Functions

This section describes the main functionalities in the VSS Communication Framework. Imagine the following user stories:

You can achieve the above user stories with the communication framework. The framework is very flexible to design your communication structure according to your business needs.

Notification Triggers

A transaction to define condition of the notification to be triggered. Notifications can be triggered from various VSS applications by mapping it to the Communication Event ID.

• Transaction code: /DBE/CF_NOTIF_TRG, or:

• On the SAP Easy Access screen, choose “Logistics > Logistics Execution > Vehicle Sales and Service > Communication Framework > Process Definition > Notification Triggers”.

Prerequisites

The following is required before setting up the notification trigger:

1. Sender type is configured in customizing.

2. Recipient type is configured in customizing.

3. Notification channel is configured in customizing.

4. Communication event ID is configured in customizing.

5. Notification ID is configured in customizing.

6. Notification template is assigned to notification ID in customizing.

Functionalities

In this transaction, you can set up the following:

1. Trigger detail: In this step, you assign the communication event ID that will trigger the notification. You also define the business object type and source object type. Maintain the communication group if you want to restrict the notification for specific organization or sales area.

2. Define pre-checks: Pre-checks is used to define mandatory steps or pre-requisites before attempting to trigger necessary notification or task. The framework delivers sets of pre-checks that can be used to define the notification condition.

3. Define notification to be sent: In this step, you choose the notification ID to be used for the notification trigger. Notification ID is assigned to the notification template in customizing. You can define simple or complex notification content. For example, in case of sending email notification, the content of the notification can be complex. It can have specific layout or contain parameters from data objects. You can achieve this by creating your email template using standard SAP Email Template function in transaction code SE80. You can design the email content in HTML format and assign parameters that you have defined in framework customizing. You then assign this email template ID to the notification ID in the framework customizing. In case of simple notification content, for example, sent a request to service advisor to verify a service order. You can achieve this by using the FIORI push notification. Also in this step, you can define the notification priority, include attachment to the notification, define navigation target when the notification is clicked, define the target recipient, define validity of the notification, define context, and define sender.

4. Refer to “VSS 4.0 Communication Framework Cookbook” for explanation on how to use the notification trigger functionality.

Possible business case

Trigger notification from VSS event

Example scenario: Trigger a notification to service advisor when a service order is created.

Trigger notification from VSS Time Clocking event

Example scenario: Trigger a notification to service advisor when technician starts working on a job.

Task Processing

A transaction to define processing steps for task. Steps of processes can be defined to be executed one after another and while processing the steps, task attributes can be updated, task action or event can be executed, and notification can be sent to target recipient.

• Transaction code: /DBE/CF_TASK_TRX, or:

• On the SAP Easy Access screen, choose “Logistics > Logistics Execution > Vehicle Sales and Service > Communication Framework Process Definition > Task Processing”.

Prerequisites

The following is required before setting up the task processing steps:

1. Sender type is configured in customizing.

2. Recipient type is configured in customizing.

3. Notification channel is configured in customizing.

4. Communication event ID is configured in customizing.

5. Notification ID is configured in customizing.

6. Notification template is assigned to notification ID in customizing.

7. Task ID is configured in customizing.

8. Task status and task action is configured in customizing.

9. Task center layout and settings is completed.

Functionalities

Task ID is defined in customizing. You can define as many task IDs as needed per business requirement. Each task ID should represent a dedicated business process, for example: service order processing, additional job processing or sales order processing. You can assign business objects, communication group, navigation target and UI icons for each task ID.

Once the task ID has been configured, you can create processing steps to each task ID.

Imagine the scenario of a service order processing and you would like to monitor the lifecycle of the service order. You can create process steps that create or update task, update task attributes, execution task actions, update task priority and trigger notifications.

From the example above, you define steps: Order created > Order released > Work started and so on. Each step can be executed by the communication event which is mapped with the VSS event. The steps can also be executed by the task actions which is triggered by the responsible assignee from the task center. You can assign task statuses to each process steps and monitor the status as the task progresses. “Final” step indicator can also be assigned to indicate that the processing of this service order is completed.

Refer to “VSS 4.0 Communication Framework Cookbook” for explanation on how to use the notification trigger functionality.

VSS Task Center

VSS Task Center is a FIORI application that is built to track and monitor progress of task of VSS business objects. It is designed according to SAP FIORI design guideline and utilizes SAP FIORI Notification functionality to support the push notification and notification management.

The VSS Task Center adapts the Flexible Column Layout, which is a layout control that displays multiple floorplans in a single page. This layout offers faster and more fluid navigation between the floorplans. It is very responsive and expandable, powered by the FIORI functionalities and navigation tools that is available by standard.

Functionalities

The following describes the general functionalities of the VSS Task Center:

1. Monitor progress of task with progress status, progress percentage, task status, task priorities and task criticality.

2. Historical record of task execution with time stamp for audit trail purposes.

3. Segregation of tasks into customizable folders (represented by tabs); for example: “To Do”, “My Task”, “My Team’s Task” and “All Task”.

4. Filter functions to search tasks according to user-defined search criteria.

5. Export search result into raw data for further analysis.

6. Link to business objects which will navigate the user directly to the business objects.

7. Link to specific task upon clicking the FIORI notification.

8. VSS event execution directly in the task without the need to go into the backend transaction.

9. Customizable task actions to update task attributes such as task status and task priorities.

10. Management of various attachment types from image, documents, audio and video with upload and download functionality and playback capability.

11. Audio and video capturing functionality.

12. Attachment synchronization between the task and the business object.

Possible business case

Execute VSS events from Task Center

Example scenario: Release a service order.

With the introduction of the VSS Communication framework, you can now execute the order release event from the notification or from the task center.

Execute Task Action from Task Center

Example scenario: Increase task priority.

In addition to executing the VSS events from the task center, the framework also introduced task actions. Task actions can be defined in framework customizing and assigned to task ID. You can configure the task action to update task attributes such as task status, task priority, due date and expected in date.

Refer to “VSS 4.0 Communication Framework Cookbook” for explanation on how to setup the task center.

Plugins

The communication framework provides plugins to map the relevant VSS applications or objects with the communication event ID and define the notification triggering criteria.

VSS Order Engine: VSS Event Mappings

Prerequisites

The following is required before setting up the mapping:

1. VSS event is configured in customizing.

2. Communication event ID is configured in customizing.

3. VSS Order Status is configured in customizing.

Functionalities

This customizing allows you to map VSS event with the communication event ID. For example, you have a business requirement to trigger notification or update task when a particular VSS event is executed and in which level is the event is executed.

• Transaction code: /DBE/CF_VSS_EVT or;

• In Customizing for Logistics Execution, choose “Vehicle Sales and Service (VSS) > Common Functions > Communication Framework > Plugins > VSS Order Engine > VSS Event Mappings”.

You can also define the following:

• Attribute condition: Define mapping condition for selected VSS fields, for example, this mapping is valid only for order type “2000”.

• Status condition: Define mapping condition for selected VSS Order Status value and in which level the mapping should be validated for example, order level, header level, item level or job level.

Time Clocking: Event Type Mappings

Prerequisites

The following is required before setting up the mapping:

1. Time clocking order type is mapped to the framework key structure in customizing.

2. Time clocking event type is configured in customizing.

3. Communication event ID is configured in customizing.

Functionalities

This customizing allows you to map VSS Time Clocking events with the communication event ID. For example, you have a business requirement to trigger notification or update task when a particular VSS Time Clocking event type is executed (i.e.: work started, work ended, work ended and time confirmed, go on break, etc).

• Transaction code: /DBE/SPRO or;

• In Customizing for Logistics Execution, choose “Vehicle Sales and Service (VSS) > Common Functions > Communication Framework > Plugins > Time Clocking > Map Time Clocking Events”.

In this customizing, you map the time clocking event type with the relevant communication event ID in order to trigger a notification or update certain task. You also include additional parameters to the mapping.

Resource Scheduling: SRS Event Mapping

Prerequisites

The following is required before setting up the mapping:

1. SRS order type is configured in customizing.

2. SRS notification event is configured in customizing.

3. Communication event ID is configured in customizing.

Functionalities

This customizing allows you to map VSS SRS events with the communication event ID. For example, you have a business requirement to trigger notification or update task when a particular VSS SRS event is executed (i.e.: appointment scheduled, appointment cancelled, etc).

Please note that VSS SRS already has its own functionality to trigger notification. This plugin is additional function within the communication framework to be used by SRS in case of task processing for example, you want to create or update certain task when the SRS event is executed.

• Transaction code: /DBE/SPRO or;

• In Customizing for Logistics Execution, choose “Vehicle Sales and Service (VSS) > Common Functions > Communication Framework > Plugins > Resource Scheduling > SRS Event Mapping”.

Please refer to the “VSS 4.0 Configuration Guide” for more detail on how to configure the plugins.