The advent of artificial intelligence has led many companies and businesses to automate their workflow. This doesn’t mean adding robots to the assembly lines and replacing humans just yet. However, it does mean automating the repetitive and cumbersome processes that software engineers and programmers deal with. This not only helps to make companies more efficient, but also to cut costs. In this endeavor, few approaches are more effective than automating workflow with SAP.

SAP Workflow Automation

SAP Workflow automation can be categorized into three distinct parts:

SAP Business Workflow

This is an advanced workflow tool, which is ABAP-based. It empowers the core business processes that are both on-premise and on cloud deployment. Business processes can be automated very easily using the Business Workflow and is regarded very suitable for repetitive processes. The goal of this tool is to free up resources that would otherwise be focused on mundane tasks requiring manpower.

SAP Process Orchestration

This is an open source middleware workflow solution. It is Java-based that combines SAP Business Process Management, SAP Business Rules Management and SAP Process Integration. This integrates the business process in the on-premise and hybrid deployment.

SAP Cloud Platform Workflow

This is based on the SAP Cloud Platform that has been created by developers. It runs and manages the workflow all the way from simple approvals to the complex end-to-end processes. This contains an inbox application and a UI that is custom built that allows customers to automate. This way, they can freely take part in making decisions and data entry.

The Combination of SAP S/4 HANA and SAP Business Workflow

Migrating towards a true digital transformation through SAP includes implementing an advanced in-memory-based ERP business suite. For SAP that involves implementing the SAP S/4 HANA suite, here SAB Business Workflow acts as a standard workflow engine for SAB Business Suite. In turn, ABAP acts as a standard workflow for SAP S/4 HANA, which works both on-premise and on cloud.

SAP S/4 HANA allows users to manage tasks and processes with a tool called My Inbox. This is a SAP Fiori app, which helps end users get access to their workflow tasks. This can include purchase orders and travel expenses and leave requests. Hence, it’s an all-in-one tool that is very convenient to use. It expedites the process of checking and double checking. It plays a supportive role for inbox features, which include mass approval and substitutions and attachment handling. This allows for the integration of nearly all existing workflows into a single app.

My Inbox allows for integration not just with SAP Business Workflow, but with other engines like SAP Process Orchestration. The help of any third-party solutions can also be taken with this app. End-users that are working on their workflow on the SAP S/4 HANA implementation can also show their customized workflow. SAP S/4 HANA is also customized so that it works natively with My Inbox. Hence, the efficiency of this combination is optimal.

This is just one example of how SAP can help automate workflow.

SAP Process Orchestration  (SAP PO)

SAP PO is a combination of Business Process Management and Process Integration as well as Business Rule Management. SAP PO is an on-premise Java-based technology, which can rapidly automate and optimize business processes.

SAP Cloud Platform Workflow Service

A lot of business organizations are now transitioning to the implementation of digital transformation strategies. This involves coming into contact with several cloud-based technologies include CRMs and ERPs, etc. SAP has been a leader in offering this Platform-as-a-Service for cloud-based digital strategies. SAP Cloud Platform Service has been a key player in this role. It includes the simplification of the development and operation of new cloud apps. It also helps to extend the existing, on-premise or Software-as-a-Service SAP apps.

In addition to this, the SAP cloud system itself allows end users to integrate several different business processes. These can’t be achieved in standard applications. Organizations can avoid several different complex maintenance and updates due to the several customizations afforded to them.

The SAP cloud platform is known for the various business process solutions it offers as well as the technical services provided. These technical processes relate to the development of application integration and data storage. However, SAP launched the SAP cloud platform workflow service recently in March 2017. This allows the users to develop, manage, and run the workflows. Hence, this can be related to the simplistic approvals or end-to-end processes that span across different businesses.

In addition to this, the Cloud Platform Workflow is structured to a user-friendly editor. This is a graphical web editor that relates to the Business Process Model and Notion (BPMN) standard. These models consist of both the user and the service tasks.

User tasks are linked to the SAP Fiori user interface. This can be accessed via the My Inbox App. This app comes included with the service. The service tasks can be used to write and read data from and to external services. This can be done using a direct REST API. It can also be done though the SAP Cloud Platform Integration.

SAP Cloud Platform Workflow is a great, innovative solution that helps organizations to transform their business into digital modes. This consequently improves efficiency, productivity, and innovation as well as profitability.

All these processes help to improve the way that workflow is automated.