Project Structures

As a project manager, you want to make the settings required for structuring projects in Customizing for SAP Project Management. For this reason, you require the following knowledge:

• An understanding of how to configure project structures

• An understanding of how to create a project type

• An understanding of how to check a phase type

• An understanding of how to check a checklist type

To configure project structures, you use several tables in Customizing for SAP Project Management. Not all tables are controlling tables. The following are controlling tables:

• Project type

• Phase type

• Checklist type

• Task type

Some tables are only for information purposes and are used for evaluating. The following are not controlling tables:

• Priority

• Project reason

• Process

Project Type

The project type is the central profile for controlling projects. For example, the project type can specify that multi-project management is not possible for a project but resource planning is possible. The project type can also specify that confirmations are carried out without a Cross-Application Time Sheet (CATS) at the task level.

In SAP Project Management, you can define the project type on the Basic Data screen of the project definition. To find the project type in Customizing, choose SAP Portfolio and Project Management → Project Management → Structure → Define Project Types.

The preceding figure shows the first sections of the project type. The project type determines the project category. It can contain the Consulting project or Development project attributes. Similar to the project category, the Consulting project and Development project attributes are for internal use only. Programs are specific projects in connection with multi-project management, however in most processes, programs are replaced by initiatives of SAP Portfolio Management.

Selected basic settings in the project type

The project type is subdivided into the following sections:

• Activate Function:

  • Documents: If this checkbox is selected, SAP Project Management document management becomes available.

  • Versions: If this checkbox is selected, you can create versions for a project with this project type in SAP Project Management.

  • Object Links: If this checkbox is selected, you can use object links in SAP Project Management.

  • SAP document management system (SAP DMS): If the SAP DMS checkbox is selected, SAP DMS becomes available in SAP Project Management.

• Project Structuring:

  • Phases: If this check box is selected, you can create phases in SAP Project Management.

  • Tsks/Chckl.f.ProjDef: If this checkbox is selected, you can create tasks and checklists directly under the project definition in SAP Project Management.

  • Checklists: If this checkbox is selected, you can use checklists in SAP Project Management.

  • Tasks: If this checkbox is selected, you can create tasks in SAP Project Management.

  • Subprojects: If this checkbox is selected, you can link tasks with a subproject in SAP Project Management (multi-project management).

  • Mirrored Tasks: If this checkbox is selected, you can create mirrored tasks in SAP Project Management (multi-project management).

• Task Hierarchy:

  • None: You cannot create any subtasks and therefore you cannot set up any task hierarchies.

  • With Summary Tasks: You can set up task hierarchies but you can carry out certain tasks only for tasks that do not have any subtasks, for example, confirming time,specifying qualifications, and assigning project roles. You can collect this information for the subtasks and display it together for the superior summary task.

  • Without Summary Tasks: You can set up task hierarchies and you can execute all the activities at each level of the task hierarchy. There are no summary tasks.

• Activate Status Reports:

  • Status Reports: If this checkbox is selected, you can generate status reports. You have your own tab page to do this. The reports are checked in using SAP Project Management.

  • Check in Status Reports in SAP DMS: If this checkbox is selected, the status reports are checked in using SAP DMS.

• Resource Management:

  • Resource Search: If this checkbox is selected, the resource search is available in SAP Project Management on the Resources tab page.

  • Qualifications: If this checkbox is selected, you can define qualifications for tasks and roles in SAP Project Management.

• Evaluations and Dashboard:

  • Check for Threshold Value Violations: If this is selected, you can set the way the threshold values are checked in the system.

  • Aggregate Severities: If this checkbox is selected, you can control whether severities are aggregated when you are editing the project.

  • Use Dashboard: If this checkbox is selected, the system considers projects with this project type in the evaluations for the dashboard. In the dashboard, the system then displays various data for the project, for example, key performance indicators (KPIs). If this checkbox is not selected, the system does not display any data or it displays the initial value for the project in the dashboard.

Additional sections of the project type are as follows:

• Accounting integration:

  The following scenarios are available to connect an accounting system, such as SAP S/4HANA Financial Controlling (FI/CO):

  • No Integration: If you choose this scenario, you cannot specify certain accounting-specific data in the project.

  • Accounting integration in ERP: If you choose this scenario, the integration occurs using the account assignment manager in controlling. The system provides additional functions in the project to access the data of the account assignment object, and to edit it further in SAP S/4HANA or another external SAP S/4HANA/ ERP system.

• Type of Transfer:

  You can choose from the following transfer settings:

  • Always Automatic When Saving: Each time you save the data it is transferred to the accounting system, regardless of the status of the project.

  • Automatic As of "Flagged for Transfer/To Assign": The first transfer occurs after the user has set the status For Transfer and has saved the project. Then an update is performed when you save the project.

  • Automatic As of Release of Project: The first transfer occurs after you release the project. Then an update is performed when you save the project.

• Scheduling:

  Scheduling determines how a project is scheduled. You can either choose the Top-Downor Bottom-Upscheduling type. If you use summary tasks for your task hierarchies, you can set only Bottom-Up here. The combination with summary tasks and Top-Down is not possible. The scheduling type can be changed later in the operative project if required.

• Confirmation:

  • Time Recording: This defines the project elements for which times can be entered (tasks or project roles).

  • Time Recording for Project Definition: If this checkbox is selected, you can enter the time not just for the selected project element but also for the project definition.

  • Time/Travel Expenses Rec. CATS/SRM/FIN: If this checkbox is selected, time recording is performed using the CATS (Cross Application Timesheet) for example. You can enter travel expenses in SAP Travel Management. If you have selected the checkbox, you cannot enter any more actual times directly in SAP Project Management.

• Digital signature for approvals:

  • Signature of Approval with User Certificate: If this checkbox is selected, user certificates are used for the signature of the individual approvals in SAP Project Management. Otherwise, the signature is created when you enter the user and password.

• Field control:

  This check box defines which field control profile is used for a project type. A standard setting of 0SAP is delivered for the field control. If you do not specify a field control profile for a project type, the default setting 0SAP is used

As a project manager, you need to access the data related to your project, such as descriptions, procedures, and so on. This data is distributed over different PCs and cannot be accessed centrally. For this reason, you require the following knowledge:

• An understanding of how to manage documents directly in SAP Project Management

During a project, various documents are created. These documents include specifications, checklists, drawings, photographs, and performance data. This information must be available in a structured form. The data must be easily accessible for authorized persons and hidden from unauthorized persons.

At present, documents are available in digital form. To manage your documents in SAP Project Management, you can use the document management function, or the Document Management System (SAP DMS). The type of management used depends on the respective system settings. The project type of your project determines whether you use the SAP Project Management document management or SAP DMS.

You can assign documents to any project element. Each project element has a Documents tab page. This tab page enables you to assign documents, and assign specific authorizations for these documents. For this reason, documents are structured in document folders.

The preceding figure displays the different assignment options.

You can assign notes and documents to all Project Management structure objects. For the management of documents, you have three options, which can be used alternatively or together in one project.

1. One option is the Project Management document management. The documents are stored centrally in Project Management and can be checked out locally for processing purposes. When checking in the revised documents, you can either revise old documents in Project Management or create new content versions.

2. You can also access the general SAP document management in one or more back-end systems. This allows you to access existing document information records or create new document information records from Project Management.

3. If the Web-based exchange of documents, material, or BOM with partners are important, you can use the integration with SAPJAM. You can create new collaborations from a Project Management project or access existing collaborations in SAP JAM.

The Documents tab page, allows you to control the following functions:

• Status management

• Versions

• Check in and check in as URL

• Templates

• Folders

• Authorizations

• Transfer to and from SAP Document Management System

To edit documents, choose the relevant project element in the navigation area and choose the Documents tab page. You can see the document folder is highlighted in the figure. This folder can be subdivided into several levels. This gives you a better overview and allows you to assign structured authorizations.

In the document folder, you can copy existing files or you can create a link to the files. You can also generate new documents instead of using existing files. You can use document templates to generate new documents. Document templates are managed in SAP Portfolio and Project Administration.

To edit a content version of a document the version must be checked out. To check out a version, choose Download. To ensure no other user can change the document when you are editing it, select the Document cannot be changed by other users checkbox. You can change the document on your hard disk. You must check in the file after making the necessary changes. This means that the content version is overwritten, or a new content version is created.

If there are several content versions you can edit them on the relevant tab page. You can use status management to indicate whether the document can be used or not.

When editing documents in SAP Project Management you can do the following:

• Cut, copy, and paste documents.

• Assign authorizations to documents. For example, one user can change a document while a second user only has the authorization to display it. Meanwhile, a third user may not have authorization to display or change the document.

• Exchange documents between SAP Project Management and SAP DMS.

You can use documents directly in SAP Project Management with document management. Alternatively, you can manage your documents with SAP DMS and exchange documents between SAP DMS and SAP Project Management. SAP recommends that you do this in the following cases:

• You already use SAP DMS and you want access to the existing SAP DMS documents.

• You want to exchange your documents between the SAP system and SAP Project Management.

• You want to classify your documents.

• You want to map your project structure using SAP DMS document structure.

Reasons for using the integration between SAP Project Management and SAP DMS are as follows:

• You can create links to existing document information records in SAP DMS or you can create new document information records.

• You can create new information records with or without reference to templates.

The top section of the preceding figure shows you how a project element is linked to a document information record. As soon as there is a link to document information records, you can display the assigned original files. If necessary, you can transfer these original files to SAP Project Management or to the project status reports. You can also transfer them in the opposite direction: you can copy status reports, their documents, or documents from SAP Project Management to SAP DMS in information records.

The lower section of the preceding figure shows you the document structure assigned to an information record.

You can use Open Application to access a number of editing functions for the document information record. As for the object links, in addition to the predefined editing transactions, you can also include your own editing transactions.

If documents are assigned to several project elements, for example, the project definition and some phases, these can be grouped together to form a whole document structure. The system transfers the document information records of a subordinate project element to the document structure of a superior project element.

You configure the integration of SAP Project Management and SAP DMS in at least two places. In SAP Project Management, you configure settings for the object link. That is, you determine remote function call (RFC) destinations, web servers, and you assign editing transactions for documents to them. The settings are the same as those for the general object link. If you want to use integration with several DMS systems you must create further object types, for example, as copies of the existing object types.

To configure integration in Customizing for SAP Portfolio and Project Management, under Project Management, choose Documents → Define Object Links for Documents in DMS.

In addition, you must configure settings in the SAP DMS system. This setting determines which document types of the SAP DMS are to be used as soon as new document information records are created from SAP Project Management. In SAP DMS configuration, you must determine the document types that permit an integration with SAP Project Management. You can find detailed information about this in the SAP Project Management configuration guide.

To configure integration in SAP DMS in Customizing, under Integration with Other SAP Components for SAP Portfolio and Project Management, choose Project Management → SAP DMS Integration → Specify Default Document Types per Project Management System.

SAP Jam is a social collaboration and decision-making solution that brings people, processes, information, and applications together to enable better problem-solving and decision-making. SAP Jam allows enterprises to use social networking to allow their employees and partners to collaborate on projects, learn, and innovate together. SAP Jam is designed to drive results by structuring conversations and enabling people to make informed decisions and solve business-critical problems. SAP Jam provides features such as polls, activity feeds, blogs, video and document sharing, versioning, wikis, public groups, and private groups to help employees quickly connect with one another, and create and share critical information.

SAP Jam may be used as an online collaboration platform to share your project documents, proposals, and ideas outside of the project document management or SAP DMS.

SAP Fiori applications available for SAP Portfolio and Project Management (PPM) support direct sharing of your data on SAP Jam.

As a project manager you want to control the users that have access to certain aspects of the projects. Some users only have permission to view documents, others have permission to edit documents, and in some cases some users are not authorized to access the documents at all. You can use SAP Project Management to control general authorizations and project-specific authorizations.

Authorizations ensure that only authorized persons can view or edit a project or part of a project. The project manager handles the authorizations for the project.

In SAP Project Management, there are two types of authorizations, project-specific authorizations and general authorizations. The system administration stores the general authorization in the authorization profiles in the user master.

The project manager or project administrator assigns project-specific authorizations to individual users, for example, to change specific tasks or to display checklists in the project. The following video shows these authorization types.

The assignment of single and composite roles in the user master record helps in maintaining general authorizations.

The composite roles in the standard system are as follows:

• SAP_CPR_DECISION_MAKER (SAP Project Management decision maker).

• SAP_CPR_INTERESTED (SAP Project Management interested party).

• SAP_CPR_MEMBER (SAP Project Management team member).

• SAP_CPR_PROJECT_LEAD (SAP Project Management project manager).

• SAP_CPR_RESOURCE_MANAGER (SAP Project Management resource manager).

• SAP_CPR_TEMPLATE_RESPONSIBLE (SAP Project Management template responsible).

• SAP_CPR_BCV_USER_COMP (SAP Project Management composite role).

Composite roles are made up of the following single roles:

• SAP_CPR_PROJECT_ADMINISTRATOR: This role allows you to create projects.

• SAP_CPR_TEMPLATE_ADMINISTRATOR: This role allows you to edit project templates, checklist templates, and control plan templates.

• SAP_CPR_USER: This role controls general authorizations to work with SAP Project Management. It also controls cross-application settings, for example, editing business partners.

• SAP_CPR_BCV_USER: This role is necessary to activate the Business Context Viewer (BCV) for resource management in SAP Project Management.

• SAP_BPR_PPM: This role provides the standard navigation menu definition for SAP NetWeaver Business Client, therefore, this role must be assigned to each user when you use SAP NetWeaver Business Client for SAP Portfolio and Project Management (SAP PPM) directly. If you use the SAP FIori Launchpad, you don’t have to assign this role. You have to use the Fiori Launchpad roles with catalogs and groups instead. Please refer to the chapter on the user interface for more details how to work with these roles.

Single roles include authorizations that a user requires to work with SAP Project Management. You assign these roles to users only indirectly using the six composite roles. The first time you install SAP Project Management, you must generate authorization profiles for the single roles using the transaction SUPC. You can find details about the single roles, composite roles, and the authorization profiles for SAP Project Management in the SAP Project Management configuration guide. The configuration guide is located on SAP Help Portal.

You grant project-specific authorizations at the single project element level. When you create a project, you are authorized to administer the project definition. Subordinate project objects inherit this authorization. In this case, you are an authorization holder with the Admin authorization. Authorization holders can be users, user groups, organizational units, or roles. Authorization holders cannot be project roles.

Possible authorizations are as follows:

• None: Used to remove user authorizations for single project elements. With this authorization, you can revoke inherited authorizations.

• Admin: Allows you to change, create, and delete project elements, schedule, and assign authorizations to other users. Admin authorization includes Read and Write authorization.

• Write: Allows you to make changes to the project element; for example, you can enter data. However, if you have the Write authorization, you cannot perform certain activities, for example, you cannot delete or create project elements, and you cannot assign any authorizations.

• Read: Allows you to view the document.

• Evaluate: Allows reporting for project elements. However, you can only evaluate those projects elements for which you have the Read authorization. This authorization can only be assigned to the project definition-

• Accounting: Allows costing if you also have the Admin authorization. This authorization can only be assigned to the project definition.

• Resource Management: Allows you to search for and assign resources to the project. This authorization can only be assigned to the project definition.

• Staffing Manager: Helps the system display all project roles with the Resource Manager via Authorizationstaffing type, in the worklist of external resource management applications. This authorization can only be assigned to the project definition.

• Candidate Manager: Helps the system display all project roles with the Resource Manager via Authorization staffing type in the worklist of external resource management applications. This authorization can only be assigned to the project definition.

The above descriptions do not cover all the allowed or barred activities for the single authorizations. There are various exceptions and special cases. Refer to the online help of the SAP system for more details.

The preceding figure shows a screenshot of the authorization maintenance screen for a task. On this screen, you can manually change authorizations or add further authorization holders. Alternatively, project team members receive authorizations for a project when you assign them to the project as a resource (business partner) in resource planning. You can do this by staffing project roles. You create project roles regarding previously specified project role types. These project role types determine the default authorizations for these business partners.

A user can receive conflicting authorizations for editing an individual project element. For example, users may receive Write authorization, and because they are assigned to a user group, they may be assigned Read authorization. In this case, the authorization is prioritized according to the authorization holder.

Authorizations have the following priority levels:

• User-related authorizations have priority over user group authorizations.

• User group authorizations have priority over organizational unit authorizations.

• Organizational unit authorizations have priority over role assignment authorizations.