How To Fix WL473 - Workflow & arithmetic operation step &: '&' or '&' is not a number

SAP Error Message - Details

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: WL - Workflow: run-time messages

• Message number: 473

• Message text: Workflow & arithmetic operation step &: '&' or '&' is not a number

What causes this issue?

One of the two operands of an arithmetic operation is not a number.

System Response

See above.

How to fix this error?

Correct the related workflow definition or binding definition so that
numbers are also available for the arithmetic operation. Particular
care is required with variables of type NUMC.

Error message extract from SAP system. Copyright SAP SE.

Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message WL473 - Workflow & arithmetic operation step &: '&' or '&' is not a number ?

  The SAP error message WL473 indicates that there is an issue with an arithmetic operation in a workflow, specifically that one of the operands involved in the operation is not a valid number. This can occur in various scenarios, such as when trying to perform calculations or comparisons in a workflow step.
  Cause:
  
  Invalid Data Type: The variable or field being used in the arithmetic operation is not of a numeric type. For example, it might be a string or a null value.
  Data Initialization: The variable may not have been initialized properly, leading to it being empty or containing unexpected characters.
  Workflow Logic: There may be a logical error in the workflow where the expected numeric values are not being passed correctly.
  Data Source Issues: If the data is being fetched from a database or external source, there may be issues with the data integrity or format.
  
  Solution:
  
  Check Variable Types: Ensure that all variables involved in the arithmetic operation are of the correct numeric type. You can do this by checking the data types in the workflow definition.
  Initialize Variables: Make sure that all variables are properly initialized before they are used in calculations. If a variable can be null, consider adding checks to handle such cases.
  Debugging: Use debugging tools available in SAP to trace the workflow execution and identify where the invalid value is being introduced.
  Data Validation: Implement validation checks to ensure that the data being used in the workflow is valid and in the expected format before performing arithmetic operations.
  Review Workflow Logic: Go through the workflow logic to ensure that the correct values are being passed to the arithmetic operation step.
  
  Related Information:
  
  SAP Documentation: Refer to the official SAP documentation for workflows to understand the expected data types and structures.
  SAP Community: Engage with the SAP Community forums to see if others have encountered similar issues and how they resolved them.
  Transaction Codes: Use transaction codes like SWI1 (Work Item Selection) to monitor workflow instances and identify where the error occurs.
  Error Handling: Consider implementing error handling in your workflow to gracefully manage situations where invalid data might be encountered.
  
  By following these steps, you should be able to identify the root cause of the WL473 error and implement a solution to resolve it.