Drive workflows of Alfresco Process Services by SAP meta-data!

Our solution connexas process enables the client to access any SAP business object related meta-data within their current customer related workflows, built with the App-Designer of Alfresco Process Services. Having SAP related meta-data directly available in the current workflow task, empowers the user to manage their tasks faster, reduces the error rate and allows to view the latest available data from SAP to drive a decision. Furthermore, based on SAP meta-data decisions can be made automatically to drive the workflow. Finally, if there is a need to store documents during the workflow (like for a purchase order where the business object in SAP is already available), these files can be uploaded to Alfresco where they can be automatically connected to the related SAP business object (by using our product connexas content).

How it works

Because workflow processes are quite different based on customer and industry, even the data that should appear in the workflow process differs. It also depends on the used SAP modules in the company. Therefore, we offer connexas process as a solution and not as a finished product. The solution has to be adapted and additional function calls to SAP must be implemented based on the customer needs. However, our solution comes already with some pre-defined SAP standard calls, that are available in each SAP system. So you can easily start over with a proof of concept.

Benefits

By choosing connexas process to extend your Alfresco Process Services workflows with SAP meta-data comes around with certain advantages:

Bi-directional data exchange

connexas process allows to read data from SAP within the current workflow but it is also possible to trigger any SAP action from a workflow task (or the outcome of a task).
Validate user inputs

User inputs in workflow forms that are related to SAP data can be validated immediately against correct values in SAP.
Provide current data from SAP

To reduce error rates, connexas process can populate only SAP related meta-data to the user that are valid or that are relevant at the stage of the process.
Decisions driven by SAP meta-data

SAP related meta-data that are retrieved through connexas process can be used to drive decisions in the workflow process even automatically.
Trigger any action on SAP side

Based on task outcomes or evaluated user-inputs or any other criteria, it is possible to trigger any SAP action via connexas process. For example, start a SAP workflow that can do any custom action on SAP side.
Create SAP objects

It is possible to create business objects in SAP via connexas process. For example: Collecting required information for a contract during a workflow, can result in the creation of this contract (business object) on SAP side.

Multimedia Resources

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

Solution Demonstration - Basic

This video demonstrates how connexas process can integrate SAP related meta-data in Alfresco Process Services (Activiti) workflows. It shows how SAP meta-data can be selected directly within a workflow task and even how this selected SAP data can be used as decision to get other information from SAP in a next workflow task. Finally, it demonstrates, how a SAP workflow can be started from a workflow task in Alfresco Process Services.

Solution Demonstration - Extended

This video demonstrates how connexas process can integrate SAP, Alfresco Process Services and finally even Alfresco Content Services. It shows how SAP meta-data can be selected directly within a workflow task and even how this selected SAP meta-data can be used as a decision to get other information - even from SAP - in a next workflow task. Finally, it shows how a SAP workflow can be started in an Alfresco Process Services workflow task and how our product connexas content can be used in addition to get the most benefit of all worlds for your business.

By choosing connexas process as solution to introduce SAP meta-data in Alfresco Process Services (Activiti) comes with a couple of benefits:

TECHNICAL INSIGHTS

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

Run with Alfresco Process Services
Run with Activiti
Run with ACS workflows
Extended Rest API
SAP JavaConnector

FEATURE LIST

The following section lists a couple of functionality and features that are shipped with connexas process. Having this, it's already possible to start over with a proof of concept.

Pre-defined Rest services

The solution already includes some pre-defined services that extend the current Rest API of Alfresco Process Services. For example, it is possible to read a list of all SAP company codes or even to get a list of SAP cost centers. This is achieved by using function modules in SAP that are available in each SAP system by default.

Multiple SAP system support

The solution was designed to connect to an unlimited number of SAP systems. By adapting a configuration file and provide all necessary data required to login to SAP, it is possible to connect to multiple SAP systems just by passing it's name as request path parameter.

ADDITIONAL META-DATA REPLICATION

One step beyond SAP default meta-data!
Is connexas content or connexas process already successfully up and running? Now you are struggling with the fact, that you have to introduce or to adapt new business-processes which requires additional meta-data from SAP? Or maybe business-cases has changed over time?
We can help you to manage this requirement on a project base and extend your current integration to replicate any additional meta-data that will match the new requirements.

This packages includes (dependent on use-case):

Adapting Alfresco Content Services

Implementing a new Alfresco job that invokes one SAP standard function module to replicate additional meta-data. The meta-data (up to 10) retrieved from the SAP function call will be matched with the Alfresco aspects keeping the meta-data on Alfresco side.
Adapting Alfresco Process Services

Enhance the Alfresco Process Services API to invoke another SAP function module and enable additional meta-data in the workflow.
Fixed Price Arrangement

We deliver the above mentioned by a fixed rate on a project basis.
Documentation

The implementation as well as the configuration will be documented.

SOLUTION INFORMATION