Schedule (Program) MOD009C9E

In PLANTA project

Program Planning → Multi-Program Board → Program panel → Schedule

Information

In this module you can
- create and edit program tasks (in graphically or in table form)
- connect program tasks via links
- see tasks and milestones of the corresponding projects
- connect tasks of the corresponding projects in table form via links
- connect tasks (master milestones) of the program and of the assigned projects graphically or in table form via links

Caution

All newly created tasks of a program are master milestones by default.
Resource planning is not possible in the program schedules.

Notes

This module shows dates of the program and its tasks or the assigned projects and their tasks. Budget, costs, and effort of the program (as summarized sum values of the projects) or of the assigned projects can be viewed in the Budget module. For detailed information on effort or costs of individual tasks of the assigned projects, please switch to the Project panel of the corresponding project by clicking on the project ID.
Subprojects of the assigned projects which may exist will not be displayed in this module. By clicking on the project ID you can switch to the corresponding project and view the subproject data.

Module Variants

Base	Tasks are displayed with the assigned links. New program tasks and links can be created and edited for both programs and projects.
Print	A variant of the Schedule optimized for printing is displayed.
Quality Gates	Displays the quality gates predefined by the portfolio manager and their todo items to be completed.

Show legend...

Legend: Program/Project

Meaning	Color	Comment
Requested dates		Requested start and Requested end are defined in the Key dates area in the respective core data module (Project Core Data, Idea Core Data, Proposal Core Data, Program Core Data).
calculated dates	The color of the bar is determined by the code of the planning object. Code A Code B Code C Code D Code E	Calc. start and Calc. end of a planning object are determined during the calculation of the schedule (by clicking on the menu item button). You can define and change the code of the planning objects in the Edit Planning Objects module (for projects and proposals you can also do this in the Project Core Data and Proposal Core Data modules)
actual dates	The bar is hatched in white. The background color depends on the code of the planning object.	Actual start and Actual end (if available, otherwise Latest time recording date ) of a planning object. They are determined from the actual dates of the tasks (Actual start/Actual end) during the calculation of the schedule of the respective planning object (by clicking on the menu item button).
Float		Float available when the calculated end date (Calc. end) is earlier than the requested end date (Requested end).
Delay		A delay occurs when the calculated end date (Calc. end) is later than the requested end date (Requested end). The delay bar immediately follows the bar for calculated dates and is customized with a color gradient so that the red color has various shades.
External links	outgoing incoming
Gates	gate without delay gate with delay main gate/main milestone	A gate is a master milestone of the planning objects. without delay means: Total float >= 0 With delay means: Total float < 0 Gates are only displayed in the Schedule module if the Schedule with gates checkbox has been activated in the Project Core Data module in the core data module of the respective planning object Master milestones with Actual end are not displayed as gates.
Quality Gates		Quality gates are the items given from the portfolio and are only displayed in planning objects if they are assigned to this planning object in the portfolio to which the planning object belongs.

Legend: Task

Symbol	Meaning	Color	Comment
	Task requested dates		Requested start and Requested end of a task can be defined in the corresponding data fields in the Schedule module or they can be enetered directly in the bar chart.
	Calculated dates of the tasks	uncritical critical	Calc. start and Calc. end are calculated by clicking on the Calculated schedule menu item button. Uncritical means: Total float > 0 Critical means: Total float <= 0 Since in PLANTA project the definition of requested dates on tasks leads to Total float = 0, tasks which do not necessarily lie on the critical path can be critical as well.
/	Milestones/ master milestones	/ without Delay / with Delay / with actual end	Without delay means: Total float >= 0 With delay means: Total float < 0
	Calculated dates of the summary tasks		A summary task is a task in the structured schedule consisting of sub-tasks which are summarized here. Information on the summary task, such as duration and dates, is determined automatically from the sub-tasks.
	actual dates	The respective bars are white hatched if the Splitting parameter is deactivated, and gray hatched if the parameter is activated.	Actual start and, if available, Actual end, otherwise Latest time recording date of a task, are calculated from the respective dates of the resources assigned to the task by clicking on the Calculate schedule menu item button or by setting them manually.
	latest dates		Calc. start and Calc. end of a task are calculated by clicking on the Calculated schedule menu item button.
	Task delay		A delay exists if Calc. end of a master milestone is later than its Latest end.
	Task overlapping		Overlapping = possible delay of task successor when using soft links. For further information, see here.
	External links	outgoing incoming

External Tasks

Symbol	Meaning	Color	Comment
	Calculated dates of external tasks	uncritical critical	Calc. start and Calc. end of the external tasks are calculated by clicking on the Calculated schedule menu item button. Uncritical means: Total float > 0 Critical means: Total float <= 0 Since in PLANTA project the definition of requested dates on tasks leads to Total float = 0, tasks which do not necessarily lie on the critical path can be critical as well.
	Calculated dates of external summary tasks
/	Milestones/master milestones of the external summary tasks	/ without Delay / with Delay / with actual end	Without delay means: Total float >= 0 With delay means: Total float < 0
	requested dates of external tasks		Requested start and Requested end are defined in the Key dates area in the respective core data module (Project Core Data, Idea Core Data, Proposal Core Data, Program Core Data).

Create Schedule

Information

The schedule of a program is automatically created when you create individual tasks which are milestones at the same time.

Procedure

Insert a blank task line, e.g. by pressing F4 or by clicking on the Insert button in the menu bar or on the same icon directly below the header bar.
- Enter a task name in the Task name field.
- Create further tasks in the same way.
- Save and click on the
  Generate WBS code button. As a result, an ID will automatically be generated for the new task in the Task field. In PLANTA standard, the WBS codes are used as task IDs in schedules.
Tasks in PLANTA project have two IDs:
- A technical task ID is automatically created. It is an incrementing task number which is usually invisible in user modules in the PLANTA standard system.
- A functional task ID is either generated automatically or allocated manually.
  - Via the global Use WBS code instead of ID parameter you can define which of these three variants will be used as functional ID. The chosen functional ID then applies system-wide to all user modules in which tasks are displayed.

Tasks (Master Milestones)

Information

All newly created tasks of a program are master milestones by default.

Details

If the Schedule with gates checkbox has been activated in the Program Core Data module, master milestones will additionally be displayed in graphical view on the horizontal schedule axis in the program schedule directly below the Time Scale and are called gates.
If one of the master milestones has been defined as a main milestone in the Program Core Data as well, it is considered a reference master milestone. The time interval (in weeks) from the main milestone to the other master milestones is calculated and illustrated on the gate symbols. The master milestone has no interval indication on the gate and also differs from other gates in graphical terms, since on a gate it has a darker border.
- If no master milestone has been defined as a master milestone, the last master milestone of the schedule is used to calculate the interval. If there is a master milestone on the calculated end date of the program, the respective gate also receives an interval indication (however, it is still not a master milestone and accordingly it has no dark border).
- The interval calculation is carried out upon start of the client, so that a client restart becomes necessary if you want to have the intervals updated because a main milestone has been newly selected or changed, or if the calculated date of the program has changed.

Edit task

Information

By entering or changing the task parameters in the required fields of the Task module which can be opened by clicking on the task ID, you can edit the individual tasks of a program schedule.

Here you will find a list and description of all task fields/parameters.

Terminate Task

Procedure

Enter Requested start and Requested end in the respective fields or define the Remaining duration.
- Click on the
  calculation button in the toolbar. In doing so, calculated dates of the task (Calc. start and Calc. end) are calculated automatically.
- If you do not define any requested dates for tasks but only durations, the Requested start of the project will be used as start date for the calculation. If you have not defined any requested dates for the project either, the tasks will be defined from today’s date on.

Detailed information on the calculation of schedules and on the different factors which can influence the calculation, please click here.

Change Note/Estimate Flag

The note or estimate on a program task (master milestone) can only be changed in the Task module, which can be opened by clicking on the ID of the program task.

Read Out Task Chain

Procedure

Right-click on the required task.
Select the Read out task chain context menu command.
The What do you want to do? dialog message is displayed with selection options (via the buttons) for the display of the data in the Task Chain module.
- Depending on the selection made in the dialog module, the direct predecessors or successors of the selected task or all predecessors or all successors of the task or all predecessors or successors of the task (i.e. the entire network) are displayed in the Task Chain.

Finish Task

Procedure

Enter the required end date in the Actual end field in the line of the required task.
Save and recalculate the schedule by clicking on the calculation button
in the toolbar.

Details

Finished tasks are displayed grayed-out.

Links

Links map dependencies between tasks of in a project and have an impact on the calculation of the project dates. For information on the options for mapping dependencies between projects, please click here.

Internal and External Links

Information

Internal links in a program schedule are links between individual tasks (master milestones) at program level.
External tasks in a program schedule are links
- from the tasks of the program to the tasks of the assigned projects and vice versa or
- from the tasks of an assigned project to the tasks of another assigned project.

The procedure for creation of internal and external links in the program schedule is always the same.

Procedure table form

To do so, right-click on the required task and select the Insert → Link context menu command. A new, empty link record is created.
Fill the following fields in the new link record:
- Project successor is preset by default with the project in which the link is created.
  - If an internal link is created, the preset remains.
  - If an external link is created, select the required project from the listbox.
- Task successor
- Link type (here, the Link type is preset by default).
- Time interval (if required).
Save and recalculate the schedule by clicking on the
calculation button in the toolbar.

Procedure graphically

move the mouse pointer to the bar from which a link is to be created (source bar).
- Instead of the mouse pointer, a cross will be displayed.
  - place the cross at the beginning or at the end of the source bar depending on which link type you wish to create (e.g. for the Finish-Start relation, place the cross at the end of the source bar).
  - Click and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse to the beginning or to the end of the target bar depending on what link type you wish to create (e.g. for a Finish-Start relation drag the mouse to the start of the target bar).
  - As a result, a connection line between the two bars will be displayed.
  - As soon as the destination bar is reached, the start position in the source bar and the destination position in the destination bar will be marked by yellow arrows.
  - Release the left mouse button.
  - The new link is created.

Notes

For the creation of external links you have to take into account that the target project is expanded far enough so that the target task is visible.
You can graphically create external links
- from program to project, but not the other way around, or
- from a program-project to another program-project
You can graphically edit all existing links.

External Tasks

Information

External tasks are tasks of another project/program which can be displayed in the schedule of the selected program in order to visualize the dependencies between the program and other projects.

Show external tasks

Right-click on the required program task.
Select Insert → External Task from the context menu.
- Select the required project/program and the required task from the respective listbox.
- The selected external task is displayed in the schedule of your own program.

Note

In the program schedule, only external tasks at program level can be displayed. If you want insert external tasks in program projects as well, you have to switch to the schedules of the respecting program projects.

Quality Gates

Information

Quality Gates are a type of controlling element of the portfolio manager for monitoring the progress of the planning objects contained in the portfolio.
Quality gates are defined by the portfolio manager (terminated and divided into individual tasks) and assigned to the individual planning objects.
Project managers or program managers can see the assigned quality gates in the Schedule in the Quality Gates module variant of the corresponding planning object and and record for them the degree of completion of the tasks and the probable date of completion of the quality gates and enable the portfolio manager to monitor the compliance with the specifications.

Edit Quality Gates

Enter the estimated date for the completion of the quality gate in the Prob. completed on field.
In the File field you can store a file which is relevant for the task.
In the % completed field, enter or update the degree of completion of the respective task.
- Note: the Actual end field is filled by the project manager by setting the Approval in the Quality Gates module.

Caution

Since, from a technical point of view, quality gates are tasks, the requested end calculated for them can influence the project dates. As the quality gates are automatically transferred to the planning object when the planning object is assigned to the portfolio, please check the schedules of the planning objects or the dates of the quality gates after assigning the planning objects to portfolios.