Personnel cost planning

1. A computer-implemented method of prospectively planning personnel costs for an enterprise, the computer including a processor and memory, and the method comprising steps performed by the computer of:

conducting planning preparation, by the processor, to plan the personnel costs, wherein the planning preparation comprises creating more than one scenario for the enterprise and setting different scenario parameters for each of the more than one scenario, wherein the different scenario parameters include a standard case scenario and a worst case scenario;

specifying, by the processor, a limit for each of the more than one scenario;

modifying, by the processor, the limit during the planning preparation when the personnel costs change;

collecting data, by the processor and based on the limit and in a decentralized manner, including direct cost items and dependent cost items that relate to the personnel costs, using a computer;

performing, by the processor, a cost planning run using the computer, wherein performing the cost planning run comprises valuating the collected cost items based on the more than one scenario and the different scenario parameters;

valuating, by the processor, the direct cost items and the dependent cost items, wherein the direct cost items are valuated before the dependent cost items;

conducting, by the processor, a detailed analysis of results of the cost planning run;

revising, by the processor, the collected data to produce updated results based on the detailed analysis;

customizing the planning of the personnel costs for an enterprise, wherein customizing comprises specifying one or more of (1) cost items and their assignment to symbolic accounts, statistical key figures, and cost types; (2) planning contexts; (3) planning scenario definitions; (4) settings for generating dependent and additional cost items during a planning run; (5) settings for the valuation and limitation of individual cost items according to an object's organizational attributes; (6) individual methods for collecting data on employees, organizational units, jobs, and positions; and (7) evaluation paths for planning runs; and

reporting, by the processor, the updated results,

wherein the direct cost items are written to a cost object and the dependent cost items are generated according to a customizing module and a planning preparation module.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein collecting data comprises collecting organizational structure data.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein collecting data comprises collecting vacant position data.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein collecting data comprises collecting planned compensation data for jobs and positions.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein collecting data comprises collecting data using a Web-based interface.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein performing a cost planning run comprises specifying whether the cost planning run is for the entire organizational structure, individual organizational units, or parts of the organizational structure.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein performing a cost planning run comprises reading cost items generated during data collection.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein performing a cost planning run comprises valuating cost items generated during the data collection based on planning scenario parameters.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein performing a cost planning run comprises generating and valuating dependent and additional cost items.