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Function documentationUsage of Capacity Planning

 

In capacity planning, you can maintain and analyze capacity data such as capacity demand or assignments with reference to the project timeline. Capacity planning can be carried out for buckets, items and initiatives. The Capacity Planning screen provides a detailed view of the capacity data available for an object. You can access this screen by choosing Start of the navigation path Financial and Capacity Planning Next navigation step Capacity Planning End of the navigation path on the Overview view of the object.

Integration

Integration with SAP ERP

If you are using the Project System (PS) of SAP ERP, the capacity planning data of items can be retrieved from the corresponding PS projects (see Integration for Item).

Integration with Project Management

If you are using the Project Management component of SAP Portfolio and Project Management, the capacity planning data for labor can be derived from the role or resource assignments to the corresponding Project Management project. The capacity planning data maintained for an item can be transferred to the roles of the corresponding project, or you can generate new roles for the project based on this data. For more information, see Generate Project Management Roles Based on Strategic Demand.

Prerequisites

You have configured capacity planning in your system by making the following settings:

  • You have set up your capacity views, categories and groups in Customizing for SAP Portfolio and Project Management under Start of the navigation path Portfolio Management Next navigation step Global Customizing Next navigation step Portfolio-Independent Settings End of the navigation path. The following Customizing activities are relevant in this context:

    • Define Financial and Capacity Categories

    • Define Financial and Capacity Views

    • Define Financial and Capacity View for Front-End Configuration

  • You have made the capacity settings for your portfolio types in Customizing for SAP Portfolio and Project Management under Start of the navigation path Portfolio Management Next navigation step Global Customizing Next navigation step Portfolio-Dependent Settings Next navigation step Define Financial Capacity Settings for Portfolio Types End of the navigation path.

  • If you want to use capacity assignment, you have done the following:

    • You have switched on the Start of the navigation path 0002 Master Switch Next navigation step 0008 Enhanced Capital and Resource Mgmt Switch (see SAP Note 1457426) End of the navigation path in Customizing for SAP Portfolio and Project Management under Start of the navigation path Portfolio Management Next navigation step Global Customizing Next navigation step Global Settings Next navigation step Override Default Global Settings End of the navigation path

    • You have selected the Capacity Assignment entry as bucket process for a particular view in Customizing for SAP Portfolio and Project Management under Start of the navigation path Portfolio Management Next navigation step Global Customizing Next navigation step Portfolio-Independent Settings Next navigation step Define Financial and Capacity Views Next navigation step Define Capacity View End of the navigation path.

  • If you want to display your capacity planning data using the SAP List Viewer (ALV), you have activated the master switch 0012 ALV Display for Financial and Capacity Planning in Customizing for SAP Portfolio and Project Management under Start of the navigation path Portfolio Management Next navigation step Global Customizing Next navigation step Global Settings Next navigation step Override Default Global Settings End of the navigation path.

  • If necessary, you have adjusted the user interface settings 0014 Default Number of Periods for Item/Initiative Capacity Planning Dashboard and 0015 Default Number of Periods for Bucket Capacity Planning Dashboard in Customizing for SAP Portfolio and Project Management under Start of the navigation path Portfolio Management Next navigation step Global Customizing Next navigation step Global Settings Next navigation step Override Default Global Settings End of the navigation path.

You have made the following object-specific settings on the Capacity Information subview of the Overview view of your Portfolio Management objects:

  • In the Demand Plan Start/Finish fields, you have specified the period for which capacity planning is to be carried out. In items and initiatives, these dates are copied from the corresponding bucket. This setting influences the default period displayed when you access the Capacity Planning screen.

  • In the Capacity Period Breakdown field, you have specified the duration of the periods for which the capacity planning values are to be recorded.

  • In the Unit field, you have specified the time unit in which the capacity planning values are to be recorded.

To be able to print the capacity planning data, you have installed the Adobe Reader or the corresponding plug-in on your computer.

Features

Data on the Capacity Planning Screen

Capacity data is organized in categories, groups and views which can be related to each other in a hierarchical structure. On the Capacity Planning screen, the data is represented and aggregated in a table reflecting this hierarchy. You can adjust or reverse the structure according to your requirements by choosing the corresponding option in the Show field.

Example Example

You can display categories and groups within views (option View – Category - Group) if you want to analyze all the data available for individual views, for example all planned capacity, or all actual capacity.

You can display views within groups (option Category – Group - View) if you want to compare the planned and actual values of the groups.

End of the example.

The capacity planning table contains the following information:

Column

Explanation

View / Category / Group

Displays the names of the capacity views, categories and groups in the hierarchical structure you have selected. The table lines can be expanded and collapsed according to this hierarchy. The values displayed or maintained in the period columns are aggregated according to this structure.

Deactivated

Used to indicate that a capacity group or view is no longer assigned to the current object or portfolio type in Customizing. The existing data is displayed, but you cannot maintain new values for this group or view.

Sponsor

Used to display or assign the cost center or the entity responsible for the project.

Initial Amount

Used to specify an amount which is already allocated to a group at the start of the planning period.

Periods

The next few columns contain the period-specific capacity planning data. The time interval between the periods is governed by the capacity period breakdown defined for the Portfolio Management object (see Prerequisites). The Periods Displayed field above the capacity planning table determines which periods are displayed (see Data Scope and Representation).

Periods Total

Displays the total of the values entered for a group in the periods displayed. When you change values, the system automatically calculates the totals.

Grand Total

Displays the total of the values entered for a group in all periods, including those that are not displayed. When you change values, the system automatically calculates the totals.
Data Scope and Representation

Depending on your system settings, the capacity planning table is displayed as a WebDynpro list or using the SAP List Viewer (ALV). Which data is displayed and how it is represented can be influenced using the following functions:

  • Specifying the Period Displayed:

    In the Period Displayed field above the table, you can specify the planning period to be displayed in the capacity planning table. This planning period is broken down into smaller periods or columns according to the period breakdown defined in the Portfolio Management object (see Prerequisites). By default, the system only displays the number of periods defined for the object type in Customizing (see Prerequisites). You can, however, display all the periods contained in your planning period by choosing Show All Periods.

    When you first access the Capacity Planning screen of a Portfolio Management object, the following default is used as the period displayed:

    • If no start/finish has been maintained for the object, the system uses the demand plan start/finish defined in the object (see Prerequisites).

    • If at least one start date has been maintained for the object, the system uses the earliest start date as the start, and the earliest start date plus one year as finish of the displayed period.

    • If at least one finish date has been maintained for the object, the system uses today as start and the latest finish date as finish.

    • If the finish date is in the past, the system uses the latest finish date plus one year.

  • Sorting and Filtering the Data:

    You can select the views, categories and groups to be displayed by choosing Edit Filter. If you want to reuse the filter, you can save it. Predefined filters can be chosen directly from the Filter dropdown box on the capacity planning screen.

    If you have activated the ALV view for the capacity planning table, you can also use the standard ALV settings and functions to sort and filter the columns of the ALV table. Note, that sorting or filtering is not possible for the hierarchy column. You can, however, apply a filter to specific hierarchy levels. To do so, first split up the hierarchy by choosing Display List.

  • Specifying the Unit:

    You can choose the unit in which the capacity planning values are to be displayed from the Unit dropdown box above the capacity planning table. By default, the system uses the unit maintained for the Portfolio Management object (see Prerequisites). If you choose another currency on the Capacity Planning screen, the values are converted and displayed, but they cannot be maintained.

  • Including Subobjects:

    This function is only available for buckets and initiatives, which can have items or initiatives as subobjects. If you choose the corresponding pushbutton, the capacity planning data of these subobjects is displayed on a fourth hierarchy level below the data of the bucket or initiative.

  • Include Resources:

    This pushbutton is only active if you have switched on the switch Start of the navigation path 0002 Master Switch Next navigation step 0008 Enhanced Capital and Resource Mgmt Switch (see SAP Note 1457426) End of the navigation path and if you have selected the particular view on this screen for which you have selected the Capacity Assignment entry as bucket process.

Data Origin and Maintenance

Depending on your Customizing settings, the data of certain views can be derived automatically by the system. The corresponding fields cannot be maintained manually. The derived data can be obtained from the following sources:

  • The capacity planning values of items can be retrieved through integration from Project Management or SAP ERP. For more information see Integration for Item.

  • The capacity planning values of buckets and initiatives can be derived through rollup from the linked items. For more information, see Rollup.

  • The capacity planning values of buckets can be derived from the resource assignments of the bucket.

  • The capacity planning values of buckets, items and initiatives can be determined using a customer-specific function.

If the data of a view can be entered manually, you can use the following functions for data maintenance:

  • Distribution:

    You can distribute amounts over several periods by choosing Start of the navigation path Functions Next navigation step Distribution End of the navigation path. For more information, see Distribution for Capacity Planning.

  • Copying Groups:

    You can add a capacity group in the capacity planning table by copying an existing group. Select the group to be copied and choose Start of the navigation path Functions Next navigation step Copy Group End of the navigation path. The values maintained for the original group are copied to the new group and can be changed there. To delete a copied group, select the group and choose Start of the navigation path Functions Next navigation step Delete Copied Group End of the navigation path.

Printing and Exporting the Data

These functions are only available if you have activated the ALV view for the capacity planning table. Using the standard ALV functionality, you can do the following:

  • Print the ALV table as a PDF file by selecting Print Version.

  • Export the capacity planning data contained in the ALV table to Microsoft Excel by selecting Start of the navigation path Export Next navigation step Export to Microsoft Excel End of the navigation path.

View Chart

Depending on your selection, the chart view shows a chart for the following:

  • All categories: These are displayed if you have not made any selection in the table.

  • Selected category, all category groups: These are displayed if you have only selected a category in the table.

  • Selected category and selected category group: These are displayed if you have selected only a particular category group.

When you select View Chart, you can choose from a list of chart views that contains all chart views you have configured for the portfolio type. A chart view is a group of planning types; for example, actual costs vs. planned costs. Choose View Chart to display the figures of the categories in a graphical format. You can display the chart by timeline, categories, and views. To change the timeline for the chart, change the entries in the Period Displayed field.

Note Note

The chart only shows periods whose value does not equal zero.

End of the note.

Note Note

End of the note.

To configure the charts for financial and capacity planning, you have to link your customer-specific Business Context Viewer (BCV) dashboard to the application. To do this, in Customizing for SAP Portfolio and Project Management under Start of the navigation path Portfolio Management Next navigation step Global Customizing Next navigation step Global Settings Next navigation step Check Global Settings End of the navigation path, proceed as follows:

  • Select area 0010 Portfolio Item FI/CO Planning and Integration. Choose the Define name of settings view. Select 0004 Financial Planning Charts: BCV Dashboard Name. Select the Default Settings (SAP) view and enter a name for your customer-specific BCV dashboard in the Settings Value column.

  • Select area 0010 Portfolio Item FI/CO Planning and Integration. Choose the Define name of settings view. Select 0005 Capacity Planning Charts: BCV Dashboard Name. Select the Default Settings (SAP) view and enter a name for your customer-specific BCV dashboard in the Settings Value column.

For more information about Business Context Viewer and BCV dashboards, see Business Context Viewer (BCV) and Dashboard.