Project Time Scheduling

The preceding graphic shows project elements and the date types that you can maintain for each element. Not every date type is available for each project element type, for example, you can only enter actual dates for tasks and checklist items. For scheduling, calendars can be assigned to each project element separately. You can define various calendars in Customizing for the SAP system in which SAP Project Management is set up.

The preceding figure provides you with an overview of the time frame for individual project elements. Critical dates are displayed as red bars in the graphical overview. Constraints are represented by yellow bars. You can show additional information on tasks and phases tasks in the GANTT chart. Collective tasks can be shown in a different colors.

In the graphical display of dates, you can perform the following functions

• Zoom in and out

• Adjust dates and duration of phases and tasks

• Print a Gantt Chart

• Filter certain objects or statuses

• Copy calculated dates to forecasted dates

• eCompare dates, such as calculated dates and forecasted dates

• Create and maintain relationships

• Open a detail screen, for example, for tasks

The system performs scheduling automatically in the Created status. Date-relevant changes trigger a rescheduling in the background. The system displays information about rescheduling in the message log. When a part of the project is released, it is not scheduled automatically; you must do this manually. You can carry out scheduling from any project element.

SAP Project Management uses either top-down or bottom-up scheduling. The Project Type checkbox controls the type of scheduling. The system calculates the dates forward and backward and determines the earliest and latest dates.

You can use the float times for the individual project elements to compare the earliest and latest dates. The float time of a task defines whether the task is critical (that is, the float time is less than or equal to zero days) and therefore has a red bar.

Checkboxes for the user-specific settings control the graphical display. You can choose between the earliest and latest dates for structure elements of SAP Project Management. For object links (for example, with work breakdown structure elements) you can define a date type (for example, a basic date). This date type is then displayed in the graphical display.

You can deactivate automatic scheduling for specific users. In this case, the affected users can only schedule manually. The figure, User-Specific Scheduling Settings, shows a screenshot of the user-specific setting in question.

Additional information, such as snapshots and simulations, are now shown in a single-project GANTT chart for the project definition and checklist items. The display is controlled by existing user settings for Graphic. The Graphic settings are maintained in SAP Project Management. You can decide which information for project elements is displayed in the single-project GANTT chart and the multi-project monitor. In global customizing, maintain the master switch for User Interface Settings (Area 0006) and activate Display Additional Information on the multi-project monitor (0026 default inactive). The global switch is the pre- requisite for additional information in the multi-project monitor.

The default view for the GANTT chart can now by defined in the user settings. The following are possible settings:

• Fit
• Overview
• Year
• Quarter
• Month
• Week

The activated user setting prevents the GANTT chart from scrolling automatically to the task start when a task is marked in the tree area. For multiple users, the user setting can be set by report DPR_CHANGE_USER_SETTINGS. The system does not automatically scroll if the dates of the visible project elements are within the left and right data currently displayed in the GANTT chart. Nevertheless, the user can manually trigger scrolling to the marked task start date; use the context menu with Scroll to Start in the tree area. This can also be used in the graphic area of the chart. Scrolling does not place the GANTT one day prior to the start date of the selected project element. The system considers the earliest or latest date according to the general user setting Earl./Lst Dates. The described behavior does apply to the single-project GANTT chart and to the multi-project monitor.

In top-down scheduling, the planned dates of phases depend on the project definition dates and the sequence of the phases. Each phase has a duration that is considered in time scheduling. Phases occur in sequence. In top-down scheduling, the dates of the phases are independent of the dates of the subordinate tasks, checklists, and checklist items. Top-down scheduling is carried out as follows:

1. The system uses the dates of the superior hierarchy to calculate the dates of the subordinate hierarchy.
2. A fixed start date is specified at project definition level. If it is not specified, Project Management sets it to the current date.
3. The system uses this date to calculate forward and determine the earliest date of the project.
4. The system uses the forward calculation to determine the calculated finish date for the project definition. If no fixed finish date is specified, the system calculates backward from the earliest finish of the last phase. The result of backward calculation determines the calculated start date for the project definition.

The dates of tasks depend on whether the tasks are assigned to a phase, a checklist item, another task, or the project definition. The dates of the tasks of a phase are calculated on the basis of the dates of a phase. The calculation takes into account the relationships of the tasks, the duration, the fixed dates and, if necessary, the actual date. The dates of a task of a checklist item are calculated on the basis of the dates of the phase to which the checklist item belongs. The dates of subordinate tasks are calculated on the basis of the dates of the superordinate tasks.

Dates of tasks also depend on the duration of the respective task and its relationship to other tasks. In this case, constraints have a higher priority than the calculated dates.

Checklist items do not have a time frame, duration, or start date. Checklist items only have finish dates. The finish dates of the checklist items are determined from the latest finish date of the assigned tasks or, if no tasks have been assigned, from the finish date of the phase.

Constraints can be removed completely by choosing Check Conflicts.

The system determines the dates of a project element from the dates of the subordinate project element, taking into account the sequence, the duration, the fixed dates, and the actual dates. The system first performs the forward scheduling and then the backward scheduling.

Forward scheduling in bottom-up scheduling is carried out as follows:

1. The scheduling of the first task begins based on the start date of the project definition.

2. The dates of the subsequent tasks of the same phase are calculated. If the dates of all tasks in a phase are known, the dates are added up and the duration of the phase is calculated.

3. As soon as the tasks of the first phase are scheduled, the system schedules the tasks of the second phase. In this case, the system takes into account the earliest finish date of the last task of the previous phase, and relationships. In this way, the dates of all tasks and all phases are determined

After forward scheduling, the system performs backward scheduling. The starting point is the manually entered or calculated end of the project definition. Scheduling first determines the dates of the last task of the last phase. Then, the system calculates the next-to-last task, and so on.

The preceding figure displays the relationships of a task. Relationships can depict a predecessor or successor relationship, and can be given positive or negative time intervals.

The following relationship types can exist between the predecessor task and the successor task:

The relationship type defines whether the start or end of the predecessor task is to be linked to the start or end of the successor task. Relationships are linked between tasks at the same hierarchy level. You can also link tasks with subtasks or with a task in a different phase. You can maintain relationships in the table-based editing of relationships and in the graphical display. You can create, edit, and delete relationships.