Access

Information

  • In this module you can view existing status reports and create new ones.
  • The Current Status area of the module shows the current planning data which is included when a new status report is created.%ENDSECTION{"InfoStatus"}%
  • The current state of planning can be exported to a PowerPoint file.

Note

  • If the module described here is opened and at the same time you make changes to another module of the project panel which have an influence on the data in the module described here and save them (or if another user has done so), the Refresh button is displayed at the lower left corner of this module. You have to click on this button in order to refresh the display of the data.

Note on structured projects

  • Status reports can only be created at main project level, i.e. it is not possible to create separate status reports for individual subprojects.
  • If you create a status report for the main project, the same status report will be created for each subproject (with the same report ID as that of the main project report).
    • When you click on the report ID of a parent project, the report of the parent project will be opened, in which status report data of child projects can be viewed as well.
  • Only main project managers can create status reports for their main and subprojects. This function is not available to the subproject manager.

Current Status

Information

  • In the Current status area, the current planning data of the project is visualized divided into different subareas (Costs, Effort, Dates, etc.).
  • From the Current status area, new reports (baseline, status, final report) can be created.

Header Data of the Subareas

In the header area of each subarea you can

  • submit the manager’s estimate on the respective factor
    • The estimate is visualized by a thumb symbol and can be changed via mouse-click in the » field. For planning objects for which no estimate has been entered yet, no thumb symbol will be displayed here.
  • write comments

In the Costs, Effort, and Dates subareas, the following data will be displayed in addition:

  • Current calculated status of the deviation values of the respective factor: Total vs. Budget for costs and effort and Requested vs. Calculated for dates.
    • This is visualized by traffic light triangles with a specification of the percentage deviation of costs and effort, and the deviation of dates in days.
      • red: costs/effort overrun by more than 5%, delay of more than 5 days
      • yellow: costs/effort overrun by more than 5%, delay of up to 5 days
      • green: costs/effort not overrun, no delay
    • For dates, both the project/program end date deviation value and the master milestone end date deviation value are specified. The respective traffic light, however, refers to the worst of both values.
  • Project trend is visualized in comparison to the status frozen in the active (last released) report.
    • This is visualized by trend arrows with a specification of the percentage deviation of costs and effort and date deviation in days.
      • Arrow up = negative trend, arrow down = positive trend.

Detailed information of the subareas (after expanding)

  • When expanding the respective subarea, the following data will be displayed:
    • Costs
      • current cost and cost budget values of the project. If it is a structured project, summed-up values of the project and of all of its subprojects are displayed.
      • two cost trend graphics which show cost values from the released status reports for which the Cost trend analysis checkbox is activated in the Configure Trend Analysis module.
        • Graphic 1 shows cumulated total costs.
        • Graphic 2 shows total costs per month.
          • The two graphics only display the values up to today.
    • Effort
      • current effort - and effort budget values of the project. If it is a structured project, summed-up values of the project and of all of its subprojects are displayed.
      • two effort trend graphics which show effort values from the released status reports of the project for which the Cost trend analysis checkbox is activated in the Configure Trend Analysis module.
        • Graphic 1 shows cumulated total effort.
        • Graphic 2 shows total effort per month.
          • The two graphics only display the values up to today.
    • Dates
      • current dates and duration of the project
      • current dates of the project and master milestones
      • Milestone/master milestone trend graphics which show the values from the released status reports of the project.
    • Risks/Opportunities
      • current damage and gross profit values of the project which result from risks or opportunities
      • as well as in the respective section (Risks / Opportunities)

Create Baseline Report

Information

  • A baseline is a status report in which the approved and adopted planning is displayed and which is regarded as a reference or comparison report in the project progress.

Procedure

  • If required, click on the Refresh button at the lower left module margin in order to refresh the data displayed in the module.
    • Click on the Refresh button will be displayed if a change has been made and was saved in another module of the project panel that might have an effect on data in the Status module.
  • Make the required changes in the Current status area (only estimate and comment possible).
  • Click on the Create baseline button in the header area of the module.
    • If there is no baseline report yet,
      • the following query will be displayed: Do you really want to create a baseline?
      • Confirm the query with Yes .
    • If there already is a baseline report
      • and you attempt to create a new baseline report, the Baseline report available for xxx!message will be displayed.
      • Confirm the message with OK .
      • Confirm the Do you really want to create a baseline? query with Yes .

    • A new baseline report is created, in which the current status of the project, here displayed in the Status module, is frozen. The created baseline report is displayed in the Status reports area with "Baseline" report status. To open the report, click on the link on the ID of the report. You automatically switch to the Status Report module.
    • The previous baseline report receives the "Released" report status.

Details

  • When creating a baseline report, an automatic recalculation of the entire project (dates, budget, and costs) is carried out.
  • If you want to create a baseline for a project which already has an actual end date, the This planning object already has an actual end. Create baseline anyway?.
    • Yes: The baseline will be created.
    • No: The task will be canceled.
  • If the creation of a baseline is triggered for a project with synchronized tasks, it is initially checked whether PLANTA pulse is accessible. If this is not the case, the status report will not be created and the user will be informed about this by a message. "The status report creation is not possible since PLANTA pulse is not accessible and therefore no pulse data is available. Please contact your PLANTA consultant".

Note

  • If a baseline report is created first and a status report afterwards (or the other way around) while no changes have been made in the mean time, the display of the master milestones in the chart in the Dashboard is the same for all three planning statuses (current status, active report, baseline), as it is supposed to be.

Create Status Report

Procedure

  • If required, click on the Refresh button on the bottom left module margin in order for the current project data is displayed in the module.
    • The Refresh button will be displayed if a change has been made and was saved in another module of the project panel that might have an effect on data in the Status module.
  • Make the required changes in the Current status area (only estimate and comment possible).
  • Click on the Create status report button.

  • Confirm the Have you updated your estimates and comments? message with Yes.
    • The status report is created and there is an automatic change into the Status Report module in which the data of the created status report is displayed. Here you can and should release the status report (unlike the baseline which is a released status report per se).
    • If, after its creation, a status report is
      • released, it will be displayed in the Status reports area in the Status module with report status = "Last released".
      • not released, it will be displayed in the Status reports area in the Status module with report status = "created".

Details

  • When a final report is created, an automatic recalculation of the entire project/program (dates, budget, and costs) is carried out.
  • If it is a finished project (all tasks have an actual end date), the query whether a final report is to be created is displayed. If the query is negated, the creation is not aborted but a normal status report (no final report) is created.
  • If the creation of a status is triggered for a project with synchronized tasks, it is initially checked whether PLANTA pulse is accessible. If this is not the case, the status report will not be created and the user will be informed about this by a message. "The status report creation is not possible since PLANTA pulse is not accessible and therefore no pulse data is available. Please contact your PLANTA consultant".

Note

  • You cannot create a status report if a final report already exists.
  • Status reports can only be created for active planning objects (Status = 1 (active)).

Create final report

Information

  • If a report is created for a project for which an Actual end has already been set, such a report is called a final report.

Procedure

  • Click on the Create final report button in the header area of the module.
  • Confirm the Have you updated your estimates and comments? with yes .

    • The final report will be created and you will automatically be redirected to the Status Report module in which the data of the created status report is displayed.
      • In the Status Report module, you can and should release the status report (other than the baseline which is a released status report per se).
          • If, after its creation, a status report is
            • released, it will be displayed in the Status module in the Status reports area with "last released"  report status .
            • not released, it will be displayed in the Status module in the Status reports area with "open final report"  report status .

Details

  • When a final report is created, an automatic recalculation of the entire project (dates, budget, and costs) is carried out.
  • If you try to create a final report for a project which has no actual end yet, a dialog message is displayed with a query whether an actual end date for the project is to be set to today’s date. A final report can only be created after an actual end date has been set.
  • If the creation of a final report is triggered for a project with synchronized tasks, it is initially checked whether PLANTA pulse is accessible. If this is not the case, the status report will not be created and the user will be informed about this by a message. "The status report creation is not possible since PLANTA pulse is not accessible and therefore no pulse data is available. Please contact your PLANTA consultant".
  • As soon as a final report has been created, no further status report can be created.

Export Current Planning State to PowerPoint

Information

  • Via the PowerPoint symbol in the header area of the module, the data displayed in the module can be exported to a PowerPoint file. The PowerPoint template file must therefore be stored in the client.
    • In the PLANTA standard delivery, a standard !PowerPoint template is already contained in the client and can be adjusted individually if desired. For further information, see the PowerPoint Export topic in the PLANTA customizer help area.

Status Reports

Information

  • In the Status reports area, the already existing status reports are listed and a basic overview of the frozen status of different factors in the respective report is provided.
  • By clicking on the report ID you can open and view the corresponding detailed report in the Status Report module.

Configure Trend Analysis

Information

  • You can switch from the Status reports area to the Configure Trend Analysis module by clicking on the Configure trend analysis button. In this module you can define the status reports which are to be taken into account in trend analyses or the comparison of planning states.

Procedure

See also: Check Status Report Creation and Project Applications, Status Report