SAP Learning Journey

Setting up and Managing a Goal Plan Template

Objectives
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

  • Set up and manage a goal plan template

Set up the Goal Plan Template

Configure the goal plan template with:

  • Manage Templates within an instance
  • XML template using an XML editor of your choice.

To start the configuration process, add a goal plan template from the SuccessStore or use the existing backup template provided in the Instance.

Note

Goal Plan templates can be partially modified through Manage Templates or within the XML. Any changes in the XML template will require importing the template in Provisioning, using the option Import/Update/Export Goal Plan Template.

Each goal plan has a unique ID that uniquely identifies the plan within the application. The Goal Plan ID can be found in Provisioning or via Reporting.

Watch this video to learn how to set up the Goal Plan Template in the Instance.

Watch this video to learn how to set up the Goal Plan Template in Provisioning.

Update the Goal Plan Template

The Manage Templates area allows common goal plan template changes, but more advanced configurations must be made in the XML. You can start from Manage Templates and complete the configuration in XML (recommended) or complete all the configuration changes directly in XML.

Navigate to Goal Plan from Manage Templates.

  1. Log in to SAP SuccessFactors instance.
  2. Navigate to Manage Templates using Action Search, and select the Goal Plan tab.
  3. Click on your goal plan to open it and make changes.

Navigate to Goal Plan from Provisioning.

  1. Log in to Provisioning and click on your Company Name.
  2. Navigate to Managing Plan Template section and select the Import/Update/Export Goal Plan Template option.
  3. Locate your goal plan from the Goal Plan Templates list, and select the Export option to download the XML file in your local folder.
  4. Open the XML file with an XML editor of your choice and make changes.
Note
It is important that you always work with the most recent version of the XML when configuring, so always download the most recent goal plan template once you make configuration changes in Manage Templates, and then open the goal plan template in your XML editor to continue working.

Version Control: It is a best practice to save the original template, download from Provisioning as an original, and then save each iteration of the goal plan template with a date or version number appended, for example:

  • Original file: Goal_Plan.xml
  • After initial configurations: Goal_Plan_v1.xml
  • After subsequent configurations: Goal_Plan_v2.xml

By practicing good version control, you eliminate a large volume of duplicated work should an error occur in a template version

Update the Goal Plan XML

Select the icons to learn more about the process of updating the Goal Plan in XML.

If you started making changes in Manage Templates, you can download afterwards the XML file from Provisioning → Managing Plan Template → Import/Update/Export Goal Plan Template and select the Export option, and continue working in the XML editor.

You may also need to download the goal plan template in some of these scenarios:

  • If you want to create a new Goal Plan template based on an existing one (you must change the Goal Plan ID).
  • If you want to store a backup copy of your Goal Plan template.

Goal Plan Template Configuration

The Manage Templates area allows common goal plan template changes. As an administrator, you can select the following in Manage Templates:

  • Basic general settings - for example, turn on or turn off the SMART goal wizard

  • The categories of goals the end user can choose from — for example, Financial, Learning and Growth, and Company

  • Which fields they can see — for example, start date, % complete, milestones, and status

Goal Plan Template Configuration

Learn more about Goal Plan Template configuration by selecting the icons below.

Note
Additionally, in the general area of Manage Templates, an administrator can do the following:
  • Add a new goal plan template from SuccessStore.
  • Set an existing goal plan template as default.
  • Set existing goal plan templates as Active/Inactive
  • Save As an existing goal plan template to create a new one based on the same configuration.

Explore the Goal Plan Template

Task 1: Explore the Goal Plan Template

Business Example

You are a consultant asked to configure a goal plan template for a customer. You will start configuring and identifying the elements and attributes, using the Extended Goal Plan template available in your instance, that was uploaded from the SuccessStore.

Learn how to start configuring a Goal Plan template and check the general settings, categories and fields sections from Manage Templates.

ExerciseStart Exercise

Steps

  1. Initiate the goal plan template configuration from Manage Templates to rename your Goal plan and explore (but not making any changes yet) the General Settings, Edit Categories and Edit Fields areas.

    1. Log in to the instance and navigate to Manage Templates using Action Search.

    2. Locate and open your Extended Goal Plan template.

    3. In the Name field, enter [Your initials] [Year] Goal Plan, and choose Save.

    4. Choose General Settings and explore this area.

    5. Choose Edit Categories and explore the nested categories.

    6. Choose Edit Fields and explore the nested fields.

  2. Export the goal plan XML template.

    1. In Provisioning, navigate to Import/Update/Export Objective Plan Template

      Depending on your settings this may be called Import/Update/Export Goal Plan Template.

    2. Locate the goal plan template, and select the Export icon on the right-hand side of the screen.

    3. A File Download dialogue box appears. Choose Save.

    4. A Save As dialogue box appears. Create a new folder on your desktop, and choose Save.

Task 2: Identify Goal Plan XML elements and attributes

Steps

  1. Refer to the Implementing and Managing Goal Management guide, available in the SAP Help Portal and the DTD file objective-template_4_0.dtd to identify the following elements and attributes of the XML data model:

    • The attribute used to define the maximum number of goals to display per page.
    • The attributes used to define the minimum and maximum number of goals per goal plan.
    • The attributes used to define the minimum and maximum weight per goal plan.
    • The element used to control different categories on a plan.
    • The element used to configure field definitions.
    • The element used to configure field permissions.
    • The element used to configure the plan layout.
    • The element that corresponds to the goal plan ID.
    • The elements that correspond to start and due dates.
    • The attribute that controls the name of a field seen by an end user on a goal plan.
    • All elements include start-and end-tags. What is the purpose of the following code? <category-name lang="de_DE">Finanzen</category-name>
    Note

    You will find the Implementing and Managing Goal Management guide by navigating to https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_SUCCESSFACTORS_PERFORMANCE_AND_GOALS and access the Implement tab.

    Some of the content in the SAP Help Portal might not be available unless you log in with your S-User ID. If you do not have an S-User ID, request one here: http://service.sap.com/request-user.

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