Projects Configurable Phase Definition

Project phases determine the actions that can be performed on projects and may be associated with workflow definitions.

SAP Sourcing provides default phases that can be used in configuring projects. You can edit the description and rules associated with any of these default phases. If your maintenance and approval process is more complex and requires additional steps, you can add custom phases to the library.

Note Note

Changes to an existing phase configuration do not affect current documents referencing that configuration. They only apply to documents created after the changes are made.

End of the note.

This section describes how to create a configurable phase for a project.

Features

Field Help for Projects Configurable Phase Definition Header Page

Function	Description
Name	Enter a name for the phase definition. This is a required field.
External ID	Enter a unique external identifier for the phase definition. This is a required field.
Description	Enter a description for the phase definition.
Phases	This section indicates the phases that are included in the phase definition. Click Add to add phases to the definition. In the dialog box that appears, select each phase to include in the phase definition and click OK. Note To add a custom phase, you must first create the phase in the Value List Values section of Setup and then add it here. For details, see Value List Types and Values. End of the note. Phases must be added according to the following rules: The sequence of phases in the phase definition should be the sequence the phases will follow in a document. For each phase, be sure to set the Previous and Next phases appropriately, to ensure that there is at least one path to follow from first phase to last phase. Each added phase must be included in at least one path that can be followed from first to last phase. For a phase configuration that will include workflow, the first phase cannot be associated with a workflow. A workflow phase must have at least one Previous phase. When configuring a phase, you cannot designate a phase as a Next phase if it skips a required phase. You can only designate a phase as a Next phase if it falls after the current phase in the sequence. You can only designate a phase as a Previous phase if it falls before the current phase in the sequence. To edit a phase, choose its Edit icon and edit phase information in the Projects Configurable Phase Header page. Choose Reorder List to reorder the phases in the phase definition.

Field Help for Projects Configurable Phase Header Page

Function	Description
Phase	Indicates the name of the phase. This field is read only.
External ID	Indicates the external identifier for the phase. Enter a new value as needed. This field is required.
Description	Choose the Lookup icon to select a new description from the list of localized resources. If the phase description is not in the list, your system administrator can add a new localized resource for the desired description.
Can transition Back to a Previous Phase	Check this box to enable a user to return to a previous phase from this phase. When you check this box, an Add button appears in the Previous Phases table described below.
Transition to Next Phase Message	Indicates the text that is displayed to a user who selects the next phase in the workflow. Choose the Lookup icon to select a new message from the list of localized resources. If the message is not in the list, your system administrator can add a new localized resource for the desired message.
Transition to Previous Phase Message	Indicates the text that is displayed to a user who selects the previous phase in the workflow. Choose the Lookup icon to select a new message from the list of localized resources. If the message is not in the list, your system administrator can add a new localized resource for the desired message.
System Phase	Indicates that this is a system-defined phase. This field is read only. Note Choosing the Trashcan icon for a system phase will inactivate it, not delete it. An inactivated system phase can be reactivated. End of the note.
Required Phase	Choose to indicate that the phase is required in the workflow definition.
Workflow Definition	Choose the Lookup icon to select a workflow definition to associate with this phase. For details about workflow definitions, see Workflow Definitions.
Next Phases	Choose Add to select the phase or phases that may follow this phase in the workflow.
Previous Phases	Choose Add to select the phase or phases to which the document can be transitioned back from the current phase. The Add button only appears if the Can transition back to a previous phase box is checked.

Note Note

The relative order of system phases cannot be changed when reordering phases.

End of the note.

Activities

Creating a Project Configurable Phase Definition

To create a project configurable phase definition:

Choose Setup Document Setup Projects Projects Configurable Phase Definition .
On the Projects Configurable Phase Definition page, choose Create.
On the Creating: Projects Configurable Phase Definition page, fill in the fields with phase information.
Choose Add to add phases to the definition.
In the dialog box that appears, select each phase to include in the phase definition and choose OK.
Choose the Edit icon for each phase to edit phase information, including the sequence of phases in the workflow.
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