Module A2 Item Activities, Gantt Chart and Utilization Sheet. A2.1 Project item activities A2.2 Gantt chart A2.3 Utilization sheet

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Module A2 • Item Activities,

Gantt Chart and Utilization Sheet

A2.1 Project item activities

A2.2 Gantt chart

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Assistance PSA: Advanced Functionalities

Welcome to the Advanced Functionalities of Assistance PSA! This course is designed to provide you with an in-depth knowledge of the advanced functionalities of Assistance PSA.

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Module 1. Project item activities, Gantt Chart & Utilization Sheet

Contents

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PROJECT ITEM ACTIVITIES ... 4

1. Lab Objectives ... 5

2. Lab Scenario ... 5

3. Lab Detailed Steps:... 6

EXERCISE 1: Update your PSA settings for the use of project Item Activities ... 6

EXERCISE 2: Create/update a project template with Project Item Activities... 9

STEP 1: Create the top node component of your project template. ... 9

STEP 2: Create the component Project Item Groups of your project template. ...10

STEP 3: Create the component Project Template Items of your project template. ...10

STEP 4: Create a project item activity in your project template item. ...11

GANTT CHART ...19

1. Lab Objectives ...19

2. Lab Scenario ...19

3. Lab Detailed Steps: ...20

EXERCISE 1: Create and update/modify the Gantt Chart of a project ...20

EXERCISE 2: Generate automatic entries in Calculation and Sales Forecast ...30

EXERCISE 3: Update the % completion of the project item activities ...32

UTILIZATION SHEET ...34

1. Lab Objectives ...34

2. Lab Scenario ...34

3. Lab Detailed Steps: ...34

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The Fundamentals

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PROJECT ITEM ACTIVITIES

1. Lab Objectives

After completing this lab, you will be able to:

 Update your PSA settings for the use of project item activities  Create/update a project template with Project Item Activities

2. Lab Scenario

In order to manage your projects you want to use Project Item Activities based on the Sure Step methodology. Create the project template below and the project item activities for each respective project template item. Note that you can also use the “Sure Step Elements” project template created in The Fundamentals course of Assistance PSA (in such case, skip step 1 to 3 of exercise 2).

 Project template : Sure Step with Activities

Diagram

Sure Step Elements with Activities – Details

Item Contract type Project item activities Duration

1.1.0 Program management T&M (hourly rate) Project management Project plan

Project duration 3 days

1.4.0 Requirements T&M (hourly rate) Gather business requirements Conduct fit gap analysis Fit Gap Analysis

10 days 5 days Milestone 2.4.0 Configuration T&M (hourly rate) Initial

Iteration One

10 days 5 days 2.6.0 Quality and testing T&M (hourly rate) Script (prep)

Test Iteration One

2 days 5 days

5.2.0 Training Fixed fee Training prep

Training

2 days 7 days

Sure Step with

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3. Lab Detailed Steps:

This section will provide you with the detailed steps required to execute the Lab. It consists of 1 exercise:  Exercise 1: Update your PSA settings for the use of project item activities

 Exercise 2: Create/update a project template with Project Item Activities

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EXERCISE 1: Update your PSA settings for the use of project Item Activities

Step 1: Set up your organization

• Navigate to Assistance PSA click PSA Settings

• And open the record

• In the following screen, navigate to “Hours”

• And click “Yes” at the option

“Show link to Project item Activities”. • This option will allow you to select a

project item activity when booking your time in the timesheet.

• Now navigate to “Gantt Chart” and click the dropdown menu; PSA will display 4 options for you to choose from:

1. Manual: PSA will update the % of completion of a project item displayed in the Gantt Chart according to the % of completion manually entered in that project item in the “Item section” of the project.

8 3. Gantt Chart (Only when Completed): PSA will update the % of completion of a project item

displayed in the Gantt Chart only when the % of completion of all the project item activities related to that project item is 100%.

4. Via Calculation: PSA will update the % of completion of a project item activity displayed in the Gantt Chart according to the % of completion of the calculation line of that project item activity.

• Leave it at “Manual”.

Note that you can overwrite this option at the project level.

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EXERCISE 2: Create/update a project template with Project Item Activities

STEP 1: Create the top node component of your project template.

Note: if you are using the Sure Step Elements template created in The Fundamentals course of Assistance PSA, go to Step 4: Create a project item activity in your project template item.

• In the CRM menu select Settings

• In the top bar ribbon click New

In the next screen:

• Enter “Sure Step with Activities” in the Name field

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STEP 2: Create the component Project Item Groups of your project template.

 On the left hand side menu, click Project Item Groups

 Your project item groups should already exist;

 If they do, go to the next step.

 If they don’t go ahead and create them.

STEP 3:

Create the component Project Template Items of your project template.

 On the left hand side menu, click Project Template Items

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 You will start with the creation of your first project item:

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. Project Template: Use the dropdown menu and select “Sure Step with Activities”.

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. Active: Select “Yes” to allow posting on that item.

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 Now save your data but remain in the same screen, you want to create a project item activity

STEP 4: Create a project item activity in your project template item.

Note: if you are using the Sure Step Elements template, simply click on the first project template item “1.1.0 Program Management” to open the item.

 In the left hand side menu click “Activities”.

12  Now select “Project Item Activity”.

 And click “OK”

 In the next screen, fill out the fields according to your project item activity (ref Lab scenario)

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. Owner: Leave your name in this field; PSA will automatically change it to the user “System” the first

time the project template of this project item activity is linked to a project.

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. Activity Type: You have the option of leaving this activity as such or to define it as a milestone.

 For this specific item, leave it at Activity.

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day of the year.

 Because you are at the template level of a project item activity, you do not know when it will occur; however, you still need to establish its duration.

 When in the project, PSA will “adjust” the dates entered at the template level with the actual starting date of the project.

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 Once you are done click Save and New.

 Create your second project item activity (Project Plan) according to the lab scenario. Note that the starting date of this activity will also be the first of the year.

 Once you are done click Save and Close.

 Back in the project item screen, click “General” and Save and New in order to create your second project item (ref lab scenario) OR click on your next project item if your template was already created.

• Once you are done, click Save but remain in the same screen in order to create the project item activities of this item.

14  In the next screen, click “New Activity” on the top ribbon bar

 Now select “Project Item Activity”.  And click “OK”

 In the next screen, fill out the fields according to your project item activity (ref Lab scenario)

15  Once you have completed the “General” section of this new activity, Save the data but remain in the

same screen; you need to identify a predecessor to this activity.  Click the “Predecessor” box

 In the top ribbon bar, click (second icon from the left).

 In the Look Up Records screen, sort your item by “Date Created”

16  Back in the activity screen, you will now see the predecessor of your activity.

 Note that a predecessor of a project item activity needs to be under the same project item group.

 Save and Close this project item activity.

 Back in the project item screen, open the previous one.

 Navigate to the “System” section of your screen.

17  Now close this window.

 Back in the project item screen, click “New Activity” in order to create your next one.

 This time, however, you will identify this activity as a Milestone (ref lab scenario).

 Note that in this case you must enter a Start date but that you don’t have to enter an End date.  Once you have completed the information related to this milestone, Save and Close the window.  Continue now with the creation of your other project items and related project item activities (ref Lab

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The Fundamentals

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GANTT CHART

1. Lab Objectives

After completing this lab, you will be able to:

 Create and update/modifiy the Gantt Chart of a project

 Generate automatic entries in the Calculation functionality of a project  Generate automatic entries in the Sales Forecast of a project

2. Lab Scenario

You have created a project template with project item activities; you are now ready to create a project with this template and generate a Gantt Chart.

You will want to make the following update to the Gantt Chart:

Item Project item activities % Utilization Hour type Resource

1.1.0 Program management

Project management 30 Project

manager

Yourself 1.1.0 Program

management

Project plan 75 Project

manager

Yourself 1.4.0 Requirements Gather business

requirements

100 Consultant Select user 1

1.4.0 Requirements Conduct fit gap analysis 100 Consultant Select user 1

2.4.0 Configuration Initial 75 Consultant Select user 2

2.4.0 Configuration Iteration One 75 Consultant Select user 2

2.6.0 Quality and testing Script (prep) 100 Consultant Select user 1 2.6.0 Quality and testing Test Iteration One 100 Consultant Select user 1

5.2.0 Training Training prep 100 Consultant Select user 3

5.2.0 Training Training 75 Consultant Select user 3

You will also create two new project item activities:

Item Project item

activities

% Utilization Hour type Duration Resource

2.4.0 Configuration Iteration Two 75 Consultant 7 days Select user 2

2.6.0 Quality and testing

Test Iteration Two

100 Consultant 5 days Select user 1

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3. Lab Detailed Steps:

This section will provide you with the detailed steps required to execute the Lab. It has been divided into 3 exercises:

 Exercise 1: Create and update/modify the Gantt Chart of a project

 Exercise 2: Generate automatic entries in the calculation functionality and Sales Forecast of a project  Exercise 3: Update the % of completion of the project item activities

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EXERCISE 1: Create and update/modify the Gantt Chart of a project

Step 1: Create the General information of a Project

• Go to the Projects module of Assistance PSA

• Click Projects

• On the top ribbon bar hit the New button

• In the next window, fill out the “General” section of the Project screen according to the Lab scenario.

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Step 2: Define the project team users and create specific project rates

• Navigate to the Project Team and Rates section of your project screen

• Determine your project team members – you need to select yourself as well as 3 other people. • Leave the “Rates” box empty; there are no specific rates for this project (ref Lab scenario).

• Once you are done navigate to the Items section of the project screen.

Step 3: Define the Estimated Amounts for each one of your project items.

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Step 4: Create and update/modify the Gantt Chart of your project

• Click the Gantt Chart section of your project

• PSA will automatically create a Gantt Chart based on your project item activities and the start date of your project.

• On the left side, you will find a grid with fields to be filled out manually.

24 • Start by extending the left side; use the mouse to drag to the right the line that separates both sections.

• You can see now all the parameters that will define your project item activity.

• The very first column will display:

1. At the very top, the project name

2. At the second level, the project item group 3. At the third level, the project item

4. At the fourth level, the project item activity

The project item activity is where you will define the parameters; however, the information will roll up to the project item level and for the duration and % of progression all the way up to the Project parent node.

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project item group and project in its totality.

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(as opposed to a period where the activity takes place). When you enter a value in this column, PSA will automatically calculate the number of days that it will represent and populate the next column (Util. days) with the result.

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worked (as opposed to a period where the activity takes place). When you enter a value in this column, PSA will automatically calculate the percentage of work that it will represent and populate the previous column with the result (Util. %).

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(estimated amounts) and forecast.

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project item group and project in its totality.

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also feed the automatic creation of your calculation (estimated amounts) and forecast.

• Now start with the first project item activity; click the cell of the column Util (%) and enter the value as specified in the lab scenario: 75%.

• Use the “Tab” key to move to the next column. You will notice that PSA has automatically calculated the number of days that the percentage entered represents.

• Click on the cell Util (%) of the next project item activity and enter the value as specified in the lab scenario.

• Note: If you have multiple project item activities with the same utilization percentage, you can go to the “project item activities” section of your project.

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have the same utilization %.

• And in the top ribbon bar, click the Edit button.

• Enter 100 in the “Percent” field and click Save.

• PSA will now apply this value to the selected records.

• Once you are done, navigate back to the Gantt chart and click the refresh icon located at the right side of the chart.

• Now define the hour type of each one of your project item activity (ref lab scenario). You can also use here the multiple edit functionality to do so.

• Your next step is to define your resources. You can define them one by one or go to

27 • This time, however, once you have selected the item activities go to the top

ribbon bar and click the icon “Assign Project Item Activities”.

• In the dialog box, use the look-up button to select a resource and click OK.

• Once you are done, navigate back to the Gantt chart and click the refresh icon located at the right side of the chart.

• You have completed the update of your existing project item activities.

• You need to create two new project item activities; click the project item line “2.4.0 Configuration”

28 • PSA will open up a new screen for you to create your project item activity; by default it will already display

the project item group of the project

• Follow the lab scenario to create your first project item activity. Make sure that you complete every tab of the screen.

• Once you are done, click “OK”.

• PSA will update the Gantt Chart with your new activity.

• Follow the same steps to create your second project item activity.

• You need to change the resource of one activity:

• Double-click the activity in the graph section of your chart

29 • You have completed the creation and update of your Gantt chart. Your next step is to generate your

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EXERCISE 2: Generate automatic entries in Calculation and Sales Forecast

Step 1: Generate automatic entries

• Right mouse click

• Select “Actions”

• And click “Update All from Gantt”

31 • PSA will now generate entries in the Calculation section of your project:

• As well as in the calculation section of each project item.

• Navigate to the Forecast section:

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EXERCISE 3: Update the % completion of the project item activities

Step 1: Create the General information of a Project

• Navigate to the “Project Settings” section of your project

• You can define here how the % of completion of your project items will be done:

This setting will overwrite the one defined in the PSA Settings of your organization.

• Select Gantt Chart (Weighted average) and Save your project (but remain in the same screen).

• Now go back to the Gantt Chart of your project and enter different % of completion for each one of your project item activities.

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The Fundamentals

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UTILIZATION SHEET

1. Lab Objectives

After completing this lab, you will understand the Utilization Sheet functionality of Assistance PSA.

2. Lab Scenario

You have created a project and updated the project item activities of your Gantt chart according to your project’s schedule and required resources.

You want to see the utilization of your resources now that you have assigned them to your project’s activities.

3. Lab Detailed Steps:

This section will provide you with the detailed steps required to execute the Lab. It consists of 1 exercise:  Exercise 1: Display the Utilization Sheet and understand the different features of the functionality.

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EXERCISE 1: Display the Utilization Sheet and understand the different

features of the functionality.

Step 1: Display the Utilization Sheet

• Go to the Resource Planning module of Assistance PSA • Click Utilization Sheet

• PSA will instantly display the list of all the project item activities per users for the current week.

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unit and team. You can also decide to only display specific users within a team.

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or Day. You will also find at the bottom of the grid additional options to magnify or restrict the view selected

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following legend:

 Highly underutilized (‹0.5) : indicates less than 50% of utilization

 Underutilized (‹0.8) : indicates less than 80% of utilization

 Good utilization (0.8-1) : indicates between 80% and 100% of utilization

 Overutilized (1.-1.2): indicates between 100% and 120%

 Highly overutilized (›1.2): indicates higher than 120%

 Unavailable: Indicates that the user is not available.

* The % of utilization is based on the number of “work hours” set up in the PSA section of the Employee(user) record.

• By default PSA will sum up and collapse the detail of each project item activities by user. If you want to see the detailed information, simply click on the collapse/expand arrow next to the user’s name.

• PSA will then display all the project item activities related to the use and show their respective level of utilization.

• Finally,PSA will allow you to include in this sheet the CRM appointments of the users. • Simply check the box “Include Appointments”