THR80_004

SAP SuccessFactors HXM -

Employee Files

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PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK
INSTRUCTOR-LED TRAINING
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Course Version: 2105
Course Duration:
e-book Duration: 6 Hours 40 Minutes
Material Number: 50155224
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Contents

vi Course Overview

1 Unit 1: SAP SuccessFactors HXM - Employee Files

2 Lesson: Using XML in SAP SuccessFactors

6 Lesson: Configuring People Profile
14 Exercise 1: Download the Data Model from Provisioning
16 Exercise 2: Use an XML Editor to Open the Data Model
19 Exercise 3: Change the Label of a Standard Element
26 Exercise 4: Add a Custom Filter
35 Exercise 5: Configure Employee or Associate Files
38 Lesson: Picklists
44 Exercise 6: Creating a New Picklist Using the Picklist Center
46 Exercise 7: Add a Picklist Reference to a Data Model

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Course Overview

TARGET AUDIENCE
This course is intended for the following audiences:

Application Consultant

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 UNIT 1 SAP SuccessFactors
HXM - Employee Files

Lesson 1
Using XML in SAP SuccessFactors 2

Lesson 2
Configuring People Profile 6
Exercise 1: Download the Data Model from Provisioning 14
Exercise 2: Use an XML Editor to Open the Data Model 16
Exercise 3: Change the Label of a Standard Element 19
Exercise 4: Add a Custom Filter 26
Exercise 5: Configure Employee or Associate Files 35

Lesson 3
Picklists 38
Exercise 6: Creating a New Picklist Using the Picklist Center 44
Exercise 7: Add a Picklist Reference to a Data Model 46

UNIT OBJECTIVES

Describe Extensible Markup Language (XML) and its purpose

Explain the relationship between Extensible Markup Language (XML) and a Document
Type Definition (DTD) file

Identify the components of well-formed Extensible Markup Language (XML)

Define the key Extensible Markup Language (XML) terms

Describe People Profile

Examine the Configuration Process

Configure Standard Elements

Configure Custom Fields and Filtering

Configure the People Profile Layout

Describe Picklists in SAP SuccessFactors

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 Unit 1
Lesson 1
Using XML in SAP SuccessFactors

LESSON OVERVIEW
In this lesson, you will learn how to use XML in SAP SuccessFactors.

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Describe Extensible Markup Language (XML) and its purpose

Explain the relationship between Extensible Markup Language (XML) and a Document
Type Definition (DTD) file

Identify the components of well-formed Extensible Markup Language (XML)

Define the key Extensible Markup Language (XML) terms

XML

Figure 1: XML

XML is an abbreviation for Extensible Markup Language (official name of the standard). It was
designed to handle rigorous data in a flexible framework. XML is special because it does not
contain predefined tags. XML tags are defined only by the user and this is what makes it an
extensible language.

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 Lesson: Using XML in SAP SuccessFactors

In addition to the flexibility and extensibility, XML is a language used by computers to transmit
data between different types of information systems that would not normally be compatible.
A further advantage of XML as a language is that it is fairly easy for humans to read and
understand.
You may have familiarity with another mark-up language: HTML. While XML and HTML are
both mark-up languages, HTML is designed to display data in a Web browser. XML’s objective
is to store and transmit data.

XML Tree
XML is structured into a tree where the family members are called elements. An element
describes the data that it contains. In the figure, XML Tree, the root element, describes what it
contains. Elements can contain sub-elements and can also have attributes.
An XML tree always starts with a root element. As in a family, XML has parents and children.

Sample XML
The figure, Sample XML, reflects the tree structure in XML.
Two other topics that are crucial to working with XML are tags and attributes.
Tags
The tags in XML are user-defined as we can see in the figure, Sample XML.
The tags must always open and close as they are nested. A child tag must always be opened
and closed inside the opening and closing tags of its parent.
Attributes
Attributes are named, simple-type definitions, which cannot contain other elements. In the
figure, Sample XML, the attributes are shown in purple. Some common examples of
attributes are as follows: language, whether the item is required or not, and the maximum
character length.

Document Type Definition (DTD)

Figure 2: Sample DTD

A DTD is a file that declares which elements and references can appear where in an XML
document. In addition, the DTD defines the contents and attributes of the elements.
Since XML tags are custom and can be different for every document, the DTD is necessary so
that the computer or device can work with an XML file that they receive. With DTDs, the data
can be marked up using whatever tags the creator wishes. When the data is sent, the
receiving computer has only to look at the DTD or schema to be able to translate the data.
In the figure, Sample DTD, you can see a partial sample DTD. You can see that there are
elements with ids, such as cake, cookies, biscuits, and so on, and you can also see some of

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Unit 1: SAP SuccessFactors HXM - Employee Files

the attributes for these elements. For example, if you wanted to make an element required
you would use the attribute required=“true”.

XML Validation

Figure 3: XML Validation

When working with XML, it is also important to understand the two kinds of XML validation.
Well-formed XML means that the document follows the correct XML syntax. There are some
rules to XML, and you can see these five conditions in the figure, XML Validation.
Valid XML is more rigorous. Valid XML is both well-formed and follows all of the rules that you
set out in your DTD. The good news is that your XML editor checks for this automatically
when you click Validate .

XML Vocabulary
Review the following terms used in XML throughout People Profile.

Table 1: XML Vocabulary

Term Definition

Tree Structure The model for XML formation. XML starts

with a root element and branches like a fami-
ly tree with parent and child elements.

Element An element describes the data that it con-

tains. Elements may also have attributes and
contain sub-elements.
Attribute Named, simple-type definitions that cannot
contain other elements. The values are al-
ways contained in quotation marks.
Document Type Definition (DTD) A document that declares the allowed ele-
ments and attributes of an XML document.

Validation XML that does not contain errors. Well-

formed XML has correct syntax. Valid XML
has correct syntax and follows the DTD.

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:

Describe Extensible Markup Language (XML) and its purpose

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 Lesson: Using XML in SAP SuccessFactors

Explain the relationship between Extensible Markup Language (XML) and a Document
Type Definition (DTD) file

Identify the components of well-formed Extensible Markup Language (XML)

Define the key Extensible Markup Language (XML) terms

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 Unit 1
Lesson 2
Configuring People Profile

LESSON OVERVIEW
This lesson provides an introduction to the Employee Profile. The lesson describes how to
make modifications, including how to configure Employee Profile permissions, determine
Employee Profile layout, and configure custom fields and filtering.

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Describe People Profile

Examine the Configuration Process

Configure Standard Elements

Configure Custom Fields and Filtering

Configure the People Profile Layout

People Profile
People Profile

Figure 4: People Profile

SAP SuccessFactors People Profile connects employees and supports talent decisions by
delivering relevant, community-enriched employee information through an integrated
repository. People Profile is also sometimes referred to as Live Profile.

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 Lesson: Configuring People Profile

With People Profile, you can view and edit a person's entire profile on one simple,
consolidated page and take immediate action. You can quickly find the most important or
most recent information and drill down to see more detail when needed. The responsive SAP
Fiori design means that People Profile adjusts to fit your device, for optimal viewing on
desktop, tablet, or smartphone.
Administrators can use a convenient drag-and-drop configuration tool to set up People Profile
for your company. You can select which data fields to highlight at the top of the page and
control the layout and organization of profile content for your company. Visibility of employee
data on the profile is controlled by role-based permissions.
People Profile page is organized into sections, subsections, and blocks. Related information is
grouped together in "blocks" and appears directly on the page background. Details are hidden
at first view, to reduce clutter and make the page easier to scan quickly. You can expand or
collapse subsections and blocks to show or hide details as needed.

Navigate to People Profile

To navigate to the Employee Profile, proceed as follows:

1. In the upper left-hand corner of your instance, click the Navigation Menu and choose My
Employee File.

2. This takes you to your People Profile

3. You can see your personal information, such as name, email, location, and so on. The
fields listed in this portlet vary depending on your company’s configuration as well as your
permission level.

Profile Header

Figure 5: Profile Header

The People Profile includes a configurable page header that displays the profile photo and
basic information about an employee.

Figure 6: Collapsed Header

As you scroll down the page, the header then reduces into a collapsed state and sticks to the
top of the page, for easier navigation, as shown here.

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Unit 1: SAP SuccessFactors HXM - Employee Files

Information Blocks

Figure 7: Information Blocks

The People Profile page is made up of the ‘profile header’ and one or more profile ‘sections’.
Each section consists of one or more ‘subsections’. Each subsection, in turn, consists of
either one or two ‘blocks’.
Some blocks are pre-defined and are not configurable, such as the Succession block, while
other blocks are customizable and allow you to configure which data to display, such as User
Info or Background blocks.
Most blocks take up half the width of a subsection, so, in most cases, you can fit two blocks in
each subsection. Some blocks, such as Badges or Skills, take up the full width of the
subsection, so, in these cases, the ‘block’ and the ‘subsection’ are effectively the same thing.
The following image shows an example of the People Profile page. The profile header is at the
top, with a blue background, followed by one section. The section contains two subsections of
two blocks each.

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 Lesson: Configuring People Profile

Responsive Display on Mobile Browsers

Figure 8: Responsive Display on Mobile Browsers

People Profile uses a ‘responsive’ design, which optimizes the page layout based on the
available display size, providing a better user experience on a tablet or smartphone.
The layout of sections, subsections, and blocks on the People Profile automatically adjust to
for optimal viewing, depending on the size of the screen on your device. The responsive
interface also adjusts to fit the size of your browser window when you re-size it on a desktop.

People Profile Configuration

People Profile is configured using both Admin Center and the Succession Data Model. The
Succession Data Model is an XML file. If you do not have prior experience working with XML,
please review the previous lesson, Describing the Basics of Extensible Markup Language
(XML).

The Configuration Process

Both Admin Center and the Succession Data Model are required to configure People Profile.
The following table details the capabilities of each tool in relation to the configuration of the
People Profile.

Admin Center
Arranges the layout

Data Model
Defines the Standard Elements used in
the People Profile

Defines custom filtering fields (if applica-

ble)

The Standard Elements are the fields that you see in your instance, such as name, hire date,
address, phone number, and so on. Defining the fields can include changing the labels as well
as determining if a field is required. You will then configure the permissions for the Standard

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Unit 1: SAP SuccessFactors HXM - Employee Files

Elements. This helps the system determine who has access to each field and the level of
access, read or write. For example, an employee may be able to see, but not edit his or her
hire date.
If you want custom-filtering fields, these are maintained in the data model as well.
Once you have made the appropriate changes to the data model and imported the file, you
can change the field order within Admin Center.

XML Data Model Use

Figure 9: XML Data Model Use

Note:
To make updates to the data model, you must open the XML file with an XML
editor. Oxygen and Notepad++ are very popular throughout the industry. XMLPad
is a Windows only software and is available for download online using CNET.

When reviewing the XML Data Model, you will see three primary elements:

Standard Elements: Used to define the fields and labels used in the Employee Profile.

Background Elements: Used to define data field mappings to the SM_Background table
(no updates to this element will be made in this course).

Custom Filters: Used to turn 1 or more of the 15 custom fields into a filter that can be used
in the system for tasks, such as reporting.

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 Lesson: Configuring People Profile

File Management of the Data Model

Figure 10: File Management of the Data Model

When working with data models in SAP SuccessFactors, there are some file management
considerations. First, we have created a folder specifically for the versions of the data model.
In the figure, File Management of the Data Model, file A is our original data model. This is the
backup and should never be edited. Files B and C are version one and version two of the data
model file. Using Save As and creating file versions is a best practice when working with SAP
SuccessFactors data models and should always be followed.

Downloading the Data Model

The Succession Data Model is located in Provisioning under the header Succession
Management. It is very important to note that the data model is a single file that overwrites
upon upload. When downloading and making changes to a data model, it is crucial that you
back up the original data model and use very strict version control to avoid time-consuming or
critical errors, particularly when working in a customer environment. To download the
Succession Data Model from your instance, proceed as follows:

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Unit 1: SAP SuccessFactors HXM - Employee Files

Figure 11: Import and Export the Data Model From Provisioning

1. Log into Provisioning and select your instance.

2. Scroll down to Succession Management and select Import/Export Data Model.

3. Select Export File and then Save As.

Data Model Version Control in Provisioning

Figure 12: Data Model Version Control in Provisioning

It is possible to back up multiple versions of the Succession Data Model in Provisioning and
restore a version for the instance. This feature helps protect the configuration and track data
model changes. In case of issue, it can speed up the instance recovery.
Comments can be added during the import. It is then easy to download a certain version.

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 Lesson: Configuring People Profile

The system keeps up to 100 versions of the Succession Data Model backup. Earlier versions
are deleted when the limit is reached.

Note:
The version control does not record changes made from BCUI, but only pertains
to data model loaded via Provisioning.

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 Unit 1
Exercise 1
Download the Data Model from Provisioning

Business Example
You are required to make changes to People Profile. You must first download the data model
from Provisioning and then download the DTD file from SAP Help Portal.

Note:
In this exercise, you create an XML file that is required for subsequent exercises in
the course.
Download the DTD files from KBA 2292731.

1. Log into Provisioning .

2. Select your company instance and download and save the data file.

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 Unit 1
Solution 1
Download the Data Model from Provisioning

Business Example
You are required to make changes to People Profile. You must first download the data model
from Provisioning and then download the DTD file from SAP Help Portal.

Note:
In this exercise, you create an XML file that is required for subsequent exercises in
the course.
Download the DTD files from KBA 2292731.

1. Log into Provisioning .

2. Select your company instance and download and save the data file.
a) Click your Company Name .

b) Scroll down to Succession Management and click Import/Export Data Model .

c) On the Import/Export Data Model screen, select the Export file (Select ‘Save’,not
Open’) radio button.

d) Click Submit .

e) In the File Download dialog box, click Save.

f) In the Save As dialog box, specify where you want to save your file.

g) Click Save.
The file is saved as an XML file. Make a note of the file location, you will need it in the
next exercise.

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 Unit 1
Exercise 2
Use an XML Editor to Open the Data Model

Business Example
You are required to change the DTD file path in your employee profile data model.

Note:
This exercise requires you to use the XML file configured in the exercise,
Download the Data Model from Provisioning and the sf-form.dtd file from Help
Portal. This dtd can also be found in the Introduction to SAP SuccessFactors
Academy Learning Room and in the JAM sub-group for VLC students.
In this exercise, you edit the XML file that is required for subsequent exercises in
the course.

Use an XML Editor to Open the Data Model

1. Make sure the sf-form.dtd file is in the same folder as your XML file.

2. Open the XML editor.

3. Open the file you saved in the previous exercise, change the DTD file path. You must
change the DTD file path to refer to a DTD in your local folder instead of referring to the
internal svn repository for SAP SuccessFactors since you cannot access that location.
Validate the XML after the change.

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 Unit 1
Solution 2
Use an XML Editor to Open the Data Model

Business Example
You are required to change the DTD file path in your employee profile data model.

Note:
This exercise requires you to use the XML file configured in the exercise,
Download the Data Model from Provisioning and the sf-form.dtd file from Help
Portal. This dtd can also be found in the Introduction to SAP SuccessFactors
Academy Learning Room and in the JAM sub-group for VLC students.
In this exercise, you edit the XML file that is required for subsequent exercises in
the course.

Use an XML Editor to Open the Data Model

1. Make sure the sf-form.dtd file is in the same folder as your XML file.

2. Open the XML editor.

3. Open the file you saved in the previous exercise, change the DTD file path. You must
change the DTD file path to refer to a DTD in your local folder instead of referring to the
internal svn repository for SAP SuccessFactors since you cannot access that location.
Validate the XML after the change.
a) In the XML editor, click File Open.

b) Navigate to the location where you previously saved the data file.

c) In line 004, change the line http://svn/viewvc/svn/V4/

trunk/src/com/sf/dtd/sf-form.dtd?view=co to sf-form.dtd .

Note:
The link points to an internal SAP SF repository built in Apache Subversion
(abbreviation svn) that external users cannot access.

d) To validate the XML code, from the menu, click XML Validate .

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Unit 1: SAP SuccessFactors HXM - Employee Files

Standard Elements

Figure 13: Standard Elements

The Standard Elements are where we define the standard, single value fields that are seen in
the Personal Information section of the People Profile. Each of the fields that we see in the
Personal Information portlet relates to a Standard Element in the data model. For example,
the Last Name field is controlled by the Standard Element that begins on line 13 in this sample
data model. The order of the elements, however, is not defined within this data model.

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 Unit 1
Exercise 3
Change the Label of a Standard Element

Business Example
ACE Company has decided to change the field Country in their employee profile into Country
of residence. You are tasked with doing that. In order to make this change, you will change the
label of the standard element in your xml file.

Note:
This exercise requires you to use the XML file created in the exercise, Download
the Data Model from Provisioning.
In this exercise, you create an XML file that is required for subsequent exercises in
the course.

Change the Label of a Standard Element

1. Open the data model file and change the Country label to Country of Residence.

2. Search for the standard element ID custom01 , and change the label from Customizable
Field 1 to Region .

3. Search the standard element with the ID custom02 , and change the label from
Customizable Field 2 to Marital Status .

4. Validate your changes and save the data model as a new version (_V2 in the name).

5. In Provisioning , import your updated data model. You may see warning messages but the
system should indicate "Template(s) has(have) been uploaded and saved.”

6. Log out of Provisioning .

7. Log into your instance and go to Manage Permission Roles.

8. Log into your instance, and validate the custom2 (Marital Status) field.

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 Unit 1
Solution 3
Change the Label of a Standard Element

Business Example
ACE Company has decided to change the field Country in their employee profile into Country
of residence. You are tasked with doing that. In order to make this change, you will change the
label of the standard element in your xml file.

Note:
This exercise requires you to use the XML file created in the exercise, Download
the Data Model from Provisioning.
In this exercise, you create an XML file that is required for subsequent exercises in
the course.

Change the Label of a Standard Element

1. Open the data model file and change the Country label to Country of Residence.
a) Open the data file you saved in a previous exercise.

b) Search the XML document for the standard element with the ID country .

c) Change the label for this element from Country to Country of Residence .

2. Search for the standard element ID custom01 , and change the label from Customizable
Field 1 to Region .
a) Search the XML document for the standard element ID custom01 .

b) Change the label for custom01 from Customizable Field 1 to Region .

3. Search the standard element with the ID custom02 , and change the label from
Customizable Field 2 to Marital Status .
a) Search the XML document for the standard element ID custom02 .

b) Change the label for custom02 from Customizable Field 2 to Marital Status .

4. Validate your changes and save the data model as a new version (_V2 in the name).
a) From the menu bar, click XML Validate .
If there are any errors, review your configurations and update as required.

b) Click File Save As.

c) Since version control is very important, be sure to save the file as a new version.

d) Specify a location to save the file and click Save.

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 Lesson: Configuring People Profile

5. In Provisioning , import your updated data model. You may see warning messages but the
system should indicate "Template(s) has(have) been uploaded and saved.”
a) Log into Provisioning.

b) On the Companies screen, click your Company Name .

c) Scroll down to Succession Management and click Import/Export Data Model .

d) On the Import/Export Data Model screen, select the Import File radio button and click
Browse.

e) On the Choose File to Upload dialog box, navigate to the file you saved previously and
click Open.

f) On the Import/Export Data Model screen, click Submit .

6. Log out of Provisioning .

7. Log into your instance and go to Manage Permission Roles.

a) Edit the All Employees role, click Permission ... In the category Employee Data, give the
Edit permission for the fields: Country of Residence, Marital Status and Region. You
will notice that the labels Customizable Field 1 and Customizable Field 2 are no longer
visible because the labels were changed in the Succession Data Model.

b) Click Done and Save Changes. Then Log out and go back to your instance.

c) From the main menu, go to My Employee File and verify that you can edit the Country
of Residence.

8. Log into your instance, and validate the custom2 (Marital Status) field.
a) Log into your instance.

b) Access Configure People Profile tool.

c) Click on the grey Personal Information box. In the frame to the right you can now edit
the Block information including User Fields. Go to the bottom to add a field and select
Marital Status from the drop-down menu. Click Save.

d) Select My Employee File from the main navigation drop-down on the top left. In the
Personal Information portlet either click Show More or click Edit. Scroll to the bottom
to locate the Marital Status field.

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Unit 1: SAP SuccessFactors HXM - Employee Files

Standard Elements Configuration

Figure 14: Standard Elements Configuration

Many elements (fields) already exist in the data model downloaded from Provisioning. You
can search for these elements using the search functionality of your XML editor. One of the
first and most common tasks requested is to change the label of a standard element. For
example, if the default label for the first element is Username but you would like it to read
Login, proceed as follows:

1. Locate the Standard Element, Username.

2. Look for the <label> tags and update the text in between those tags to say Login.

Further Configuration of Standard Elements

Figure 15: Further Configuration of Standard Elements

When configuring a Standard Element, other common changes include the following:

Making a field a required field, by setting the required attribute to “true”.

Changing labels to reflect multiple languages.

Adding a picklist to a field.

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 Lesson: Configuring People Profile

In the figure, Required Field, you can see that the username element, relabelled Login, is a
required field.

Configuration Testing

Figure 16: Configuration Testing

To see the changes reflected in your instance, you must save a new version of your data
model and then import the file into Provisioning. Follow the same instructions as when you
downloaded the file; however, this time, simply choose Import File. Once you receive the
message that your template has successfully been uploaded, you can log into your instance
to see the updates.
Link to 'Change a Label in the Profile from the Data Model' video: https://
sapvideoa35699dc5.hana.ondemand.com/?entry_id=1_6wyf6ox0

Custom Fields and Filtering

Figure 17: Dashboards

SAP SuccessFactors supports custom fields and filtering. Customers may add up to 15
custom elements to the People Profile. When custom filters are set up, these elements can be
used for reporting purposes or to perform administrative functions, such as generating forms.
For example, a custom field like Region can be used in Reporting Dashboards to further filter
information.

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Unit 1: SAP SuccessFactors HXM - Employee Files

Custom Fields Configuration

As mentioned before, there are 15 custom fields available. To use these fields on an People
Profile requires the following two steps:

1. In your data model, change the label to meet the customer’s requirements.

2. In Admin Center, configure the People Profile to include the new custom field.

The Custom Filters XML Element

Figure 18: Add a Custom Filter

To enable filtering based on custom fields, you must add the <custom-filters> element to the
XML data model. This element is not included in the system default data model of the training
instance, so the code must be added manually as follows:

1. Since this new <custom-filters> element must be added after the last background-
element and before the first element-permission, locate the position to add the custom
filter file.

2. Add in the custom filter element with the appropriate standard element references. In the
figure, Add a Custom Filter, you can see that we are adding a filter for custom field 01.

3. Save a new version and upload the updated data model to Provisioning.

Viewing Custom Filtering Fields

Once you have uploaded a data model that contains custom filtering fields, you must enable
your filters in your instance as follows:

1. In your instance, navigate to Admin Center Reporting Filtering Options.

2. Ensure the custom filtering field (in this case, Region) is available and selected.

3. Navigate to Reports.

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 Lesson: Configuring People Profile

4. From your Dashboard, you can click the plus sign next to Filter Options. In the figure,
Viewing Custom Filtering Fields, we can see that Region is now available as a filtering
option.

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 Unit 1
Exercise 4
Add a Custom Filter

Business Example
You want to add a custom filter in the data model.

Add a Custom Filter

1. Open the data model file from the previous exercise.

2. In the data model file, after the last background element, enter the following code:
<custom-filters>
<filter-module id="default">
<standard-element-ref refid="custom01"/>
</filter-module>
</custom-filters>

Note:
If
<filter-module id="default">
is already there, only add
<standard-element-ref refid="custom01"/>
Before
</filter-module>

3. Validate your changes and save your updated version of the data model.

4. Import the updated data model.

5. Log out of Provisioning .

6. Verify that the new filter is available in Manage Employee Import.

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 26

 Unit 1
Solution 4
Add a Custom Filter

Business Example
You want to add a custom filter in the data model.

Add a Custom Filter

1. Open the data model file from the previous exercise.

a) In XML editor, click File Open.

b) Navigate to the file you saved in the previous exercise.

2. In the data model file, after the last background element, enter the following code:
<custom-filters>
<filter-module id="default">
<standard-element-ref refid="custom01"/>
</filter-module>
</custom-filters>

Note:
If
<filter-module id="default">
is already there, only add
<standard-element-ref refid="custom01"/>
Before
</filter-module>

3. Validate your changes and save your updated version of the data model.
a) From the menu bar, click XML Validate .
If there are any errors, review your configurations and update as required.

b) Click File Save As.

c) In the File name field, save the file as a new version.

d) Specify a location to save the file and click Save.

4. Import the updated data model.

a) If you have not already done so, log into Provisioning .

b) From the list of companies, click your company’s instance.

c) Under Succession Management , click Import/Export Data Model .

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 27

Unit 1: SAP SuccessFactors HXM - Employee Files

d) On the Import/Export Data Model screen, select the Import File radio button.

e) Click Browse and navigate to the updated data model file.

f) Select the file and in the Choose File to Upload dialog box, click Open.

g) On the Import/Export Data Model screen, click Submit .

5. Log out of Provisioning .

6. Verify that the new filter is available in Manage Employee Import.

a) Log in your instance.

b) Use the Action Search to navigate to Manage Employee Import.

c) Verify that the filter by options now include Region.

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 28

 Lesson: Configuring People Profile

People Profile Layout Configuration

Figure 19: People Profile Layout

The following image illustrates how the above profile is configured in the Configure People
Profile admin tool.

Note:
Although a new section called "Section 2" has been added, it currently does not
contain any information blocks and, therefore, does not yet appear in the profile UI
above.

Figure 20: General Settings

People Profile Configuration Tool

You can manage the content and layout of the People Profile using the Configure People
Profile admin tool.
With it, you can add and configure the sections, subsections, and blocks you want to include
on the People Profile and adjust the way these are laid out on the page. You can also configure

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Unit 1: SAP SuccessFactors HXM - Employee Files

the information that appears in the profile header, set the data source and date range for
ratings data, and add localized translations of custom labels.
To access the configuration tool, you can use search or go to Admin Center Employee
Files Configure People Profile .

Granting Permission to Configure People Profile

The Configure People Profile admin tool you must be granted the Manage Employee Files
permission. To grant this permission, complete the following steps:
1. Go to Admin Tools Manage Permission Roles and select the role to which you want to
grant these permissions
2. Select the Manage System Properties tab, in the Administrator Permissions section.
3. Select the Manage Employee Files permission.
4. Click Done to save the changes.

People Profile Header Settings

Header settings enable you to configure the appearance and functionality of the profile
header.
You can also enable or disable the profile completion feature within the header settings.
Finally, in People Profile, you can configure which employee data fields appear in the profile
header, using the Configure Header Fields dialog. This dialog is also accessed within the
header settings.
Procedure:

1. Go to Admin Center, Configure People Profile General Settings Header Settings

2. Select the desired settings. For a description of each setting, see the link below.

3. Save your changes.

Description of Header Settings

The following table describes the available header settings in the People Profile.

Setting Description
Configure Header Fields Opens a dialog that allows you to configure
which data fields are displayed in the profile
header. See Configuring Header Fields for
details.
Allow employees to edit background image If checked, users can upload their own back-
ground "cover" image to their profile header.
Disable background image uploading by em- If you check both this option and the Allow
ployees employees to edit background image option,
users change their background image only by
choosing one from the image library.
Manage background image library Opens the existing Manage Background Im-
age Library dialog, which allows you to man-
age the images from which users can select a
background "cover" image for use in their
profile header.

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 Lesson: Configuring People Profile

Allow employees to upload an audio file for Enable the "My Name" feature, allowing
name pronunciation users to upload a short audio clip or enter a
phonetic spelling to show how their names
are pronounced. To enable this feature, ad-
mins are also required to accept a user
agreement acknowledging that all media
content is stored in the SAP data-center in
Germany. Users aren't presented with this
agree.

Allow employees to upload an About Me vid- Enable the "About Me" feature, allowing
eo users to upload a short video about them-
selves. To enable the "About Me" feature, ad-
mins are also required to accept a user
agreement acknowledging that all media
content is stored in the SAP data-center in
Germany. Users aren't presented with this
agreement.

Allow employees to enter an introductory If checked, users can enter a short text about
text themselves, of up to 500 characters, which is
visible in the profile header.
Show percentage complete If checked, users are reminded if their profile
is incomplete. Their percentage of comple-
tion is shown in their profile header and they
can use the "profile completion wizard" to
complete their profile. The percentage com-
plete is only visible on an employee's own
profile and is not visible to anyone else, in-
cluding administrators.
Set all fields as expanded by default If checked, when employees access the Peo-
ple Profile page, all the content that they
have permission to access on the page are
displayed. Employees can choose to show
less or more content in blocks as needed.
Choose the name format displayed on the You can select one of the name formats con-
profile. figured in SAP SuccessFactors Employee
Central to display in the profile header

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Unit 1: SAP SuccessFactors HXM - Employee Files

Figure 21: Header Settings

Configuring Header Fields

You can use header settings to configure what employee data fields are displayed in the
profile header.
The Configure Header Fields dialog is used to configure the appearance of the profile header
only. You can select the fields which are most useful and most relevant to your company and
display them more prominently, at the top of the profile page.
By default, the profile header contains the following basic employee information: photo,
display name, username, title, department, division, location, time zone, local time, email, two
selected phone numbers, and links to Facebook or LinkedIn. You can also add up to three
other custom fields.
Remember, all of this employee data is also controlled by role-based permissions. If the
logged-in user doesn't have permission to view a particular field on a particular profile, it does
not appear in the header. If you want to hide a particular field everywhere in the system, or if
you want a particular field to be visible only to certain users and not to others, you can do that
using role-based permissions.

Adding Custom Header Fields

You can add up to three custom data fields to the profile header
A custom header field can be any of the basic user information fields defined in the data
model for your system. Your are not limited to only the fifteen ‘customizable fields’ in the data
model, but can select any of the defined ‘standard’ and ‘userinfo’ fields as well. These are the
same fields that are available in custom ‘user information’ blocks (and portlets) on the profile
and that are present in your basic employee data CSV export.
Procedure:
1. Go to Admin Center Configure People Profile General Settings.
2. Select the Configure Header Fields link.
3. In the Configure Header Fields dialog, select one of the Custom Field checkboxes.
4. In the dropdown menu, select the desired field.
5. Click Save to save your changes.

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 32

 Lesson: Configuring People Profile

Hiding or Showing the Profile Photo

You can decide whether to hide or show the employee profile photo in the header of the
People Profile.
The profile photo is treated like any other employee data field in the header, such as the
employee's job title or location. As with other data fields, you can control visibility of the
profile photo in the header in two ways.
If you want to remove the photo from the header entirely, for all users, you can do by
unchecking the Photo checkbox in the Configure Header Fields dialog.
If you want the photo to be visible to some users of your system, but not to others, then you
should check the Photo checkbox in the Configure Header Fields dialog, and then control
visibility of the photo with role-based permissions.

Badges Block
Recognition is a good motivator. Employees can recognize each other by giving badges,
outside of the normal performance and compensation management process. This can be
done in the Badges block in the People Profile.
The background for the badges should in the Succession Data Model.
<background-element id="sysScoreCardBadge" type-id="49">
<label>Badges</label>
<label xml:lang="de-DE">SF-Abzeichen</label>
<label xml:lang="fr-FR">Badges SF</label>
</background-element>
The permission should be given from RBP under the category Employee Data and the block
should be added in Configure People Profile.
Administrators can create custom badges from the Action Search -> Manage Badges.
Up to 20 badges can be enabled. This includes custom and predefined badges.
Once a badge is given, it cannot be edited. Only the employee who gave or received the badge
can remove the badge. Users can't add badges to their own profiles.

Figure 22: Badges in the Profile

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Unit 1: SAP SuccessFactors HXM - Employee Files

Deep Links to People Profile Blocks

Deep links can be used to send users directly to a specific People Profile block of an
employee. Users can access directly a specific block in People Profile and save the effort to
look for relevant information on the profile page.
Deep links are available to all types of blocks and can be used anywhere hyperlinks are
possible, including:

Email notifications

SAP SuccessFactors applications

Offline content

Click here to access the information on the help portal and learn how to create a deep link to a
block in People Profile.

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 34

 Unit 1
Exercise 5
Configure Employee or Associate Files

Business Example
You have changed the label of standard element and added a custom filter and now you wish
to change the available employee information in the Employee Files tab. You have replaced
the word Employee with the word Associate in earlier exercise. Your Employee Files could
have a different name now.
Add Region and Marital Status fields and move them further up after the First Name field. You
will use Configure People Profile tool to do that.

Configure Employee Files

1. Log into your instance.

2. Use the Action Search to navigate to Configure People Profile or on the Admin Center
screen, navigate to Employee Files Configure People Profile.

3. On the Profile Section, click on the Personal Information sub-section and Personal
Information block.

Figure 23: General Settings

4. At the right side, under User Fields click on add field.

5. Add Region in the list of fields and move it under the Last Name field.

6. Click Save on the bottom right.

7. Check the layout in your People Profile by navigating to My Employee File.

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 35

 Unit 1
Solution 5
Configure Employee or Associate Files

Business Example
You have changed the label of standard element and added a custom filter and now you wish
to change the available employee information in the Employee Files tab. You have replaced
the word Employee with the word Associate in earlier exercise. Your Employee Files could
have a different name now.
Add Region and Marital Status fields and move them further up after the First Name field. You
will use Configure People Profile tool to do that.

Configure Employee Files

1. Log into your instance.

2. Use the Action Search to navigate to Configure People Profile or on the Admin Center
screen, navigate to Employee Files Configure People Profile.

3. On the Profile Section, click on the Personal Information sub-section and Personal
Information block.

Figure 23: General Settings

4. At the right side, under User Fields click on add field.

5. Add Region in the list of fields and move it under the Last Name field.

6. Click Save on the bottom right.

7. Check the layout in your People Profile by navigating to My Employee File.

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 36

 Lesson: Configuring People Profile

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:

Describe People Profile

Examine the Configuration Process

Configure Standard Elements

Configure Custom Fields and Filtering

Configure the People Profile Layout

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 37

 Unit 1
Lesson 3
Picklists

LESSON OVERVIEW
This lesson provides an introduction to picklists in SAP SuccessFactors. The lesson includes
information on how to add, edit, export, and import picklists.

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Describe Picklists in SAP SuccessFactors

Picklists

Figure 24: Picklist Center

A picklist is a configurable set of options from which a user can select, typically in a drop-
down menu or smart search list. You can define the picklists used in your system to limit the
values a user can enter in a form, preventing them from entering an invalid value. Picklists can
also have a "parent-child" relationship, in which options in the child picklist are associated
with options in the parent picklist. These are also called "cascading picklists".
For example, in places where users must select a country, they might also need to select a
state or province within that country. Rather than have one very long list of all the possible
states and provinces in all countries, you want the options in the State picklist to be
dependent on the Country selection. In this way, users can only choose a state or province
that is within the country they selected. To do this, you would set up the Country picklist as
the "parent" and each corresponding State or Province picklist as its "children".

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 38

 Lesson: Picklists

Historically, picklists in different SAP SuccessFactors solutions have been managed using
different tools: the Picklists import/export tool for legacy picklists and the Metadata
Framework (MDF) tools for MDF picklists. Management of legacy picklists is cumbersome
and error-prone.
To alleviate this difficulty, we are standardizing the way picklists are managed in the system.
All picklists in the suite will now be managed from a unified, easier-to-use Picklist Center tool,
reducing the risk of errors and potential for data corruption. To accomplish this, your legacy
picklists must be migrated to MDF. All picklists in your training instance have already been
migrated to Picklist Center.

Note:
The migration to the Picklist Center is still an in-progress effort. Nevertheless,
Picklist Center is now made available for all customers, including those where
legacy picklists are not yet migrated.
The legacy Picklist Management tool reached end of maintenance on December
31, 2018 and will be deleted on November 18, 2021. The legacy Picklist Import job
type is deleted as of May 21st, 2021.

Picklist Center

Figure 25: Picklist

As an administrator, you can manage picklists using the Picklist Center. In order to do that,
you will need Picklist Management and Picklist Mappings Set Up permission.
Picklists, picklist versions, or picklist values cannot be deleted. You can only deactivate a
picklist, picklist version, or picklist value.
Picklists can also be imported and exported. If your instance has been migrated to MDF
picklists, you can see the new required field LegacyPicklistID added to the exported CSV file
and the picklist import template.

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Unit 1: SAP SuccessFactors HXM - Employee Files

Explanation of Picklist Fields and Picklist Values Fields

Picklist Fields
Field Description
Code Unique business key that is used to identify the picklist.
(If you are familiar with legacy picklists, this is the equiv-
alent of the picklist ID.)
Parent Picklist A picklist can have a parent picklist. For example, if only
certain states can be chosen when a specific country is
selected, the Country picklist is the parent of the State
picklist. When legacy picklists are migrated to MDF pick-
lists, an optionId is generated for existing MDF picklist
values. For legacy picklist options that have been mi-
grated, the existing optionId is stored in the mapping ta-
ble.
Display Order Order in which the picklist values are listed in the picklist
dropdown, for example, alphabetically or numerically.
Name Unique name of the picklist. For example, if the picklist
is for the type of address (home, mailing, business, bill-
ing, and so on), you could name the picklist "Address
Type".
Status Specifies whether the picklist is active or inactive, that
is, whether it is available for use.
Effective Start Date A picklist can have different sets of picklist values for
different start dates.
Example: To add a new value New York to the Location
picklist but you want this picklist to be available for this
location after January 1, 2017. Enter in 01/01/2017 as
the effective date, the picklist with the new value is
available after January 1, 2017.

Note:
At this stage, Employee Central UI does not
respect MDF picklist effective dating.

Legacy Picklist ID The legacy picklist IDs can be edited from the Picklist
Center after the migration to MDF.
Instance sync on picklists is no longer allowed if the
combinations of external code and legacy picklist ID in
source and target instance do not match. You can edit
the legacy picklist ID to make sure that they match. The
legacy picklist ID must be unique across all picklists.

Picklist Values Fields

Field Description

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 40

 Lesson: Picklists

External Code MDF external code. A unique business key that is used to
identify the picklist value, for example, state_Alabama.
Non-unique External Code Legacy external code. Unlike the MDF external code, it can
be blank or duplicated.
Parent Picklist Value For example, if the external code is state_Alabama, the pa-
rent picklist value would be United States. If the value is
state_Alberta, the parent picklist value would be Canada.
Label For example, if the external code is state_Alabama, the label
would be Alabama.

Link to 'Create a Picklist' video: https://sapvideoa35699dc5.hana.ondemand.com/?

entry_id=1_3ec7gngc
Link to 'Associate a Picklist to a field in the SDM' video: https://
sapvideoa35699dc5.hana.ondemand.com/?entry_id=1_dxz67twj

Importing and Exporting MDF Picklists

The Tool “Import and Export Data” is used to import and export picklists.
Exporting MDF Picklists

Figure 26: Export Picklists

Exporting picklists allow you to migrate the picklists from one instance to another with the
existing configurations.

1. From the Action Search, go to Import and Export Data.

2. From the Select the action to perform dropdown, select Export Data. Fields corresponding
to Export Data appears.

3. From the Select Generic Object dropdown, select “Picklist”.

4. From the Include Dependencies dropdown, select Yes to include the dependencies else
No.

5. To export the Entity ID and Record ID, select Yes from the Include Immutable IDs
dropdown else select No.

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Unit 1: SAP SuccessFactors HXM - Employee Files

6. To export the reference objects, select No from the Exclude reference objects dropdown
else select Yes.

7. To export all the picklists, select Yes from the Select all data records dropdown. On
selecting No, a Select Objects dropdown appears and here you can specify the specific
picklists which you want to export.

8. Click Export.

An export job is triggered. You can track the status of this job from the Action Search
Monitor Jobs. When the status of this job is Completed, you can download the picklist
package using the Download Status link.

Note:
The results of the export of picklist values may differ from the values shown in
Picklist Center due to the selection of effective start date of the values. The export
will always show all the records of all the effective dates that exists.

Importing MDF Picklists

Figure 27: Import Picklists

Similar to export, you can also import your picklist. Once you are done making changes to the
exported picklist, you can import it back. You can import a picklist in two ways - CSV import
and ZIP import.
Select the type of import relevant to your situation:
• Use CSV import if you want to make minor changes like - updating existing values, changing
a label, adding values to the picklist.
• Use ZIP import if you want to do full purge, change the picklist headers and values
separately. For more information about this second option, please review the Implementing
the Metadata Framework (MDF) guide on the Help Portal.
Using CSV Import With MDF Picklists

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 42

 Lesson: Picklists

1. From the Action Search -> Import and Export Data.

2. Select Import Data from the Select the action to perform drop-down list. Fields
corresponding to Import Data appears and by default CSV File tab is selected.
3. Select a picklist from the Select Generic Object drop-down list.
4. Click Choose File to select the CSV file to import in the File field.
5. Specify the file encoding from the File Encoding drop-down list.
6. Select Incremental Load from the Purge Type drop-down list.

Note:
You are not allowed to use Full Purge in CSV format as it leads to data loss. For
example, if a picklist is referenced by an object, then after the full purge the
reference goes off.

7. Select Yes to remove redundant effective-dated records from the Suppress Redundant
Date-Effective Records dropdown list. Else, select No.
8. Choose Business Key or External Code as the Key preference. Make sure that you select
the same key preference as the one you chose when you exported the picklist.
9. Choose Yes in the Use Locale Format and select the locale in the Locale field. Else, choose
No.
10. Choose Yes in the Enable Decimal Round Option field if you want to round decimal values.
Else, choose No.
11. Choose User Id or Assignment ID as the Identity type. Make sure that you select the same
identity type as the one you chose when you exported the picklist.
12. Click Import and check the import status in the Monitor Job tool.

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 43

 Unit 1
Exercise 6
Creating a New Picklist Using the Picklist
Center

Business Example
Your customer has decided to attach a picklist to the Region field in People Profile. You are
creating a new picklist in Picklist Center. In the next exercise, you will learn to create a link
between field Region and this new picklist.

1. Use the Action Search to navigate to Picklist Center.

2. Click on the + icon to create a new picklist.

3. Fill in the data from this table.

Code region
Name Region
Status Active
Effective Start Date Jan 1, 1900
Display Order Alphabetical
Parent Picklist No Selection
Legacy Picklist ID Leave blank

4. Click Save

5. Each time, click on the + icon to add a picklist value and add the following regions:

Africa (external code: AF)

Asia (external code: AS)

Europe (external code: EU)

Middle East (external code: ME)

North America (external code: NA)

South America (external code: SA)

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 44

 Unit 1
Solution 6
Creating a New Picklist Using the Picklist
Center

Business Example
Your customer has decided to attach a picklist to the Region field in People Profile. You are
creating a new picklist in Picklist Center. In the next exercise, you will learn to create a link
between field Region and this new picklist.

1. Use the Action Search to navigate to Picklist Center.

2. Click on the + icon to create a new picklist.

3. Fill in the data from this table.

Code region
Name Region
Status Active
Effective Start Date Jan 1, 1900
Display Order Alphabetical
Parent Picklist No Selection
Legacy Picklist ID Leave blank

4. Click Save

5. Each time, click on the + icon to add a picklist value and add the following regions:

Africa (external code: AF)

Asia (external code: AS)

Europe (external code: EU)

Middle East (external code: ME)

North America (external code: NA)

South America (external code: SA)

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 45

 Unit 1
Exercise 7
Add a Picklist Reference to a Data Model

Business Example
You are required to add a picklist reference to your data model.

Note:
This exercise depends on the XML file that was created in previous exercises.

1. In your XML editor, open the XML file from previous exercises and add a picklist reference
to Region picklist.

2. Validate your changes and save your updated version of the data model.

3. Upload the new version of the Succession Data Model and test the modification in your
instance.

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 46

 Unit 1
Solution 7
Add a Picklist Reference to a Data Model

Business Example
You are required to add a picklist reference to your data model.

Note:
This exercise depends on the XML file that was created in previous exercises.

1. In your XML editor, open the XML file from previous exercises and add a picklist reference
to Region picklist.
a) Click File Open.

b) Navigate to the file latest version of the data model.

c) Locate the standard element with the ID custom01.

d) Insert a blank line after the </label> tag and before the </standardelement> tag.

e) In the new line, enter <picklist id="region"/> .

2. Validate your changes and save your updated version of the data model.
a) From the menu bar, click XML Validate .

b) If there are any errors, review your configurations and update as required.

c) Click File Save As

d) In the File name field, save the file as a new version.

e) Click Save.

3. Upload the new version of the Succession Data Model and test the modification in your
instance.
a) Go to Provisioning Import/Export Data Model.

b) Make sure that the radio button Import File is selected and browse for your latest
Succession Data Model xml.

c) Click on Submit.

d) Log in to your instance and go to the Profile. Edit the Personal Information portlet and
make sure that the Region field is connected to a picklist.

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 47

Unit 1: SAP SuccessFactors HXM - Employee Files

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:

Describe Picklists in SAP SuccessFactors

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 48