The ‘Not yet processed’ status in NAST combined with the timing of your output control modifications points to a specific issue with how the output processing is triggered from the workflow. Let me explain the complete resolution covering all three focus areas: NAST output configuration, workflow output linkage, and partner function maintenance.
First, verify your NAST output configuration is complete after the modifications. Go to transaction NACE, select application ‘V2’ (Sales), find output type ‘CHNG_APPR’, and check these critical settings:
- Processing Program: RSNAST00
- Form Routine: ENTRY_CHNG
- Processing Time: 4 (Send immediately)
- Transmission Medium: 5 (External Send)
The key issue is that when you added custom output conditions, you likely modified the output determination procedure. Click on ‘Output Determination Procedure’ and verify that condition type ‘CHNG_APPR’ is still included in the procedure and has the correct step number. If you added new condition steps, make sure they didn’t replace or disable the original step that triggers email notifications.
Next, examine your custom output conditions. In NACE, go to ‘Conditions’ for output type CHNG_APPR and display all condition records. Look for any conditions that might be excluding workflow-triggered outputs. A common mistake is adding conditions based on document type or status that inadvertently filter out change requests that are in workflow approval state. Your condition records should include an exception for ‘Workflow Status = In Approval’ to ensure outputs are generated during workflow execution.
Second, verify the workflow output linkage is properly configured. The workflow needs to explicitly trigger the output processing. Go to transaction SWDD and open your change request approval workflow template. Locate the notification step (usually right after the approval work item is created) and check its configuration:
- Step Type: Send Mail
- Output Type: CHNG_APPR
- Trigger Point: After work item creation
- Processing Mode: Synchronous
The critical setting is Processing Mode - it must be ‘Synchronous’ to ensure the output is processed immediately. If it’s set to ‘Asynchronous’, the output record gets created but processing is deferred, which can cause the ‘Not yet processed’ status you’re seeing.
Also check the workflow binding. The Send Mail step needs these binding parameters:
- Change Request Number → Output Object Key
- Approver User ID → Partner Function APPROVER
- Workflow Initiator → Partner Function CREATED_BY
If these bindings are missing or incorrect, the output system can’t resolve the recipient email addresses.
Third, verify partner function maintenance is correctly configured. Go to transaction VL10C (or the change request display transaction) and open a change request that’s in approval workflow. Navigate to the ‘Partners’ tab and confirm:
- Partner Function ‘APPROVER’ exists and has the correct user assigned
- The user’s email address is maintained in SU01
- Partner determination procedure allows the APPROVER function
The issue might be that your output conditions reference partner functions that aren’t populated during workflow execution. Output determination runs before partner determination in some scenarios, causing the email recipient to be empty.
Finally, address the timing issue between workflow and output processing. The workflow creates the output record, but if the change request document isn’t fully committed to the database when output processing runs, the output system can’t read the partner data. In your workflow template, add a ‘Wait’ step of 5 seconds between the work item creation and the Send Mail step. This ensures the document commit completes before output processing attempts to read partner functions.
After making these corrections, test with a new change request workflow. You should see:
- Output record created in NAST with status ‘Processed’
- Email sent successfully (check SOST)
- Approver receives email notification
- Workflow continues normally
The root cause was likely that your custom output conditions modified the output determination procedure in a way that broke the linkage between workflow execution and email generation. The corrections ensure all three components - NAST configuration, workflow output linkage, and partner function resolution - work together correctly.