the infotype record with the relevant educational period.
Enter the following data for each educational history:
- Educational establishment (e.g. primary school, college)
- Name and location of the relevant educational establishment (e.g. Boston College)
- The country in which the educational institute is located
Note that the system checks the applicant or employee’s certificate against the type of educational establishment attended to make sure they match up.
In addition, you can enter the duration of study and the applicant/employee’s major and minor courses of study.
Note that the system checks the applicant or employee’s major and minor courses of study against the type of educational establishment attended to make sure they match up.
If you have made the appropriate system settings, the system automatically determines the appropriate educational group for the educational details you entered. The education group structures the employee/applicant’s education types into different groups.
Use
The following describes how to maintain applicant data using some typical procedures as examples.
Use
The search help for applicant numbers allows you to access applicant numbers if you do not know the actual numbers you are looking for. Several search helps are available in the Applicant number field if you use the input help. You choose the desired search help (e.g. Personal data) and enter the relevant data as prompted by the search help. The system selects the relevant data and outputs it in list form. You select the desired applicant from this list. The system then writes this applicant’s applicant number to the Applicant number field.
Prerequisites
Search helps are available via the standard settings. You can use these search helps, or you can customize them to suit the needs of your enterprise.
To find out more about search helps, choose menu path Basic Settings ® Maintain Search Helps in Customizing.
Features
The following search helps are set up for applicant numbers in Recruitment in the standard system:
- Personal data
- Advertisement
- Reference personnel number
- Recurring tasks
For more information on matchcodes, see the Basis documentation under Search Helps.
Use
You want to find an applicant number. In this case, you call up the input help in the Applicant number field and execute the appropriate search help. This finds the desired applicant number in the system.
Procedure
- Call up the input help in the Applicant number field.
- Select the desired tab strip in the tab index. Each tab strip represents a different search help.
- Choose Start search.
- Select the desired applicant number in the list displayed, and choose Copy.
The system displays the maintainable fields for the selected search help. Make entries in these fields.
Note that you do not have to make entries in all the fields in the selected search help. You also have the option of making generic (e.g. M*) or masked (e.g. M++er) entries.
Note that for most search helps, you also have the option of restricting the number of values suggested by the system. The system suggests a default value, which you can overwrite.
The system displays a list of values that are assigned to the selected search path.
The system then writes this applicant’s applicant number to the Applicant number field.
Result
You have displayed a value list using search help and have selected the desired applicant. The system has written this applicant number to the Applicant number field.
Use
You must change an applicant’s address in the following cases:
- An address was entered wrongly and needs to be corrected.
- The applicant has a new address, and this is to be used from a specific date.
Prerequisites
You have accidentally entered an applicant's address wrongly, and now want to correct it. To do this, you must overwrite the existing record in the Addresses infotype.
Procedure
- Choose Applicant master data ® Maintain.
- In the Applicant number field, enter the desired number.
- Select the Addresses infotype, and choose Edit ® Change.
- Make the required changes.
- Save your changes.
The Maintain Applicant Master Data screen appears.
The Change Addresses (infotype 0006) screen appears.
Result
You have corrected the applicant’s address.
Prerequisites
An applicant notifies you that his or her address has changed. To enter the new address, create a new infotype record in the Addresses infotype. The old record remains in the system and its validity is delimited.
Procedure
- Choose Applicant master data ® Maintain.
- In the Applicant number field, enter the desired number.
- Select the Addresses infotype and choose Edit ® Create.
- In the From field, enter the date as of which the new address is valid.
- Specify the Address type, and enter the applicant's new address.
- Save your entries.
The Maintain Applicant Master Data screen appears.
The Create Addresses (infotype 0006) screen appears.
The system displays a warning that the end of the existing data record will be delimited.
Result
You have entered the applicant’s new address.
Prerequisites
You have accidentally assigned an applicant to a vacancy for which he or she is not suitable, and you want to delete the assignment.
Procedure
- Choose Applicant master data ® Maintain.
- In the Applicant number field, enter the desired number.
- Select the Vacancy assignment infotype, and choose Edit ® List.
- Select the vacancy assignment you want to delete, and choose Edit ® Delete.
- Choose Applicant master data ® Delete.
The Maintain Applicant Master Data screen appears.
The system displays a list of all vacancy assignments for the applicant.
The Delete Vacancy Assignment (infotype 4002) screen appears.
Result
You have deleted the applicant’s vacancy assignment.
Prerequisites
Travel expenses incurred in connection with a job interview are to be reimbursed to an applicant. You have to enter the applicant's bank details in the system.
Procedure
- Choose Applicant master data ® Maintain.
- In the Applicant number field, enter the desired number.
- Select the Bank Details infotype, and choose Edit ® Create.
- Enter the applicant's bank details.
- Save your entries.
The Maintain Applicant Master Data screen appears.
The Create Bank Details (infotype 0009) screen appears.
Result
You have entered the applicant's bank details.
- Choose Applicant master data ® Display.
- In the Applicant number field, enter the desired number.
- Select the Applications infotype, and choose Edit ® List.
The Display Applicant Master Data screen appears.
Result
The system displays a list of all the applications filed by the applicant.
- Choose Applicant master data ® Delete.
- Enter the desired applicant number in the Applicant number field, and choose Edit ® Execute.
- To select all infotype records stored on this applicant, choose Edit ® Select all.
- Choose Applicant master data ® Delete.
- Choose Applicant master data ® Delete again.
The Delete Applicant Master Data screen appears.
The Delete Applicant Master Data screen appears.
Result
You have deleted the applicant from the system.
If you are using internal number assignment, the system cannot assign the number of the deleted applicant again at a later date.
Purpose
You check if the applicant has filed a job application at your company in the past. If so, the application is entered, and the applicant’s data is updated. If not, the applicant and application are entered.
Prerequisites
Your company has received a job application.
Process Flow
1. Find out whether the application is an internal application, or an external application.
For more information, see Initial Entry of Applicant Data by Fast Entry.
2. If the application comes from an external applicant, enter the applicant’s personal data.
If the application comes from an employee of your own company, establish the applicant’s personnel number.
3. Check if the applicant has filed a job application in the past.
4. If the applicant has not filed an application before, enter the applicant’s data.
If the applicant has filed an application in the past, transfer or update the applicant’s data.
5. Once you have entered the applicant’s data, enter data on the application.
6. To enter additional data on an application, work through the following steps:
a) Enter the applicant’s qualifications.
b) Enter the applicant’s career to date.
c) Enter the applicant’s career preferences.
d) Enter any challenges the applicant might have.
Result
The application is ‘in process’. You can continue with the following processes:
Purpose
The applicant is informed that his or her application has been received by your company.
Prerequisites
You can send the applicant confirmation of receipt of his or her application only once you have entered the application in the system. When you enter the application in the system, the applicant activity Receipt is automatically created as a planned activity. When you carry out the applicant activity Receipt, the system creates a confirmation of receipt of application and sets the status of this applicant activity to completed.
Process Flow
1. Establish the channel through which the confirmation of receipt should go. You can either create the confirmations of receipt of applications individually or using bulk processing if you have several applicants.
For more information, see Applicant Activities and Recurring Tasks.
2. Draw up the standard letter for the confirmation of receipt.
3. Pass the confirmation of receipt onto the applicant through the appropriate channel.
For more information, see Outputting Letters Using Bulk Processing.
Result
You have informed the applicant(s) by means of a letter that you have received their application(s).
Use
Two types of selection procedure are represented in the Recruitment component:
- global selection procedure
- a selection procedure for each individual vacancy
Each applicant entered in the system participates in the global selection procedure of a company, which determines whether he or she should be considered for vacancies in general within the company. If you do not reject an applicant, he or she can participate in one or more selection procedures for a vacancy. In this case, you must assign the applicant to the relevant vacancy.
Features
It is possible to make a decision on the suitability of the applicant at any point during both of these selection procedures. The applicant status represents the stage in the selection procedure that an applicant has reached. There are two types of applicant status, each one corresponding to a type of selection procedure:
- Overall status
This indicates the applicant's current status (e.g. Processing, On hold, To be interviewed) in the global selection procedure for the company.
- Vacancy assignment status
This indicates the applicant's current status (e.g. Processing, On hold, To be interviewed) in the selection procedure for a particular vacancy.
The overall status is first assigned during initial entry of applicant data ( Initial entry of basic data action), and from then on each applicant must have an overall status at all times. The overall status indicates whether an applicant is currently taking part in at least one selection procedure (e.g. Processing, On hold, To be interviewed), or all selection procedures have already been completed for the applicant (Rejected or To be hired).
An applicant is assigned a vacancy assignment status when he or she is assigned to a vacancy. If the applicant is assigned to more than one vacancy, each of these vacancies has its own vacancy assignment status.
A selection procedure is completed when all participating applicants have been assigned either the status Rejected or To be hired.