What is a summary task and how do I create it?

[daniel_humberg]

In the cPro customizing (spro), there is a dropdown called "Task Hierarchy" in the detail settings for a project type. It has three different values

- None

- Without Summary Tasks

- With Summary Tasks

Does anybody know what the difference between the second and third option is?

How does a summary task look like, and how do I define with task is a summary task and which is not?

[FA1 · Accepted solution]

Hi,

from the online documentation:

Summary Task: A task in cProjects in which certain data from the subtasks is displayed in an aggregated form (for example, confirmed times and required qualifications). However, you cannot enter these values in the summary task.

You can only use summary tasks in bottom-up scheduling.

You specify in Customizing whether you want to use task hierarchies with or without summary tasks.

Hierarchies with Summary Tasks

Once you create a subtask for a task, this task becomes a summary task. Some activities can only be carried out for tasks that are not summary tasks. These include:

· Confirming time

· Entering qualifications

· Assigning project roles

· Planning work

· Assigning cost and revenue rates

Some of the information from the subtasks is aggregated in the summary task.

Hierarchies Without Summary Tasks

You can perform all activities at any level of the task hierarchy. There are no summary tasks.

Kind regards,

Florian

[daniel_humberg · Accepted solution]

Thx Florian,

there are just two questions left:

1. So, if I select "With Summary Tasks" in customizing, every task that has any subtasks is automatically a summary task, right?

2. The field "Confirmed Work" of the summary automatically shows the sum of confirmed work of all subtasks, Right?

Regards,

Daniel

[Former Member]

Re: What is a summary task and how do I create it?

Posted: Nov 22, 2008 7:38 AM in response to: Yogesh Pande Reply

major difference is with summary task is applicable only for bottom up schedulling not for top down schedulling

plz go through this link

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_ppm450/helpdata/en/43/054880bbe822f5e10000000a1553f7/frameset.htm

thanks

amit

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[daniel_humberg]

Hi amit,

why did you post a link to the cPro Standard Documentation. It does not really help from my point of view. It also did not answer how a summary task looks like. Does it somehow show the sum of some effort field from all underlying tasks?

Regards,

Daniel

[Former Member]

Hello Daniel,

When you are working with a cproject (and you have selected a task on the left hand side) you then have the option in the top left of the screen to select a sub-task. Then click on the create button. This will create a sub-task beneath the task you selected. In this way you can create a hiearchy of tasks.

Hope this helps,

Best Regards,

Steve

[daniel_humberg]

Hi Steve,

now I know how to create a task hierarchy. However, my question is still how summary tasks look like in that hierarchy.

Best regards,

Daniel

[daniel_humberg]

I still do not understand how I can create a summary task, and how a summary task looks like on the UI. Any ideas?

[matthias_brisseau2]

Hi,

You can choose to work with summary tasks per project type.

You have to flag (or not) the corresponding checkbox in the project type customizing.

Matthias

[daniel_humberg]

Hi Matthias,

i saw this option in customizing (for me in 4.5, it is a dropdown,not a checkbox by the way).

But what changes when I enable summary tasks? Can I see somehow whether a task in cPro is a summary task or not. What can I see on summary task level? Can I see the sum of efforts of all underlying tasks somehow?

Thx and regards,

Daniel

[Former Member]

Hi,

Please see the difference between the Task Hierarchy below.

With summary tasks:

You can create the task hierarchies but you can only execute some activities on tasks that do not have any subtasks, for example: Record time, enter qualification, assign project roles.

You can collect this information for the subtasks and display it in aggregated form on the higher-level summary task.

Without summary tasks:

You can build task hierarchies and can execute all activities on any level of the task hierarchy. There are no summary tasks.

Regards

Yogesh

Please award points fro useful answer.

[Former Member]

major difference is with summary task is applicable only for bottom up schedulling not for top down schedulling

plz go through this link

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_ppm450/helpdata/en/43/054880bbe822f5e10000000a1553f7/frameset.htm

thanks

amit

award points for useful answer