Creating and Using PeopleSoft Strategic Sourcing Project Plans

This chapter provides an overview of PeopleSoft Strategic Sourcing project plans and discusses how to:

Create and use Strategic Sourcing project plans.
View and manage tasks by resources.
Approve Strategic Sourcing project plans.

Understanding PeopleSoft Strategic Sourcing Project Plans

By using the sourcing project plans feature, you can capture an entire procurement project plan within PeopleSoft Strategic Sourcing. Examples of the type of tasks that you can perform are:

Assign duration days for each task.
Document instructions.
Define requirements for completion of each task.
Assign a resource to the task.
Optionally mark a task as a milestone.
Define predecessor tasks which must be completed before the current task can start.

The start and end dates for a task can either be defined by the user or calculated by the system. You can also link a task with a sourcing event transaction, and enable the task to be automatically updated by a change to the related transaction.

In addition, you can save the plan as a template and use the template as a foundation for future procurement activities. Sourcing plans can be routed for approval using email notifications. Once the plan is posted, users that are assigned tasks will be notified and can work the tasks. The plan owner can monitor the progress of the plan as well as the workloads for each resource. This enables the entire sourcing process to be tracked and monitored. Plan owners will be able to view how the expected task dates compare to the actual task dates to determine where there are potential issues in the sourcing process. Key tasks can be defined as milestones during the creation of a sourcing plan. Once defined, you can review the status of the milestones to determine whether the project is on schedule.

Common Elements Used in This Chapter

Copy From	Select Sourcing Plan or Sourcing Template if you want to copy an existing sourcing plan or template.
Description	(Optional) Enter text to describe the sourcing plan or sourcing template.
Historical Plans	Click the Select button to add other plans to this sourcing plan.
Related Events	If there are any sourcing events related to this event, there will be a link to the events. Click the event ID to view details regarding the related sourcing event.

Creating and Using Strategic Sourcing Project Plans

To define sourcing options, use the Sourcing Options component.

This section discusses how to:

Define basic details for sourcing project plans.
Define basic information for sourcing project plans.
Create new sourcing plans or sourcing templates using the Copy From feature.
Enter sourcing plan details.
View or add predecessor tasks.
View or add sourcing plan details.

Pages Used to Create and Use Strategic Sourcing Project Plans

Page Name	Object Name	Navigation	Usage
Sourcing Options	AUC_OPTION_PG	Set Up Financials/Supply Chain, Product Related, Sourcing, Sourcing Options	Define general settings for sourcing project plans.
Define Sourcing Plan Basics	AUC_PLN_SUMM_PL_PG	Sourcing, Manage Plans, Plan Details	Define basic information for sourcing plans.
Define Sourcing Plan Details	AUC_PLN_TSK_DTL_PG	Click the Enter Plan Details link on the Define Sourcing Plan Basics page.	Enter sourcing plan details such as tasks, owners, duration in days, and so on.
Sourcing Plan Details	AUC_TASK_DTL_SEC	Click the Details button on the Define Sourcing Plan Basics page.	Enter and view task information such as task instructions, number of days for the grace period, and task completion requirements.
Copy From Details	AUC_PLN_CPY_DTL_PG	Select Sourcing Plan or Sourcing Template in the Copy From field on the Define Sourcing Plan Basics page and then click OK.	Select the details related to the sourcing plan or sourcing template that you want to copy.
Select Tasks to Copy	AUC_PLN_CPY_TSK_PG	Click the Select Tasks link on the Copy From Details page.	Select tasks that you want to copy to the sourcing plan or sourcing template.
Task Predecessor Detail page	AUC_TASK_PRED_SEC	Click the Predecessor Task button on the Define Sourcing Plan Basics page.	View, add, or revise any predecessor tasks that must be completed before the task can be performed.
Gantt Chart	AUC_PLN_GANTT_PG	Click the View Gantt Chart link from the Define Sourcing Plan Basics page.	View a graphic representation of the sourcing plan tasks.

Defining Basic Details for Sourcing Project Plans

Access the Sourcing Options page.

Sourcing Plan Options

Business Unit Calendar	Select a value upon which sourcing plans should be based. This is a required field.
Overall Plan Status	Enter the number of past due tasks required to change the overall status of the sourcing plan. Overall plan status values are On Track, At Risk, and Behind Schedule.
Alternate Status Description	(Optional) Enter an alternate description for any of the three delivered overall plan statuses. These descriptions will be used to display the overall plan statuses.
# of Past Due Tasks (number of past due tasks)	Enter the maximum number of tasks that can be past due before a change in the plan status.
Task Default Grace Period Days	Enter the number of days that a task may be past due. You can change this value on the Task Details page.

Sourcing Plan Notifications

This group box indicates the notifications that should be triggered and who should receive them based on changes to the sourcing plan:

Notification Trigger	Trigger Occurs When	Notifications Can be Sent to:
Change of Overall Plan Status:	The overall event status changes, for example, from On Track to At Risk.	Selected roles
Change of Overall Task Status	The overall task status changes, for example, from On Track to At Risk.	Selected roles
Predecessor Task Completion	A task has a predecessor task that must be completed before the (current) task can be started.	Selected roles
Cancellation of Plan	A sourcing plan is cancelled.	Selected roles Note. If Assigned To is selected, notifications are sent to all persons assigned to tasks that are not marked as “Complete.”

See Preparing Strategic Sourcing Notifications.

Notify

Select who should receive the notification. Values are:

Assigned To
Plan Owner
Current Owner

Understanding Strategic Sourcing Plan Email Notifications

This table describes the email notifications that are generated during the sourcing plan process:

Notification	Description	Trigger	Notifies	Generate Worklist Entry?
Task Assignment	Notification to assigned to users when a sourcing plan is posted.	A sourcing plan is posted.	Assigned to users for the plan tasks.	No
Change of Overall Plan Status	Notification to selected users (based on sourcing options page) when the overall Plan status changes. For example, if the status changed from On Track to At Risk.	Triggered from a batch process that should be run daily to check the number of tasks that are behind schedule. The status changes based on the number of past due tasks defined on the Sourcing Options page.	Selected users on the Sourcing Options page: Assigned To, Plan Owner, or Current Owner. Note. If the Plan Owner and Current Owner are the same, only one notification is sent.	No
Change of Overall Step Status	Notification to selected users when the overall task status changes. For example, if the status changed from Overdue Task to Past Grace Period.	Triggered from a batch process that should be run daily to check if the end date of the task is earlier than the batch run date or if the task end date plus the duration grace period is earlier than the batch run date.	The selected users on the Sourcing Options page (Assigned To, Plan Owner, Current Owner).	No
Predecessor Task Completion	Notification to selected users when all the predecessor tasks (steps) for a task have been completed.	Can be triggered from a batch process to check if all predecessor tasks have a status of Complete and therefore trigger the notification. Or it can be triggered when the user completes a task on the Update Task Information page.	The selected users on the Sourcing Options page (Assigned To, Plan Owner, Current Owner).	Yes
Approval Required	Notification to plan approver that a plan requires approval.	A sourcing plan is routed for approval.	Users with a role of Plan Approver or other specific selected user.	Yes
Approval Notification Updates	Notification to selected users when a plan is approved or denied.	A sourcing plan is approved or denied.	The selected users on the Sourcing Options page (Assigned To, Plan Owner, Current Owner).	No
Cancellation of Plan	Notification to selected users when a sourcing plan is cancelled.	A sourcing plan is cancelled.	The selected users on the Sourcing Options page (Assigned To, Plan Owner, Current Owner).	No
Reassignment of Task (previously assigned to)	Notification to previously assigned to users that their tasks have been reassigned.	User reassigns tasks from the View Tasks by Resource page.	User who was originally assigned the tasks.	No
Reassignment of Task (newly assigned to)	Notification to newly assigned users that they have been assigned tasks.	User reassigns tasks from the View Tasks by Resource page.	Newly assigned to users.	No

Defining Basic Information for Sourcing Project Plans

Access the Define Sourcing Plan Basics page.

If you are creating a new sourcing plan:

Select a business unit that will use the sourcing project plan.
In the Plan ID field, enter a value (text, alphanumeric, or numeric) to be associated with the sourcing plan.

If your system is set up for autonumbering, leave the NEXT value in the field.
In the Plan Type field, select Sourcing Plan or Sourcing Template.

Note. If you create a sourcing plan, you have the option of saving the sourcing plan as a sourcing template.

Adding Basic Plan Information

To add basic information to sourcing plans:

In the Copy From field, select Sourcing Plan or Sourcing Template.

Click OK to access the Copy From Details page.

See Creating New Sourcing Plans or Sourcing Templates Using the Copy From Feature.
Add other basic sourcing plan information such as plan name, description, start and end dates, assigned to, and so on.

Available Fields Dependent upon Plan Type

Plan Type	Available Fields
Sourcing Plan	Copy From Plan Name Description Start Date End Date Overall Status Current Phase Plan Owner Current Owner Primary Category Secondary Category Baseline Spend Final Spend Related Templates Related Events Historical Plans Save Plan button Post Plan button Save as Template button
Sourcing Template	Copy From Plan Name Description Plan Owner Baseline Spend Primary Category Secondary Category Last Updated By Last Update Date/Time Save Template button

Plan Type

Available Fields

Sourcing Plan

Copy From

Plan Name

Description

Start Date

End Date

Overall Status

Current Phase

Plan Owner

Current Owner

Primary Category

Secondary Category

Baseline Spend

Final Spend

Related Templates

Related Events

Historical Plans

Save Plan button

Post Plan button

Save as Template button

Sourcing Template

Copy From

Plan Name

Description

Plan Owner

Baseline Spend

Primary Category

Secondary Category

Last Updated By

Last Update Date/Time

Save Template button

Name	Enter the name for the sourcing plan or sourcing template. This is a required field.
Overall Status	This field displays the current overall status of the sourcing plan.
Final Spend	(Optional) Enter the final spend amount for this sourcing project.
Baseline Spend	(Optional) Enter an estimated spend for this sourcing project.
	Click this button to save the sourcing plan with a status of New. You can continue to edit the sourcing plan.
	Click this button to save the sourcing template. This button is available only when you are saving a sourcing template.
	Click this button to post the plan and route it for approval, if required. This button is available for sourcing plans only. If you decide to save the plan as a template, a copy of the sourcing plan is created and saved as a template. The system sends notification to the appropriate individuals and includes a link to the My Assigned Tasks page. The notification contains the task ID, task description, start date, and end date for each task. After posting the initial version of the plan, the start and end dates of all tasks will be saved as baseline dates, which can be used to measure the actual dates against the original plan dates. Note. If the start date has not passed when the plan is posted, the status of the plan will remain as Posted.
	Click this button to save the plan as a template for future use with other sourcing plans.

Related Details

Enter Plan Details

Click this link to access the Define Sourcing Plan Details page where you can define details such as tasks associated with the plan.

See Entering Sourcing Plan Details.

Creating New Sourcing Plans or Sourcing Templates Using the Copy From Feature

Access the Copy From Details page.

Copy Options

Copy Options

Select a copy option:

Copy Only Selected Tasks: Select specific tasks to be copied.
Copy Summary and Tasks: Select to copy the entire sourcing plan and related tasks.
Summary (No Tasks): Select to copy just the summary information and no tasks.

Copy Method

Select a copy method:

Append: Select to add to existing details. This option can be used with the copy option of Copy Only Selected Tasks.
Override: Select to override existing details. This option is only available with the copy options of Copy Summary and Tasks and Summary (No Tasks).

Search Criteria

Select the criteria to narrow your search:

Copy From Value	Available Search Criteria Fields
Sourcing Plan	Plan ID Category Plan Name Plan Owner
Sourcing Template	Template ID Category Template Name Template Owner

Copy From Value

Available Search Criteria Fields

Sourcing Plan

Plan ID

Copy From	Copy Option	Copy Button Search Results
Sourcing Plan	Copy Only Selected Tasks	Select Tasks
Sourcing Plan	Copy Summary and Tasks	Select Tasks
Sourcing Plan	Summary (No Tasks)	Copy
Sourcing Template	Copy Only Selected Tasks	Select Tasks
Sourcing Template	Copy Summary and Tasks	Select Tasks
Sourcing Template	Summary (No Tasks)	Copy

Entering Sourcing Plan Details

Access the Define Sourcing Plan Details page.

Click this button to recalculate the schedule based on the current information including each task’s duration days and any predecessor tasks. Click this button after you have made any changes to the task information.

Click this button if you want to clear all of the dates currently assigned to the task. You can then recalculate the schedule using dates that you manually enter. This can also be used if you made manual changes but then decided to back out the changes.

Click an arrow to indent, outdent, move up, or move down a task. You create subtasks by indenting a task under another task.

Click this button to cut a row from the grid. You must have selected the Select check box by the row or place the cursor in the row to be cut. Use this when you want to cut and paste the row to a different location.

Click the Copy button to copy a row.

Click the Paste Row button to paste a row into the grid.

Click the Undo button if you want to undo the last action such as cutting or pasting a row.

Click the Delete button to delete a row. You must select a row in order to delete it. Once you have deleted a row, you cannot paste it back into the grid as it is deleted permanently.

Click the Add a Row button to add new rows. You must first select a row in the grid after which you want to add more rows.

Number Rows

Enter the number of blank rows to be inserted into the grid. The row in the grid after which you want the new rows to appear.

Sourcing Plan Tasks

	Select this check box to select the task line if you want to indent, outdent, move up or move down a task in the grid.
Task Name	Enter a short description of the task.
Duration (Days)	Enter the total number of days that you anticipate the task will take.
Start Date	This field is system-generated based on the creation date for the sourcing plan. This field is editable and displayed for sourcing plans only.
End Date	For new sourcing plans, you can leave this field blank and the system will automatically calculate this date using the value you entered in the Duration (Days) field. If you are viewing or revising an existing sourcing plan, this field displays the end date based on the date of the last task.
Assigned To	Select the individual to which the tasks should be assigned. If you are revising the plan, you can also change the tasks to another individual.
Task Status	Select a value to indicate the current status of the task. Values are: Complete In Progress Not Start
Completed Requirements	This display-only field indicates the completed requirement information for a task.

More Dates tab

Use this tab to add additional details to the sourcing plan.

Click the Details button to view or add additional task details.

Click the Predecessor Tasks button to view or add predecessor tasks that must be completed before the task can begin.

Baseline Start Date and Baseline Finish Date

Enter start and finish dates for the task.

Note. This is to be used for tasks that do not have any subtasks.

Actual Start Date and Actual Finish Date

Enter the actual start and finish dates for the task.

Deadline Date

Enter the date by which the task must be completed. If you want the system to calculate the deadline date, the system will use the end date of the task plus the number of days specified in the grace period.

Milestone

Select the check box for the task that you want to designate as a milestone task. Reporting can be performed using project milestones.

User Fields tab

You can optionally add other information to the sourcing plan by using these user-defined fields.

Note. This page is only available for sourcing plans.

Accessing Other Pages from the Sourcing Plan Details Page

Return to Plan Summary	Click this link to return to the Define Sourcing Plan Basics page.
View Gantt Chart	Click this link to view the sourcing plan in a Gantt chart format.

Viewing Sourcing Plans Using a Gantt Chart

Access the Strategic Sourcing Project Plan page.

View the sourcing project plan using a Gantt chart.

Viewing or Adding Predecessor Tasks

Access the Task Predecessor Detail page.

View or add predecessor tasks.

The start date of the selected task is based on the end date of the predecessor tasks. In other words, a task cannot start before the end date for the predecessor.

Viewing or Adding Sourcing Plan Details

Access the Sourcing Plan Details page.

Additional Details

View, add, or revise additional details for the task.

Instructions

View, add, or revise any special instructions.

Description

View, add, or revise the description for the task.

Grace Days

Enter the number of days to be used as a grace period for this particular task. The grace period indicates the number of days that a task can be past due before the deadline date.

Note. The deadline date for the task will be calculated by using the end date of the task plus the number of days specified in the grace period.

Task Completion Requirements

Sequence Number	Enter the sequence number for the task. This is a required field.
Requirement Type	Select a value to indicate the type of requirements needed in order for the task to be marked as complete. This is a required field. Attachment: You must attach a file. Comment: You must add a comment. Sourcing Event: The completion of the task is dependent on an action related to a sourcing event. Note. You can add additional completion requirements for each task. However, if there are multiple completion requirements, then all the requirements must be met before the task can be considered completed.
Description	View, add, or revise the description for the requirements in order for the task to be complete.
Completion Method	Select a value to indicate the method that could cause the status of the task to be updated automatically to Complete. This field is available only with the requirement type of Sourcing Event. Event Approved Event Awarded Event Ends Event Posted Event Starts

Task Comments

Comments

(Optional) Enter any comments relating to the task.

Viewing and Managing Tasks by Resource

This section discusses how to:

Manage plans using the Sourcing Plan Workbench.
View assigned sourcing plan tasks.
View and update task information.
View and manage tasks by resource.

Pages Used to View and Manage Tasks by Resource

Page Name	Object Name	Navigation	Usage
Sourcing Plan Workbench	AUC_PLN_WKBNCH_PG	Sourcing, Manage Plans, Plan Workbench	Use this page to manage sourcing plans. You can cancel and create new versions using this page.
Sourcing Plan Task Summary	AUC_MY_TASKS_PG	Sourcing, Manage Plans, My Sourcing Plan Tasks	Assignees can view tasks that are assigned to them.
View and Manage Tasks By Resource	AUC_PLN_VTR_PG	Sourcing, Manage Plans, View Tasks by Resource	View and manage tasks by resource.
Update Task Information	AUC_PLN_TSK_PG	Click a link in the Task ID column on the View Tasks by Resource page.	View task details.

Managing Plans Using the Sourcing Plan Workbench

Access the Sourcing Plan Workbench page.

Search Criteria

Select values in the fields in the Search Criteria group box to narrow your search.

Sort Plans By	Select a value to indicate how you want the sourcing plans to be sorted: Current Owner Plan ID Plan Name Plan Status
Sort Order	Select the order in which you want the sourcing plans to display. Values are Ascending or Descending.
Only show Plans that I own	Select this check box to retrieve only the plans that you own or are the current owner. Note. The roles of Plan Approver can also view sourcing plans that are not owned by them.
Use my search defaults	Select this check box if you want to use the search defaults.
Default Search Preferences	Click this link to define default search preferences. You must define default search preferences before you can utilize the Use my search defaults field.
Search	Click this button to retrieve the sourcing plans that meet the search criteria.
Reset	Click this button if you want to revise the search criteria.

Search Results

Plan ID	Click the link for the sourcing plan that you'd like to view or edit.
	Click the Cancel button to cancel the sourcing plan. After you have confirmed the cancellation for the sourcing plan, the plan status is changed to Cancelled. If there are subsequent tasks associated with the sourcing plan, they will also be cancelled.
	Click the Create New Version button to create a copy of the current plan version. The system updates the status of the current plan version to Inactive. The system creates a new plan version, and increments the version number by 1. This option is available for any sourcing plans that do not have a status of Cancelled or Complete.
	Click the Approval Status button to view any sourcing plans that have been routed for approval.

Viewing Assigned Sourcing Plan Tasks

Access the Sourcing Plan Task Summary page.

Not Completed, Completed, and All Tasks

The number of tasks is displayed.

All Tasks

Task ID

Click the link to access the Update Task Information page.

Viewing and Updating Task Information

Access the Update Task Information page.

Task Status

You can update the status here. Values are Complete, In Progress, and Not Started.

Actual Start Date

Enter the date that you actually began to work on the task.

Actual Finish Date

Enter the date that you completed the task.

Return to My Tasks

Click this link to return to the Sourcing Plan Task Summary page.

Viewing and Managing Tasks by Resource

Access the View and Manage Tasks By Resource page.

Note. This page can be accessed by plan owners only.

To reassign tasks:

Enter values in various fields to narrow the selection criteria.
Click Search to retrieve the tasks that meet the selection criteria.
Use the Assigned Tasks group box to reassign the tasks.
Click Save to complete the task reassignment process.

Approving Strategic Sourcing Project Plans

Sourcing plans that require approval are routed only to users with the role of Plan Approver. Sourcing plans must be posted before they can be approved.

This section discusses how to:

Post Strategic Sourcing plans.
Approve or deny Strategic Sourcing plans.

Page Used to Approve Strategic Sourcing Plans

Page Name	Object Name	Navigation	Usage
Sourcing Plan Approval	AUC_PLN_APP_PG	Worklist, Worklist, then click the sourcing plan that is pending approval.	Approve or deny sourcing plans.

Posting Strategic Sourcing Plans

Access the Sourcing Plan Workbench page.

Posting Sourcing Plans

Follow these steps to post a sourcing plan for approval:

Access the Sourcing Event Workbench page and select the sourcing plan you want to post.

You can also post a sourcing plan by using the Define Sourcing Plan Basics page (Sourcing, Manage Plans, Plan Details).
Select the sourcing plan for posting.

A new window opens and you are taken to the Define Sourcing Plan Basics page.
Click the Post Plan button.

Approving or Denying Strategic Sourcing Plans

Access the Sourcing Plan Approval page.

Review/Edit Approvers

If approvals are required, the appropriate individuals names will display. Use this group box to edit the approvers.

Approval Comments

Add any comments concerning the approval or denial of the sourcing plan.

Approve

Click this button to approve the sourcing plan.

Deny

Click this button to deny (disapprove) the sourcing plan.

The Plan Owner receives a notification indicating whether the plan was approved or denied. The status of the sourcing plan is updated after the action of Post or Approval has occurred.

	Click this button to recalculate the schedule based on the current information including each task’s duration days and any predecessor tasks. Click this button after you have made any changes to the task information.
	Click this button if you want to clear all of the dates currently assigned to the task. You can then recalculate the schedule using dates that you manually enter. This can also be used if you made manual changes but then decided to back out the changes.
	Click an arrow to indent, outdent, move up, or move down a task. You create subtasks by indenting a task under another task.
	Click this button to cut a row from the grid. You must have selected the Select check box by the row or place the cursor in the row to be cut. Use this when you want to cut and paste the row to a different location.
	Click the Copy button to copy a row.
	Click the Paste Row button to paste a row into the grid.
	Click the Undo button if you want to undo the last action such as cutting or pasting a row.
	Click the Delete button to delete a row. You must select a row in order to delete it. Once you have deleted a row, you cannot paste it back into the grid as it is deleted permanently.
	Click the Add a Row button to add new rows. You must first select a row in the grid after which you want to add more rows.
Number Rows	Enter the number of blank rows to be inserted into the grid. The row in the grid after which you want the new rows to appear.

	Click the Details button to view or add additional task details.
	Click the Predecessor Tasks button to view or add predecessor tasks that must be completed before the task can begin.
Baseline Start Date and Baseline Finish Date	Enter start and finish dates for the task. Note. This is to be used for tasks that do not have any subtasks.
Actual Start Date and Actual Finish Date	Enter the actual start and finish dates for the task.
Deadline Date	Enter the date by which the task must be completed. If you want the system to calculate the deadline date, the system will use the end date of the task plus the number of days specified in the grace period.
Milestone	Select the check box for the task that you want to designate as a milestone task. Reporting can be performed using project milestones.

Additional Details	View, add, or revise additional details for the task.
Instructions	View, add, or revise any special instructions.
Description	View, add, or revise the description for the task.
Grace Days	Enter the number of days to be used as a grace period for this particular task. The grace period indicates the number of days that a task can be past due before the deadline date. Note. The deadline date for the task will be calculated by using the end date of the task plus the number of days specified in the grace period.

Task Status	You can update the status here. Values are Complete, In Progress, and Not Started.
Actual Start Date	Enter the date that you actually began to work on the task.
Actual Finish Date	Enter the date that you completed the task.
Return to My Tasks	Click this link to return to the Sourcing Plan Task Summary page.

Review/Edit Approvers	If approvals are required, the appropriate individuals names will display. Use this group box to edit the approvers.
Approval Comments	Add any comments concerning the approval or denial of the sourcing plan.
Approve	Click this button to approve the sourcing plan.
Deny	Click this button to deny (disapprove) the sourcing plan.