Describing SAP Enterprise Objects

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Once you have created enterprise objects in your repository, you may use a diagram or shape to visually describe an enterprise object. This allows you to visualize the enterprise objects you have defined, and follow relationships from described objects to other objects. In particular, for SAP Enterprise Objects (SEO’s), you can use one of several methods:

Blend: Create diagrams that describe operational process landscape objects, and have those diagrams contain shapes that describe both SAP supporting process landscape objects and operational process landscape objects as needed. This is a blend of the following two methods, and is the method we recommend.
Diagram SAP Processes: Create diagrams, with shapes, that describe the SAP supporting process landscape (the Scenarios, Processes, and Process Steps) directly, and create ‘supports’ relationships between the SAP supporting process landscape and the operational process landscape directly on the enterprise objects in the repository.
Diagram Operational Processes: Create diagrams, with shapes, that describe the operational process landscape, and create ‘Supports’ relationships between the SAP supporting process landscape and the operational process landscape directly on the enterprise objects in the repository.

When you use method 1 above, which is a blend of methods 2 and 3, you have the advantage of the ‘Diagram Based Relationships’ functionality automatically creating relationships on the described object in the repository based on the shapes contained in the diagram. For example, if your diagram that Describes an operational process landscape object contains a shape that Describes an SAP supporting process landscape ‘Process Step’, then the Diagram Based Relationships functionality will ensure there is a ‘Supports’ relationship between the SAP Process Step and the process in the operational process landscape that is described by the diagram.

You certainly may use any blend of methods 1 through 3 (or any other method you devise) with iGrafx. If you want diagrams that describe operational landscape processes, and also diagrams that describe SAP supporting landscape processes, you can have both. The enterprise objects in the repository will have ‘Described By’ relationships to any diagrams or shapes that describe them.

To create a ‘Describes’ relationship from a diagram or shape to an enterprise object, the procedure is the same whether they are SAP Enterprise Objects (SEO’s) or not. The procedure is documented in Creating and Using Describes Relationships (Describing Enterprise Objects).

However, that topic uses slightly different terminology for the objects than what you are used to when using SAP Extensions. Please see iGrafx SAP Enterprise Objects Overview for a reminder of the mapping between SAP terms and iGrafx repository objects. As an aid for creating Describes relationships, before you visit Creating and Using Describes Relationships (Describing Enterprise Objects), we will now cover some brief overview information using SAP terms.

A diagram may visually ‘Describe’ a Project, Scenario, Process, or Process Step SEO (a Process or Activity EO). A shape in a diagram can describe a Project, Scenario, Process, Process Step, Transaction, Interface, or Master Data SEO (Process, Activity, Operation, Interface, or Class EO). In addition, non-SAP Enterprise Objects such as Requirement, Strategy, Goal, etcetera can be described by shapes as well.

An SAP enterprise object can be described by multiple diagrams or shapes, but a diagram or shape can only describe one enterprise object. To indicate that a diagram or shape Describes an SEO, you can set its Properties, or simply drag-and-drop the SEO from the Repository window tree into a diagram; creating the shape and the Describes relationship in one action.

Again, please see Creating and Using Describes Relationships (Describing Enterprise Objects) for procedures on describing SAP Enterprise Objects with diagrams or shapes.