Ready to run Alfresco Process Services (BPM) in SAP!

Our product connexas frontend for SAP Fiori^®, which is SAP-certified and built on SAP^® Cloud Platform, enables the customer to run workflows of Alfresco Process Services (formerly known as Activiti) within the modern look and feel of the SAP Fiori Launchpad. This also includes responsive design which SAP Fiori was made for. No matter whether on a mobile device, on a tablet or even on a desktop PC, the layout will be adapted without any loss of functionality. With this behavior the most possible user experience can be provided. Furthermore, the user stays in his familiar world of SAP (Fiori Launchpad) where he is able to run his workflows and to execute his tasks without knowing the presence of Alfresco Process Services in the background. Based on customer needs, additional data from the connected SAP system can influence the workflow process.

connexas4fiori schema

How it works

In general, connexas frontend mirrors the process models and make the forms available in SAP Fiori. All business logic and even the permission management remains in Alfresco Process Services. Once, the product is deployed successfully to the SAP Cloud platform, a few adaptations has to be done. This affects at least the hostname of the Alfresco Process Services server. If all is set, all available and published process models in Alfresco Process Services are already available in SAP Fiori. Editing an existing or creating new process definition has to be done in the native App Designer. After publishing it, it will be immediately available.

Benefits

By choosing connexas frontend to run workflows of Alfresco Process Services within SAP Cloud Platform comes around with certain advantages:

SAP certified Built on SAP Cloud Platform

Certified by SAP Built on Cloud Platform means, that the product matches all criteria and standards that are required to run on SAP Cloud Platform.
UI within SAP Fiori Launchpad

connexas frontend is available as App in the SAP Fiori Launchpad of the user.
Responsive design (Tablet and Smartphone ready without loss of UX)

SAP Fiori was made for responsive design. Because connexas frontend runs in the SAP Fiori context, the UI of our product is full responsive, too.
Exchange data with connected SAP systems

Because connexas frontend runs in the SAP Cloud Platform, it can exchange data with any SAP system that is connected to the cloud.
Exchange data also via CMIS with any third party system (that supports CMIS)

The SAP Cloud Platform can even connect to any third-party system that supports CMIS. connexas frontend can therefore also communicate with these systems.
Business logic remains in Alfresco Process Services (nothing needs to be duplicated)

Because connexas frontend communicates via the public Rest API with Alfresco Process Services, nothing will be duplicated. Neither process definitions nor any other business logic. All remains in Alfresco Process Services.
New process models immediately available in SAP Fiori

All new process models that are created in the Alfresco Process Services ‘App Designer’ and successfully published, are immediately available in SAP Fiori through connexas frontend.

About Certification

A few words about the certification that must be renewed either after a certain time-frame or after doing some major software changes.

connexas frontend is SAP-certified and built on SAP Cloud Platform! It must be deployed to the SAP Cloud Platform and is available as App in the Fiori Launchpad. Having this, the product offers a personalized, consumer-grade user experience with SAP Fiori. It is also listed in the SAP APP Center!

Multimedia Resources

Check our Youtube channel to find all related videos regarding connexas frontend and even videos related to the other products we offer. There are many recorded sessions and recorded webinars available.

Product Demonstration

This short video gives an overview of connexas frontend. It also demonstrates how tasks can be even completed through SAP Fiori. After a new task has been created in the Activiti UI, we switch to SAP Fiori and show how it looks like on a mobile device. The task is claimed by the current user, then it is viewed and some fields are filled to be able to submit the task. Once submitted, there is now another task in "My Tasks" to review the entries. Finally, the review task can be completed.

By choosing connexas frontend as a certified SAP-Alfresco Process Services integration you will benefit from a couple of features. This section explores the capabilities that are offered with the product.

TECHNICAL INSIGHTS

First of all, the list below provide you some insights about the technical points that are covered by the product:

Built on SAP Cloud Platform
Run on SAP Cloud Platform
Strictly usage of Rest API
SAP Fiori App
HTML5 application
Business logic remains in APS

FEATURE LIST

The following section contains an excerpt of available functionality and features that are shipped with connexas frontend.

Up to 10+ control elements

The generic interface supports almost each standard control element that is currently available in the Alfresco Process Services App Designer for web-forms. This includes for example elements to display textboxes, dropdown lists, option fields, multiline-text as well as the upload content element and the viewing content element.

Support of Outcomes

If the process model(s) contains any custom outcomes for a task, this will be supported by connexas frontend as well.

Multilingual

Depending on the users locale, the generic interface supports different languages.

APS known filters

connexas frontend does support the well-known filters from the Alfresco Process Services task manager. There will be the following filter available in the SAP Fiori app: My Tasks, Completed Tasks or even Involved Tasks.

Dynamic Reflection

Because connexas frontend does mirroring the workflow definitions, all newly designed and published definitions are immediately available in the SAP Fiori app. Thus, the user can start a workflow of the new definition right away.

Exchange data with SAP systems

It's already foreseen that connexas frontend will be able to exchange data with any SAP system that is even connected to the same SAP Cloud Platform.

Exchange data via CMIS

Also, it's already foreseen that it's possible to exchange data with any third-party system that is connected via CMIS to the SAP Cloud Platform.

We offer the following additional services related to our product connexas frontend:

STARTER PACKAGE

Best way to start over!
With our starter package we offer a great option to implement our product(s) in your company environment. We prefer to start with an initialization workshop to understand your requirements, talking on the same level at the same language. We install the product(s) on your system and do the basic configuration on SAP and Alfresco. You will see the simplicity of the installation and even the configuration. Our comprehensive manuals will help you to implement future scenarios by your own.

A note to the Starter Package: Based on my experience with our valued customers, this package offers the best way to start with our products on customer side.

Volker Blaesig - CEO

The Starter Package includes:

Initialization Workshop

The goal of the workshop is to get a detailed view of the environment, the needs of the customer, inform the customer about the connexas software details and prepare the implementation.
Installation & Configuration

The connexas software will be installed on the customer development environment and the SAP – Alfresco communication will be validated. As a requirement for the installation, all necessary prerequisites (mentioned in our pre-requisites document) should match before.
Configuring Scenarios

Depending on the connexas software used, the following scenarios will be covered:
connexas content: Store finance documents via SAP in Alfresco, replicate default default SAP meta-data to Alfresco and display documents in SAP and Alfresco.
connexas frontend: Run APS workflow in SAP Fiori.
Final Workshop

The implemented scenarios are explained and tested. The results and future scenarios will be discussed.

PRODUCT INFORMATION