Setting up and Managing a Goal Plan Template

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to set up and manage a goal plan template

Goal Plan Template Set Up

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 for common goal plan template changes, but more advanced configurations must be made in the XML. 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

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 from Manage Templates

The following configurations are available in Manage Templates:

  • Basic general settings - for example, adding instructions to your users or setting the default start and end dates.

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

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

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.
The General Settings area on the 2023 Goal Plan tab in Manage Template is displayed.

General Settings

The foundational pieces of the goal plan template are defined in General Settings, where the following configurations can be performed:

  • Editing the name of the template in the user interface
  • Updating language options
  • Adding specific user instructions
  • Selecting default start dates and end dates for the goal plan

Edit Categories

If the customer wants to have goals divided up into categories, those categories are created, edited, or deleted in this area. In Edit Categories the following configurations are made:

  • Changing the names of the categories
  • Changing the default language if language packs are enabled
  • Adding a new category
  • Deleting a category
  • Reordering the categories (except for the default category — that has to be the last one)

Edit Fields

Under the Categories section, there is the Fields section. Within this section, the following configurations are made:

  • Adding, editing, or deleting fields

  • Marking fields as required.

  • Showing fields in People Profile block

  • Personalizing elements of the field (For example, customizing the dropdown menu associated with the status field or changing the column fields for table fields.)

  • Reordering the fields

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