Configuring the Succession Data Model with business configuration

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to configure the Succession Data Model when changes are needed

Succession Data Model

The XML data models defining Employee Data configuration are Succession Data Model and CSF Succession Data Model. In the Succession Data Model figure, you can see the different elements included in the Succession Data Model. In this lesson, you will learn how to configure the HRIS elements of the Succession Data Model using the Business Configuration User Interface.

Management of the Business Configuration tool

Manage Business Configuration Tool

The Business Configuration UI (BCUI) enables consultants and administrators to update the Succession Data Model and Country Specific Succession Data Model without XML intervention. The Succession and Country-Specific Succession Data Models must be uploaded initially during implementation before the BCUI can be used.

You can validate and identify configuration issues in the Manage Business Configuration page and take corrective actions using Check Tool. It is recommend to run this check once the upload of the Succession Data Model and Country/Region Specific Succession Data Model is completed.

Note

BCUI does not have an undo feature, nor does it create a backup version of the data models when changes are made. The entities are by default in view mode, select Take Action → Make Correction → to initiate the edit mode.

Using Manage Business Configuration Tool

Configurations in BCUI:

  1. Employee Central: Here, you’ll find the HRIS elements and country-specific elements included in the Data Models.
  2. Employee Profile: Here, you’ll find standard elements and userInfo elements that are used for the talent modules.
  3. Set the label and Default label of the HRIS element.
  4. Enable or disable the element.
  5. Assign business rules to the element.
  6. Set the field label.
  7. Enable or disable the field. Field details are used to set field attributes such as field type, required, etc.

Note

Updates to Manage Business Configuration are consistently rolled out almost every release cycle in the forms of general improvements and new validations to enhance the user experience for this tool.

Person Types in BCUI

The Person Type in BCUI allows you to define a set of fields specific to a group of persons, like a contingent worker. Administrators can define person types for both global and country-specific HRIS elements. 

For a person type, you can configure these attributes:

  • Enabled
  • Mandatory
  • Visibility

When a person type is created, all the HRIS fields specific to the Person Type get copied from the base element. Person Type is only supported for HRIS elements.

Note

You cannot add a field that is not in the base element.

You can only add the Person Type in BCUI. Person Type added in BCUI will not have any corresponding entry in the data model, and you cannot configure the Person Type by editing the XML.  

With BCUI, you can add different Person Types for other blocks. Not all Person Types are supported in all elements. Some Person Types are only enabled in the BCUI when their respective modules are enabled in Provisioning. The following Person Types could be available  in your instance, depending on configuration: 

  • Employee
  • Dependent (Dependents Management required)
  • Student (SAP SuccessFactors Learning module required)
  • Candidate (SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting module required)
  • Onboardee
  • Contingent Worker

For more detailed information, including a matrix of supported person types and elements, review the Setting Up and Using Business Configuration UI documentation in the  SAP Help Portal. 

How to Add Dynamic Group Filters

Business Configuration UI allows you to add new filters that can be used when defining permission groups. The Dynamic Group Filter (DG-Filter) in BCUI makes it a lot easier when you like to add Employee Central Fields to the People Pool category. To create a new dg-filter, follow these steps: 

  1. Go to Manage Business Configuration UI using Action Search.
  2. Go to Filters → Dynamic Group Filters → DG Filters.
  3. Select Details in the first row.
  4. Select the HRIS Element that you would like to reference.
  5. Select Details and the HRIS Field that you want to use as a category. Make sure the HRIS field is enabled and visible.
  6. Select Save. You may need to log out and log back in before the field is visible in the People Pool category. 

Exercise: Manage Succession Data Model with Manage Business Configuration (BCUI)

Business Example

ACE would like to be able to add an attachment in the Biographical Information block in People Profile. You will change the configuration in BCUI, then verify that the change is available in the employee profile. Watch the video to learn how to update hris-elements in BCUI instead of the data models.

Note

You must have completed Prepare an Instance (Unit 1) and Prepare the Data Models (Unit 2) exercises before completing this hands-on. This exercise activity is not required for completing succeeding hands-on exercises for this course.

Steps

  1. Go to Manage Business Configuration (BCUI) to enable the attachment-id field in Biographical  Information. Set the field to be labeled as Biographical Attachment and configured as editable. The entities are in view mode by default in BCUI. Select Take Action → Make Correction to initiate the Edit mode.  

    1. Go to Manage Business Configuration using Action Search.

    2. Select the hris-element personInfo.

    3. At the bottom of the field list, select the field identifier drop-down list.

    4. Select attachment-id.

    5. Add the label, Biographical Attachment.

    6. Set Enabled to Yes.

    7. Select Details and check if visibility is set to Edit.

    8. Select Done, then save the element.

    9. If you are prompted to confirm other changes made to the data model by BCUI, select Yes.

  2. Go to Marcus Hoff's profile to verify if you can add an attachment in the Biographical Information block.

    1. Search for Marcus Hoff and go to Personal Information → Biographical Information.

    2. Select Edit(pencil icon). Verify that the new field exists.

    3. Select Cancel.

Generic object to the Succession Data Model

Often customers want to use a Generic Object to function like the Employee Central predefined Foundation Objects. These Generic Objects can be created, configured, and then used in the Employee File as custom fields in the hris-elements. They can use associations to filter valid values for the Generic Object Record.

How to Assign a Generic Object to a Custom Field in Succession Data Model

  1. Go to Manage Business Configuration, and select the relevant HRIS Element.
  2. Create a new custom string field and complete the Label, Section (if necessary ), and Enabled fields.
  3. Open the Details of the field, and update the following fields:
    1. Type of Reference Object: Foundation Object.
    2. Reference Object: the ID of the Generic Object.
  4. If your Generic Object uses association filtering, configure the appropriate values in the field criteria.
  5. Save your changes.
  6. Assign any required role-based permissions for the new custom field.

Note

A validation in Check Tool is available to run and check for existing or missing field criteria.

Exercise: Assign a generic object to the Succession Data Model

Business Example

ACE would like to add a field in Job Information to reference the company’s parking records. At the same time, the parking field must be filtered based on the employee's location.

Note

You must have completed Prepare an Instance (Unit 1) and Prepare the Data Models (Unit 2) exercises before completing this hands-on. If you completed the Create a Generic Object with an Association exercise (Unit 4), you can use the Garage object instead of the Parking object. The same process could be used to assign it to the Succession Data Model. This exercise activity is not required for completing succeeding hands-on exercises for this course.
Determining the Destination Field Value and Source Field name is covered in the topic of Creating Associations.

Steps

  1. Go to Manage Data to verify if parking records exist and are assigned to a location.

    1. Go to Manage Data.

    2. Change the search field to Parking.

    3. Review the two records that exist. Note the assigned location(s) for each record.

  2. Go to Configure Object Definition and take note of the code used for the Parking object. Also take note of the association name.

    1. Go to Configure Object Definition → Object Definition → Parking .

    2. Locate the Code field of the object. Determine the value. The value is required in a later step and will be case-sensitive when used.

    3. Locate the association to Location Wrapper. Determine the Name. The value is required in a later step and will be case-sensitive when used.

  3. Go to Manage Business Configuration to enable custom-string4. Use the table to define the field properties.

    Parking Field

    Field PropertiesValue
    Field IDcustom-string4
    Label/Default LabelParking
    EnabledYes
    MandatoryNo
    Type of Reference ObjectFoundation Object
    Reference Objectcust_parking
    VisibilityEdit
    Destination Field Valuelocation
    Source Field Namecust_toLocation.externalCode

    1. Go to Business Configuration UI.

    2. Go to Job Information element and add a custom string field. Follow the properties in the table titled Parking Field.

    3. Save the element.

    4. If prompted to confirm other changes made to the data model by BCUI, choose Yes.

  4. Go to Manage Permission Roles to set the permission of the newly enabled parking field for the System Admin role.

    1. Go to Manage Permission Roles using Action Search

    2. Select Edit in the Actions column of the System Admin role. Select next.

    3. Search for the Parking field in the Employee Central Effective Dated Entities category.

    4. Select ALL level of permissions for the Parking Field.

    5. Select next and save.

    6. Log out and log back in.

  5. Go to Marcus Hoff's profile to test if the field criteria works. The parking field value must reflect the records associated to the selected location.

    1. Go to Marcus Hoff’s profile and then go to Job Information → Edit .

    2. Select Edit.

    3. Select today’s date for the Start Date.

    4. Change location to Arlington, Virginia.

    5. Verify that you can see the associated parking record (Amidi Parking) in the Parking field.

    6. Cancel the changes.

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