Deadline monitoring is a key functionality within a workflow runtime system, tasked with overseeing the commencement and conclusion deadlines for processing designated work items in an approval process.
The deadlines considered in the workflow templates WS40000016 (Approval Workflow) and WS40000017 (Completion Workflow) include:
- Latest Start Date/Time
- Requested End Date/Time
- Latest End Date/Time
To configure these deadlines, ensure you have set them up in Customizing for SAP Supplier Relationship Management. This can be done by navigating to the following path:
SRM Server > Cross-Application Basic Settings > Event and Event Schema for Alert Management > Define Events.
For dynamic deadline calculations, implement the Business Add-In (BAdI) 'Define Deadlines for Events (/SAPSRM/BD_WF_DEADLINES)'.
Functionality
When a deadline passes, the system notifies the user through either a message or an alert, depending on the Customizing settings. The choice between a message and an alert is determined by the criticality of the event. Messages serve as reminders sent via email, requiring no immediate action. Alerts, on the other hand, convey information about critical events and include a link to the relevant document, enabling the recipient to take prompt action. Alerts are delivered to the alert inbox in the Universal Worklist (UWL).