The HR Process Workbench, transaction PUST, is used to automate program execution for the payroll process. Using process models, it runs the specified programs, evaluates return codes, and determines what to do next — run the next program or wait for user intervention. Customers can configure process models to suit their specific needs using the process model editor, transaction PEST.

Five of the steps in the payroll process are for creating and posting the results to FI/CO. Figure 1 shows the part of a customized process model that creates results for posting to FI/CO. The stops for posting payroll to FI/CO are numbered.

Figure 1

Process model steps for payroll postings to FI/CO

The standard process models delivered by SAP include only one of those five — step 3, Execute posting run. You can add the other four steps to automate, save time, and increase the consistency and quality of the payroll process. I’m going to explain how you can do that.

First, add step 1 to simulate the posting run. This is just like the Execute posting run step, except the program’s variant has been changed to create simulation documents. The process model next has a breakpoint (step 2) that uses function module HRPY_PROCESS_STOP_PY_DOC_EQ to check the results of the simulation. If incorrect documents were created (a status code of 90), it stops all the subsequent steps. Users see this error in the HR Process Workbench and can investigate, resolve, and restart the process.

Once the simulation is correct, the Execute posting run step is run to create accounting documents. At this point, most customers manually release and post the documents to FI/CO, but you can add steps 4 and 5 to automate that.

The R/3 program that releases payroll accounting documents is RPCIPA00. That program can be added in a new step named Release payroll documents. When adding that step, use program category CIPS Display documents. In your specified variant for this step, set the Run type to PP and check the box labeled Release selected documents. Repeat the procedure for the Post payroll docs to FI/CO step, using program RPCIPP00. In the variant for this step, simply specify Run type as PP. You can use a similar process to automatically release and post FI/CO documents created by the third-party remittances process. In the variants for those steps, specify the Run type as TP.

Steve Bogner

Steve Bogner is a managing partner at Insight Consulting Partners and has been working with SAP HR since 1993. He has consulted for various public, private, domestic, and global companies on their SAP HR/Payroll implementations; presented at the SAP user's group ASUG; and been featured on the Sky Radio Network program regarding SAP HR.

Steve will be presenting at the upcoming HR Payroll Seminar November 7-8 in Chicago and November 27-28 in Orlando. For information on the event, click here.

You may contact the author at sbogner@insightcp.com.

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