Revisiting Rates 1.0 Structure

Fundamentally, there are typically five common variables that define worker rate data in SAP Fieldglass:

• Job Title – the role of the Worker.
• Supplier – the unique code of the Supplier company.
• Site – the unique code of the Site where the work is to be carried out.
• Rate Category – indicates the time measurement basis for the worker rate; standard, over time, double time.
• Unit of Measure (UOM) – indicates the unit measurement basis for the worker rate; hours, days, units.

These variables form each possible rate for a worker but are not an exhaustive list; there are other variables that can make up a rate. Within the industry, the collective rate data for a given organization is referred to as a ‘Rate Card.’

Rate Card is an industry term that ultimately describes the total rate data for an organization. When using Rates 1.0, a Rate Card is interpreted in the SAP Fieldglass application as Rate Groups and Rate Grids.

Rate Groups represent all possible rates for a given position, from a given supplier and/or site. They are used to create Rate Grids. A Rate Grid contains all rate data variations and operates as a matrix of sorts when associated to Job Posting Templates, automating the correct rate for a Job Posting.

Rate Grids

Rate Grids are configured using a ‘building block’ approach and comprise:

• Rate Category
• Rate
  • Rate Components (optional)
  • Rate Component Groups (optional)
• Rate Group
• Rate Grid

Within a typical program, a rate structure will contain these six elements. They must be configured via the SAP Fieldglass Admin menu in the building block order shown from the bottom up. Once the final Rate Grid is defined, it is ultimately associated to a Job Posting Template or SOW Worker Role for transactional use in procuring workers.

To fully understand the difference between Rates 1.0 and 2.0, it is important to explain the function of a Rate admin object as it operates in the existing Rates 1.0 structure.

With Rates 1.0, the Rate admin object itself combines two things: the rate code and the rate value.

1. The rate code is comprised of the five specific variables—Job Title, Supplier, Site, Rate Category, Unit of Measure (UOM)—that determine what rate applies to a given situation.
2. The rate value is the resulting amount for that combination of variables.

The variables that differentiate the rate and essentially make up the rate code are reflected in the naming convention of each rate admin object configured in the SAP Fieldglass application. However, the variables are not one-size-fits-all and could vary depending on the organizational needs and industry practice. Rate naming conventions are used to standardize the format in which an organization defines worker rates, whether manually or via data uploads.

For example, the rate for an Administrator role within WorkingNet, supplied by reCrewIT, based in Chicago, at a standard hourly rate of 95 could appear as:

The Rate Code itself is configured in the SAP Fieldglass application by detailing the Job Title or role, concatenated with the Supplier Code, the Site where the work is to be carried out, the Rate Category, and finally, the Unit of Measure. The Rate value itself is also defined in Rates 1.0 at the time each Rate admin object is created.

When you create a rate admin object in SAP Fieldglass using the Rates 1.0 version, you’re required to define how the final rate is to be calculated. In Rates 1.0 this is termed as the Rate Type, of which there are approximately 15 available depending on the complexity of the final rate calculation required. Examples of these as we previously covered in Unit 1 would include a Basic Rate Type or Factor, among many others.

Configuring rate data in this way, even when using data uploads, can be time-consuming during both initial set-up and ongoing maintenance. SAP Fieldglass has established a newer, more streamlined method for configuring and maintaining large amounts of rate data which we’ll introduce in Unit 2.