Entering, maintaining, and evaluating employee time data is often decentralized. The time data is processed in individual departments, not centrally in the HR department.
The main characteristic of decentralized time management is the delegation of time management tasks to individual departments. Persons who carry out time-management tasks in the departments are usually responsible for small-sized to medium-sized groups of 10 to 30 employees.
Another aspect of decentralization is the inclusion of employees. For example, employees record their own working hours using self-service applications and access information on their work schedules, time accounts, and so on.
HR administrators in the central HR department are responsible for entering any additional payroll-relevant employee data, for example, specifications for continued pay in the event of illness.
Roles in Time Management
Roles correspond to certain tasks and functions that employees carry out in an enterprise. A role is assigned to users with the same area of responsibility.
Users access their transactions, reports, Web-based applications, and so on, from user menus. User menus contain only the functions required for completing the typical daily tasks of specific users. A role also contains the necessary access authorizations.
Users can access their role-specific user menus from SAP Enterprise Portal. If they do not use the portal, you can set up their user roles in the SAP system.
You can assign as many users to a role as you require. Composite Roles contain several single roles. For example, the composite role HR Controller consists of the single role Employee Time and Labor Controller in addition to other single roles.
Overview of Roles in Time Management
The following single roles exist in Time Management:
- Time and Labor Analyst:
- This person monitors employee time and labor data in relation to strategic company goals. For example, the time and labor analyst creates reports detailing the work levels of all departments or employee groups and overtime levels. The Time and Labor Analyst (SAP_HR_PT_TIME-LABOR-ANALYST) single role is assigned to the HR Analyst (SAP_WP_HR-ANALYST) composite role. A composite role contains one or more single roles.
- Time Management Specialist:
- This person is responsible for the seamless operation of the Time Management system. The time management specialist is concerned with the technical side of the SAP system. The tasks include making recurring settings, maintaining interfaces to other systems and SAP applications, and (when required) modifying or adding HR-specific Customizing. The Time Management Specialist (SAP_HR_PT_TIME-MGMT-SPECIALIST) single role is contained in the HR Systems Specialist (SAP_WP_HR-SYSTEM-SPEC) composite role.
- Shift Planner:
- Employees in individual departments in an enterprise, for example, supervisors and department heads, often perform the role of shift planner. Shift planners schedule working hours, shifts, or known absences for the employees assigned to them. They manage employee qualifications, working time preferences, legal regulations, company policies, and cost aspects during planning. The Shift Planner (SAP_WP_SHIFT-PLANNER) composite role contains the Shift Planner (SAP_HR_PT_SHIFT PLANNER) single role.
- Time Supervisor:
- This person is responsible for planning and managing employee time and labor. Time supervisors delegate certain Time Management tasks to employees in their departments (such as time administrators). The Time Supervisor role is performed by senior employees in individual departments in an enterprise, such as managers, department heads, or foremen. The Manager Generic (SAP_WP_MANAGER) composite role contains the Time Supervisor (SAP_HR_PT_TIME-SUPERVISOR) single role.
- Time Administrator:
- This person is responsible for correctly recording and maintaining the time data of employees assigned to them, in addition to other job tasks. The tasks include checking employee availability, entering changes in working times, absences, attendances, and bonuses, including information required for posting or payment. The Time Administrator (SAP_WP_TIME-ADMINISTRATOR) composite role contains the Time Administrator (SAP_HR_PT_TIME-ADMINISTRATOR) single role.
The roles of time supervisor and time administrator can be performed by the same person.
Employees can use the Internet or the intranet to enter or display their own time data. This relieves the corporate HR department and departmental time administrators of these tasks.