HCM Processes & Forms: Clearing the confusion of Feature Packs, what's new and when!

     As of Enhancement Pack 6, SAP has adopted a newer release strategy. While the older enhancement pack delivery mechanism still exists, SAP will also release what they refer to as "feature packs" (also known as "In-Advance Shipment"). As the name implies, these feature packs contain content specific to a business area to provide new features and functionality supplied "in advance" of the next Enhancement Package(which should be EhP7 at some point soon).

Per Robert Moeller from SAP, "A Feature Pack (FP) in this context  is nothing more than a special kind of Support Package (SP) that includes new functionality (where a SP usually only contains code corrections and legal changes), albeit you still control the activation of that new functionality with a business function switch that you may turn on."

     The intention is that these "feature packs" can be delivered quarterly between enhancement pack upgrades. So where are we now with releases?

*released at the end of July 2013

Highlights of each Feature Pack

     Here are the consolidated highlights for each release from SAP (with my occasional opinion in orange text thrown in for good measure! haha):

• New function in Design Time for Processes and Forms for the creation of forms based on Floor Plan Manager (FPM) application configuration components (VERY cool!)
• New function for using forms created in an external UI to access the Processes and Forms framework using the Service Layer

          (Do not GLOSS over this one! This means that yes, SAP allows us to use FPM-based forms as a option to Adobe, but they have also left the           framework open not to allow ANY other UI for the "form" that we want!!!!)

• New sample processes based on the new form type:
  • Change to Working Time (International)
  • Special Payment (International)

• Storage of Documentation for Additional DataSources (documentation moved from under BI information to HumanResources -> Reporting in Human Resources Management ->DataSources)   (they just made the documentation easier to find...as I said before in a blog about analytics HCM Processes & Forms:There’s gold in them there Processes and Self-Services! (Data and BI Analytics), I had to HUNT all over to find this information! haha)        

• New Start Application to execute processes for HR Administrator role (ASR_PROCESS_START_OVP)
  • Search for different object types (employee, position, organizational unit and job) using a single search screen
  • Start both FPM-based and Adobe-based processes from a single application for a chosen object (you would think this was done when they released the FPM option)
  • Attachments, history, and link lists
• New Process Browser application to track both FPM based and Adobe based processes
• Digital Personnel File (DPF) available for both Adobe and FPM form types
• Integration of StreamWork (StreamWork integration with HCM Processes and Forms enables collaboration/discussion between users who participate in different stages of a process.)
• New PFCG role for HR Administrator (SAP_ASR_HRADMIN_SR_HCM_CI_4)
• Further enhancements to the Design Time tool
  • Configure a print/read-only Adobe PDF: The system creates a PDF from the template specified and stores it in the employee's personnel file. If the form template is maintained, it can also be used to print FPM forms (not pulling any punches...this is a CRAP solution! It makes us still rely on setting up ADS and developing an Adobe form in parallel with our FPM forms!...but I guess at least SAP is giving us something. I really hope they release a *real* print solution soon!)
  • Bind the source of UI attributes for form fields (this will add to generic service development!)
  • Designate a text field associated with a form field, so that texts for values chosen in the Object Value Selector (OVS) are populated on the form at runtime (this will save some generic service development!)
• Sample processes based on the FPM form type:
  • Hiring (Germany)
  • Change Organizational Unit Attributes-WD [FPM]
• EIC Side Panel Integration in HR Application
  • HCM Process & Forms administrator application (5 Step PA & PD Application) has been enhanced to enable the creation of a service request, directly from the application, through a side panel. This means that context relevant data is included directly in the
    service request, eliminating the need to call or mail the Shared Service Center, to create a service request. It further allows the administrator to see the service request that they have created in the side panel and to view its current status.

• Integration of the Mass Hiring Web application into the landing page
• Appealing and intuitive Web user interface, which offers a central workspace for an HR professional to manage data of multiple candidates when hiring employees. With the Excel-like Web UI, an HR professional can complete the whole maintenance process for candidates:
  • Download an empty excel template for mass hiring
  • Import an Excel sheet with records of multiple new hires
  • Export the candidates into an Excel sheet
  • Handle errors
  • Save drafts
  • Mass edit, mass validate, and mass submit candidates' data
  • Both synchronous and asynchronous validation processes are available and can be conducted in parallel to save time, if the function is enabled in the Design Timetool. These checks include:
    • Automatic duplication check during importing and validations (very cool!)
    • Rehire detection (very cool!)
    • Automatic creation of personnel numbers for all new hires after final step of data submission (I would like the option for WHEN this happens. Some clients/customers like to assign/hold the number early in the process.)
• Processes lane to the landing page for HR professionals. (will be nicer when it is available in the portal and not just the NWBC)
  • A short lane on which they can view the pending processes for a specific period
  • An expanded lane on which they can view all completed and open processes and includes advanced search capabilities
• new HR Professionalcomposite role

• Roadmap Form for Employee Processes
  The HCM Processes and Formsframework offers the new form type "Roadmap Form". With this new form type you can reuse the Personnel & Organization screens for single infotypes and offer them in a predefined sequence for display as an easy-to-navigate roadmap. You configure the roadmap form-based processes either as “single-step-processes” or use the workflow capabilities of HCM Processes and Formsto enhance them. Note: Currently, the roadmap form only supports processes for employee master data.

          (Interesting. I want to see it in action. Not really sure what "use case" SAP thinks this addressed since it is for "single infotypes".)

• new HR Professionalcomposite role

Feature Pack 4 was just released at the end of July 2013 as noted, but hints at the directions SAP is moving with a number of things if you read between the lines (some form of "dynamic actions" capabilities, integrated HTML5 based org charting, more robust "landing page" functionality, etc.). I hope this consolidation of information helps others wade through what is truly *NEW AND IMPROVED*in HCM Processes and Forms. As always...till next time....