Preface

15

Book Goals

15

Target Audience

15

How This Book is Structured

16

1 Project Builder Basics

19

1.1 Symbols

20

1.2 Primary Screen

21

1.3 User-Specific Options

22

1.3.1 General Options

24

1.3.2 Template Options

24

1.3.3 Processable Objects Options

25

1.4 Working Areas

25

1.5 Navigation Methods

27

1.5.1 Dropdown Menus

28

1.5.2 Graphics Icons

29

1.5.3 Right-Click Context Menus and Function Keys

33

1.6 Summary

36

2 Creating Projects and WBS Elements

37

2.1 Creating a Project from Scratch

37

2.2 Creating a Project by Copy

40

2.2.1 Alternative 1: Automatic

44

2.2.2 Alternative 2: Manual

45

2.3 Adding WBS in Overview

47

2.3.1 Using Auto-Inherit WBS Numbers

48

2.3.2 Inserting a WBS

48

2.3.3 Copying a WBS from Excel

50

2.4 Maintaining Objects in Overview

51

2.4.1 Network Header Overview

52

2.4.2 Activity Overview

52

2.4.3 Milestones Overview

54

2.4.4 PS Text Overview

54

2.4.5 Documents Overview

55

2.5 Maintaining a WBS in Hierarchy Graphic View

56

2.5.1 Zooming In and Out

56

2.5.2 Selecting/Deselecting

57

2.5.3 Displaying a Legend

57

2.5.4 Expanding/Collapsing a Hierarchy

58

2.5.5 Creating a New WBS

58

2.5.6 Copying a WBS

61

2.5.7 Revealing WBS Details

62

2.5.8 Deleting a WBS

63

2.5.9 Connecting WBS Elements

64

2.5.10 Changing the Size of Displayed WBS Elements

65

2.5.11 Cutting a WBS

65

2.5.12 Including a WBS

65

2.6 Adding a WBS in Structure Overview

68

2.6.1 Dragging and Dropping to Add a WBS

69

2.6.2 Marking and Clicking a WBS

69

2.7 Adding Objects to a WBS

70

2.7.1 Adding Milestones to a WBS

71

2.7.2 Adding PS Text

73

2.7.3 Adding Documents

75

2.8 Changing the WBS Level

78

2.8.1 In the Structure View

78

2.8.2 With the Right-Click Context Menu

79

2.8.3 In the Project Planning Board

80

2.8.4 In the Hierarchy Graphic View

80

2.9 Maintain Project Definition Fields

82

2.9.1 Control Data

83

2.9.2 Basic Data

89

2.9.3 Administration

94

2.9.4 Long Text

95

2.10 Maintaining WBS Fields

95

2.10.1 Basic Data

96

2.10.2 Dates

98

2.10.3 Assignments

100

2.10.4 Control

102

2.10.5 User Fields

105

2.10.6 Administration

106

2.10.7 Superior

107

2.10.8 Progress

107

2.10.9 Partner

110

2.11 Summary

110

3 Creating and Maintaining Networks

111

3.1 Network Header

111

3.1.1 Adding a Network Header in the Structure View

112

3.1.2 Adding an Activity in Structure View

114

3.1.3 Maintaining Network Header Fields

118

3.2 Network Activities

129

3.2.1 Maintaining Network Activity Fields

130

3.2.2 External Activity

142

3.2.3 General Cost Activity

144

3.2.4 Service Activity—External (for Service)

147

3.2.5 Maintaining Activity Elements

148

3.3 Network Relationships in the Overview

150

3.3.1 Network Relationships in the PERT Chart

151

3.3.2 Network Relationships in the Overview

155

3.4 Summary

159

4 Communication via Attachments and Additional Notes

161

4.1 Accessing the Services for Object Menu

161

4.2 Creating Attachments

163

4.3 Creating Notes

163

4.4 Creating URL References

164

4.5 Attachment List

165

4.6 Private Note

167

4.7 Send Object with Note

168

4.8 Summary

172

5 Preparing Cost Plans with Easy Cost Planning

173

5.1 Planning Costs with Easy Cost Planning

174

5.1.1 Easy Cost Planning

174

5.1.2 Navigational Icons

176

5.1.3 The Item View (Manual Planning)

178

5.1.4 Maintenance Icons

179

5.1.5 Creating an Item in the Item View

181

5.1.6 The Planning Form View (Automatic Planning)

185

5.2 Execution Services with Easy Cost Planning

187

5.3 Summary

188

6 Sales Pricing

189

6.1 Sales Pricing Prerequisites

189

6.2 Generating Sales Documents

192

6.2.1 Maintaining the Billing Plan

195

6.2.2 Create Quotation

198

6.3 Using DIP Profiles in Sales Pricing

199

6.4 Summary

202

7 Using Specialized Functions

203

7.1 Mass Change

203

7.1.1 Initiating a Mass Change

204

7.1.2 Executing a Mass Change

207

7.2 Simulations

208

7.2.1 Creating a Simulation Project

210

7.2.2 Maintaining a Simulated Project

214

7.2.3 Converting a Simulation to an Operative Project

217

7.2.4 Display Transfer Log

218

7.2.5 Reporting Differences

219

7.3 Validations and Substitutions

221

7.3.1 Manually Executing a Rule

222

7.3.2 Manually Setting a Rule

222

7.4 Settlements

224

7.4.1 Settlement Rules

225

7.4.2 Settlement Parameters

227

7.5 Summary

228

8 Using the Project Planning Board

229

8.1 Project Planning Board Icons

230

8.2 Project Planning Board Features

233

8.2.1 Filtering

234

8.2.2 Grouping

236

8.2.3 Sorting

237

8.2.4 Highlighting Objects

237

8.2.5 Switch Connect Mode On/Off

240

8.2.6 Scheduling Comparisons

240

8.2.7 Zoom In on Graphic

241

8.2.8 Adapting Graphic Area and Timescale

241

8.2.9 Sets of Dates

242

8.2.10 Legend

243

8.2.11 Field Selections

244

8.2.12 Logs and Lists

246

8.2.13 Undo User Settings

246

8.3 Project Planning Board Assistant Using the Gantt Chart

247

8.3.1 Table Area

249

8.3.2 Date Display

249

8.3.3 Misc. in Diagram Area

250

8.3.4 Relationship

251

8.3.5 Capacity Overview

252

8.3.6 Component Overview

255

8.3.7 Costs/Revenues Overview

256

8.3.8 Maintenance Orders Overview

258

8.4 Timescale Assistant

259

8.4.1 Evaluation Lead Time

261

8.4.2 Timescales 01, 02, 03

261

8.5 Project Planning Board Options

262

8.5.1 Scheduling

263

8.5.2 Project Planning Board

263

8.5.3 Application

272

8.5.4 Template

275

8.6 Summary

276

9 Configuring Project Builder

277

9.1 Transaction Cross-Reference via Help

278

9.1.1 Drilling Down to the Source Table

279

9.1.2 Drilling Down to Customizing

280

9.2 Tabs

284

9.2.1 Creating a New Customizable Tab

284

9.2.2 Disabling a Customizable Tab

288

9.2.3 Permanently Removing a Customized Tab

289

9.3 User-Defined Fields

290

9.4 Field Selections (Unwanted Fields)

294

9.4.1 Field Selections without Influence

296

9.4.2 Field Selections with Influence

296

9.4.3 Field Selections with Conditional Influence

298

9.5 Validations

300

9.5.1 Creating a Validation

300

9.5.2 Message Variables

309

9.6 Summary

310

10 Troubleshooting Project Builder

311

10.1 Missing and Dependent Information

312

10.1.1 WBS Operative Indicators

312

10.1.2 Organizational Data

313

10.2 Authorization and Access Issues

314

10.3 Performance Issues

317

10.4 Posting Issues

318

10.5 Conclusion

320

Appendices

321

A Additional Project Management Tools

321

A.1 SAP Commercial Project Management

323

A.2 Open PS

324

A.3 InEight

325

A.4 Noveco ePM

326

A.5 SAP Project Portfolio Management

331

A.6 Summary

333

B The Author

335