What's the best part of the SAP Community Network (SCN)? That's nearly impossible to answer. It's incredibly vibrant and intellectually powerful, yet it's collegial and supportive. SCN is also 24 hours per day, every single day of the year, and our members comprise just about every geographic and demographic category one could think of. Yet we rarely, if ever, see one another. While some of us connect offline at events and informal gatherings, most of us will never have a chance to meet any other members. In fact, we'll likely never even set our eyes upon another member.

Fortunately that will change with the launch of the new SCN. As we've said all during this migration processs, we're moving from being a Web site to being a true online community. And as part of that, we're going to take advantage of some community tools on our new platform that will actually allow us to engage, communicate, and yes, actually see other members.

The first step in doing this is to let us see you. And we want you to see us! One easy, but very notable, new feature in the new SCN is the ability to upload a picture of yourself to your personal profile, and we want you to add your picture as soon as possible after the site launches. Imagine the difference it will make when, while perusing content and discussions, you'll be seeing the beautiful faces of your fellow members - I truly think it's going to make your connection to SCN even tighter and more meaningful than it already is.

There are a lot of of different ways to present yourself to your colleagues. You may be inclined to use a picture of Gandalf the Grey when in fact you look more like Jason Segel. Both are indeed dashingly handsome, but we really want to see you, the REAL YOU! With that in mind, we want to share some tips from our friend Roz Usheroff, who provides some wonderful tips for using a headshot in an effective way. Her thinking is that, as visual creatures, we rely heavily on images to help us form impressions of others; that's just the nature of living and working among friends and colleagues. She provides six tips that will help you put your best foot forward with your profile image (these are taken directly from an article in one of her recent newsletters, "Six Tips to Hitting a Home Run with your LinkedIn and Facebook Photo"):

1. Have one: The people at LinkedIn say that profiles with photographs are seven times as likely to be viewed as those without. Think about it. Why would a potential employer read your profile if your picture is missing in action when they can click on your competent competitor who has a high-energy picture, complete with a scintillating smile? By the way, cartoonish avatar images don't count as a profile picture.
2. Full face forward: Look full-faced into the camera and take the shot. Show us your spark, your integrity and your warmth. Think about someone or something you like as the shutter clicks, and let the pleasure and energy of life fill you up; relax and breathe. Please don't commit the following head-shot sins in your profile picture.
   • Wear sunglasses
   • Turn your head to the side
   • Gaze off into the distance like Galileo contemplating the wonders of the cosmos
   • Have another person in the shot with you
   • Have another part of a person in the shot with you — such as a hand, arm or shoulder
3. This isn't Match.com: Save the cleavage, come-hither stares and full-body shots for times when you're looking to connect over cocktails — not in a corporate setting. While you might get asked out on a date, you probably won't get the contract.
4. Be current: As much as you may like the way you looked in that snazzy photo taken a decade ago, it's probably out of date. To minimize the shock and awe when you show up in person, keep your profile photos relatively current and minimize the airbrushing. When you do connect with clients in meet space, surprise, confusion and embarrassment won't be the first emotions you inspire.
5. Beware of body language: The small body language details of your profile photo speak volumes. For example: Don't tilt your head unless you want visitors to think, quizzical dog. Don't cross your arms across your body unless you're meaning to give off a feeling that says, stay away. And please don't cup your face in your hands or prop your chin on your fist. That is so over; trust me.
6. Skip the dogs and babies: As much as we love dogs, babies and the supersize salmon you caught on vacation, they don't belong in your profile picture. This is a chance for people to get a sense of you — just glorious you. Stand tall, stand proud and stand alone.

As Roz says, "Remember, we do business with people we like and trust. Seeing your face and making direct eye contact with you — even in a photograph — builds ease and confidence."

Note: Thank you to Roz Usheroff and Jan Giffin for the inspiration, and for letting us refer to your great article.

The SCN Forums are an important part of the SCN experience. They are incredibly active with about 4000 posts a day on hundreds of forum topics! Access to experts on a multitude of SAP subjects who can collaborate together to find the best solutions!

How will they be changing in the new SCN? See a short video blog I’ve prepared to help guide you in the new SCN Discussion Forums. Topics covered include:

• How best to find your favorite forum content
• Learning how many of the well known features remain the same
• Catching a few cool new features
• Seeing community rating & more

Watch the video and be prepared to jump right in and get the conversation rolling in the new SCN Discussion Forum of your choice!

(Please Note: This demo was not conducted on the final site design for the new SCN; i.e, it won't look exactly like this...)

This weblog talks about Material Assignment with T-code CA02 - Change Routing. It provides direct solutions for material allocation in CA02 instead of using any BDC program as we all know BDC is not suggested always. This solution is based on Engineering Workbench EWB which is available as of Release 4.6B for the task list and BOM processing.

The EWB is based on an API (Application Programming Interface) which provides good service functions for the task list and BOM processing. Many problems in the area of the automation of processing steps or mass processing which cannot be solved with SAP standard programs can be solved based on the EWB-API with the help of customer-specific programs.

I have developed one program by calling suitable APIs that can allocate material to an existing Group Number.

Like we do it using T-code CA02 -> Material Assignment

The program given below can do the Material Allocation for an existimg task list Number. Hence, we can avoid writing a BDC program for the same purpose.

Sample Code:

  REPORT  zmkp_api_change_routing.

* global fields, declarations
* ================================================
INCLUDE fc27date.
INCLUDE cp_cs_const_message.
TYPE-POOLS:   cc01,
              cpsc,
              cpcl,
              cmcl,
              czcl,
              cssc,
              cscl.

TYPES: BEGIN OF create_parameter_type,
  matnr TYPE mapl-matnr,
  werks TYPE mapl-werks,
  verwe TYPE plko-verwe,
  statu TYPE plko-statu,
  plnme TYPE plko-plnme,
  steus TYPE plpo-steus,
  steuf TYPE plfhd-steuf,
  fhmat TYPE plfhd-matnr,
  sttag TYPE plko-datuv,
  number(4) TYPE n.
TYPES: END OF create_parameter_type.

DATA g_parameter TYPE create_parameter_type.

* selection screen
* ================================================
SELECTION-SCREEN BEGIN OF BLOCK b1 WITH FRAME TITLE text-t01.
PARAMETERS: p_plnty TYPE plko-plnty DEFAULT 'N',
            "task list type
            p_plnnr TYPE plko-plnnr,
            "task list group number
            p_plnal TYPE plko-plnal DEFAULT '1',
            "group counter
            p_sttag TYPE plko-datuv DEFAULT sy-datum.
"keydate
SELECTION-SCREEN END OF BLOCK b1.

SELECTION-SCREEN BEGIN OF BLOCK b2 WITH FRAME TITLE text-t02.
PARAMETERS: p_matnr TYPE mapl-matnr,
            "material
            p_werks TYPE mapl-werks DEFAULT '7112',
            "plant
            p_verwe TYPE plko-verwe DEFAULT '1',
            "usage
            p_statu TYPE plko-statu DEFAULT '4',
            "status
            p_plnme TYPE plko-plnme DEFAULT 'ST'.

SELECTION-SCREEN END OF BLOCK b2.

g_parameter-matnr = p_matnr.
g_parameter-werks = p_werks.
g_parameter-verwe = p_verwe.
g_parameter-statu = p_statu.
g_parameter-plnme = p_plnme.
g_parameter-sttag = p_sttag.

* main program
* ================================================

* 1. load task list into internal EWB-buffer
PERFORM load_task_list
  USING
    p_plnty
    p_plnnr
    p_plnal
    p_sttag.


* 2. change the loaded task list
PERFORM change_task_list
  USING
    p_sttag.

* 3. save changed task list to database
PERFORM save_to_database.

COMMIT WORK.
WRITE: /'program ready.'.

*&---------------------------------------------------------------------*
*&      Form  LOAD_TASK_LIST
*&---------------------------------------------------------------------*
*       load task listr into internal EWB-BUFFER
*----------------------------------------------------------------------*
*      -->I_PLNTY  task list type
*      -->I_PLNNR  task list number = group number
*      -->I_PLNAL  group counter
*      -->I_STTAG  keydate
*----------------------------------------------------------------------*
FORM load_task_list
  USING
    i_plnty LIKE plko-plnty
    i_plnnr LIKE plko-plnnr
    i_plnal LIKE plko-plnal
    i_sttag LIKE plko-datuv.

  DATA: l_classes_in_workarea LIKE classes_in_workarea,
        l_tsk_plnty_selection TYPE cpsc_plnty_type,
        lt_tsk_plnty_selection TYPE cpsc_plnty_type OCCURS 0,
        l_tsk_plnnr_selection TYPE cpsc_plnnr_type,
        lt_tsk_plnnr_selection TYPE cpsc_plnnr_type OCCURS 0,
        l_tsk_plnal_selection TYPE cpsc_plnal_type,
        lt_tsk_plnal_selection TYPE cpsc_plnal_type OCCURS 0,
        l_tsk_selection TYPE cpsc_tsk_sel_type.

* objects for loading
  l_classes_in_workarea-mtk_inarea = 'X'.
  l_classes_in_workarea-tsk_inarea = 'X'.
  l_classes_in_workarea-seq_inarea = 'X'.
  l_classes_in_workarea-opr_inarea = 'X'.
  l_classes_in_workarea-suo_inarea = 'X'.
  l_classes_in_workarea-prt_inarea = 'X'.

* fill selection conditions - PLNTY
  CONCATENATE 'I' 'EQ' i_plnty INTO l_tsk_plnty_selection.
  APPEND l_tsk_plnty_selection TO lt_tsk_plnty_selection.
  l_tsk_selection-plnty = lt_tsk_plnty_selection.

  CONCATENATE 'I' 'EQ' i_plnnr INTO l_tsk_plnnr_selection.
  APPEND l_tsk_plnnr_selection TO lt_tsk_plnnr_selection.
  l_tsk_selection-plnnr = lt_tsk_plnnr_selection.

  CONCATENATE 'I' 'EQ' i_plnal INTO l_tsk_plnal_selection.
  APPEND l_tsk_plnal_selection TO lt_tsk_plnal_selection.
  l_tsk_selection-plnal = lt_tsk_plnal_selection.

* load objects into EWB
  CALL FUNCTION 'CP_CC_S_LOAD_COMPLEX_BY_TSK'
    EXPORTING
      i_class                        = 'P'
      i_classes_in_workarea          = l_classes_in_workarea
      i_cpsc_tsk_sel                 = l_tsk_selection
      i_date_from                    = i_sttag
      i_date_to                      = i_sttag
    EXCEPTIONS
      workarea_not_found             = 1
      workarea_wrong_type            = 2
      class_in_workarea_inconsistent = 3
      workarea_not_specified         = 4
      opr_not_found                  = 5
      no_selection_criteria          = 6
      invalid_selection_period       = 7
      key_date_required_for_ecm      = 8
      OTHERS                         = 9.

ENDFORM.                    " LOAD_TASK_LIST

*&---------------------------------------------------------------------*
*&      Form  create_task_list
*&---------------------------------------------------------------------*
*       text
*----------------------------------------------------------------------*
*      -->I_PARAMETER  text
*----------------------------------------------------------------------*
FORM create_task_list
  USING
    i_parameter TYPE create_parameter_type.

  DATA: l_tsk LIKE tsk_class_data,
        l_opr LIKE opr_class_data,
        l_vornr(4) TYPE n,
        l_mtk LIKE mtk_class_data,
        l_max_vornr(4) TYPE n.

* create task list header
* ===============================================

  CLEAR l_tsk.
  l_tsk-plnty = 'N'.                 "task list type

  l_tsk-plnnr = '50009041'.
  l_tsk-plnal = '01'.
  l_tsk-zaehl = '1'.
  l_tsk-verwe = '1'.
  l_tsk-werks = '7112'.
  l_tsk-statu = '4'.
  l_tsk-plnme = i_parameter-plnme.

  CALL FUNCTION 'CP_CL_S_TSK_CHANGE'
   EXPORTING
    i_ecn_s                     = ' '
     i_key_date_s                = i_parameter-sttag
    i_flg_tsk_check             = 'X'
    i_mark_txt_update           = ' '
     i_tsk_class_data            = l_tsk
    i_flg_collect_all_msg       = ' '
* IMPORTING
*   E_ECM_DATA_ERROR_TYPE       =
  EXCEPTIONS
    task_not_consistent         = 1
    no_authority                = 2
    no_valid_task               = 3
    task_not_locked             = 4
    ecm_data_not_suitable       = 5
    OTHERS                      = 6.

* material task list allocation
* ===============================================
  l_mtk-plnty = l_tsk-plnty.        "task list type
  l_mtk-plnnr = l_tsk-plnnr.        "task list group
  l_mtk-plnal = l_tsk-plnal.        "group counter
  l_mtk-matnr = i_parameter-matnr.  "material
  l_mtk-werks = i_parameter-werks.  "plant

  CALL FUNCTION 'CZ_CL_S_MTK_CREATE'
    EXPORTING
      i_key_date_s              = i_parameter-sttag
      i_mtk_class_data          = l_mtk
    EXCEPTIONS
      allocation_not_consistent = 1
      no_authority              = 2
      no_authority_for_material = 3
      task_not_locked           = 4
      no_valid_material         = 5
      no_valid_sales_document   = 6
      counter_overflow          = 7
      ident_already_exists      = 8
      no_valid_task             = 9
      path_incomplete           = 10
      ecm_data_not_suitable     = 11
      OTHERS                    = 12.

  WRITE: 'task list group ', l_tsk-plnnr, 'Updated'.

ENDFORM.                    " CREATE_TASK_LIST

*&---------------------------------------------------------------------*
*&      Form  SAVE_TO_DATABASE
*&---------------------------------------------------------------------*
*       save to database
*----------------------------------------------------------------------*
FORM save_to_database.
  CALL FUNCTION 'CP_CC_S_SAVE'.
ENDFORM.                    " SAVE_TO_DATABASE

*---------------------------------------------------------------------*
*       FORM change_task_list                                         *
*---------------------------------------------------------------------*
*         changes the short text of all operations to
*         'SIMPLE_EWB_TEST'
*---------------------------------------------------------------------*
*         --> i_sttag  keydate                                        *
*---------------------------------------------------------------------*
FORM change_task_list
  USING
    i_sttag LIKE plko-datuv.

  DATA: lt_opr_class_data LIKE tsk_class_data OCCURS 0,
        l_opr_class_data LIKE tsk_class_data,
        lt_opr_ident TYPE cpcl_tsk_tab_type,
*        l_opr_ident TYPE cpcl_tsk_type,
        l_opr_ident LIKE LINE OF lt_opr_ident,
        lt_opr_lock TYPE cpcl_tsk_lock_tab_type.

  CALL FUNCTION 'CP_CL_S_TSK_PROVIDE'
* EXPORTING
*   I_DATE_FROM             = DATE-MIN_GRG
*   I_DATE_TO               = DATE-MAX_GRG
*   I_PLNTY                 =
*   I_PLNNR                 =
*   I_PLNAL                 =
*   I_FLG_PROVIDE_INV       = ' '
* IMPORTING
*   E_TSK_INV               =
    TABLES
      e_tsk_class_data        = lt_opr_class_data
   EXCEPTIONS
     wrong_key               = 1
     OTHERS                  = 2.

* lock the operations and reload operations
  LOOP AT lt_opr_class_data INTO l_opr_class_data.
    MOVE-CORRESPONDING l_opr_class_data TO l_opr_ident.
    APPEND l_opr_ident TO lt_opr_ident.
  ENDLOOP.

  CALL FUNCTION 'CP_CC_S_RELOAD_BY_TSK'
    EXPORTING
      i_flg_set_lock        = 'X'
    IMPORTING
      e_tsk_lock            = lt_opr_lock
    CHANGING
      c_tsk_ident           = lt_opr_ident
    EXCEPTIONS
      reloading_not_allowed = 1
      OTHERS                = 2.

  IF NOT lt_opr_lock[] IS INITIAL.
    WRITE: /'error: some operations are already locked'.
    EXIT.
  ENDIF.

* again: provide all operations from EWB buffer
* reason: between first providing and locking another user can can
* change the operations
  CALL FUNCTION 'CP_CL_S_TSK_PROVIDE'
    TABLES
      e_tsk_class_data = lt_opr_class_data
    EXCEPTIONS
      wrong_key        = 1
      OTHERS           = 2.


* 3. change the task list
  PERFORM create_task_list
    USING
      g_parameter.


ENDFORM.                    " CHANGE_TASK_LIST

In the new SCN platform, you can discover new popular content and people that matters to you more quickly. There are a few areas that tell you what’s trending and related to your interest. Under What Matters: Activity, you will see trending content that receive lots of feedback and trending people who actively contribute to the community. 

If you want to know what content is popular and who are the top participants in a specific topic, you can go to the space overview page where you can see top rated content and top participants panels.

In this video, I also talk about the More like This feature that recommends similar content to what you are reading, helping you expand your radar in the topic you are interested in.     

Great content is at the core of SCN, and in the new platform, users will be able to do much more than simply add comments to a post. Some of the new actions you will be able take are:

• Follow any blog/discussion/document in SCN Tip in a Minute: Introducing the "What Matters: Activity" Stream
• Share content with other members
• Bookmark content (which will appear in a new personal Bookmarks area shown in the video below)
• "Like" any piece of content 
• Rate any content

Of course you can still comment on blogs, discussions, etc, and we will make those tasks easier and more intuitive. But what's interesting about the activities listed above is not only the individual benefits to be had, but also the implicit recommendations of quality content on SCN. If you see a blog with a lot of likes, bookmarks, and high ratings, this could indicate a high quality post and/or author. Keep these benefits in mind when watching the video below. Thanks!

(Please Note: Final site design for SCN’s implementation is currently under development; i.e, it won't look exactly like this...)

If you've been following our Introducing the new SCN "Tip in a Minute" Video Series, you know that Better. Faster. Stronger.   The SAP Community Network ... Coming Soon on a New, Modern Platform! will introduce many new features and functionality to the community. And while these may be new concepts to SCN, they are not new concepts to anyone who is familiar with social networks like Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. This week's Tip in a Minute is a perfect example.

The video below shows how you will be able to "Follow" other members' activity on SCN. Today you can "favorite" other members, but it's a pretty isolated action with no easy way to track their subsequent activity. In the new SCN, once you Follow someone, their activity will automatically show up in SCN Tip in a Minute: Introducing the "What Matters: Activity" Stream (which is similar to your Facebook News Feed). Check out how easy it is!

(Please Note: Final site design for SCN’s implementation is currently under development; i.e, it won't look exactly like this...)

Last week I introduced the SCN Tip in a Minute: Introducing the "What Matters: Activity" Stream stream which is similar to your Facebook News Feed. This week, I'll discuss the What Matters: Communications  stream which is essentially like having your own "notifications" area.

Examples of items that will show up on your Communications stream include:

• Comments made to your blog posts
• Responses to discussion threads you have authored
• Content that another SCN member has shared with you
• "@ mentions" - references to you from another member's status update
• SCN-wide announcements

As you can see, these notifications are directed to you and might include things you will want to take action on. That's why it's valuable to have an area which automatically aggregates this information for you. Below is our Tip in a Minute video to illustrate what this looks like. Enjoy!

(Please Note: Final site design for SCN’s implementation is currently under development; i.e, it won't look exactly like this...)