BPMon for Purchase Orders Help

[Former Member]

Hi All,

Need some help getting my BPMon off the ground. The first request from the business is in regards to Purchase Orders. They want to prevent fraudulent PO's from being processed and paid out. The way they'd like to get that under control is leveraging BPMon on the Change PO Transaction ME22N (I am not an expert on the transactional/functional side so this may only be partially correct).

So we'd like to monitor when PO's are changed, and when their change dollar$ Amount is over some specified percentage - something like 25% greater than original PO Amount.

From a technical standpoint, our solution appears ready to roll for this. I have made sure the business process and business process steps for this are in the solution and all other setup is complete. Here is what I have so far:

Has anyone done something similar to this before? Am I using the right monitor to achieve this? I am finding it difficult to use these monitors because I know what needs to be done but when I get to the actual setup of these, it's not so easy to set up the Key Figure. For now I just want it to flag any PO getting changed so I know I am on the right track so I used 1 and 2 for yellow and read. Nothing has flagged so far.

Please advise! I would love to be able to provide BPM to my business folks.

TIA

Zach

[keiji_mishima · Accepted solution]

Hi Zach

As far as I know, currnet BPMon/BP Analytics PO related out of box key figure cannot raise alert based on changed % of monetary value.

So either you include manual check (1)or create custom key figure using customer exit framework of BPMon/BP Analytics(2).

For 1st option, I think the key figure that you choose is the one if I were you.

Or I also consider another key figure   "Changes in purchase orders" (Depending on the ST-A/PI that you use, you might not see this). If you use latest ST-A/PI 01S, it appear little bit button of the list.

The difference is, either we check change for PO item / PO header. I think in both case, if there is some price/qty change, header qty might be affected.

By default, the key figure extract all PO (item) for any change. So to check monetary value,

I am considering to use field EKPO-BRTWR for Table-Field name. Then only the PO that has some change to EKPO-BRTWR (this field is gross value), will be picked up.

Maybe for 1st clarification, you can specify bit longer period like relative days -10 to 0 (last 10 days).

Then PO (PO items) that has change to gross value, will be picked up.

In case of BPMon, through the detail list that you can start from alert inbox, you can see the list of document and changed value. Then somebody can do manual comparison through the list like attached picture.

If you configure same object under logical component, it becomes BP analytics object. In this case, from BP analytics analysis screen you can also launch detail list.

For 2nd option, like custom program, just build your own key figure using BPMon/BP Analytics cusotmer exit framework.  To do this, refer to development guide that you can see at following link.

Business Process Improvement - Solution Manager - SCN Wiki

->Setup Guide - Customer Monitor with ABAP OO

Best Regards
Keiji

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Keiji,

Thanks for the reply. I believe I follow so far but I want to ask some clarifying questions.

When you say: The difference is, either we check change for PO item / PO header. I think in both case, if there is some price/qty change, header qty might be affected.

Do you mean that I can handle what I am trying to do using the Key Figure that I have chosen? We are on an older version of ST-A/PI right now without an immediate chance to implement a newer version.

By default, the key figure extract all PO (item) for any change. So to check monetary value,I am considering to use field EKPO-BRTWR for Table-Field name. Then only the PO that has some change to EKPO-BRTWR (this field is gross value), will be picked up

I am finding this sentence difficult to follow. I am assuming you mean, with this Key Figure, any changed PO will be extracted. But how can I modify the key figure to only track the change to a PO on the EKPO-BRTWR Table-Field Name? Can you help me in this direction - that is too deep in BPMon for me so far.

Maybe for 1st clarification, you can specify bit longer period like relative days -10 to 0 (last 10 days).Then PO (PO items) that has change to gross value, will be picked

How can I modify my BPmonitor to grab a set of days? This is also sort of confusing for me.

In case of BPMon, through the detail list that you can start from alert inbox, you can see the list of document and changed value. Then somebody can do manual comparison through the list like attached picture.

My assumption is that when something is triggered and needs to be evaluated, it will be done manually so I like the direction you are headed in here.

I am still curious if I will be able to successfully do this in BPMon, thanks for the insight.

Zach

[keiji_mishima · Accepted solution]

Hi Davis

Since you already see the PO item change key figure at your system and I assume price change will be related to EKPO-BRTWR, you can just use the key figure that you tried initially.

(i mean you can try with your current st-a/pi at managed system).

Regarding on 2nd question, on PO change key figure, you can use time filter at BPMon setup.

If you do not specify any time filter (relative date), I think only the PO that is changed today is checked.

If you want to check POs that were created for last 7 days, then you can use relative time (dynamically calculate date from today). So in the picture, I specify -10 to 0. This means BPMon will check POs that were changed last 10 days (from 10 days ago to today).

If you or your colleague can create sample PO at ERP, then you do not need to specify such a time filter.

Just configure BPMon and change PO value then check whether BPMon pick up the PO.

As you assume, the key figure pick up all change. But like attached picture, you can filter specific change using table-field name. So I assume by doing this you can only check the PO that has price change.

hope this help.

Best Regards

Keiji Mishima

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Keiji,

I was able to follow your last reply very well. Thank you for all of the info so far. I am guessing I get different parameter options than you due to my ST-A/PI version. Just for my info, what did you choose on the 'Add Monitoring Object' Selection screen to get that allowed you to pick up the Key Figure of Changes in Purchase Orders'. Yours sounds much more on target than mine.

I've been selecting Procurement, and then from there Purchase Orders. Is there a different category that contains this? How/when are these categories updated with different monitoring objects - ST-A/PI versions?

The only parameters for my monitor are these - I don't see the day option that you had, which seems very nice.

Thank you for your help.

Zach

[keiji_mishima · Accepted solution]

Hi Zach

You choose right application area and right monitor. it is same as the one that I use.

Do you know which ST-A/PI version (SP level) your managed system use ?

I check some system that has ST-A/PI 01S (latest) and 01R SP2, in both system I see the parameter.

I do not have any other old ST-A/PI system so do not know whether old ST-A/PI has relative day field properly. But I assume as you can see in the key figure text, the key figure is designed to pick up

PO item change for certain reference period. So it should have a time selection parameter as I shared my screen.

I am not sure whether it is due to some bug (missing right parameter in the ST-A/PI that is used) or key figure definition is not copied to SolMan properly.

To verify this, I recommend you to try following 2 steps.

1)check available parameter of the key figure at ERP using definition check program.

Go to SE38(SA38) and execute program /SSA/EXM.   Speicfy following parameter.

P_PROJID EKP

P_CHGMOD DISPLAY

in the next screen, put your cursor on monitor name PURCH2 and then choose "display key figure" button.  In the next screen, put your cursor key figure number 11. And choose "display customize".

Then choose "parameter tab".

This shows the selection parameter definition of key figure.

In my system I see Relative Days at position 17.

If you do not have Relative Days in the list, that means at your ERP ST-A/PI level,  the parameter was not shipped. Maybe due to some bug at definition.

In this case, you have 2 option. Update ST-A/PI of your managed system to latest one, or create SAP incident whether it is possible to have some instruction to add missing parameter to your ST-A/PI

(Since latest ST-A/PI already contains parameter and latest ST-A/PI usually provides more key figure, I rather suggest update our ST-A/PI to latest).

If you see the parameter at ERP, this means parameters is not copied to SolMan properly.

In this case, I recommend you to try (2).

2)At BPMon setup, under the solution you see the logical component section. If you click, you see the system that is in the solution.

Here if you choose the system you can select "Load Monitor Definition".

So please try to reload monitor definition from managed system since key figure definition originally stored in managed system ST-A/PI table.

Best Regards

Keiji

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Keiji,

I found this in my production system, so looks OK there just not on line 17.

So its odd that I don't see it on the BPMon side. Anyways, let me get back to the actual monitor itself.

Here is what I have so far - PLEASE let me know if anything seems off from my initial setup.

Is the Solution/Logical Component selection correct? Anything specific there I need to check?

And here is my BPMon screen and alert inbox. Nothing is appearing at all. How can I check the status of my monitor?

Alert inbox:

It seems like stuff is setup but I am not getting any insight into if its working or not.

Any help is appreciated, thanks!

[keiji_mishima · Accepted solution]

Hi Davis

The sympton looks strange. Although ERP contains proper definition it is not reflected to Solution Manager.

Which Solution Manager Support Package level (software component ST) do you use ?

If Support Package level is smaller than 11, I suspect a possibility of note 2046683.

(Customizing object is not properly copied into solman).

In that case, please try following.

1.Apply the note at solution manager

2.At BPMon setup, choose logical component in left side navigation. And load monitor definition.

hope this fix problem.

if this does not solve the problem, I recommend you to create SAP customer incident.

Since some system analysis is needed to do more analysis.

PS. your last screen shows BP Analytics configuration screen since group by field displayed.

      In that case, you cannot see the result at BPMon side.

      If you create monitoring object under the logical component, it always becomes BP Analytics object. If you create monitoring object under the business process hierarcy, it becomes BPMon object. Depending on the location where you create a object, it controls object type.

Best Regards

Keiji

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Keiji,

Thanks for your replies as always.

Few points on this: My BPMonitor is running on my managed system, but the job is failing with this shortdump:

PERFORM_NOT_FOUND -

CX_SY_DYN_CALL_ILLEGAL_FORM. With more mention on the program /SSA/EXS/. I've found some notes on this but none are valid for my system, so I have reached out to SAP for assistance.

On your last comment where you mention logical component vs. business process hierarchy - determining the type of BPMon object, do you have any documentation on this? I was unaware that is how this was working.

I'll reply back to this when SAP comes back with their solution on my job.

Regards,

Zach

[keiji_mishima · Accepted solution]

Hi Zach

Regarding on managed system dump issue, I assume your ERP might use ST-A/PI 01Q SP2.

If it is so, SAP Note 1946940 should resolve the issue.

It is always really recommended to check BP Analytics/BPMon central notes and apply recommended SAP Notes before starting implementation. Otherwise you might see some issue.

To avoid unnecessary issue, I recommend to check following 2 SAP Notes before starting implementation.

Note 521820 - Availability of Business Process Monitoring

When you implement BPMon/BP Analytics, check this note and apply recommended notes that match with your solution manager SP.

Note 1759233 - BPO Dashboards/BP Analytics: requir.SAPnotes for SP05/higher

When you implement BPMon/BP Analytics, check this note and apply recommended notes.

SAP Notes Solution Manager  is related to BP Analytics/Dashboard

SAP Notes managed system is related to BP Analytics and BPMon data collector

On your 2nd question, BPMon/BP Analytics Configuration location, I recommend you to check the configuration guides that is available BPO wiki.

Especially following document provides you important information.

BPMon

https://wiki.scn.sap.com/wiki/display/SM/Business+Process+Monitoring

BPMon Setup Guide (classic)

BPMon Setup Guide (MAI)

BP Analytics

https://wiki.scn.sap.com/wiki/display/SM/Business+Process+Improvement

Setup Guide - Business Process Analytics 7.1 SP5 + higher.pdf

Best Regards

Keiji Mishima

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Keiji,

You are right I was already beginning to implement note: 1946940 so we are good there.

As for the other BPM SolMan notes those are not valid for our system. Thanks for the guides, the MAI BPMon guide is pretty good but still does not shed light on some things.

Specifically, whether a monitor is setup at the Logical Component level or at the business process/step level. From what the guide shows, if its on the LogComp level it is an Analytics monitor, if its on the BPStep level, its an Alert.

Where is the differentiation here? Analytics show up in the Business Process Monitoring alert screen, and the Alerts show up in the Alert inbox?

Thanks for the info I feel like I am getting further along, just still so many questions as to whether this is all working technically. How can I check?

Zach

[keiji_mishima · Accepted solution]

Hi Zach

I also recommend you to check overview introduction information at same wiki since Analytics and BPMon are different.

Business Processes Monitoring(BPMon) is a application to raise a alert, if collected result reached threshold.

Analytics is a application to shows data distribution of collected result in graphic for improvement and analysis. (no threshold and alerting to this application).

Majority of the transaction data related KPIs are avaialble in both application. So depending on where you create a monitor (logical component/under business process), you create monitoring object for different application. In the configuration screen, if you add column flavor to display column, you can see its type.

For created monitoring object, if you see threshold setting and notification tab etc, you can consider BPMon object. If you do not see threshold and notification tab but group by configuration area, it is indicates Analytics object.

The location where you are checking (alert inbox) at this moment is related to BPMon.

To see the Analytics, you need to launch analytics application from BPO workcenter (side bar menu).

Then graphical screen will be displayed like attached picture.

I think in your requirement, you can to see the document that has PO change related to price. So it seems monitoring application (BPMon) seems to be suited because you can get alert if related data found.

Related to note 521820,1759233 it is central preparation note.

So the note itself does not contain any correction.If you try with SNOTE, it say not relevant. But it contains important correction notes in list to each SP level. so you need to manually look at the note with your eye.

Best Regards

Keiji

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Keiji,

As always thank you for your detailed responses.

I have made a ton of head way today, and before your post started to realize the different between Alerting objects and Analytics object. Here is a pic of the objects I've set up. These are various amounts of tests to see if the data I am getting is trustworthy or not.

In the last part of your post, you say:"so It seems monitoring application (BPMon) seems to be suited because you can get alert if related data is found"

But your screen shot is of BPanalytics, and which is one of the paths I was going down in depth today. I can play around with monitor parameters and again with Filters within Analytics to see the data we think is applicable. But your sentence is mentioning Alerting which will only tell us if a change was made on the total gross amount field in EKPO table. Am I reading your synopsis correctly or were you meaning to say that using Analytics is the right move here (while also leveraging alerting when something is changed).

I would share my Business Process analytics results but that may be too much company specific information.

Lastly, not to go in too much of a different direction but Im having difficult getting a BP dashboard working for this. Do you have any tips for this?

Zach