Service Desk E-Mail Functionality

Feb 2010
Contents
1 Technical Background................................................................................................................. 3
1.1 Actions ............................................................................................................................... 3
1.2 Conditions (Scheduling/Execution) ..................................................................................... 4
2 Basic Settings ............................................................................................................................. 6
2.1 Implementing SAP Note 1275036 ....................................................................................... 6
3 Example Implementations .......................................................................................................... 7
3.1 Automatic Notification of Reporter ..................................................................................... 7
3.1.1 Step 1: Define Notification Action ............................................................................... 7
3.1.2 Step 2: Schedule Notification Action ..........................................................................10
3.2 Manual Reporter Notification ............................................................................................17
3.3 Notifying a Team ...............................................................................................................18
3.3.1 Step 1: Create a Message Processor Distribution Group .............................................18
3.3.2 Step 2: Create the Distribution Group in the IBase .....................................................19
3.3.3 Step 3: Determine the Support Team .........................................................................22
3.3.4 Step 4: Define Notification Action ..............................................................................25
3.3.5 Step 5: Scheduling Notification ..................................................................................26
3.4 Adjusting the Mail Template (Header, Body), Adding Fields ...............................................27
3.5 Notification as Text or as Attachment ................................................................................29
3.6 Change Standard Smart Form Settings ...............................................................................32
4 Links and Further Information ...................................................................................................33
4.1 Literature ..........................................................................................................................33
4.2 Links ..................................................................................................................................33
4.3 Selected Notes...................................................................................................................33

New in this version

Editor’s note: some screen shots in wrong language.

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1 Technical Background
This section describes the set-up of automatic E-mail notification.

1.1 Actions
You can, among other things, specify and add functions to the message-handling process, under
Actions. Actions are collected in an action profile, which is assigned to a transaction type (e.g. SLFN,
SIVA, SISV), in customizing. For example: Call the transaction type settings customizing, in
customizing, in the IMG (transaction SPRO) , as shown in Figure 1.1.

Figure 1.1: IMG in Transaction SPRO

Display the transaction type details, as shown in Figure 1.2.

Figure 1.2: Transaction Type Definition

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The action profile used is under „Profile“. The next graphic shows the details of the transaction type
SIVA. The action profile AI_SDK_STANDARD is assigned to this transaction type (Standard Service
Desk Messages – Service Provider).

Figure 1.3: Customizing for Transaction Type SIVA

Actions in the SAP Solution Manager use the Post-Processing Framework (PPF), a basis component
which creates actions (e.g. method call or workflow) according to an action definition, from the data
of an application. The actions are processed at a specified time. The post-processing framework
provides tools to schedule, run and monitor actions.

The transactionSAP Solution Manager SPPFCADM goes to customizing. The customizing for Service
Desk actions is under the applications CRM_ORDER and DNO_NOTIF. You can, for example, specify
an action in the action profile with the following attributes:

Executable in dialog or in the background

Display the action in a toolbar (GUI)
Action processing time (when saving, or in selection report)
Action depends on a partner
Action scheduling rules (workflow conditions or BAdI implementations)
Execution frequency

The example implementations in section 3 provide further descriptions of these customizing settings.

1.2 Conditions (Scheduling/Execution)

The availability of actions in a Service Desk message depends upon the action profile customizing of
the transaction type. Actions are specified in the action profile, and then scheduled. You can specify
if an action is to run in dialog or in the background (scheduling condition), or at a specified time
(execution condition). See figure 1.4.

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Figure 1.4: Actions in CRM

Figure 1.5 defines the two terms, and gives an example of the descriptions.

Figure 1.5: Difference between scheduling and execution conditions

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2 Basic Settings
This section describes how you can use a BAdI implementation to specify the action scheduling logic.
SAP delivers a standard implementation, which you can use to schedule actions.

2.1 Implementing SAP Note 1275036

You should implement SAP note 1275036 with transaction SNOTE, to use the E-Mail functionality
(until SPS19). If you do not yet have Solution Manager SPS19, perform the manual post-processing
described in the note. If you implemented the BAdI manually, before SPS19, as described in the note,
you should see the following screen:

Figure 2.1: BAdI Implementation for Scheduling Conditions

Figure 2.2: BAdI Implementation Interface

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3 Example Implementations
This section describes examples of customizing actions to notify various parties by E-Mail.

3.1 Automatic Notification of Reporter

This example describes the customizing for an action to automatically send an E-Mail when the status
of a Service Desk message changes to ‚Author Action‘. Perform the following steps:

3.1.1 Step 1: Define Notification Action

Specify a new action to send an E-Mail automatically. Call the transaction SPPFCADM. Choose
the application CRM_ORDER, and click on the button „Define Action Profile and Actions“, as
shown in Figure 3.1.

Figure 3.1: Customizing for PPF Actions

Select an action profile which is assigned to the active transaction type for Service Desk
messages. If, for example, the transaction type SLFN is active, the action profile
AI_SDK_STANDARD is used for the service provider (VAR) functionality, in the SAP standard.
Doubleclick on „Action Definition“ as shown in Figure 3.2.

Figure 3.2: Action Definitions for Action Profile

Go to change mode and make a New Entries, as shown in Figures 3.3 and 3.4.

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Figure 3.3: Define New Action in Action Profile

Assign a technical name and description to the action, and make the following settings:
Sort Order for Display
Schedule Automatically
Partner-Dependent | SLFN0002 (partner function for Reporter)
Rule Type: Conditions Using Business Add-In (BAdI)

Figure 3.4: Action Settings

You can also maintain the Action Description (click on the „Action Description“ tab). Then
doubleclick on „Processing Types“, as shown in Figure 3.5, and make a New Entries.

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Figure 3.5: Set-Up Action Processing Types

Click on the right-hand table field and choose the F4 search help.

Figure 3.6: Set-Up Processing Types

Choose „Smart Forms Mail“.

Figure 3.7: Smart Forms Mail Processing Types

Select the row just created, and choose ‘Set Processing Type‘.

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 Figure 3.8: Set-Up Smart Forms Processing Type

Maintain the following settings:

Form Name: CRM_REMINDER_MAIL_01
Processing Class: CL_DOC_PROCESSING_CRM_ORDER
Processing Method: CRM_SRVORDER_EXEC_SMART_FORM

Figure 3.9: Smart Forms Mail Settings

Save the customizing.

3.1.2 Step 2: Schedule Notification Action

When you have specified the E-Mail notification action in customizing, as described, specify
when it is to be performed. This example tells you how you can have the reporter E-Mail
notification action performed automatically, depending on the user status of the Service Desk
message (here: „ Author Action“, in the CRM actions condition configuration.
Call the transaction SPPFCADM. Select the application CRM_ORDER, as shown in Figure 3.10, and
click on the button „Condition Configuration…“

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Figure 3.10: Action Condition Configuration

Display the technical names.

Figure 3.11: Display Action Conditions

Double-click on the action profile which is assigned to the transaction type for Service Desk
messages (e. g. the action profile AI_SDK_STANDARD is assigned to the transaction type SLFN or
SIVA), as shown in Figure 3.12.

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Figure 3.12: Action Profile Selection in the Condition Configuration

Change to edit mode and choose the not-yet-scheduled action („Create“ button) as shown in
Figure 3.13.

Figure 3.13: Add an Action to the Condition Configuration

Double-click on the action newly inserted, as shown in Figure 3.14, choose the „Schedule
Conditions“ tab, and the F4 help.

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Figure 3.14: Specify Scheduling Conditions for an Action

Choose the BAdI implementation for checking the status change, as shown in Figure 3.15 (see
section 1.2).

Figure 3.15: Scheduling Condition Filter Values

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Assign the following condition parameters to the condition (with the „Define Parameters"
pushbutton), as shown in Figure 3.16:
Element: USER_STATUS
Name: User Status
Short Description: User status for which the action is performed (when status changes)
Data type: ABAP Dictionary reference Structure: TJ30, Field: ESTAT
Attributes: Select the checkbox in several rows
Initial value: Enter the status values for which the action is to be performed: E0003 (the
action is then performed when the status changes to this value)

Figure 3.16: Set-Up Container Values

Figure 3.17: Define Filter Values

(The technical keys of the status values are in the table TJ30. Select the transaction type for the
Service Desk messages via the status schema)

Save the changes. Test the settings by giving a test message the status in which the message is to
be sent.

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Figure 3.18: Test E-Mail Notification when Status Changes

You can check whether the action is performed after saving, in the „Action Log“ tab.

Figure 3.19: Monitoring the Performance of an Action

You can notify the reporter at all necessary times. Either define a new action and schedule it for
the status at which the E-Mail is to be sent, or schedule the existing message for several
different statuses.

Example: The message is sent in the statuses „Author Action“ and „Proposed Solution“
(underlying status profile: SLFC0001).

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Figure 3.20: Container Values

‚USER_STATUS[1]‘ is the status „Proposed Solution“ (E0005) and ‚USER_STATUS[2]‘ „Author

Action“.

You can get the technical status values by displaying the status profile of the transaction type
used. Call transaction SE16 and display the contents of table TJ30.

Figure 3.21: Contents of Table TJ30 (Status Profile)

Select the status profile used (e.g. SLFC0001) from the F4 help

Figure 3.22: Status of Status Profile SLFC0001

The technical values for the status of a message are in the column „ESTAT“, as shown in Figure
3.23.

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 Figure 3.23: Technical Values for the Status of Status Profile SLFC0001

3.2 Manual Reporter Notification

The previous section described customizing for automatic notification of the reporter, but you can
alternatively set up customizing so that an action to notify the reporter can be triggered manually.

You specify a new action to notify the reporter, as described in section 3.1.1. and change the settings
for the action, as shown in Figure 3.24:
Sort for display
Executable in dialog
Display in toolbar
Partner-Specific | SLFN0002 (Partner function for Reporter)
Rule type: Conditions from Business Add-In (BAdI)

Figure 3.24: Setting for Manual Actions

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If a scheduling condition for a status is assigned for this action, as described in section 3.1.2, it can be
performed manually in the list of actions in the work center. The action is performed after the
message is saved.

Figure 3.25: Action E-Mail to Reporter

3.3 Notifying a Team

The standard Service Desk cannot send E-Mail messages to more than one recipient with the same
partner function. The following example implementation creates a distribution group for message
processors, which is automatically notified by an E-Mail action when a new Service Desk message is
created.

3.3.1 Step 1: Create a Message Processor Distribution Group

Create a new business partner for the distribution group, in the transaction BP, as shown in Figure
3.26.

Figure 3.26: Create a Business Partner for a Support Team

Enter the E-Mail address under which you later want to automatically notify the message processors
in the distribution list, as shown in Figure 3.27.

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Figure 3.27: Specifying the E-Mail Address of the Support Team
Save the business partner.

3.3.2 Step 2: Create the Distribution Group in the IBase

Before you create the business partner for the distribution group in the IBase, adjust the IBase
partner schema customizing slightly. Call the customizing view in the IMG (transaction SPRO), as
shown in Figure 3.28:

Figure 3.28: Define Partner Schema (Call in IMG)

Change the „Allowed Functions“ setting to „All Specified Partners“, as shown in Figure 3.29

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Figure 3.29: Change Partner Schema for IBase

Set-up partner inheritance, so that the business partner in the IBase hierarchy only has to be
maintained once. The information is passed on to subcomponents (SAP products and installations).
Call the customizing view in the IMG, as shown in Figure 3.30.

Figure 3.30: Partner and Address Inheritance (IMG Call)

Select the field „Partner Inheritance“ and enter the depth, as shown in Figure 3.31.

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Figure 3.31: Partner and Address Inheritance Setting

Save the changes.

You can now put the business partner in the IBase. Call the transaction IB52 to change the Ibase, as
shown in Figure 3.32. To identify the active Ibase, search for, for example, the external ID
SOL_MAN_DATA_REP. Usually, installation 1 is used for all SAP installations.

Figure 3.32: Transaction IB52 Initial screen

Confirm with ENTER. Select the node to which you want to assign the business partner for the
distribution group, in the IBase structure (in this example, the business partner is assigned to the
entire IBase SOL_MAN_DATA_REP, and passed on to all its subcomponents).

Go to the „Partner“ setting, as shown in Figure 3.33.

Figure 3.33: Putting a Partner in the IBase

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In the following dialog box, assign the business partner to SLFN0003, with the partner function.

Figure 3.34: Entering the Partner Function Support Team

Confirm the setting, and save the entire IBase.

3.3.3 Step 3: Determine the Support Team

Determine the support team by creating a Service Desk message. This example implementation tells
you how to do so, based on the previously-described settings (sections 3.2.1 and 3.2.2).

Partner determination can be more flexible if, for example, the support team is determined by a
determination rule, in which support teams are defined in an organization schema and identified
automatically by a rule (e.g. 13200137 CRM_DNO_1) when you create a Service Desk message.

If you want to determine the partner by rules, using organization data management, implement
it using the following note:
SAP note 812385: Partner Determination by BADI COM_PARTNER_BADI and Access Sequence

Implement note 1041455 as well, if you determine the support team by action. und

The IMG contains detailed information about finding organization data, as shown in Figure 3.35:

Figure 3.35: Determine Organization Data (IMG Settings)

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The SAP Developer Network also contains a guideline for determining the support team in
organization data management. The link to the guideline is in section 4.2.

The SAP Press publication: „SAP Solution Manager Service Desk – Functionality and
Implementation“ contains further help and examples of alternative ways of determining
organization and partner

You put the partner function for the support team in the Service Desk message partner schema (if
standard VAR functionality customizing is active, the standard partner schema does not contain the
support team partner function – the ISV partner schema already contains it).

Call partner schema customizing in the IMG, as shown in Figure 3.36.

Figure 3.36: Define Partner Schema (IMG Call)

Select the partner schema which is assigned to the Service Desk messages transaction type (here:
SLFC0001 –> Standard Service Desk VAR Partner)

Figure 3.37: Change Partner Schema Customizing Corporate Message

Double-click on „Partner Functions in Schema“, in the dialog structure, and make a new entry.

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Figure 3.38: Change Partner Functions in Schema

Choose the standard partner function „SLFN0003 Support Team (CRM)“, and maintain the general
data as follows:

Figure 3.39: Add Partner Function

Set-up partner determination with the access sequence „SAP Service: Determine via Ibase/Ind…“.

Figure 3.40: Set-Up Partner Determination Function

Save the customizing. The partner function for the support team is now in the partner schema.

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Figure 3.41: Overview of Partner Functions in Schema

3.3.4 Step 4: Define Notification Action

Define a new action, to notify the support team, in the Service Desk message action profile. Make the
settings as described in section 3.1.1 – except that you specify the partner function for the support
team first:

Figure 3.42: Specify Partner Function in the Action (transaction SPPFCADM)

Set a different rule type for finding actions, and set the action compression, as follows.

Figure 3.43: Set-Up Action Rule Type

Set the Number of Actions Processed, as follows, in the „Action Compression“ tab, so that the action
to notify by E-Mail is only performed once, when the Service Desk message is created.

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Figure 3.44: Set-Up Action Compression for Actions

Save your settings. (You can save another Smart Form for the notification –> see section 3.4 for
further information about adjusting a Smart Form)

3.3.5 Step 5: Scheduling Notification

Specify the action scheduling conditions, as described in section 3.1.2 – except that the status is
different. You can schedule actions in transaction SPPFCADM or transaction SPPFDETCRM. You can
specify directly, for which action profile the conditions for actions are to be maintained.

Figure 3.45: Scheduling Actions (transaction SPPFDETCRM)

In this example, a notification is sent when a new message is created with the status „Sent to
Support“. A scheduling condition with the initial value E0010 is specified. The scheduling condition is
not checked by a BAdI.

You can reuse an existing condition. Choose the condition AI_SDK_1STLEVEL from the F4 search help,
as shown in Figure 3.46. The action is then scheduled for performance for status E0010 (Sent to
Support) of standard status schema SLFC0001 (Service Desk message VAR).

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Figure 3.46: Schedule Actions

Save the customizing and leave the transaction. Test the notification by creating a new message in
the work center.

3.4 Adjusting the Mail Template (Header, Body), Adding Fields

This section tells you how to create a new Smart Form for a notification text, containing a link to the
message with which the recipient can go directly to the Service Desk message in the work center.

Call the transaction SMARTFORMS. You go to the Smart Form Builder. Copy an existing Smart Form
(e.g. CRM_REMINDER_MAIL_01) into customer namespace. (Create a development package first, if
this has not yet been done.)

Figure 3.47: Smart Forms – Transaction SMARTFORMS

Open the newly-created Smart Form. Go to the main text with ‚Pages and Windows ‘ • ‚FIRST‘ •
‚MAIN‘ • ‚MAIL CONTENT‘. You can change the text. In the following example Smart Form (Figure
3.48) the link to the message and the current status have been added.

You add the link to the message as follows:

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 Using the message GUID:

http://<server:port>/sap/bc/webdynpro/sap/ags_incident_trans?sap-wd-configId=AGS_INCIDENT_
TRANS&GUID=<GUID>

Using the message number:

http://<server:port>/sap/bc/webdynpro/sap/ags_incident_trans?sap-wd-configId=AGS_INCIDENT_
TRANS&MSNR=<message number>&MSTYP=<message type>

Figure 3.48: Definition of Smart Form Text

The message number is passed to the Smart Form at runtime, in this example. The field
&orderadm_h-guid& was added to the message text.

You can determine form interfaces for the fields provided. You can select all fields defined as
import or export parameters in the form interface, global definitions in the Smart Form, and
system information.

Save the Smart Form. You can now put it in the user notification action (see section 3.1.1).

The SAP Press publication: „SAP Solution Manager Service Desk – Functionality and
Implementation“ contains further information and examples of ways of configuring E-Mail
actions and Smart Forms

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3.5 Notification as Text or as Attachment
When you have set-up the actions and Smart Forms for the notification, you can specify whether the
text generated is sent directly as E-Mail text, or as an attachment to an E-Mail. Call the transaction
SCOT, and double-click on the node SMTP, as shown in Figure 3.49.

Prerequisite: You have set-up the SAPconnect interface. The SAP IMG contains further set-up
information. Call the transaction SPRO and go to the IMG activity SOLMAN_EWA_SCOT:
SAP Solution Manager: IMG -> SAP Solution Manager -> Cross-Scenario Settings -> Automatic
E-Mail -> Set-Up SAPconnect

Figure 3.49: SAPconnect Administration (transaction SCOT)

Go to the setting for the address type „Internet“.

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Figure 3.50: E-Mail Settings

You can specify whether the notification text is sent as E-Mail text (format TXT) or as an attachment
to an E-Mail (format PDF).

Figure 3.51: SMTP Node Settings

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Test mail delivery:

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3.6 Change Standard Smart Form Settings

If you want to change some of the standard attributes of a Smart Form document like changing

Document title
Sender email address

please see note 788626 PPF: adjusting the Smart Form documents for the instructions.

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4 Links and Further Information
4.1 Literature

Matthias Friedrich; Torsten Sternberg: SAP Solution Manager Service Desk – Functionality and
Implementation. SAP PRESS 2008

http://www.sap-hefte.de/katalog/hefte/titel/gp/titelID-1584?GalileoSession=07901481A3.V6-dwI8Y

4.2 Links

SAP Developer Network (SDN):

- Support Team Determination in Organization Data Management:
https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/weblogs?blog=/pub/wlg/7485

4.3 Selected Notes

691303 Send E-Mail from Message after Status Change

812385 Partner Determination via BADI COM_PARTNER_BADI and Access Sequence
1041455 Partner-Dependent Actions are Not Performed (2)
1034624 Relationships between Actions and Side-Effects
1088980 SAP Solution Manager 4.0 Documentation
949292 SAP Solution Manager: SAP Service Desk Notes
662441 Solution Manager: SAP Support Package Notes

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