Outlining Projects with WBS and Networks

James is a project planner at Hybrid Machinery. Linda works there as a controller. They are discussing some more about the project structure James has created for the logistics project, and the combination of networks, activities, and WBS elements.

The basic elements that make up a network include activities and relationships that describe the tasks and temporal dependencies between the various tasks in a project. You can create and maintain activities in the Project Builder and the Project Planning Board. You may assign an activity to a WBS element so that you can aggregate both planned and actual data at the WBS element level.

SAP PS supports the following activity categories:

• Internal processing: for capacities to be staged in your own company

• External processing: for tasks to be assigned externally

• Service: for procuring external services

• Costs: for planning additional primary costs

A network always includes a network header that contains the control data and default values for the entire network. By assigning milestones to activities, you can document events that are particularly important for the progress of the project. For example, you can reference their respective dates in billing or invoicing plans.

Networks map the flow of a project. The focus is on describing, planning, controlling, and analyzing costs; scheduled dates; resources; and material requirements. Activities are linked to each other by means of relationships. This results in a causal and temporal activity sequence.

Planned dates, costs, resources, and material requirements are related to each other. They can influence each other in the following ways:

• Planned dates have an impact on planned costs.

• Planned resources may influence planned dates.

• Planned material requirements change planned costs.

During the project execution phase, commitments and actual costs are posted to network activities. Various business transactions, such as confirmations, goods issues, and incoming invoices are account assigned to activities.