ArchiveLink workflow scenarios

As per SAP Help on Self-Defined Workflows in ArchiveLink:

An event is created when the document and the business object have been successfully linked, (event ASSIGNED). You can use this event as the trigger for a self-defined subsequent workflow.

The ASSIGNED event creation is activated by a simple checkbox in the OAG1 transaction

That simple setting activates a very powerful functionality – whenever an attachment e.g. a printout is stored in ArchiveLink the ASSIGNED event is created. That opens limitless options to implement workflow scenarios or interfaces. It even gets better as the ASSIGNED events can be consumed by SAP Event Management and pushed to the cloud. That is all standard and it is be available since decades.

The prerequisite is that a business object for which the event is triggered implements the ASSIGNED event as the BUS2032 “Sales Order” business object does. The implementation is as simple as adding IFARCH21 interface to the business object

If a business object does not implement the ASSIGNED event 
and the event generation is activated in OAG1, 
the OL835 "Event 'ASSIGNED' is not defined for object type ..." 
error message is put in the workflow event trace.

PPF based outputs in Transportation Management

SAP TM uses PPF framework to implement printouts instead of NAST output control. Therefore the set up of TM outputs is different from the usual NACE configuration. Nevertheless the ArchiveLink functionality of ASSIGNED events still works in SAP TM… or at least it should work.

The problem is that SAP standard business object PPFOUTPUT does not implement the IFARCH21 interface and the ASSIGNED event. At the same time various support notes refer to the PPFOUTPUT and recommend its usage in the archiving of PPF based outputs:

• 1618647 – Archive link is missing if object type is not PPFOUTPUT
• 726309 – Settings for optical archiving
• 1894477 – KBA: SM58 error message Customizing for BUS6800 GTSxxxxxx and PPFOUTPUT GTSxxxxxx
• 1964262 – FP_FAG_V4.pdf: logical order Reading issue.
• 1928583 – Adding output management tab to forwarding agreement quotation and providing a sample forwarding agreement quotation form.
• 1938966 – Bug fixes for forwarding agreement quotation form.

SAP provided, standard business object PPFOUTPUT, recommended by the notes to be used in the archiving scenarios does not support fundamental ArchiveLink functionality.

I have brought that to SAP OSS attention but to no avail. A fix to the PPFOUTPUT and addition of the ASSIGNED event has been rejected on the grounds that it is risky and that the object is for internal SAP usage only.

What is even more surprising is that exactly the same problem has been resolved with the note 3069379 – Event ASSIGNED is not triggered when adding a GOS attachment
for the BUS2012, BUS2013, BUS2014, BUS2105 business objects in the purchasing area

Using Transaction SWO1, please add interface IFARCH21 to the Business Objects BUS2012, BUS2013, BUS2014, BUS2105, regenerate and save the changes.

Why the problem could have been resolved for purchasing business objects but not for PPFOUTPUT that is used in TM, GTS, CRM, EWM I cannot understand.

With that ArchiveLink workflow scenarios integration 
remains broken for PPF based outputs.

Solution proposal

The solution is very straightforward, easy to implement and safe. It is just enough to add the IFARCH21 interface to the PPFOUTPUT object in the SWO1 transaction. That exactly the same fix that is described in the 3069379 – Event ASSIGNED is not triggered when adding a GOS attachment note.

Alternatively a custom enhancement of PPFOUTPUT can be implemented and the interface added there.

I really wish this fix made its way to S/4HANA standard, so the users of TM, CRM, GTS etc. could enjoy ArchiveLink workflows and interfaces.