Processes & Forms: FAQ
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| Q: I am a purchase requisition approver. Why do I see purchase requisitions in my Work In Progress swim lane for Processes and Forms (P&F)? | A: Purchase requisitions that have not been released will still be in your workflow and SAP Inbox. Currently, Materials Management purchase requisition items are also showing in the P&F Work in Progress (WIP) swim lane. This is because P&F and MM purchase requisitions both use workflow to move items from person to person for approval. We are working with SAP to determine if we can remove the Materials Management purchase requisitions from the P&F WIP swim lane. | |
| Q: What forms are being automated in this new functionality? | A: The OM Maintenance Form and the PAR Forms are included in this project. Other forms will be added in the future, but only the forms mentioned will be included at go-live. Specific to the OM Maintenance Form, the process to be included will be:
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Q: What can we expected to be automated in these forms in a "Phase 2" after go-live? |
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A: At this time, the following forms are expected to be part of Phase II: Delimit Position; Maintain Position; Create, Delimit, & Maintain Org Unit; Create, Delimit, & Maintain Chief. However, there are a number of requests from our current project that may end up being a higher priority and become Phase II. |
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Q: Are the I-9 or W-4 taxes forms included in this project? |
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A: No. These forms will not be automated at this time. |
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Q: Security and HR legal compliance is a significant issue for many HR staff. Will this project create a more secure format than the PDF Acrobat Format and how they reside in HP Records Manager (formerly TRIM)? |
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A: Any specifics about upgrading or updating HPRM (TRIM) to be more secure is really a question for the Auditor's Office and will be part of a larger project that will store many different types of documents in HPRM in the future. For our project, our requirements ensure that the PDF documents are stored in HPRM so BHR can access them the same way they do now. |
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Q: Will the initiator be able to see/help approvers? Or will there be cheat sheets created for them? For Example: I am not a supervisor, and do not have MSS. Management staff ask for my assistance within MSS, but the only way to help is if I do it at their computer. |
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A: The initiator will not have access to the queue/process browser/landing page of their Bureau Approver because that will be specific to each user’s Security. However, we are planning to provide training, work instructions and job aids for all users. Notification Process: There are four types of notifications: Work in Progress (new item in In Box), Final (process completed), Return (form returned to previous user for changes) and Withdrawn (form was canceled). |
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Q: Once the initiator goes through the process, do all approvers within the PA area receive the email? |
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A: Final process notification will go to the Bureau Initiator and appropriate Business Partner. For Bureau Initiator the notice will go to either the original initiator or group of initiators in the Bureau. This has yet to be decided. There is no plan to notify Bureau Approvers for final or return notifications, only withdrawn. |
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Q: For larger bureaus, like BTS, Water, Parks, etc., with many approvers, how will this be managed? |
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A: Likely there should only be 2-3 approvers per Bureau, not all managers will be Bureau Approvers. The e-mail will be sent via Outlook. |
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Q: If the initiators are not in the PA area, which approvers will get notified? For Example: OMF Bus Ops does PA for many groups. |
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A: Those who are initiators for specific and multiple PA areas will get notifications for the PA areas they serve. |
| Q: What review process will BHR go through before sending to backend? What if an OBPA modifies pay at level 5 - how will BHR "audit" this? |
A: BHR will review each action for compliance with HRAR’s, Labor Agreements, State and Federal Laws. We won’t be looking to see who modified what or when it was edited, we will just be looking at the final form. All Basic pay record changes will be reviewed before sending the form to the SAP. | |
| Q: In what scenarios would a Recruitment/Other apply (with the workflow skipping to level 5 with no additional approvals)? | A: Recruitment/Other is used for transactions that would not have required a PAR be completed for approvals. These are all of the other check boxes at the top of the form. | |
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Q: Why can’t I see forms submitted by the other OM/PA Initiators in my Bureau in the Work in Progress (WIP) swim lane? |
A: The (WIP) swim lane is designed to show work that needs action by you and others in your role. Forms that have been sent or approved go to the next level and will only be seen by you if you (and others in the bureau with your same role) need to perform work on that form. For example: return to author situations or “long-form” processing at step five. To see where forms that have already been submitted are in the approval process, use the Process Browser application found in the Reports swim lane. See work instruction here for more information. |
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Q: I am leaving on vacation soon and was told I need to setup a substitution. What is a substitution, when should I set one up and how do I do it? |
A: A P&F substitution allows you to delegate who in your bureau will receive notifications and process forms on your behalf. Substitution is only needed at the Bureau Approver and HR Business Partner levels. There are no substitutions needed for Initiators because initiators are responsible for starting the process. You can only substitute someone who has been designated as a “Back-Up” for your bureau. Keep in mind, substitutions should be set up before you leave for vacation. Forms only go to substitutes once the substitution has been created. Forms already in the workflow approval process will not go to substitutes and must be forwarded to a substitute by EBS if the substitute was setup after the form was launched. Contact EBS if you have this situation. See work instruction here for more information on how to setup a substitute. |
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Q: I am hiring a new employee and want to be able to submit a request to BTS for computer access, but I need the SAP user name to do that. When do I get the information using P&F? |
A: Currently, the system user name is automatically generated and is available in the “long” portion of the new hire form at step 5. However, EBS is working to move the automatically generated system user name field to the top section of the short form to be generated once a user enters a name in the “Employee Name” field. This will allow bureaus to make the request to BTS for computer access earlier in the process which will save time. We will keep you posted about this new development! |
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Q: Who do I contact for help with Processes and Forms? |
A: There are multiple ways to get help with P&F electronic form processing. Bureaus can contact HR & PY Services for assistance.
Submit tickets to “BTS Help Desk” by calling x. 35199 or e-mail, if your bureau has gone live and you do not see your P&F role tab. Include in any correspondence (whether Help Desk tickets or emails) the acronym “P&F” so we can take care of it quickly. |
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Q: How can timekeepers get more information about P&F? |
A: Timekeepers are free to review the P&F webpage to get more information on how the application works. In the future, EBS and BHR will work with bureau timekeepers to find out if and how best to contact or notify them of completed forms. |
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Q: How can I get more information about P&F? |
A: Online now, there is a variety of training materials, job aids, and videos for P&F available in the SAP Learning Center. |