The summarization hierarchy is an analysis tool which you can use to summarize upwards through hierarchies you have defined. You use the summarization hierarchy to stipulate the fields used for the data summarization and which object types (examples: project, internal orders) are summarized.

You define a summarization hierarchy by entering key WBS element and their subordinate WBS elements. In this way, you assign characteristics and characteristic values to certain WBS elements. These values are "inherited" from the subordinated WBS elements.