---Updated in March 2023 ---
As part of the SAP S/4HANA RIG team, we would like to provide some examples of Use Cases for Situation Handling that could be beneficial for your company. In the SAP Portal, you can find the Use Cases available in your SAP S/4HANA version.
Let’s start understanding what Situation Handling is. First, according to the SAP Portal:
Situation Handling helps your business to run smoothly by automatically informing the right users about any situations that need their attention. This includes, for example, upcoming deadlines, delays, expiring contracts, and so on. Some examples of the benefits are:
In my own words, Situation Handling is a new tool that helps final users to get reminders in everyday situations. So, they can take immediate actions proposed by the tool. Those situations have been selected based on common scenarios where we know some end users might forget to do a follow-up.
Why is this important? Because when a task is not completed, it could negatively impact the next steps of the process or even worse, the whole process.
Let me provide one example of how you can use Situation Handling in Procure to Pay:
Process description
Below you can find the process flow describing how a final user requests new equipment.
In this example, the employee “Brad” needs a new laptop. It could be for several reasons, for example, the current one is broken, or according to the company policies, the equipment is eligible for replacement. Once this requisition is approved it will be sent to the vendor.
After some time, Brad will receive the laptop and must confirm the reception in the system. Finally, the accounting department will post the invoice and proceed with the payment:
If you want to get more detail about this process, you can check the scope item Requisitioning (18J).
Why is Situation Handling relevant in this process?
Brad only requests equipment occasionally. So, there is a chance he will not follow the process steps accordingly.
Continuing with this example, once Brad got the new laptop, he was so excited that he completely forgot to register the reception in the system. This is the “Situation” that will be identified by Situation Handling. In this case, after a couple of days, Brad will receive a notification indicating that he has not completed the process. Also, the message will provide a direct link to the SAP Fiori app Confirm Receipt of Goods - New. So, he can execute the pending step.
How is Situation Handling set for this scenario?
In the SAP Fiori app “Manage situation type” you have to select and copy the template “PROC_OVERDUEPRITEMTOCONFIRM”.
This template includes several sections that require specific configurations for Situation Handling to work correctly. I will walk you through the required settings:
Admin information:
Once the template is copied, you will need to open the copy in edit mode and define an ID and name. Also, the priority for the display sequence:
Conditions:
After that, you must define the criteria to trigger the message. In this example, the system will only evaluate the purchase requisitions assigned to a cost center, for one specific document type (NB), and one purchase organization (1710). Also, the notification will be triggered only if the document is overdue two days or more:
Batch job scheduling:
The next step is to schedule when the system will check the documents and send the notification. In this case, it will be every day at 5 am.
Situation display:
In this section, you can adjust the content of the message to be sent. Also, you can define if the system will aggregate several notifications in only one message.
Recipients:
Finally, you need to set the recipient. In this case, it is not needed to add a “Team category”. But it is required to add the responsibility rule “SIT_OVRDUEPR_OWN”
As you have noticed, the functional setting needed is very intuitive. So, based on your experience you will be able to easily implement any Use cases for situation handling from your domain of expertise. If you have further ideas, I encourage you to join the customer influence and adoption program
Keep in mind that there are some basic technical settings required to start using Situation Handling. You can find the description of these technical settings in the step-by-step guide: Basic technical configurations for SAP Situation Handling in SAP S/4HANA.
How a Notification looks like?
Below you can find how the final user receives the notification. Also, the next steps to complete the process.
Let me start by highlighting that this use case is valid only for purchase requisitions created through the SAP Fiori app Create Purchase requisition. Meaning, it is part of the Employee Self Services process.
As I explained earlier, the Notification will be triggered when after the daily job is executed. So, when it happens the system will show a “New notification” in the top right of the screen:
When you open the notification, the system will list the Purchase requisitions that need to be processed. This list will be displayed through the SAP Fiori app “Confirm Receipt of Goods-New”:
If you select one purchase requisition, you will see the detail of the document and the “situation”:
In the edit mode, the system will enable the “Confirm” option. So, you are in the right place to complete the process.
Now the accounting team can continue the process.
Additional references
Please also check the following blogs created by the SAP S/4HANA RIG team:
Hopefully, after reading this blog you have a better understanding of the main purpose of Situation Handling. Also, you have learned about the functional settings required, and the business needs behind the use case called "Confirmation is Overdue for PR Item". Let us know your comments. If you have any questions, I encourage you to post them in the Q&A using the Tags SAP S/4HANA and SAP Situation Handling. We will try to answer them as soon as possible.
Thanks,
Brought to you by the SAP S/4HANA RIG team.
As part of the SAP S/4HANA RIG team, we would like to provide some examples of Use Cases for Situation Handling that could be beneficial for your company. In the SAP Portal, you can find the Use Cases available in your SAP S/4HANA version.
Let’s start understanding what Situation Handling is. First, according to the SAP Portal:
Situation Handling helps your business to run smoothly by automatically informing the right users about any situations that need their attention. This includes, for example, upcoming deadlines, delays, expiring contracts, and so on. Some examples of the benefits are:
- Identifies urgent and important issues automatically.
- Brings situations to the attention of the right users.
- Enables users to act immediately to prevent issues.
- Provides intelligent support to help you make the right decisions.
- Helps you to continuously optimize your business processes.
In my own words, Situation Handling is a new tool that helps final users to get reminders in everyday situations. So, they can take immediate actions proposed by the tool. Those situations have been selected based on common scenarios where we know some end users might forget to do a follow-up.
Why is this important? Because when a task is not completed, it could negatively impact the next steps of the process or even worse, the whole process.
Let me provide one example of how you can use Situation Handling in Procure to Pay:
Process description
Below you can find the process flow describing how a final user requests new equipment.
In this example, the employee “Brad” needs a new laptop. It could be for several reasons, for example, the current one is broken, or according to the company policies, the equipment is eligible for replacement. Once this requisition is approved it will be sent to the vendor.
After some time, Brad will receive the laptop and must confirm the reception in the system. Finally, the accounting department will post the invoice and proceed with the payment:
If you want to get more detail about this process, you can check the scope item Requisitioning (18J).
Why is Situation Handling relevant in this process?
Brad only requests equipment occasionally. So, there is a chance he will not follow the process steps accordingly.
Continuing with this example, once Brad got the new laptop, he was so excited that he completely forgot to register the reception in the system. This is the “Situation” that will be identified by Situation Handling. In this case, after a couple of days, Brad will receive a notification indicating that he has not completed the process. Also, the message will provide a direct link to the SAP Fiori app Confirm Receipt of Goods - New. So, he can execute the pending step.
How is Situation Handling set for this scenario?
In the SAP Fiori app “Manage situation type” you have to select and copy the template “PROC_OVERDUEPRITEMTOCONFIRM”.
This template includes several sections that require specific configurations for Situation Handling to work correctly. I will walk you through the required settings:
Admin information:
Once the template is copied, you will need to open the copy in edit mode and define an ID and name. Also, the priority for the display sequence:
Conditions:
After that, you must define the criteria to trigger the message. In this example, the system will only evaluate the purchase requisitions assigned to a cost center, for one specific document type (NB), and one purchase organization (1710). Also, the notification will be triggered only if the document is overdue two days or more:
Batch job scheduling:
The next step is to schedule when the system will check the documents and send the notification. In this case, it will be every day at 5 am.
Situation display:
In this section, you can adjust the content of the message to be sent. Also, you can define if the system will aggregate several notifications in only one message.
Recipients:
Finally, you need to set the recipient. In this case, it is not needed to add a “Team category”. But it is required to add the responsibility rule “SIT_OVRDUEPR_OWN”
As you have noticed, the functional setting needed is very intuitive. So, based on your experience you will be able to easily implement any Use cases for situation handling from your domain of expertise. If you have further ideas, I encourage you to join the customer influence and adoption program
Keep in mind that there are some basic technical settings required to start using Situation Handling. You can find the description of these technical settings in the step-by-step guide: Basic technical configurations for SAP Situation Handling in SAP S/4HANA.
How a Notification looks like?
Below you can find how the final user receives the notification. Also, the next steps to complete the process.
Let me start by highlighting that this use case is valid only for purchase requisitions created through the SAP Fiori app Create Purchase requisition. Meaning, it is part of the Employee Self Services process.
As I explained earlier, the Notification will be triggered when after the daily job is executed. So, when it happens the system will show a “New notification” in the top right of the screen:
When you open the notification, the system will list the Purchase requisitions that need to be processed. This list will be displayed through the SAP Fiori app “Confirm Receipt of Goods-New”:
If you select one purchase requisition, you will see the detail of the document and the “situation”:
In the edit mode, the system will enable the “Confirm” option. So, you are in the right place to complete the process.
Now the accounting team can continue the process.
Additional references
Please also check the following blogs created by the SAP S/4HANA RIG team:
- SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANA – Getting started with SAP Situation Handling
- Situation Handling – Case Invoice Skipped in Payment Advice
- Use Case for Situation Handling – MRP Material Exceptions
Hopefully, after reading this blog you have a better understanding of the main purpose of Situation Handling. Also, you have learned about the functional settings required, and the business needs behind the use case called "Confirmation is Overdue for PR Item". Let us know your comments. If you have any questions, I encourage you to post them in the Q&A using the Tags SAP S/4HANA and SAP Situation Handling. We will try to answer them as soon as possible.
Thanks,
Brought to you by the SAP S/4HANA RIG team.
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