Ten reasons to buy Practical Workflow for SAP (3rd edition)

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Since its release in August 2014, the 3rd edition of 'Practical Workflow for SAP' has been storming up the bestseller charts. In this blog we will examine why it's been so successful and why YOU need to go out and buy one!

Bestseller

Did you know that the first edition of this book was, at the time, the best-selling book in the whole SAP Press catalogue*? Neither did I. But it makes sense; it was surprisingly well written (not google-translated from Tcherman like quite a few others) and in just 500 pages it completely demystified - for me - the brilliant but sometimes infuriating workflow engine. It's anything but a dry teutonic technical tome, full of real-life anecdotes and practical tips.

Read it to me again?

Value for Money

Weighing in at over 1000 pages, Workflow 3 is 10% bigger than the second edition, and 100% bigger than the original(!)

This weighty tome will not only teach you everything you need to know about workflow, it can also be used in self-defence or to dispatch large insects.

If you're worried about the trees, remember that Workflow 3 is also available as a bundle of sustainable electrons.

Nuggets of Pure Gold

What should I do if my workflow fails to start? It's covered on page 271. Do you need to make your deadlines sensitive to public holidays? See page 1043. What’s the deal with integrating SAP Fiori and workflow?  It’s all in chapter 33. Ever wondered how Alan Rickayzen earns money on the weekends? Turn to page 1061.

Workflows Fourteen

The book condenses the combined wisdom of over thirteen well-known Workflow luminaries; that has to be over two centuries of Workflow experience right there. The authors include experts such as the Godfather of Workflow (Alan Rickayzen), the Goddess of Workflow (Jocelyn Dart) and The Workflow Whisperer (Susan Keohan), as well as the usual SCN suspects.

What's that Skip? You've already got the 2nd Edition?

This Just In

Workflow 3 is busting out with new content. There's a chapter on SAP Fiori and Mobility, CRM Workflows (finally!), SAP UI5, GRC, and a great piece by Jocelyn on how to integrate workflow and BRF Plus. As well, Alan's chapter on Operational Process Intelligence demonstrates a powerful new way to analyse, visualize and optimize your workflow processes.

Certifiable

Yes, it is now possible to become certified in SAP Workflow. To pass the certification exam, this book is a definite must-have. If you're comfortable with all the stuff that's covered in here, I personally guarantee that you won't have any trouble with the exam.

Mise à Jour

You might think you can still 'make do' with the 2nd edition. Although this was a classic in its day, it was published in 2009 and so is now over 5 years old.  BRFPlus didn't even exist back then, HANA was still Japanese for 'flower' (as well as 'nose'), and 'the Cloud' was still just vaporware.

Of course, errors are inevitable in large bodies of work like this. Did you spot all of them in the 2nd Edition? They were all rooted out and replaced by shiny new ones.

Lulu. auditioning to be the official SAP Workflow mascot.

Career Move

If you're passionate about workflow, buying this book could be a canny career move. If you can find errors in it, or think of new exciting content (e.g., HANA-based workflows floating in the Cloud), you may well find yourself on the author list for the next edition. You don't even have to be a great writer – after all, they even let me manhandle the manuscript.

Scourge

Finally, just like the 2nd edition, all author proceeds from this book go to Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders). These folks are currently in the frontline of the fight against Ebola, so they need every cent / euro / yen we can send them. If we can organize the money, they will find the people with the skill (and the bravery) to fight this scourge. Take that, Ebola!

So please be sure to "check out" the book at SAP Press, or your local bookstore, it's cheaper than you might think. At the time of writing, it was positioned at 206,019 on an online bestseller list; surely together we can get it into the Hot 200,000.

* And it still is (the best-selling SAP Press book of all time)