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What is a project definition? - ✔✔The project definition contains data used for the entire project. It contains default values which can be passed on to the WBS elements, or influence them, such as: Project Profile Project Control values (e.g., user status profile) Organizational data Planning parameters Settlement Rules Unique Project Number The Project Profile is often called the "DNA" of a PS project; it determines many attributes of the project. The Project Profile cannot be changed after project creation. What is a Project Definition? (2 of 2) - ✔✔In the project definition, default values are maintained for a project, such as the settlement rule, Person Responsible, or Plant. The default values can then be copied for a new WBS elements created for this project. The default values will be copied into new WBS elements created for the project, but may be changed with the exception of Project Profile. What is a Work Breakdown Structure? - ✔✔The WBS forms the basis for all subsequent planning tasks in the project. The emphasis is placed on: Planning Description Funding and Availability Control
Costs and Fund Consumption Reporting Monitoring of costs, basic dates, and the statuses Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) - ✔✔In a WBS, the groupings of work are described in the project as individual elements in a hierarchy. The work is broken down in the project, step-by-step, until the level of detail is reached necessary to carry it out. These groupings of works are WBS Elements. So in GFEBS, a Work Breakdown Structure is a hierarchical arrangement of WBS elements under a project definition. In GFEBS, there can only be one WBS directly below the Project Definition. This is known as the Level 1 WBS, and will have the same number (and usually name) as the Project Definition. WBS Elements - ✔✔WBS elements are arranged hierarchically so that the most atomic work that can be described and funded with a single LOA (line of accounting) are at the bottom. Typically, execution (accrual of expenses) only occurs at this lowest level, though that does not have to be the case. Since the WBS is structured hierarchically, we're able to summarize and display the data for the corresponding higher-level WBS elements, or all the way up to the Project Definition level. Click on the note icon below for more information WBS Elements - Operative Indicators - ✔✔GFEBS uses Operative Indicators to define characteristics that control functionality of a WBS - they define whether a given WBS can or cannot be used in some very important processes. Click on each image for each process. Click on the note icon for more information. Planning Element - ✔✔WBS's that can have planned costs entered against them must be marked by checking the Planning Element operative indicator.
Click on the images for each type of project. Click on the note icon for more information. Standard Projects - ✔✔By using Templates (called "Standard Projects" in PS) which you create with transaction CJ91 as the source for creating a new operative project. Operative Project - ✔✔By copying one normal project (known as an "Operative Project") to another. This can be accomplished entirely within CJ20N. Designing a Project - Objectives - ✔✔Before we can discuss Project Structure, we must first ask the question, "What is the purpose of a Project Structure?" A clear and unambiguous project structure must form the basis for its planning, funding, reporting, monitoring, control, and successful execution. Reporting - ✔✔is the structure clear and detailed enough to produce meaningful cost reports without being overly complex and burdensome? In general, a structure which will support proper reporting will also support execution (Cost Collection) well. Planning - ✔✔Is the structure sufficient to make both high-level and detailed cost plans if necessary? Funding - ✔✔does the structure support the funding for the project? Keep in mind that a single WBS can only have a single Line of Accounting (LOA). Project Structure - ✔✔There are additional practical considerations concerning cost collection / execution and reporting. For instance, we could technically build a project structure that looks like this like the graphic (assuming we only had one source of funding). However, your command leadership would have no idea how expensive various components or phases of the project were. All execution would simply be posted against the single WBS. This is known as "building to the funding structure" and is NOT a best practice in GFEBS. Project Structure - Design Concept (2 of 4) - ✔✔Often, projects will have multiple sources of funding.
Let us suppose you had some money from your own command's funds, some Reimbursables paid by another organization, and some Direct Charge. We could build the structure to the right. After all, a WBS can only have one LOA (Line of Accounting) so we know we need at least 3, and since it is generally a best practice NOT to have execution at the Level 1 WBS, we have 4 WBS Elements. However, we are still "building to the funding structure" - we're only creating as many "cost buckets" as are necessary to capture costs with no regard for better reporting capabilities. Project Structure - Design Concept (3 of 4) - ✔✔A more useful WBS structure might look like this. This WBS Structure allows your command to answer questions such as: "How much are we spending on R&D?" "What is the total cost of producing a new engine and how does that compare with other aircraft we've built?" "Excluding the Engine, how much are we spending on testing?" "How much does the entire Airplane cost?" Project Structure - Design Concept (4 of 4) - ✔✔We will continue with this same example in the "Funding" lesson, addressing funding and WBS design practical considerations, once you've learned a bit more about funding concepts, particularly Funded Programs. Tip - you can always tell which level of WBS you are in GFEBS by counting the periods (decimals) in the WBS number. Project Planning - ✔✔Project Planning enables the PS user to plan the entire project structure (Project Definition and WBS elements), in an integrated environment. Date planning is accomplished by entering dates into the Project Definition and / or WBS elements. These dates may be reviewed in the Project Builder or transaction CJ21.
Structure Planning Using transaction CJ40 - this allows you to put in plan values (overall, annual, or both) in any WBS which has it Planning Element Operative Indicator set. The cost model in GFEBS for Structure Planning is strictly bottom-up. All costs entered at a lower level aggregate to the levels above them. For this reason, a good practice is to only enter plan values at the lowest (execution) levels. Values entered at higher levels will be overwritten by the aggregated values of the levels beneath it if they exist. Easy Cost Planning (ECP) This allows you to easily enter values for cost at a WBS level broken out into Object Class Categories, such as Labor, Travel, etc. ECP also allows multi-year planning. ECP is available from within the Project Builder. Cost Planning (3 of 3) - ✔✔Structure Planning and ECP are not mutually exclusive. Both could be done on the same project. You could, for instance, use Structure planning for a rough estimate early in the project lifecycle and use ECP later when more refined, categorized cost estimates are available. Both Structure and ECP Planning support versions, starting with a default version number 0. Finally, order cost planning can be done for maintenance orders. It is important to note that planned costs do not act as constraints or hard stops for execution of actual costs. Rather they are used for purposes of budget formulation and forecasting, as well as to run certain types of reports (Planned vs. Actuals etc) True or False: It is very important to choose your method of cost planning that best needs your needs up front, as once you use Easy Cost Planning (ECP) you can no longer use Structure Planning (CJ40) for any WBS's which have ECP values. - ✔✔False True or False: Together with Funded Programs, Cost Plan values act as Availability Control (hard stops) against execution. - ✔✔False
Which of the following is necessary for a cost value to be entered against a particular WBS Element? - ✔✔The Planning Element Indicator is set Hierarchical Funding in GFEBS (1 of 2) - ✔✔By using the Copy Superior Funding checkbox, you can set a child or grandchild (subordinate or sub-subordinate) WBS to use the same Line of Accounting (LOA) and / or Funded Program (FP) as the parent / grandchild WBS. Note: For subordinate (Child) WBS's (or some of them) to use the same funded program, and therefore the same hard-stop on funds, as a superior WBS element, all you would have to do is accept the default of using all of the superior WBS's funding data, including Funded Program. Alternatively, you could create a separate funded program for one or more of the subordinate WBS's for them to have their own "fenced off" pool of money for that or (more likely) a different LOA. Hierarchical Funding in GFEBS (2 of 2) - ✔✔Example - Let's say we have a level 2 (two levels down from the project definition) WBS A.1234567.1. We could set its LOA data to a specified set of values (which could refer to direct funding, reimbursable, Direct Cite or Direct Charge funding). We could then create a level 3 WBS underneath it - A.1234567.1.1. By default, "Copy Superior Funding" will be selected, so this level 3 WBS would use the same funding data as its parent - A.1234567.1. It would also use the same Funded Program, and therefore the same funding hard stop. The same would be true with a level 4 created beneath it - A.1234567.1.1. Funded Programs (1 of 5) - ✔✔A Funded Program (FP) is the lowest level of the FM (Funds Management) chain. The diagram located at the right shows the LOA fields. The RM will "push" a certain amount of money to that FP based on the other LOA fields. The FP is then a pool of money with a hard stop (sometimes referred to as "fencing off the money") - that is, execution against that FP will not be allowed after the amount pushed to the FP has been exhausted. An FP can be on more than one WBS - usually on the same "WBS tree" (such as "Engine" in our "Build An Airplane" Example from the Structuring lesson). However, there is no reason you could not use an FP
GENR - To use your command's own funds - OMA, RDTE, etc. REIM - To use money from someone else via a contract with a MIPR document. In this case, the creation of the Sales Order is what pushes money to the FP. That is covered in detail in the Reimbursables Course. In this case, you still use the performing organization's LOA, not that of the payer / requestor. DRCH - (Direct Charge) To use money from someone else in GFEBS. This is accomplished by using the Paying / Requesting organization's LOA. Funded Programs (5 of 5) - ✔✔In the case of Direct Charge, the performing organization creates the WBS, e-mails the Paying / Requesting organization, who enters the LOA, creates the FP, allocates money to the FP using transaction FMBB, and sets the User Status To Fund. The Payer then e-mails the Performing organization, who is responsible for release (though some organizations have come to an agreement that the Paying organization may release the WBS). This procedural requirement is to ensure that the paying organization is not paying for more than it intends to. Caution 1: Please note that checking the "Create Funded Program" checkbox will cause a Funded Program (empty - no dollars) to be created as soon as you save. Caution 2: Commands vary in their rules as to who can create a funded program. Normally, actually pushing money (allocation to a FP is ONLY done by the RM (Resource Manager) / Applicant - often a member of the G8 group of your command. Caution 3: If you are not an RM, always make FP design decisions in consultation with your RM, or leave the FP design and creation entirely up to them. Funded Programs - Design Concept (1 of 2) - ✔✔How you structure your funding and Funded Programs is just as important as how you structure your WBSs in general as GFEBS is, at its core, a Funds Management system. In the next few pages, we will walk though an example - continuing to use our "Build An Airplane" project from the Structure lesson.
We will then see an exercise to show you how to implement this funding / Funded Program design in CJ20N. When we left off, we had come up with a structure that met our reporting requirements (right). But we had given no thought to what kind of funding we had for the project. Funded Programs - Design Concept (2 of 2) - ✔✔In the project below (a slightly simplified version of the Airplane project), we want to create our WBS structure similar to the items marked: CF1 -- funded by a single funded program of one Command Funding LOA CF2 -- funded by a different set of Command Funding LOA - generic ARMY FP REIM -- are funded by a Reimbursable but use CF1 LOA X -- Execution Available User Statuses (1 of 3) - ✔✔For most commands, a WBS will have two user status states: PLAN - The WBS is in the planning stage. This is the user status a WBS has when it is first created. FUND - This is set by someone with sufficient GFEBS (Project Funds Approver) and organizational (e.g., G8) rights. This status should only be set when the LOA is finalized, and when the money is available to consume (e.g., a funded program has had funding amounts put into it via a FM process called FMBB). Once the user status has been set to FUND, it cannot be set back to plan. Changes to LOA after this point require contacting the Help Desk, who must make sure any execution (cost) is properly re-allocated, etc. User Statuses (2 of 3) - ✔✔Note that execution cannot occur unless the following are true:
Project Funding Process - ✔✔While project costs are estimated during project cost planning, it is in the Project Funding phase that funds are allocated in the form of funds distribution from the correct LOA to a Funded Program. To the bottom we have a graphic showing the process. Funding Types (1 of 2) - ✔✔There are ten funding types supported in Project Systems. The four most common are: Direct - You use your own funding (LOA) to fund a WBS Reimbursable - You use someone else's money via a MIPR. A sales order is created which references the WBS. Direct Cite - A specific case of Reimbursable. Also involves a sales order. Direct Charge - You use someone else's LOA on your WBS. There are specific procedures for doing this (e.g., the payer fills out the Funding tab) which protects the payer from funding more than they intend to. In general, if you are using another organization's funds and they are in GFEBS you should use Direct Charge. If they are not in GFEBS (certain parts of the Army, or any Navy, commercial etc. entity) a Reimbursable or Direct Cite should generally be used. Funding Types (2 of 2) - ✔✔In all cases where you are using another organization's funding, you must create a funded program which corresponds to that funding. The funded program is set up in PS, Funds Management, or Sales and Distribution (Sales Order) with a specified dollar value which acts as a hard stop and prevents execution beyond what the payer's organization intended the performing organization to use. Availability Control - ✔✔During Availability Control, the corresponding assigned funds are calculated and checked against the budget using Funds Availability Control. Before a WBS can be executed against, commitment items are created and actual costs are incurred.
If certain tolerance thresholds are breached (funds exceeded), this can trigger a hard stop in the GFEBS system. A hard stop in the GFEBS system is a process that stops all action on an item until the issue causing the hard stop has been resolved. Because GFEBS is an integrated, real time system, it is able to check fund availability and reserves funds so they are no longer available for other projects. NOTE: For a discussion for COED (Commitments, Obligations, Expenses and Disbursements), refer to Funds Management training courses, aids, and Online Help Procedures (OLHPs). True or False: Reimbursable and Direct Charge are two types of funding scenarios within GFEBS. - ✔✔True True or False: Unlike cost planning, Funds Management involves allocating actual funds for projects - more specifically, to their funded programs. - ✔✔True Which process(es) occur during availability control? - ✔✔Remaining funds in the Funded Program are determined. Execution is checked to see if it will cause the amount in the FP to be exceeded. If the FP will be exceeded, a "hard stop occurs" and the execution is disallowed. All of the above True or False: During project cost planning, both the project costs are estimated and the funds are allocated in the form of funds distribution to the correct LOA. - ✔✔False Project Execution - ✔✔Project Execution entails the collection of actual costs through the receiving or invoicing of goods and services as well as through the execution of labor. After a project (or, more specifically, some or all of its WBS elements) has been funded and approved, it is ready to be executed against. Note: Being "Funded" and having a User Status of FUND are not the same thing. See the next page and review the funding lesson for more detail.
Examples: CN41N - Project Structure Overview CN42N - Project Definitions Overview CN43N - WBS Element Overview B. Financial - See actual postings, planned costs vs. actual etc. Examples: CJI3 - Actual Cost Line Items S_ALR_87013611 - Actual/Plan Variance by Cost Center Project Systems Reports (2 of 3) - ✔✔C. Budget - See Funded Programs, Statement of Funds etc. Examples: FMMEASURED - Display Funded Program Details ZFSC1- 6 (cumulative reports) ZFSNC1-6 (non-cumulative) Note: All of the reports listed above are ECC Reports, which are real-time. Many other reports, particularly around funding and financials can be found in BI (Business Intelligence) but are beyond the scope of this course. Many ECC reports can be run in the background. This can be particularly useful for long-running reports. You can start them running, or schedule them to start running at a certain time, log out, and retrieve the results when the report has completed and you log back in. See your local Help Desk about Background Execution of reports.
Project Systems Reports (3 of 3) - ✔✔Four basic features of PS Reporting include: Basic selection parameters Dynamic selection parameters Customized report output Column Output Selection Ordering Filtering Download to other applications Status of Funds - ✔✔In GFEBS, certain roles allow the use the transaction ZFSC1- 6 (cumulative reports) and ZFSNC1- 6 (non-cumulative) to produce the Funds Status Reports. These reports allow managers to see the effects of execution on available funding. The following are all basic features of Project Systems Reporting except: - ✔✔Download graphical reports True or False: All of the important reports related to PS can be found within ECC: - ✔✔False Project Period-End Processing - ✔✔Period-End Processing is the framework for carrying out period- related cost processing and reporting. It is used to ensure that all the data belonging to a period is determined, moved to its ultimate cost receiver object, and that data is available for Army controlling and reporting purposes. There are two main Period-End Processing processes that occur in Project Systems: Settlement Period End Reporting
The purpose of the TECO status is to freeze all changes to the WBS, but still allow last minute charges to accumulate to the project before it is CLOSED. Once the projects is closed, no actuals may be posted against it, nor may new Purchase Orders, Sales Orders, etc. be created which reference a WBS within the project. BI (Business Intelligence) - ✔✔BI (Business Intelligence): the data warehousing component of GFEBS) BI is not real-time, but is updated several times a day Example roles / reports are: Command Budget Reporter Costs Management Reporter BI Advanced Expert ECC (i.e., PS or Fund Management reports) - ✔✔ECC (i.e., PS or Fund Management reports): real time reporting Example roles / reports are: CJI3 - Project Actuals Line Item S_ALR_87013532 - Plan/Actual/Variance ZFSC1- 6 (cumulative Statement of Fund reports) ZFSNC1- 6 (non-cumulative Statement of Fund Reports) Which of the following is NOT a use for Project Settlement? - ✔✔Move funding from a Sales Order to a Funded Program Period-End Processing COULD involve all of the following except what? - ✔✔Releasing a WBS Funded Program Type - ✔✔DRCH (Direct Charge)
