Module A2 Item Activities, Gantt Chart and Utilization Sheet

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1 Item Activities, Gantt chart and Utilization sheet

Module A2 • Item Activities,

Gantt Chart and Utilization Sheet

A2.1 Project item activities

A2.2 Gantt chart

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

The Fundamentals

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1. 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. 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 the steps 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

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Item Contract type Project item activities Duration

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

3. Detailed Steps:

This section will provide you with the detailed steps required to execute the scenario. It consists of 2 exercises:  Exercise 1: Update your PSA settings for the use of project item activities

 Exercise 2: Create/update a project template with Project Item Activities  Exercise 3: Review the other features of the Gantt chart at the template level.

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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 Settings, 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 Alerts

• Change the yellow threshold percentage to 75.

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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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 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:

1 .

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

2

. Item: Enter the item digit code of the first item of this template: 1.1.0

3 .

Item Group: Select the Item group “Analysis Phase”.

4 .

Item Name: Enter the name of your item: Program Management

5 .

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

6

. Item Type: Select T&M as specified in the lab scenario.

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. Tax Group: Select Z_No tax.

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. Ledger: For the purpose of this lab leave the Ledger field blank.

 Now click Save & New and create all your projec template items according to the scenario.  Once you are done click Save and Close.

STEP 4: Create a project item activity.

 Navigate back to the project template entity.  And open your template

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 In the next screen,

open the Gantt chart section:

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

1 .

Project: At the template level PSA will display here the template name. This information will be overridden by the project name once a project is created with this project template.

2

. Item Group: Use the look-up record to select the item group under which you activity should be

created.

 Select Analysis Phase.

3 .

Project item: Use the look-up record to select the project item under which your activity should be created.

 Select 1.1.0 Program Management.

4

. Start/End date: Because you are at the template level you do not know when this activity will occur; however you still need to establish its duration. To do so you will need to specify a start and end date for each one of your activities.

Once in the project, PSA will translate these dates according to the project’s start date and consider January 1st to be equivalent to the start day of the project.

 This is the first activity of your project; click the calendar dropdown menu of the Start date, navigate to January and select the first day of the year.

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 The overall duration of your project is approximately 3 months:

 Click the calendar dropdown menu of

the End date, navigate to the month of March and select the 30th.

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Subject: Enter the name of your activity.

 Enter Project management.

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. Progress: This field represents the percentage of completion of your activity; you will update it as

your project unfolds.

 Leave this field blank.

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. Mark as milestone: This option will define your activity as a milestone. If you check it, PSA will

automatically make the End date the same as the Start date.

 This is not the case here, leave the box unchecked.

 You have now completed the General tab of your activity. Click OK to save it.

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 PSA will now display your first project item activity in the Gantt chart.

 To create your second activity right mouse click and select “New”

 Fill out the General tab according to the lab scenario.

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 Once you are done, click OK

 Right mouse click and select New to create your third activity.

 Note that the project item is now 1.4.0 Requirements.

 The activity should also start once the Project Plan is done and terminate 10 days later.  Once you are done, click OK.

 Right mouse click and select New to create your next activity.

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 Back in the Gantt chart, double-click on the blue line of your activity Conduct fit gap analysis.

 Navigate to the tab Predecessors.

 PSA will present you with all the activities located under the same project item as this activity.  Note that it is not possible to select an activity located under another project item.

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 Back in the Gantt chart, you will now see the relation between both activities.

 Note that this relation is for display only; a change of date(s) of one activity will not impact the start and/or end date of the other activity.

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

 Now right mouse click in order to create your next activity. This time you will identify it as a Milestone (ref scenario).

 Note that in this case you must enter a Start date but you don’t have to enter an End date as PSA will automatically set the end date as the same as the start date.

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 Back in the Gantt chart, you will see your activity displayed as a milestone.

 Continue with the creation of your other project item activities (ref scenario).

 You have now defined all your activities but realize that you must change the start and end date of the script prep (under 2.6.0 Quality and testing).

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EXERCISE 3: Review the other features of the Gantt chart at the project

template level.

STEP 1: Review the other features of the Gantt chart.

 You have completed the creation of your project item activities, select a project item activity and right mouse click to view the other features of the Gantt chart.

1 .

View in CRM: If you click this option, PSA will display the CRM view of your project item activity.

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2

. Edit: This option will bring you the same screen as when you first created the activity. You can make

any modification here; simply click OK when you are done to save the data.

 Leave it as is and close the window.

3 .

New: This option will allow you to create a new project item activity.

4

. Delete: This option will allow you to delete a project item activity; you must first select the activity. Note that with the Ctrl and Shift keys you can select multiple activity lines for deletion or modification.

5 .

Export: With this feature you can export your Gantt chart via MS Project 2007 XML.

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. Print: This option will enable you to print your Gantt chart.

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. Expand/Collapse: This option will enable you to expand/collapse your Gantt chart at different levels:

8 .

Action: This option will enable you to update the % of completion of your project items from the chart as well as to generate calculation and sales forecast lines.

 You can only perform these actions at the project level.

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The Fundamentals

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GANTT CHART

1. Objectives

After completing this module, 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

 Activate the alert feature of your project item activities  Update the % of completion of your project item activities

2. 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

% Util Hour type Resource

1.1.0 Program management Project plan 75 Project manager Yourself 1.1.0 Program management Project

management

30 Project manager Yourself 1.4.0 Requirements Gather business

requirements

100 Consultant User 1* 1.4.0 Requirements Conduct fit gap

analysis

100 Consultant User 1*

2.4.0 Configuration Initial 75 Consultant User 2

2.4.0 Configuration Iteration One 75 Consultant User 2

2.6.0 Quality and testing Script (prep) 100 Consultant Team: Online Trainingx 2.6.0 Quality and testing Test Iteration One 100 Consultant Team: Online Trainingx

5.2.0 Training Training prep 100 Consultant Team: Online Trainingx

5.2.0 Training Training 75 Consultant Team: Online Trainingx

You will also create two new project item activities: they will start respectively once the configuration of Iteration One is done and once the test of Iteration One is done.

You will also mark these 2 activities as being tentative since they will confirmed at a later stage of the project.

Item Project item activities

% Util

Hour type Duration Resource

2.4.0 Configuration Iteration Two 75 Consultant 7 days Team: Online

Trainingx 2.6.0 Quality and testing Test Iteration

Two

100 Consultant 5 days Team: Online

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This project is due to start the first of this month and is related to software implementation.

You are the project manager (and invoice approver) and will require 2 additional resources on this project. There are no specific rates to create here.

You will assign some activities to yourself, the other 2 team members of this project but also to your CRM team since you are not able at this moment to plan for all your required resources.

3. Detailed Steps:

This section will provide you with the detailed steps required to execute the scenario. It has been divided into 4 exercises:

 Exercise 1: Validate the security role(s) of your CRM team(s)  Exercise 2: Create and update/modify the Gantt chart of a project

 Exercise 3: Generate automatic entries in the calculation functionality and Sales Forecast of a project  Exercise 4: Activate the alert feature of your project item activities and set activities as tentative  Exercise 5: Update the % of completion of the project item activities

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EXERCISE 1: Validate/update security role(s) of CRM team(s)

Step 1: Validate/update the security role(s) of your CRM team(s)

In order to assign project item activities to a CRM team you must ensure that it possesses the appropriate security role(s).

• Go to Settings, System • Click Administration

and then Team

• Click the CRM team displayed to open the record

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• For the purpose of this guide, select PSA Administrator • And click OK

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EXERCISE 2: 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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• 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 2 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.

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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:

Line 1: At the very top, the project name

Line 2: At the second level, the project item group Line 3 and 6: At the third level, the project item

Line 4-5, 7-9: 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.

1.

Duration: Represents the total number of days planned for the project item activity/ project item/ project item group and project in its totality.

2.

Util. (%): The utilization percentage represents the actual amount of “actual” time that will be worked (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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3.

Util. (days): The utilization days column represents the actual amount of “actual” time that will be 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. %).

4.

Hour type: You can select an hour type that will allow the automatic creation of your calculation (estimated amounts) and forecast.

5.

“Diamond” shape: This identifies the activity as a milestone.

6.

Start/Finish: The start and finish date of each project item activity is displayed here.

7.

Progress %: This represents the percentage of completion of each project item activity / project item/ project item group and project in its totality.

8.

Predecessor: This column displays the predecessor of a project item activity.

9.

Resource Names: This is where you will identify who is responsible for the project item activity. It will also feed the automatic creation of your calculation (estimated amounts) and forecast.

 Note that you can select a single user or a CRM team here; you must, however, ensure that the resource has the appropriate security rights and access to the Gantt chart in order for the generation of calculation and sales forecast lines to work.

• Now start with the first project item activity; double-click the activity name:

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• Go to the Utilization tab and fill out the fields according to the scenario: • Start with the percentage of utilization: Enter 75

• Now select the hour type for your project manager

• You will notice that PSA has automatically converted the percentage of utilization into a number of days. • PSA has also automatically updated the bottom section with the following calculation:

• Hours = Days of Utilization X PSA Hour per Day Settings.

This value will now be identified as your Planned Hours and will also be displayed at the project item level with the view Calculations.

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• As the project unfolds the field Result will display the calculation of the planned hours minus the actual hours booked towards this activity.

• Now click the tab Resources

• Leave the list display* at Project team • Select yourself

• And click OK

* When assigning an activity to a CRM team,

simply click on the dropdown arrow and select Team.

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• Once you have completed the update of your existing project item activities you will need to create two additional ones:

• Click the project item line “2.4.0 Configuration”

• Right-mouse click and select “New”

• PSA will open up a new screen for you to create your project item activity; go to the General tab:

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

• Once you are done, click “OK”.

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• 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

• PSA will open up the activity record where you will be able to make your change.

• Once you are done click OK

• Now using the drag and drop functionality extend the duration of your training activity to 9 days. • You have now completed the update of your Gantt chart; your next step is to generate calculation and

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Step 1: Generate automatic entries

• Go to the Gantt Chart section of your project

• Right mouse click

• Select “Actions”

• And click “Update All from Gantt”

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• 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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of them as tentative.

Step 1: Activate the alert of your project item activities

• Navigate to the Project Item Activities section of your project and upload the activity records

• Select all the activities and in the top ribbon bar of your project click Edit

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• You have now activated all your project item activities. Navigate back to the Gantt chart.

• You will notice a green ball next to your project item activities and project item.

• As the project unfolds and time entries are made towards the project item activities, PSA will update the color of the alert: yellow once the spent hours reach 75% of the planned hours and red once the spent hours reach 90% of the planned hours.

Step 2: Activate the alert of your project item activities

• The two activities you have created in your project have yet to be confirmed; you want to set them as tentative.

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• Again click Edit in the top ribbon bar

• In the multiple edit screen check the box Tentative and click Save

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EXERCISE 4: Update the % completion of the project item activities

Step 1: Book time towards the project item activities (via the timesheet)

• Navigate to the timesheet and book time towards the first project item activity “Project plan”

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• Now Save and Close the window.

• Navigate to the Hours entity and create an adjusting entry towards the activity “Gather business requirements”.

• Enter 54 hours.

• And click on the project item activity to update its percentage of completion to 75%.

• Once you are done, Save and Close the window.

• Now go back to the Gantt Chart of your project; you will see that the activity Gather business requirements is now showing a yellow alert.

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• You can increase or decrease the % of completion of the activity directly in the graph by dragging the line. • Increase the % of completion of the activity Project Plan

• You will notice that the column Progress (%) of the grid section is updated at the same time. • Your last step now is to update the Items section of your project with the % of completion of your

activities.

• Right-mouse click in your Gantt chart, select Actions and then Update % Complete

• Go to Items and refresh the section

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The Fundamentals

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UTILIZATION SHEET

1. Objectives

After completing this module, you will be able to:

 Understand the Utilization sheet (header, sections and parameters)  Assign an activity from the queue to a specific resource

 Modify the activity of a resource in order to assign it to another resource

2. Scenario

You have created a project and updated the project item activities of your Gantt chart; you want to validate your planning as well as reassign activities from your CRM team to individuals.

Project item activities Initial assignment New assignment

Gather business requirements User 1 User 2

Conduct fit gap analysis User 1 User 2

Script (prep) Team: Online Trainingx Yourself

Test Iteration One Team: Online Trainingx Yourself

Training prep Team: Online Trainingx User 1

Training Team: Online Trainingx User 1

3. Detailed Steps:

This section will provide you with the detailed steps required to execute the scenario. It consists of 1 exercise:  Exercise 1: Understand the Utilization sheet (header, sections, parameters)

 Exercise 2: Assign an activity from the queue to a resource

 Exercise 3: Modify the activity of a resource in order to assign it to another resource

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parameters).

Step 1: Display the Utilization Sheet

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

• In order to display the utilization of your resources you must first define the header of the sheet:

1.

Business Unit: You must first select the Business unit you wish to display.

 Click the dropdown menu and check the box of your business unit.

2.

Team: You can decide to restrict your planning to specific CRM team.

 Select Online Trainingx.

3.

User: This will allow you to display specific users of the team you have selected.

 Choose yourself and the resources you have identified as project team members.

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 Expand the option Show Only Project Item Activities

 A proejct item activity can have one of the following 3 statuses:

 In Progress: the percentage completed of the project item activity is less than 100%

 Completed: the percentage completed of the project item activity is 100%

 Tentative: the check box Tentative of a project item activity has been checked.

 You want to include all 3 statues, leave the box All checked.

 You also want to Include Appointments, check the option Include Appointments

• Once you have defined the header of the Utilization sheet, click the refresh button:

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1.

Queues: If you expand this section you will see the Queues to which activities have been assigned.

2.

Name: By default PSA will sum up and collapse the detail of each project item activities by user. 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 users and show their respective number of utilized hours as well as their level of utilization.

1 2 2 3

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 At the bottom of the screen you will find a legend explaining the different colors used in the Utilization sheet. Note that this legend is based on the CRM work schedule of the users and the Hours Planned of the Gantt chart.

 Color 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

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

 Highly over-utilized (›1.2): indicates higher than 120%

 Unavailable: Indicates that the user is not available.

 If you right-mouse click and select Grouping/ group by Project.

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 You can change the date and also display the information by month, by week or by day.

 At the bottom of the grid you will also be able to zoom in or out on the information displayed.

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EXERCISE 2: Assign an activity from the queue to a user.

Step 1: Assign an activity from the queue to a user.

• Expand the Queue section of the Utilization sheet.

• Click the dropdown menu to display the queues to which were assigned activities.

• Select one queue and expand

the projects to see the project item activities

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• You want to assign one of the activities to a user.

• Select the activity and drag it over the name of the user; release the mouse once the activity is over the name and the cell behind it is blue.

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EXERCISE 3: Modify the activity of a resource in order to assign it to

another resource.

Step 1: Modify the activity of a resource in order to assign it to another resource.

• Double-click on the activity of a resource.

• PSA will open up the CRM record

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Module A2 Item Activities, Gantt Chart and Utilization Sheet