Project Activities

Before you start

• The project must be started. See Performing Projects.
• Activities must be created in the project.
• Budget items must be specified in 'Project Budget Item. Open' (POS035).

Follow these steps

The diagram below illustrates the activities in this process.

1. Starting Activity

   Starting an activity opens it to report outcome against it. See Reporting below. For project activities that must be time managed, a corresponding activity is opened in Time Accounting (which is integrated with Project Management). Activities in a subproject can be started at the same time.

   Different activities can be started depending on the project status. The following can be started when the project is opened:

   • Advance invoicing
   • Pro forma invoicing

   The following activities can be started when the project is started:

   • Optional activities
   • Manufacturing
   • Purchasing
   • Requisition/distribution order
   • Customer order
   • Service order
   • Service agreement
   • Maintenance
   • Pro forma invoicing
   • On account invoicing
   • Partial invoicing
   • Final invoicing.

   The following activities can be started when the project is closed:

   • Final invoicing
   • Pro forma invoicing
   • Adjustment invoicing

   When an activity is started, the element status can be set to a predefined status, which is defined in 'Project Element Type. Enter Status' (POS061).

2. For the second step, you must choose the appropriate activity:

   1. Releasing Order from Project

      Orders can be planned from Project Management and released to the corresponding M3 function. They can also be specified directly in the module and then connected to the projects and activities.

      After an activity is started, the following order types can be specified:

      • Manufacturing order
      • Purchase order
      • Customer order
      • Requisition/distribution order
      • Service order
      • Service agreement
      • Maintenance order

      Calculating Committed Value

      This event starts in either a night job or when financial is recorded for the project. The committed values are reduced when the actual outcome is recorded for the connected order.

      The value of the order commitment is calculated and recorded for Purchase Orders and Time Accounting.

      Update to Project Management

      For this, the budget item corresponding to the accounting identity in the accounting string in the transaction is searched. If the project does not contain the budget item, it is retrieved from the basic data (budget elements). Then all project elements are updated from the activity where the outcome is recorded upwards in the project structure to the main project element.

      The following is updated:

      • The amount of the order commitment in the project currency
      • The quantity of the order commitment if the budget item is set for budgeting with quantity
      • The forecast, if the order plus outcome is greater than the current forecast
      Note: You must perform the reporting first before you proceed to the finishing activity.

   2. Invoicing

      Invoicing can be carried out after the activity is started. See Invoicing Projects.

   3. Reporting

      The following can be reported against activities:

      • Status reporting
      • Time reporting
      • Order reporting
      • Reporting checklist lines

      Status Reporting

      The work done in an activity can be reported in several steps where each step corresponds to an activity status. The status codes can be defined for the element type set for the activity in 'Project Element Type. Enter Status' (POS061), which is reached from 'Project Element Type. Open' (POS060).

      Time Accounting

      Hours and costs reported in Time Accounting for project activities are transferred to Project Management through General Ledger.

      Order Reporting

      Costs and revenues reported for orders connected to project activities are transferred to the project order from General Ledger.

      Reporting Checklist Lines

      An activity can be divided into several steps using a checklist connected to it. When a step in the activity is finished, it is reported in 'Project. Report Checklist Activity' (POS200).

3. Finishing Activity

   Completing the activity means that orders can no longer be specified, and time reporting cannot be done. When necessary, a finished activity can be reopened.

4. Closing Activity

   Closing the activity means financial outcome can no longer be reported against it. The forecast is automatically set at the same amount as outcome.