SAMi  is an interface which transfers data between SAP R/3 and Microsoft Project, based on the BAPI technology (Business Application Programming Interface).

With SAMi you may

• call data from the SAP R/3 PS module and transfer them via SAMi into "your" Microsoft Project, where you are familiar with planning, visualizing and handling of your projects.
• call data from the SAP R/3 PS module and transfer them via SAMi to your laptop and then work at home or at your customer's place without being directly connected to R/3.
• upload your data after having made modifications in Microsoft Project via SAMi to R/3 later.
• start from scratch directly in Microsoft Project and transfer the data to SAP R/3 later.

With SAMi we offer two possible views in Microsoft Project:

• The WBS elements together with the hierarchy are visualized in Microsoft Project as summary tasks. The corresponding network activities are listed below their assigned WBS element, which means that the project itself will be visualized with respect to the WBS hierarchy.
• As an alternative SAMi offers the possibility to handle the projects as usual in Microsoft Project. The project manager can create summary tasks to structure his projects. This structure does not have to correspond to the structure of the WBS elements, although the WBS elements are assigned automatically to the different tasks. This means that the project structure can be completely independent of the work breakdown structure.

For further information please contact PMLine Ltd or Afinion AG directly.

SAMi 1.1

The new functions of SAMi 1.1 provide an even more simple and comfortable useage of the two Systems SAP R/3 and Microsoft Project. Enhancements have been added to the following areas:

Calendar

Holidays and other specifics of the SAP calendar as well as shift times of the work centre can be transferred to Microsoft Project one-to-one. There they can be followed up independent of SAP.

If the category "temporary available capacities" is supported by the work centre, their data are transferred too in order to ensure exact scheduling in Microsoft Project.

Resources

SAMi 1.1 loads all resources related to WBS elements like e.g. cost elements. It also loads resources assigned to network activities such as capacity category, activity type, co-workers assigned to the work centre, capacity-split data, activities and cost elements.

Human resources for network activities for SAP PS can be planned in Microsoft Project, including capacity distribution considering SAP rules. Testing of the resource availabilities can then be made in SAP by clicking on a Microsoft Project icon. All network activities and already assigned resources will be considered.

SAMi contains all resource assignment data of SAP and relates them to the scheduling data of Microsoft Project. The project manager has the option to perform required modifications of the resource assignments before transferring the network plan from Microsoft Project to SAP.

Cost

SAMi transfers estimated and actual cost data from SAP PS to Microsoft Project for all project structures like WBS elements/objects and network activities.

Progress

Completed activities of all network tasks are being transferred from SAP, for each split assignment or work centre respectively, if no split assignment exists.

The user can confirm network activities in Microsoft Project against SAP. Thereby the SAP specific confirmation rules like partial or complete, entry of percent complete or actual work performed for activities are observed.

Statements

• Statements by milestones
• Periodical statements
• Statements by resource

Status Administration

Project Loading

All project definitions, WBS elements, network activities and network elements can be loaded with SAMi 1.1. This includes the corresponding milestones, resources, estimated and actual cost, status information and calendar settings.

Due to this enhanced functionality all project reports like "Project Cost", "Earned Value" and various resource reports can be generated. SAMi 1.1 supports the user to benefit from the meaningful GUI reports in Microsoft Project as well as the ABAP reports in SAP. This even works for projects, that are already closed in SAP.

In Microsoft Projects reports can be adapted to specific enterprise requirements.

It is possible to save project definitions with WBS elements or network plans in .MPP format. It can then be loaded and modified elsewhere and later be transferred back to SAP. Adding or deleting activities, however, in this case is not possible.

While a user is modifying a network plan in Microsoft Project, it can be locked in SAP. When transferring it back to SAP SAMi automatically releases the lock.