MDF SUPPLEMENTAL SLIDES

Employee Central Mastery

2013. SuccessFactors, Inc., An SAP Company. All rights reserved.

No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
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"Rwiz" is a trademark of Enterprise Information Resources, Inc. The product described herein includes
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Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the
part of SuccessFactors.
SuccessFactors, Inc., an SAP Company
SuccessFactors Global Headquarters
1 Tower Place, Suite 1100
South San Francisco, CA 94080 USA
www.successfactors.com
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Table of Contents

OData APIs and MDF

MDF and SuccessFactors
Reporting Tools
Job Profile Builder

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Chapter 1: OData API and MDF

Chapter 1: Objectives
Define the OData API
Explain the Odata APIs importance
List tasks that can be completed with the Odata API
Define what data can be accessed in SuccessFactors
using Odata
Configure the OData API
Define the future of OData API at SuccessFactors

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What is the OData API?

The OData API is SuccessFactors new API strategy.
OData is a standardized protocol for data APIs.
OData is REST based.
OData has metadata to represent the API operations and
the data schema:
Data schema means the entities, relationships between entities
and fields.

Learn more at http://www.odata.org

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Why is OData Important?

A standards based protocol eases API support, increases
adoption.
Customers dont have to learn proprietary features of SFAPI like
SFQL and our custom metadata.

OData is an SAP Standard.

Powerful query features to pull data from multiple entities
(think SQL JOINS).
Data can be returned in nested data structures, with
choice of XML or JSON formats.
Critical to Hana Cloud Extensibility
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What can you do with the OData API?

Query to extract data from the system
Create (insert) new data in the system
Update existing data in the system
Delete data from the system
Operate on multiple related entities in a single operation
Important: the metadata operation allows you to view the
data schema
What are the entities in a customers configuration?
What are the relationships between these entities?
What are the fields and data types of these entities?
Lots of other metadata features like field labels, field behaviors, etc.
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SuccessFactors Module Coverage by

OData API
What modules and entities can the OData API access?
See http://
confluence/display/PRODINFO/OData+Entity+Type+Guide

The OData API accesses data from:

Employee Central
Platform
MDF application entities

You cannot define new data types or fields using the OData API, you
must use the MDF user interface to create new object definitions.
But once you do, they will appear in OData API.

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Permissions and Use Cases

The OData API requires administrative permissions to
access data:
Employee Central: Admin Access Required.
All MDF Entities require Manage Generic Objects permission.
Platform User: Requires Employee Import and Export permission.

In 1311, the OData API will allow user-based permissions

(non-admin) to EC and MDF entities:
Allows any user to perform API operations based on their RBP
permission access.
Necessary to enable application extension use cases (Hana
Cloud Extension).

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OData, SFAPI and Boomi

The Boomi connector can access both OData and SFAPI
entities.
OData entities start with SFOData in the Boomi
connector.
SFOData.User
SFOData.Position
etc

New integrations should prefer OData entities over SFAPI

Use of SFAPI is approved if such entity is not available in OData

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Long Term Roadmap

OData Everywhere:
Plans for OData APIs to all modules in the suite.

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Will open up our integration capabilities

Will launch our extensibility capabilities
Critical to a vibrant partner ecosystem
Powerful competitive feature

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Summary
OData provides:
Standard protocol
Increased adoption
Easier API
Better for extensibility
Alignment with SAP Standards

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Chapter 2: MDF and

SuccessFactors Reporting
Tools

Chapter 2: Objectives
Explain the relationship between MDF, Rule Engine, and
SuccessFactors Reporting tools
List ODS Reporting features supported by rules

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SuccessFactors Reporting Tools

Workforce
Analytics
Youcalc
Dashboards
Headlines
Ad-Hoc
Reporting

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As time goes by

ODS Reporting: Features

All fields of ALL EC tables are available for ODS reporting

Including Custom fields

No coding

No need to know the data model, just drag-and-drop

Search function for fields
Field labels are taken from customizing (aka succession data model)
All active Custom fields are available
Advanced mode for individual joins

Powerful handling of effective dating

Pivot Queries for simple OLAP reporting

Report designer
Embedding queries into page

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ODS Reporting Workflow

Infohrm

SFSF
U
I

Report
content
developme
nt

Report
Pivot
Query

Applicatio
n

Query

DB

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Golden Gate
Replication
Service

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ODS

WFA
Measure
s

ODS
Cube

ODS Reporting Workflow

As depicted in the previous illustration:
1. The MDF Data is replicated through Oracles Golden Gate
Replication Service to the ODS Data Warehouse.
2. The ODS Inform system then creates ODS Cubes on top of
that Data Warehouse
3. You can then create reports using the MDF Entities can use
the ODS Report Designer
4. Using the ODS Report Designer you can drag MDF object or
object structures, set suitable joins, where clauses actually
build a Report Query on the fly
5. You can then run the report, preview it and save it for future
use.
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ODS Reporting: Features

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ODS is the tool for flexible and easy-to-use reporting in

EC
All tables / all fields available out of the box (that is, MDF
objects, custom fields)
Query definition requires no knowledge of data model.
Advanced mode for handling of complex cases
Powerful features for handling of Effective Dating
Note: your data model will be exposed to customers
(that is, key users developing custom reports)

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Chapter 3: Job Profile Builder,

Skills Management and MDF

Chapter 3: Objectives
Define Job Profile Builder
Explain MDF is used in Job Profile Builder
Explain how MDF is used in Job Profile Builder

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What Is Job Profile Builder?

Goal
At its core, Job Profile Builder is a replacement for existing Families &
Roles in addition to a Platform-level replacement for JDM 1.0.
However, if fully leveraged, JPB and Skills Management can help answer
the question,
Do I have the right person in the right job at the right time?

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Why Did We Use MDF?

COMPLEX PROBLEM:
QUICK SOLUTION

To deliver significant new

functionality in <3 builds.

Support of multiple content

types

Specific import validations and

notifications

Complex permissions model

SUITE-WIDE
INTEGRATION AND
ADOPTION

Platform project which requires

adoption by suite to show value
to our customers

FUTURE IN MIND

Based on the overall direction

of the SuccessFactors suite,
decided to become an early
adopter of MDF

DEVELOPMENT TOOLS AT NO EXTRA COST

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Object Data Model

Import/Export with validations and notifications
RBP
UI Delivered (Consistent UI)
Ability to customize UI when appropriate
Workflow
API

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How did we use MDF?

To help organize this process:

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