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Process documentation Project Execution with cProjects  Locate the document in its SAP Library structure

Purpose

You can use this business process to carry out a planned project. You can monitor and control how the project is executed using a number of different mechanisms.

Using project management methods, such as a phase-by-phase process with defined transitions and approvals as well as clearly documented tasks and responsibilities gives you a better overview of the activities to be carried out and the effect they have on the schedule.

Moreover, this process helps you react quickly to any variances from the project plan. For example, if defined threshold values are violated, alerts can automatically be sent to the persons responsible. In addition, efficient reporting means that it is possible to check the current status of the project at any time.

Prerequisites

You have completed the following processes:

Project Planning with cProjects

Resource and Time Management with cProjects

Process Flow

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       1.      Release project (cProject Suite)

You release the project. In doing this, you also automatically release the first phase and all lower-level project elements, as far as this is possible.

A clearly laid out and personalizable worklist that already contains essential key figures helps you to find, select, and access your existing projects.

       2.      Create and assign documents (optional) (cProject Suite and SAP ERP)

You can assign documents of any kind to the individual project elements.

During project execution, project members assign new documents to the project elements. The project members can select documents from a series of document templates. This speeds up the work. The assigned documents are processed during the course of the project and can be made into versions, as required.

Documents are either checked straight in to the system or are created and checked in to SAP ERP document management. This depends on the system settings and available system landscape.

       3.      Organize collaboration with partners (optional) (cProject Suite)

If it becomes necessary to interact with external partners during the course of the project, you can use integration with Collaboration Folders (cFolders): You create a collaboration from a project element and transfer some or all of the documents that are assigned to the project element to the collaboration. External partners who do not usually have a user in cProjects due to security reasons, have access to this collaboration. The documents are then processed further in the collaboration. Once you have finished processing the documents in cFolders, you can transfer them back to the project element.

If you are using the SAP Enterprise Portal, you can also create a collaboration room for each project element. This enables you to communicate with internal project participants and interested parties or share documents with them.

       4.      Create and send project status reports (optional) (cProject Suite)

You create project status reports at regular intervals to keep project participants and interested parties informed about the status of a project. You can choose from several different forms and enter your comments in the report. Each individual project status report is created as a document, checked in to the project, and can be sent straight away, if necessary. You can also attach other related documents to the project status reports.

       5.      Evaluate project status (optional) (cProject Suite, SAP BW, SAP ERP, and SAP xRPM)

Reports enable you to keep yourself up-to-date about the status of the project at any time. Reports are available for this purpose in cProjects, for example, for the following project areas:

¡        Costs and budget for a project

¡        Dates and resources for a project

Business Content in the SAP Business Information Warehouse (SAP BW) is available for cross-project reporting and graphical evaluations.

You can also upload project data to xRPM to carry out portfolio analyses and set your priorities there.

       6.      Simulate alternative processes in project (cProject Suite)

If complex changes need to be made at any time in a project, you can test these changes in a simulation first, without changing the operational project. If you are satisfied with the result of the simulation, you can transfer the changes to the current project.

       7.      Receive alerts about unforeseen events (optional) (cProject Suite)

Alerts inform project members straight away about problems that occur. You can define the alerts and they can be transmitted, for example, by e-mail, pager, or text message. For example, an alert notification can automatically be sent to the person responsible on the planned finish date for a task.

       8.      Process checklist items and tasks (cProject Suite)

Each phase contains a number of checklist items to work through. The system displays all checklist items for which you in your role are responsible, in a cross-project initial view. Once a checklist item has been finished, the person responsible sets the result of the item to OK, which indicates that the expected result has been achieved. Results can be stored in the form of documents attached to the checklist item or by defining object links. If problems occur, you can set a suitable status, trigger an alert, or use the object link to create a quality notification straight away in SAP ERP.

Each phase usually also contains tasks to be completed. The system displays all tasks for which you in your role are responsible, in a cross-project initial view. You confirm times and the percentage complete for your tasks. In SAP Travel Management, you can also enter project-related travel expenses for individual tasks.

       9.      Approve phase (cProject Suite)

Once you have worked through all the checklist items relevant to the approval, you can start the approval process for a phase. To do this, you create an approval document that contains all the information that is relevant to the elements of a phase. The decision makers you defined and selected beforehand by their project role analyze the document and the project results and grant or reject their individual approval. You confirm their decision by an electronic signature. If all decision makers give their approval, the phase is approved. The subsequent phase is released automatically depending on the system settings.

   10.      Complete and close project (cProject Suite)

Once the last phase has been approved, you complete the project. Before you close the project, you must ensure that all outstanding confirmations are in the project. Finally, you also have to close and settle the objects that were created in Accounting using the Project Accounting with cProjects process.

Result

The closed project is still available for final examinations and evaluations and can, for example, be used to adapt the existing project templates with regards to continuous improvements by creating a new project template from the completed project.

 

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