Workflow Frequently Asked Questions

Forwarding 11

Priority 11

Documents 11

Workflow Roles/Security/Relationships 11

Workflow Navigation 22

Q: Are we using the forwarding functionality in workflow? When I try to use it the system tells me I'm not authorized.

A: No, we are currently not using the forwarding functionality in workflow.

Q: When can we use the Priority column?

A: The Priority defaults to "5" for all PCR's when initiated. Any Division Approvers can use the Priority column to adjust the priority of a workflow for all downstream in the workflow process. Initiators and others in the approval process may not change the priority. The changing of a priority allows others to sort by this field in their inbox.

Q: I have so many documents in my Inbox and my Documents folders. How do I process those?

A: Don't worry about the documents folders. The best thing to do is to only click on the Workflow folder. If you click on the Inbox folder, you'll also see the additional document folders. SAP creates additional documents throughout the workflow process behind the scenes, and stores some of them here. You don't have to process them - only process the items in your Workflow folder in your inbox, or your Outbox.

Q: How will the system work in workflow if you are the creator and the approver?

A: After creating and initiating workflow, the PCR would be routed back to your inbox. You would then perform approval on the PCR. Depending on your role, you might be responsible for several of the approvals in the workflow approval process.

Q: Can you see salary of employees not assigned to your agency?  This is used for promotions, postings or recruitment requirements.

A: Users will only see within their Agency, potentially Division depending on where they are - we have implemented structural security, so you can not see data outside of your area.

Q: Can anyone other than the OM Maintainer create and approve a supervisory change?

A: The OM Position Requestor can submit a supervisory change via workflow, and the OM Approver can approve it.  The only other role that can make these changes is the BEST Shared Services OM role.

Q: Does the system track dotted line supervision, where one person may be the administrative supervisor (timesheets, performance reviews) and another person is the programmatic supervisor? If so, how?

A: We have not configured the system for dotted line relationships.  There is only one "reports to" relationship between the employee's position and the supervisor's position.  This supervisor will be the one to approve time entered, as well as receive leave requests.

Q: The workflow term "Reserved" - more definition was requested by course participants

A: Reserved just means you've touched the workflow item, so no one else will process it.  If you don't want it reserved anymore, click the "reserve" button again to make it white - gray means it's yours, white means it's available to all who see the inbox.

Q: Questions had to do with why a transferred workflow item no longer is displayed in the inboxes of any other recipients and if that is the case, course participants wanted to know how long the workflow item could remain in the reserved status.

A: Any item in reserved status in workflow will remain in that status unless it is processed and moved to the next step (reject or approve), or released to the rest of the viewers at that level.

Q: Participants wanted to know whether a reserved item would be available to be viewed by the initiator.

A: The reserved items can only be seen in the Inbox of the person who has reserved it. Any item that an Initiator has created will remain in their Outbox for viewing the latest status on in the future.

Q: From the workflow inbox - can an item be deleted, i.e. - if a person being routed to as part of workflow, completes an activity and then changes their mind before it goes to the next person can the activity item be deleted from workflow by the person who created the entry?

A: A PCR workflow item can not be deleted, but if the person processing the item does not save and send it to the next person in the workflow, they can release it from their inbox (white box is release, gray box is "theirs"), then others sharing the inbox can see the item.

Q: How do you find a position number that you just created if you have saved your entry but forgot to write the position number down? How do you retrieve it if it has not been sent to initiate workflow?

A: If the position has not been sent to workflow (initiated) you will be able to search the "planned" OM actions to locate the position.  There is also standard infotype reporting available that will show you the outstanding Personnel Change Requests (PCR's) and the workflow status. Also, You will be able to search on effective date and initiator name.

Q: Is the initiator the only person who can update/process OM/PA workflow actions?  What happens if the initiator is out of the office?

A: The Initiator is the only person who can create and maintain the actions apart from the Funding approver who can create and update the Cost Distribution information. If the initiator is out of the office, the agency should called BEST Shared Services for assistance.

Q: Can a workflow approver change information after workflow is initiated or does the approver have to reject the action for the initiator to make the change?

A: Once the workflow has been initiated even if not approved, the approver would have to reject for changes to be made.

Q: How long can items that are in the `ready' status remain in Workflow without any activity by recipients?

A: There is no limit on how long an item can remain in a "ready" status in workflow.  The system does not automatically escalate or remove items that have aged with no action being taken.

Q: Workflow Status - How long can an "in process" item remain in Workflow?

A: There is no limit on how long an item can remain in process in workflow.  The system does not automatically escalate or remove items that have aged.

Q: Workflow: If an approver needs to make a change after workflow has been initiated, do all people in the approval line have to approve it again?

A: Yes

Q: How do the data entry personnel (creating a new position, for example) get the information needed to create the new position?

A: The process would be the same as how they get the information needed today (to enter into PMIS).

Q: I'm the PA Workflow Initiator and I received a New Hire workflow approved back in my inbox to process. When I started to process the New Hire action, the system locked, and I need to finish processing the action through PA40 instead. I'm not able to continue processing it through PA40, though.

A: Check the Employee Subgroup - if the system gave you an internal Personnel Number (starts with a 9*), you might have used the incorrect employee subgroup, and need to call BEST to have them remove the internal number, then you can change the Employee Subgroup to correct it and process it again. Employee Subgroups which result in internal personnel numbers don't go through workflow.

Q: When submitting information in Workflow is the workflow process a batch process or does it happen in real time

A: Workflow is a real-time process.

Q: If a manager initiated an action and the PCR belongs to them, can another person with HR Master Data Maintainer role in that office access the PCR to process once all approvals have been received?

A: If the initiator is out, they can contact Agency HR to call BEST SS to create a substitution.  With the substitution the other person can see the other persons WF inbox and process actions for the time requested.