Scheduling/Capacity Planning in Project System

Sam Stinnett Cell 404.229.8004Sam_Stinnett@msn.com

Session Code: 3801

Scheduling: Most important item within Project Systems

Dates: System calculates Early (Early Start, Early Finish) & Late (Late Start, Late Finish) dates which determines critical path and float.

Capacities: System calculates resource requirements planned on the network schedule.

Costs: System distributes costs planned on the network based on the network schedule.

Materials: System calculates material requirements dates from the network schedule.

Best Transaction for Project Scheduling (CJ2B) Project Planning Board

SAP AG 1999

Dates Involved in Projects

WBS elements

Network header

Network activity

Activity element

Basic datesForecast datesScheduled datesActual dates

Basic datesScheduled datesActual dates

Constraints (basic dates)Earliest (scheduled) datesLatest (scheduled) datesActual dates

Earliest (scheduled) datesLatest (scheduled) datesActual dates

Project definition Basic dates

Early & Late DatesEarly dates (early start and early finish) are calculated by a forward pass using a specified start date. Late dates (late start and late finish) are calculated by a backward pass using a specified finish date. Both early and late dates are always calculated but the scheduling type determines the direction of the first pass and therefore the type of scheduling calculation.

Early Start Early Finish

Late Start Late Finish

ES EFActivity

LS LF

With the Scheduling Type in the Network Header you determine if the Network is first scheduled FORWARDS or BACKWARDS

Factors influencing Network Scheduling

• Work Centers (Operating Time, Calendars, Formulas)• Duration of the Network Activity• Relationships (time intervals of relationships, calendars, type

SF, SS, FS, FF)• Constraints• Factory Calendar• Control Key has to allow Scheduling

SAP AG 1999

Scheduling Scenarios

Scheduling

Scheduling Scenario

Planning method WBS

Sched. parameters for activities

Basic date Forecst. date

WBS sched. profile

Top-down scenario

Sched. type

Scheduling form.

Max.red.level

Reduction type

Start in the past

Mat. latest

Adjust basic dates

Shift order

Auto. log

Autom. schedul.

Top-Down Top-Down

Forwards

WBS determines dates

Do not reduce

All activities of the order

Scheduling

Scheduling Scenario

Planning method WBS

Sched. parameters for activities

Basic date ForecstDate

Start in the past

Bottom-up scenario

Forwards

Network determines dates

Do not reduce

All activities of the order

Bottom-up Bottom-up

Mat. latest

Adjust basic dates

Shift order

Auto. log

Autom. schedul.

WBS sched. profile

Sched. type

Scheduling form.

Max.red.level

Reduction type

2 predefined scenariosor

freely-definable scheduling

Scheduling ExampleProject Copied from another Operative Project with

Relationships, Durations, etc.

Schedule Bottom Up

WBS Dates

Bottom Up Scheduling rolls the dates from the Network Activities up to through the Project Hierarchy. Now you can adjust your WBS Dates appropriately and then switch back to Top Down Scheduling

Factory Calendar:

Forward Scheduling -Basic Start Date: 9/24/02

Forward Pass:Forward Pass calculates the Early Dates (early start, early finish)

Start date is 9/24/02

calendar = 5 day calendar (5 work days a week)

Begin with the first activity in the sequence and work forward using the ES and EF positions of each task. The first activity starts on 9/24 so this is the ES date. EF = ES + Duration. The duration for activity ‘Select Blueprint’ is 5 days so the EF date is 9/30. The earliest activity ‘Obtain Permits’ can start is 10/1 so this is the ES date. When the top and bottom paths converge on activity ‘Approval’ use the latest EF.

 

Scheduling Requirements:

To calculate the schedule:• Activities • Relationships: FS, SS, SF, FF• Duration (D = days)• Basic Start or Finish date / Calendar

10/31 Obtain Permits

(5D)

Hire Contractors

(5D)

Safety Training

(2D)

Approval

(5D)

Site Prep (2D)

10/24 10/30 Select Blueprint (5D)

FS

Start: 9/24/02

Backward Pass: 

Backward pass calculates the late dates (late start, late finish)

The finish date for this network activity is 11/19.

Begin with the last activity in the sequence (Approval) and work backwards using the LF and LS positions of each task. The last activity ends on 10/24 so this is the LF date. LS = LF- Duration. The duration for activity ‘Approval’ is 5 days so the LS date is 10/18. The latest activity ‘Contractor Safety Training’ and ‘site’ can finish is 10/17 so this is the LF date. When the top and bottom paths converge on activity ‘Obtain Permits’ use the earliest LS.

Results: Early & Late Dates

Adjust Dates

If the ADJUST DATES indicator is activated, then the subsequent backwards scheduling (if the Network Header is set to Forward Scheduling) is executed from the scheduled finish date of the for forward scheduling. If the indicator is not set, then forward and backward scheduling is executed from the entered basic dates. If no date is entered then the respective scheduling is executed from the scheduled date.

Scheduling Constraints

Calculate Float:

Check it: LS-ES = LF-EF 

Free Float: The amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the early start of next activity.  

Total Float: The amount of time an activity can be delayed before it impacts the overall project schedule is called Total Float.  

Critical Path Scheduling

•Scheduling analyzes the sequence of activities and their duration to determine the overall project duration.

•Typically a project has more than one path or sequence of activities therefore scheduling also defines which path has the least amount of flexibility (float).

•The path with the least float is called the critical path. Activities on paths other than the critical path inevitably have scheduling flexibility.

Check Dates of the Activities for a WBS Element (Top Down Scheduling)

Created a Lag between Hire Contractor and Safety Meeting of 10 Days

Check Dates of the Activities for a WBS Element

Date Variance within the PPB pop up because the network activities are outside of the WBS dates

Shutdown Project Year 2000

Heat Recovery UtilitiesFuels Onsite

Heating Boiler Powerformer

Networks & Activities

Exchanger Flue tube

Change Tube bundle

Date 09/15/00-09/16/00

Work center: Mech

Cost center: 203

Material: 50000

Work orders Operation1 Operation2 Operation3

Bundle

Vaporizer

Component 1

WBS Elements

Project Definition

PM

PS

PS/PM Integration for Scheduling

Project Baselines

•Simulation Version

•Project Version

•Forecast Dates in the Planning Board

Project Version ‘Baseline’

Once the project is Released this Project Version ‘Baseline’ is automatically created and can be evaluated in the Information System

Project Version Evaluation in the PS Info System

Project Version in CNS41

Different Views of the Comparison of Operative Data with Project Version data

Confirmation to update the Activity Actual Dates

Baseline vs. Current Data

Notice that the Baseline Version doesn’t have any actual start or finish dates

Gantt Chart with Basic and Actual Date Comparison

Project Version Highlighting

Schedule Differencesbetween the Current Data and the Baseline

Section of the Project that has Slipped

Bring in the Early State Dates. Then switch the view:View > version comparison > reset. This will put the Current Structure on the Top of the screen and the Baseline at the bottom of the screen.

Select the early start dates column and then do the following:

Edit> Comparisons > Project Versions

> Select current data and this displayed to the right will show up.

Distribution Costs/Capacity based on the Schedule

Quantity distribution (capacity) Cost distribution Price

[h]

1 2 3 4

Period

[$]

1 2 3 4

Period

Valuation Variant Customizing:

• “Pricing by period” indicator

Distribution Keys:

• Used to distribute capacity requirements and costs

• Maintained in work center or activity

Network Valuation Variant

TimeTime

CostsCosts

Invoicing Plans

Invoicing PlanDate Descrptn F(*) Value 100999 Contract 4 50000

200999 Delivery 1 70000

101199 Transfer 1 40000Invoicing PlanDate Descrptn F(*) Value

200699 Final invoice 3 80000

(*) Date category: 4 = Down payment (not cost relevant)

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12

Invoicing PlanDate Descrptn F(*) Value

070198 Down paymt 4 20000200399 Final invoice 3 70000

ProcurementProcurement

Material (N)Material (N)

100 HService100 HService

$70000Transportation$70000Transportation

TransportationTransportation

ProcurementProcurement

ServiceService

Projects Scheduled in 2002including Simulated Projects

Same Data with different Time Scale (Years/Quarters) instead of Months

SAP Scheduling OSS Note

OSS Note #151551Things to watch out for when Scheduling

Project Statistics

Activities Started AHEAD of Schedule

Planned and Actual Dates on the Gantt Chart

Project Progressing

Task Level details of scheduled and actual dates

•Work Center ‘WC_MECH’ •Plant CHAR

Capacity Planning

Requirements of Capacity Planning

• Network Header: Capacity Requirements• Network Activity Control Key for Capacity Requirements

Capacity Evaluation per Person

Drilldown into Week 14

Capacity Evaluation per Person (Graphics)

Capacity Evaluation Per Day/Week/Month

Capacity Evaluation by Project

This report selects all Work Centers planned on a Project and brings them into the Capacity Evaluation Report

Work Center Hierarchy

Capacity Evaluation of Information Services

Drilldown of April

Utilizing the Work Center Hierarchy to pull all subordinate work centers into the report and accumulate their capacity and requirements

Capacity Evaluation of Materials Mgmt & Plant Maint. Team

Drilldown of April

Examples:• Multiple Work Center Selection on the First Screen• See Work Center Hierarchy Requirements in conjunction

with Simulation Capacity Versions

Capacity Planning Reports Customizable

Detailed Capacity List

Selected fields based on configuration

Transaction CM32

Capacity Leveling

Highlight the Object that you want to dispatch and then hit the Dispatch icon

In configuration we set up Capacity Leveling so that it asks the user if they want to utilize the Early or Late Dates

Notice that the object moves from the lower panel to the upper dispatched area and specifically to the ENG Work Center on the early dates for this activity (June 1st)

Save the Capacity Leveling information

Notice that the Dispatched Activity now has the system status ‘DSPT’

Notice that the Dispatched Activity doesn’t allow constraints to be set anymore and that the floats are now 0. Also, note that the dates show that the activity has been dispatched with a Start Date of 6/1 and a finish date of 6/12.

Dispatched Activities

OpenPS Presentation

Mapping of MSP & SAP

SAP Project Objects:

Project Definition Work Breakdown Structure

Network Header Network Activities Work Centers are assigned to

Network Activities to perform work

Microsoft Project Objects

Project Information/Properties

Summary Tasks

Tasks

Uses of Open PS for Microsoft Project

• Bi-directional interface between SAP and MS Project• Share files with Customers• Reporting• Offline Project creation and updating• Used for Structuring and Scheduling your Project. • Developed and Supported by SAP

• Open PS Help Files are included with the Installation• Open PS MSP View is included with the Installation

Documentation

Help Topics

MS Project Settings

Initial Settings for Open PS

Mapping Microsoft Project Objects to the R/3 Project System

• PS requires unique Project Definition and WBS element numbers• WBS elements as such do not exist in Microsoft Project. Open PS

maps summary tasks to WBS elements in PS. The first task in your project must be a summary task. Otherwise it cannot be transferred to R/3 PS.

• Tasks in Microsoft Project are the equivalent of activities in the Project System. Since an activity number in PS can have up to four characters, you can only use this number of characters in Microsoft Project.

• Resources and Work Centers (Text20 and Text21 for the plant and the work center)

• Milestones (WBS Milestones and Network Activity Milestones)• Relationships

MS Project 2000

SAP Project Builder

Tips•If you want to create WBS’s without Network Activities beneath them, you can put WBS in the Text 16 field and the interface will create it as a WBS element.

•MS Project WBS code goes to the SAP PS Short ID Code

•The Project cannot be OPEN in SAP if you want to transfer from MS Project to SAP

Mapping R/3 Project SystemObjects to Microsoft Project

• Project Definition does not appear in the Gantt chart or on any other MS Project screen. The Project Information or the Properties are the closest items to the Project Definition

• WBS’s are mapped as summary tasks in Microsoft Project. If a WBS element does not have any subordinate objects, for example activities or subordinate WBS elements, it becomes a task in Microsoft Project. Open PS enters the object type in the Text16

• No Network Header

• Plant & Work Center (Work center Assembly in plant 1000 would become resource 1000/Assembly in Microsoft Project)

• Work

• Activity Elements (Microsoft Project itself does not have any objects that are hierarchically subordinate to tasks)

P3 to SAP Interface

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Session Code: 3801