PLM210

Sap PS is a project management tool, which provides you with support in all phases of the Project. SAP PS is a component of my SAP Product Lifecycle Management as well as of my SAP Enterprise Resource Planning.

A work breakdown structure is a model of the project that shows the project deliverables in hierarchical form. The work breakdown structure thereby represents the structural organization of the project and provides a phase, function, or product-oriented description of the project.

Work breakdown structures can be used in particular for hierarchical controlling of projects costs, budgets, revenues, and, if necessary, payments.

A networks describes the time sequence and dependencies of events and activities in a project, and thereby represents the course of the project. A network consists of fundamental elements: activities and relationship. Networks and their activities from the basis of planning, analyzing, and controlling dates, costs, and the personnel, capacity, materials, resources, and services that are required for carrying out a project and its tasks.

You assign activities from one or several network to WBS elements in a WBS structure. A project can therefore also consist of a WBS structure and several networks.

When activities are assigned to WBS elements, the dates and costs defined in the individual activities are totaled up at the WBS level, and can be evaluated. Conversely, status, date information, or settlement rules, for example, can be transferred from WBS elements to the assigned activities.

You can create a Project by copying other operative projects, estándar structures, or also simulation versions.

WBS Structure:

The Project profile contains default values and profile data for the project. Values for the project are maintained in Customizing for the Project System. The project profile is divided into four sections: control, organization, planning board/dates, and controlling.

Mask: serve as a display option for complex project numbers. They can also be used to derive the hierarchy of a wbs structure from the numbers of their wbs elements.In the Special Characters table, you specify the possible special characters for use in editing masks, and you also specify the following for the project coding: whether coding must be used, how long the key should be, and whether this length is compulsory.

Status:The status determines which business transactions are permitted and which are prohibited in the system. System statuses have been set up by the SAP system to control primary business activities. You cannot change them. You can, however, define your own user statuses to attain a greater

level of detail. You must always define a user status within a status profile. You can enter your user statuses in the status profile and define which business transactions are permitted or prohibited.A user status can be set or deleted manually for several WBS elements at the same time. Individual status profiles can be defined for project definitions and WBS elements. You can define the user status yourself if you want to control at what time certain business transactions are allowed. A user status enhances the existing system status.

Allowed: A transaction is permitted if at least one status permits it and no status prohibits it.Warning: A transaction is permitted but a warning issued if at least one status permits ir and issues a warning and no status prohibits it.Error: A transaction is prohibits if one status prohibits it.

In the Project System, these objects include project definition, WBS element, network header, and network activity.

- Define the descriptions of user statuses and document their functions using a corresponding long text.

- ï Define the order in which user statuses can be set using a status number.- Define the initial status that is set automatically when you create an object. - Define that the system automatically sets the corresponding user status when

carrying out specific business transactions.- Permit or prohibit certain business transactions if a certain user status is active.

Table controls are used for displaying WBS elements. This means that you can manipulate the layout of these overviews.

Creating Work Breakdown Structures You create a project definition automatically when you create a work breakdown structure. A project definition defines an objective to be achieved within a project. It is not necessary at this point to create WBS elements or individual activities. The project definition is the framework for all objects within a project in later planning phases. The project definition contains default values and profile data for WBS elements.The basic dates for the entire project and the planning parameters for costs, budget, and dates are stored at the project definition level.A project definition is not an account assignment object (that is, you cannot post to it).

WBS elements form the operative basis of a work breakdown structure. The work breakdown structure consists of WBS elements and their hierarchical order. The Project Builder, Structure Planning, Project Planning Board, and Create Work Breakdown Structure are transactions in SAP PS, with which a work breakdown structure can be created. When you create a new work breakdown structure, you can use an existing work breakdown structure, the subhierarchy of a project, or a standard work breakdown structure as a template. You can also include the templates in an operative work breakdown structure at a later stage.

A standard work breakdown structure is a neutral work breakdown structure that can be used more than once and serves only as a template for creating operative work breakdown structures.

In the quotation phase of a project, you can simulate projects using simulation versions, even if an operative project does not yet exist.

WBS elements are the structure elements of the work breakdown structure. A WBS element describes a task or a partial task that can be divided. Use operative indicators to define the characteristics of a Controlling element, and to specify what tasks will be performed by the WBS element when the project is being executed:

- planning elements.- account assignment elements.- billing elements.

The Statistical indicator specifies whether a WBS element is used for statistical purposes only or whether it works with real costs. You can specify that a WBS element is statistical only if it is an accounting element or a billing element. You use grouping WBS elements to group the material requirements for components kept in project stock in one or more projects on one WBS.If you want to edit large projects and you need to create numerous WBS elements with complex project numbers, the system can help you derive the project hierarchy.

Milestones are events that are of particular significance or interest to the project flow. They are assigned to individual WBS elements or activities. Milestones can be used in both operative WBSs and standard WBSs. Milestones are created either manually or by copying from a standard milestone. A milestone group is made up of several standard milestones. Standard milestones can be used only to copy from (in other words, they cannot be used in the operative process). Milestones you created for WBS elements have various tasks.

The Sales Document Date indicator gives you the option of linking a milestone with a date in the billing plan. When you reach a milestone, the system transfers the actual date of the milestone to the billing plan. In progress analysis, the milestone technique is one way to measure the earned value. Each milestone corresponds to a percentage of work completed in an activity or a WBS element. Milestone trend analysis is a simple way to monitor dates in a project. In this analysis, milestone dates are compared at various report times.

Tools for Data Maintenance

You can use the mass change function to make cross-project changes to fields pertaining to project definitions, WBS elements, networks, activities, activity elements, milestones, and relationships.When you make a mass change, you can select and change data in a variety of ways. You can carry out a mass change without viewing it first or you can check the planned changes ahead of time in a tabular view and carry out the change there. In the case of numeric fields, you can calculate the new field value using a formula from the old field value.

- You can show the old values of object fields (for example, the Company Code field for the object WBS Element). In this way you can check the individual changes before you carry them out.

- Objects can be selected manually or by entering conditions (for example, select all WBS elements that are in company code 1000 or 2000). Only selected objects are changed.

- As long as you are still in the tabular view, you can undo the planned changes

Using substitution you can replace values in master data fields for project definitions, WBS elements, network headers, and activities.

Validation gives you the opportunity to check project definition entries, WBS elements, network headers, and activities in a way that is not included in the standard SAP system.

Tips for Work Breakdown Structures

The work breakdown structure is the operative basis for further planning in projects. A work breakdown structure consists of a project definition and WBS elements with hierarchical relationships.

- WBS elements belong to one project definition; they cannot be assigned to any other one.

- Use coding masks for formatting the project number. - Define coding masks early on and lock them, if required. - If possible, use templates when creating your projects. - Specify who is responsible for the various WBS elements. - Do not use more than 10,000 WBS elements

Standard Work Breakdown Structures

When you define standard structures, you have the option of standardizing your project management so that you can use empirical values from earlier projects in new projects. Standard work breakdown structures can be used as templates to copy from (this saves time). Another advantage of standardizing project structures is that projects become more transparent and you can compare them more easily, thereby enabling more effective project controlling.When you create an operating work breakdown structure, you can use a complete standard work breakdown structure as template or just copy parts of it.If you already have an operating work breakdown structure, you can copy parts of it into the existing project structure.

You use standard work breakdown structures as templates for operative work breakdown structures. You can use standard work breakdown structures to plan the structure in advance, that is, the WBS hierarchy, organizational assignments, control data, and project documentation., you cannot use a standard WBS for cost planning or time scheduling purposes. You also cannot maintain settlement rules in standard WBS elements.

The WBS elements have no status, but you can already assign them a user status profile. The status of the definition is Created (standard WBS) (CRES), Released (standard WBS) (RELS) or Closed (standard WBS) (CLOS). If the status is CRES or RELS, standard work breakdown structures

can be used as templates; if the status is CLOS, a standard work breakdown structure cannot be used as a template for creating either an operative or a standard WBS.

Activities and Networks

Customizing NetworksWhen you create a network, you must assign it a network profile, network type, and reference to a plant. However, the network profile can already contain default values for the network type and plant. The network profile and network type are important tables in PS Customizing where you specify the characteristics of a network. They store default values and control data for the network in question. Depending upon the plant and network type, the system selects control data and default values from three other profiles in Customizing: the parameter for the network type, the confirmation parameter, and the scheduling parameter. To check the availability of material components in your networks, for example, you also require the Define Checking Control table. This table is defined depending upon the plant and network type for opened and released networks in Customizing for the SAP Project System.

Control Key The control key of an activity stipulates the activity type (internal processing, external processing, service, general costs activity). The control key also determines how an activity is handled during calculation, scheduling, capacity planning, and shop paper printing.You define the control key in Customizing for the SAP Project System. You can define control keys in the network profile or standard network profile as default values for activities and activity elements to be created.

Creating NetworksNetworks are used to show the flow of a project or an action involved in a project. The fundamental elements that form a network are network headers, activities, and relationships.Using the Project Builder and the transaction Create Network, you can create networks manually or using operative networks or standard networks as templates, without having to access them using a work breakdown structure (WBS).If you use standard structures as templates, you can decide whether assigned networks should be created when you create a WBS using a indicator.

Network StructureIn the SAP system the network is a special kind of work order, which uses a common structure with production or maintenance orders, for example. Each network has a unique identification that is assigned either automatically by the system depending upon the network type (internal number assignment) or by the user when he or she creates the network (external number assignment).The network header of a network contains default organizational assignment data and control data that applies to the entire network (similar to the project definition for WBS elements). In the network header, you can assign a network to a work breakdown structure, a sales order, or a higher-level network (if you work with subnetworks).Activities form the basis for planning and executing networks. Each activity can be assigned to any WBS element.

The network is scheduled at the activity level. Relationships determine the order in which activities are carried out. Consequently, relationships ñ and the duration of the activities ñ are essential for scheduling networks. You use activity elements to split activities into more detail or enhance them.Networks can be header-assigned or activity-assigned, depending on order type or plant. Normally, activity-assigned networks are used, where costs are gathered in each activity. Header-assigned networks are only significant for the assignment of networks to sales orders (without WBS).

The SAP Project System has the following activity categories:

- Internally processed activities contain a work center at which the work is to be carried out. They contain the working time and the duration of the activity. The assignment of the work center to a cost center provides an activity type and a rate so that planned costs can be calculated for the activity:

- External activities are used for procuring activities or services that are not procured within your company. Purchase requisitions are generated for externally procured activities that are processed in Purchasing. A differentiation is made between “external processing” and “service” for externally procured activities.

- General costs activities enable you to plan costs that can be planned by neither internal nor external activities. For example, you can plan expenses or insurance costs using general costs activities.

Normally activities are not organized in a random order in a network. There are usually technical or content-stipulated dependencies between the activities. Relationships determine the chronological sequence of the individual activities in a network (or standard network) or different networks. You can enter additional data (such as a time interval of the relationship or reference to a particular factory calendar) in the detail screen for each relationship. The type of relationship defines how the individual activities are linked to each other.

In the network structure graphic you can display relationships ìtime dependentlyî, to illustrate the logical process chain. All relationships in the network structure graphic are displayed as FS relationships by default. The cycle analysis is a function that you can perform only in the network structure graphic. A cycle is a closed sequence of relationships and activities. If the activity-relationship-activity path is cyclical, you will not be able to schedule the network. Cycle analysis is a tool that enables you to detect cyclical relationships, and correct them.

Activities are given detail by activity elements. Types of activity elements include internal processing elements, external processing elements, and general costs elements. All activity elements have a date reference to the activity to which they are assigned. In this way you are sure that each activity element can be planned independently, while remaining bound by time to a superior activity. Materials and relationships are assigned to the superior activity. Activity elements are assigned to WBS elements if necessary. The assignment has the same function as in the case of the activities, but has no influence on time scheduling of WBS elements.

Resource planning in networks includes the planning of internal and external activities, the procurement of materials, the assignment of texts and documents, and the planning of milestones. When you plan milestone dates or determine the dates on which materials are required, you can reference the dates of the superior activity. You plan material requirements by assigning material components to activities. Material requirements form the basis for procurement - whether the material be produced in-house (production) or procured externally (purchasing).

you can assign milestones to activities . If you want to use particular milestones several times in project planning, you should create standard milestones, and use these as templates to copy from. Milestones assigned to activities or WBS elements are used in the SAP Project System for the following tasks and functions (it is possible to use the milestones more than once):

- For information and reporting purposes in the information system and in the project planning board

- For milestone trend analyses - For the milestone technique of progress analysis - For milestone dates in billing plans and milestone billing - For defined milestone functions in activities (only for activity milestones)

Milestone functions in a network are predefined by SAP. You can use them to trigger a sequence of steps that carry out a business process. The following milestone functions exist:

- Release subsequent activities- Release up to release milestone- Include a standard network - Create a network- Include a subnetwork - Start a workflow task (user-defined workflow task or standard tasks).

You can trigger a milestone function automatically, when you change the system status or user status in the activity, or manually, if an actual date is defined in the milestone.

Subnetworks are one way to detail a network in the project flow. You can define subnetworks for subnetworks. You can therefore create a subnetwork for the subnetwork for the subnetwork, and so on. You can also create maintenance orders as subnetworks for a superior network that can be scheduled from SAP PS.

Data is exchanged between the network and the subnetwork. The assignment to the WBS, sales order, and possibly configuration data is transferred from the header of the superior network. The basic dates of the activity are copied as the basic dates of the header of the subnetwork. It is also possible to copy the settlement rule, the profit center, and the business area. You can also copy the relationships of the higher-level activity to the subnetwork. The control key of the higher-level activity is changed on the basis of the network type of the higher-level network and of the subnetwork. This determines which tasks are carried out by the higher-level activity.

Tips for Networks You create networks from network headers, activities, relationships, and activity elements, and you can detail them using subnetworks. You can assign a large number of objects (for example, components, texts, and milestones) to activities. Networks are mainly used to map the logistical aspects of your project.

Standard Networks A standard network is structured in much the same way as a network. However, the internal structure of a standard network is like a task list (comparable to the structure of a routing in logistics), whereas an operative network is created like an order. This means there are small differences between a standard network and a network:

- A standard network can have more than one alternative. Alternatives can indicate different uses or validities.

- The header of a standard network contains different data to the header of an operative network.

- Standard networks have their own persons responsible (Planner Group). - Standard networks have their own profiles and status that you can enter in

Customizing for the Project System (PS). - Materials are assigned by means of material BOMs and standard BOMs.

A standard BOM does not have a “header component”; it is a tool that is used only for assigning material components to a standard network. It is created and edited directly in the standard network.

If you use templates that are assigned to each other (that is, if you use standard networks that are assigned to standard WBSs), there are two ways in which you can proceed. Both options (1, 2) are displayed in the graphic “Standard Structures”.

The assignment between standard networks and standard work breakdown structures is carried out in the header and activities of the standard network.

Versions in the Project System SAP PS differentiates between the following versions:

- Simulation Versions - Project Versions- CO plan versions

Simulation Versions At the beginning of a project, you can use simulation versions to simulate projects before you actually transfer them to an operative project. Simulation versions are particularly useful during the quotation phase and for comparing different what-if scenarios.It is possible to plan several simulation versions. You can then decide which version is the most suitable. Even when a project is running, you can copy operative projects to simulation versions, analyze and work with the simulation versions, and then transfer them back to the operative project. Simulation versions are edited using the project planning board or the Project Builder.

Simulation versions are manually generated, modifiable, and can be easily deleted. Simulation versions can be created either for an entire work breakdown structure (WBS) or for subhierarchies of a WBS. In the same way, you can create multiple simulation versions for a project and evaluate and compare them.

When you transfer data from operative projects to simulation versions, the following objects are copied: Work Breakdown Structure, Network with activities, activity elements, relationships, and subnetworks, Milestones, Materials for the activity, Capacity requirements, Invoicing plan for the network and billing plan for the work breakdown structure element (WBS element), Costs, revenues, and payments (actual values are transferred only when you transfer an operative project to a simulation version), Documents, PS texts and long texts (depending on the simulation profile used).

The following objects are not copied: other orders as networks (for example, production orders). Furthermore integration with Sales (quotation processing/assembly processing) and Purchasing or Production (material requirements planning) for simulation versions is not possible.

r simulation versions comprises two steps: - Input templates for simulation versions describe only how version keys for simulations should be set up. You should work with permissible version keys right from the start because they cannot be created afterwards without deleting existing simulations.

- The simulation profile determines whether texts should also be copied (in addition to the structure information) from simulations to operative projects (and vice versa). If you work without a simulation profile, all texts are copied. The simulation profile is contained as the default value for the project definition in the project profile.

- Define version keys in Customizing.- Use the same version number only once for each project.- Use simulation in the quotation phase of your project.

Cost element reports do not support simulation versions. In the structure info system it is not possible to change simulation versions (unlike operative projects).

Project Planning BoardThe project planning board is a graphical interface for creating and maintaining project data: project definition, WBS elements, activities, relationships, milestones, documents and PS texts. It is especially suitable for scheduling and monitoring. It consists of a table area and a diagram area, and shows the hierarchical setup of the project and the corresponding scheduling situation.The project planning board profile determines the appearance of the planning board. You can also enter default values here. You can adapt the graphical display of the project planning board to your needs by using the project planning board assistant.The project planning board profile is valid for both simulation versions and for normal operative projects.

Project VersionsProject versions document the status of a project at a specific point in time or in a specific action. At a later time, the project versions are proof of the project status in the past and serve as a comparison with the operative project. Project versions are prerequisites if you want to use milestone trend analysis (MTA). You create project versions in the following way:

- Manually or according to a point in time: You create a project version manually at a specific point in time.

- Automatically or according to an action: Depending upon the user or system status, the system automatically creates a project version of objects for which the status has changed. In the version profile you define when a project version is created and which objects are included in a project version (for example, WBS elements, activities, production resources/tools, or costs).

If you generate status-dependent project versions, the version profile determines which data is copied to the project version. The version profile also determines which data is copied to the project version. If you generate project versions manually or using the structure info system, the data is copied to the project version depending upon the database profile, but independent of the version profile.

You use a version profile to define two different kinds of information. First, you specify which version is created automatically when a specific system status or user status is set. Second, you specify which data is to be written to the versions that are created automatically. You need to define a version profile if you wish to have versions created automatically on the basis of the status, or if you wish to generate versions directly from the work breakdown structure or network maintenance transactions.