The Complete Guide to Task Types in SAP Cloud ALM

[Mustameer_Khan]

When you start working with SAP Cloud ALM, one of the first things you notice is that everything revolves around tasks.
Tasks define what needs to be done, by whom, when, and why. They help you keep track of your implementation journey whether you’re following SAP Activate methodology or managing a hybrid or agile project.

But here’s where it often gets confusing: there are different types of tasks, each serving a specific purpose, with different origins, dependencies, and usage scenarios.

This guide explains all SAP Cloud ALM task types, when to use them, where they come from, and how they fit together in simple terms.
Think of this as your definitive reference for Task Management in SAP Cloud ALM.

SAP Cloud ALM Task Types – Unified Overview

Task Type	Purpose	Typical Use
1. Roadmap Tasks	Predefined project steps based on the SAP Activate methodology.	Guide project setup and execution (e.g., “Define Scope”, “Conduct Fit-to-Standard Workshops”).
2. Project Tasks	Custom, user-defined tasks for planning or coordination work not covered by roadmap.	Organize team meetings, documentation, training, stakeholder briefings, or other ad-hoc tasks.
3. Requirements	High-level business needs that define what the solution should deliver.	Capture stakeholder needs (e.g., “Enable digital vendor invoicing”) before breaking into stories.
4. User Stories	Small, actionable work items derived from Requirements that describe how to deliver them.	Assigned to teams for execution (e.g., “As a user, I can upload invoices via Fiori app”).
5. Sub-Tasks	Granular breakdown of a User Story or Project Task into detailed steps.	Track technical/configuration activities (e.g., “Configure BAPI mapping”, “Write unit test”).
6. Defects	Logged issues or bugs found during test execution or validation.	Track and resolve test failures (e.g., “Invoice upload fails for large PDFs”).
7. Quality Gates	Phase-end checkpoints to validate that required criteria have been met before moving forward.	Enforce readiness before phase transition (e.g., “80 % test pass rate”, “Sign-offs complete”).
8. Risks	Identified threats that may impact project scope, schedule, or quality.	Document, monitor, and mitigate risks (e.g., “Data migration may delay testing if extract is late”).

When to Use Each Task Type

SAP Cloud ALM brings together different kinds of work from high-level project planning to detailed technical activities.
Here’s when and how to use each task type:

• Roadmap Tasks → Use these as your foundation. They come directly from SAP Activate and provide a ready-made list of best-practice activities for each phase (Prepare, Explore, Realize, Deploy).
• Project Tasks → Use these when you need to plan something unique to your project (for example, an internal workshop, report writing, or training sessions).
• Requirements → Use these early in the project to capture what your business wants to achieve. They define what needs to be done before you decide how to do it.
• User Stories → Create these once your requirements are approved. User Stories describe how the business need will be delivered.
• Sub-Tasks → Use them when your User Stories are too large or complex. They make it easier to assign smaller, clear responsibilities to team members.
• Defects → Use these during testing. Whenever a test fails or an issue arises, log a defect and link it to the related User Story or Requirement.
• Quality Gates → Use these at the end of each project phase. They ensure your team has met all exit criteria before moving to the next stage.
• Risks → Use them continuously. Risks can appear at any stage from project setup to go-live. Document, monitor, and mitigate them as the project evolves.

Task Sources – Where Tasks Originate

SAP Cloud ALM doesn’t expect you to create every task manually.
Many tasks are automatically generated based on your project setup, methodology, or connected systems.

Here are the main task source types and where they apply:

Source Type	Description	Applies To
Setup Tasks	Created automatically when you initiate a project in SAP Cloud ALM. Includes basic configuration and landscape setup tasks.	Roadmap Tasks, Quality Gates
SAP Activate Methodology	Predefined tasks aligned with SAP Activate phases (Prepare, Explore, Realize, Deploy). Provides best-practice structure.	Roadmap Tasks, Quality Gates
Manual or Excel Uploads	Tasks manually created by users or imported via Excel template for custom deliverables.	Project Tasks, Sub-Tasks, Risks
Scoping Tasks	Automatically generated when you select business processes during solution scoping.	Requirements, User Stories
SAP Readiness Check	Tasks derived from system analysis — such as simplification items and custom code checks — in conversion projects.	Requirements, User Stories, Project Tasks
SAP Central Business Configuration (CBC)	Read-only tasks synced from CBC that reflect configuration activities in cloud implementations.	Roadmap Tasks, Project Tasks
Manual Creation in App	Tasks created directly by users within the ALM apps (Tasks, Requirements, Risks, Defects).	Project Tasks, Requirements, Defects, Risks
Test Execution	Automatically generates Defects when a test case fails.	Defects
External	Tasks that originate outside of Cloud ALM (imported or synchronized via API or integration) or with Source=External in upload	Project Tasks, Requirements, User Stories

Putting It All Together — How the Pieces Connect

Think of your project in SAP Cloud ALM as a pyramid of work:

1. At the top, you have Roadmap Tasks , your standard methodology steps.
2. Below them, Project Tasks capture custom activities.
3. Requirements define the business goals.
4. User Stories turn those goals into actionable items.
5. Sub-Tasks break down the technical execution.
6. Defects handle issues found during testing.
7. Quality Gates control the flow between project phases.
8. Risks run throughout, helping you manage uncertainty.

Everything is traceable from Requirement → User Story → Sub-Task → Test → Defect → Quality Gate → Go-Live.
This means you can see how every business need is implemented, tested, and delivered with confidence.

Summary: Why This Matters

Key Insight	Explanation
SAP Cloud ALM tasks connect every phase	You can manage everything from planning to delivery in one system.
Automatic and manual sources complement each other	Standard tasks come from SAP Activate or CBC, while custom tasks adapt to your project’s reality.
Quality Gates and Risks ensure control	They help enforce readiness and track uncertainties.
Traceability builds transparency	Every requirement and test result links back to the task that drove it.
Beginner-friendly yet scalable	Start simple with roadmap and project tasks, and grow into requirements and agile execution as your maturity increases.

Final Thought

When you understand task types in SAP Cloud ALM, you gain control of your entire project.
Instead of juggling spreadsheets, emails, and meetings, Cloud ALM gives you one connected framework where planning, execution, and quality all come together.

Use this guide as your reference every time you start a new implementation and you’ll always know what to use, when to use it, and where it comes from.