How to set up an SAP Program task : Aico

How to set up an SAP Program task

Modified on Wed, 21 Jun 2023 at 11:23 AM

This article will show you how to set up an SAP program task in Aico.

An SAP program task allows you to run an SAP program or report and attach the output to the closing task. For example, if you want to run the AFAB depreciation program in Test Run mode and send the output to a specific user to review before running it in production mode.

Please read this in conjunction with the Manual workflow task set-up article as many of the settings are the same, such as workflow, linking to schedule groups and companies.

Setting up the SAP program task

From the Automation manager main menu select:

1. New

2. Task Template

In the template that opens:

3. Give the task a meaningful name and description, which will be pulled through to the task name in the Aico closing document.

4. Enter a code. You can leave this empty, in which case Aico will use the Process name and next available number to create a code.

5. Select the SAP Transaction or Program (run from Aico) from the Task Parameters list.

Once you have completed this top details section, you can enter the program parameters and other settings such as Preparer and Approver name and due date. Work through the list of options in order.

6. Select the Integration for the connected SAP systems. You will only see a selection list here if you are connected to multiple SAPs.

7. Next enter the transaction or program (e.g. FBL3N, S_ALR_87012357).

8. Press TAB and enter a Variant that you have already set up directly in SAP.

Tip: A variant is not mandatory but does save a lot of time. If you Enter rather than Tab between entering the program and Variant then Aico tries to retrieve all the parameters from SAP at that point.

You will see that a new task parameter section has appeared called Program Parameters in which you can set the SAP parameters.

Set the Program parameters

1. Use Aico smart tags or enter values to replace the default variant parameters that Aico will then use as a program is run each period.

2. These are the defaults which are read from the SAP variant.

3. Where the parameters are left empty then Aico will use the default value from the variant.

You can override the SAP variant values by entering values directly in Aico as shown.

Note: Where you are using a range both ends of the range must either be set in Aico or in the SAP variant you cannot mix them and have the low value taken from the SAP variant and the high value taken from Aico or vice versa.

Aico document headers - Run at start time

Aico document headers can be set in the normal way to set characteristics like priority, risk etc. However, the standard configuration of a program template will include a header called Run at Start Time which has a specific purpose. By default, this is set to True and means that the Automation manager sends the request to SAP to run the program at the start time of the schedule group that has been attached to the task. Once the program is run, the associated closing task is sent to the Preparer with the output of the program attached. The preparer is then able to re-run the program by pressing the SAP program button in the document itself.

Where the run at start time is set to False then Automation manager does not send the request to SAP to run the program at the start time, it simply sends the document to the Preparer (including all the program parameters) on the assumption that the user is going to trigger the program request manually at a time that suits them by pressing the SAP Program button.

Next section: Set the Aico document, Preparer and Approver sections which are the same as in the Manual workflow task. Read this article: How to set up a manual task.