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Function documentationStaffing Overview: Distribution

 

This function provides an overview of the assigned effort and demand in a project. You can view the demand and staffing of roles at a single glance and make modifications as required. You carry out the activities by left-clicking on Menu (Menu).

You can also display resource information in graphical format. For more information, see Resource Management Graphics.

Prerequisites

If you want to display the confirmed effort of roles in the Staffing Overview, you have made a corresponding entry for area 0011 Staffing and Resource Management, setting 0002 Confirmed Role Effort in Staffing Overview of Projects in Customizing for SAP Portfolio and Project Management under Start of the navigation path Project Management Next navigation step Basic Settings Next navigation step Override Default Global Settings End of the navigation path.

In the Detail subview of the project structure on the Additional Data tab page of the project definition, you have specified the time unit and the period type used when distributing the demand and effort of roles.

You can determine which export function you want to use for resource planning data (Staffing Overview and Resource Overview screens).

  • The default export function allows you to export the data in CSV (Comma Separated Values) format.

  • If you want to use an enhanced and harmonized export function, you must make a corresponding entry for area 0013 Additional Features, setting 0006 Export of Resource Planning Data in Customizing for SAP Portfolio and Project Management under Start of the navigation path Project Management Next navigation step Basic Settings Next navigation step Override Default Global Settings End of the navigation path.

    This function replaces the default export function and provides the following export options in the toolbar:

    • Export only visible rows

    • Export all rows

    Once you have chosen one of these options, the system generates the Microsoft Excel file. You can open the file directly or save it to your file directory. The display format, options, and limitations correspond to the Microsoft Excel standard functions (for example, outline of rows).

    The system transfers the data into a hierarchical format to represent the project structure. If applicable, the system converts symbols into text information.

Features

To access the Distribution view of the Staffing Overview, go to the Resources view of your project, open the Staffing Overview subview, and select the Distribution radio button.

The system displays the following information for each role of the project:

  • Role name with status information about role staffing

    • Total Demand of the role

    • Remaining Demand: The total demand of the role minus the total assigned effort of all staff assignments

    • Assigned Effort: The total assigned effort of all staff assignments

    • Confirmed Effort: The total effort confirmed for the role

    • Resources used to staff the role and their assigned effort

    • Candidates assigned to the role

The following sections provide details about the information displayed.

Period Values

All information is displayed per period and summarized over all displayed periods. Above the distribution table, you can specify the time frame for which you want do display the distribution. The table contains a column for each period in the chosen time frame as well as the Total for Period column in which the period values are summarized.

Role Status

The status of a role with respect to its staffing is indicated by the following icons:

Icon

Meaning

Red

Role is not staffed (Assigned Effort = 0)

Green/Yellow

Role is overstaffed (Demand < Assigned Effort)

Yellow

Role is partially staffed (Assigned Effort > 0; Assigned Effort < Demand)

Green

Role is fully staffed (Demand = Assigned Effort)
Planned Demand and Effort

The Distributed column indicates whether or not you can distribute the demand or effort of a role or staffing over several periods during resource planning. If distribution is active for a role, you can edit the total demand of the role and the assigned effort of its resources in the Distribution view.

Note Note

If you have selected the period type Generic Interval for your project (see Prerequisites), the role demand and the resource effort of distributed roles can only be maintained in the Details subview of the Resources view. The Staffing Overview uses the period type Month.

End of the note.
Confirmed Effort

If time recording for roles using the Cross-Application Time Sheet (CATS) is activated in your project type and one or more confirmations have been entered for a role, the total effort confirmed for the role is displayed in the Confirmed Effort row below the role. The value is provided in the distribution unit.

Activities

You can carry out the following activities for each object:

  • Resource

    • Display the detail data for the role by choosing Details in the context menu of the resource name. The Details screen for the resource appears. Here you can find information such as the time frame of the staffing.

    • Assign the resource to available roles by choosing Assign As Resource in the context menu of the resource name.

    • Assign the resource as a candidate to available roles by choosing Assign As Candidate.

  • Role

    • Display the detail data for the role the resource is assigned to by choosing Details in the context menu of the role name. The Details screen for the role appears. For more information, see General Definition of a Role.

    • Create a hard booking for the resource assigned to the role by choosing Create Hard Booking in the context menu of the resource name. This activity is only available for a soft-booked staffing. If you choose this context menu entry, the system creates a hard booking for this resource and the color of the status symbol changes from yellow to green.

    • Remove the assignment of a resource to a role by choosing Delete Staffing in the context menu of the role name.