Describing the Position Model Creation

Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
  • Define the Position Model creation options
  • Choose a position nomination method
  • Understand the Metadata Framework
  • Configure the MDF Position object

Defining the Position Model

In the Position-based nomination methods (Legacy Positions and MDF Positions) a new entity, called the position, is introduced to store Succession plans. Customers that choose this method must create and maintain Positions, which can be thought of as an instance of a Job Role. For example, you have a Job Role definition of "Sales Representative," with its associated competencies and duties. A position would be a specific instance of this Job Role, such as "Sales Representative North," that must be occupied by an employee to deliver the work that must be done.

In the Position-based methods, the successors are associated directly to the Position (Position Code), which means that the succession plans stay in place even if the incumbent (user) of the position changes. You can also have vacant "To Be Hired" (TBH) positions, which are positions that are not occupied by anyone at the moment, and you can do succession planning for them as well.

There are two ways to manage positions with SAP SuccessFactors:

  • Employee Central module
  • Succession module

When Employee Central is enabled, all Position Management is handled through EC, and the same position object is shared between EC and Succession. Therefore, you manage positions in Employee Central and the Succession Org Chart leverages this data for succession planning.

Since the position object is shared between EC and Succession, you should only use MDF position-based nominations when EC is enabled. EC Position Management makes it easy for you to do several things, including:

  • Create, view, and maintain the position hierarchy easily using the Position Org Chart. Job requisitions can be created, and you can start an employee hiring process using the Position Org Chart (Recruiting module required).
  • Store and track position category (regular, part-time, intern, and others), current incumbents, and previous employees in that position.
  • Use position control to track the headcount to suit your needs.
  • For TBH positions, you can open requisitions in Recruitment, with the required position information.
  • Integrate Succession Management with Employee Central positions so that the successors are planned based on the hierarchy and criticality of existing positions.
  • Integrate with SAP Fieldglass to create job postings for contingent workers.

When you have EC Position Management, the incumbents are no longer associated to the Position object through the "incumbent" field of the Position object. Instead, the users are associated to positions through their Job Information record from Employee Central (the association is Employee → Job Information → Position).

For additional details about EC Position Management, refer to the Position Management guide from help.sap.com.

If you’re not using Employee Central, positions can be managed directly through the Succession module, which makes the incumbent field editable for Succession Planning only. Legacy positions offer some basic position management through the SOC and Position Tile View, and you can manage your position data in different ways when you use MDF position-based nominations:

  • Succession Org Chart and Position Tile View. Depending on your permissions, when you open a position card from either the SOC or the Position Tile View, you have menu options to Show, Edit, and Delete Position.
  • Manage Data in the Admin Center. This is the same tool that you use to manage all MDF objects. Use it to create, find, and update position records, optionally including effective-dated changes.
  • Synchronize your employee data with your HRIS system to create and update your position data. Even if you don’t have positions in your HRIS, the position sync takes your employee information and create positions and a position hierarchy that you can use for succession planning.

Depending on the specific needs of the company, you may be able to start managing positions with Succession and upgrade to the full EC Position Management later.

Choosing a Position Nomination Method

As mentioned earlier, choose the nomination method carefully; although, it is easier to change from Legacy Position to MDF Position than from Role-person to MDF Position. An automated migration tool is available in Provisioning for customers to migrate from Legacy Position to the MDF Position model easily. The following chart may help you choose the best position nomination method for the organization.

The process flow displays the best position nomination method for the organization.

MDF Positions

MDF positions are generic objects built with the Metadata Framework. They provide you with all the flexibility and benefits of the Metadata Framework that can be used for succession planning with or without SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central. It offers the same benefits as Legacy Positions, like keeping Succession Plans in place through incumbent changes and planning for vacant positions, but also allows you to:

  • Extend the Position Object with custom fields (as part of the Metadata Framework).
  • Keep the history of changes made to the Position, as part of the Metadata Framework effective dating of objects.
  • Create granular security within the RBP Miscellaneous Permissions, even up to the field level exclusion. This allows you to define permissions based on the position attributes, instead of only relying on the user's attributes for the target population.
  • Simplify managing the system because it does not require a TBH user placeholder for vacant positions.
  • Search by Position Title in the SOC.
  • Use the Position Tile View.
  • Import position data to be entered for future events like an acquisition or reorganization.

Legacy Positions

Legacy position-based nominations offer a basic position model that was developed just for succession planning purposes. If you want to use position-based nominations for your succession planning but don't need the additional features available with Metadata Framework (MDF) positions, you can select the legacy position nomination method. Position records have a small and fixed set of attributes: incumbent, manager position, key position, and title. The rest of the information is stored with the incumbent record.

The primary benefit of legacy position-based nominations is that you can plan for TBH positions and not lose associated succession plans when a user changes job codes or becomes inactive. TBH records are supported by creating and managing a vacant user record paired with the position. This process relies on the same person-based permissions and target populations as role-person nominations.

You can manage positions either through import from your external HRIS or with a sync process that mirrors the employee structure to the position structure. Details about maintaining position data are later in this lesson.

Understanding the Metadata Framework Platform

The MDF Position Nomination method uses the Metadata Framework (MDF). This framework is a generic platform that enables users to define their objects, configure object relationships, create rules and workflows, and offers a rich configurable user interface. You can create, modify, and delete extensions that are often referred to as Generic Objects. MDF complements XML-based configuration options but largely removes the requirement to use Provisioning to modify configurations.

Focus AreasMetadata Framework Key Benefits
Effective Dated PlatformObjects defined in the meta data framework are automatically effective dated providing richer functionality to customers without additional resources (for example, effective dated positions).
Custom FieldsCustomer administrators can extend application functionality through custom fields and objects.
Expanded PermissionsFlexible permission options designed with the Role-based Permissions model mean that you can configure field and object permissions to meet complex business requirements.
Consistent User ExperienceUsers get a constant and standard administrative experience. It brings consistency to suite-wide products. To be further enhanced by the launch of a configurable UI.
API AccessMDF objects are automatically accessible through the Open Data Protocol (OData) API framework for systems integration and extensibility.

Note

The Succession Org Chart only reflects the current state of position data. So, while the MDF position object handles effective dating, the SOC only displays the data accurately for the current date and time.

Note

For more information about the Metadata Framework, review the Metadata Framework (MDF) guide on help.sap.com.

If you don't have Employee Central Position Management, keep your Position Model updated by using the sync process or by importing positions, detailed later in this unit.

Configuring the MDF Position Object

Implementing the MDF position-based nomination method requires some additional steps beyond the baseline Succession Planning configuration. If you’re upgrading from another nomination method to MDF Position, perform the first four steps before migrating to MDF Positions:

  1. Enable Generic Objects and the Attachment Manager in Provisioning.
  2. Define and secure the position object, including label translations as needed.
  3. Define (or import) Generic Object picklists and set up related data for the necessary fields in your MDF position object.
  4. Configure permissions to apply to the desired employee fields and permissions, including RBP target permissions for positions.
  5. Select which position fields to present in the position information block for People Profile, if any.
  6. Build ad hoc reports to use the "Succession planning with EC position" or the "Succession planning without EC position" family of report builder views.

Details about Position Management and managing the Position object can be found in THR79, Configuring SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Core, available through learning.sap.com.

Configuring Permissions for the Metadata Framework

After saving the changes in Provisioning, go to the instance and grant the administrators role Metadata Framework permissions. This gives them the ability to configure the position object.

  1. To navigate to Manage Permission Roles, use Action Search.
  2. Select the Administrator role.
  3. Choose Edit and change the basic information if necessary.
  4. Choose Next and navigate to the Administrator Permissions section.
  5. Select Metadata Framework.
  6. Choose Select All for the Admin role.
  7. Choose Next, review the role’s permissions, and choose Save.
Choose Metadata Framework to configure your permissions.

Defining and Securing the MDF Position Object

With the necessary Metadata Framework permissions, administrators then configure the security settings for the position object. Setting up the MDF position object with Miscellaneous Permission settings for RBP, allows the administrator to assign read or write permissions on the MDF position object.

  1. To navigate to Configure Object Definitions, use Action Search.
  2. In the first search box, select Object Definition and in the second box, type Position. From the resulting list, choose the Position object.
  3. Choose Take Action → Make Correction.Select Make Correction to position the object.
  4. In the Security section, select Yes for Secured. Then select Miscellaneous Permission for Permission Category.Secure the Position Object with Miscellaneous Permissions.
  5. Save your changes.

Assigning Visibility and Action Permissions for MDF Positions

  1. To navigate to Manage Permission Roles, use Action Search.
  2. Select the role for which you’re editing permissions.
  3. Choose Edit and change the basic information if necessary.
  4. Choose Next and navigate to the User Permissions section.
  5. Select Miscellaneous Permissions.
  6. Find the section for Position and select the Visibility options you want to set for the role. Succession planners should have, at a minimum, View Current assigned.
  7. Select the Action options you want to set for the role:
    1. Create: The role can create new positions.
    2. Insert: The role can insert a new effective dated record to an existing position.
    3. Correct: The role can make corrections to position values.
    4. Delete: The role can soft delete positions with an effective end date.
    5. Import/Export: The role can import and export the positions using Import and Export Data. Note that the options in Position Management: Import Positions and Position Management: Export Positions are both dedicated to the legacy position nomination method and do not apply to the MDF position-based nomination method.
  8. Choose Next, review the role’s permissions, and choose Save.
Check the Position options in Miscellaneous Permissions.

The roles that have associated action permissions can manage positions by navigating to Manage Positions.

Note

The action settings defined in Miscellaneous Permissions do not grant permission to edit or delete the actual position object. These settings only grant permission to manage the positions.
Choose Take Action to manage positions.

Configuring RBP Target Populations for MDF Positions

With MDF Positions, you have more control over your permission settings and can extend your permissions beyond user-based attributes. The advantage of the position-level target population is that permissions are independent of the position’s incumbent. If a user has access to a position, they continue to enjoy the same access even if the incumbent changes on the position. This permission capability also provides better control over vacant position-level permissions and eliminates the need for a placeholder TBH user record. This level of control is critical during succession planning.

For example, a succession planner has permissions to do planning for the finance organization. When an employee moves from finance to accounting, the access permission remains on the position. This allows the succession planner to continue accessing the finance position the employee vacated and to continue managing its plans.

There are a few points to understand about how target populations work with MDF Positions:

  • A target population based on positions is required for the MDF position-based nomination method where key succession planning permissions are applied to positions.
  • The option to choose a target population based on positions is available when any of the visibility or action permissions for positions is assigned.
  • The following succession planning permissions only work with position-level target populations when the MDF position-based nomination method is used:
    • Succession Planning: Access to the position is required to add or delete successors for that position. At a minimum, the View Current visibility permission is required.
    • Succession Management and Matrix Reports: At minimum, the View Current visibility permission is required to view the successors for a position.
    • Succession Approval: Access to the position is required to approve or reject a pending successor for that position. At minimum, the View Current visibility permission is required.
  • Regardless of the target population settings, succession planners should have, at a minimum, the View Current permission for positions.
  • A position-level target population defaults to All positions. We can adjust the target population to ensure that users only have access to view or manage the positions they are intended to view or manage.
  • You can also choose to have that target population based on position attributes.

Note

If multiple inclusion criteria are selected, only the positions that meet all the criteria are the permitted target population.

You can prevent the logged-in user from seeing and from planning their own successors. There are two options that must be activated in the target population in RBP:

  1. For "3: Define a Target Population", make sure that the option Exclude Granted Users from having the same access to themselves is activated.
  2. For "4: Define Target Criteria", make sure that the option Exclude access to Granted User's Position is activated.

When selected, the users are not permitted to plan or view the succession for their own positions. This applies even if they have succession planning permission over their organization areas in which this position belongs. For example, an HR user responsible for succession planning in the HR department should not see the successors for their own position.

As Succession nominations are very sensitive data for many organizations, this is a classic best practice approach.

To define target populations and criteria:

  1. To navigate to Manage Permission Roles, use Action Search.
  2. Select the role for which you’re editing permissions.
  3. Select the Assignments tab.
  4. Select Edit.
  5. Choose Next or scroll through the sections and edit the assignments.
  6. Review the role’s permissions and choose Save.
Define target population and criteria:

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