Measurement Methods 
Measurement Methods
Definition
In the measurement method, you determine how the system calculates the percentage of completion (POC) for an object. We supply a number of measurement methods as standard. However, you can define your own in Project System customizing.
Use
Your choice of measurement method depends on your project and priorities.
If you use milestones to mark the transitions between the various phases of your project, choose the milestone measurement method. However, if the project is subject to continued further development that is not reproduced using milestones, it is better to use time proportionality.
You define measurement methods in conjunction with
progress versions for the various project objects. You can define planned and actual measurement methods. The system then uses the valid method to calculate the POC.See
Determining the Measurement Method .You can define measurement methods:
You can only assign measurement methods to orders in Project System customizing. You cannot maintain it in order processing.
The table below shows where you maintain the measurement methods for the various objects:
Object |
Maintaining the Measurement Method |
Projects in structure planning |
Details ® General, then Progress tab page |
Projects in the project planning board |
Details ® Detailed information on object, then Progress tab page |
WBS element |
Details ® General, then Progress tab page |
Activities or activity elements |
Details ® Activity/Element ® General, then Progress tab page |
Assigned orders |
In Project System customizing, under Progress ® Progress analysis. |
Structure
The measurement method consists of a measurement technique prescribed by the system and additional parameters that depend on the technique chosen.
Measurement Techniques
The measurement technique determines how the system uses the available data to determine the POC. In the R/3 System, the following measurement techniques are available:
If you choose this technique, the activities for which you want to use it must be confirmed.
When you use this measurement technique, the system adopts the planned POC as the actual POC. You can only use this technique to process actual values.
Measurement Technique Parameters
You define additional parameters for the various measurement techniques, for the purpose of determining the POC. Examples:
As long as the task has not been completed, that is, no actual finish date has been entered, the system will not allow you to have an actual POC that is higher than the maximum POC. The maximum POC prevents an overestimate of completion such as occurs when tasks are "almost finished" (also called the "90% syndrome").
Value for the initial POC in the start-finish rule measurement technique.
If you want to calculate the POC on a quantity-proportion basis, you must define the statistical key figure for the measurement method.
Integration
The table below provides an overview of the measurement techniques we recommend for each object:
Object |
Plan |
Actual |
Comments |
Internally processed activity |
Milestone technique, cost proportional |
Milestone technique, degree of processing |
|
Externally processed activity |
Cost proportional, time proportional |
Cost proportional, time proportional |
|
General costs activities |
Cost proportional, milestone, estimate, start-finish |
Cost proportional, milestone, estimate, start-finish |
|
Production order for project |
Cost proportional |
Cost proportional |
The system uses a suitable weighting to aggregate the POC for the order in the activity. |
WBS element |
Milestone |
Milestone |
If activities are assigned to the WBS element, the POC should be calculated in the activity. The system uses a suitable weighting to aggregate the POC for the activities in the WBS element. |
We recommend you use the same measurement method to determine both the planned and actual figures. This makes it easier to compare the values. Exception: the measurement methods which can only be used for actual values.