SAP HR: Basics of Time Management

INTRODUCTION
So, What is time Management? Maximizing the use of time, ensuring that all time especially in the business/ work environment is accounted for.


How does SAP come in? SAP ERP (Systems, Applications and Products in Data Processing) is an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software developed as part of their HCM offering to make it easier for employers to manage their enterprise's human capital. One aspect of this offering is Time Management.


It is essential for employers to be able to evaluate their employees work and availability. This information is used in various other areas of the business and is a factor that influences company-wide decisions. Companies have several options for recording working time such as Time Manager's WorkPlace, Central Time Sheet, Offline Menus, Time Recording Systems and Employee Self-Service (ESS) applications


SAP and TIME MANAGEMENT
In SAP, the core time management infotype is IT007: Planned Working Time. Here employee planned working time is assigned using Work Schedule Rules. 
Standard SAP System also contains public holiday calendars. You can change existing and define new public holidays and public holiday calendars.

• Public Holiday Calendars are assigned to Personnel Subareas.
• Planned working time: daily work period from start to end of the day, excluding breaks. It is represented in a work schedule. 
• Personal Work Schedule: information on an employee's working time, including deviations from and exceptions to an employee's normal working time. 
• Daily Work Schedule: information on a day's working time including breaks
• Period Work Schedule: a set sequence of daily work schedules
• Work Schedule: period work schedule + public holiday calendar

To record time in SAP, the following systems can be used:

1. Online by Time Administrators
2. Separate Time Recording Systems
3. Cross-Application Time Sheet (CATS)
4. Employee Self-Service (ESS) applications
5. Customer systems with an interface to SAP system

Ways of recording time data:

1. Time Manager's workplace ( multiple infotypes + multiple employees)
2. Maintain Individual infotypes (one infotype + one employee)
3. Fast entry (one infotype + multiple employees)

Methods of recording employee time data in SAP System:

1. Negative Time: record only working time deviations from assigned work schedules e.g illness, annual leave etc.
2. Positive Time: record all actual times i.e. start, lunch time, break time, end etc. There are 2 ways:
1. Automatic: use separate time recording system and upload to SAP and process in time evaluation
2. Manual: enter data manually using IT2002: Attendances