Enabling Business Rules for Performance Management

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to manage business rules to set conditional behaviors in performance management.

Business Rules in SAP SuccessFactors

Business Rules is part of the Metadata Framework scope and used across SAP SuccessFactors for multiple applications, such as:

Change a field value, visibility of a field, or make a field required.
Calculate transient fields.
Set default attributes.
Trigger workflows to approve a transaction.
Generate Alerts.
Execute Intelligent Services events.
Create or delete data.

The business rule framework, managed from the Configure Business Rules tool, classifies the available rule scenarios for each application (e.g., Employee Central, Recruiting, Metadata Framework, Position Management, Performance Management, etc.).

Hint

To learn more about Business Rules, there are several resources available:

The course SAP SuccessFactors Platform Introduction Academy includes an overview: Creating and Triggering Business Rules
Implementation guide, available in SAP Help Portal Implementing Business Rules in SAP SuccessFactors

Business Rules in Performance Management

In Performance Management, the following rule scenarios are available:

Trigger Weighted Rating Rule
Configure Weight for Steps and Roles
Change Field Visibility, Editability, and Required Status on Forms
Add Review Steps Upon Form Routing

The available rule scenarios for the Performance Management application are displayed.

Customized Weighted Rating Summary

This scenario can be used to generate a Customized Weighted Rating from different roles responsible for providing the Overall Form Rating.

The prerequisites are:

The form template must have the Summary section and the Customized Weighted Rating Summary section enabled.
RBP Permissions: Metadata Framework→Configure Business Rules.
This scenario is available on both the legacy and the latest experience for Performance Management forms.

An example is when two or more different managers (like Manager and 2nd Level Manager) should be able to provide their own overall form rating in the Summary section. These ratings can be differentiated from each other using the Customized Weighted Rating Summary, and each rater can have a different weight assigned.

If the Manager rating should have a weight of 60%, and the 2nd Level Manager rating should have a weight of 40%, the business rule scenario Configure Weight for Steps and Roles can determine these conditions.

Example of the rule conditions to configure weight for roles and steps.

The other scenario Trigger Weighted Rating Rule would then execute the business rule conditions at a specific step and trigger the calculation. The result would be the Customized Weighted Rating, which will be calculated in that summary section, and additionally, a manual rating field can be enabled to set up the final rating.

Example of the trigger calculation rule for the Customized Weighted Rating.

Note

To learn more about the Customized Weighted Rating Summary and the possible variables to set up the business rules, you can check the following resources from the SAP Help Portal:

Customized Weighted Rating Section and

Scenarios with Overall Customized Weighted Rating Calculation

Rule Scenario: Change Field Visibility, Editability, and Required Status on Forms

This scenario can be used to set field visibility, editability or required status, based on the conditions defined in the Business Rule.

The prerequisites are:

Performance Management Feature Settings→Enable the latest experience of Performance Management forms
Performance Management Feature Settings→Enable business rules in Performance Management
RBP Permissions: Assign Rules in Talent→Assign Rules for Performance Management and Metadata Framework→Configure Business Rules

One example of applying this rule scenario is if the Manager or the 2nd Level Manager, in their respective roles in the route map, provide a rating that is equal to or less than 3 (out of a 5-point rating scale), then the system should make the comment required. In the example below, the business rule will check these conditions in order to determine whether the comment at the item level is required or optional.

When creating the rule, the Form Template needs to be defined.

The example of a business rule to determine that a comment should be required based on specific conditions.

For the rules to take effect, you must assign them to specific triggers in the Assign Rules in Talent admin tool. Up to five different rules can be assigned to each trigger. The triggers for this rule scenario include the following:

Field Change: Rules added to this subsection are triggered when the selected field in the selected section is changed on the form. Note: If a rule contains fields in the skill, competency, or goal section, make sure you assign it to the same form section.
Form Saving: Rules added to this subsection are triggered when the form is saved.
Form Opening: Rules added to this subsection are triggered when the form is opened.

The screenshot shows the business rule assignment on field change.

Rule Scenario: Add Review Steps Upon Form Routing

This scenario can be used to display hidden route map steps, based on the conditions defined in the Business Rule.

The prerequisites are:

Performance Management Feature Settings→Enable the latest experience of Performance Management forms
Performance Management Feature Settings→Enable business rules in Performance Management
RBP Permissions: Assign Rules in Talent→Assign Rules for Performance Management and Metadata Framework→Configure Business Rules
The route map associated to the performance form template should have at least one step set as Hidden Until Rule Execution.

One example could be if the Manager review generates a Calculated Overall Rating equal to or less than 3.5 (out of a 5-point rating scale), then the system would include an additional step where the Matrix Manager would review the performance form. In the example below, the business rule will check these conditions in order to determine whether the new step should be made visible.

When creating the rule, the Form Template needs to be defined.

The example shows a business rule that would make a Matrix Manager Review step visible if the calculated overall rating in the Manager Assessment step is equal to or less than 3.5.

For the rules to take effect, you must assign them to the Form Routing to Next Step trigger in the Assign Rules in Talent admin tool.

The example shows the rule assignment on the Form Routing to Next Step trigger.

Create and Assign Business Rules for Performance Management

In the following exercise, you will be setting up the business rules to change field visibility based on conditions, and insert a hidden step in the route map if the overall rating is lower than expected, for additional review.

Prerequisites

To leverage the business rule scenarios, it will be required to enable the latest experience for Performance Management forms.

Steps

Enable the required features to create, assign and use business rules in Performance Management
1. Navigate to Performance Management Feature Settings using Action Search.
2. Enable the following options:
  - Enable the latest experience of Performance Management forms.
  - Enable business rules in Performance Management.
3. Choose Save to save your changes.
Create and assign a business rule on the Change Field Visibility, Editability, and Required Status on Forms, to fulfill the following requirement: If the Manager rates any goal lower than 3, an item comment should be mandatory.
1. Navigate to Configure Business Rules using Action Search.
2. Select + icon, to create a new rule.
3. Expand the Performance Management application, to display the available rule scenarios.
4. Select Change Field Visibility, Editability, and Required Status on Forms.
5. Add the following basic details:
  - Rule Name / Rule ID: PM_Change_Rule.
  - Start Date: 01/01/1900.
  - Form Template: [Your Initials] Performance Review.
  - Rule Trigger: Any.
6. Choose Continue.
7. Add the following rule conditions on the IF section:
  - Form.Form Section.Goals.Official Rating.Value< Decimal 3 AND
  - Form.Route Map.Current Step is equal to Value Manager Evaluation.
8. Add the following outcome on the THEN section:
  - Set Form.Form Section.Goals.Item Comment.Required to be equal to Boolean Yes
  Hint
  Check the example below on how the business rule is created.
9. Choose Save to save your changes.
10. Navigate to Assign Rules in Talent using Action Search.
11. Select [Your Initials] Performance Review on the template dropdown option.
12. A Rules Grouped by Triggers section will display. On the Form Saving area, add a new rule, and select the PM_Change_Rule on the dropdown list, so it triggers when the form is saved.
13. Choose Save. The rule is now assigned.
Create a business rule on the Add Review Steps Upon Form Routing, to fulfill the following requirement: If the Manager Evaluation step has an Overall Calculated Rating of 3 or less, add a new step automatically for a 2nd Level Manager review.
1. Navigate to Configure Business Rules using Action Search.
2. Select + icon, to create a new rule.
3. Expand the Performance Management application, to display the available rule scenarios.
4. Select Add Review Steps Upon Form Routing.
5. Add the following basic details:
  - Rule Name / Rule ID: PM_Add_Step_Rule.
  - Start Date: 01/01/1900.
  - Form Template: [Your Initials] Performance Review.
6. Choose Continue.
7. Add the following rule conditions on the IF section:
  - Form.Route Map.Current Step is equal to Value Manager Evaluation AND
  - Form.Form Section.Summary Section.Calculated Overall Rating< Decimal 3.
8. Add the following outcome on the THEN section:
  - Set Form.Route Map.Step.2n Level Manager.Visible to be equal to Boolean Yes.
  Hint
  Check the example below on how the business rule is created.
9. Choose Save to save your changes.
10. Navigate to Assign Rules in Talent using Action Search.
11. Select [Your Initials] Performance Review on the template dropdown option.
12. A Rules Grouped by Triggers section will display. Scroll down to locate Form Routing to Next Step, section, and choose Add Rule.
13. Add Rule PM_Add_Step_Rule.
14. Choose Save. The rule is now assigned.

Summary

In Performance Management, business rules can be leveraged to set up conditional field attributes or add steps dynamically in a form, as well as generate a Customized Weighted Rating based on multiple role weights, providing an overall form rating with different weight.
The latest experience for Performance Management is a prerequisite to use the business rules for the scenarios Change Field Visibility, Editability, and Required Status on Forms and Add Review Steps Upon Form Routing. These rules are assigned in Assign Rules in Talent.

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