Flexible Workflows for Supplier Invoices
For supplier invoices, you can set up the following workflow scenarios:
- Workflow for Blocked Invoice
- Workflow for Parked Invoice as Complete
Activate Flexible Workflows in the Configuration Environment
In your configuration environment, the flexible workflows for supplier invoices Workflow for Blocked Invoice and Workflow for Parked Invoice as Complete must be activated before you can define these workflows.
To do so, use the search function in your configuration environment to open the following activity: Activate Flexible Workflow for Supplier Invoices.
Define Flexible Workflows
You can define flexible workflows for supplier invoices using the corresponding Manage Workflows for Supplier Invoices app.
The Configuration Expert - Business Process Configuration (SAP_BR_BPC_EXPERT) role is required to define the workflows.
If you don't want the default workflows to be used for supplier invoices, you need to define your own flexible workflow.
You must ensure that the default flexible workflow is positioned at the end of the defined order and that it is active. Defining the order ensures that only one workflow is started, even if several workflows have matching start preconditions.
After you define the workflow:
- If the start preconditions for the flexible workflow are met, it is used for supplier invoices.
- If none of the start preconditions are met, the corresponding active default workflow is used for supplier invoices.
Start Conditions
There are several preconditions available in flexible workflows for supplier invoices that you can use according to your business requirements.
Start conditions are used to trigger the workflow. You can define several preconditions where all the preconditions must be fulfilled together, or you can also specify alternative preconditions, which can trigger the workflow if the alternative preconditions are met.
Workflow Steps and Recipients
You can make a step optional in the defined workflow. Additionally, using the step property, it is possible to exclude agents from being the recipients/approvers of a workflow. For instance, you can exclude the workflow initiator from being the approver of the same workflow item.
For each step, you can assign a specific user as the approver. Alternatively, you can assign a role (for example, Manager of Last Approver, Persons responsible for all used cost centers) as the approver. You can choose if the step must be completed by one of the recipients or by all of the recipients. If there are several recipients available, you can define the requirement for blocked invoices as All of the recipients. An invoice is then only fully released after it has been approved by all recipients.
When assigning a "persons responsible" role under Recipients, you must also set a matching precondition so the workflow can identify the approver. For example:
- If the recipient role is Persons responsible for all used cost centers, set the precondition to Account assignment category Cost Center is used.
- If the recipient role is Persons responsible for all used WBS elements, set the precondition to Account assignment category WBS Element is used.