Project Evaluation

As a project manager, you need to find out the status of your project. You also need to record the status of the project and comment on it. For this reason, you require the following knowledge:

• How to evaluate a project
• How to configure reports
• How to create a project status report

Evaluations provide you with an overview of the data of your project. You can use the current project data as the basis, or the last version of the data that was stored in the background. You can create evaluations for operational projects and for project versions.

The evaluations delivered with SAP Project Management are as follows:

• Tasks and task assignment
• Completed checklist items
• Completed documents
• Project resources and project role staffing
• Project roles and project role staffing
• SAP ERP objects
• SAP ERP project progress
• SAP ERP project costs and revenues
• Project dates with SAP ERP objects
• Deadlines and expenses
• Project element-orientated costs
• Cost and revenue costing for project

The preceding figure shows the evaluation of completed checklist items. The left section contains a navigation area similar to the navigation area in project maintenance. The right section shows columns with data for the respective project object. In this specific case, you see an overview of the mandatory checklist items that have already been completed.

All project elements are not displayed in the navigation area of the report. This report does not display tasks and checklist items. Project elements and the number of columns are defined in the evaluation settings in Customizing for PPM.

You can export the data of an evaluation to display it in a spreadsheet. The figure shows the options for exporting reports. The system exports data in the Comma Separated Values (CSV) format and saves it in a file or opens it directly in Microsoft Excel.

Additional icons can appear in the navigation area of an evaluation. These icons indicate special features or discrepancies in the project. They are defined as threshold values or severity levels in the system. If a threshold value is exceeded, the system displays a corresponding symbol to warn you. Regarding threshold values, the system can create e-mail notifications called alerts.

Evaluations are included in the standard system. They are defined as evaluation layouts in Customizing for PPM. You can also create your own evaluations using your own evaluation layouts.

• Attributes: Approximately 129 attributes, for example, Actual_Finish.

• Objects: Approximately 10 objects for attributes, for example, checklist items and tasks.

• Extract layouts: Approximately 11 extract layouts, with certain attributes for certain objects, for example, 0_Project_Compl.

• Iterators: 4 iterators determined by SAP, for example, a project. These determine the hierarchical structure of the extract layout.

• Evaluation Layouts: Approximately 11 evaluation layouts, for example , 0_Project_Clitem is related to a certain extract layout with certain attributes for certain objects.

PPM provides attributes to generate evaluations and threshold values. In evaluations, these attributes form columns. An example of an attribute is Actual_Finish. In PPM, only checklist items and tasks are maintained with Actual_Finish.

You can connect an attribute and an object in Customizing for PPM. The corresponding transaction code is DPR_EVE_ATTR_OBJ.

The evaluations are specified using evaluation layouts. An evaluation layout specifies the columns of the evaluation by assigning the attributes of a certain extract layout. You also specify the objects to be displayed in the navigation area.

The preceding figure highlights the creation of evaluation layouts. In the simplest case, you only need to define a new evaluation layout for an extract layout supplied in the standard system to create your own evaluations.

The figure has an entry Assign Extract Layouts to Project Types, which is not relevant for evaluations. However, it is required for alerts, severities, threshold values, and dashboards.

Dashboards are the starting point to create, edit, or display projects in detail screens. However, dashboards display a lot of information, such as the status and costs of projects. You can filter and sort projects listed in a dashboard. Therefore, dashboards are a tool for reporting as well. The dashboard refreshes automatically when you save a project. You can select and open multiple projects in the dashboard. On the All Projects tab page, you can see all the projects you have been authorized to access.

You can access the following functions from dashboards:

• Edit projects
• Create projects
• Compare projects
• Import and export projects
• Export dashboard to Microsoft Excel
• Search for projects
• Filter
• User-defined setting for columns, sort, and filter of projects

You can use project status reports to record important project data and comment on it at any time. Project status reports can be sent as e-mail attachments.

Project status reports are based on Adobe Interactive Forms (AIF). Project status reports are displayed in a report folder within the project. In addition to project status reports, you can also assign additional documents here.

The preceding figure shows the creation of a report in SAP Project Management. To edit a project, you can navigate to the Status Reports tab page. Depending on the project type, you can choose different templates for the project status report. The templates determine the procedure of the project status report. When you have selected a template, you can look at it and supplement it using Preview.

You can store the report in SAP Project Management, or by using the SAP Document Management System (SAP DMS) of the SAP system. You define the type of storage in the project type in Customizing for SAP Project Management.

Project status reports are structured hierarchically. The report folder is used to navigate between individual reports. Above the report folder, there are options to create new project status reports, send out reports, or delete them. You can use New Document to include any data that is saved on your hard disk, for example, as documents in the report folder in SAP Project Management.

The look of a project status report depends on the template that is used. The standard system contains a template that you can use immediately. The name of the template is DPR_STATUS_REPORT_AIF. You can use this template as a copy template for your own project status reports.

The menu paths to perform the related activities are as follows:

• To create PDF-based forms, in Customizing, for SAP Portfolio and Project Management under Project Management choose,Basic Settings → Forms for Printing and Project Status Reports → Create PDF-based forms.
• To activate forms per project type, in Customizing, for SAP Portfolio and Project Management under Project Management choose, Basic Settings → Forms for Printing and Project Status Reports → Activate Forms per Project Type.
• To activate business add-in for PDF-based forms, in Customizing, for SAP Portfolio and Project Management under Project Management choose, Basic Settings → Forms for Printing and Project Status Reports → Business Add-Ins (BAdIs) → Activate Forms per Project Type.

When you have created a template, or have decided on a standard template, you must assign the project type. You can assign templates to the same project type. In the application, you can then choose between the various templates. Finally, you need to adjust the actual project type.

For each project type, you define whether you can create project status reports, and the location to store project status reports. They are stored in SAP Project Management or in SAP DMS. You must implement a BAdI for each PDF-based template. In the standard system, a BAdI has already been implemented for DPR_STATUS_REPORT_AIF.

If you prefer to save the project status reports in the DMS of an SAP system, rather than in SAP Project Management, you must make some additional settings there. The Project Management configuration guide describes these settings.

As a project manager, you need a quick overview of the progress of the project. Reports are suitable for this. However, reading and interpreting a report is time consuming. For this reason, you require the following knowledge:

• An understanding of how to configure threshold values
• An understanding of how to trigger alerts

An alert is a notification used to inform the people involved in a project of certain changes. For example, the person responsible for a checklist can be informed by e-mail that all the checklist items have been completed.

The different ways of triggering alerts are as follows:

• If all the tasks of a checklist item are closed, or if all the checklist items of a checklist have been completed, the person responsible for the checklist item or the checklist receives a corresponding alert notification.
• If there is a threshold value violation for a project element, an alert is also sent to the person responsible.
• If there is a threshold value violation for an assignment, a staffing, a business partner, or an object link, alerts are also sent to the person responsible.

Additional alerts can also be sent for project elements and object links if the severity is set manually, or if there is a threshold value violation for a subordinate object.

Alerts are sent to the person responsible for the affected object. For project definitions, phases, checklists, and checklist items, the persons responsible are staffed to the role responsible for performing the tasks. For a task, however, the person responsible and the business partners who are staffed to roles of the tasks are alerted.

Alerts are always checked and sent when you save the project, or when you create an evaluation.

Alerts can also be triggered in connection with multi-project management.

SAP Fiori is the new user experience (UX) for SAP software that applies modern design principles. SAP solutions, such as the SAP Business Suite powered by SAP HANA, are using the SAP Fiori UX to provide a personalized, responsive, and simple user experience.

SAP Fiori UX speaks a consistent design language and makes use of a common technical infrastructure. By blurring traditional computing boundaries and using interactive and attractive UI elements, SAP Fiori UX provides consistent end-to-end user experience and can be used across all device types (for example, desktop, tablet, and mobile).

Organized by user roles, the SAP Fiori launchpad is the central entry hub for all SAP Fiori applications. Users access applications via tiles. The launchpad contains services for navigation, personalization, single sign-on, and searching. The launchpad and the tiles are flexible and can be adapted to your needs. You can use the search in the SAP Fiori launchpad to search for business objects and applications.

Applications applying the SAP Fiori UX focus on the most critical and common activities, and are designed around how people work.

The SAP Fiori UX has the following benefits:

• Role-based: Designed for you and how you work.

• Responsive: Supporting how and where you work, at any time.

• Simple: Focuses on important elements.

• Coherent: Provides one fluid, seamless experience.

• Delightful: It makes an emotional connection.

All UIs are built using state-of-the-art technology, such as HTML5 and SAP UI5 mobile. SAP Fiori applications allow you to access the most recent version of your back end data via Open Data (OData) services. Using previously defined roles and authorizations, you can specify which applications and data a user is allowed to access.

SAP Fiori also offers a bundle of transactional applications for SAP Portfolio and Project Management (PPM) that run on the SAP Fiori launchpad. These applications consist of front-end components (such as user interfaces) and back-end components (such as the OData service). The back-end components and the front-end components are delivered in separate products and have to be installed in a system landscape that is enabled for SAP Fiori.

The transactional application, Approve Decision Points, allows program managers to approve or reject a decision point at the end of a phase.

Key features of the Approve Decision Points application, are as follows:

• Display a list of all assigned portfolio items with decision points for approval, for example you can display data of portfolio items and decision points.

• Group, sort, and filter entries in the portfolio items.

• Search for portfolio items in the portfolio items list.

• Approve or reject a single decision point, or multiple decision points, simultaneously. You can also add notes to explain these decisions.

• Display notes or add new notes to portfolio items. You can also contact the creators of the notes.

• Add, display, and delete attachments assigned to portfolio items.

• Share notes and attachments referring to portfolio items via SAP JAM groups to discuss with other group members.

The transactional application, Confirm Project Tasks, allows project team members to view a list of all the project tasks to which they are assigned. They can also confirm the progress of their work.

Key features of the Confirm Project Tasks application, are as follows:

• Display all project tasks to which you are assigned.

• Group or filter the entries in the list of project tasks.

• Confirm the progress of your work for a selected project task.

• Display notes or add new notes to project tasks. You can also contact the creators of notes.

• Display attachments assigned to project tasks.

• Share notes and attachments referring to project tasks via SAP JAM groups to discuss with other group members.

With SAP S/4HANA SAP delivers the Fiori application My Projects - Active Projects that offers an additional overview and detail reports of the projects managed by you.

With this app you can display all active projects to which your user is assigned as a project manager. A project is active if it has been released but neither completed nor canceled.

As a project manager you need to be assigned to the project as the responsible resource or as one of the resources the responsible role is staffed with.

• Get an overview of all active projects for which you are responsible as a project manager.
• See the most important project details at a glance, such as:
  • Name and ID of the project: The name is displayed in the logon language, if available. Otherwise the name is displayed in the master language. If no name is available in the master language, the ID is displayed.
  • Type of the project
  • Name of the currently active phase and its planned latest finish date: If there is more than one active phase, the phase with the earliest start date is displayed. If there is more than one active phase with the same earliest start date, the phase with the smallest sort number is displayed. The name is displayed in the logon language, if available. Otherwise the name is displayed in the master language. If no name is available in the master language, the ID is displayed.
  • Latest date of the milestone that has been defined as the main milestone of the project: A main milestone is displayed if the corresponding task is defined as a milestone and the related task type is defined as a main milestone.
  • Name and planned latest finish date of the earliest upcoming or overdue milestone: An upcoming or overdue milestone is displayed if the corresponding task is defined as a milestone and the related task type is defined as a relevant milestone. The name is displayed in the logon language, if available. Otherwise the name is displayed in the master language. If no name is available in the master language, the ID is displayed.
• Drill down to further apps to display and edit the following details of a selected project:#
  • Project Progress
  • Project structure including project elements such as phases and tasks, as well as all project details, for example basic data, authorizations or assigned objects
  • Persons who are assigned to the project as resources and further details of staffing and resource
  • If the project refers to a portfolio item
    • Financial planning data
    • Capacity planning dtat
    • Details of the assigned portfolio item
• Change the appearance of the list displayed for your user:
  • Search for projects in the list
  • Filter the list data
  • Sort or group the list data
  • Export the list data to a spreadsheet