Function vs. SAP Function

Use SAP functions whenever you are using a SAP transaction. When you sync from SolMan to ARIS first (to get the BPR content), the needed attributes are already prefilled - level, SAP ID, SolMan project, etc.

When using SAP functions have a look at the shadow/shortcut SAP function types (the dialog that opens up when inserting a SAP function). Those allow you to reuse a SAP function in the current model without creating an additional node in the SolMan tree or  to create a shortcut to a function that is part of another to-be implemented process (another node in another scenario/process in SolMan's tree) to avoid redundancy over multiple processes.

The idea is that you customize a SAP function only once in your SAP project.

In addition ot this the sync will also create all needed FAD models and additional objects (documents, etc.) automatically for all synchronized functions.

We are currently using ARIS as a stand alone tool, however, have plans in the close future for utilizing with SOLMAN.  My question is this... we have no solid direction or best practices  on "how" and "why" these attributes are needed on SAP functions, or even regular functions, for that matter.

I'm asking as we've been managing a project of a team of about 13 to create over 1400 ARIS BPM's, and did not specify the need for utilizing SAP functions, or specifying attributes for that matter. Our challenge is that we did not know enough to instruct them to use SAP functions in the first place, and now, requesting them to re-do their already completed models might prove to cause a mutiny, if you will.

Can you provide you POV on the following?   What attributes are "required" in SOLMAN? Is the first interface from ARIS to SOLMAN, or vice versa, SOLMAN to ARIS?

What's the risk if we do not require the functions to be converted to SAP functions?

Thanks!  Any knowledge helps us!