"Positions in SAP" Frequently Asked Questions

What is an Organizational Unit in SAP?

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An Organizational Unit is a School, Department, Lab, Center, or Division.

What is a Position in SAP?
A position is a specific (individual) employee assignment. A position has descriptive data attached to it, such as titles (official and preferred), a specific description (posting), and a job code. Positions can be filled by a person; unoccupied (vacant); unoccupied and being recruited for; or cancelled.

What is a Job in SAP?
A job is the generic description or classification of a position. Many specific positions can link to a job. For example: There is one job code for an administrative officer (AO) but many specific positions (i.e., AO for Biology or AO for Ocean Engineering).

What are some of the advantages of Positions in SAP?
In SAP a unique position is created for every "slot," occupied or not, within the Organizational Unit. Positions exist independent of the employee. Any position-related data are attached to the position, and individual employees who move into that position are able to inherit those data. When they leave the position, they leave behind both the position and position-related data. Some immediate results of this new concept are that the maintenance of position-related data will decrease; certain areas of MIT will gain the ability to manage their vacancies, as well as to track full-time equivalents (FTEs) on a regular basis.

Who will create and maintain Positions and Jobs?
Initially, positions will be created and maintained by staff in HR and the HR-Payroll Service Center. In the future there may be an opportunity for DLC administrators to create positions. Jobs will continue to be created and maintained by the Compensation Office.

What is a Position Number?
Every existing position, both filled and vacant, has a position number. New position numbers will be assigned by staff in HR and the HR-Payroll Service Center to new positions as they are created. Every vacant position will eventually have a position number. Position numbers will stay the same for the life of the position, whether or not an existing employee leaves or transfers.

Why are Position Numbers important?
In SAP, every person must be connected to a job through a position number; therefore, position numbers are a new required field on some HR forms and must be provided. When a position number is not known, please contact the HR-Payroll Service Center.

How can I get Position Numbers for my area?
During the first week of September, the HR-Payroll Service Center will distribute position reports electronically and in hard copy to administrators in the HR Contact Database. In mid-September, administrators will be able to run a standard position report from the Data Warehouse. Position reports will provide the name, title, position number, and job code for each employee in the administrators' area.

Will the position report display filled and vacant Positions?
The position report that the HR-Payroll Service Center is sending to administrators in the HR Contact Database the first week of September will show all filled positions and, for central administrative areas, vacant positions that have been identified through the work of the Budget Office. Position reports run thereafter will capture all vacancies as they occur.

Will I be able to see history on Positions?
Administrators will be able to see history on occupants of Positions. The concept of Positions was created in SAP on September 2, 2003; therefore, history will be created and maintained beginning September 2, 2003.

In cases of job sharing - does that count as one Position or two Positions?
In cases of job sharing, there will be two positions held by two people.

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