Reviewing Form Template Testing

In past units, the performance form has been fully prepared and configured, and is now ready to be launched for testing from the end user perspective. After forms have been thoroughly tested, the review cycle can be launched. Launching the review cycle and methods of modifying form information to accommodate employee or manager changes are defined and practiced through exercises in the following units.

Testing is the process to validate that system behavior is what is expected. It is critical that you test your template before launching forms to individual users. There are many places where small errors can be made when creating the form. By running a test launch, you may be able to catch and correct the errors before the full launch. Testing involves taking the form through the entire process to ensure that all steps and sections function as expected.

Before launching the official performance cycle, please review the following checklist:

Preparing system information:

• Review password policy settings
• Modify company system and logo settings
• Review competency libraries
• Assign role-specific competencies to job roles/codes

Preparing user data:

• Check user data
• Delegate permissions where applicable

Manage forms and goals:

• Create a new goal plan
• Review/adjust route map
• Review/adjust rating scale
• Create a new performance form
• Adjust form template settings (optional)

Launching the performance review process:

• At the appropriate time, mass create forms
• Manage forms using delete, route, restore deleted document features

Ongoing maintenance:

• Reset user passwords/send system e-mail notification
• Change user information
• Set user status
• Documents transfer (change manager and move doc)

When a form is ready to be launched, the administrator launches the forms for the entire organization, or groups of users, from the option Launch forms. There are six steps to launching the form:

1. Set the launch date (One-time or Recurring schedule).
2. Set the review period.
3. Select employees.
4. Edit Text, Text area and Checkboxes custom fields (this is only available if these custom fields have been configured in the template).
5. Review summary.
6. Choose Launch and OK to confirm and launch form(s).

From the main navigation menu, navigate to Launch Forms using Action Search. Verify that Performance Management is selected as the type of form, and select a form template from the dropdown list. Only forms that are active are visible on the list. You see a summary of the form, including the description, last modified date, sections, route map, and form rating scale.

After selecting the correct form, it can be launched immediately at a future date or in a recurring schedule of your choice.

• Now: Launch the form(s) immediately upon completion of the process.
• Later: Schedule the launch for a specific date in the future.
• Recurring Schedule: Launch the form on a schedule based on an employee’s hire date, work anniversary (based on the hire date), or every X number of months (A month, 3 months, 6 months, or a year), regardless of the hire date. Additionally, a date must be selected to start the recurring schedule.

You may set specific dates for the review period and the due date for the completed forms. Review period settings include the following tasks:

• Dates configured for form: This option is going to be grayed out unless specific dates have been configured. These dates are pulled from the Form Template Settings, if configured.
• Last calendar year: Previous year is listed.
• This calendar year: Current year is listed.
• Custom: Select the start and end date for the review period.
• Due date for completed forms: This is the date by which the users are going to be reminded to complete the forms.

Select an employee or group of employees who is going to receive the form for completion. The following employee settings are available:

• All active/inactive employees: Select this option to select all employees.
  Note

  If you cannot see "All active employees", it means Hide ‘All active/inactive employee’s’ option in Launch Forms wizard is enabled in Manage Permission Roles→User Permission→General User Permission for your role. You can verify in View User Permission to search for all permissions and roles assigned to your admin and verify from which role this setting is enabled.

• One Employee: Enter the employee’s name and select the employee from the list. Click Add another to select an additional employee.
• Group of employees: Find employees by selecting a Dynamic Group, Upload CSV File or by filter.

  Dynamic Group: You can choose any existing group or create a new one on the fly.

  Note

  Shared Groups can also be utilized when launching forms. Shared Groups are shareable, dynamic groups (created by one admin and used by another) and may also include inactive users. These groups are maintained in Manage Employee Groups.

  To utilize Shared Groups when launching forms, back end configuration needs to be done by a consultant.
• Upload a CSV File: You can upload a CSV file with a list of User IDs to which you want to assign the form. In addition, you can download a template, which only uses one column.
• Find employees by filters:
  • Click the Select Criteria button and select Department, Division, Location or Job Code.
    Note

    Custom Fields (custom01-custom15) can be included as additional filters with the assistance of a consultant or from the Manage Business Configuration tool (BCUI). You can check related documentation in the SAP Help Portal for more information.
  • Select the appropriate criteria and click Done.
  • You may select Include Inactive Employees.
• Select to view the list of employees.
• You may choose to create the form only for users who do not have an existing form with an end date between X and Y dates.

This section in the launch process is only available if the form has a custom section and the Edit Intro text description in Mass create is enabled (found in the advanced options of the custom section). This allows an administrator to modify the introduction text for the custom section/s of the form before launching forms. You are also going to see the custom sections with which you modified the introduction text, in the summary section.

Additionally, custom fields of type text, text area or checkbox can be edited in this step. It depends on whether custom elements are defined in the form template and the option Editable during mass creation of forms is selected. It can be checked from Manage Templates→Custom section→Show advanced options→x Custom Element(s) defined. Click to modify.

Review the information in the Summary section. In the Employees section, choose to view the matching employees to ensure the correct employees are selected. As you review the Summary, you may edit any part of the launch information by clicking Change. If you would like to modify the template, choose Change in the Form section. This takes you back to the beginning of the process, where you can choose Cancel launch and modify the template. The summary settings include the following:

• Send email notifications to form recipients: Check the box to send email notifications to form recipients.
• Create En Route Copy: Check this box to add an En route copy of the form in the user’s inbox.

When you have finished reviewing the Summary, choose Launch to complete the process. You receive a notification that the launch is in progress.