Scheduler Workplace

Cross-Area Functions in Resource Planning Data Consistency and Locks

Checks and Alerts Progress Monitoring

Graphical screen areas and tools that the resource planner can use to plan tasks and employee assignments and to monitor their execution.

Prerequisites

In Customizing for SAP Multiresource Scheduling, you have carried out the activities under Set Up Scheduler Workplace.

The scheduler workplace comprises four areas:

The order worklist contains all orders and the associated order operations.

The item worklist contains all order operations that are relevant for resource planning.

The planning board (also known as the "resource planning board") contains all resources that a resource planner can plan, along with their availability and any assignments already allocated. Only those days defined as the planning horizon in Customizing or by the resource planner are displayed. Resources can be either personnel resources, teams, or tools (for example, a service work center is also indicated as a tool). The resource planner can create, move, or delete assignments by means of drag and drop.

The Alert Monitor displays all information about potential conflicts and errors that occur during planning. The resource planner can check the planning on the basis of these alerts and correct it where necessary.

Caution

In some parts of the system documentation, the term planning board is used to indicate the part of the workplace containing a bar chart and to indicate the workplace as a whole.

Structure

The scheduler workplace is graphically divided into four areas:

• Order Worklist

• Item Worklist

• Planning Board (bar chart)

• Alert Monitor

Example for the potential division of the user interface:

In Customizing under Define User Interface Profiles Container Positions in Layout , you can change the arrangement of the areas and how they are displayed.

Copying Qualification Catalogs from SAP HR

You can use existing qualification catalogs for SAP Multiresource Scheduling so that you do not have to create and maintain your own qualification catalogs for SAP Multiresource Scheduling. Standard qualification catalogs are copied in all available languages.

Integration

• This report supports the extended infotype 0024, which is used in personnel management as part of personnel development.

• The data can be copied only from an SAP HR system.

Prerequisites

• The qualifications are maintained either using profile maintenance in personnel development (transaction PPPM) or in the HR master data as extended infotype 0024 (transaction PA30). To use the extended infotype 0024, the integration switch for qualifications must be selected. You can configure this setting in table T77S0: To activate integration, the value "1 A032 Q" must be entered for PLOGI QUALI.

• In transaction /MRSS/SQM_CAT, you have created the qualification catalog to which you want to copy data and selected external number assignment for qualifications in the header data.

Activities

• To copy the data to the SAP Multiresource Scheduling qualification catalog, execute program /MRSS/SQL_CAT_MIGRATION.

• On the selection screen, enter the SAP Multiresource Scheduling qualification catalog and the standard qualification catalogs to copy. Since the standard qualification catalog arranges the qualifications in qualification groups, you can select only qualification groups during the copy process. When you choose a qualification group, you also select all of the subordinate groups and

qualifications. To copy the data from an SAP system other than the logon system, you also have to enter an RFC destination.

• When you copy the catalog(s), both SAP HR qualification groups and SAP HR qualifications are copied as entries to the qualification catalog. Entries in the employee or requirements profile can then also be maintained for a qualification resulting from an SAP HR qualification group.

• Before copying the catalog(s), the system checks whether all of the subordinate qualification groups use the same scale. Data can be transferred to SAP

Multiresource Scheduling only if this is the case.

• You can copy a catalog again provided that it is not used in qualification matrixes. If you copy a catalog more than once, the system overwrites the old catalog data with the current data.

Copying Structured Qualifications from SAP HR

You can copy existing employee profiles from SAP HR to SAP Multiresource Scheduling so that you do not have to create and maintain them separately for SAP

Multiresource Scheduling. The qualifications in the standard employee profile correspond to the structured qualifications in the employee profile of SAP

Multiresource Scheduling. However, only matrixes without a secondary dimension can be used during the transfer.

Integration

This report supports the partial profile Qualifications from extended infotype 0024, which is used in personnel management as part of personnel development.

Prerequisites

• You have entered the standard qualifications of the employees for whom you want to transfer qualifications to SAP Multiresource Scheduling by maintaining the profiles in personnel development (transaction PPPM) or the HR master data (transaction PA30, infotype 0024). You must use the extended infotype 0024.

• You have created the qualification matrix of SAP Multiresource Scheduling, whose qualifications you want to transfer as a one-dimensional matrix (transaction /MRSS/SQM_MAT).

Activities

• To copy the data to the qualification matrix of SAP Multiresource Scheduling, execute the transfer program for qualifications from the employee profile (/MRSS/SQL_CAT_MIGRATION).

• On the selection screen, choose the qualification matrix from SAP

Multiresource Scheduling and the personnel numbers whose data you want to transfer from HR. You can start the transfer program for one or more personnel numbers. You can also specify one or more resource planning nodes for whose assigned employees you want to transfer qualifications. If you have chosen both personnel numbers and resource planning nodes, the system determines the data that meets both of these requirements. To copy the data from an SAP system other than the logon system, you have to enter an RFC destination.

• If you choose the option Set "From Source System" Indicator on the selection screen, the From Source indicator is set for the transferred qualifications in the employee profile. If you do not set the indicator, you cannot tell from the employee profile whether a qualification was transferred from a different system.

• To set the profile to active immediately and therefore skip the approval process, choose the Save Profile in Status "Active" radio button. However, this is

possible only if:

o A profile is created as new by the program run.

o A profile to be changed already has the status "active".

In all other cases, the system copies the data to the profile and sets the profile status to "Changed" to include the current approval process. In this case, the system generates a message stating that the status could not be set to "active".

• To save the profile with "Created" or "Changed" status and cancel an approval process that may be running, choose Save Profile with "Changed" Status. If it has copied qualifications as changed, the system starts the approval procedure.

With the Removed and Already Rejected Profiles indicator, you can specify that this does not apply to profiles that had "Rejected" status before the change.

• The system determines the standard qualifications for each employee from infotype 0024 and compares them with the SAP Multiresource Scheduling qualifications from the matrix specified.

• This report can be executed more than once. To avoid data losses, the system informs you if specific qualifications already exist in the SAP Multiresource Scheduling matrix. You can prevent data from being overwritten by canceling the entire procedure. If you confirm the transfer process, the system overwrites the old data with the qualifications from the standard profile.

• If no SAP Multiresource Scheduling profile exists for an employee, the system creates a new profile with the standard qualifications copied.

Availability Transfer Between SAP HR and SAP Multiresource Scheduling

If you use SAP HR for personnel resources, you can transfer availability information from SAP HR to SAP Multiresource Scheduling and vice versa. The following standard infotypes can be transferred in principle in both directions:

• Absences (infotype 2001)

• Attendances (infotype 2002)

• Alternative working times (infotype 2003)

Planned working time (infotype 0007) can only be transferred from SAP HR to SAP Multiresource Scheduling.

Prerequisites

You have configured the following settings in Customizing for SAP Multiresource Scheduling:

• HR Integration Configure Settings for HR Integration

• HR Integration Define Function Modules for HR Integration

• MRS Basis Assign Time Allocation Types to Resource Types

• MRS Basis Define Time Allocation Types

Features

Availability Transfer from SAP HR to SAP Multiresource Scheduling

• To transfer the availability information of the resources from SAP HR to SAP Multiresource Scheduling Basis, you use report /MRSS/HCM_RPTWFMIF. For more information, refer to the system documentation for the report.

Note

If you start the /MRSS/HCM_RPTWFMIF report to transfer availabilities from SAP HR for a resource currently displayed in the planning board, you cannot create, change, delete, or save any objects (assignments or time allocations) for this resource. After the report has run, the objects can be saved. To be able to further process the objects of the resource, you have to refresh the planning board first.

• Time allocations with time allocation types indicated as exceptions in Customizing for the WFM Core under Define Time Allocation Types are displayed by the system in the planning board as bars. As a resource planner, you cannot change these transferred time allocations. Time allocations with time allocation types that are not indicated as exceptions in Customizing are

displayed by the system in the bar chart as gray or white background to the rows.

• If you have defined alternative working times or planned working times using a daily work schedule, the system transfers the planned working time as

availability to SAP Multiresource Scheduling for fixed working times, and transfers the normal working time for flextime. For resources with flextime, the system differentiates availability, nonavailability, as well as the potential availability and displays the times between the planned working time frame and normal working time in a different shade of gray in the planning board.

Example

For a resource with flextime, the planned working time frame is set from 08:00 to 18:00, the normal working time from 08:00 to 17:00. In the planning board, the time of potential availability from 17:00 to 18:00 is displayed in a different color to the times of availability and nonavailability.

Availability Transfer from SAP Multiresource Scheduling to SAP HR

• In the Configure Settings for HR Integration IMG activity, you control which availability information is also created in SAP Multiresource Scheduling and transferred to SAP HR. Alternative working times and time allocations for which a group is entered in the table and the Resource Planner Relevant indicator is set are available to the resource planner in the planning board.

• In SAP Multiresource Scheduling, you cannot edit or delete time allocations transferred from SAP Multiresource Scheduling to SAP HR after they have been saved. You can delete alternative working times but not edit them once they have been transferred to SAP HR.

• If you create HR-relevant time allocations in the planning board, you cannot enter any descriptions.

• If an HR-relevant time allocation is currently being created in the planning board, the system blocks the relevant personnel number in the HR system.

• You can only move HR-relevant time allocations in the planning board in such a way that they do not cross daily limits.

More Information

For more information, see:

• The system documentation for IMG activities specified

• The system documentation of the /MRSS/HCM_RPTWFMIF report

• Resource Planning for Resources from Different Time Zones

Resource Planning for an Order

Resource planning allows you to carry out detailed planning to execute an order. In resource planning, a suitable resource (personnel or tool) that covers the demand is assigned to the demand from the order operation.

Note

You can use tool resources for Plant Maintenance (PM) and Customer Service (CS).

There is a separate user interface for resource planning – the Scheduler Workplace.

Each scheduler can configure the workplace as required. The main features of the interface are:

• Worklist

• Item Worklist

• Planning Board

• Alert Monitor

Prerequisites

• You have configured all of the required settings in Customizing for SAP Multiresource Scheduling. You call Customizing for MRS using transaction /MRSS/IMG.

• You have created master data specific to SAP Multiresource Scheduling for qualifications if you want to work with this.

• You have defined the objects (for example, organizational units) that you want to use for your resource planning structure.

• You have the necessary authorizations for resource planning.

• You have created an order with the associated operations and production resources and tools.

Process

Note

Resource planning is a dynamic process that does not always run in the same way.

Moreover, depending on the requirements of the task and the complexity of the data, this is not required or even possible. The steps described below apply to all aspects of resource planning. However, the sequence may change and the resource planner may

skip or repeat some of the steps with certain assignments. Depending on the source of the demand (CRM service order, order from ERP Customer Service, project from Project System and cProjects, or Plant Maintenance), additional steps may be available or necessary. These are described in the corresponding sections (for example, resource planning in the service). The following process contains the steps that may be relevant regardless of the source of the demand. Steps that refer to tool resources are only relevant for source of demands from Plant Maintenance (PM) and Customer Service (CS).

The process begins after you or the person responsible has created an order that is relevant for planning and this has been transferred to SAP Multiresource Scheduling.

1. You open the Scheduler Workplace. Depending on the main aspects of the work, the resource planner can use various transactions (see Calling the Scheduler Workplace by Work Priority).

2. The planning horizon is the period for which you plan assignments. It is configured automatically by the selected transaction or you can enter it manually (see Planning Horizon).

3. Once you have opened the Scheduler Workplace, you obtain an overview of the scope of your worklist and the available resources.

4. You check the item worklist to determine whether there are any items classed as urgent. You also attempt to process items with a higher priority first when you plan the resources.

5. You check whether there are personnel resources with a suitable qualification profile to carry out the order operations. The system displays the result of the qualification comparison as a ranking list sorted in decreasing suitability of qualifications and time availability.

6. You check the utilization of the personnel resources.

7. You add personnel resources from other resource planning nodes to the

planning board if your own resources do not have the required qualifications or are overloaded.

8. You link demands to other resource planning nodes if you want to assign them to another resource planner, for example.

9. You create teams if several employees are required to complete the task over a longer period of time, or if you want to use capacitive planning.

10. You check whether you have suitable tool resources to carry out the order.

11. You add tool resources from other resource planning nodes to the planning board if your own resources are not sufficient.

12. You create a link between tool and personnel resources if, for example, a resource requires the tool in the field for a longer period of time.

The tool is then unavailable for other resources. When you create an assignment, a tool assignment is also created to simplify planning.

13. You create time allocations for unscheduled absences or attendances of resources.

If a personnel resource is absent during normal working time, the resource planner can note this in a time allocation on the planning board. The same applies to tools that require maintenance or repair.

14. You create assignments for your personnel resources, taking into account the above criteria.

You can copy the dates for the assignments automatically from the order or enter them yourself.

15. The system checks whether the resource type is suitable for the assignment. If a resource does not have the necessary requirements profile, the system generates an alert.

16. You split assignments if an assignment exceeds the normal working time (plus overtime) of a personnel resource, for example.

17. You split demands if you want to distribute them across different resources or resource planning nodes.

18. You can assign several personnel resources to a demand. In this case, the system does not calculate the duration automatically. Instead, you enter the duration of the respective assignments based on your experience.

19. Provided that you do not save your data, you can undo any planning steps you have made and repeat them if required.

20. You use the Alert Monitor to check that planning for your assignments is free of conflicts.

The system runs checks while you plan your resources. It generates alerts if errors occurred during the checks and indicates the type of error and its cause in the Alert Monitor.

21. You correct the cause of the alert.

To do so, you must check the data (for example, availability) and process assignments again.

Note

You can confirm alerts without having corrected their cause.

22. You save your planning.

Only once you have saved your changes in resource planning are they visible to other resource planners who work with the same resources.

If you work in the Scheduler Workplace, data can be changed in other applications (for example, new assignments or new order operations), which can affect resource

planning. To include this data, update the Scheduler Workplace regularly.

If you want to create an assignment for an order operation or resource, the order or resource may be locked. This is because another resource planner is creating

assignments for the order or resource at the same time. In this case, wait and update the data in the Scheduler Workplace or contact the other resource planner. Assignments and time allocations are locked as long as they are being processed by another resource planner.

Result

You have created assignments for suitable resources to carry out planning-relevant operations or suboperations. Your planning is on schedule and free of conflicts.

See also:

Scheduler Workplace

Cross-Area Functions in Resource Planning Data Consistency and Locks

Checks and Alerts Progress Monitoring