2324462 - CDP Integration in LMS Knowledge Support and Tips

 

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CDP INTEGRATION IN LMS KNOWLEDGE SESSION FOR CUSTOMERS, PARTNERS AND SAP PRODUCT SUPPORT

 

1.  Career Development Plan (CDP) Overview

1.1. Development Plan

1.2. The Career Worksheet

2. Competencies in Bizx

2.1. Job Description Manager (JDM)

2.2. Job Profile Builder (JPB)

3. Competencies Management in LMS

3.1. Competencies & Competency Profile

4. Competency Connectors

4.1. Run Job to export competencies library into SFTP

4.2. Associate learning item with competencies

4.3. KBA related to Competency Connector

5. Competency Portlet

 

2. Competencies in Bizx

There is two way of mapping competencies in BizX -> Using Job Description manager (JDM) or Job profile Builder (JPB)

2.1. Job Description Manager (JDM)

Admin Tools > Managing Competencies and Skills > Families and Roles

Job Description Manager (JDM) > Provisioning option

2.2. Job Profile Builder (JPB)

 Admin Tools > Manage Job Profile Content > Competency:

 

 

Admin Tools > Manage Job Profile Content > Set Up Families and Roles > Map Competencies:

 

 

3. Competencies Management in LMS

 

SuccessFactors uses the following Competency definition: “A measurable pattern of skills, knowledge, abilities, behaviors and other characteristics that an individual needs to perform work roles or occupational functions successfully”.  Competencies in SuccessFactors are used to measure a User’s proficiency in the various components (i.e., knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors) necessary for successful job performance.

 

NOTE: The BizX suite replaces the Legacy Plateau Performance modules and allows for the creation and management of Competencies.  With the integrated solution Competencies and their associated Rating Scales / Teasers are maintained in BizX and automatically imported into the LMS.  The Competencies exist in the LMS to allow Items to be associated to Competencies.  Items can be placed on the Learning Plan automatically when added to CDP / Performance Goals or as part of Succession Planning in BizX.  From b1210 it will be optional to automatically obtain a Competency Rating by completing an Item in the LMS and have that rating automatically fed back to BizX.

In the LMS Competencies can be grouped into Competency Profiles and assigned to Users via the same methods in which Curricula (Learning) are assigned: Job Code alignment allows administrators to assign Competencies to Users with a common Job Code.  Assignment Profiles can also assign Competency Profiles to Users based upon any matching attributes.  In an integrated BizX solution this functionality is expected to be considered redundant.

With Legacy LMS Performance it is possible to use one of several assessment methods (self, supervisor, Admin, item-based, and 360-assessments, if licensed) Users may close Competency gaps.  Once all of the Competencies within a Profile have zero gap, the Competency Profile is complete.  Without any additional Licenses Users may perform Self Assessments only in the LMS.

 

3.1. Competencies & Competency Profile

Competencies

In SuccessFactors Learning, each Competency must be assigned its own unique identifier.  The customer can define the naming convention for Competency IDs any way they choose.  Some customers prefer to use a numerical naming convention, while others prefer to use the name of the Competency itself.  Users will not be able to view Competency IDs when looking under the Competency assignments tab.

Performance > Competencies

 

Competency Category
A Competency Category is a text label (for example, “Teamwork, Engineering Team”) that is used to group similar Competencies.  Used in conjunction with 360° Multi-Rater Assessments and/or Performance Goals and Appraisals (both separately licensed), Competency Category allows administrators to group the presentation order of Competencies to Users.

References > Performance > Competency Category

Competency Type
By default, SuccessFactors comes with four Competency types: Skill, Attitude Knowledge and Ability.  You may also create custom Competency types if those within the LMS do not meet the need of the organization.

References > Performance > Competency Type

Competency Source
A Competency source typically identifies the origin of the Competency.  You can use Competency sources to identify the developer or author of the Competency, the organizational or regulatory body that requires the Competency, or for some other type of information that you define to best suit your needs.  A Competency source is not required when the Competency is created in SuccessFactors Learning.

References > Performance > Competency Sources

Competency Explanation
A Competency explanation is an optional User facing field that further clarifies the Competency.  Some models use Competency Description to capture this detail, but other require this additional field to list all the behavior indicators incorporated into the Competency.

Competency Rating Scales and Labels
All Competencies must have a Rating Scale associated with them, as this is how Users score the level of proficiency during and assessment.  Best practice recommends the use of one Rating Scale for all Competencies, but this may vary from model to model.  Rating Labels identify each level of the Rating Scale. Ratings can be used in Questionnaire Surveys (Item Evaluations).

References > System Admin > Rating Scales

 

Competency Profiles
Competency Profiles provide a way to group Competencies into meaningful clusters.  An example of a Competency Profile may be “Communication”.  Within the “Communication” Competency Profile may exist Competencies such as Oral Communication, Written Communication, and Presentation Skills.

Note: When Competencies are added to Competency Profiles, Required Ratings must be entered, and the default Required Rating is always the lowest rating on the Competency’s assigned Rating Scale.  It is important to consider what the Required Rating per Competency should be, as it affects whether a User is marked as proficient when an assessment is completed.

Performance > Competency Profiles

 

4. Competency Connectors

Set up needed for running Competency Connectors in LMS
First identify the SF competency library that need to be exported
(Example: If user’s job code on SF side is given as VP-SALES, the competencies associated to that job code can be seen while adding a new goal on CDP)
Figured out that the competencies belong to SuccessFactors  library name which is located in provisioning (Provisioning->Managing Competencies and skills->Competency Libraries)

4.1. Run Job to export competencies library into SFTP

1. Login to Provisioning system
2. Choose Company ID and choose Manage schedule jobs link under Managing Job Scheduler
3. Select ‘Create new job’  and enter all the parameters as:
4. Add job name: Any name
5. Job Owner: Enter Admin user
6. Job Type: Competency Library export
7. Job Parameters: Export GUID radiobutton and choose <Library name>  in Competency Libraries (Ex: SuccessFactors)

5.2. Associate learning item with competencies

1. Login to learning administration @'http://xxxxxxxxx.plateau.internal/learning/admin/nativelogin.jsp', for example.

Note: Make sure you have installed license 'SuccessFactors Learning Connectors'. If not, please ask your counterpart for the license

2. Navigate to Home ->System Admin icon ->Connectors-> Competency Connector -SF. If the 'Competency Connector' not Displayed, please refer to the step3.

3. If the Competency Connector -SF not displayed, you need to check 'role management' from System Admin ->Security ->Role management, cilck 'Edit' icon of ALL_CONNECTOR and click 'Users/Administrator', make sure the user you logged on is under the list. If not, login as 'PLATEAU (admin cannot assign role for himself) and navigate to System Admin ->Application Admin ->Admin Management, enter the Admin ID and click 'search', then click 'Edit' icon of the admin user ->Assigned Roles, under 'Add Roles to the Admin' section, add 'ALL_CONNECTOR' role to the login user, then click 'apply changes'. NOTE: you can't assign  roles to itself.

 

4. Navigate to System Admin ->Configuration ->System Configuration, click 'Edit' icon of 'CONNECTORS', the following paramters need to be udpate as your perference.

# If input file will be placed on an FTP server, specify the absolute path to the directory.  If input file will be on a local drive, specify the address for the local drive.
 
connector.ftp.input.remoteDirectory=/home/connectors/input
connector.local.input.localDirectory=c:
 connectors
 input

# FTP connection settings.  Complete this section if either input or output files will be provided via FTP.
 # Possible values for connector.ftp.protocol: ftp, sftp
 connector.ftp.protocol=sftp
 connector.ftp.server=10.1.50.153   (point to your FTP server)
 connector.ftp.port=22
 connector.ftp.userID=psotech  (useranme)
 connector.ftp.password=0c145e6790036eba (password, when you save the changes, it will be encoded.)

competency.connector.sf.defaultValue.competencyCategory=Base Category
competency.connector.sf.defaultValue.competencyType=SF Competency

competency.connector.sf.defaultValue.rename.competencyPrefix=LMS_
competency.connector.input.file.name5=sf_competency_data.zip     (point to your competency library file name)
competency.sfcompetency.field.transform.data.LOCALE.English=en,en_US
competency.sfcompetency.connector.copy.field.mappings=RATING_SCALE_ID=CPTY_ID, RATING_SCALE_DESC=CPTY_ID

 

5. Export your competency file on from your instance of SF application. For example Plateau1 instance, export the competency file from admin tools ->Competency libraries.

Note: Need to check the option 'Export GUID' when exporting the competencies

 

6. Upload the competency library file exported from SF application to FTP server (point to the FTP server configured in step4), name it as the parameter mentioned in step4.

Note: A) The file name should be sf_competency_data.zip (with no extensions in
the file name).
Make sure :
connector.input.file.name.tenant.suffix.enable=false
connector.input.file.name.tenant.suffix.override=

B) Only .csv file should be zipped excluding the folder.
C) The Input file needs to have Teasers. Connector doesn't import Competencies without Teasers

7. Create competency category and competency type as below from References -->Performance ->Competency Categories and Competency Types

Competency Category : Base Category
Competency Type: SF Competency

 

8. Navigate to System Admin ->Connectors ->Competency Connector - SF, choose the schedule such as 'Daily' and set 'Time of Day', 'Time Zone', 'Email address', then click 'Apply Changes'.

After Connector runs Click "View Results" button and in the popup Click "View Details". This will shows how many records got inserted and reason for rejection

 

9. From Learning ->Items, search one item and click it. Add competencies to the item via clicking '+' icon to add some competencies.

10. Login to SF application and navigate to Home ->Development, create a development goal with competencies, such as 'Hiring' or 'Communication skills'. Add a learning activity via clicking 'Search by competency' . The learning items associated with relevant competencies would be displayed in pop up dialog, otherwise there are no any items associated with competencies.

 

4.3. KBA related to Competency Connector

2185279 - LMS: Troubleshooting tips for competency connector in LMS

2294740 - How to set up competency connector for the first time

2312654 - FAQ - LMS Competency

 

5. Competency Portlet

5.1. Configuration Competency Portlet in CDP

Configuration:
Add Competency Portlet definition in Data Model
<background-element id="sysScoreCardCompetenciesPortlet" type-id="32">
  <label>Competencies Portlet</label>
</background-element>
Add permission under RBP or Data model if using Legacy permission:
 <element-permission type="read">
    <description>Allow everyone to read non-sensitive data</description>
    <role-name>*</role-name>
<background-element-ref refid="sysScoreCardCompetenciesPortlet"/>
</element-permission>

5.2. KBA Related to Competency Portlet

2086506 - Competency and Behavior Portlets, Dashboards – Competencies

2152770 - How to configure the Competency Portlet displaying N/A in Expected Rating and Gap Column

2172442 - Which portlets are controlled by the Scorecard Process and Date Range?

2185933 - v12 Employee Profile: Objective and Competency Portlets

 

6. Learning History Portlet

6.1. Configuration Learning History Portlet in CDP

 

If RBP is enabled, you can setup permission with the UI provided by platform. Navigate to Admin > Manage Permission Role > Select Role > Permission... > Employee Data > The label you chose for the background element

When this configuration is done, admin need to insert the portlet in Employee Profile dashboards. Select the lower part of the layout. Ours portlets are available only in "Wide" layout.

To do so, Admin > Configure Employee Files > Select or create Dashboard > Choose the portlet "Learning History" or "Curricula" portlet > Save

You can insert portlets multiple times on different dashboards, re-arrange them, etc... Portlet can be used in narrow or wide mode.

Check everything is running smoothly by navigating to Employee File page.

PS : If you create a new dashboard and using RBP, you need to grant permission to that new dashboard

6.2. KBA Related to Learning History Portlet

Clarification on Curricula Tab:

2294542 - Learning History portlet: Error message on the curricula status tab

2288730 - Clarification on Learning history portlet

 

7. Expected Ratings Vs Current Ratings

 

Current Rating: The latest based on completed forms and learning for the given competency
Performance Management form:

 

Expected Rating:
Target incumbent role: Current Role (s), get the first role if the given competency  associated to multiple roles
Target role: Average for special forms and learning in date range configured in process as UI does
Expected rating is usually tied to a job code/role.

 

Job profile builder view:
->Manage Job profile content

 

8. Bizx Permissions

 

> Go to Set users permissions:

 

> Manage Permission Role select Career Development:
This will give user permission to manage CDP module

 

This will provide permission to user to view different information.

 

 

9. CDP features in LMS

Search Catalog to add Learning Activities; Add Learning Activities by Competencies
When completion occurs in LMS, it will reflect in Development Plan.  Deleting learning activity from Dev Plan will delete from Learning Plan (sync)

 

9.1. Learning Template Config

1. Enable Deep link in learning template
Make sure you have learning-activity-deep-link="true" in your template.

2. Disable fancy pod on name/status/description fields

Customer can choose to use the standard layout for name/status/description fields (which has the legacy look and feel) by add below switch in template, after the obj-plan-numbering element and before category-config.

<obj-plan-desc/>
<obj-plan-lastmodified/>
<obj-plan-start/>
<obj-plan-due/>
 
After that you can just add these fields in transcript-detail-portlet as other standard fields.

Mandatory fields

Learning template support configuration for both Catalog learning from SuccessFactors Learning System and manually learning, for full set of fields definition, please refer to All Fields.

For Catalog Learning, below fields are mandatory, please refer to sample learning activity template which has minimum set of fields.

 

For Custom learning activity, if customer want learning type, please use another customer field and configured as enum type field, below are example. You can also hide "type" field by remove it from detail-layout definition in learning template.

For type –
  <field-definition id="type" type="text" required="false" detail="true" viewdefault="on" showlabel="false" field-show-coaching-advisor="false" cascade-update="push-down">
    <field-label>Product Type</field-label>
    <field-description>Product Type</field-description>
  </field-definition>

For custom learning type –
  <field-definition id="customtext4" type="enum" required="true" detail="false" viewdefault="on" showlabel="false" field-show-coaching-advisor="false" cascade-update="push-down">
    <field-label>Activity Type</field-label>
    <field-description>Activity Type</field-description>
    <enum-value value="Coaching">
      <enum-label>Coaching</enum-label>
    </enum-value>
    <enum-value value="On the Job Learning">
      <enum-label>On the Job Learning</enum-label>
    </enum-value>
    <enum-value value="Self Study">
      <enum-label>Self Study</enum-label>
    </enum-value>
    <enum-value value="Program not part of catalog">
      <enum-label>Program not part of catalog</enum-label>
    </enum-value>
  </field-definition>

Status
To support SF LMS, we need make sure we have "Planned"/"Completed"/"Failed" value configured for status field.

We need to configure 'Planned' status in template, which is mandatory. otherwise, we can't add learning to development plan page from LMS.

For complete / failed status, we also strongly suggest customers to configure since we also have some functional logic for both status.

However, for complete and failed status, it won't block the function to add learning to development plan page.

Other custom fields : For more fields can be defined for custom learning, please check below full fields list.

 

 

9.2. Grant Permission

Grant Permission in Admin Tools

Once customer has SuccessFactors Learning enabled, administrator can grant permission to employee in admin tools.
Set default user permission on SuccessFactors learning access
Once "View Learning" permission checked, all the employees will have the permission to access learning.

Set management permission in "Administrative Privileges"
Administrator can grant management permission to specific users by check "Learning Access Permission" in Administrative Privileges.

User can only use Administrative Privilege when the feature not enabled in default user permission page

Grant Permission on SuccessFactors Learning Access

Set management permission in "Administrative Privileges"
Administrator can grant management permission to specific users by check "Learning Access Permission" in Administrative Privileges.

User can only use Administrative Privilege when the feature not enabled in default user permission page

User who has permission of manage Learning Access can grant or revoke Learning Access permission by "Learning Access Permission" in Admin Tools -> Manage Security, one the employee has the access, they will get new "Learning" tab in top navigation.

Permission on SFAPI for assign Learning
For assign learning in CDP/TGM through SuccessFactors Learning, Webservices user should be granted below 2 permissions
Admin Tools -> Manage API login Permission

If you can not see "Manage API login Permission" in admin tools page, please grant the permission in admin tools -> Administrative Privileges -> Manage API login permission.

Grant Learning Activity Template permission to related user
Need grant learning activity template in admin tools.

 

9.3. Add Learning for Development Plan

Add learning for development goal
We allow user add learning for development goal to close gaps through below links if user has learning access permission:
1.Find in catalog: Find learning activities from learning catalog
2.Search by Competency: Find learning activities according to the competencies associated with the development goal, if there is no competencies field define or no competency selected, this option will be hidden to employee

Please note that "Search by Competency" only available if there is competencies associated with development goal

Delete Learning in both CDP & Learning
Customer can delete the learning from both CDP & Learning side and the data will be synced automatically. They can remove one learning from Objective/Development goal in CDP side and delete from Learning to-do list as well.

9.4. Learning History & Curricula Portlet

Learning History/Curricula portlet
Currently 50 most recent learning activities the user has completed and 50 curriculum can be viewed in employee profile (V12 only) portlet from b1201 (b1210 for curricula), interested parties do not need to navigate to the LMS to retrieve this information. Also users without access to the employee's record in the LMS can obtain access to view this information as part of the employee's scorecard.

9.5. Competency Rating from Learning

Configure Dashboard
This step can be realized by an Admin user.

When this configuration is done, admin need to insert the portlet in Employee Profile dashboards. Select the lower part of the layout. Ours portlets are available only in "Wide" layout.

To do so, Admin > Configure Employee Files > Select or create Dashboard > Choose the portlet "Learning History" > Save

You can insert portlets multiple times on different dashboards, re-arrange them, etc... Portlet can be used in narrow or wide mode.
Check everything is running smoothly by navigating to Employee File page.

PS : If you create a new dashboard and using RBP, you need to grant permission to that new dashboard.

When a Learning Event is recorded for a User (either via Supervisor, Admin, or the User completing the Item him/herself), the achieved competency ratings can be passed from the LMS to BizX and counted in competency rating portlet if you defined processes properly. This function only avaliable for Profile V12 customers.

Please following below steps if you want to include competency rating from learning in competency portlet.
1.Go to admin tools->processes and forms
2.Create new process and make sure checked "Competencies ratings from Learning"
3.Open "Configure Employee Files"
4.Choose the process just defined
5.Edit the scorecard or profile dashboard
6.Add the competency portlet in the dashboard
7.Save the change

The average rating of the competency will be shown in the portlet based on the source you defined in process, include forms and learning.

We will also allow customer review the rating sources when mouse over the rating value of the competency, see below picture.

 

9.6. Report on Learning in Bizx

Customer can report on all the learning activities (include both custom learning and catalog learning from SF LMS) and associated goals by "Learning Activities" and "Learning Activities - historical" in ad hoc report.

Please enable it in provisioning -> company setting -> Ad Hoc Report Builder.

For whole learning set please try the reports in SF LMS.

9.7. Migrate Learning Activities form third-party integration

Once customer choose SuccessFactors Learning to replace existing third-party LMS system, we will provide script to migrate the learning activities on specific development plan to new version.

However:
Unassigned Learning activity will not be impacted
Learning as objective type will not be impacted

The script will take the input development goal plan id and looking for all the learning activities associated with the goals on this plan and copied to new learning activity object, the association will be kept but with new learning id.

 

10. LMS CDP Troubleshooting

10.1. CDP+LMS Integration Troubleshooting tips

Common issues reported are related to course completion not getting recorded in CDP even though it is successful in LMS. The FIRST step in troubleshooting CDP+LMS integration issues is to confirm that the Learning Activities template is set up correctly:

1. Go to Provisioning
2. Find the company for which template has to be checked.
3. Locate Managing Plan Template.
4. Go to Import/Update/Export Development Plan Templates

5. Export the active Development Plan Template and verify which Learning Activity Template it is using.

6. Go to Import/Update/Export Learning Activities Templates
7. Export the Active Learning Activity template which is referred by Development Plan Template. (If there are many of them)
8. Open file and confirm that mandatory fields are present in the template.

10.2. General Integrations issues Reported and Troubleshooting tips

1. Can not access Learning via BizX:  Verify all the integration configurations in BizX configuration file and Provisioning. Try to access BizX using PartnerProvisioning and verify if integration is working fine. Verify users learning permissions in BizX and user id in LMS and BizX.

2. Course Completion is getting recorded in LMS but not in CDP : Verify Integration settings. Go to Provisioning and export Development Plan Template and Learning Activity Template. Verify if the templates are correct. Search for BizX and LMS server logs on Splunk using keyword “upsert”.

3. If customer report issues related to SSO, Fiddler logs captured within customer’s network would be helpful.

4. If customer reports any error related to Shibboleth (similar to following screenshot), create Operations jira for the same.

5. Connect refused when clicking 'Find in catalog‘.  Please Contact with SFRE and check if our environments can be reachable or not to LMS Server.

15. No "Search by Competencies“. Please check whether SF learning "Enable SuccessFactors Learning integration" has been checked in provisioning.  Please check if goal has competency or not.

16. Missing CSRF Token  when "Search by Competencies“.  Go to LMS side, Learning Administration->System Admin->Configuration->System Config->CSRF_guard-> Set enableCSRFGuard=false.

17. No request comes within admin tools-> data administration ->Maintenance Monitor after launching "purge inactive user". And you observe following error info in quartz job server log:

 

 

11. LMS Important Information about  CDP

For BizX PP3 enabled portlet

•Enable People profile from Company settings in provisioning.

•Login to instance and go to admin tools-> Configure People profile

•Add a new section and drag and drop the Learning blocks from right panel to left panel.

•Save

•Go to RBP -> Roles of the logged in user-> Employee Views and add permissions for the section you configured.

•Search for a user and you should be able to see the learning blocks you added in the new section you have created.

Read more...

SAP SuccessFactors Learning all versions

KBA , LOD-SF-LMS-COR , LMS Core - Items, Catalog, Curricula , LOD-SF-LMS , Learning Management System , LOD-SF-LMS-CDP , Career Development Program , How To