Question:
Hi all!
I have a project with time restrictions in one activity and I couldn't understand the result of scheduling. It has 3 activities (A,B,C) under the same network and WBS element.
- Activity 'A' is notified (04.12.2003 to 05.12.2003) (its successor is
activity B).
- Activity 'B' is notified (05.12.2003 to 01.06.2004) (its sucessor is
activity C)
- Activity 'C' is NOT notified and has a time restriction "must be end
on" 15.04.2004 and its duration are 2 days so its dates are: 14.04.2004
to 15.04.2004 We have customized the project enabling only 6 days
allowed in past...
When we schedule the project we have the next dates on project: planned start date: 14.04.2004
planned finish date: 15.04.2004 and I can't understand why is ignoring all data about notified activities and also the 6 days allowed in past... Could anybody help me?
Thanks in advance,
Ana
Answer:
Hi,
If I may ask you for some information about your customizing settings for scheduling:
1. Network scheduling: backwards scheduling, forward scheduling or else?
2. Network activities are linked with relationships? (If yes, they sure affect scheduled dates)
3. Besides the "Scheduled dates" are there any "Actual dates" from confirmations? (If yes, depending the customizing settings for scheduling they also may affect scheduling).
4. WBS scheduling may also affect activity dates and act as a constraint to network activities scheduled dates if the system is set up accordinly.
They are also a number of other settings to be checked, but, if you want, we can start with these.
Generally speaking, check the customizing settings for Network Scheduling first (In Customizing: "Specify parameters for network scheduling"), then the WBS scheduling (In Customizing: "Define parameters for WBS scheduling") and how it is set up to affect dates in activities and then relevant assignments on the network type and profiles.
Answer:
Hello kostasGR.
I think you are my angel (you answer all my questions in this forum). Thanks a lot. I'm new in PS world, and I think scheduling dates will drive me crazy I think I'll never understand how they work... Do you know any documentation about how does scheduling work?
I checked my customizing and I saw:
1. We use forward network scheduling
2.- Three activities are linked as follow: A->B->C
3.- Activity A and B are confirmed, activity C isn't confirmed.
4.- We use forward WBS scheduling, and we have activated network determines dates...
Thanks a lot for your help
Ana.
Answer:
Hello again, Ana.
I'm sure you have already solve the problem. If you are still working on it, you can find documentation about how scheduling works in the SAP on line documentation, under SAP Library->Logistics->Project System->Dates. If you have access to the SAP Service Marketplace, you can find the documentation in the Media Library section.
The planned end date is perfectly fine. That is because activity C, which according to the FS relationship is the last activity to be performed has a time (scheduling) constraint "Must finish on" 15.04.2004. The scheduling type "Forward scheduling" specifies that forward scheduling is performed FIRST (but backward scheduling is also performed by the system, because the latest start and finish dates of activities and the scheduled start date of the network must also be calculated).
Time constraints always have priority in scheduling. According to the constraint and the 2 days duration, the planned start date 14.04.2004 is also correct.
Now, about activities A and B:
1. As a rule, for activities with final confirmation, the actual dates from the confirmations are taken into account in scheduling. For partially confirmed activities (if no forecast duration nor a forecast end date is specified), the system takes the duration and adds it to the actual start date from confirmation data.
2. BUT, if the "shift order" indicator is active (marked) in Customizing for scheduling, the actual dates that have already been confirmed are not taken into account if the activity is scheduled again. So, see if the indicator is checked or not.
The system reschedules when the "Autom.Sched." indicator is marked, or if scheduling is carried out again manually, after a change that affects scheduling (date, constaint, duration e.t.c) is made.If the indicator is not marked (no automatic rescheduling) and if no manual rescheduling has been carried out, system status NTUP (dates are not updated) will appear.
3. Then, see if the indicator "Adjust Basic Dates" is active (marked). If this indicator is marked, then during "Bottom-up planning scenario" (scheduled dates from network activities to network header scheduled dates to assigned WBS element scheduled dates) the scheduled dates determined in network scheduling are transferred to the Basic Dates (or overwritte/update them then a change is made and rescheduling is carried out).
4.Then, see if activities A and B are set up to take part in scheduling (for instance, if they have a control key with the "scheduling" indicator marked.
5. The "Start in past" of 6 days, just specifies the number of days in the past that scheduling may reach, before the system automatically activates and carry out "Today scheduling". If there is a time (scheduling) constraint in the activities, this constraint has priority in scheduling.
I'm aware that all the above are just hints and may be not sufficient to solve the problem, but my point is that you should check all the relevant settings in Customizing for WBS and Network scheduling and the relevant sets of dates in the activities, in the network header and in the WBS to reveal the problem.
The good news is that network scheduling with constraints in conjuction with project scheduling is one of the most sophisticated issues in PS.
Hope I've helped a little.
Answer:
Hello!
I have been checking all data you told me (thanks a lot)...
- We haven't activated "shift order", so confirmation data must be taken into account, don't they?.
- We use automatic scheduling
- We have checked "adjust basic dates" and,
- All activities have a control key with "scheduling" indicator checked.
So, I can't understand if I have an activity B confirmed, why activity C doesn't have as starting date one date later of activity B and instead of it, is maintaining the time restricition though is over 6 days in past...
Sure i'm wrong but if I excute the scheduling today, the dates I have are:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| PROYECT |E/105433-99 |14.04.2004|15.04.2004|-> Start date/finish date
|-- WBS element 1 |E/105433-99-01 |14.04.2004|15.04.2004|-> Basic start date / basic finish date
| -- WBS element 1.1 |E/105433-99-01-01 |14.04.2004|15.04.2004|-> Basic start date / basic finish date
| |- WBS element 1.1.1 |E/105433-99-01-01-01 |01.06.2004|01.06.2004|-> Basic start date / basic finish date
| | -- Network |4150341 |04.12.2003|01.06.2004|-> Basic start date / basic finish date
| | |- Activity A |4150341 0010 |04.12.2003|05.12.2003|-> Actual start date / actual finish date
| | |- Activity B |4150341 0020 |05.12.2003|01.06.2004|-> Actual start date / actual finish date
| | -- Activity C |4150341 0030 |14.04.2004|15.04.2004|-> Earliest start date / earliest finish date (time constraint must finish on 15.04.2004)
| -- WBS element 1.2 |E/105433-99-01-01-02 | | |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think the correct behaviour must result next dates:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| PROYECT |E/105433-99 |14.04.2004|26.06.2004|-> (2) Start date/finish date
|-- WBS element 1 |E/105433-99-01 |14.04.2004|26.06.2004|-> (2) Basic start date / basic finish date
| -- WBS element 1.1 |E/105433-99-01-01 |14.04.2004|26.06.2004|-> (2) Basic start date / basic finish date
| |- WBS element 1.1.1 |E/105433-99-01-01-01 |01.06.2004|26.06.2004|-> (2) Basic start date / basic finish date
| | -- Network |4150341 |04.12.2003|26.06.2004|-> (2) Basic start date / basic finish date
| | |- Activity A |4150341 0010 |04.12.2003|05.12.2003|-> Actual start date / actual finish date
| | |- Activity B |4150341 0020 |05.12.2003|01.06.2004|-> Actual start date / actual finish date
| | -- Activity C |4150341 0030 |25.06.2004|26.06.2004|-> (1) Earliest start date / earliest finish date (time constraint must finish on 15.04.2004)
| -- WBS element 1.2 |E/105433-99-01-01-02 | | |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) As I have executed schedule today (25.06.2004) and the dates (for time restriction) are over 6 days in past, the start and finish dates are reprogrammed as today
(2) So, the finish date (26.06.2004) are transfered to network, wbs elements an also to project.
Is it correct?.
I think this is the correct behaviour and i don't know if my thinking is wrong or i have wrong customized my scheduling profiles or SAP works different way i'm suppossing...
Thankeful for everithing,
Ana.
Answer:
Hello,
In my opinion, your settings in Customizing, sets of dates and Network scheduling work perfectly fine.
From the two scenarios, the first one is correct (except the WBS dates, which need to be rectified). The dates you have in activities A, B and C and in the network header are correct. That is because:
Activity C has a time constraint "Must finish on" 15.04.2004. Regardless of everything else, this constraint has priority in network scheduling, meaning that, no matter what the system will schedule this activity to finish on 15.04.2004 and - according to the 2 days duration - to start on 14.05.2004. Keep in mind that scheduling is part of planning, it is not binding in any way. So, activity C is scheduled correctly. If you want the system to take into account the "start in past" of 6 days setting and to automatically activate and carry out "Today scheduling" you have to remove the time constraint. If the time constraint stays in place, activity C will be scheduled to start on 14.04.2004 and to finish on 15.04.2004 and this is how it is supposed to be (otherwise, what's the use of time constraints?).
So, the actual dates of activities A and B and the scheduled dates of activity C (which lies between the actual dates of activities A and B) are copied to the basic dates of the Network header. Netword scheduling and all the relevant customizing is correct (one thing less to worry about...).
Now, the way I see it, the only problem left is that Network scheduling is not copied in the assigned WBS element E/105433-99-01-01-01 and up in the project hierarchy. Let's work on the WBS dates. Do me a favor:if you have a little time, go to the project profile in Customizing -> tab page "Plg board/dates" -> section "WBS time scheduling" and take a look at the following:
1. The correctly customized WBS scheduling profile is already there
2. In the field "Scheduling scenario" the entry 1 Bottom-up planning scenario is there (with this setting the system will transfer scheduling from network scheduling to the WBS)
3. The indicator "With activities" is active (marked).
Finally, schedule the project. WBS element E/105433-99-01-01-01 should have a start date 04.12.2003 and an end date 01.06.2004, that is the same as the network header (this will change by the time you will enter a confirmation for activity C, with an actual date later than 01.06.2004). Extrapole the dates in the project hierarchy if needed (normally, the system must have already done this). Provided of course that the other WBS elements up in the project hierarchy have no other objects that affect their scheduled dates (assigned activities, orders, manually entered basic dates, manually entered actual dates etc).