Creating Project Structures

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to create a project structure using Project Builder

Work Breakdown Structures (WBS)

Work Breakdown Structure: Functions

Work Breakdown Structure: Maintenance Options

Project Builder

SAP Project Builder interface showing the current project, selected object, overview, worklist, templates, and detailed information for the selected object.

The Project Builder is a feature in the Project System that is particularly intuitive and easy to use.

In the Project Builder, you can create or edit WBS structures or networks individually or in an integrated manner. To maintain WBS structures and networks, you can navigate quickly and efficiently in the Project Builder between the various views (detail and overviews), graphics, and the project planning board.

The Project Builder consists of a processing screen divided into three parts - the structure overview at the top left, the work list at the bottom left, and a display/processing area to the right.

Activities and Networks: Functions

Diagram illustrating activities and networks functions, including internal activity, external services, material, milestones, periodic processing, and general costs.

You use the activities in the network to plan the labor, capacities, materials, and services that you require to carry out the various tasks in your project.

Activities: Maintenance Options

Network Activities

A detailed network graphic showcasing project activity, relationship, control keys, duration, description, earliest and latest finishes, activity number, and floats.

The network graphic provides all of the functions needed to process a network (the functions for inserting activities or relationships, for example).

You can call up the network graphic from various transactions in the Project System, for example, in network maintenance, scheduling, and in the Structure/Dates Information System.

From within the network graphic, you can perform a cycle analysis. A cycle (or loop) is a closed sequence of relationships and activities ("closed or loop" means that when you start out from one activity, you end up back at the same activity by means of relationships). If the activity-relationship-activity path is cyclical, you will not be able to schedule the network. Cycle analysis is a tool that enables you to detect cyclical relationships and correct them.

Project Planning Board

A project planning board with an extended toolbar, table area showing project details, graphic area with Gantt chart, and a capacity overview chart at the bottom.

The project planning board is particularly suitable for planning a project. It provides you with an instant overview of your project deadlines, enabling you to check your project for capacity bottlenecks. Additional options are also available for enhancing your project structure. The Project Builder and the project planning board are used to edit your project.

Create a Project Structure Using Project Builder

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Learning

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