In this blog post I’d like to outline the innovations for SAP S/4HANA Cloud 2208 in the area of Enterprise Portfolio and Project Management. These are the topics that are covered:
Watch my video to get a glimpse of the new features:
https://youtu.be/ghXMWbcV4ic
Already in August 2021, we have enabled project stock for investment projects tightening our procurement integration. With this innovation, project procurement controllers can plan and trigger procurement of stock materials into project stock. By using the demand type ‘Project Stock, Direct Purchasing’, materials are put to stock before they are consumed. When stock materials are kept and managed in stock and the consumption happens at a later point in time, there are no immediate costs. Only after consumption, actual costs will follow immediately which is also documented with a goods issue.
The advantage of project stock compared to plant stock is that the requested materials can only be consumed by the WBS elements and assigned orders to which the project stock belongs. In other words: The materials cannot be consumed by other projects or orders which are not assigned. There is also a provision for separate valuation for project stock. This ultimately helps you in your planning and increases your project-procurement efficiency.
With the SAP S/4HANA Cloud 2208 release, we have further worked on the project-procurement integration and enabled project stock also for projects with revenue. When you create a project and assign the project profile “Project with Revenue”, then it will automatically be enabled with valuated project stock. The material can be procured externally or produced internally based on material configurations and will be held against the project in the inventory.
How does this improve your engineer-to-order process? On the one hand, you gain better visibility into project procurement related planning, and on the other hand, you get immediate access to stock value in financial accounting.
For projects with revenue which have been created before SAP S/4HANA Cloud 2208, project stock will be disabled.
https://sapvideoa35699dc5.hana.ondemand.com/?entry_id=1_3vkamcef
Figure 1: When creating a project with revenue, project stock is automatically enabled.
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With the latest release, we’re also bringing a new project demand API for enterprise projects. This service enables you to create, read, update, and delete project demands of enterprise projects. By using the communication scenario SAP_COM_0783, you can manage demands with the following categories:
The procurement process is initiated upon project demand request. Along with the demands, also the related supply information as well as resource assignments will be processed.
This API allows for an easy access to SAP S/4HANA Cloud project demand data and it’s easy to embed into custom applications.
Figure 2: Manage project demands via API for enterprise projects by using communication scenario SAP_COM_0783.
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This paragraph gives you insights into the latest updates we’ve made to our ‘Project Planning’ application – The heart of the solution when setting up and managing project structures for enterprise projects. To ensure an efficient management of your projects, we’ve worked on the user experience which brings a better overview of project details.
When entering the ‘Project Planning’ application, a split screen will appear with the Gantt chart and the table chart, each taking about 50% of the screen. This will give you a good overview of the project structure as you can consume project details including visualization of project timelines.
As part of our Customer Influence Program, we have talked to customers who provided feedback about this application. As we heard, it can be cumbersome to see e.g. more columns in the table area. Therefore, we have worked on two new buttons which allow you to consume either the Gantt chart or the table chart on full screen. This way, you can better pay attention to the projects information that you need.
In case you want to consume both charts again in one table, you can always come back to the split screen.
https://sapvideoa35699dc5.hana.ondemand.com/?entry_id=1_u3mwfqtb
Figure 3: Make use of three buttons to focus on Gantt chart, table chart, or both in split screen.
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Last but not least, we have enhanced the value help search in our applications. In the past, when you typed in a value in the value help dialog, the type ahead suggestion list did not show exact matches in the first column on top of the list. To improve the user experience, we have worked on the CDS views so that you can see the exact result right at the top of the type ahead list. In the following, you can find out how the matches are shown:
With these insights, the system supports you while you’re looking for specific values.
Figure 4: The enhanced value help search improves improves user experience.
(back to top)
Last but not least, I’d like to make a call to action for all our customers and partners.
In mid-2021, we have established the SAP Customer Influence Program for SAP S/4HANA Cloud for Enterprise Portfolio and Project Management.
Join this program if you’d like to submit improvement request, vote on requests, and if you’d like to take part in regular online sessions which are taking place every 4-6 weeks. During those sessions, the submitted requests as well as possible solutions will be discussed. Moreover, you will get insights into planned functionalities.
Don’t miss this chance to provide your feedback and influence the product.
Feel free to reach out to Nadia Razzaq (nadia.razzaq@sap.com) or Heike Wulf (heike.wulf@sap.com) if you’re interested to participate.
Please note that this program is dedicated to our Cloud development. If you have any requests for our on-premise solution, please provide them via our customer connection project by following this link.
Fig. 5: Join the SAP Customer Influence Program for SAP S/4HANA Cloud for Enterprise Portfolio and Project Management to influence the product.
We’ve hosted a series of compelling live sessions from the heart of the SAP S/4HANA Engineering organization. Missed the live sessions? Watch our replays on demand!
Among the replays, you can find a 30-minute replay, a presentation, and demos for Enterprise Portfolio and Project Management as part of the SAP S/4HANA Cloud 2208 release as well as 20 other sessions on diverse topics like Manufacturing, Finance, Professional Services, SAP User Experience, Developer Extensibility and much more. For more information on the SAP S/4HANA Cloud Early Release Series and how to sign up for it, see this link.
Follow us via @Sap and #S4HANA, or myself via @CorinaReise and LinkedIn
- Project Stock Enabled for Projects with Revenue (4I9)
- Project Demand API for Enterprise Projects (1NT, 1YF)
- Project Planning Application Enhancements (1NT, 1YF)
- Value Help Type Ahead (1NT)
Watch my video to get a glimpse of the new features:
https://youtu.be/ghXMWbcV4ic
Project Stock Enabled for Projects with Revenue
Already in August 2021, we have enabled project stock for investment projects tightening our procurement integration. With this innovation, project procurement controllers can plan and trigger procurement of stock materials into project stock. By using the demand type ‘Project Stock, Direct Purchasing’, materials are put to stock before they are consumed. When stock materials are kept and managed in stock and the consumption happens at a later point in time, there are no immediate costs. Only after consumption, actual costs will follow immediately which is also documented with a goods issue.
The advantage of project stock compared to plant stock is that the requested materials can only be consumed by the WBS elements and assigned orders to which the project stock belongs. In other words: The materials cannot be consumed by other projects or orders which are not assigned. There is also a provision for separate valuation for project stock. This ultimately helps you in your planning and increases your project-procurement efficiency.
With the SAP S/4HANA Cloud 2208 release, we have further worked on the project-procurement integration and enabled project stock also for projects with revenue. When you create a project and assign the project profile “Project with Revenue”, then it will automatically be enabled with valuated project stock. The material can be procured externally or produced internally based on material configurations and will be held against the project in the inventory.
How does this improve your engineer-to-order process? On the one hand, you gain better visibility into project procurement related planning, and on the other hand, you get immediate access to stock value in financial accounting.
For projects with revenue which have been created before SAP S/4HANA Cloud 2208, project stock will be disabled.
https://sapvideoa35699dc5.hana.ondemand.com/?entry_id=1_3vkamcef
Figure 1: When creating a project with revenue, project stock is automatically enabled.
(back to top)
Project Demand API for Enterprise Projects
With the latest release, we’re also bringing a new project demand API for enterprise projects. This service enables you to create, read, update, and delete project demands of enterprise projects. By using the communication scenario SAP_COM_0783, you can manage demands with the following categories:
- Material – Non-stock material, non-stock material with limit, project stock (direct purchasing)
- Service – Service, service with limit
- Resource – Direct staffing
The procurement process is initiated upon project demand request. Along with the demands, also the related supply information as well as resource assignments will be processed.
This API allows for an easy access to SAP S/4HANA Cloud project demand data and it’s easy to embed into custom applications.
Figure 2: Manage project demands via API for enterprise projects by using communication scenario SAP_COM_0783.
(back to top)
Project Planning Application Enhancements
This paragraph gives you insights into the latest updates we’ve made to our ‘Project Planning’ application – The heart of the solution when setting up and managing project structures for enterprise projects. To ensure an efficient management of your projects, we’ve worked on the user experience which brings a better overview of project details.
When entering the ‘Project Planning’ application, a split screen will appear with the Gantt chart and the table chart, each taking about 50% of the screen. This will give you a good overview of the project structure as you can consume project details including visualization of project timelines.
As part of our Customer Influence Program, we have talked to customers who provided feedback about this application. As we heard, it can be cumbersome to see e.g. more columns in the table area. Therefore, we have worked on two new buttons which allow you to consume either the Gantt chart or the table chart on full screen. This way, you can better pay attention to the projects information that you need.
In case you want to consume both charts again in one table, you can always come back to the split screen.
https://sapvideoa35699dc5.hana.ondemand.com/?entry_id=1_u3mwfqtb
Figure 3: Make use of three buttons to focus on Gantt chart, table chart, or both in split screen.
(back to top)
Value Help Type Ahead
Last but not least, we have enhanced the value help search in our applications. In the past, when you typed in a value in the value help dialog, the type ahead suggestion list did not show exact matches in the first column on top of the list. To improve the user experience, we have worked on the CDS views so that you can see the exact result right at the top of the type ahead list. In the following, you can find out how the matches are shown:
- Exact matches in the first column in a type ahead suggestion list would always be shown on top.
- Fuzzy matches in the first column in a type ahead suggestion list are lower ranked than exact matches.
- Matches and fuzzy matches in other columns in a type ahead suggestion list are even lower ranked.
With these insights, the system supports you while you’re looking for specific values.
Figure 4: The enhanced value help search improves improves user experience.
(back to top)
Join the SAP Customer Influence Program for SAP S/4HANA Cloud for Enterprise Portfolio and Project Management
Last but not least, I’d like to make a call to action for all our customers and partners.
In mid-2021, we have established the SAP Customer Influence Program for SAP S/4HANA Cloud for Enterprise Portfolio and Project Management.
Join this program if you’d like to submit improvement request, vote on requests, and if you’d like to take part in regular online sessions which are taking place every 4-6 weeks. During those sessions, the submitted requests as well as possible solutions will be discussed. Moreover, you will get insights into planned functionalities.
Don’t miss this chance to provide your feedback and influence the product.
Feel free to reach out to Nadia Razzaq (nadia.razzaq@sap.com) or Heike Wulf (heike.wulf@sap.com) if you’re interested to participate.
Please note that this program is dedicated to our Cloud development. If you have any requests for our on-premise solution, please provide them via our customer connection project by following this link.
Fig. 5: Join the SAP Customer Influence Program for SAP S/4HANA Cloud for Enterprise Portfolio and Project Management to influence the product.
Watch the Replays of Our SAP S/4HANA Cloud 2208 Early Release Series!
We’ve hosted a series of compelling live sessions from the heart of the SAP S/4HANA Engineering organization. Missed the live sessions? Watch our replays on demand!
Among the replays, you can find a 30-minute replay, a presentation, and demos for Enterprise Portfolio and Project Management as part of the SAP S/4HANA Cloud 2208 release as well as 20 other sessions on diverse topics like Manufacturing, Finance, Professional Services, SAP User Experience, Developer Extensibility and much more. For more information on the SAP S/4HANA Cloud Early Release Series and how to sign up for it, see this link.
For more information on SAP S/4HANA Cloud, check out the following links:
- SAP S/4HANA Cloud release info here
- Sven Denecken’s SAP S/4HANA Cloud 2208 Release Blog
- The Link Collection for Enterprise Portfolio and Project Management here
- Enterprise Portfolio and Project Management Community
- SAP S/4HANA Cloud 2208 Early Release Series Webinars here
- Latest SAP S/4HANA Cloud Release Blogs here
- Product videos on our SAP S/4HANA Cloud and SAP S/4HANA YouTube playlist
- Inside SAP S/4HANA Podcast here
- Best practices for SAP S/4HANA Cloud here
- SAP S/4HANA Cloud Community: here
- Feature Scope Description here
- What’s New here
- Help Portal Product Page here
Follow us via @Sap and #S4HANA, or myself via @CorinaReise and LinkedIn
- SAP Managed Tags:
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