HCM Processes and Forms (or P&F) is an SAP standard platform that let us implement almost any HCM process based on EP (Enterprise Portal) or NWBC (Netweaver Business Client).
It is actually a generic and flexible platform to customize (and develop, if required) HCM processes and by that gives customers the ability to decide and implement their own processes in very simple and methodological way.
Process can be initiated by an employee, manager or HR administrator, depending on the process customization. The start application is situated in the area that is relevant to the user's roll (ESS, MSS, HRA).
Routing of the process between different processers (approver 1, approver 2, etc.) is based on SAP WF. Each step includes a form. It can be either WebDynpro form, built by customization using FloorPlanManager (FPM) feature or Adobe Interactive form (PDF), developed by SAP programmer. In every step users add data to the process through the forms and it goes to the next step.
Generally speaking, each step approve and/or add data to the process until the last step in which all data has been gathered and approved. Then, it is updated automatically in backend system and by that spares manual input.
This tool can cope with both simple and complicated processes. A simple process can be a two step process in which an employee wants to update HR regarding a life event, such as birth of a child. A complicated process can be a ten step process in which a manager wants to create new position in OM that includes much of data and many people need to approve something along the process (senior managers, department managers, finance and finally HR).
Although this tool exists from EHP 4 (in different variations), the ability to build a WebDynpro forms is quite new and is part of HR-Renewal 1.0 ADD-ON (requires ECC6 with EHP6). Today, this add-on comes also with EHP7, so customers that seek for WebDynpro forms can either install the add-on for EHP6 or alternatively upgrade directly to EHP7 (with the relevant SP that includes HR Renewal).
Although it is not the purpose of this article, it is important to notice that HR-Renewal holds much more than just HCM Processes and Forms. It brings to customers a new UX, built on UI5 capabilities, such as UI5 landing page and UI5 applications.
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