Offline Approval: RBBP_NOTIFICATION_OFFAPP Vs RSWUWFMLEC

[Former Member]

Experts,

In SRM 5.0 we have given with new report "RBBP_NOTIFICATION_OFFAPP" and BADI "BBP_OFFLINE_APP_BADI" over the previously used "RSWUWFMLEC" for offline approval.

But the old report also exist in the system. Can anybudy explain me if I can use this old report for the offline approval in SRM 5.0. If I can, then what are the more features provided by new report and BADI combination to use it instead of the old one?

Thanks

Sangharsh

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi

<b>SAP supports both upward and downward compatibility. You can also any report depending on your requirements.</b>

<u>Refer to SAP online Help</u><b>http://help.sap.com/saphelp_srm50/helpdata/en/31/ec423b4ac8d506e10000000a11402f/frameset.htm</b>

<u>Please read the standard documentation of the BADI - BBP_OFFLINE_APP_BADI using SE18 Transaction.

Here is the documentation.</u>

<u><b>BBP_OFFLINE_APP_BADI</b></u>

____________________________________________________
Short Text
Customer Enhancement of Offline Approval

Use

The BAdI BBP_OFFLINE_APP_BADI allows you to adapt and extend the SRM standard functionality for offline approval of workitems via e-mail.

You can:

Override the selection parameters from the sender report RBBP_NOTIFICATION_OFFAPP and flexibly determine the workitems tobe sent
Method: WORKITEMS_SELECT

Determine the e-mail recipient using your own criteria
Method: RECIPIENTS_GET

Flexibly determine the contents of the e-mail (texts, URLs)
Method: MAIL_DATA_GET

Generate the e-mail flexibly
Method: MAIL_CREATE

Define an alternative class method to generate the e-mail and/or process the response mail (decision mail) in the SAPconnect-inbound processing or via the report RBBP_OFFLINE_EVAL
Method: DETERMINE_CLASS_NAME

Define the e-mail address of the respnse mail (return address)
Method: SMTP_INBOUND_ADDR_GET

Override the selection parameter in the SAPconnect inbound processing of the reply e-mail or from the processing report RBBP_OFFLINE_EVAL CH_SNDER (set to "X" as standard) to check whether the sender of the reply e-mail matches the owner of the work item.
Method: CHK_SENDER_IND_SET

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<b>Release Note Extension of Functionality for Offline Approval (changed).</b>

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Short text

Enhancement of the Functionality for Offline Approval (Changed)
Use
As of SAP SRM 5.0, the functionality for offline approval by e-mail has been revised and enhanced.

Changes and Functional Enhancements:

The Business Communication Service (BCS) is used for sending e-mails.
(For more information about this, see SAP Help Portal at help.sap.com -> Documentation -> SAP R/3 and R/3 Enterprise Release 4.70 -> SAP NetWeaver Components -> SAP Web Application Server -> Basis Services / Communication Interfaces -> Business Workplace and Services -> Generic Business Tools for Application Developers -> Business Communication Services - Sending from SAP Applications as of Release 6.10.)
New transmission report RBBP_NOTIFICATION_OFFAPP with enhanced selection parameters:
You can now restrict your selection of work items for sending on the basis of business objects, as well as on the basis of workflow tasks (TS*) as before. This means that you can restrict transmission to specific document types (for example,. BUS2205 - Invoice).
You can now use new checkboxes to select e-mail options (which replace the old radiobuttons). Remember that the indicator you set will override the default value.
E-mail text:
Can be made up of the work item text (short text) or the task description of the work flow task (full text).
Creating attachments:
You can attach a PDF (print version) of the document you want to have approved to the mail, and/or any attachments that exist for the document.
The input fields for standard notification texts and logon URLs that belonged to the old transmission report (RSWUWFMLEC) are no longer available because the notification contents can be specified more flexibly with the help of BAdI BBP_OFFLINE_APP_BADI.
Similarly, you no longer have to specify the return address because this can be replaced by the recipient's address in the transaction for SAPconnect inbound processing (transaction SO50). (If SAPconnect inbound processing has not been activated, the response mail [decision mail] is sent by default to the WF-BATCH user, as was also the case prior to SRM 5.0. The return address in method SMTP_INBOUND_ADDR_GET of BAdI BBP_OFFLINE_APP_BADI can also be overwritten.)

Processing logic in transmission report RBBP_NOTIFICATION_OFFAPP in conjunction with BAdI BBP_OFFLINE_APP_BADI:
a) Selection of work items
On basis of selection parameters or BAdI method WORKITEMS_SELECT.
b) Determination of recipient
Work item processor (attribute "Forward work item" from the organizational model and e-mail address is checked) or on basis of BAdI method RECIPIENTS_GET.
c) Collection of e-mail data
E-mail data from work item or from BAdI method MAIL_DATA_GET.
d) Generation of e-mail
By BAdI method MAIL_CREATE (flexible generation of subject, mail text, URLs, and attachments) or by default by class CL_BBP_MESSAGE_CREATE_OFFAPP (this class can be inherited and its methods changed - with BAdI method DETERMINE_CLASS_NAME this class can override the default class).
Standard Smart Form BBP_OUT_OFFAPP, which determines the e-mail layout, can be replaced in class method DETERMINE_FORM_AND_PARAMS (previously copied and varied).
e) Sending of e-mail
Class CL_BBP_DOC_SEND_BCS sends the e-mail by BCS.

Add approval notes to response mail:
After rejecting or approving, it is possible to enter notes in the response mail (only possible for e-mails in HTML format). These notes will be saved as document notes in SRM.

Inbound processing:
As of SRM 5.0, response mails can be processed in SAPconnect inbound processing. They are processed synchronously by classCL_BBP_SMTP_INBOUND_OFFAPP.
(Inbound processing in SAPconnect is activated if a suitable entry with the recipient's address and the processing class [ exit name] exists in transaction SO50. If a mail is received at this address, the specified class is used for processing. The work item ID and the decision of the approver are evaluated.)
If the document is locked at this point in time or if immediate processing fails for any other reason, the response mail is forwarded to the SAP inbox of the user who is assigned to the specified address. In this case, further processing is delayed until report RBBP_OFFLINE_EVAL is run (this report was the only report used prior to SRM 5.0, and it has to be scheduled periodically).
The e-mail addresses of the sender of the response mail and the determined recipient are compared by default; this ensures that third parties cannot respond. If a discrepancy is detected, the response mail is not processed. However, the processing parameters in inbound processing can be overridden by BAdI method CHK_SENDER_IND_SET




Effects on Customizing
You will find BAdI Customer Enhancement of Offline Approval (BBP_OFFLINE_APP_BADI) in the IMG for SRM by choosing
SRM Server -> Business Add-Ins (BAdIs)-> SAP Business Workflow

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Hope this will help.

Please reward suitable points, incase it suits your requirements.

Regards

- Atul

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Atul,

I have alrady gone thru all the things you have send.

But still, no document says that we can use the previous report with SRM 5.0

Thanks

Sangharsh

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi

I think, you need to try it out first. Please be sure.

<u>Refer to following OSS notes</u>

<u>986943 RBBP_NOTIFICATION_OFFAPP: # not allowed in Lotus Notes

934749 E-mail for offline approval using BADI - no recipient

888304 Language of e-mail for offline approval is incorrect

891620 Hyperlinks in approval e-mail have the wrong language

892154 Error message in an e-mail for offline appproval

888730 Approval link in e-mail for offline approval is truncated</u>

<u>Also check the following links -></u>

<b>http://help.sap.com/saphelp_srm50/helpdata/en/88/f7423b4ac8d506e10000000a11402f/frameset.htm

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_srm50/helpdata/en/51/47443bbb20f300e10000000a11402f/frameset.htm

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_srm50/helpdata/en/ea/59bc392ceddf3ce10000000a114084/frameset.htm

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_srm50/helpdata/en/43/0f234a9e242a8be10000000a1553f6/frameset.htm

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_srm50/helpdata/en/24/64474ecfaf11d2b463006094b92d37/frameset.htm

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_srm50/helpdata/en/48/0e343e47fd6b2ee10000000a114084/frameset.htm</b>;

Incase this does not work, then we can report the issue to SAP as well.

Hope this will help.

Please reward suitable points, incase it suits your requirements.

Regards

- Atul

[Former Member]

Sangarsh,

I tried both the reports in 5.0 and both of them works fine (well you have to apply a few OSS notes depends on your SP level). The new report gives you the option of sending the SC/INV details as an attachment along with the attached documents by the user. This is the major use of the new program I found.

Thanks,

Sreedhar

[Former Member]

Sreedhar,

Here is what I have gathered for reading this thread and similar threads.

If you use RSWUWFMLEC, the e-mail that is generated has the SC details (i.e. show line item details)

If you RBBP_NOTIFICATION_OFFAPP the the e-mail that is generated does not have the SC details (i.e does not display line item details). However, if you check the "Attachments" parameter the details of the SC are in an attachment of the e-mail.

Is my assesment correct?

Is it possible to seend the SC details in the body of the e-mail, like in RSWUWFMLEC?

Thanks,

Naing

[Former Member]

Hi Naing,

Your assesment is correct, RBBP_NOTIFICATION_OFFAPP do not send the item details in the body of the email, we used a Z version of the above program to achieve that. It will be straight forward customization.

The following are the advantages of the new program

1) SC details can be sent as an attachment

2) The documents and attachments in the SC can be sent in the email notification

3) Approve/Reject notes can be added to the offline approval.

Thanks,

Sreedhar

[Former Member]

Sreedhar,

Thanks.

Regarding point 3) "Approve/Reject notes can be added to the offline approval." I take it that the Approver adds his/her notes after the text string "#NOTN" in the reply e-mail (one that is sent to wf-batch).

The reply e-mail is that a long string of characters that is parsed by RBBP_OFFLINE_EVAL. There is nothing preventing the Approver from accendentally changing the text and messign up the approval process (i.e. cause an error in RBBP_OFFLINE_EVAL).

I know that if you implement MS Outlook COM addin you will get button on the e-mail instead of links. I believe, i might be wrong here, that clicking these buttons will automatically approve/reject the SC (WI). That is, the reply e-mail is autolatically sent without the approver having to send it. I have heard that implmenting COM addin slows down Outlook since ther is synconization going on with R/3.

What customization did you do to RBBP_NOTIFICATION_OFFAPP?

[Former Member]

Hi

<u>You can use 'SO_NEW_DOCUMENT_SEND_API1' function module for sending Emails.</u>

Sample code ->

Use parameter 
CONSTANTS : ic_outbox_flag LIKE sonv-flag VALUE 'X'.
CALL FUNCTION 'SO_NEW_DOCUMENT_SEND_API1' DESTINATION iv_rfcdes
EXPORTING
document_data = is_doc_param
document_type = ic_doctype
put_in_outbox = ic_outbox_flag
commit_work = 'X'.

<u>Please refer to the following links of interest -></u>

<b>

Hope this will help.

Please reward suitable points, incase it suits your requirements.

Regards

- Atul

[Former Member]

Atul,

The FM you mentioned only sends mail.

There is a inbuilt functionality in SAP-SRM workflows to send the mails through the reports I have asked about. These reports while sending mail has added functionality of giving the user option to approve or reject the work-item.

I want to know which of the reports I have mentioned should be used in SRM 5.0.

Regards,

Sangharsh

[Former Member]

Hi

<u>Refer to following SRM 5.0 Reports.</u>

RBBP_NOTIFICATION_WF_TEST      Program for Testing Sending of E-mail from Workflow                 

RNOTIFREP                      Overview of Basis Notifications with Status                         

RNOTIFSENDBC                   Program 
  
RNOTIFUPDATE01                 Program 
  
RNOTIFUPDATE02                 Update Report for Multiple Customer Installations (System Resellers)

RNOTIFUPDATE_TSTMP             Change Time Stamp of Last Comparison with SAP                       

RNOTIFWL                       Basic Notifications Worklist                                        

RNOTIFWL_EWT                   Basic Notification: Call from MiniApp                               

RSWNNOTIFDEL                   Delete Completed Notifications                                      

RSWNNOTIFDEL_DELETE            Deallocate Background Job for Deleting Notifications                

RSWNNOTIFDEL_INSERT            Schedule Background Job for Deleting Notifications                  

RS_ESF_SVER_CHNGENOTIF_HANDLER Verifications Program Property Handlere                             


RSWNWIEX                         Workflow: Execute Operation on Work Item 

RSWUWFIN                       Read inbox of WORKFLOW_LOCAL user                         

RSWUWFML                       Send Mails for Work Items                                 

RSWUWFML2                      Sending notifications for work items                      

RSWUWFMLEC                     Program 


RSWUWMSG                       Program for Object Type WI_MAILREC : Handler for WI Msg.  

RSWUWOBS                       Program for Object Type WI_OBSERVE : Work Item Observer 


RBBP_WFL_DIN_APPR_MOVE_TO_MAIN                Conversion of Workflows                                     

RBUS2121     Program for Object Type BUS2121 : Requirement Coverage Request

RBUS30003             Program for Object Type BUS30003: Authorization Object      

RBUS4101                    Program for object type BUS4101: EC user                    

RBBP_NOTIFICATION_OFFAPP       Program for Generating and Sending E-mails for Offline Approval 

 

Hope this will help.

Please reward suitable points, incase it suits your requirements.

Regards

- Atul

[Former Member]

Atul,

I am not interested in a list of reports.

Regards

Sangharsh

[Former Member]

Hi Atul,

I need to create an e-mail (offline approval) format in the method MAIL_CREATE of Badi BBP_OFFLINE_APP_BADI. I need to send the format of the email to ET_BDOY of the BADi as per the IS_EVENT-OBJECT_ID. I'm not sure how to append the e-mail format into ET_BDOY of TYPE BBPT_MAIL_TEXT. I Your help will be really appreciated.-David