To get a realistic idea of project dates and costs, you determine them on the basis of the planned activities.

For a rough estimate you store basic dates in the WBS element. These dates represent the project deadlines. You determine the dates for the overall project using WBS scheduling. The system transfers the basic dates of the WBS elements to the basic dates for the activity scheduling. In the network, the scheduled dates (earliest start and end dates) of the individual activities are determined on the basis of the maintained duration and/or delivery dates and relationships.

In the SAP R/3 Project System, cost planning takes place using the WBS and the network. You will use activities to plan costs for your turbine project. When the activities are assigned, the costs of the activities are displayed for the WBS elements.

In the network, you initially plan dates, staffing resources, and operating resources. The system calculates the costs automatically on the basis of the existing price/quantity structure. If your project processing is complex (that is, if dates, resources, and costs are relevant), you use network activities for cost planning.

In integrated project management, the planned costs are determined mainly from the valuation records, prices for internal and external activities, and the required operating resources. In the network you plan the internal and external activities as well as the required operating resources against the activities. The system calculates the planned costs in consideration of the dates. The price/quantity structure stored in the system is the basis for the cost determination.

The time-based distribution of the planned costs is the result of the time-based distribution of the planned services and the operating resources for the activity.

Planning using activities and assignments to WBS elements has important advantages:

• It can be copied to other projects and stored in standard networks.
• It is easy to shift in time, if, for example, you need to postpone project work packages.
• You plan costs, dates and capacity requirements, as well as trigger procurement processes using activities (integration of planning).

Logistics ® Project System (PS) ® Costs