Configuring Succession Data Model

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to configure a background element and update custom filters.

Configuration of Background Elements

These elements are where a one-to-many relationship exists between the field and the data it can store. There are two kinds of background elements: those consisting of data fields and those with rating fields. Some examples of background data elements are Education and Work Experience.

Rating fields can be the ones from the Performance Management module or can be imported, or can also be those entered in the People Profile. The kind of rating depends on the field used and its configuration.

The background element contains an ID which must be unique. This ID is used in the export and import live profile background and rating files.

Any ID that begins with sys means that this section is a special system section and it has certain restrictions when modifying it. You cannot remove or comment out data-fields or rating-fields from a sys section. If a field is removed, set the hidden attribute to true for the data fields and the visibility attribute to none for the rating fields.

Background Element Definition

AttributeDescription
type-idA unique Type ID for each background element, which has to be an integer. It is required; there’s no default value.
idA unique ID for each element. The global name for this section is a string field. It has no default value.
max-entriesThe attribute defines the maximum number of rows that could be added from the UI. This limit does not apply when importing data items.
scaleIdFeedbackTypeOnly applicable for Trend Elements (sysOverall). The supported types are:
  • Competency (5)
  • Objective (6)
  • Potential (7)
  • Performance (8)
  • Custom1 (27)
  • Custom2 (28)

Background Element - Data Field Attributes

Attribute XMLOption in BCUIDefinition
idId

The ID must be unique for each background element data field. This name is the name used in the templates and is a required field.

 EnabledTo enable the field. Possible values include Yes and No. This option is only visible in Manage Business Configuration.
requiredRequiredForce the user to input information for that field. Possible values are true or false (default is false if not configured)
hiddenHiddenValue is true or false. Same effect as visibility="none". The value "false" is the default if not configured
url-linkURL LinkValue is true or false. Mostly used with Google Docs.The value "false" is the default if not configured
field-nameField NameThis field is the database field name to use. Available values* are:
  • VFLD1-VFLD20 (text/varchart fields)
  • IFLD1-IFLD8 (integer fields)
  • FFLD1-FFLD8 (real number/float fields)
  • DFLD1-DFLD4 (date fields)
  • START
  • ATTACHMENT_ID
  • DESC
  • END
  • LASTMODIFIED
  • NAME
  • ORDERPOS
  • USERS_SYS_ID
max-lengthMax. LengthThe maximum number of characters that can be entered.
display-sizeDisplay SizeNot used
piiMaskedNot supported currently
document-type-idDocument Type IdAttachment field attribute to identify the classification. The following types are supported:

RESUME | COVERLETTER | HRIS_ATTACHMENT | PERFORMANCE_ASSESSMENTS | 360_MULTI_RATER_ASSESSMENTS | CERTIFICATIONS | PUBLICATIONS | USER_DEFINED | HISTORY | ATTACHMENTS | APPLICATION_INTERVIEW_ATTACHMENTS

max-file-size-KBMax. File Size KBWith this attribute, you can define the maximum size file that can be uploaded. The size must be smaller than the size specified by Attachment max file size set in Company System and Logo Settings or Provisioning.
file-formatsFile FormatsDetermines what file extension is allowed. For example, if only a PDF file is allowed, the value is pdf. Multiple formats can be set using the pipe separator (|). The following file formats are supported:

doc | pdf | csv | htm | ppt | xls | gif | png | jpg | jpeg | html | rtf | bmp | xlsx | docx | pptx | txt | xml | msg | docm | tif | eml

text-area-enabledText Area EnabledWith this attribute set to true, the input area becomes a text area that support multiple lines.
logreadaccessLog Read AccessThis field attribute can be set to true if it must be configured as read audit field. Default value is false if not configured.
labelLabelThis label is the label that displays in the UI for the end users. It allows you to add translations from BCUI or in XML by using the xml:lang attribute.
picklist id=PicklistThe field formats text/varchart (VFLD) allow you to associate to a picklist to select from dropdown values rather than adding an input text.
parent-field-idParent Picklist IdCascading picklists are also possible when adding the parent-field-id in the picklist configuration.

*The following field-name are supported in XML: name | desc | vfld1 | vfld2 | vfld3 | vfld4 | vfld5 | vfld6 | vfld7 | vfld8 | vfld9 | vfld10 | vfld11 | vfld12 | vfld13 | vfld14 | vfld15 | startDate | endDate | dfld1 | dfld2 | dfld3 | ifld1 | ifld2 | ifld3 | ifld4 | ifld5 | ffld1 | ffld2 | ffld3 | ffld4 | lastModified | attachment1

Attachment Field and Text Area Field

In the following figure, see an example of xml code for a background that contains an attachment and a text area field.

An XML code snippet that defines a background-element with attributes for documents and type.
Documents for Certificate section that allows the user to manage documents related to a Succession Certificate.

As an end user, you can add the attachment by selecting the paper clip icon, and then on the next window, select the plus (+) icon.

For uploading documents for a certificate.

A Cascading Picklist in a Background Element

Background elements can contain fields linked to a picklist. Cascading picklists are also possible when adding the parent-field-id in the picklist configuration. See an example of xml code with a cascading picklist in the following figures. The XML code is continuous, although it is presented in separate figures here for easier reading:

XML structure that defines various elements and attributes related to language skills and competencies.
XML structure that defines various elements and attributes related to language proficiency, including Speaking Proficiency, Reading Proficiency, and Writing Proficiency.

In this following example, the connection between the picklists variant and language also exists at the picklist level by adding the parent picklist code from the language picklist in the corresponding child value in the picklist variant.

For managing an employee's language skills it includes fields for the language, language variant, speaking proficiency, reading proficiency, and writing proficiency.
For managing an employee's language skills it includes fields for the language, language variant, and speaking proficiency.

Background Elements with Rating Fields

These background elements are rating sections.

The feedback-type attribute is a unique integer that specifies the source of feedback for the section:

  • 5: Overall Competency Rating

  • 6: Overall Objective Rating

  • 7: Overall Potential Rating

  • 8: Overall Performance Rating

  • 27: Custom1

  • 28: Custom2

The XML code is continuous, although it is presented in separate figures here for easier reading:

XML structure that defines various elements and attributes related to an Overall Competency for an employee.
XML structure that defines various elements and attributes related to an employee's information, including their name, description, and a rating field.
XML structure that defines various elements and attributes related to a rating or labeling system for employees.
XML structure that defines various elements and attributes related to a rating or labeling system for employees.
For managing an employee's overall competency it includes fields for the start date, end date, and a label for the competency level.

Add Background Elements to the Succession Data Model

Your customer wants to add some background elements to include employee details about their internal and external work experience as well as their geographic mobility.

Note

You will be importing some data for these background elements in a later exercise for some of the employees.

Steps

  1. Export Succession Data Model from the instance.

    1. Log into your instance and navigate to Export Succession Data Model by using action search.

    2. Select the Export Succession Data Model button.

      The latest version of the Succession Data Model will be downloaded to your local computer. It will show as [COMPANY ID]-data-model.xml.

  2. Add the background elements insideWorkExperience, outsideWorkExperience, and mobility into your Succession Data Model.

    1. Open the XML file downloaded previously with an XML Editor of your choice.

    2. Change the line 4 of the data model to confirm with the sf-form.dtd file to ensure validation (the DTD is in the same folder as your XML template). Replace the following: "http://svn/viewvc/svn/V4/trunk/src/com/sf/dtd/sf-form.dtd?view=co"> with "sf-form.dtd">.

    3. Navigate to the background-element area, and verify that the background elements do not exist already in the Succession Data Model.

    4. At the end of the background-element section, but before the next one, add the following code that corresponds to the Work Experience Within Company:

      Code Snippet
      12345678910111213141516
      <background-element id="insideWorkExperience" type-id="1">
    <label>Work Experience Within Company</label>
    <data-field id="startDate" field-name="startDate" required="true" max-length="999" max-file-size-KB="1000">
      <label>Start Date</label>
    </data-field>
    <data-field id="endDate" field-name="endDate" max-length="999" max-file-size-KB="1000">
      <label>End Date</label>
    </data-field>
    <data-field id="title" field-name="vfld1" required="true" max-length="4000" max-file-size-KB="1000">
      <label>Title</label>
    </data-field>
    <data-field id="department" field-name="vfld2" max-length="4000" max-file-size-KB="1000">
      <label>Department</label>
    </data-field>
  </background-element>

    5. Below the Work Experience Within Company, add the following code that corresponds to the Previous Employment:

      Code Snippet
      1234567891011121314151617181920
        <background-element id="outsideWorkExperience" type-id="4">
    <label>Previous Employment</label>
    <data-field id="startDate" field-name="startDate" required="true" max-length="999" max-file-size-KB="1000">
      <label>Start Date</label>
    </data-field>
    <data-field id="endDate" field-name="endDate" required="true" max-length="999" max-file-size-KB="1000">
      <label>End Date</label>
    </data-field>
    <data-field id="employer" field-name="vfld1" required="true" max-length="4000" max-file-size-KB="1000">
      <label>Company Name</label>
    </data-field>
    <data-field id="businessType" field-name="vfld2" max-length="4000" max-file-size-KB="1000">
      <label>Type of Business</label>
      <picklist id="industry"/>
    </data-field>
    <data-field id="startTitle" field-name="vfld3" required="true" max-length="4000" max-file-size-KB="1000">
      <label>Title</label>
    </data-field>
  </background-element>

    6. Below the Previous Employment, add the following code that corresponds to the Geographic Mobility:

      Code Snippet
      1234567891011
        <background-element id="mobility" type-id="15">
    <label>Geographic Mobility</label>
    <data-field id="willingness" field-name="vfld1" required="true" max-length="4000" max-file-size-KB="1000">
      <label>Willing to Relocate</label>
      <picklist id="yesnomaybe"/>
    </data-field>
    <data-field id="location" field-name="vfld2" max-length="4000" max-file-size-KB="1000">
      <label>Location Desired</label>
    </data-field>
  </background-element>

    7. Validate, and then save as a new version, such as [COMPANYID]-data-model_v1.xml.

  3. Import the Succession Data Model into your instance.

    1. Navigate to Provisioning → Succession Management → Import/Export Data Model.

      The radio button Import File: is already selected by default.

    2. Select Choose File and locate the [COMPANYID]-data-model_v1.xml that you saved in the previous step.

    3. In the comment box, add the following Background Elements import.

    4. Choose Submit.

      A confirmation message appears that the template was successfully imported.

  4. Grant permissions to edit the new Background Elements from Role-Based Permissions.

    1. Log in to the instance and navigate to Manage Permission Roles by using action search.

    2. Locate the System Admin role, and then select Edit from the Actions column.

    3. Select Next to navigate to step 2. Add Permissions.

    4. In User Permissions, locate and select the Employee Data section that controls the access to Background Elements.

    5. Scroll down to the Background section, and ensure that the following elements are visible:

      • Work Experience Within Company
      • Previous Experience
      • Geographical Mobility

    6. Grant Edit permissions for all three elements.

    7. Select Next to navigate to the step 3. Preview.

    8. Choose Save.

    9. Log out and log back into your instance to reflect the permission changes.

  5. Add the Background Elements in People Profile.

    1. Navigate to Configure People Profile by using action search.

    2. In the Available Blocks section, search for Background, and verify that a Live Profile Background Information block appears under Custom Blocks.

    3. Use the drag-and-drop functionality to add the blocks in one of your existing People Profile sections. Add the following details as shown on the table, and then choose Save every time to save the changes.

      Background Blocks

      DetailsBlock 1Block 2Block 3
      Block TitleInternal ExperienceExternal ExperienceGeographical Mobility
      Background ElementWork Experience Within CompanyPrevious EmploymentGeographical Mobility
      Block SizeSmallLargeSmall
      Block LayoutList ViewList ViewTable View

    4. Verify your changes by navigating to Home → My Employee File and scroll down to the section where you place these blocks.

Custom Fields and Filtering

SAP SuccessFactors supports custom fields and filtering. Customers can add up to 15 standard-elements (with field ids custom01 to custom15) to use across different searching tools within the SAP SuccessFactors HCM solution in addition to the standard filters, Department, Division, Location, and Username. When custom filters are set up, these elements can be used for reporting purposes or for performing administrative functions, such as generating forms. For example, a custom field like Region, can be used in Reporting Dashboards to further filter information.

More information about adding Custom Filters in the Succession Data Model can be found in the SAP Help Portal: https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_SUCCESSFACTORS_PLATFORM/b05b0831c7a540739a2d19f01fbeadff/7f243338b3094ecaa49e7c3e3274deb4.html

The Custom Filters XML Element

HTML code that defines two background elements with labels Successor Portlet and Development Objectives Portlet.

To enable filtering based on custom fields, you must add the <custom-filters> element to the XML data model.

This element is not included in the system default data model of the training instance, so the code must be added manually as follows:

  1. Since this new <custom-filters> element must be added after the last background-element and before the first element-permission, locate the position to add the custom filter file.
  2. Add in the custom filter element with the appropriate standard element references. In the preceding figure, you can see that a filter for custom field 01 is added.
  3. Save a new version and upload the updated data model to Provisioning.

Create a Custom Background with an Attachment and a Text Area

Business Example

Your organization needs a block in the profile to allow the employees to upload their resumes. This block must contain an attachment field and a text area field. In this case, you will use the Manage Business Configuration UI (BCUI) tool to create this custom Background Element, as an alternative to the Succession Data Model XML.

Steps

  1. Create a new Background Element to store resumes by using the BCUI tool.

    1. Navigate to Manage Business Configuration by using action search.

    2. In the Employee Profile section, locate the Background Elements subsection, and expand it to display all the available elements.

    3. Select the Create New option, located at the end.

    4. Add the following details:

      • Id: resumes.
      • Type Id: 40.
      • Label: Resumes.
      • Enabled: Yes.

    5. Select Submit.

    6. Choose Save.

  2. Add the following Data Fields to your Background Element: Resume Name, Attachment (allowing .doc, .docx and .pdf as the possible file formats), and Comments.

    1. Select Take Action → Make Correction to add the first Data Field.

    2. Add the following details:

      • Id: resumeName.
      • Enabled: Yes.

    3. Select Details and add the following parameters:

      • Field Name: VFLD1.
      • Label: Resume Name.

    4. Select Done.

    5. Add the next Data Field for Attachments:

      • Id: attachment.
      • Enabled: Yes.

    6. Select Details and add the following parameters:

      • Field Name: ATTACHMENT_ID.
      • Document Type Id: ATTACHMENTS.
      • Max. File Size KB: 3000.
      • File Formats: doc | docx | pdf.
      • Label: Attachment.

    7. Select Done.

    8. Add the next Data Field for Comments:

      • Id: comments.
      • Enabled: Yes.

    9. Select Details and add the following parameters:

      • Field Name: VFLD2.
      • Text Area Enabled: Yes.
      • Label: Comments.
      • Max Length: 1000.

    10. Select Done.

    11. Select Save. A confirmation dialog displays for some default values that will be automatically set for your Data Fields. Select Confirm.

  3. Grant permissions to edit the new Background Element from Role-Based Permissions.

    1. Log in to the instance and navigate to Manage Permission Roles by using action search.

    2. Locate the System Admin role and select Edit from the Actions column.

    3. Select Next to navigate to step 2. Add Permissions.

    4. In User Permissions, locate and select the Employee Data section, which controls the access to Background Elements.

    5. Scroll down to the Background section, and ensure that the Resumes element is visible.

    6. Grant Edit permission.

    7. Select Next to navigate to step 3. Preview.

    8. Choose Save.

    9. Log out and log back into your instance to reflect the permission changes.

  4. Add the Background Element in People Profile.

    1. Navigate to Configure People Profile by using action search.

    2. In the Available Blocks section, search for Background, and verify that a Live Profile Background Information block appears under Custom Blocks.

    3. Use the drag-and-drop functionality to add the block in one of your existing People Profile sections. Add the details as shown in the following table, and then choose Save:

      Custom Background Block

      DetailsBlock
      Block Title / Background ElementResumes
      Block SizeSmall
      Block LayoutList View

  5. Test your changes from the profile.

    1. Verify your changes, navigating to Home → My Employee File, and scroll down to the section where you place these blocks.

    2. Click on the plus (+) icon for the Resumes block.

    3. Verify that you have three columns:

      (i) Resume Name – Text Field

      (ii) Attachment with a paper clip icon

      Comments – Text Area Field

    4. Try adding an attachment with an unsupported file format, like an image (.jpg or .png), and choose Upload.

    5. Verify you see an error message, for example: The file type of Image.jpg is not in the supported list doc, docx, or pdf.

    6. Select OK and cancel the action entirely.

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