Exploring the Services Administration Menu

The basis of a services transaction is the Statement of Work, or SOW. SOWs are the documents that define the type of service a buyer requires, detailing such things as costs, deliverables, deadlines, and what types of workers might be needed to fulfill the service, among other details.

The basis of all SOWs is the SOW Template.

SOW Templates contain the default values and information that automatically populates when an SOW is created. When a user creates an SOW, the SOW Template they initially select automatically populates much of the information for them. This simplifies the process of creating SOWs and reduces the amount of time it takes for a Hiring Manager to submit a new service request.

The manner in which they are configured depends on an organization's services procurement workflows. For example, an organization can create separate templates for the type of service being requested, such as IT or accounting or constructions.

SOWs cannot be created SAP Fieldglass without first choosing an SOW template.

When a user creates an SOW, a template is selected and much of the information is defaulted.

At least one SOW template must be defined before an SOW can be created.

As with everything in SAP Fieldglass, transactions are made possible by the appropriate configuration of objects in the admin menu. SOW templates depend on a number of admin objects in order to capture the data required to make a distinct template. Most of the necessary admin objects that are to be used in an SOW template must be configured before the template can be created. The admin objects that typically make up an SOW template are depicted below.

Required Services Admin Objects

With two exceptions, all of the admin objects specific to SOWs are accessible from a dedicated section of the admin menu called Services. Of all the administrative objects listed in the admin menu, the following four culminate in and lay the foundation for an SOW. In fact, an SOW template cannot be created without them.

1	SOW Type	SOW Types are used to define the settings, rules, and characteristics for individual purchasing categories. Selecting an SOW type is required when making an SOW template. The SOW Type admin object is found in the Services section of the admin menu.
2	Classification	Selecting the classification determines which SOW Templates are presented for a project. Classifications are associated to one or more templates and/or supplier so the associated templates are available when the classification is selected during SOW creation. The Classification admin object is found in the Configuration section of the admin menu.
3	Rates	Rates define the amount a buyer will pay a supplier for a worker or service. Rates are built using most of the admin objects found in the Rates section of the admin menu. (If the organization's tenant is configured to use Rates 2.0, a Custom Lookup for rates would also be a required in order to create a job posting template.)
4	SOW Template	The SOW Template is the key item required for creating an SOW. It is the template that determines the default values and information that automatically populates when an SOW is created. When a user creates a SOW, a template is selected and much of the information is defaulted, simplifying the process of creating them. An SOW cannot be created without an SOW template to choose from. In order to create an appropriate SOW template, the SOW type, classification, and rates must first be configured. The SOW Template admin object is found in the Services section of the admin menu.

Optional Services Admin Objects

There are a number of optional admin objects that can be included on an SOW template to capture information that an organization may require. These admin objects can contain information including which legal language must be included on the SOW, any kind of fees, events, or worker roles that are required, and how the job posting will be routed for review.

5	Clause Library	Clauses are the legal terms for standard regulatory polices and other contractual conditions. The Clause Library allows admins to create and maintain a list of clauses, clause categories, and clause sections and their content for use within the SOW module.
6	Event Library	The Event Library allows admins to create and maintain a collection of commonly used events for use within the SOW module and SOW Bid module. Event characteristics can be included on a statement of work when there are items that require payments to be made when deliverables are completed.
7	Fee Library	The Fee Library allows admins to create and maintain a collection of commonly used fees for use within the SOW modules
8	Management Event Library	The Management Event Library allows admins to create and maintain a list of management events for use within the SOW module. Management Events are non-billable milestones such as kick-off meetings of mid-point reviews.
9	Question Library	The Question Library allows admins to create and maintain a collection of commonly used questions that can be added to SOW Bids.
10	SOW Review Workflow	The SOW Review Workflow option enables assigned users to make necessary changes to the fields and sections they're responsible for before sending the document to the supplier. Editing the statement of work during the review process is dependent on the user role permissions. When an SOW is associated to an SOW Review Workflow, the SOW always routes to the users defined in the workflow after the buyer has reviewed and submitted the SOW.
11	SOW Worker Role	Workers can be added to SOWs if necessary, and their roles must be defined using SOW Worker Roles. Administrators can create and maintain a list of commonly used SOW Worker Roles that can be added to statements of work. Every worker on an SOW is associated with a role. Roles are used for reporting purposes and help ensure the accurate rates for each are used.
12	Schedule Library	Characteristics define the specifics of a project, such as costs, timelines, and milestones. The Schedule Library allows admins to create and maintain a list of schedules for use within the SOW module and SOW Bid module to define payments to be made to the supplier on preset schedules.

We'll walk through how to create some of these admin objects in later lessons and then fit them together to make a robust SOW template.

Note: Rates and Approval groups are used across both Contingent procurement and Services procurement, so they will not be discussed at length in this course. If you require a review of those topics, please refer to the unit Working With Rates as well as the lesson Configuring Approval Groups in the course Exploring SAP Fieldglass Administration.

Statement of Work (SOW) templates in SAP Fieldglass are essential for defining service requirements such as costs, deliverables, deadlines, and worker types. SOW templates simplify the creation process by auto-populating information, and their configuration depends on the organization's procurement workflows.

Key Points:

• SOW Templates: Form the basis of all SOWs and automatically populate default values when creating a new SOW, simplifying the process.
• Required Admin Objects: SOW Type, Classification, Rates, and SOW Template must be configured before creating an SOW template.
• Optional Admin Objects: Include Clause Library, Event Library, Fee Library, and others, which can be added to SOW templates for additional functionality.
• Configuration Dependency: The creation and effectiveness of SOW templates depend on the proper configuration of various admin objects.
• Workflow Specificity: Organizations can create separate templates for different types of services like IT, accounting, or construction, tailored to their specific workflows.