Accessing Provisioning and Instance

Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

  • Access an Instance
  • Access Provisioning
  • Control access to instances and Provisioning
  • Configure changes in Provisioning that will be reflected in the instance
  • Log into an SAP SuccessFactors instance

Access an Instance

An instance is the front end, or customer-facing view, of the SAP SuccessFactors system platform. SAP SuccessFactors customers work together with Professional Services Consultants (Implementers) to configure their own instance of SAP SuccessFactors.

Consultants, administrators, and end users see the same interface, but just like any other system, access to tools varies depending on what has been configured.

During configuration, implementers will use the Admin Center to set up and configure some of the basic system features in the instance. These include:

  • Customizing the look and feel of the instance, including company colors, logo, and customization of the home page

  • Enabling and customizing E-mail Notification Templates

  • Replacing text to match company-specific terminology

After configuration, administrators will use the Admin Center to modify any features configured during implementation, if needed, and to initiate and manage company processes and cycles, as well as maintain system data and users. These include:

  • Launching forms

  • Importing and updating user information

  • Resetting user passwords and accounts

Later in this unit, you will learn more about common tasks and features in the Admin Center.

Company ID is the unique identifier of an instance. Username and Password are the login credentials associated to each user.

Log into an SAP SuccessFactors Instance

This section describes how to log into SAP SuccessFactors and how to navigate the Home page and Administration Center.

Each SAP SuccessFactors user is assigned a username and password for the SAP SuccessFactors instance of the company. Additionally, each company is assigned a URL and Company ID. To log into SAP SuccessFactors, enter the Company ID, username, and password when prompted on the Login screen. The look and feel of your login screen depends on theme used in the instance.

When the users select the question mark icon from the Login page, they will have access to the support FAQ link.

It will take them to a web page where they will get answers to the frequently asked questions about SAP SuccessFactors. This includes information to resolve account and login issues.

Users can be logged in on multiple devices unless restricted by their company.

Instance and Provisioning relationship

Provisioning is the key configuration tool that SAP SuccessFactors uses to control many aspects of the customer instance. Essentially, Provisioning is the back end of the system. Provisioning drives what users see in their instance, including some content that administrators can control, located in the Admin Center.

Implementers, consultants, and support representatives use Provisioning to:

  • Modify company settings, like enabling new features
  • Turn purchased modules on or off
  • Create administrator accounts
  • Download and upload templates that contain customer configuration
  • Enable language packs

Note

Customers do not have access to Provisioning.

An instance is the front-end, or customer-facing, view of the SAP SuccessFactors platform. Consultants, administrators, and users see the same interface, but just like any other system, access to tools vary depending on what has been configured.

What the instance looks like is determined by choices made in both Provisioning (the back end) as well as within the instance itself, in the Admin Center.

Part of the customer-facing instance, the Admin Center, is available to implementers and administrators. This area allows customers to work together with Professional Services consultants (implementers) to configure their own instance in SAP SuccessFactors.

During configuration, implementers will set up and configure some of the basic system features in the instance, including:

  • Customizing the look and feel of the instance, like company colors, logos, and the home page
  • Enabling and customizing email notification templates
  • Replacing text to match company-specific terminology

After configuration, administrators modify any features configured during the implementation if needed, initiate and maintain company processes and cycles, and maintain system data and users, including:

  • Launching forms
  • Importing and updating user information
  • Resetting user passwords and accounts

Access Provisioning

Provisioning is the key configuration tool that SAP SuccessFactors uses to control many aspects of the customer instance. In essence, Provisioning is the back end of the system.

Note

Customers never use Provisioning, nor do they have access to it.

Implementers, Consultants, and Support Representatives use Provisioning for the following purposes:

  • To modify company settings, such as enabling new features

  • To turn purchased modules on or off

  • To create administrator accounts

  • To download and upload templates that contain custom configuration

  • To enable language packs

Company settings access

On logging into Provisioning, a list of company instances is visible under the consultant’s Provisioning account. These are the company instances that are accessible to that specific implementer.

Select the Company Name link to start configuring the Company Settings.

Company settings in Provisioning

Provisioning is used for all SAP SuccessFactors modules, and there are many settings and options within the tool. Some of these are specific to configuring, uploading, and exporting different templates for specific modules. Other features are used to enable or disable global or module-specific settings.

Features, settings, and templates configured in Provisioning ultimately control what is available on the frontend instance for users to see and use. Many of these are configured within Company Settings in Provisioning.

There are many elements within Company Settings that correspond to different modules of SAP SuccessFactors. To make it easier to find an element, use the browser search function (Ctrl + F) and search using keywords. Once changes are made to a particular section, click the Save Feature button for that section. You will be prompted to enter the company ID before changes can be saved.

View and control Provisioning Access to Instance(s)

Overview

As an administrator, you can view and control who has Provisioning access to your instance, using the Manage Provisioning Access tool in Admin Center. You can view a list of users with Provisioning access and grant or remove access from any users. Only users to whom you have granted access can access Provisioning for your instance.

This is a universal feature, available to all SAP SuccessFactors customers. However, it requires role-based permissions and to access this tool. You must first be granted Manage Provisioning Access permission.

Note

Provisioning access is instance-specific. If you have more than one instance in your SAP SuccessFactors system (Development, Test, Production), you need to manage Provisioning access separately in each instance.

View users with Provisioning Access

Once the appropriate permissions have been granted, you can view information about users who have Provisioning access to your instance. You can also use filters to find specific users or users with the same status.

Approve a Provisioning user

Access to Provisioning is strictly controlled. Only SAP employees and partners who have completed the required training are given a Provisioning user account. When you approve users in the Manage Provisioning Access tool, they do not immediately gain access to Provisioning for your instance. They still need to submit an internal access request in which their training and other requirements are verified. When you "add" a user in the Manage Provisioning Access tool, your approval is recorded and verified during this process.

Remove a Provisioning user

Once you have appropriate permission, remove Provisioning access to your instance from one or more Provisioning users.

Instances and Provisioning

Configurations, such as who can access the Compensation module, are done in the instance. However, configuration to turn on the Compensation module and have it accessible in the instance, is done in Provisioning.

Instance versus Provisioning

The table compares who has access to instances and Provisioning and for what both entry points are used.

 InstanceProvisioning
Access

  • Implementers

  • Administrators

  • End-users

  • Implementers

  • SuccessFactors Customer Support

Uses

  • Customize tiles

  • Manage permissions

  • Oversee user information

  • Generate reports

  • Initiate and manage company processes and cycles

  • Configure system features

  • Enable purchased modules

  • Upload templates

Best Practices for Configuration

Throughout this course, you'll learn how to configure important aspects of the SAP SuccessFactors solution. Here are some best practices to help you be successful:

  • Start with pre-configuration in the customer’s staging environment to accelerate customer understanding of the tool

  • Approach decisions as "fit-to-standard" with gap-fit analysis instead of pure discovery and ground-up business process design

  • Change only what must be changed in order to bridge perceived gaps

  • Leverage iterations which include gap-fit (evaluation), design, documentation, configuration, testing and validation

  • Coordinate gap-fit solution design, configuration and testing across workstreams to identify potential integration impacts within the suite

  • Create, maintain and share effective project- and configuration-related documentation

  • Provide the customer with system administrator training as early in the project as possible and assign the customer the system administrator-level configuration responsibilities to accelerate knowledge transfer

  • Prepare and distribute highly detailed cutover to production documentation that is customer-specific, assigning customers the responsibility for system administrator-level tasks (resource dependent – consultant may act as staff augmentation during cutover)

  • Save and share all project and configuration documentation on the customer’s Jam site before the project is closed so that Customer Support will be able to access those documents after go live (This is relevant only for SAP Internal Consultants).

Now that you know the basics of how your project will run, we will dive into the technical aspects of implementing SAP SuccessFactors.

Managing Provisioning Access by deleting a person from Provisioning

Business Example: In this exercise you will get to know how you can manage the access to the Provisioning.

Steps

  1. Remove a user's from having access to the Provisioning

    1. Log into your instance. Use Action Search to navigate to Manage Provisioning Access.

    2. Select one of the users by checking the box in front of the ID.

    3. Click on the trash can icon and click on "OK" in the Confirmation Box.

Result

You have deleted a user from having access to the Provisioning.

Managing Support Access with the Manage Support Access tool

Business Example

Company administrators need to know how to grant support access, revoke support access and limit the ability for support personnel to modify Role-Based Permissions.

Task 1:

Steps

  1. Grant support access to both Alex Anderson and SuccessFactors Admin for 24 hours. Do not allow them to make modifications to Role-Based Permissions.

    1. Log into your instance. Use Action Search to navigate to Manage Support Access.

    2. Click the Add button and in the User Name field enter aaaa and select Alex Anderson.

    3. Confirm that Alex does not have RBP Admin access.

    4. Set an expiration date for the next day and select "OK".

    5. Click Grant.

    6. Click the Add button and in the User Name field enter sfeduadmin and select SuccessFactors Admin.

    7. Confirm that SuccessFactors Admin does have RBP Admin access.

    8. Under the option Allow this user account to edit RBP settings select No.

    9. Set an expiration date for the next day and select "OK".

    10. Click Grant.

  2. Use Provisioning to test Support Access for Alex Anderson and SuccessFactors Admin.

    1. Access Provisioning and under Customer Instance Access select Log in to customer instance.

    2. In the User Name field enter aaaa and click Validate and review permissions for Alex.

    3. Click Login and then click on the Main Menu.

    4. Select the Name Menu and select Log Out.

    5. Access Provisioning and under Customer Instance Access select Log in to customer instance.

    6. In the User Name field enter sfeduadmin and click Validate and review permissions for SuccessFactors Admin.

    7. Click Login and then click on the Main Menu. Confirm that Admin Center is available.

    8. Use Action Search to navigate to Manage Permission Roles. Confirm that SuccessFactors Admin has been restricted to view-only access.

  3. Use Manage Support Access as SuccessFactors Admin to remove Alex Anderson’s access.

    1. Use Action Search to navigate to Manage Support Access.

    2. On the Valid List tab in the row for Alex Anderson, select Edit.

    3. Change the Expires On: field on todays date and to one minute in the future and click Save.

    4. Wait one minute and select the Expired List tab and confirm Alex has been moved to that tab.

Result

You now know how to use Manage Support Access.

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