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SAP cProjects: phase by phase, gate by gate
Collaboration Projects, today Project Management in SAP Portfolio and Project Management, explained for users and for consultants from other modules.
DEV-2026-014Development project · 4 phasesConceptDesignBuildLaunchQuality gateGATE 2- R&D leadApproved
- Finance controllerApproved
- Quality leadPending
- Phase status
For Approval
Overview
What cProjects is, if you have never worked with it
SAP cProjects, short for Collaboration Projects, is SAP’s project management for phase-based projects: product development, IT, consulting and service projects, where the main resource is people’s time. A project is cut into phases, each phase can end at a quality gate where decision makers approve it, and checklists make sure nothing is forgotten on the way.
The name changed as the product grew. cProjects was combined with Resource and Portfolio Management into SAP Portfolio and Project Management (PPM), and in SAP S/4HANA it is called Project Management, part of SAP Portfolio and Project Management for SAP S/4HANA. Users and consultants still say cProjects, and its tables still start with DPR_.
This page is for the people who work around it: project managers and team members, and FI, CO or PS consultants who meet cProjects when a project needs a cost collector. It shows the building blocks, follows one project through its gates, explains what reaches Controlling and lists the transactions and apps worth knowing.
- SAP ECC with PPM
- SAP S/4HANA
- S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition
CAT2COCPCPRDPR_PROJECTUse the User | Consultant switch at the top of the page to show or hide the technical layer: tables, Customizing and the settings behind each step.
Phases with quality gates
Phases structure the project in time. An approval with decision makers can close each one and act as a quality gate, and a phase can be set up so the next one starts only after it is completed.
Source: SAP Learning, using project managementLight on finance, by design
cProjects plans the work and prices it. Actual costs, commitments, budgets and period-end closing live only in the linked CO objects: internal orders or WBS elements.
Source: SAP Learning, cost planning and cost integrationBorn in product development
In 2003, cProjects Suite 3.0, cProjects plus cFolders, was part of mySAP PLM. It supported the automotive APQP and PPAP processes and ran at about 400 sites worldwide.
Source: @IT (ITmedia), cProjects Suite 3.0 (2003)
Who cProjects talks to
cProjects can run alone, but most companies connect it. Each link below is where a project manager’s question turns into a question for another team.
- COInternal ordersSingle-object controlling: one or more orders collect planned and actual costs.
- PSWBS elementsMultilevel controlling: a PS project is generated or assigned to the project.
- CATS / HCMTime and peopleTime sheets on tasks or project roles; employees as business partners.
- PPM-PFMPortfolio ManagementAn approved portfolio item creates the project, and the two stay linked.
- DMSDocumentsDocuments and status reports in the project or in SAP Document Management.
- MS PROJECTImport and exportPlans exchanged with Microsoft Project or as XML.
Building blocks
What a cProjects project is made of
A project definition on top, phases below it, and under each phase the checklists and tasks that do the work. Around the structure sit the roles, the approvals and the links to other systems. Pick a block to see what it means and why CO cares.
Level 1
Project definition
The top of every project: name, a 24-character ID, planned dates, responsible role, sold-to party and organizational units. It carries the project type, the central Customizing profile, plus a priority and a project reason used in evaluations. Capacity is not planned here, but in tasks and roles.
Example: DEV-2026-014, new filling line for cans
Why CO cares
The project type decides whether and when the project goes to Accounting: never, when it is saved, when it is flagged for transfer or when it is released. Controlling area, company code and profit center come from the project type or the responsible organizational unit.
Under the hoodDPR_PROJECTVC_DPR_PRO_TYPE
Tables and Customizing for each block are in the Consultant view.
Level 2
Phase
Phases cut the project into time slices, each with dates, a responsible role and a phase type. They can have predecessors and successors, and each one can end in an approval, the quality gate. Once released, a phase can no longer be moved.
Example: Concept, Design, Build, Launch
Why CO cares
In multilevel controlling, structure elements such as phases can be assigned to WBS elements, by hand or automatically during the transfer, so CO can read costs per phase. Only WBS levels up to three are transferred.
Under the hoodDPR_PHASEPhase type
Tables and Customizing for each block are in the Consultant view.
Level 3
Checklist
A list of what must be done in a phase, such as reviews and sign-offs. The checklist type decides whether it is an ordinary checklist or an issue list for unplanned items that still must be solved. Checklists can be created from templates.
Example: Design review checklist; open issues list
Why CO cares
No direct CO impact: a checklist has no duration or work of its own. It can hold up the gate, though, and with it the next phase and its costs.
Under the hoodDPR_CHECKLIST_HChecklist type
Tables and Customizing for each block are in the Consultant view.
Work
Task
Where the work is: duration, planned work, dates and assigned project roles. Tasks are linked by relationships into a network-like schedule, can be milestones and can sit under the project definition, a phase or a checklist item. The task type must be set before release and cannot be changed afterwards.
Example: Write the functional specification, 80 hours
Why CO cares
Task-based cost planning multiplies planned work by cost rates, and the task type can carry those rates. With CATS, time recorded on a task becomes actual cost on the internal order or WBS element behind it.
Under the hoodDPR_TASKTask type
Tables and Customizing for each block are in the Consultant view.
Level 4
Checklist item
One line to tick off, with no duration. Two flags matter: Mandatory items must be completed before the phase can be closed, and items relevant for approval must be completed before the phase can be approved. Items are confirmed as OK, Not OK or Not relevant.
Example: Safety assessment signed; specification frozen
Why CO cares
None. Checklist items have no actual work, remaining work or percentage of completion, so time is never recorded on them.
Under the hoodDPR_CHECKLIST_I
Tables and Customizing for each block are in the Consultant view.
Work
Subtask
Tasks can be broken into subtasks, nested further. The project type decides whether a superior task is a summary task that only totals its subtasks, or adds its own work on top.
Example: Specification: draft, review, final
Why CO cares
Summary tasks cannot be confirmed in CATS, so time goes on the subtasks.
Under the hoodDPR_TASKTask hierarchy
Tables and Customizing for each block are in the Consultant view.
People
Project role
Describes an activity in the project, such as developer or quality lead, with dates and demand. Roles are staffed with internal or external business partners and assigned to tasks, and they are the basis of resource planning.
Example: Senior developer, 300 hours, two people staffed
Why CO cares
Role-based cost planning uses the role’s cost and revenue rates, and a role can get its own WBS element. Time can be recorded on roles instead of tasks if the project type allows it.
Under the hoodDPR_PARTDPR_ENTITY_LINK
Tables and Customizing for each block are in the Consultant view.
Quality gate
Approval
Closes a phase. The project manager creates it and names decision makers from staffed roles; each grants or refuses an individual approval based on a generated approval document. An approval cannot be revoked.
Example: Gate 2: design approved by R&D, finance and quality
Why CO cares
The project can be completed only after the last phase is approved. Once the project is closed, its phases and tasks close too and no more time can be booked on it.
Under the hoodDPR_APPROVALPhase type
Tables and Customizing for each block are in the Consultant view.
Other systems
Object link
Connects a project element to objects elsewhere: WBS elements, internal orders, purchase orders, sales documents, documents and more. Key data of the linked object is shown in the project.
Example: Task linked to purchase order 4500001234
Why CO cares
The accounting integration runs on object links: Customizing has standard entries for internal orders and WBS elements, with the RFC connection and logical system of the CO system.
Under the hoodDPR_OBJLINKObject types for object links
Tables and Customizing for each block are in the Consultant view.
Reuse
Template
Projects can start from a template with phases, tasks, checklists and roles already in place, or from an approved portfolio item. Checklist templates are kept by the template administrator role.
Example: Template for a new product launch
Why CO cares
The template number travels with the transfer and can be seen on the cost collector, which helps CO select projects of the same kind.
Under the hoodSAP_CPR_TEMPLATE_ADMINISTRATOR
Tables and Customizing for each block are in the Consultant view.
Structure as described in SAP’s training for SAP Portfolio and Project Management for SAP S/4HANA. Sources: SAP Learning, using project management, project structures and approving phases; sapdatasheet, tables of package DEVELOPMENT_PROJECTS_OBJECTS.
The cProjects process
Follow one project from the idea to the closing
Eight steps of a typical phase-based project. Pick a step to see what happens, where you see it, what it means for Controlling and, in the Consultant view, what sits under the hood.
Step 1 of 8 · What happens
The idea: a portfolio item
Many projects start in Portfolio Management. A proposal with timeframe, financial demand and capacity demand is assessed with questionnaires, ranked and approved. The approved item creates the operational project, and the two stay linked. Projects can also be created directly.
Who: Portfolio manager and stakeholders
Where you see it
The Portfolio Items and Buckets apps in the Fiori launchpad; the new project then appears in the project dashboard.
Portfolio ItemsBuckets
Under the hood
Item types are mapped to project templates (/RPM/CPIT_MAP) and decision points to phases (/RPM/CPDP_MAP). Decision points cannot be synchronized with phases when the project uses non-sequential phase processing.
/RPM/CPIT_MAP/RPM/CPDP_MAP
Customizing, tables and the settings behind this step are in the Consultant view.
No postingIn Controlling: Nothing yet. Expected costs sit in the portfolio item’s financial planning, not in Controlling.
Sources: SAP demo script EPM1; SAP PPM 6.1 help, phase statuses; sapstack, PPM tables.
Step 2 of 8 · What happens
The project is created from a template
The project manager creates the project definition, usually from a template, and picks the project type, which cannot be changed after release. Phases, tasks, checklists and roles come in from the template and are adjusted to this project.
Who: Project manager
Where you see it
The project dashboard of the Project Management web application, opened from NWBC or the Fiori launchpad, with Create, Import and Compare.
Project dashboard
Under the hood
The project type, Customizing view cluster VC_DPR_PRO_TYPE, switches on documents, versions, object links, subtasks, time recording, digital signatures and accounting integration. IDs take up to 24 characters; texts can be kept in several languages.
VC_DPR_PRO_TYPEDPR_PROJECT
Customizing, tables and the settings behind this step are in the Consultant view.
No postingIn Controlling: Nothing yet, unless the project type transfers the project as soon as it is saved.
Sources: SAP Learning, using project management and project structures; sapdatasheet, IMG activity Define Project Types.
Step 3 of 8 · What happens
Phases, tasks and the schedule are planned
Tasks get durations and planned work and are linked into a schedule, top-down or bottom-up. Checklists go under the phases, with mandatory and approval-relevant items. The Gantt chart shows the result, and a plan made in Microsoft Project can be imported.
Who: Project manager
Where you see it
The Gantt chart and structure views of the project; tabular views for changes to many tasks at once.
Gantt chartImport
Under the hood
Scheduling mode and task hierarchy (none, with or without summary tasks) come from the project type. Importing Microsoft Project for an existing project creates a simulation called 0IMPORT instead of overwriting it. Field assignment: DPR_UPLD_FR_MSP_CUST.
DPR_TASKDPR_UPLD_FR_MSP_CUST
Customizing, tables and the settings behind this step are in the Consultant view.
No postingIn Controlling: Nothing yet. Planned work is the base for cost planning later.
Sources: SAP Learning, project structures; SAP Help, import from Microsoft Project.
Step 4 of 8 · What happens
Roles are defined and staffed
Project roles describe who is needed and for how long. The resource manager searches by availability and qualifications and staffs the roles with internal employees or external partners. The decision makers for the gates will also come from staffed roles.
Who: Project manager and resource manager
Where you see it
The Resources tab of the project, with staffing requests and e-mail notifications to the people staffed.
Resources tab
Under the hood
Employees come from HR as business partners. Project role types set default authorizations for the people staffed in them. Roles are in DPR_PART and role assignments in DPR_ENTITY_LINK.
DPR_PARTDPR_ENTITY_LINK
Customizing, tables and the settings behind this step are in the Consultant view.
No postingIn Controlling: Nothing yet. Role demand is the base for role-based cost planning.
Sources: SAPinsider, cProjects overview (2010); SAP Learning, project structures and approving phases.
Step 5 of 8 · What happens
Costs are planned and the project goes to CO
cProjects multiplies planned work by cost and revenue rates, by task or by role. When the project reaches the transfer point set in its project type, it goes to Accounting: an internal order or a PS project with WBS elements is created or assigned, and the costing is saved there.
Who: Project manager; CO behind the scenes
Where you see it
The Accounting tab of the project; the cost collector in KO03 or CJ20N; transfer errors in the controlling cockpit COCPCPR.
COCPCPRKO03CJ20N
Under the hood
Order type CPR1 with model order $CPR1 for internal orders; project profile CPR0001, which you create, for the automatic WBS scenarios. The transfer creates Easy Cost Planning items with cost elements, activity types and cost centers.
CPR1CPR0001CJ9ECP
Customizing, tables and the settings behind this step are in the Consultant view.
Plan in COIn Controlling: Planned costs on the internal order or WBS element. From a cost accounting view, the transfer is an activity allocation from the cProjects project to the cost collector.
Sources: SAP Learning, cost planning and cost integration; SAP PPM 4.0 help, accounting integration.
Step 6 of 8 · What happens
The project is released and the work recorded
Releasing the project definition releases the first phase with its tasks and checklists, stops automatic scheduling and locks the project type. Team members confirm work, dates and percentage of completion, or record their hours in CATS.
Who: Project manager and team members
Where you see it
Task details and tabular confirmation in the web application; CAT2 or the web time sheet for CATS; My Task List in Fiori.
CAT2My Task List
Under the hood
Released and approved CATS times go to cProjects and CO. Program DPR_CATS_CPR_TRANS moves the totals to the project screens and should run as a batch job; records are in DPR_CONF_LI. Planned times are not sent to CATS.
DPR_CATS_CPR_TRANSDPR_CONF_LI
Customizing, tables and the settings behind this step are in the Consultant view.
Actual in COIn Controlling: Actual costs: CO values the hours with plan prices from cost center accounting and posts them to the cost collector of the task or role.
Sources: SAP Learning, executing projects and confirming activities; SAP PPM 4.0 help, CATS integration.
Step 7 of 8 · What happens
The phase passes the quality gate
When the approval-relevant tasks and checklist items are done, the project manager starts the approval. Decision makers grant or refuse their individual approvals on a generated approval document, the project manager gives the final approval and completes the phase. The next phase can then be released.
Who: Project manager and decision makers
Where you see it
Decision makers find the approval under Approvals on the initial screen and do not need access to the project. The phase shows For Approval, then Approval Granted.
Approvals
Under the hood
The phase type decides when decision makers are assigned, whether individual approvals can change after the start, whether approval can be granted despite refusals, and whether approval completes the phase and releases the successor. Print form DPR_APPROVAL; digital signature optional.
DPR_APPROVALPhase type
Customizing, tables and the settings behind this step are in the Consultant view.
No postingIn Controlling: No posting. After the approval, only tasks that are not approval-relevant can still be confirmed.
Sources: SAP Learning, approving phases and project structures; SAP PPM 6.1 help, phase statuses.
Step 8 of 8 · What happens
The project is closed
After the last phase is approved, the project can be completed. Closing it closes its phases and tasks, and no more time can be booked. A project with an unapproved phase cannot be completed, only canceled.
Who: Project manager; CO for period-end
Where you see it
The status Closed on the project definition, and a final status report from the Status Reports tab.
Status reports
Under the hood
Overhead, results analysis and settlement run on the CO object, set up in the controlling scenario. Period-end runs for internal orders can use the selection method cProjects Internal Orders and fields such as the project type.
KGI4Controlling scenario
Customizing, tables and the settings behind this step are in the Consultant view.
Period-end in COIn Controlling: Overhead, results analysis and settlement are period-end steps on the cost collector, not in cProjects.
Sources: SAPinsider, cProjects overview (2010) and integrate cProjects with CO (2006); SAP PPM 6.1 help, phase statuses.
Try it
Will this phase pass the gate?
The phase approval is the heart of cProjects, and the part people ask about most. Phase 2, Design, is about to end. Tick what is done, start the approval, let the decision makers vote and change the phase type settings to see what SAP allows next.
The buttons need JavaScript. Without it, the phase shows its starting point: released, with nothing done yet.
Phase 2 · Design
Work in the phase
Decision makers
- Ana RibeiroR&D lead
- Tom BeckerFinance controller
- Mei TanakaQuality lead
Phase type settings
- Approval granted automatically after the last individual approval
- Approval can be granted with refused individual approvals
- Approval completes the phase
- Successor phase released only after approval
Phase status
- 01Released
- 02For Approval
- 03Approval Granted
- 04Completed
What SAP says now
- Approval-relevant work: 0 of 3 done. The project manager can start the approval only when all of it is completed.
Phase 3 · Build
Waits: this phase type releases the successor only after phase 2 is approved.
Sequential phase processing, the default. Phase type options, statuses and rules from SAP Learning (approving phases, project structures, executing projects) and the SAP Portfolio and Project Management 6.1 help on phase statuses. In this simulator the approval-relevant items lock once the approval starts; names and the project are examples.
Integration with SAP CO
From hours in cProjects to the cost collector in CO
This is what CO consultants are asked about. cProjects does not post costs. It plans the work, prices it with cost rates and hands the result to a CO object, an internal order or a WBS element, where actual costs, budget and period-end closing live. Pick the controlling method, change the plan and record some hours to see what CO receives.
The project
Example: an internal order, costs planned by task, 80 h of project manager, 240 h of consultant and 320 h of developer, 50% of the hours recorded in CATS.
Rates per hour in USD, examples only. Real rates are kept in Customizing by organizational unit and validity period and replicated to CO.
Costing by task, summed per phase
| Structure element | Work | Rate | Planned cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tasks in Concept | 128 h | 85.00 | 10,880.00 |
| Tasks in Design | 192 h | 85.00 | 16,320.00 |
| Tasks in Build | 320 h | 85.00 | 27,200.00 |
| Project total | 640 h | 85.00 | 54,400.00 |
Task-based: planned work of each task × the cost rate of the role assigned. Example split: Concept 20%, Design 30%, Build 50% of each role’s hours; rates shown are averages.
What CO receives
Internal order 400112 · order type CPR1
Single-object controlling: one order for the project definition, created at the first transfer. Example number.
ECP item · internal activityProject manager: activity type and cost element from the rate assignment in CO8,800.00ECP item · internal activityConsultant: activity type and cost element from the rate assignment in CO21,600.00ECP item · internal activityDeveloper: activity type and cost element from the rate assignment in CO24,000.00
Planned costs on the order: 54,400.00. Same total whatever the planning basis.
After the time sheets
Planned work640 h
Hours recorded in CATS320 h
Remaining work (planned − actual)320 h
Actual cost on the CO object27,200.00
Planned cost on the CO object54,400.00
CO values the approved CATS records with plan prices from cost center accounting; here they equal the cProjects rates. Personnel costs are not assigned to the project’s object.
Only in CO, never in cProjects
- Actual costs from materials, purchase orders and services, posted to the linked order or WBS element
- Commitments and budgets, with multilevel budgeting on WBS elements
- Overhead, results analysis and settlement at period-end
- Detailed CO reports, opened from the project’s Accounting tab
Rules that surprise CO people
All documented by SAP, none of them obvious from the screens. Read them before you design the accounting integration.
- 3 levelsOnly three WBS levels are transferredDeeper structure stays in cProjects, and PS WBS elements show neither the task dates nor their sequence. SAP Note 954151 describes the generated hierarchy.
- MDLKGenerated WBS elements are lockedWBS elements created by the transfer get the status Master data locked, so PS changes go through cProjects.
- One wayAutomatic to manual, never backYou can switch from automatic to manual assignment, but not back, and the PS structure is then no longer updated.
- Every saveEach change transfers againAfter the first transfer, every save that changes the project definition, tasks, roles or resources transfers and costs again. Transferred elements cannot be deleted.
- COCPCPRNo cost center, no orderIf the responsible organizational unit has no cost center, the internal order cannot be created. Fix it, then recreate the order from the controlling cockpit.
- Activity allocationThe transfer is a planned allocationFrom a cost accounting view, the transfer is an activity allocation with the cProjects project as sender and the order or WBS element as receiver.
Sources: SAP Learning, cost planning and cost integration (scenarios, order type CPR1, project profile CPR0001, ECP, MDLK, three levels); SAP PPM 4.0 help, accounting integration, controlling cockpit and CATS integration; SAPinsider, integrate cProjects with CO (2006).
Quick test
Why can’t I…?
Eight questions that keep coming back on SAP Community and in project rooms. Guess the answer first, then open the card to see the cause and who acts.
- Time
- Gate
- Status
- Accounting
…record time on my task? It is not in my CATS worklist.Show the answer
TimeThe worklist shows only released tasks you are assigned to through a staffed role, inside the confirmation period. Summary tasks never appear, time recording must be active in the project type and allowed in the project, and objects cannot be added by hand.
Who acts: Project manager, then a PPM consultant
…change the project type?Show the answer
StatusThe project type is locked when the project definition is released, and a task type cannot change once the task is released. Choose both carefully before the first release.
Who acts: Project manager
…release the next phase?Show the answer
GateIn sequential processing a phase can be released only after its predecessor is released, or approved if the phase type requires approval first. Check the previous phase’s approval and the phase type.
Who acts: Project manager
…start the approval?Show the answer
GateAll approval-relevant tasks and checklist items must be completed first. Decision makers come from staffed project roles, so resource planning must be done too.
Who acts: Project manager
…complete the project?Show the answer
StatusA project can be completed only after its last phase is approved. With an unapproved phase it can only be canceled.
Who acts: Project manager
…find the internal order? It was never created.Show the answer
AccountingLook in the controlling cockpit, COCPCPR. A classic cause: the responsible organizational unit has no cost center. Assign one, then recreate the order from the cockpit.
Who acts: CO consultant
…see the hours in the project? CATS has them.Show the answer
TimeApproved times reach CO at once, but the totals on the project screens are moved by program DPR_CATS_CPR_TRANS, which SAP recommends as a batch job. Check that it ran.
Who acts: PPM consultant or Basis
…get my 100% task closed?Show the answer
StatusA completion of 100% does not close the task by itself. Set the status Closed; it can be reset later if needed.
Who acts: Team member or project manager
Sources: SAP PPM 4.0 help, CATS integration and controlling cockpit; SAP PPM 6.1 help, phase statuses; SAP Learning, using project management, approving phases and confirming activities.
Speak cProjects
Names, statuses and switches you will hear in meetings
cProjects changed names several times, and its statuses and Customizing switches decide almost everything a project can do. These are the terms worth knowing before your first workshop.
One product, many names: cProjects was renamed as it grew. All of these point to the same area or its closest neighbours.
How they work: system statuses are delivered by SAP and you can add user statuses. The status decides which business transactions are allowed.
Where it is set: the transfer type is part of the project type (Customizing: Connection to External Systems › Accounting Integration › Activate Integration). The first transfer creates the cost collector and runs costing.
Where it is set: the phase type is chosen on the Basic Data tab of each phase. It decides how strict the gate is, so you do not have to use the whole approval process.
cProjectsCollaboration ProjectsThe original name of SAP’s project management for development and consulting projects.cFoldersIts sister productFolder-based sharing of documents with partners. Not available in PPM for SAP S/4HANA.cProjects SuitecProjects + cFoldersThe 2003 bundle sold as part of mySAP PLM.RPM / xRPMResource and Portfolio ManagementThe portfolio side: buckets, items, decision points. First sold as an SAP xApp.PPMPortfolio and Project ManagementFrom PPM 5.0, cProjects 4.5 and RPM 4.5 became one product.PPM-PROProject ManagementThe application component of cProjects, and its name inside PPM and SAP S/4HANA.EPPMEnterprise Portfolio and Project ManagementThe umbrella for PPM, CPM, PS and related solutions. Not a product.CPMCommercial Project ManagementA different product, for customer projects from bid to handover.DPR_Table prefixcProjects tables start with DPR_, V_DPR_ or CGPL_.CreatedAll objectsInitial status: editing, master data and planning allowed.ReleasedProject, phase, task, checklistThe object is in execution; needed before actual work can be recorded. It cannot be canceled.In ProcessTaskWork has started but is not finished; set together with Released.LockedProject, phase, templateTemporarily protected against changes; dependent data cannot change either.For ApprovalPhaseThe approval has started and waits for the decision makers.Approval GrantedPhaseApproved; can be set automatically after the last individual approval.CompletedPhase, task, checklist itemProcessing has finished; a completed phase can no longer change.ClosedProject, phase, taskSuccessfully completed and no longer changeable, but the status can be reset.FinishedChecklist, checklist itemDone; a checklist is Finished when all items are Finished or Not Relevant.CanceledProject, taskEnds the object; a canceled task loses its relationships.OffNo IntegrationThe project never reaches Accounting; costing results stay in Project Management.On saveAlways Automatic When SavingThe internal order or WBS is created the first time the project is saved.On flagAutomatic As of “Flagged for Transfer/To Assign”The project goes to Accounting after someone sets one of these statuses and saves.On releaseAutomatic As of Release of ProjectThe transfer starts when the project is released and saved.ApproveApprove PhaseWhether the phase ends with an approval at all.FormApproval print formThe approval document layout; DPR_APPROVAL if none is valid.At startDecision makers at startWhether decision makers are assigned when the approval starts.ChangeChangeable approvalsWhether individual approvals can change after the start.RefusalGrant with refusalsWhether approval can be granted despite refused individual approvals.AutoAutomatic approvalWhether approval follows the last individual approval.CompleteComplete on approvalWhether the approval completes the phase.SuccessorSuccessor after approvalWhether the next phase is released only after this one is approved.
Import a Microsoft Project file for a project that already exists, and cProjects does not overwrite it. It finds the same external ID, creates a simulation called 0IMPORT with the project number and shows it to you, to compare and reconcile with the operational project. Source: SAP Help
Reference
The transactions, screens and apps people actually use
cProjects is a web application, so users work mostly in its screens and in Fiori apps, not in classic transactions. Consultants meet Customizing activities and DPR_ transactions, and CO people meet the cockpit, the cost collectors and CATS. Start here shows the ones worth bookmarking; the last column says where each one exists. Type a code or a word to search all of them.
| Code or app | For | What it does | Who opens it | ECC / S/4HANA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Project dashboard | User | Start page of the Project Management web application: every project you may see, with search, filters, Excel export, compare, import and export. | Everyone in the project | ECC + S/4HANA |
Approvals | User | On the initial screen: approval documents waiting for a decision maker, who can sign without access to the project. | Decision makers | ECC + S/4HANA |
CAT2 | User | CATS time sheet: record hours on cProjects tasks or project roles from the worklist. | Team members | ECC + S/4HANA |
Status reports | User | Tab of the project: status reports as Adobe forms, sent by e-mail and stored in the project or in SAP DMS. | Project managers | ECC + S/4HANA |
Import / Export | User | Exchange projects with Microsoft Project (Client 2002 or later, Project Server 2003) or as XML. | Project managers | ECC + S/4HANA |
Evaluations | User | Delivered reports: tasks, staffing, checklists, ERP objects, project costs and revenues; export to CSV or Excel. | Project managers, PMO | ECC + S/4HANA |
Define Project Types | Consultant | SPRO › SAP Portfolio and Project Management › Project Management › Structure: the central profile, view cluster VC_DPR_PRO_TYPE. | PPM consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
Phase types | Consultant | Customizing of the approval behaviour of each phase: decision makers, refusals, automatic approval, completion, successor release. | PPM consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
Task types | Consultant | Customizing that groups tasks and can carry cost and revenue rates. | PPM consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
Checklist types | Consultant | Customizing of ordinary checklists and issue lists. | PPM consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
DPR_EVE_VIEW | Consultant | Define evaluations. | PPM consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
DPR_EVE_EXTRACT | Consultant | Define the extracts behind evaluations. | PPM consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
DPR_EVE_THRESHOLD | Consultant | Define threshold values that flag deviations and can trigger e-mail alerts. | PPM consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
DPR_EVE_BATCH_DPO | Consultant | Run the extraction of projects for evaluations. | PPM consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
DPR_UPLD_FR_MSP_CUST | Consultant | Field assignment for the Microsoft Project import. | PPM consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
DPR_DWNLD_2_MSP_CUST | Consultant | Field assignment for the Microsoft Project export. | PPM consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
DPR_DX_PROJECT | Consultant | Upload Excel data into Project Management to create or update projects. | PPM consultants, key users | ECC + S/4HANA |
DPR_CATS_CPR_TRANS | Consultant | Program that moves recorded CATS totals to the project screens; schedule it as a batch job. | PPM consultants, Basis | ECC + S/4HANA |
SAP_BPR_PPM | Consultant | Business role that opens PPM in SAP NetWeaver Business Client. | Security and Basis | ECC + S/4HANA |
SAP_CPR_TEMPLATE_ADMINISTRATOR | Consultant | Role for maintaining checklist and control plan templates. | Template administrators | ECC + S/4HANA |
BAPI_BUS2173_GET_DETAIL | Consultant | BAPI that reads a phase and returns its project as the superior object. | Developers | ECC + S/4HANA |
COCPCPR | CO bridge | Cockpit for controlling integration: transfer and costing messages; recreate or update the order or WBS from here. | CO consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
Activate Integration | CO bridge | SPRO › Connection to External Systems › Accounting Integration: whether and when projects go to Accounting. | PPM and CO consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
DPR_FIN_GECCO_TRANSF | CO bridge | Project transfer to CO; program DPR_FIN_GECCO_TRANSFER, component PPM-PRO-EXT-FIN. | PPM and CO consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
IAOM0 | CO bridge | Business scenario parameters: for scenario CPROJECTS, order type CPR1 is preset. | CO consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
CPR1 | CO bridge | Order type for cProjects internal orders, with model order $CPR1. | CO consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
CPR0001 | CO bridge | Project profile needed for the automatic WBS scenarios. Not delivered: you create it. | PS and CO consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
KO03 | CO bridge | Display the internal order created for the project, with its cProjects link data. | Controllers | ECC + S/4HANA |
CJ20N | CO bridge | Project Builder: the PS project and WBS elements generated or assigned. | PS consultants, controllers | ECC + S/4HANA |
CJ9ECP | CO bridge | Easy Cost Planning for projects: the costing items the transfer created. | Controllers | ECC + S/4HANA |
KGI4 | CO bridge | Overhead calculation; selection variants can read cProjects fields such as the project type. | Controllers | ECC + S/4HANA |
CJI3N | CO bridge | Actual cost line items of the project. | Controllers | S/4HANA |
| My Projects - Active Projects | Fiori app | Released projects where you are the project manager, with drill-down to progress, structure, staffing and financials. | Project managers | S/4HANA |
| Project Progress | Fiori app | Read-only timeline of phases, tasks and milestones. | Project managers, sponsors | S/4HANA |
| My Task List | Fiori app | The tasks assigned to you. | Team members | S/4HANA |
| Portfolio Items | Fiori app | Proposals and portfolio items; an approved item creates the project. | Portfolio managers | S/4HANA |
| Buckets | Fiori app | The hierarchy of portfolio buckets that group items. | Portfolio managers | S/4HANA |
| Project Cost Overview | Fiori app | Costs of the PS project behind the cProjects project; replaced the hierarchy reports in 2022 FPS1. | Controllers | S/4HANA |
| Project Cost Line Items | Fiori app | Line items of project costs; replaced the line item reports in 2022 FPS1. | Controllers | S/4HANA |
DPR_PROJECT | Table | Project definition. | Consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
DPR_PHASE | Table | Phases; the GUID is the unique key, PHASE_ID comes from the template and repeats. | Consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
DPR_TASK | Table | Tasks. | Consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
DPR_CHECKLIST_H | Table | Checklist header. | Consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
DPR_CHECKLIST_I | Table | Checklist items. | Consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
DPR_PART | Table | Project participants: the project roles. | Consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
DPR_ENTITY_LINK | Table | Role assignments. | Consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
DPR_OBJLINK | Table | Object links, including the links to CO objects. | Consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
DPR_APPROVAL | Table | Approvals. | Consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
DPR_CONF_LI | Table | Time recorded through CATS for cProjects objects. | Consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
/RPM/CPDP_MAP | Table | Mapping of portfolio decision points to cProjects phases. | Consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
/RPM/CPIT_MAP | Table | Mapping of portfolio item types to cProjects templates. | Consultants | ECC + S/4HANA |
Nothing matches. Try another word, or pick All.
DPR_ transactions and COCPCPR checked against erplingo and sapdatasheet; tables from the package DEVELOPMENT_PROJECTS_OBJECTS; Customizing paths and Fiori apps from SAP Learning; CO entries from SAP Learning, SAP Help and SAPinsider. Projects can hide transactions or rename apps, so check your own system before you write them into a manual.
Which tool when
cProjects, Project System, Portfolio Management or CPM?
SAP has four tools with “project” in their story, and they are often confused. They are complementary: many companies combine them, and the accounting integration on this page is the most common bridge.
- PPM Project Management
cProjects
Phase-based, people-heavy projects: R&D, IT, consulting, services. Phases, gates, checklists, roles and collaboration in a web UI. It plans costs; actuals go to CO objects.
Source: SAP Community (2009) - PS
Project System
Built in R/3 in the 1990s with full logistics and financial integration, for engineering and construction, automotive, high tech, utilities and large maintenance projects. Costs, budgets and settlement on WBS elements.
Source: SAP Community (2009) - RPM / xRPM
Portfolio Management
Decides which projects to do: buckets, portfolio items, questionnaires, scoring, financial and capacity planning. An approved item creates the operational project in cProjects.
Source: SAP demo script EPM1 (2026) - CPM
Commercial Project Management
Customer projects from bid to handover, with Project Workspace, Project Financial Planning and Issue and Change Management. Its journey began in 2012, and it needs PS or PPM underneath.
Source: SAP blog, EPPM disambiguation
Enterprise Portfolio and Project Management is the umbrella SAP uses for all of them. It is a solution area, not a product, so a project that “implements EPPM” can mean any mix of the four.
ECC to S/4HANA
What changed for cProjects with SAP S/4HANA
Phases, gates, checklists and the accounting integration are still there. What changed is the packaging, the way you move to it and some of the neighbours. If your company still runs PPM next to ECC, these are the cards to read.
The product
ECCcProjects in SAP PPM 5.0 to 6.1, an add-on next to ECC.
S/4HANAProject Management in SAP Portfolio and Project Management for SAP S/4HANA.
SAP announced PPM for SAP S/4HANA for the end of October 2016. Today the EPPM applications run in any SAP S/4HANA installation, with features that vary by deployment and release.
Source: SAP Learning, project management in SAP S/4HANAGetting there
ECCUpgrades between PPM releases.
S/4HANAA migration project: no conversion with automatic XPRAs.
SAP Note 2669306 is the conversion guide from PPM releases to PPM in SAP S/4HANA 1809, and it rules out an automatic conversion.
Source: SAP Community, PPM 6.1 to S/4HANA 1809 (2020)Partner documents
ECCcFolders for sharing documents with partners.
S/4HANAcFolders is not available.
SAP Note 2348430. SAP Document Center was suggested instead; no migration tool was known, so folders had to be rebuilt by hand.
Source: SAP Community, cFolders in S/4HANA (2017)Planned costs
ECCEasy Cost Planning on the internal order or WBS element.
S/4HANAPlanned costs transferred to ACDOCP from SAP S/4HANA 2022 FPS1.
Listed under the PPM integration in the compatibility scope, SAP Note 2268020.
Source: SAP blog, compatibility scope update for EPPMProject cost reports
ECCHierarchy and line item reports.
S/4HANAProject Cost Overview and Project Cost Line Items apps.
Both arrived in SAP S/4HANA 2022 FPS1 as the modern replacement for the classic reports.
Source: SAP blog, compatibility scope update for EPPMUser interface
ECCWeb Dynpro screens in the portal or NWBC.
S/4HANANWBC or the SAP Fiori launchpad, plus Fiori apps.
My Projects - Active Projects lists your released projects; Project Progress shows the timeline read-only.
Source: SAP Learning, evaluating projects
Documented, but little known
14 tips for users and consultants
Each tip comes from SAP Learning, SAP Help or a published SAP source, linked under the tip.
- 01Users
Decision makers don’t need the project
They find the approval document under Approvals on the initial screen and can sign it from a PDF project overview, without access to the project itself.
Approvals
- 02Users
Remaining work calculates itself, unless you stop it
Remaining work is planned minus actual work. Tick Remaining work manually to enter your own estimate. Percentage of completion is independent of both.
Source: SAP Learning, confirming activities - 03Users
100% complete is not Closed
A task at 100% stays open until someone sets the status Closed. Closed data cannot change, but the status can be reset.
Source: SAP Help (PPM 4.0), time recording with CATS - 04Users
Import from Microsoft Project without fear
If the project already exists, the import creates a simulation called 0IMPORT instead of overwriting it, so you can compare first.
Import
- 05Users
Keep surprises in an issue list
A checklist type can be an issue list for unplanned items that still must be solved, usually at project definition level.
Source: SAP Learning, using project management - 06Consultants
Choose types before the first release
The project type locks when the project is released, the task type when the task is released, and the phase processing mode cannot change after the project definition is released.
VC_DPR_PRO_TYPE
- 07Consultants
Non-sequential phases have a price
They let you release phases in any order, but phase types that require approval before the successor are not supported, and decision points of a linked portfolio item cannot be synchronized.
Source: SAP Help (PPM 6.1), phase statuses - 08Consultants
Schedule DPR_CATS_CPR_TRANS
Approved CATS times reach CO directly, but the totals on the project screens are moved by this program. SAP recommends a batch job.
DPR_CATS_CPR_TRANSDPR_CONF_LI
- 09Consultants
Once CATS is on, manual confirmation is off
After CATS confirmation is activated for a project, actual work can no longer be confirmed by hand in the project.
CAT2
- 10Consultants
Find active phases with SE16
In DPR_PHASE, PROC_STATUS_OWN 10 is Released and 11 is Released with processing begun. Use the GUID: PHASE_ID comes from the template and is not unique.
DPR_PHASEBAPI_BUS2173_GET_DETAIL
- 11CO
Read the cockpit, then recreate
Serious transfer errors block the creation of the cost collector. Fix the cause, then recreate or update the order or WBS from COCPCPR.
COCPCPR
- 12CO
CATS hours are valued at plan prices
CO values the transferred CATS records with plan prices from cost center accounting. Personnel costs are not assigned to the project’s cost collector.
CAT2
- 13CO
One WBS element per element, many elements per WBS
Each Project Management object maps to only one WBS element, but several objects can share the same WBS element.
CJ20N
- 14CO
Same system, no ALE
If ERP and cProjects run on the same system, the ALE setup for time recording is not needed (SAP Note 954860). From cProjects 3.1 it could run on the ECC instance.
Source: SAP Help (PPM 4.0), time recording with CATS
Myths
Things people get wrong about cProjects
Myth
cProjects replaced Project System.FactIt was built as a complement to PS, not as its successor. Many companies use both, with the accounting integration as the bridge.
Myth
cProjects keeps the project’s actual costs.FactActual costs, commitments, budgets and period-end closing exist only in the linked internal order or WBS element.
Myth
cProjects is gone in S/4HANA.FactIt lives on as Project Management in SAP Portfolio and Project Management for SAP S/4HANA. What disappeared is cFolders.
Myth
You need a PS project to get costs.FactSingle-object controlling works with internal orders, order type CPR1, and no PS project at all.
Myth
An approval can be taken back.FactAn approval cannot be revoked. After it, phase data can barely change, and a completed phase not at all.
Myth
Decision makers must be able to open the project.FactThey don’t: they sign the approval document from the Approvals list, even without access to the project.
Myth
Checklist items are small tasks.FactThey have no duration, no work and no percentage of completion. They are confirmed as OK, Not OK or Not relevant.
Myth
The c stands for cloud.FactIt stands for collaboration. cProjects is short for Collaboration Projects, and its sister product was cFolders.
Evolution
From cProjects Suite to Project Management in S/4HANA
More than twenty years of renaming, merging and moving, with the same phases and gates at the centre. Gold dots mark the S/4HANA era.
- 1990sProject SystemSAP builds Project System in R/3, fully integrated with logistics and finance, for engineering, construction and large maintenance projects.
- 2002Define Project TypesThe Customizing activity Define Project Types is created on 26 June 2002, in SAP release 200. It is still where every project type starts.
- 2003cProjects Suite 3.0cProjects plus cFolders, part of mySAP PLM, with Gantt charts, templates, Microsoft Project import and support for APQP and PPAP, at about 400 sites. Version 3.0 is the first with accounting integration.
- ERP 2005cProjects 3.1From cProjects 3.1 it can run on the same instance as ECC 5.0, and mySAP ERP 2005 adds generated WBS structures for multilevel controlling.
- PPM 5.0One productcProjects 4.5 and Resource and Portfolio Management 4.5 become one product: SAP Portfolio and Project Management 5.0.
- 2014PPM 6.0PPM 6.0 leaves ramp-up in January 2014, the first release with performance optimizations for SAP HANA. PPM 6.1 follows.
- 2016PPM for SAP S/4HANASAP Portfolio and Project Management for SAP S/4HANA is announced for the end of October 2016, with Fiori apps and a project dashboard.
- 2022S/4HANA 2022 FPS1Planned costs from PPM go to ACDOCP, and project cost reporting moves to new Fiori apps.
- TodayProject ManagementcProjects lives on as Project Management in SAP S/4HANA, private cloud edition included, still with phases, gates and DPR_ tables.
The code remembers
cProjects tables start with DPR_, V_DPR_ or CGPL_, and its ABAP packages are called DEVELOPMENT_PROJECTS, such as DEVELOPMENT_PROJECTS_EVE for evaluations and DEVELOPMENT_PROJECTS_API for the BAPIs. The application component is PPM-PRO, and the accounting integration sits in PPM-PRO-EXT-FIN.
Phase statuses you will meet
| Status | Means |
|---|---|
| Created | Initial status |
| Released | In execution; cannot be moved |
| Locked | Temporarily protected |
| For Approval | Waiting for decision makers |
| Approval Granted | Approved |
| Approval Rejected | Not approved |
| Completed | No further changes |
In DPR_PHASE, field PROC_STATUS_OWN 10 means Released and 11 Released with processing begun. Sources: SAP PPM 6.1 help, phase statuses; SAP Community (2011).
The questions people ask most
What does the c in cProjects stand for, and is it still called that?
Collaboration: cProjects is short for Collaboration Projects. Inside SAP Portfolio and Project Management, and in SAP S/4HANA, the same area is called Project Management. Most people on projects still say cProjects.
Is cProjects the same as PPM, RPM or xRPM?
Not quite. RPM, first sold as the xApp xRPM, is the portfolio side: buckets, items and decision points. From PPM 5.0, cProjects 4.5 and RPM 4.5 were combined into SAP Portfolio and Project Management, so PPM contains both, and cProjects is its project management part.
What is the difference between cProjects and Project System?
PS was built in R/3 in the 1990s with full logistics and financial integration, for engineering, construction, utilities and large maintenance projects. cProjects came later for flexible, phase-based projects with quality gates and collaboration, across more industries. SAP described it as a complement to PS, not its successor, and the two are often combined.
Does cProjects exist in SAP S/4HANA?
Yes, as Project Management in SAP Portfolio and Project Management for SAP S/4HANA, announced for the end of October 2016. cFolders is not available there (SAP Note 2348430), and moving from PPM on ECC is a migration project, not an automatic conversion (SAP Note 2669306).
Is PPM included in the SAP S/4HANA license?
On SAP Community, the answer given in 2023 was no: PPM is covered by a separate EPPM license, which covers both PPM and CPM. Licensing depends on your contract, so confirm it with SAP.
How do costs get from cProjects to CO?
cProjects plans the work and multiplies it by cost rates, by task or by role. At the transfer point set in the project type, an internal order or a PS project with WBS elements is created or assigned, and the costing is saved there as Easy Cost Planning items. Actual costs, budgets, commitments and period-end closing happen only on that CO object.
Internal order or WBS elements: which one should we use?
Single-object controlling collects the costs in one or more internal orders, with no structure. Multilevel controlling, the usual approach, collects them in WBS elements that mirror the project structure or the roles, and gives you multilevel budgets and aggregated reports. The choice is made in the project type and its controlling scenario.
When is the project transferred to Accounting?
The project type decides: never, every time the project is saved, after the status Flagged for Transfer or To Assign is set, or when the project is released. The first transfer creates the cost collector and runs costing; every later save after a change transfers and costs again.
Why can’t I record time on my task?
The CATS worklist shows only released tasks you are assigned to through a staffed role, within the confirmation period. Summary tasks are excluded, time recording must be active in the project type and allowed in the project, and nothing can be added to the worklist by hand.
What happens when a decision maker refuses?
It depends on the phase type. One of its settings decides whether the approval can still be granted with refused individual approvals. Remember also that a granted approval cannot be revoked.
Can I keep working in Microsoft Project?
Yes. Projects can be imported from and exported to Microsoft Project, Client 2002 or later or Project Server 2003 in the original releases, or exchanged as XML. Field assignments are kept in DPR_UPLD_FR_MSP_CUST and DPR_DWNLD_2_MSP_CUST, and importing an existing project creates the simulation 0IMPORT.
Which cProjects tables should I know?
DPR_PROJECT for the project definition, DPR_PHASE for phases, DPR_TASK for tasks, DPR_CHECKLIST_H and DPR_CHECKLIST_I for checklists, DPR_PART for project roles, DPR_ENTITY_LINK for role assignments, DPR_OBJLINK for object links, DPR_APPROVAL for approvals and DPR_CONF_LI for CATS time.
Where do I see why the transfer to CO failed?
In the cockpit for controlling integration, transaction COCPCPR, which you can also open from the project. Serious errors block the creation of the order or WBS; after the fix you recreate or update it from the cockpit.
Can I close a project while a phase is not approved?
No. A project can be completed only after its last phase is approved; with an unapproved phase it can only be canceled. Once closed, its phases and tasks close and no more time can be booked.
Related pages
References
Checked in November 2026. SAP Notes need an SAP for Me login. Transaction lists from partner sites can lag behind your release; check names in your own system.
- Using Project Managementlearning.sap.com
- Project structureslearning.sap.com
- Approving phaseslearning.sap.com
- Executing projectslearning.sap.com
- Confirming activitieslearning.sap.com
- Evaluating projectslearning.sap.com
- Cost planning and cost integrationlearning.sap.com
- Understanding project management in SAP S/4HANAlearning.sap.com
- Accounting integration (cProjects)help.sap.com
- Controlling cockpit (cProjects)help.sap.com
- Time recording with CATS (cProjects)help.sap.com
- Import from Microsoft Project (cProjects)help.sap.com
- Phase statuses (PPM 6.1)help.sap.com
- Demo script EPM1: Portfolio and Project Managementsap.com
- Get your projects connected with SAP S/4HANA (2016)blogs.sap.com
- End of ramp-up for SAP PPM 6.0 (2014)blogs.sap.com
- An update on the compatibility scope for EPPMblogs.sap.com
- SAP EPPM disambiguation overview (2020)blogs.sap.com
- What is SAP CPM, and the difference with SAP PPMSAP Community
- Difference between SAP cProjects and SAP PS (2009)SAP Community
- cProjects Suite: 4.5 or PPM 5.0SAP Community
- cFolders is not supported with S/4HANA (2017)SAP Community
- Upgrade from PPM 6.1 to S/4HANA 1809 (2020)SAP Community
- Three solutions of portfolio and project management (PS, PPM, CPM)SAP Community
- SAP PPM in S/4HANA without a license? (2023)SAP Community
- Identifying phases in cProjects (2011)SAP Community
- cProjects 4.5 role tables (2009)SAP Community
- PPM 5.0 project launchpad (role SAP_BPR_PPM)SAP Community
- Integrate cProjects with CO in mySAP ERP (2006)sapinsider.org
- Collaboration Projects: process, configuration, integration (2010)sapinsider.org
- cProjects Suite 3.0 in Japan (2003, in Japanese)atmarkit.itmedia.co.jp
- IMG activity CPRO_STRUK_PROJTYPEsapdatasheet.org
- Tables of package DEVELOPMENT_PROJECTS_OBJECTSsapdatasheet.org
- PPM tablessapstack.com
- DPR_FIN_GECCO_TRANSFerplingo.com
- DPR_DX_PROJECTerplingo.com
- DPR_EVE_VIEWerplingo.com
- DPR_UPLD_FR_MSP_CUSTerplingo.com
- COCPCPRerplingo.com
- CJ9ECPerplingo.com