Introduction to Personnel Administration in SAP HCM

Personnel Administration (PA) is a core component of the SAP Human Capital Management (HCM) module, which focuses on managing employee data and administrative processes. PA is essential for maintaining personnel information, handling employee lifecycle events, and ensuring compliance with organizational policies and regulations. In this tutorial, we will provide an overview of Personnel Administration in SAP HCM, discuss its features, and show real-world examples of how it is used in day-to-day HR processes.

1. What is Personnel Administration in SAP HCM?

Personnel Administration (PA) in SAP HCM refers to the management of employee data and their career history within the organization. It involves tasks such as maintaining personal data, handling employment history, managing compensation, and administering benefits. The PA module integrates with other SAP HCM sub-modules, such as Organizational Management (OM), Time Management (TM), and Payroll (PY), to provide comprehensive HR management capabilities.

Key Functions of Personnel Administration:

• Storing and managing employee personal data
• Tracking employee job history and career progression
• Handling personnel actions, such as hiring, promotions, and terminations
• Managing compensation, benefits, and time off
• Generating reports on employee information and status

2. Structure of Personnel Administration

Personnel Administration in SAP is built on a number of key organizational elements and structures:

• Personnel Number: A unique identifier for each employee in the system.
• Infotypes: Infotypes are data containers that store specific employee information. Each infotype represents a different type of data, such as personal details, addresses, and job assignments.
• Personnel Actions: Personnel actions are processes that modify or update employee data. These include hiring, promotions, transfers, and terminations.
• Pay Scale Groups: Pay scale groups define the pay structure for employees based on their position, experience, and qualifications.

3. Key Infotypes in Personnel Administration

Infotypes are the building blocks of Personnel Administration. They allow HR personnel to manage various aspects of employee data. Below are some key infotypes used in SAP Personnel Administration:

• Infotype 0000 - Actions: This infotype stores information about the employee’s actions, such as hiring, promotion, or termination.
• Infotype 0001 - Organizational Assignment: Contains data on the employee's job, position, and organizational unit within the company.
• Infotype 0002 - Personal Data: Includes personal details such as name, date of birth, marital status, and nationality.
• Infotype 0006 - Addresses: Stores the employee’s home address and contact details.
• Infotype 0007 - Planned Working Time: Defines the employee's work schedule, such as their hours and shift patterns.
• Infotype 0105 - Communication: Contains information about the employee's communication channels, such as email and phone numbers.

4. Creating and Maintaining Employee Records in PA

Employee records are created and maintained in Personnel Administration using infotypes. These records store all the relevant data about an employee, including their personal details, job assignments, and employment history.

4.1. Creating a New Employee Record

To create a new employee record in Personnel Administration, HR staff follow these steps:

1. Log in to the SAP system and navigate to the transaction code PA30 (Maintain HR Master Data).
2. Select the "Create" button to create a new employee record.
3. Enter the employee’s personnel number, which is typically generated automatically by the system.
4. Start entering data for various infotypes, such as personal information (Infotype 0002), organizational assignment (Infotype 0001), and communication details (Infotype 0105).
5. Click "Save" to store the employee’s record in the system.

Real-World Example: An HR assistant is creating a new employee record for a new hire. The assistant enters the employee's personal data (name, date of birth), job assignment (position, department), and contact details (address, phone number). The system automatically generates the employee's unique personnel number, and the record is saved in the system.

4.2. Updating Employee Records

Employee records are frequently updated to reflect changes in personal data, job assignments, or compensation. For example, an HR manager might update an employee’s address, or update their position after a promotion.

1. Log in to the SAP system and navigate to transaction code PA30.
2. Enter the employee’s personnel number to retrieve their record.
3. Select the infotype you want to update (e.g., Infotype 0002 for personal data or Infotype 0001 for job assignment).
4. Make the necessary changes to the data and click "Save" to update the record.

Real-World Example: After an employee receives a promotion, the HR manager updates the job assignment infotype (0001) to reflect the new position and department. The updated information ensures that the employee’s organizational assignment is accurate in the system.

5. Personnel Actions in PA

Personnel actions represent significant changes in an employee’s career or status. These include actions like hiring, transfers, promotions, salary changes, and terminations. Personnel actions are tracked in Infotype 0000, which logs the type of action and the associated dates.

5.1. Executing a Personnel Action

HR personnel can execute various personnel actions to manage employee lifecycle events. To execute a personnel action, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the SAP system and navigate to transaction code PA40 (Personnel Actions).
2. Enter the employee's personnel number and select the action type, such as "Hiring," "Promotion," or "Termination."
3. Enter the relevant details, such as the date of the action and the new job details (for promotions or transfers).
4. Click "Save" to complete the personnel action.

Real-World Example: An employee is promoted to a new position. The HR manager uses the PA40 transaction to execute the "Promotion" action, enters the employee’s new position and department, and saves the changes. The system automatically updates the employee’s record and reflects the promotion in all relevant infotypes.

6. Reporting in Personnel Administration

Reporting is an important feature in Personnel Administration, allowing HR managers to generate insights into employee data. SAP provides a variety of standard reports to analyze personnel actions, employee status, and compensation information.

6.1. Common Reports in Personnel Administration

• RPUAUD00 - Audit Report for Personnel Actions: Provides a detailed audit of all personnel actions performed in the system, including hires, promotions, transfers, and terminations.
• RPUHRA00 - List of Employees: Displays a list of employees with their personal and job-related information.
• RPUPAY00 - Payroll Results: Generates reports on payroll information, including employee salary, bonuses, and deductions.

Real-World Example: An HR manager needs to generate a report showing all employees who were hired in the last six months. They run the "List of Employees" report and filter by the hiring date to get a comprehensive list of new hires.

7. Conclusion

Personnel Administration (PA) is a critical module within SAP HCM that helps organizations manage employee data throughout the employee lifecycle. From creating and updating employee records to executing personnel actions and generating reports, PA provides HR departments with the tools they need to efficiently manage workforce information. By integrating with other HCM modules like Organizational Management (OM) and Payroll (PY), SAP HCM offers a comprehensive solution for HR management.

In this tutorial, we’ve covered the basics of Personnel Administration, the key infotypes and personnel actions, and how to create, update, and report on employee records. By using SAP Personnel Administration, HR teams can streamline administrative processes, improve data accuracy, and enhance overall workforce management.