Columns Tab Page 

Use

The settings on this tab page allow you to display and valuate columns in the appraisal document.

You can use the columns you select in the appraisal template for all elements. Columns selected at criteria group level are primarily for structuring the appraisal template. At the level of individual criteria, you can use columns to specify how elements are to be displayed in the appraisal document and how they can be valuated.

When you edit the tab page, you make the following settings:

·         Specify which columns exist in the appraisal template.
By selecting columns in the appraisal template you can define the business properties of the appraisal process, such as whether a part appraisal is to be possible or whether a final appraisal is to be performed.
Only columns selected at category level are available for selection in the appraisal template. You can add any further columns you require at category level at a later time.

·         Select certain attributes such as value lists for each column.
The attributes you select enable you to specify the properties of the elements that are to be valuated in the appraisal document (see under Multiple Columns Pushbutton).

·         If you use Business Server Pages, specify particular layout settings (see Web Settings).

·         Specify whether further elements can be added or deleted dynamically in the appraisal document (see Dynamic Settings).

Columns are arranged in the appraisal template according to the sequence displayed on the tab page.
You can change this sequence on the tab page by placing the cursor in the column you want to move and changing the position of the row using the up or down arrows. Note that when you sort columns you must observe particular rules. For more information about sorting columns, click on the information button between the up and down arrows on the tab page.

Also note that when you use columns this influences the various statuses available for selection on the Status Flow tab page.

Structure

·         Final Appraisal group box
This group box is offered for editing as default in the SAP standard system. As default, only the Final Appraisal column is made available in the appraisal template. When you fill the attributes in the group box, you can depict an appraisal template for a simple appraisal process, that is without setting objectives or having several appraisers perform the appraisal.

·         Multiple Columns Pushbutton
If you want to depict an appraisal process that contains objective setting agreements or part appraisals, select the Multiple Columns pushbutton. This enables you to select all columns organized under columns groups, similarly to objective setting columns and appraisal columns.
Select the columns you need to depict the appraisal process in the appraisal template. For each column, specify the properties that are to be valid for elements in the appraisal template:

¡        Value list
In this field, specify the type of value list that is to be used in a column for an appraisal element (such as quality value list, quantity value list).
A value class is always assigned to a value list as default. The value class determines the properties of the value list more closely (such as date specifications for the value list Date Specifications).

¡        Value determination
Value determination allows you to define how a value for a particular field is determined, for example:
- Read score from the performance matrix
- Read sales figures from the Sales department, if programmed by customer
- Use weightings (average, sum, and so on)

¡        Value entry
In this field you specify whether an entry in a cell of the appraisal document is optional or mandatory, or not allowed.

¡        Note
Use the input help in this field to specify whether a note can be created in the column and which properties the note is to have.
You can select one of the following entries
- No Note
- Note Can No Longer Be Changed: Every participant can read the notes written by other part appraisers. A field is displayed that enables the participant to enter a note of his or her own.
- Display Note: An objective is added from the Balanced Scorecard, for example. Consequently, a note that has been added cannot be changed and it is shown in display mode.
- Required Entry
If a note is to be entered because the appraiser has given an objective the lowest valuation, you can use this option to ensure that the appraiser has to enter a note.
Consequently, the appraiser must enter a reason in the note field to explain the why the valuation is so low.
- Note, Draft Allowed
This setting enables the processor of the appraisal document to enter a draft note for every element. Draft notes can only be seen by the processor until he or she releases them.
Before the status of the appraisal document is changed, the user is asked in a system dialog whether he or she wants to release or delete any draft notes.
Such notes can only be seen by other participants after the processor has released them.

¡        Required Entry, Draft Allowed
This setting also permits the processor to enter draft notes and later release them so that other participants can see them. However, this setting dictates that the processor must enter a note before the status of the document can be changed.

·         Free Entry checkbox

If you use objective setting columns, the Free Entry checkbox is ready for input at criteria-group and criteria level. This indicator enables you to define that objectives can be freely formulated as part of the objective setting process.

The tab page also contains the following group boxes in which you can specify additional properties:

·         Web Settings group box

¡        In the Text Layout field, you can specify whether only the name is to be displayed or whether the description of an element is also to be displayed.

¡        In the Layout for Values field, you can specify whether values in a value list are displayed as a dropdown menu or using radio buttons.

¡        In the Lines Reserved for Note field, you can enter how many rows of text are to be displayed in the Web display. You can use the scroll bars to display any text that is not visible initially.

·         Dynamic Settings group box
In this group box, you can make settings to ensure that certain values can be imported dynamically into the appraisal document or with which you can delete elements from the appraisal document.

¡        Fixed Enhancement field
If you select fixed enhancements in the appraisal template, you can add them to the appraisal document directly as a criterion in a criteria group, for example, the requirements from the employee's job description.
If you select a fixed enhancement from input help, you must also select an existing reference object or create a new reference object. The reference object is added to the Refers to Attributes of field and the system copies the properties of the reference object to the job requirement you have added.
Note that you can only specify fixed enhancements at criteria group level. That is, you cannot specify them at the level of individual criteria.

¡        Free Enhancement field
Free enhancements allow you to specify whether additional user-defined objectives or qualifications can be added to the appraisal document.
If you select a free enhancement, you must also create a reference object (see above, Fixed Enhancement).

¡        Refers to Attributes of field
When you select a fixed or free enhancement, the reference object is entered in this field. By double-clicking on the reference object, you can edit the attributes of the enhancement.

¡        Deletion of an Element field
This setting allows you to specify that a criteria group or criterion can be deleted in a particular phase of the appraisal process. You determine the particular phase by selecting the appropriate value from input help.

·       

·        Note that all enhancements you want to use in the appraisal template must be selected in the appraisal catalog at category level.

·        If you have selected a free or fixed enhancement from input help, an information button is shown automatically next to the field on the tab page. You can use this information button to display more detailed information about the relevant enhancement. Also see the enhancement documentation on the Criteria Group tab page.

·        You must set a link for each fixed or free enhancement so that the enhancement can be accessed from the appraisal document. See the documentation on the Tab Page Layout under Relationship.

Example

For an objective setting agreement, you want to specify that a sales target and various competencies (such as team work) are to be assessed in the appraisal template. The employee is to achieve minimum sales of 2 million and his or her team skills are to fulfill level 3.
Choose which columns are to be used for the Sales Target and Team Work criteria and specify which properties these criteria are to have:

·         For the Sales criterion, select the Objective Setting, Target; and Final Appraisal columns. Since a sales target can either be achieved or not, and does not need to be valuated by an employee, you do not need to use the part appraisal column for this criterion.
The criterion is visible in the Part Appraisal column but the manager or employee cannot valuate it. The criterion can be valuated (-> sales target achieved/not achieved) in the Final Appraisal column.

·         For the Team Work criterion, select the Objective Setting, Target; Part Appraisal, and Final Appraisal columns. To allow notes to be created, select the Note entry in the Note column.
The criterion will be offered for valuation in the Part Appraisal and Final Appraisal columns and can be valuated by the employee and the manager. A note can be added in the Final Appraisal field.

The criteria are displayed in the appraisal template as follows:

Objective Setting Column	Target	Part Appraisal Employee	Part Appraisal Manager	Final Appraisal
Sales	2 Million	--	--	Final valuation
Team Work	Level 3	Valuation (by employee)	Valuation (by manager)	Final valuation

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