Project planning

[Former Member]

Hi,

Since Project management is all about planning and execution, most of you might have experienced these issue and may be already knew the solution to address this.

1. When we want to do project planning by using phase and task structure, we really don't want to define the predecessor for phase. We just want to maintain dependency within tasks to schedule project and phase start and end date should get determined accordingly. System is not allowing to remove predecessor from phases and due to this even if I want to start task of two different phases at same time, schedule shows start of 2nd task only after completion of 1st phase.

2. If I drag the 2nd phase to start at the same time when 1st phase has started or when I want to start as per task dependency, system shows constrained date on 2nd phase and project shows negative float (critical) of duration same as phase overlap. I know the requirement is not as per the standard stage gate philosophy but this is what requirement is.

3. Being phase approval in place, we would like to release the 2nd phase and initiate approval process even if 1st phase approval in not yet completed.

In Resource planning

4. Whenever we are changing any hours on task, we need to go and manually update those hours in task assignment to reflect correct demand for role. In our business scenario we are creating projects from templates and hours are maintained for tasks in standard. Almost 60% of task hours are getting changed in operational project and therefore we need change demand in task assignments manually which is very cumbersome process for user.

Please provide your valuable suggestions and opinion.

Regards,

Pramod

[schneidertho · Accepted solution]

Hi Pramod,

1) see note 1150146

2/3) not sure, if there is any solution. Especially for 3) I doubt that there is.

4) We have evaluated this roughly one year ago for a customer. Our solution was to automatically update the role demand by means of Z-coding / a subsystem.As long as each task is assigned to only one role that should be fairly easy. It will get a bit more difficult, if it can have multiple assignments. I am not sure, if something has been improved. I recall that there have been some discussions around this topic, but I left PPM consulting shortly after.

Best regards

Thorsten

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Thorsten,

Thanks for the reply

1&2) For phase overlap, we have implemented BADI DPR_SCHEDULING, wherein schedule gets driven from task dependency.

3&4) I am still evaluating and hopefully we will get some standard work around.

Keep sharing infrmation.

Thanks again

Pramod

[Former Member]

Hi Pramod,

For the automatic update of role capacity, please create an implementation of BADI DPR_ROLES.

See SAP Notes 1709126 & 1746607.

Regards,
Matthias

[Former Member]

Hi Matthias,

Thanks for information, its really helpful

4) The mentioned notes provide information about automating automatic update of role-task assignment data to role demand. We are actually looking for automatic update of task values to role, since almost in every case tasks are 100% assigned to one role. However the information is really useful and it will help us to get required functionality.

Please let me know if you have any clue about point no 3 about phase approval.

Keep sharing information.

Thanks again.

Pramod

[mariano_sabiche]

Hi Pramod;

Did you find a solution for (1) & (2) points?

I have the same issue and I only get Scheduling solution --> http://scn.sap.com/thread/3282028

Best regards,

Mariano

[Former Member]

Hi Mariano,

We were able to meet the scheduling requirement based on the details mentioned in thread mentioned in your above post. When you says that you got only scheduling solution, what other issue you still have?? Setting up strict bottom up as scheduling type solves the issue of constrained dates and negative float.

Please provide some more details for better understanding

Pramod

[mariano_sabiche]

Hello Pramod;

Sorry that I didn't mention.

Our requirement have the integration of cProject with MS Project Export/Import function, so the scheduling it's only one part of the solution. When you import a MS Project file to Project Management you can't import because a Task has assigned a Phase.
I have to test the scheduling with this condition to know if still persist the error.

Regards,

Mariano

[Former Member]

Hi Mariano,

I believe, BADI to implement strict bottom up scheduling will compliment project import from MS project. In one of the project we already implemented MSP import and export. Since in MSP we plan project based on task dependency, there should not me any issue after import of same project.

Regards,

Pramod