Main Projects and Sub Projects

[VenkatSekar]

Guys,

This is my scenario.

The projects that we are going to work has got a lot of activities and needs to be brought in to Project System. Since there will be a regular changes in the project and rescheduling to be done, the person who is responsible for the whole project will not be able to do the process regularly.

We have come up with the thought of distributing the work to different departments such as PED , RND, PURCH, QLTY etc... such that, each deaprtment Project* their work with different WBS elements (hopefully using CJ11) and finally all these wbs elements being connected to the Project definition which is created by the project manager. If there are any changes made to the WBS element the dates should be automatically rescheduled, which is available in SAP PS.

This can be a sub project kind of an idea. Minor projects under One main Major Project.

Or for eg.. Multiple projects of a department under the Departments' Project definition.

So guys, let me know if this concept could be done in PS.

Any kind of help will be really appretiated.

Pls reply if you have any doubts in the scenario.

Thx.

Sbks.

[VenkatSekar]

Guys,

The data was not sufficient.

Please help on the above scenario.

Thanks n Rgds

Sbks.

[Former Member]

Dear Venkat,

I went through the threads. Still i am not clear of one thing as to why you need to maintain a subproject when you can all that you want in your main project itself. Mr.Nitin's threads should and will fulfill your requirement.

We had the same requirement in our previous project and we too did the same thing that Mr.Nitin has proposed for you. I would suggest you to do it once practically in the system and check. I am sure you requuirement will be fulfilled.

Thanks & Regards,

Gokul

[nitin_patoliya]

If I correctly understood your scenario, than you wanted to Create Level 1 WBS for each department and keep all the functions related to that department under that level 1 WBS. For the satisfying that department related work will create hierarchy under that WBS.

This model is well proven. The only care you have to take is your core/ power user should be comfortable with large structure of project.

At the same time you have to take care that entities whichare being control at Project Defination level you cannot leverage on it ( WBS level - Department level). like as budget profile / simulation profile / status profile ,Project stock indicator.

However there is no concept of subproject in PS itself ( only this you can achieve through create lower level WBS )

Regards

Nitin

[VenkatSekar]

Nitin,

Hope that you understood my scenario, and as I could do it partially with your reply.

To be more clear from my side. Our plan crosses department wise rather that the projet plan flow. You can find the eg below.

1. The Project manager would create the project definition and would communicate this to all the dept heads and wait for them to create the WBS elements.

2. The dept heads would Project* their plan in to the system individually, entering the duration for each activity. This process is done by the cross functioning departments working on the same project.

3. The dept plan would later be linked to the Project definition by the project manager himself, and as the duration is already given scheduling would be carried out subsequently by the project manager.

Current Plan.

Design

Complete drawing - RND

Flow analysis - Design Dept

Design Approval process - PED and MKTG

Machines

Identify Supplier - PED

Get plan from machine manufacturer - PED

Getting quotation - PED

Negotiate & finalise - PURCH

Raise a Procurement Requisition - PURCH

Manufacturing - SUPPLIER

Receipt - PED

Installation & commissioning - PED & QLTY

Tools

Identify tool - PED

Prepare tool list - PED

Decide make / supplier - PED

Get quotation for standard tool - PURCH

Raise a Procurement Requisition - PURCH

Receipt and Calibration - PED & QLTY

The Plan goes on....

As you can see the activities that are given above involves inter-dept employees.

This is the plan what we have in mind..

Plan from Marketing

Plan from Design

Plan from AEG

Plan from RND

Plan from Purchase

Plan from Quality.

Instead of following the Activity Flow we were thinking of a Department wise flow.

Could this be done in Project system.

Pls Help.

Regrds

Sbks.

[nitin_patoliya]

Your scenario is quite clear to me and this can be mapped to SAP PS correctly. If fact SAP itself has give this type of scnario in their learning version IDEAS.

As you have mentioned lastly "Instead of following the Activity Flow we were thinking of a Department wise flow."

By giving departmental flow by diff. WBS and assign perticular activity of that department to that department WBS, you will able to aggreage / track you csot at department level.

Activity flow will take care your scheduling and inter-dependancy requirement of projects.

you can use activity assigned netwrok for that.

Regards

Nitin

[VenkatSekar]

Nitin,

We are not into tracking cost as of now. We are trying to reduce the amount of work taken by the roject manage in updating the plan each and everytime there is a change in the plan. Changes in the plan means new activities being added by a department. This procedure of updating the plan is known more to the dept head rather than the project manager, and more often the project manager is tied up to work he is not able to update the plan immediately. This is the issue we face when there is very little time and a immence work to be done.

Could you brief me on how this can be handled here. If there is any material available for this or you could just send me the link or post it here, it wil be of a great use to us.

Thanks n Rgds,

Sbks.

[nitin_patoliya]

If you don't want to track the cost use header assgined network os, it will update the cost to network hearder. and assign that network header to top level -1 WBS elements under which you are creating department wise level -2 WBS. activities come in picture for the scheduling purpose and will check the date against department WBS against whom you have assigned it.

For the PS standard scenario please refer this link.

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_46c/helpdata/en/51/5828e4a44c11d189bf0000e829fbbd/frameset.htm

Regards

Nitin

[VenkatSekar]

Nitin,

Will check will the link and other input and get back to you.

But do you have any material that gives an idea of how to create a sub project under a main project with a decent explanation. If you could share, it would be great.

Thx- Sbks.