In SAP Plant Maintenance (PM), activities are used within a notification to document the work that has been performed. These activities are recorded using predefined codes from a catalog (Catalog Type 'A'). This catalog-based approach ensures standardized documentation of completed work steps, which is essential for subsequent analysis and reporting. The technician documents the finished work in the activity section of the notification header.

B. A text in the subject long text screen: This is a free-text field and is not catalog-based. It lacks the structured, codifiable data entry required for standardized reporting.

C. A task in the notification item: Tasks (Catalog Type '2') are used to document work that needs to be performed in the future, not work that has already been finished.

D. An entry in the object list: The object list is used to specify the technical objects (e.g., equipment) affected by the notification, not to document the work performed on them.

1. SAP Help Portal - Activities in Notifications: "You can use activities to document the work that has been performed for a notification. You record the activities that have been performed using codes from the relevant catalogs." This source directly confirms that activities are for documenting performed work and are catalog-based.

URL: https://help.sap.com/docs/SAPS4HANAON-PREMISE/3757ad8f954240c8a348d35e15065549/4d8b9b535c38b44ce10000000a174cb4.html (Version: SAP S/4HANA 2020)

2. SAP Help Portal - Tasks in Notifications: "You can use tasks to document the work that is to be performed for a notification." This source differentiates tasks (for future work) from activities (for completed work).

URL: https://help.sap.com/docs/SAPS4HANAON-PREMISE/3757ad8f954240c8a348d35e15065549/4d8b9a535c38b44ce10000000a174cb4.html (Version: SAP S/4HANA 2020)

3. SAP Help Portal - Catalogs (CS-CZ): This documentation outlines the different catalog types used in Plant Maintenance

including 'A' for Activities and '2' for Tasks

confirming the catalog-based nature of both but reinforcing their distinct purposes.

URL: https://help.sap.com/docs/SAPERP/e249928668a64180952b898322b5f526/5f4b9b535c38b44ce10000000a174cb4.html (This ERP link is still valid for the core concept in S/4HANA).