In the last blog post Responsibility Management: Modify a Team Configuration you already learned that team types inherit the responsibility definitions and functions from a team category.

If you want to set up a team configuration from scratch you also need to know how to create a team category and assign it to a responsibility context. The responsibility context relates to a specific business process, such as a purchase order approval in a Business Workflow or to a scenario for Situation Handling. You can assign a team category to multiple responsibility contexts.

Customizing a team configuration

You can create your own team configuration following the steps in this sequence:

1. Create a team category
2. Create a responsibility context
3. Set up your team

Sample use case

Let’s take a sample use case to illustrate a custom team configuration. We have a purchasing organization that has three focus areas:

• Strategic matters that are handled by managers and strategic purchasers
• The buying process that requires strategic buyers and catalog manager.
• The operations that include operational buyers and the catalog managers

So you want to set up the following team configuration that correspond to your purchasing processes.

Purchasing team configuration

Create a team category 

To set up a team configuration, start by creating a team category. Log in to SAP Fiori launchpad as an extensibility specialist. Open the Manage Team Categories app and choose Create. A new window opens and you enter a unique ID for the team category, a description, and save your changes.

Create a team category

Create a team context

Custom team contexts can be used only for Situation Handling. If you want to create your own team configuration for Business Workflow, you can reuse an existing team context.

When you’re logged in as an extensibility specialist, open the Manage Responsibility Contexts app. Select the Custom tab and choose Create. Enter a unique ID for the context and a description. The context type SITO (Situation Object) is automatically assigned. Then use the value help to add the team category.

In our example we’ve created two team contexts and assigned both to the team category YY1_MY_PROC:

• Purchase contract context (YY1_MY_PURCHASECONTRACTS)
• Purchase requisition context (YY1_MY_PURCHASEREQUISITIONS)

Custom context for purchase contract

Set up your team

To set up your team, you log in as a business process configuration expert and start with the Manage Your Solution app. Select the link SAP Central Business Configuration that navigates to the Project Experience app. On the Activities tab select Product-specific Configuration and select the Configuration Activities tab. Search for Responsibility and you’ll see the configuration options for Responsibility Management.

Assign the configuration to a transport request and release it after having everything finalized.

Customize team types, responsibilities, and functions

Depending on your system configuration, you can use Configure Your Solution, filter for the application area Application Platform and Infrastructure and the subapplication area Responsibility Management, and you’ll find the corresponding features.

 The previous blog post Responsibility Management: Modify a Team Configuration explains the details about adapting an existing team configuration. So, let’s just discuss the values that need to be configured - but point out the additional steps that link the artifacts.

Custom responsibilities

Define custom responsibilities

Select Define Custom Responsibility Definitions in the Configuration Activities. We’ve maintained five responsibilities by entering the Resp. Def. Name, choosing the appropriate CDS view and matching CDS field using the value help, and entering a Resp. Def. Ext. Name.

• Company code
• Product group
• Purchasing Group
• Purchasing Organization
• Supplier

Assign a responsibility to the team category

In the next step you need to assign a custom responsibility to the procurement team category. Select Assign Custom Responsibility Definitions to Team Category in the Configuration Activities; a new page opens. In our sample case, each of the above responsibilities need to be assigned to the team category YY1_MY_PROC.

Custom functions

Define functions

Select Define Functions in the Configuration Activities. Add functions by selecting New Entries.

• MANAG: Manager
• MANAG_CAT: Catalog Manager
• OP_BUY: Operational Buyer
• ZSTR_BUY: Strategic Buyer

Define function profiles

Function profiles let you group similar functions for a business process. A function profile links the functions to the team category. You can have one function profile for all functions. If you want to group similar functions for business processes, you can also create multiple function profiles.

First, select Define Function Profiles in Configuration Activities. You can add one or more function profile by selecting New Entries. For our sample case you need to have only one function profile, MY_PURCH.

Map the functions to a profile

Last, map the functions to the corresponding function profile. We’ve mapped all functions to the function profile MY_PURCH.

Now all the structural elements are complete and we can start modelling the team types.

Assign a function profile to a team category

Then Assign Functions to Team Category in Configuration Activities. On the new page, select New Entries and assign the function profile MY_PURCH to the team category YY1_MY_PROC.

Create a team type

We need to create three team types, map them to the team category, and remove responsibilities and functions to achieve the configuration of the sample use case.

Define the team types

Select Define Team Types in Configuration Activities and add the new teams by selecting New Entries.

• Team type: MANAG, Management, team category: YY1_MY_PROC
• Team type: BUY, Buying, team category: YY1_MY_PROC
• Team type: OPER, Operations, team category: YY1_MY_PROC

Exclude responsibilities

In the next step you need to exclude non-relevant responsibility definitions from the team types. Select a team type and choose Exclude Custom Responsibility Definitions. Exclude the following responsibilities from your teams.

• MANAG: none – all responsibility definitions are relevant
• BUY: material group
• OPER: purchasing department, purchasing unit

Exclude functions

Then you need to exclude the non-relevant functions from each team type. Select the team type and choose Exclude Functions. Exclude the following functions from your teams.

• MANAG: catalog manager, operational buyer
• BUY: manager, operational buyer
• OPER: manager, strategic buyer

Now you’re all set. Transport the content to the target system and start creating teams.

Create your teams

Log in to the Manage Teams and Responsibilities app as a business process specialist or as a business process configuration expert. Choose Create and select a team type to see its team configuration.

Team Type Management

The custom team type Management is assigned to the custom category Procurement Teams and shows the custom responsibility definitions Company Code, Product Group, Purchasing Group, Purchasing Organization, and Supplier.

Custom team configuration Management with custom responsibility definitions

When you select the functions for the team members, choose Manager or Strategic Buyer.

Custom team configuration Management with custom functions

Team Type Buying

The custom team type Buying is assigned to the custom category Procurement Teams and shows the custom responsibility definitions Company Code, Purchasing Group, Purchasing Organization, and Supplier.

Custom team configuration Management with custom responsibility definitions

When you select functions for team members, you can choose Catalog Manager or Strategic Buyer.

Custom team configuration Management with custom functions

Team Type Operations

The custom team type Operations is assigned to the custom category Procurement Teams and shows the custom responsibility definitions Company Code, Product Group, and Supplier.

Custom team configuration Management with custom responsibility definitions

When you select functions for team members, you can choose only Catalog Manager and Operational Buyer.

Custom team configuration Management with custom functions

For more information, see SAP Help Portal for Responsibility Management in SAP S/4HANA Cloud, SAP S/4HANA, and SAP Business Technology Platform.