Integrating Project System (PS)

Portfolio items are used to plan and schedule on a strategic scale. You can perform operative project management with respect to a portfolio item with Project Management integrated in SAP Portfolio and Project Management (PPM). As an alternative, you can perform operative project management with respect to a portfolio item with Project System (PS). If you have used PS for operative project management in the past, you can now easily link such projects to items to synchronize data.

You can create and link PS projects to portfolio items. Once a link is established, you can synchronize attributes and status between both applications.

The preceding figure demonstrates what objects can be linked to each other. You can link a project definition to an item and you can link work breakdown structure (WBS) elements to decision points of an item. The link is established by object link types. In this way, you can synchronize attributes and status between PS projects, and item and decision points.

You can create PS projects directly in PPM. You can either manually create the PS project while saving the portfolio item, or you can automatically create the PS project. The latter, however, requires the implementation of a BAdI.

The preceding figure demonstrates the creation of an item and the creation of a PS project while saving the item. Depending on the configuration settings, you can choose a template to create PS projects. A project definition and subordinate WBS elements are created. And again depending on the configuration, WBS elements are linked to item decision points.

Once you establish a link to the PS project, an additional button appears on the item detail screen. The button allows you to display the PS project with Project Builder and go to three PS reports to analyze the PS project.

As an alternative to creating a new PS project, you can assign an existing PS project to an item. First, you create a link to a PS project definition. Later, you can assign WBS elements and decision points. The preceding figure demonstrates the respective tab page and buttons to assign a PS project. The figure also displays a button to delete assignments.

Synchronization is a major benefit of integrating a PS project to an item. You can synchronize attributes and statuses. Some attributes of the item are mapped to attributes of the PS project definition. Vice versa, some attributes of the PS project are mapped to attributes of the item and decision points.

Synchronization is based on Decision Flow Management (DFM), which is a common function of PPM. You must adjust the DFM configuration to your needs and you must specify field mapping. The SAP standard delivery already contains a minimal field mapping, which can be used as a starting point for attribute synchronization.

Portfolio items, decision points, PS projects, and WBS elements all contain status management. However, in PS, a status can allow or forbid a business transaction. The status of items and decision points is only for information purposes. With PS project integration to an item, you can synchronize the status between both objects. You can synchronize the status between WBS elements and decision points as well. Therefore, the status of an item can influence business transactions for a PS project. Conversely, the status of a PS project can provide feedback to the assigned item.

Financial data of PS projects assigned to portfolio items can be transferred to financial planning of the respective items. Financial integration allows you to transfer budgets, planned costs, and actual costs to portfolio item financial planning. In fact, FI/CO integration is based on object links similar to PS integration. However, different object link types are configured for FI/CO integration and for PS integration.

Once you assign a PS project to an item, the system simultaneously creates an additional link for FI/CO integration automatically.