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bRobots Handbook

Preface

bRobots® enables you to rapidly implement complex business processes in SAP systems using a low-code approach. It is highly extensible and deeply integrated in the SAP ERP eco-system.

1. Intended audience

This handbook is mainly intended for the following user roles:

Developers

The following sections are the most important ones:

  1. Chapter 4, Introduction

  2. Chapter 6, BRO Basics

  3. Chapter 7, Installing template processes

  4. Section 7.5, “Creating a new process based on a template process”

  5. Part III, “Common development tasks”

  6. Part IV, “Administration”

Business rules maintainers

The following sections are the most important ones:

  1. Chapter 4, Introduction

  2. Chapter 6, BRO Basics

Key users that are managing workflows

The following sections are the most important ones:

  1. Chapter 4, Introduction

  2. Part IV, “Administration”

Additionally, there are sections important for users of the SAP Basis team. These are:

  1. Chapter 4, Introduction

  2. Chapter 5, Installing bRobots®

2. Conventions used in this book

To provide a consistent and easy to read text, several conventions are followed throughout the book.

2.1. Keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts are not described as they are listed next to the function button or as entry in the menu system anyway.

2.2. Functions in the application toolbar

If a function within the application toolbar of a SAP transaction has a corresponding entry in its menu system then the menu system entry is always used instead. If no corresponding menu system entry is available, then a screenshot of the icon used for the function button is used with no further descriptions. If a function is only available as keyboard shortcut, then the keyboard shortcut is used instead with no further description.

Entering a menu is indicated by the character >.

  1. Example for a menu entry: Edit > Selections > Select All

  2. Example for a function in the application toolbar: image001

  3. Example for a function as keyboard shortcut only: Enter

2.3. Typographic Conventions

  1. Italics

    An italic font is used for emphasized text and the first usage of technical terms.

  2. Monospace in all caps

    A Monospace in all caps font is used for SAP-Transactions, ABAP objects, data dictionary entries and values within applications.

  3. Monospace in bold

    A monospace in bold font is used for fields and values within applications.

  4. Monospace in italics

    A monospace in italics font is used for paths in the menu system of an application.

  5. Monospace

    A monospace font is used for filenames and URLs

  6. Hover-able black text

    Cross references and external links are formatted as Hover-able black text

2.4. Definitions

The following definitions are used within this handbook:

Developer

Refers to anyone who interacts with a bRobots® installation by modifying ABAP code.

Rule maintainer

Refers to anyone who interacts with a bRobots® installation by modifying rules.

User

Refers to anyone using functionality supplied by a bRobots® installation by executing rules and/or processes.

Request

Refers to a workflow consisting of steps triggered and managed by bRobots®.

SAP Workflow

Refers to a workflow triggered and managed by the SAP system itself.

2.5. SAP Theme

There are several different design options in SAP. To ensure that every reader has the same starting point for a good understanding of the manual, all graphic illustrations of SAP in this manual are based on the SAP Signature theme. To check which theme is set in SAP, proceed as follows:

  1. Click to maintain the SAP Logon Options (refer to Figure 1, “SAP Logon Options”)

    image003
    Figure 1. SAP Logon Options

  2. Select SAP Signature Theme as Theme Setting.

    image005
    Figure 2. SAP Signature Theme

Getting started

3. Synopsis

After performing all sections within this chapter, you will:

  1. Have a basic understanding of the components of bRobots®.

  2. Have installed everything needed to build new processes with bRobots®.

  3. Have a basic understanding on how to create and maintain BRO rules.

  4. Know how to install processes.

  5. Have a basic understanding on how to create a new process.

4. Introduction

4.1. Synopsis

After this section you will know on a high level:

  1. The technical and business capabilities of bRobots®.

  2. The technical components of bRobots®.

  3. How bRobots® integrates into SAP.

4.2. What is bRobots®

bRobots® is a Framework consisting of the following pillars:

  1. The easy creation of input screens - named Fiori App+.

  2. The rule-based calculation/derivation of values of SAP objects and the easy creation/update/deletion of SAP objects - named Decision+.

    1. In foreground after the user filled in the input screens.

    2. In background automatically at specific stations within a workflow.

    3. In background only to allow other transactions to re-use the knowledge of the creation/update/deletion.

  3. The easy creation of workflows - named Workflow+.

    1. In foreground after the user filled in the input screens.

    2. In background only to allow other transactions trigger workflows.

    image007
    Figure 3. A visualization of the bRobots® pillars

The framework consists of hard-wired code which does not need any customization by developers. Additionally, it supplies many customer exits to allow re-using the time proven code of the framework for the specific challenges a developer faces.

The following core functions are available for companies using the bRobots® Framework:

  1. Default processes based on best practices for the following SAP objects:

    1. Material master

    2. Business partner

      1. General

      2. Customer

      3. Vendor

  2. The possibility to easily customize the default processes to suit the specific needs.

  3. The possibility to easily digitize processes that need direct interaction with the SAP system by eliminating the need for forms made in text processing software (like MS Word®).

  4. A tool to start connecting requesters for changes in the system with the corresponding decision makers.

    1. Reduces the overhead for the requesters to follow their request.

    2. Reduces the overhead for the decision makers to understand the request.

    3. Eliminates the overhead of manually copying and pasting request data into the actual SAP transactions.

4.3. bRobots® technology Stack

In this section we discuss the technical structure of each pillar of bRobots®. bRobots® is the result of years of development of the product BRO - Business Rules Organizer. BRO itself is a rule engine built upon the SAP ABAP stack. It is thus highly integrated in SAP S/4 HANA.

BRO is the fundamental technology which drives bRobots®. All configurations, developments and customizing tasks in bRobots® are done with BRO rules or in conjunction with BRO rules. During its history BRO has received the following addons which can either interact with BRO or can be used by BRO rules:

  1. Additional Action Types (For more information on action types please see Chapter 35, Available action types

    1. For sending e-mails - named Action Type E-Mail.

    2. For creating screens in SAP GUI and in Fiori - named Action Type Screen Definition and Webscreen.

    3. For creating SAP workflows - named Action Type Workflow Dispatch.

  2. A collection of function modules that can be used by BRO rules to create/update/delete SAP objects - named BRO MDM+.

  3. Utility applications to track and manage workflows created by the Action Type Workflow Dispatch - main applications are the Process & Service Cockpit and the Process & Service Monitor.

Depending on the pillar, the following components are built on top of BRO:

Fiori App+

Is a framework using the component Action Type Screen Definition. Additionally, it integrates everything necessary to provide a fully functional Webscreen component. Thus, any application made with Fiori App+ will be executable in SAP GUI as well as in a web browser.

image009
Figure 4. Fiori App+
Decision+

Consists of the following parts:

ID954 BRobots Modules Dec
Figure 5. Decision+

  1. A framework to use BRO rules to calculate/derive values for SAP objects.

  2. Extensible pool of function modules that will take care to save the results of the BRO rules.

    1. The component BRO MDM+ ships function modules allowing saving different SAP objects (among other things material master, business partner, customer, vendor)

    2. The component BRO MDM+ defines a framework on how to add SAP objects that are not already covered by the function modules shipped with BRO MDM+.

Workflow+

Is a framework to create and manage dynamic workflows based on BRO rules. It further consists of exits to add functionality within the stations of the dynamic workflow based on the station itself. It is covered by the component Action Type Workflow Dispatch.

ID955 BRobots Modules Wf
Figure 6. Workflow+

Each pillar of bRobots® can be used on its own without any interaction to the other pillars. This is a core feature to allow starting projects where currently the greatest pain point within a company resides. Besides being able to use them on their own they are also implemented to have a very low barrier to start interacting with each other. This interaction is also done by the means of BRO rules.

ID956 BRobots Modules Detail
Figure 7. Pillars of bRobots®

The best-practice template processes that are part of bRobots® (see Section 7.2, “What is a process” for more information) are always using all pillars.

For a full list of all components of bRobots® see Chapter 33, bRobots® components.

4.4. bRobots® Version scheme

All pillars of bRobots® and their respective components are using the same version number. The installed version is documented in the SAP system as installed component.

If you are already running bRobots® on your system, then you can log in to your SAP system using the SAP GUI and perform the steps mentioned in Chapter 30, Getting the version of the local bRobots® installation to see the installed version.

The version number consists of the following parts: <Major>.<Service Pack>.<Patch>.

Explaining the parts: . The combination <Major>.<Service Pack>.0 is referred to as release. .. The combination <Major>.0.0_ is referred to as major release. .. The combination <Major>.<Service Pack>.0. where <Service Pack> is greater than 0 is referred to as service Pack release. . The combination <Major>.<Service Pack>.<Patch> where <Patch> is greater than 0 is referred to as patch.

The different release types explained in more detail: Major release:: A major release is created once a year in Q3/Q4. It is a collection of all service packs since the last major release. It contains breaking changes. Service pack release:: A service pack releases are created between two major releases. It contains breaking changes. Patch:: A patch is created between two releases or on top of another patch. It does not contain breaking changes.

Each release comes with a Changelog which includes instructions on how to re-engineer a bRobots® installation before or after upgrading to this release. Additionally, re-engineering reports might be included if necessary to automate re-engineering tasks.

Each patch is documented within the Changelog of a release to which the patch belongs to. Re-engineering instructions or reports are not supplied for patches as patches do not introduce breaking changes.

Releases and patches internally consist of:

Bugfixes

Bugfixes are only supplied for functions that are part of bRobots® itself not for solutions using bRobots®.

Features

New features that are either enhancing already existing functions of bRobots® or adding completely new functions.

Solutions using bRobots® are not supplied with new functions automatically. Depending on the feature it might necessary to be enabled by customer running the solution manually.

Re-engineering instructions if necessary are only supplied for changes in ABAP in the namespace /HKS/. Changes in the template decision areas are documented but re-engineering instructions are not supplied as those are never needed for the template decision areas anyway as they must be copied by the customer first.

If the customer copies a template decision area to use it for his own processes, then changes to the template by akquinet HKS business technologies GmbH must be done manually by the customer in his individual copy of the template decision area if necessary.

4.5. Information for bRobots® maintenance contracts

akquinet HKS business technologies GmbH is selling maintenance contracts for bRobots® installations. The base contract includes:

  1. The possibility to report bugs to the bRobots® development team.

  2. The entitlement to receive bugfixes for the installed bRobots® version.

  3. Access to the bRobots® Wiki

The actual contract might diverge from the statements listed in this section and its subsections.

4.5.1. Entitlement to receive bugfixes

If a customer encounters a bug in a solution using bRobots® then the bug can be reported to the development team at akquinet HKS business technologies GmbH. The development team will get in touch with the customer if necessary to get more technical details. If the bug resides within bRobots®, then akquinet HKS business technologies GmbH will:

  1. Create a fix for that bug.

  2. Create necessary written instructions to perform re-engineering tasks to apply the bug fix.

  3. Depending on the bug one of the following options is available:

    1. The necessary changes in the code base of bRobots® on the customer are applied manually by an employee of akquinet HKS business technologies GmbH. This is only possible if the necessary change is very minimal.

    2. akquinet HKS business technologies GmbH supplies a transport request including the fix to the bug. Further features or bug fixes might be included in that transport request.

The customer must allow specific actions in his SAP system to be able to receive the bugfixes. If the customer fails to supply the possibility of performing the stated actions, then the customer must wait until the next Service-Pack which will include the bug fix. The necessary possible actions are:

  1. Allow source code modifications in the namespace /HKS/ by either an employee of akquinet HKS business technologies GmbH or by an employee of the customer.

  2. Allow local transport requests to create modifications in the namespace /HKS/ by either an employee of akquinet HKS business technologies GmbH or by an employee of the customer.

  3. Allow the transport of copies of local transport requests including modifications in the namespace /HKS/ by either an employee of akquinet HKS business technologies GmbH or by an employee of the customer.

This entitlement is only available if the installed bRobots® version is not older than two service-packs releases to the current major release.

Example: If the current bRobots® version is 6.2.2 and the installed bRobots® version is 6.0.0, then the installed bRobots® version is still entitled to receive bugfixes.

4.5.2. Objects covered by the maintenance contract

Not every object supplied by akquinet HKS business technologies GmbH is covered by the maintenance contract. Supplied bugfixes are available for the following objects and are handled differently for each object:

ABAP code in the namespace /HKS/

Any bug will be fixed and supplied. Rules in the decision areas KEN_HKS, BUP_HKS,

MAT_HKS

Any bug will be fixed and supplied.

Decision areas that have been copied from the decision areas KEN_HKS, BUP_HKS and MAT_HKS will not receive any bugfixes by akquinet HKS business technologies GmbH.

5. Installing bRobots®

5.1. Synopsis

A bRobots® release/patch consists of a workbench part and a customizing part. The workbench part is delivered as installable software component. The customizing part is delivered as a BC Set. The BC Set might consist of either client specific or system specific customizing.

After performing all actions in this section, you will:

  1. Have bRobots® installed.

  2. Be able to develop create and maintain new rules and processes using bRobots®.

To perform the installation the following pre-requisites are required:

  1. Your SAP system meets the minimal system requirements.

  2. You have SAP GUI installed.

  3. Your account on your SAP system has sufficient authorizations to perform actions in the following transactions on client 000:

    1. SAINT

  4. Your account on your SAP system has sufficient authorizations to perform actions in the following transactions on the client in which you intend to use bRobots®:

    1. PFTC

    2. PFCG

    3. SWU3

Follow each sub-section within this section to perform the installation. Skipping sub-sections will result in an incomplete installation which will in turn result in errors when trying to use bRobots® functionality.

5.2. Minimal system requirements

The backend components require a SAP ERP system with the following component versions:

Component Release SP-Level

SAP_ABA

>=740

>=0009

SAP_BASIS

>=740

>=0009

Using bRobots® on a SAP ERP system running lower component versions is not officially supported. Doing so is allowed but on the customer’s own risk. It might result in errors during the installation or to undefined behavior when executing components of bRobots®.

The frontend web components of bRobots® are created using SAPUI5 in Version 1.108. All browsers officially supported by that version of SAPUI5 are supported by bRobots® too. The list of supported browsers is available here.

5.3. Installing the add-on

bRobots® is shipped as installable SAP add-on. This section will guide you through the necessary procedures to get and install the add-on itself.

After performing all actions in this section, you will have all ABAP code of bRobots® installed on your SAP system. But you will not be able to actually use bRobots® functionality yet.

5.3.1. Fetching the add-on installation package

To fetch the add-on installation package perform the following steps:

  1. Login https://wiki.akquinet.at.

    You will need to log in with a Wiki user having sufficient authorizations to access the transport requests. If you cannot access the transport requests then please send an e-mail to office@akquinet.at.
    ID959 Wiki Login
    Figure 8. How to log in to bRobots® Wiki

  2. On the homepage access the latest bRobots® changelog document available under the section Starting points.

    ID960 Wiki Changelog
    Figure 9. Accessing the latest bRobots® changelog on the homepage of bRobots® Wiki

  3. Download the add-on installation package under the section Downloads > First time installation.

    image796
    Figure 10. File containing the add-on installation package for bRobots®

5.3.2. Preparing the system

Before an import can be performed the system parameter for the allowed maximum size of a compiled version of a screen must be checked. If this parameter is too small, then an error might occur during the import of bRobots® or during the maintenance of BRO rules. The system parameter responsible for this is ztta/dynpro_area. More information on this system parameter can be found in the SAP note 167229. It can be checked and changed performing the following steps:

  1. Open transaction RZ11

  2. For the field Parameter name use the value ztta/dynpro_area.

  3. Execute Edit > Display.

  4. If the current value is less than 1,000,000 then it is highly recommended to increase it. A value of 1,500,000 is recommended. To change the value, perform the following steps:

    1. Execute Edit > Change.

    2. Place the desired value in the field New Value.

    3. Tick the option Switch on all servers.

    4. Click on icon save

5.3.3. Installing the software component

  1. Place the extracted file fetched by Section 5.3.1, “Fetching the add-on installation package” with the extension .PAT in the directory /usr/sap/trans/EPS/in on your SAP system on operating system level.

  2. Logon the client 000 on your SAP system.

  3. Open transaction SAINT.

  4. Use function Installation Package > Load Packages > EPS Files from Application Server.

  5. Click on the button Start.

  6. Select the line with HKS <Major><Service-Pack>0

  7. Click on the button Continue.

  8. Click on the button Continue again.

  9. Click on the button Continue a third time.

  10. In the popup asking to add a Modification Transport to the queue click the button No.

  11. In the final popup you can either start the import immediately or you can schedule it for later.

    1. On non-production systems you can start the import immediately by clicking on the button Import.

    2. On production systems you should use click the button Start options. In there you switch to the tab Import can select the radio button Schedule in background later. Confirming the popup will set the schedule for the import. You must confirm the popup again to actually issue the import.

      Keep in mind that the import will take about 1 hour. Therefore, you should schedule the import for a time where a minimum activity is expected on the system.

    3. Any follow up activities (i.e. actual import stage 2) are planned automatically by the system. You do not need to do anything else besides setting the schedule for the preparation activities.

    4. You must always perform the preparation step online.

  12. The preparation step will yield a warning claiming that the software component is not signed. Ignore this warning by clicking the function button Ignore.

  13. You must now finish the installation by clicking the button Finish in the transaction SAINT.

    1. If you have performed the import online, then you can do this right away.

    2. If you scheduled the import in background, then you must reopen transaction SAINT and wait until the installation is done. The current status is summarized at the bottom of the screen. Additionally, you can see a detailed log of the import by clicking the button Logs.

5.4. Setup the SAP system

All activities in this section must be performed in the client in which bRobots® is intended to be used. I.e. the client that is enabled for regular workbench and customizing transport requests.

Client 000 is typically not configured to handle the system specific BC Set. Therefore, you should logon to client XXX.

For easier reference that client is assumed to be used for the remainder of the document.

5.4.1. Installing the system specific BC Set

  1. Open transaction SCPR20.

  2. As BC Set use /HKS/BRO_<Major>_<Service-Pack>_S.

  3. Use function BC Set > Activate.

  4. In the popup to supply a transport request you can either use an existing transport request or you can create a new one. The selected transport request will be used to store the changes made by the BC Set and should be transported through the system landscape.

  5. In the popup to select how to activate the BC Set you should leave the default values and start the activation.

5.4.2. Installing the client specific BC Set

  1. Logon the client you want bRobots® to setup for on your SAP system.

  2. Open transaction SCPR20.

  3. As BC Set use /HKS/BRO_<Major>_<Service-Pack>.

  4. Use function BC Set > Activate.

  5. In the popup to supply a transport request you can either use an existing transport request or you can create a new one. The selected transport request will be used to store the changes made by the BC Set and should be transported through the system landscape.

  6. In the popup to select how to activate the BC Set you should leave the default values and start the activation.

  7. You can ignore any errors during the activation.

5.4.3. Setup the SAP workflow engine

In a system that is not already using SAP Workflows the SAP Workflow Engine must be enabled first. This is done in the following way:

  1. Open transaction SWU3.

  2. For each of the following entries perform first Auto-Customizing > Execute and then Edit > Execute:

    ID965 SWU3
    Figure 11. Setup the SAP workflow engine

5.4.4. Setup the SAP workflow

The task of the SAP Workflow Workitems of bRobots® must be updated after an installation. This can be done the following way:

  1. Open transaction PFTC. Use the value TS as Task type and the value 00391804 as Task.

  2. Execute function Task > Display.

    ID966 Wf Task
    Figure 12. Maintain a standard task in transaction PFTC

  3. Execute function Additional data > Agent assignment > Maintain

    ID967 Wf Task Maint
    Figure 13. Maintain agent assignments for a standard task in transaction PFTC

  4. Execute function Edit > Attributes….

    ID968 Wf Task Maint Edit
    Figure 14. Setting attributes for maintaining agent assignment in transaction PFTC

  5. Use the radio button value General Task and set the value NO_CLASS for Classification. Afterwards click on the function Transfer.

    ID1107 General task
    Figure 15. Attributes of a standard task in transaction PFTC

5.4.5. Setup the classification system

Classifying attachments

Requests created using bRobots® can have attachments. Attachments are stored in regular document info records. The link between a request and a document info record is created by classifying the document info record with the characteristic HKS_WFLOWNMB in the class /HKS/BRO_WF in the class type 017.

The characteristic and the class must be created directly on the system.

Create the characteristic by performing the following steps:

  1. Open transaction CT04.

  2. For the field Characteristic use the value HKS_WFLOWNMB and use the function Characteristic > Create.

  3. Use the following values:

    1. Tab Basic data

      1. Use BRO: Request number as Description.

      2. Use 1 as Status.

      3. Use CHAR as Data Type.

      4. Use 12 for the Number of Chars.

      5. Use the option Multiple Values.

    2. Tab Descriptions

      1. Use BRO: Antragsnummer for Language DE.

      2. Use BRO: Número da solicitação for Language PT.

  4. Save the characteristic using the function Characteristic > Save.

Create the class by performing the following steps:

  1. Open transaction CL01.

  2. For the field Class type use the value 017 and for the field Class use the value /HKS/BRO_WF.

  3. Use the function Class > Create.

  4. Use the following values:

    1. Tab Basic data:

      1. Use BRO: Link to WF as Description.

      2. Use 1 as Status.

    2. Tab Char.

      1. Insert a new line with the value HKS_WFLOWNMB in the column Char..

  5. Save the class by clicking icon save

Function module /HKS/BRO_MDM_MAINT_OBJCL
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5.4.6. Setup SAP directories

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5.4.7. Setup BRO

General setup

Next up the initial setup of the BRO global customizing must be performed. This is done by the following steps:

  1. Open transaction /HKS/BRO_GCUST

  2. Fill in the values according to the following screenshot:

    ID969 BRO GCUST
    Figure 31. BRO: Maintenance of global setting

5.4.8. Setup template decision areas

Retrieving template decision areas

Each bRobots® version ships with decision areas that can be used for customer-specific solutions. The available decision areas are:

KEN_HKS

This decision area contains the basic functionality to create request implementations using bRobots®. It includes a very minimalistic example process type (see Section 7.2, “What is a process” for more information on what a process type is) which is intended to be used as a template for actual customer specific process types. It is included in every bRobots® product and is therefore generally available in the Changelog alongside the workbench and customizing transport requests.

BUP_HKS

This decision area contains advanced functionalities to create requests specifically in the context of the SAP objects business partners, customer master data and vendor master data. It includes full example process types to create, extend and modify those SAP objects. It is only included in the product bRobots® Business Partner. If you have purchased bRobots® Business Partner, then please request the file containing this decision area by sending an e-mail to office@akquinet.at.

MAT_HKS

This decision area contains advanced functionalities to create requests specifically in the context of the SAP object material master data. It is only included in the product bRobots® Logistics. If you have purchased bRobots® Logistics, then please request the file containing this decision area by sending an e-mail to office@akquinet.at.

If you have purchased a training from akquinet HKS, then you will receive a copy of the decision area BUP_HKS and MAT_HKS for a period of 60 days. The allowed usage within those 60 days is limited to trainings. Therefore, an import into a production client is not allowed. After the 60 days have passed the decision areas BUP_HKS and MAT_HKS and all copies thereof must be deleted from the system.

Importing template decision areas
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5.4.9. Re-install the client specific BC Set

Now with the template decision areas in place it is possible to remove the remaining errors that occurred during Section 5.4.2, “Installing the client specific BC Set”.

If you have not installed all template decision areas, then you might still have errors. In such case you may ignore any occurring errors.

5.4.10. Setup Frontend Components

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5.5. Setup basic authorizations

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6. BRO Basics

6.1. Synopsis

In this section you will learn:

  1. The basic terms of BRO.

  2. The transaction involved to maintain BRO rules.

  3. A basic handling of BRO in the perspective of a

    1. Business rule maintainer

    2. Developer

To perform this section the following pre-requisites are required:

  1. You have SAP GUI installed.

6.2. bRobots® decision area

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6.2.1. Create a decision area

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Create a decision area from scratch
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Create a decision area from a template
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Default settings for a decision area
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6.2.2. Maintain and Display a decision area

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6.3. Create a simple rule

6.3.1. Synopsis

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6.3.2. Example 1: create a simple rule

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6.3.3. Deletion of a rule

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6.3.4. Actions

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6.4. Categorizing a rule

6.4.1. Synopsis

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6.4.2. Create a rule category

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6.4.3. Maintain a rule category

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6.5. Running a rule

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6.6. Creation and maintenance of Conditions

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6.7. Creation and maintenance of Actions

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6.8. Create complex rules to create a material

6.8.1. Synopsis

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6.8.2. Example 2: Create complex rules to create materials - direct data definition

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6.8.3. Rule-Chains connected by action types GOTO and CALL

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6.8.4. Example 3: Create complex rules to create materials - generic way

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6.9. Debugging a rule

6.9.1. Synopsis

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6.9.2. Setting a breakpoint in bRobots® rules

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6.9.3. With the rule report

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6.9.4. With the BRO Testtool

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6.9.5. With the /HKS/BRO_VPROT

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6.10. (Mass) Deletion of flagged rules

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6.11. Run a rule within ABAP

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6.12. Run a rule via oData service

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7. Installing template processes

7.1. Synopsis

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7.2. What is a process

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7.3. What is a template process

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7.4. Installing a template process

7.4.1. Synopsis

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7.4.2. Copy decision area

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7.4.3. Copy runtime constants

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7.4.4. Copy authority groups

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7.4.5. Copy general workflow setup

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7.4.6. Maintenance of the copied workflow setup

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7.4.7. Copy authorization roles

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7.4.8. Create process aliases

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7.4.9. Create process-specific workflow setup

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7.4.10. Maintain user groups for steps

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7.4.11. Start working

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7.5. Creating a new process based on a template process

7.5.1. Synopsis

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7.5.2. Copy process

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7.6. Setting up a development pipeline

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Common development tasks

8. Synopsis

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9. Setting up a playground

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10. Rule transport

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11. Mass activation of rules

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12. Mass generation of rules

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13. Adding a new field on an existing screen

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14. Setting a default value for an existing field

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15. Updating a value for an existing field

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16. Adding new restrictions to an existing field

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17. Adding a new table to an existing screen

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18. Adding a new button to an existing screen

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19. Adding a new screen

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20. Adding a new process step

20.1. Synopsis

In the beginning, the first steps of adding a new process step and the activities required are discussed. In the next two subsections specific use cases are considered. It is described how both a sequential step and a parallel step can be added. Let’s assume that for the new process RCCMD00001 (refer to Section 7.4, “Installing a template process”) the data input and tasks of the step SAL should be divided into two independent steps, SAL01 and SAL02. Therefore, a new step needs to be integrated as a new process step for the newly created process RCCMD00001 (refer to Section 7.4, “Installing a template process”).

21. Adding a new process

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22. Calling a BRO function module

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23. Creating a BRO function module

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24. Calling a BRO MDM+ action function module

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25. Creating a BRO MDM+ action function module

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26. Adding a new field in the hierarchy

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27. Troubleshooting

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Administration

28. Process & Service Monitor

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29. Maintain user group assignments

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30. Getting the version of the local bRobots® installation

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31. Upgrading bRobots®

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32. Uninstalling bRobots®

Following the procedure described in this section will result in losing all rules and processes defined in your system.

In case you want to perform an uninstallation you must perform the following actions on client 000 on your SAP system:

  1. Open transaction SAINT.

  2. Click on tab Uninstallable components.

  3. Select the line with HKS.

  4. Click on the button Start.

  5. Follow the instructions on the screen.

Appendix

33. bRobots® components

In this section the available components within bRobots® are listed. This is for reference purpose when reading Changelogs as changes are listed always in the component in which they have been done.

The components are:

Licensing tools

Everything related to license maintenance.

BRO

Everything related to maintaining rules and running rules. BRO consists of the following parts:

  1. BRO rule editor

  2. BRO runtime

  3. Action type Util

  4. Action type Email

  5. Action type Nil

MDM+ Base

SAP object in-depended modules that can be used in BRO.

MDM+ BP/CMD/VMD

Modules that can be used in BRO specific for the following SAP objects:

  1. Business partner

  2. Customer

  3. Vendor

MDM+ Controlling

Modules that can be used in BRO specific for the SAP objects related to controlling.

MDM+ Material

Modules that can be used in BRO specific for the following SAP objects:

  1. Material

  2. MRP area

  3. Material quality inspection setup

  4. BOM

  5. Routing

  6. Material purchasing info record

  7. Material source list

  8. (Material) pricing condition

MDM+ Workflow

Modules to create and maintain requests.

Screen Definition

Modules to generate user interface via BRO rules for:

  1. SAP GUI for Windows

  2. SAP GUI for Java

  3. SAP GUI for HTML

  4. UI5

Templates

General modules for templates.

Template KEN_HKS

Modules specific for the template decision area KEN_HKS.

34. Available operators for conditions

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35. Available action types

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36. Available process prefixes

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37. Available process objects

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38. Available template processes

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39. Decision area setup

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40. Rules for input tree nodes

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41. Available authorization roles

41.1. Synopsis

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41.2. Administration

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41.3. Developer and Rule maintainer

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41.4. User

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41.5. User for RFC-destination

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42. Available authorization objects

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