Introduction
In this lesson, you will access the Manage Force Elements application and familiarize yourself with its main characteristics, including Symbol generation, Sensitivity, Logistics Data, addresses and others.
This figure displays the Manage Force Elements app. Throughout the following lesson, we will use the abbreviation FE.
Header Toolbar
The header toolbar contains global actions that apply to the entity shown on the page. Examples of global actions are Edit or Delete. The header toolbar can also include global actions that relate to the page as an interface element. These can include actions for switching a page view, maximizing or minimizing the page, bookmarking the page, or leaving a comment.
The actions in the header toolbar are always visible, independent of the scrolling position on the screen ("sticky" behavior). If there is not enough space to show all actions, they are successively moved to an overflow menu, depending on their priority.
Footer Toolbar
The footer toolbar contains actions related to the user's task workflow. These actions represent steps in a process. This can be something the user wants to accomplish (such as Save a form), or actions to finalize a business process (such as Post a goods receipt or Accept/Decline a leave request).
The footer toolbar can also include alternative paths (such as Return goods) and actions that allow the user to back out of the workflow without saving (such as Cancel).
We call these actions "workflow actions" or "finalizing actions."
This area is where you can search for the Force Element they wish to find. The different selection fields can be filled out to refine the search result return.
This section of the screen is where the selected FE hierarchy is displayed. This can be in either hierarchy or list view.
This area is the Header. Here you will find FE critical information such as:
- Name
- Symbol
- FE ID number
- Dates valid from
- Dates valid to
- Status (remember this is the status of the Force Element as opposed to a relationship).
We have already covered the header level toolbar.
This is the Detail area. Here you will find the information, data, actions, and other items relating to the FE.
With this particular app, you can see that there are many attributes that create a FE. If there are more tabs that the screen permits, they are displayed under the chevron at the top right of the screen. Similarly, if there are sub-heading to the tabs, they will likewise be displayed under their respective headers.
This area is a scrolling section. This means that you can either choose the subject you want to view, or scroll down the screen with your mouse as you would a document.
The figure shows the Name and Description of the Force Element, as they appear in an Establishment Document. The displayed information is time and Status dependent.
Characteristics (Infotype 1950) set up the comparative organizational language within your organization. For example, a Squadron in the Navy is the same organizational level as a Battalion in the Army. The data filled in here helps to produce the Symbol Code to mark the type of the unit in a graphic, comparative way.
Evaluation of Readiness by Material, Personnel, and Skills: To accurately describe and identify Force Elements, you can enter their degree of readiness and arrange them by their armed forces classification.
FE relationships are organizational structures that are mapped using relationships between Force Elements (FE).
When creating a Force Element relationship, you must first choose the relationship type to be created.
Every Force Element other than the Root needs to be assigned to Subordination relationships (have one or more Superior Force Elements).
D&S adds usage types on top of the Basic Organizational Structure. Administrative Chain of Command and Operation/Exercise relationships are shown here.
Support Relationships are Functional dependencies between Force Elements that are mapped using relationships.
In contrast to hierarchical command and control relationships, you use support relationships to map functional relationships, in particular to control supply and maintenance processes.
In the Maintains section, you specify any other Force Elements that are maintained by the selected Force Element.
In the Maintained By section, you specify any other Force Elements that maintain the selected Force Element.
To enable materials management processes to be used to provide the organizational elements with the equipment they require, or to monitor the current equipment situation, you use FMPOs to map the non-consumable goods (NCGs) required for the relevant Force Element.
To perform their tasks, the organizational elements of armed forces, police, and aid organizations use capabilities and mission essential tasks to achieve and to sustain a desired operational effect in a nominated environment. This is thoroughly discussed in a dedicated unit in this training.
You can define the authorized personnel for a Force Element on the Position facet by assigning positions to the Force Element.
You can view and modify all the accounting-specific details under Accounting Overview, Accounting Assignment, Inherited Master Cost Center, Controlling, Funds Management and Additional WBS Element facets.
The Manage Force Element app focuses here on the organizational aspects of accounting - or how to identify the costs produced, or budget consumed by this Force Element.
On the Controlling facet, you can view, create or modify the Master Cost Center, Cost Center Group, Profit Center, Profit Center Group assigned to the Force Element or inherited from superior Force Elements in hierarchy.
The funds center is selected using the strategy derived in the FM derivation tool.
You can also assign mapped projects to Force Elements by using WBS elements.
You can assign different logistics units to a Force Element to support procurement activities.
The stock MRP area and provision MRP area can be created at a Force Element level.
In the Supplied By section, you can specify any other Force Element that supplies to the selected Force Element.
In the Supplies section, you can specify any other Force Elements that are supplied by the Force Element.
To model the organizational assignment of large equipment, you can assign the relevant technical objects that are managed in the system as master equipment to their owner (Force Element).
You can view operations, operation rotations and create their relationships from the Operation facet. You can view exercises, exercise rotations and create their relationships from the Exercise facet. This topic is discussed in detail in a dedicated unit in this training.
The figure shows the following:
- Force Element Addresses.
- You can attach files on the Attachments facet.
- A Force Element is classified using the classification system. That means, adding more attributes on a Force Element level, than the ones shown in the standard facets.