Designing and Using Custom Lookup Tables and User Interfaces

1. Navigate to Admin Center→Configure Object Definitions.

2. Select Create New→Object Definition.

3. Enter a code and label. For example, ERPLookupTable.

4. Set Status to Active. (Inactive objects are ignored.)

5. Define Fields: In the Fields section, create custom fields for the different condition values that should be part of your lookup table.

   1. Create one field for each condition. If you want to reference an existing Metadata Framework object in your lookup, select Details to add details for the fields you've just created.

      • As Data Type, enter the data type of the Metadata Framework object you want to reference.
      • As Valid Values Source, enter the external code of the Metadata Framework object you want to reference.

6. Save your changes.

   If your lookup table needs to retrieve multiple pieces of related information in a business rule, consider using a parent-child relationship within your MDF object.

   In this design:

   • The parent object holds the main information.
   • The child object contains the detailed data you want to access.

   When creating the business rule, you can perform a lookup to find the child object and store it in a variable. This enables you to use the child object's fields directly within your rule for more precise data retrieval.

   Additionally, setting up a 1-to-many (1:n) parent-child relationship provides a table-like interface for entering multiple related values, streamlining data entry and improving usability.

1. Navigate to Admin Center→Manage Data.

2. Select the Create New dropdown, locate the custom ERPLookup Table.

3. Enter data for all the necessary combinations, for example:

   • Engineer, US, 1000
   • Manager, US, 1200
   • Engineer, CA, 500

Before you can create a UI, you need to define the custom object itself using the Configure Object Definitions tool. Once your object definition is ready, you can create the custom UI for the object, allowing for a greater user experience when creating the object data in Manage Data.

1. Navigate to Admin Center→Manage Configuration UI.

2. Select Create New UI.

3. Use the Select Base Object dropdown to choose the custom MDF object (ERPLookupTable).

4. Arrange Fields: Use the drag-and-drop interface to arrange fields into sections or groups.

   • Customize section titles, labels, and display options.
   • Change the layout (for example, form, flow, grid).
   • Set field visibility (visible or hidden).

5. Modify individual field properties:

   • Override field labels, change label visibility and visibility.
   • Change if a field is required or editable.
   • Change how the field is displayed, and change field to a Rich Text Editor field (RTE).
   • Apply onChange UI rules for greater customization.

6. Save the configuration and test the custom UI to ensure it behaves as expected.

   

   Note

   You may need to refresh the UI or re-select the base object in Manage Configuration UI to see changes reflected after saving.

   Using custom objects for business rules extends efficiency throughout the SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting solution, offering simple solutions to complex requirements. In SAP SuccessFactors, while the use of a standard business rule supports basic automation, a business rule using a lookup table provides easier maintenance, as data can be maintained through Manage Data without requiring changes to the rule itself. Custom objects used as lookup tables also provide reusability, where a single lookup table can be reused across business rules and even across solutions.

   Finally, the use of business rules and lookup tables can significantly increase performance. Where a standard business rule, with many IF/THEN/ELSE statements, may affect performance, a business rule using a lookup table offers better system performance as the rule itself is simple and reduces processing needs.