FAQ

General

Can I assign a project ID myself (or change an existing one)?

There are technical and functional IDs for projects and tasks in PLANTA project. Both are generated automatically when you create a project/task.

• Technical IDs are hidden in most cases and cannot be changed.
• Functional IDs, however, are visible on the user interface and can be changed by a user that has the rights to change a project.
  • The functional
    • Project ID can be changed by clicking on the Change functional ID button in the Project Core Data module.
    • The task ID is changed directly in the Task field in the Schedule.

Charts/Diagrams/Analyses

Can I analyze my projects with PLANTA project?

PLANTA project provides complex analysis modules to give the user a quick overview of projects, e.g. Multi-Project Board, Cost Overviews, and Resource Overviews.

Why are master milestone charts displayed in the gray area?

When using the Active today’s line model parameter = , the calculated master milestone dates are not calculated for the future, i.e. they are displayed in the gray area of the MTA chart. It is also recommendable to only carry out a milestone trend analysis if the today line is active during the calculation.

Read more here

Example

• In 2011, several status reports were created, afterwards the project was frozen and only in 2014 another status report was created (which cannot be illustrated in the diagram). Due to the non-active today line, however, the calculated end dates are maintained. In the graphic, the lines are therefore displayed in the gray area.

• If you were to set the Active today’s line model parameter = now and create a status report after renewed status report creation, the trend analysis would look like this: the dates of the last status report are in a white (positive) area:

• If you want to hide the dates in the gray area, you can deactivate the status reports for the required report time frame in the Configure Trend Analysis module.

• What remains are milestones with actual dates. From 39.5.0, the display of milestones with actual end dates is prevented by means of filter criteria

The utilization diagrams are not refreshed for all parent resources when you move a resource from one department to another.

This is due to the level of the parent resource. For further information on this, please click here.

How can dependencies between projects be mapped in PLANTA project?

In PLANTA project, there are three options for illustrating dependencies between projects:

• By having external tasks displayed in your own schedules.
• By directly creating dependencies between projects.
• By connecting the tasks of different projects via external links

Can I delete already recorded hours or costs in PLANTA project?

• In PLANTA, recorded/reported hours and costs are also called actual hours/costs or posted hours/costs or simply postings.
• If automatic reverse postings are activated in your system, like it is the case, e.g., in PLANTA standard, actual values can be deleted or corrected If automatic reverse postings are deactivated in your system, you have to record manual reverse postings for actual values to be deleted. Reason:
  • If actual data is recorded in the system, remaining data is adjusted in the next scheduling of the respective projects. Simple retroactive deletion/changing of the already created actual data can impair traceability of both actual data and remaining data.
  • Furthermore, the retroactive deletion/changing of already recorded actual data may cause problems or differences in the target and source system in particular situations like, e.g., after transfer to external systems.
• PLANTA also expressly advises against the deletion of entire actual posting records, even if the user possesses the required rights to do so, since this may lead to data inconsistencies exceeding those already described above.

Planned, Actual, Remaining, Total values in PLANTA project

For different objects (e.g. for effort, costs, etc.) and levels (Project, Task, Resource assignment, Load), PLANTA project distinguishes between planned, actual, remaining, and total values.

• Planned values are so-called budgeted figures. As long as the project is in the planning stage and there are no actual values yet, planned values will be considered remaining values. I.e. if you want to specify budgeted figures, you have to enter them in the remaining column. The value is automatically transmitted to the planned column which is not visible by default, however, it can be unhidden from the invisible window upon requirement. As soon as there are actual values, the initial planned values will be frozen and will not change anymore. Thus the initial budget figure is now available for possible later comparisons, analyses, change tracking, etc.
• Remaining values are either budget figures - as long as the project is not in its planning stage yet - or remaining values (i.e. the planned values reduced by the actual values) - as soon as the project has been launched and there are actual values). If and on what levels remaining values can be recorded or automatically calculated depends on the objects themselves, on the respective project level, as well as on particular project settings.
• Actual values are actually incurring values. They are either recorded manually (e.g. hours in the course of working time recording) or calculated automatically. This depends on the object itself and on the respective project level.
• Total values are the sum of remaining and actual values and are always calculated automatically for all objects at all levels.

 For a detailed description of the individual parameters, please use the links to the parameters of the respective project level.

Subprojects

Can I divide a project into subprojects?

In the Subprojects module you can assign one or several subprojects to a project.

Am I, as subproject manager, allowed to create a status report for my subproject?

No, in structured projects the Create status reports function is only available at main project level and, thus, only available to main project managers.

How do I delete a subproject?

In order to delete a subproject you have the following options:

• Either you remove the required subproject from the structure of the main project and then delete the removed project like an independent project.
• Or you delete a subproject from within the main project.

Progress and Status

Where can I enter the progress (functional degree of completion) of the project?

In the Progress module, the project manager can maintain the project progress.

How and where can I freeze individual planning states?

In PLANTA project, individual planning states are frozen in status reports. I.e., for each state an individual status report is created in the Status module. Status report data can be compared to the current project data in the Deviations module.

Can I cancel the release of a status report?

The release of a status report can only be canceled by the multi-project manager in the Check Status Report Creation And Project Applications module.

Where can I manage change requests in PLANTA project?

In the Change Request module you can create new change requests, or edit existing ones. Complete change requests are displayed as well.

Costs

How can I figure out in every phase of the project how much money we spent and how much money we still have available?

In the Budget module, costs, effort, and budgets (effort and costs) of the project are displayed and can be edited. After having completed the budget planning at the beginning of a project, a status report can be created in the Status module. This status report can then be compared to other planning states in the Deviations module.

What are cost types and cost type groups used for?

• Cost types as well as cost type groups serve to outline the costs.
• Cost types are used for fine cost scaling.
• Several cost types can be grouped to form the cost type groups, rough cost scaling.
• In PLANTA project standard modules, the costs are displayed by cost type groups.

How can I post actual costs?

• For all resources with resource type ≠ 8 and ≠ 9, the actual costs are automatically calculated by the program on the basis of the recorded hours worked (actual effort) of the resources and their conversion factors.
• For resources with resource type = 8 and 9 (revenue and cost resources), the actual costs are posted manually in the Post Revenues and Post Costs modules.

When you delete a cost type, the following message is displayed: Deletion not possible since deletion code '2' was set for the following relationships: 466

• In this particular case, the cost type cannot be deleted since there are still resource assignments which use this cost type. 
• This message can generally also be displayed for other records if the Deletion code parameter has value "2" in the respective data tables in the system customizing. 

Can I also post external costs (e.g. personnel and material costs)?

In PLANTA project, calculated and entered costs are allocated to cost type groups.
In order to post external costs:

• Create a External costs cost type group.
• Create one, or any other amount of cost types to which the External costs cost type group is allocated.
• Create one, or any other number of cost resources (resources with Resource type=9) to which the cost types from the External costs cost type group are allocated.

Resources

How can I allocate the resource effort from a department resource to individual employee resources?

• A project manager can distribute the effort of his/her project in the Resource Plan module.
• A resource manager can distribute the effort of the resources of his/her department in the Resource Planning module.

How do I add a resource to the resource structure?

In the Resource Data Sheet module you have to allocate a parent resource in the Parent resource field for each resource which is to be included in an existing resource structure. You must also change the parent resource if the resource is to be moved within the structure. Consequently, the higher level resources do not have parent resources. You can see the resource structure itself in the Resource Structure module. 

What is a period?

In PLANTA project, a period equates to a date.

• On this date, a resource can, e.g., be planned or vacation or absence can be defined for him or her.
• Periods (period records) are generated automatically by defining a planning period (planning horizon) using the Start and End period fields in the Resource Data Sheet or Resources module and can be viewed in the Availability module where it can be edited if necessary. For the detailed creation, modification, and deletion procedure of periods, see the description of the Resource Data Sheet module.

Time Recording

How can employees record their hours worked on projects?

The Time Recording module is a central module for the recording of hours worked. In the Time Recording online subarea you will also find further information on this subject as well as on the subject of vacation and absence times. 

How can I record hours worked by my employees as a department manager?

• Click on the link on the name of the required employee in the Department board in the My Department module. As a result, you switch to the Employee board of the employee. Click on the Time Recording tab in order to open the Time Recording module. Report the hours in the Time Recording module according to the description.
• The same way you can report vacation and absence for employees of the department in the Absence module.

Schedule and Scheduling

How can I create a default schedule in PLANTA project (a template schedule)?

Create a new project and a schedule as desired. For this very project, go to the Project Core Data module and select the "Template" status in the Status field. This causes the project to be saved as a template project. It is then available in the Templates category for copying default schedules. In template projects, scheduling is not possible. It is not considered in evaluations and diagrams.

How can I define milestones in PLANTA project?

PLANTA project distinguishes between milestones and master milestones. Via the Milestone parameter in the Schedule module you can define for each task whether it is a simple task, a milestone task, or a master milestone task.

Why does the total duration displayed in the summary task deviate from the total of the individual tasks?

Two possible reasons are:

• If one of the tasks involved in calculation has duration = 0 and the Start task successor + 1 d parameter is deactivated in the model parameters, the task that follows the task with duration = 0 starts on the same day. That is why the calculated total of the actual duration is smaller than the total that results from the summarization of the individual tasks.
• If the Start task successor + 1 d parameter is activated, the task that follows the task with duration = 0 starts one day later. As a result, the total duration will equate to the sum of individual tasks.

Why are no costs displayed for particular tasks although the cost fields of the resource are filled?

Costs of resources with resource type = 8 (revenue resources) are not summarized at task level.

Some tasks in the schedule are colored in red after calculation. What does this mean?

As soon as a network cycle is detected in the calculation of a schedule, the tasks in question are highlighted in color (marked red) and the scheduling is canceled. You have to fix the cycle by correcting the links. Otherwise, scheduling is not possible. In the Cycle Search module, all projects that have a cycle are listed. A network cycle occurs when no last task can be found within a network cycle in the calculation of a schedule.

Why are some of the milestones in my Gantt chart green and others red?

The color of the milestone is defined by the float. Milestones with negative float are red and milestones with positive float or float = 0 are green.

• The float is calculated in scheduling based on the constellation of certain factors (links, duration, requested dates etc.).
• In order to see the float, the corresponding data fields have to be made visible by customizing.

Why are some of the milestones in my Gantt chart green even though there is no float?

For milestones, float = 0 is not critical. That is why those milestones are displayed in green. Only milestones with negative float are displayed red.

When scheduling in a particular project, the Filter results too numerous, please restrict. message is displayed. What to do?

This message signalizes that too many records must be processed in the calculation of a schedule. In order to reduce the records to be processed, you can take the following measures:

• Check whether there are twisted numbers in work reporting (e.g. year 32 instead of 23).
• Decrease the planning horizon of the project, e.g. if there are unnecessarily long lead times.
• If you cannot decrease the planning horizon, split the project into several projects.
• Reduce the number of periods of the resource (i.e. change start period and/or end period).
• Change the load profiles in the project from BLD to (e.g.) Week.

Why are no load records created for some resources even though a remaining effort is entered?

• For resource assignments with MAN load profile, the planned values of the respective resource must be entered manually for each day in the Remaining load field in the Schedule module. In schedule calculation, the values entered manually will automatically be summarized upwards to resource assignment, task, and project level.
• In planning with resource assignments with other load profiles, the complete planned values of the respective resource must be entered at resource assignment level in the Remaining effort field in the Schedule. The entered value will automatically be summarized on the individual days (upwards to task and project level and downwards to load level) in accordance with the load profile entered on the resource assignment.
• If in resource assignment with MAN load profile the effort is erroneously entered at resource assignment level, it is only summarized upwards but it is not allocated downwards to load level. This may also lead to further incorrect representations. See the next entry.

Why are there different project effort values in the Schedule and Budget modules after scheduling?

If one or more resource assignments in the Schedule module have MAN load profile and if their effort has erroneously been planned at resource assignment level (in the Remaining effort field) rather than at load level (in the Remaining load field), the project-effort values in the Budget module will differ from the values in the Schedule module.

• Reason
  • Do the following in the Schedule module: The project values are values summarized from the task values which are in turn summarized from the values of their resource assignments which are again summarized from the load values.
    • I.e.: If there are no values at load level but at resource assignment level, the load level values will be summarized from resource assignment level to task level and subsequently to project level.
  • Budget module: The calculation of effort and cost values of the projects is directly based on the values entered at load level. If no values are entered at load level, nothing will be displayed in the Budget module.

What is the calculation sequence during replanning?

• Replanning is cariied out in the Replanning (Calculation of all Planning Objects) module.

  The planning objects displayed in this module are calculated in the following sequence:

  • Level
  • Priority
  • Requested end
  • Technical project ID

Why is the maximum load/day apparently ignored?

Details

• In scheduling a task is loaded with a value greater than that defined in the Max. load/day parameter.
• Although scheduling thereby overloads the task, no overload is shown.

Reason

• Expected software behavior

Notes

• The Max. load/day value is a desired limit for scheduling which is exceeded if necessary.
• The mere exceedance of the Max. load/day limit does not yet present an overload, as overload is only determined on the basis of the available capacity of a resource.
• Scheduling uses the Max. load/day parameter as follows:
  • The required duration of the task is calculated from effort / Max. load/day.
  • This duration is the initial value for capacity adjustment.
• Scheduling attempts to only load the resource up to the Max. load/day value within the available duration (required duration + float).. If this proves to be impossible, the remaining effort will be loaded uniformly throughout the available interval, even if this causes the resources to be overloaded in these periods.

In planning with adherence to schedule, calc. end of the task and calc. end of the resource are different

This case may occur if the planning of the resource in question with CAP load profile exceeds his/her planning horizon (i.e. is later than its end period). In this case, scheduling plans all remaining hours for one day, which it could not fit in the planning horizon, on resource assignment level. The day on which the remaining effort is planned is the very day after the end period of the resource. The split on the task after the end of the planning horizon, however runs linearly until all other hours are planned.

Alternative solutions

• 1: Prolongation of the planning horizon (end period) of the resource in the Resource Data Sheet.
• 2: Scheduling of the resource using MAN load profile.