Managing Positions and Personnel

People are central to the effective operation of any military organisation. Previously, we discussed the logic applied to build the assignments (relationships) between several objects such as between two force elements (org units), or between a Force element and a Position. But why is the assignment of a position so important. For a start, a person cannot be directly assigned to a force element (with 1 exception), so the position is going to be the link between the actual person and the FE.

Positions also serve as means of which we can set requirements, be it qualification, FMPO, employee groups, skills and rank to name a few. Due to importance and unique function that positions serve they must remain FE (unit) specific.

A key contribution that positions provide to their respective FE is their authorized materials or FMPOs that might be assigned at a position level. For example, every solider needs a pack and body armor, and every rotary wing pilots need a helmet. An organization can choose to make that requirement at a position level, which constitutes as Functional Equipment, therefore recognized as part of the FE entitlements or authorized equipment.

Positions are unit-specific, they represent "Placeholders" to be filled by a person(s). The recommended approach is every position should ideally be occupied by one person. However, if a business need arises, several persons can be assigned to a single position. The later is less desirable, given the contribution to unit entitlements. An exaggerated example might be, a FE has 1 infantry solider position. That position requires an FMPO comprised of standard issue kit and PPE. Even if I assign 100 individual people into that in position, the unit authorized equip (or entitlement) is only 1 FMPO set.

The figure displays how multiple people could be assigned to a singular position. This practice is not recommended as a permanent implementation approach but can represent the handover/ takeover period of position holders exchange.

Jobs are general classifications for functional groups (such as Chief Engineer, Sonar operator, seaman). Any new positions created is linked to a job, and inherit the tasks, requirements, and attributes assigned to the job.

Jobs are also important for the following components:

• Personnel Deployment Planning
• Personnel Cost Planning
• Career and Succession Planning
• General and Individual Development Plans

*Artificer Sergeant Major, is the most senior non-commissioned officer in the Workshops. Typically a Warrant Officer Class 1 (E9) and is from the Electrical and Mechanical Engineers corps.

Skill, knowledge, or ability that is of interest to an employer.

Qualifications are used to define both qualifications profiles and requirements profiles. This means that it is possible to compare an employee's qualifications at a specific point in time with the requirements of his or her present or future occupation. Qualifications are managed and maintained in the qualifications catalog.

You can structure your qualifications as you please. It does not matter how general or detailed the qualifications structure is. A qualification can comprise several other qualifications.

Qualification blocks enable you to assign bundles of qualifications to other objects. This assignment serves the same purpose as assigning individual qualifications directly to other objects.

You define qualification blocks using the infotype maintenance of the Personnel Management component.

You can use the Change Profile application of the Personnel Development component to assign qualification blocks to positions, jobs, and tasks as requirements. You cannot assign qualification blocks to persons directly. You can only assign qualifications to a person. If one of the assigned qualifications belongs to a qualification block, the system also displays the qualification block for this person in the Change Profile application.

You are familiar with the basic functions of the subcomponent Qualifications/Requirements.

You have activated the qualification block functions in Customizing under Personnel Management  Personnel Development  Functions  Set Up Control Parameters with the QUALI QBUSE switch.

You have defined views for editing Personnel Development profiles in Customizing under Personnel Management  Personnel Development  Functions  Define Profile Views .

Features

When you activate the qualification block functions, the following functions are available:

• You can define objects of the type Qualification Block for the purpose of bundling qualifications together.
• The system displays a qualification block for a person if you have assigned at least one of the qualifications in a qualification block to this person.
• The system uses the following attributes:
• Percent
• Specifies in percent how many of the qualifications in the block are already assigned to the person.
• Start/End
• The validity period is derived from the latest start date and the earliest end date of the assignments of the relevant qualifications.
• User Name and Change Date
• Last changed by and on.
• The reference between a person and a qualification block is not stored directly in the system. This data is determined at runtime using the corresponding assignments of the person to the qualifications or requirements (infotype1001).
• You can assign requirement blocks to positions, jobs, and tasks.
• The attributes of this assignment include:
• Status
• Specifies whether the assignment was inherited or direct.
• Proficiency
• Required proficiency of the requirement block based on the scale defined for the qualification block.
• For more information about qualification block proficiencies, see SAP Note 1314569.
• Start/End
• Validity period of the assignment.
• This assignment is stored as an external relationship in infotype 1055. All qualifications assigned to the qualification block are displayed as inherited requirements, even though, technically speaking, the only direct assignment created was the assignment of the object (S, P, or T) to the qualification block.