Schedule (Project) MOD0099AN

Access

• Project panel (Proposal) → Schedule

Information

• The Schedule module is the central and most important module in project planning and management in PLANTA project. In this module you can
  • create and edit tasks (work packages) (graphically or in table form)
  • schedule tasks
  • define and edit task parameters, e.g. define particular tasks as milestones
  • structure tasks
  • connect tasks via links and thus generate a network cycle
  • assign resources to tasks and plan effort
  • etc.

Show legend...

Legend: Project

Symbol	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

Legend: 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).

Legend: Task Resource

Symbol	Meaning	Comment
	Remaining effort of the resource per scale grid, e.g. per month	The hourly value planned for the task resource is distributed among the individual days (or other periods of time, depending on the selected load profile). The individual daily values are subsequently displayed below the time scale summed up per scale grid, e.g. per month. In particular planning constellations there may be rounding differences between the total remaining effort value (window 2) and the values displayed below the time scale, since in the first case the entire value is rounded while in the second case the subtotals per grid are rounded. Example: If there is an effort of 4,4 h for January and an effort of 5,4 h for February, the total effort of 9,8h is displayed in the Remaining effort field in W2 rounded to 10h. Below the time scale, the rounded 4h for January and 5h for February are displayed, resulting in a total of 9h.

Legend: Task

Symbol	Meaning	Comment
	Todo item date	The date value for the bar is determined from the Date field (DT804).

Schedule and Tasks

Information

• A schedule summarizes all terminated and calculated tasks (work packages) of a project. If tasks are structured, a work breakdown structure forms part of the schedule. If tasks are also connected via links, so that the processing structure of the project becomes visible, a network cycle will also form part of the schedule.
• Tasks are the core elements of each schedule. In PLANTA project you can create schedules by recording tasks individually or by using already predefined complete schedules from templates which can be copied to your own projects. Schedules of the already existing projects can be used as a source for copying.
• In the Schedule module, task records are spread throughout three windows.
  • In window 1 and 2, tasks are displayed in lines (in table form), in which task attributes (parameters) can be edited in individual data fields.
  • In window 3, a date bar for already existing task dates (requested dates, calculated dates, actual dates) is displayed graphically along the time scale for each task (i.e. per task line). See also the Legend above.

Note

• Structure tasks are a special type of tasks. Structure tasks are connectors between main and subprojects in structured projects.
• Structure tasks are available in schedules of structured projects but they are not visible to the user.

Copy Schedule

Procedure

• When opening the Schedule module, the following query displayed: Adopt a schedule?

  • Confirm the query with Yes .
  • The Copy Schedule module is opened at the bottom of the panel.
• Select the project the schedule of which is to be copied from the listbox.

• Start the copy operation by clicking on the

  Copy schedule

  button.

  • The schedule which has been copied to the project is displayed and can be edited.

Notes

• If the confirmation prompt was negated accidentally, the Copy Schedule module can be reopened by right-clicking on the project header and selecting the command of the same name.
• You can also copy schedules additively via the context menu (by right-clicking and selecting the Copy schedule command).
• If the Resource Planning with Requests/Approvals function is active, no resource assignments will be adopted when the schedule is copied.

Create Tasks Individually

Procedure

• When opening the Schedule module, the following query is displayed: Adopt a schedule?
• Answer the query with No.

• 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.

Structure Tasks

Information

• The hierarchic structuring of tasks results in a work breakdown structure

• The parent tasks of a structured project plan are called summary tasks in PLANTA project.
• The Work break down structure code (WBS code) identifies individual project tasks in accordance with their hierarchical structure.

Procedure

• Structure the tasks hierarchically as required by moving them to the desired position by pressing SHIFT + holding down the left mouse button.

  • Select the Generate WBS code command from the context menu by right-clicking on the project header or by clicking on the

    

    Generate WBS code button (on the left-hand side below the project bar).
    • The WBS code is generated automatically for every task in the WBS code field in accordance with the structure. Thus the WBS code is both a marker for individual elements in the work breakdown structure and an indicator of the hierarchical structure.
  • Start the calculation of the schedule by clicking on the

    

    Calculate schedule button in the toolbar.
    • As a result, all parent tasks in the work breakdown structure are marked bold and are therefore visualized as summary tasks.
    • If the structure has been changed since the last update, the WBS codes are updated as well during the calculation of the schedule.

  
  

  • If there are less than 10 tasks, the numeration of the codes is done by the 1, 2,... 9 schema, if there are more than 10 tasks, the numeration is done by the 01, 02,... schema. 09, 10, ...

  • When working with structured projects, you have to keep in mind that the generation of a WBS code in the main project causes the generation of the WBS code for all subprojects concerned. The generation of the WBS code in individual subprojects, on the other hand, only has an effect on the respective subproject.

    
    

Notes

• In PLANTA standard, the WBS code is used as a task ID. This can be changed individually by adjusting the global Use WBS code instead of ID setting.

Caution

• When working with structured schedules, PLANTA recommends that you use summary tasks as structuring elements only, i.e. you should not carry out effort or cost planning or enter durations at this level. This also includes resource planning or time recording directly on the summary tasks. Instead, PLANTA recommends that you carry out your planning exclusively on child tasks.
  • Reason: Since scheduling detects some parameters of the summary tasks from child tasks, there may be collisions between your own planned values and those detected during scheduling. As a result, there may be values on summary tasks that are incomprehensible at first sight.

Edit Tasks

You can edit the task data of a schedule by changing or entering the required task parameters/attributes.

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

• Please note that depending on the selected variant of the Schedule module, different task parameters are visible in the task line by default. All other parameters are hidden and can be unhidden to view or edit them. To do so, right-click on the heading of the required column or on the column separator and activate the required parameter in the opened context menu (columns) by setting a checkmark.

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Each task of the schedule can also be opened and edited in the form of a data sheet. To do so, click on the link on the ID of the task or right-click on the required task and select the Edit task command from the context menu. If you want to open several tasks successively in the task data sheet, you do not have to close the module each time. Instead, you can just click on the ID of another task in the schedule and the respective task will then be loaded in the data sheet instead of the previous one.

Schedule Tasks

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.

Details

• The task dates are displayed both in table form in the central window and graphically in the form of date bars in the right window. To find out which bar types correspond to which date types (requested, calculated, actual, etc.), please refer to the legend at the beginning of the topic.
• The actual dates are either determined from the time recording of the resources in question in the course of the processing of the project or they can be set manually for individual tasks.

Master/Milestone Tasks

Procedure

• Select the required value from the listbox in the Milestone field in the line of the required task: milestone or master milestone (gate).
• In the bar chart, the milestones or master milestones are visualized as rhombs which are colored differently depending on their date status (with delay, finished, etc.). See also the legend at the beginning of the topic.

If a task was defined as a milestone or master milestone, you must consider some peculiarities when you plan it (duration, requested dates). For further information, see here.

Gates

• If there are master milestones in a schedule and the Schedule with gates checkbox has been activated in the Project Core Data module, master milestones are additionally displayed on the horizontal date axis in the Gantt chart directly below the time scale and are called gates. See also the Legend above.
  • If the project is assigned to a program, the master milestones (gates) of the program will additionally be displayed below the time scale.
  • If the project is a subproject, the master milestones (gates) of the main project are additionally displayed below the time scale (in the same line in which the gates of the project itself are displayed).

Main Milestones

• If one of the master milestones was defined as a main milestone in the Project Core Data module 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, the calculated end date of the project will be used as a reference point for the calculation of the interval. If there is a master milestone on the calculated end date of the project, the respective gate does not contain an interval indication either (however, it is still not a master milestone and accordingly it has no dark border).
  • The interval calculation is carried out when the client is started. A client restart therefore becomes necessary if you want to have the intervals updated after you have, e.g., selected a new main milestone or changed an existing one or if the calculated date of the project has changed.

Lock Tasks

Individual tasks of a project can be locked against the recording of hours worked, kilometers, expenses, and cost postings.

Procedure

• Open the Entire Schedule module variant in the Schedule module.
• To do so, activate the Task locked checkbox in the line of the required task.

Details

• In other module variants, the checkbox is hidden by default and must be unhidden first for editing.

Alternative

• You can also prevent the recording of the above mentioned postings at project level by using the eponymous Locked parameter. This lock applies to all tasks of the project and cannot be overridden by the Task locked parameter.

Estimate Tasks

The project manager can evaluate or estimate each task of the schedule and visualize this by using different symbols.

Procedure

• Switch to the Entire Schedule module variant.
• Keep clicking on the » arrow button in the line of the required task in window 1 until the required symbol is displayed.

Details

• For new tasks for which there were no notes or estimates before, no symbols are displayed initially.

Finish Task

Procedure

• Enter the required end date in the Actual end field in the line of the required task.
  • If the task has resource assignments which have no actual end date yet, the task end date is automatically set for the resource assignments in question.
  • If all resource assignments of the task have an actual end date, the actual date of the task is automatically determined from the maximum of all resource assignments in the calculation of the schedule and the corresponding field on the task is filled respectively.
• Save and recalculate the schedule by clicking on the 

  

   calculation button in the toolbar.

Details

• If a task is finished, possibly existing Remaining effort and Remaining duration values are set to 0.
• Finished tasks are displayed grayed-out in the Schedule module.
• In several user modules the completed tasks are no longer displayed.

Task Documents

Information

• PLANTA project does not include any word processing facilities comparable to standard programs such as Microsoft Word. However, for certain objects (e.g. project notes, task documents, resource notes), it is possible to enter and manage a text in the continuous text fields.

Assign Documents to Tasks

• Open the Entire Schedule module variant in the Schedule module.
• Right-click on the required task to open the context menu and select the Insert → Notes/Documents context menu command.
  • Insert the required text to the document
    • in the Note field in the new task document record.
    • Create a link to a file (a document) in the Linked file field if necessary.

Delete Task

Procedure

• Mark the required task and click on the delete button in the toolbar.
  • If there are links or tasks, they will be deleted as well.
  • If there are resource assignments, the following message will be displayed: Delete dependent data?
    • If the resource assignments already contain actual data, another message will be displayed which explicitly indicates this, for PLANTA expressly advises against the use of actual load records. Furthermore the user who wants to delete such data must possess the authorizations required for this.

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.

Links can be created, edited, and deleted in the Schedule and Task modules.

See also: Link Tasks / Links

Internal Links

Internal links are links which connect tasks within a project.

Create Internal Links

In table form

• To do so, right-click on the required task and select the Insert → Link context menu command.
  • Fill the following fields in the new link record:
    • Task successor
    • Link type (here, the Link type = "FS" is preset by default).
    • Time interval (if required).
  • Save.
  • Then click on the

    

    Calculate schedule button in the toolbar of the Schedule module to recalculate the schedule.

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 and visualized graphically as a connection line.

Procedure for the Web Client

• Move the cursor over the bar from which a link is to be create (source bar).
• White circles are displayed on both sides of the bar.
• Click on the circle on the side of the source bar from which the link should start. This depends on the type of the desired relationship.
• Repeat the procedure on the target bar and click on the circle at the side of the target bar to which you want the link to lead.
• The new link is created and visualized graphically as a connection line.

Edit Internal Link

In table form

• Every link can be edited in the respective fields of the table view by changing the required link parameters. The most important parameters are:
  • Link type ( this parameter can also be changed in graphical view by right-clicking on the required link line)
  • Time Interval
  • Soft link

Delete Internal Links

In table form

• Mark the required link line.
• Click on the delete symbol in the toolbar.

Graphically

• Click on the required link line in the Gantt chart to have it highlighted.
• Then right-click and select the Delete link context menu command.

See also: Link Tasks / Links

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.

External Links

External (cross-project) links connect the tasks of different projects. The interlinkage of projects via external links results in the generation of a total network plan during calculation which covers all projects involved.

Create External Links

In table form

• Right-click on the required task and select the Insert → External Links context menu command.
  • In the new record, insert
    • the target project in the PR successor field for a new external link and select the target task in the Task field.
      • ThePR successor field is preset with the ID of the opened project by default.

It is not possible to create external links graphically.

Edit External Links

In table form

• The procedure is identical to that of internal links

Delete External Links

In table form

• The table form procedure is identical to that of internal links

The graphical deletion of external links is not possible.

Details

• All external links of a project, both outgoing (from the respective project to another project) and incoming (from another project to the respective project itself) are visualized in the project schedule.
  • In table view (window 1), all external link records are
    • displayed indented, separated from the internal ones
    • additionally marked with the respective icon:

      

      for incoming external links and

      

      for outgoing external links.
  • In graphical view (bar chart in window 3), the external links are visualized as follows:
    • by arrow(s) next to the respective

      

      task bar for incoming external and/or

      

      for outgoing external links. When you click on the respective arrow, the respective task is expanded and the link line is marked.
    • by arrow(s) next to the project bar. When you click on one of the arrows, all tasks of the project will be expanded with the external links and the last link line of the schedule, which corresponds to the type of the arrow you have clicked on, will be marked.

See also: Link Tasks / Links

External Tasks

External tasks are tasks of another project which can be displayed in the schedule of the selected project in order to visualize the dependencies between the projects. External tasks do not have an influence on the schedule of the selected project. Unlike external links, which influence the task dates in the selected project, they are of purely informational nature.

Show external tasks

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

See also: External Tasks

Todo Items

Information

• In the Schedule module you can define small todo items for single tasks and assign them to the required users (resources) for completion.
• All todo items of a project are maintained centrally in the Todo Items module.

Procedure

• Switch to the With Todo Items module variant in the Schedule module.
• Right-click on the required task and select the Insert → Todo item context menu command.
  • A todo item line will be inserted.
  • Enter the name of the todo item in the Todo item name field.
  • Save.
    • As a result, the ID number (Todo item field) of the todo item is generated automatically.
    • The Created on / Created by: name of the todo item are automatically filled with the current date and the current user.
    • Fill the required fields, e.g. the date up to which the todo item is to be completed (when a todo item is created, today’s date is automatically entered here), resource which is to complete the todo item, etc.
  • Save.

By providing a link to PLANTA’s other product PLANTA pulse, PLANTA provides an alternative for the creation and management of todo items in PLANTA project, which also allows for agile task planning. Instead of splitting up a task into todo items in PLANTA project, you can simply synchronize the task to PLANTA pulse where it can be planned and controlled agilely based on the Kanban method. Effort recorded in PLANTA pulse will automatically be transferred to PLANTA project and will be seamlessly included in planning and management. For more information on this, please see PLANTA Hybrid.

Create Todo Item Notes

Procedure

• Right-click on the required todo item and select the Insert → Note command from the context menu.
• A note/document record is inserted.
• Enter your text in the Note field.
• In the Linked file field, a link to a file can be created.

Assign Checklist Items/Checklists

Information

• For todo items, individual steps can be recorded in the form of checklist items. They can either be created individually or as entire checklists from checklist templates.

Assign individual checklist items

• insert an empty checklist item record for the required todo item by right-clicking on the todo item and selecting the Insert → Checklist item command.
• Describe the item.
• Save.

Copy entire checklists from predefined checklist templates

• switch to the Todo Item module (by right-clicking or by directly clicking on the ID of the required todo item).
• In the Todo Item module, right-click on the todo item.
• Select Copy checklist from the context menu.
• Select a checklist in the Copy checklist from template area and click on the link on the checklist name.
• The checklist items of the selected checklist are assigned to the todo item.
• Save.

Details

• Checklists can also be copied additively.
• Checklist templates are created and managed in the Checklists master data module.

Resources

Information

• Resources are responsible for the completion of tasks.
• They are assigned (allocated) to individual tasks.
• Resources must have been created before as part of the Master Data Entry.
• Which resources (individual employees, entire departments, or machines) can be assigned to the tasks depends on several factors, e.g. planning horizon, project type, etc.
• When assigning and planning resources in the schedule, PLANTA project distinguishes between resources, which comprise persons, departments, and skills the effort of which is planned in time units, and revenue and cost resources the effort of which is planned in monetary units.

Resources for capacity planning and cost resources can be assigned to a task at the same time. Capacity adjustment then applies, for example, to the resource used for capacity planning, and the cost resource is planned in at the scheduled calc. start/calc. end dates of the task.

Assign Resources to Tasks and Plan Them

Assign individual resources to a task

• Right-click on the required task and select Insert → Resource or Insert → Revenue and cost resource from the context menu.
  • Select the required resource from the listbox on the Resource field in the new resource record.
  • Define the required resource parameters.
    • When the resource was assigned to the task, several parameters have already been filled with default settings from the Resource Data Sheet (e.g. Load profile, Cost type). They can then be changed manually here.
    • Caution: If you change the default values for one of the resources assigned to the task and then copy this resource assignment to one of the further tasks, previously changed settings will be included instead of the default settings of the resource.

Assign several resources to a task at once

• Right-click on the required task and select the Assign resources or Assign revenue and cost resources command from the context menu.
• The Assign Resources dialog module is opened.
  • Depending on which command has been selected from the context menu, resources of the respective type will be loaded automatically when the dialog module is opened, i.e. either person, department, and skill resources or revenue and cost resources. In order to have resources of the other type displayed, click on the corresponding button.
    • Select the required resources from the list by activating the Select checkbox.
    • Click on the Assign selected objects button.
    The records of the selected resource are now displayed below the respective task.

Plan Resources

• Enter the planned effort for person, skill, and department resources ("hours" in standard) in the Remaining effort field.
• Enter the planned effort for cost and revenue resources in monetary units ("Euros" in standard) in the Remaining costs field.
• Check and possibly change the load profile set by default for a distribution of effort and costs in time across the task duration.
• Enter requested dates (Requested start/Requested end) if required. This enables you to specify that several resources are working on a task at different times, or that they start or finish their work at different times.

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The option to assign resources to tasks and to delete such assignments is also available in the Resource Plan and Task modules.

• The Resource Plan module shows the selected project with all tasks and their resource assignments. Since the module only contains few parameters and, in contrast to the Schedule module, the assigned resources are aligned next to their respective tasks, this module provides an alternative to the schedule, allowing you to get a quicker overview of the assigned resources or the editing of resource assignments. As in the Schedule module, individual resources, or several resources at once, can be assigned to the tasks. Resources that have an Actual end date will not be displayed.
• In the Task module, only the current task is displayed including its respective resources. Resources can only be assigned and deleted individually.

Plan Resources with Resource Requests

Information

• If resource requests are activated, resources cannot be assigned to the tasks and be planned directly in the Schedule module as described above. Instead they must be approved by the department manager first.
• If the resource request has been approved by the department manager, the requested resources can subsequently be included in the project planning.

A detailed description of the resource request approval process and the respective planning of resources, see here.

Resource Effort, Load, Utilization

Information

• Once you have assigned resources to a task and defined costs, you have to recalculate the schedule (by clicking on the

  

  calculation button in the toolbar). As a result, the project is loaded. This means: For each assigned resource, planned effort and planned costs are distributed across the planned duration. The way in which effort/cost values are distributed over the duration is determined by the load profile entered on the resource assignment. This distributed effort/cost value is the Load of the resource and the records in which these values are saved are load records. In the load records, the distributed effort/cost values are saved per day. Weekly, monthly, and quarterly values are also displayed on one day.
• It is also possible to generate load records manually and to allocate effort manually.
• A resource can have loads in different projects on the same day. The sum of all loads of a resource per day is its Utilization. However, the utilization value of the resource is not displayed in the schedule since the schedule refers to one sole project. However, the schedule does not reflect the involvement of the resource in other projects. For more information, please refer to the "Show Resource Utilization" chapter.

Details

• Load records show both planned load (remaining load) and possible overload. If the project is already running and the resources already have recorded hours worked, the actual load of the respective resources will be shown as well.
• To view load records you have to switch to the With Loads or Entire Schedule module variant.

Note

• If a schedule calculation is initiated simultaneously for different projects that share the same resources (or at least share one resource), it is only launched for one project while in the other modules a message is displayed indicating that one or several resources are used by another schedule calculation. The calculation must be carried out for all affected projects one after the other. Projects with different resources, however, can be calculated simultaneously.

Show Resource Utilization

It is possible to check the utilization of the planned resources in other projects from the Schedule of a particular project.

Procedure

• Right-click on the required resource.
• Select the Show utilization context menu command. By doing so you switch to the Utilization with Cause module where the utilization of the corresponding resource is displayed.

Note

• You can view the utilization of all resources displayed in the schedule regardless of whether or not the current user generally has access to the respective resources (controlled via the resource structure code).

Post Costs and Revenues

Information

• The Schedule module does not only show the effort but also the costs of the individual tasks and of the entire project.
  • Planned costs are automatically calculated during scheduling based on the planned effort of the planned resources and their conversion factors.
  • Actual costs are also calculated on the basis of the recording of hours worked of the person resources and their conversion factors. However, revenue and cost resources are not planned as effort but as immediate monetary values. The actual costs of these resources are posted in modules which have been designed especially for this purpose (Post Revenues and Post Costs). These modules can be opened directly from the Schedule.

Procedure

• Right-click on the required revenue or cost resource.
• Select the Post Revenues/Costs context menu command. Depending on the resource on which the context menu command was selected, either the Post Revenues or Post Costs module will be opened.
• Record costs/revenues as described in the module topics.

Special Functions

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.

Link Tasks with Elements of Alternative Structures

In PLANTA project you have the option to connect the created project structure to another project structure (e.g. SAP project structures) by assigning PLANTA tasks to the elements of the alternative structure. This enables you to summarize effort and costs planned in PLANTA project to the other project structure.

Procedure

• Switch to the SAP WBS Elements module variant
• Select an element of the alternative project structure in the SAP WBS Element field in the line of the required task.

Details

• The alternative structure with the linked PLANTA tasks can be viewed in the SAP WBS module. In this module, tasks and elements of the alternative structure can be linked as well.

Synchronize Tasks with External Systems (for Agile Project Editing)

Information

• PLANTA provides an option for linking tasks from projects which are planned in PLANTA project with other systems in order to plan and control them agilely there.
• Currently, PLANTA provides links to two agile systems by default: PLANTA pulse (another product by PLANTA) and Jira. A project can only be linked to one of these systems.
• The synchronization of the respective project is effected in the Project Core Data module by selecting an external system in the External system field.

Procedure for synchronization with PLANTA pulse

• Click on

  

  (PLANTA pulse) or

  

   (Jira) in the project header of the Schedule  module.
• As a result, a checkbox will be displayed next to each task via which you can mark the tasks to be synchronized..
• Activate the checkbox for the required module tasks and save. This triggers the automatic synchronization procedure.
• As soon as the synchronization is completed successfully (this may take a few seconds), 0/0 is specified next to the corresponding tasks
  • when you synchronize with PLANTA pulse. This specification represents the number of pending/all cards in pulse and is the initial indicator of successful synchronization. By clicking on the link on this numbers you switch to the Task Data Sheet in the pulse module variant in which a pulse widget with the pulse view of the board is displayed. In the widget you can make changes to pulse cards without having to switch to pulse. If necessary, you can also jump directly to the respective board in the pulse app by clicking on the change app symbol in the lower left corner of the widget.
  • the

    

    symbol,  if you synchronize with Jira. This symbol is the indicator of successful synchronization. By clicking on the symbol on the respective task you switch directly to the corresponding epic in the Jira app.
  • If the respective symbol is not displayed, this means that synchronization was not carried out due to errors. In such a case, the synchronization symbol will be displayed in the header area of the Dashboard module with an exclamation mark. By clicking on the symbol, the Hybrid Protocol module is opened, in which all requests for an object which are sent to an external system are protocoled. Alternatively, the module can also be opened via Further... → Miscellaneous.
• The checkboxes can be hidden by clicking on the

  

  or 

  

  button again.

See also: PLANTA project and PLANTA pulse (PLANTA Hybrid), PLANTA project and Jira

Request Process Steps

This function can only be used if the Request component of PLANTA has been licensed.

Procedure