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Function documentationObject Links

 

Projects can be related in various ways to business objects in other applications, such as sales orders or purchase orders in SAP ERP, or facilities in SAP Environmental Compliance. These business objects can be located in the same system or in a different system, for example, a separate ERP system. By creating object links, you can connect project elements to business objects of predefined object types in order to achieve the following:

  • Provide an overview of all objects relevant for a project element

  • Enable the display of detailed header data for these objects within Project Management

  • Provide access to predefined applications related to these objects, allowing you to, for example, display master data, or analyze and edit transactional data

Project Management supports object links for the following project elements in operational projects, project versions, and templates:

  • Project definition

  • Phase

  • Task

  • Checklist

  • Checklist item

  • Role

  • Control plan version

All features for object link display and maintenance are available in the Object Links tab of these project elements. You can access this view as follows:

  • For the project definition, phases, tasks, checklists, and checklist items:

    Open the project’s Structure view, select the project element in the structure tree, choose the Detail subview and then Object Links.

  • For roles:

    Open the project’s Resources view, go to the Detail subview, select the role, and choose Object Links.

Enhanced features for the object link display and maintenance of certain object types are available for tasks and checklist items on the tab for operative object links. For more information, and the relevant feature list, see Operative Object Links. The prerequisites and features listed in this document apply to the Object Links tab only.

Prerequisites

You have configured object types for the objects to which you want to link. SAP delivers a number of predefined object types. You can, however, also define further object types. For information about how to configure the predefined object types for usage in Project Management, see the attachment SAP Portfolio and Project Management: Configuration in SAP Note 2026421Information published on SAP site under Start of the navigation path Project Management: Configuration Next navigation step Business Customizing Next navigation step Project Management Next navigation step Setting Up Object Links End of the navigation path.

Features

The following sections describe the functionality supported for object links in general. Note, however, that some functions have not been implemented for all predefined object types. These functions include, for example, the following:

  • Search help for object assignment

  • Existence check for the linked object

  • Data retrieval for displaying object details

Object Link Creation and Editing

Project Management supports the creation of multiple object links for a project element. You can create object links with various object types, as well as several object links with the same object type. When using the search function to identify the linked object, you can create multiple object links at a time.

If the object to which you want to link has not yet been created, you can plan the link by creating an object link without assigning an object. Object links without object assignments can be edited. Once the object has been created, you can add the missing object data.

The following features apply for both object link creation and editing:

  • You can identify objects using a search function.

  • Before creating an object link, the system verifies the existence of the specified object in the source system.

  • If you have not entered a name for the object, the system transfers the name of the linked object from the source system to the object link.

For more information about how to create an object link, see Creating Object Links for a Project Element.

Object Link Overview and Object Details

The Object Links subview of a project element displays an ABAP List Viewer (ALV) table that provides a generic overview of all object links created for the project element. You can obtain an object link list for a specific object type using the standard filter functionality of the ABAP List Viewer.

By selecting an entry in the object link table and choosing Details, you can open an additional screen area below the ALV table. In this screen area, detailed header data of the selected object is displayed in a layout specific to the object type. It is updated every time you select a new entry in the ALV table.

Integration with Project Evaluations

You can take linked objects into consideration in the evaluations you perform for your project (see Evaluations). By selecting an entry in the object link table and choosing Threshold Values, you can display the threshold value violations determined during the evaluation and set a manual severity for the object. The threshold value data is displayed in a dedicated screen area below the object link table. It is updated every time you select a new entry in the object link table.

Applications Related to the Linked Object

Depending on the object type, you can open predefined applications related to the linked object from the Object Link table. To do so, choose the Open link in the Application column. For objects that are located in a separate system, you may have to log on to this system before the application is started.

More Information

For information about links to individual object types predefined by SAP, see the following sections: