Projects & Project Related Entities
Note: We’ve been working around the clock to bring you a new PPO experience. With that said, there'll never be enough hours in the day to keep everything 100% current. Updating impacted articles and screenshots will take some time but we'd hate to keep you in the dark & encourage you to follow the changes here.
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“Which one?! Task, action, risk or issue?”
Our clients often ask us “What is the difference between a task and an action?” or “When does a risk become an issue and why is an issue not just a task or action?” In order to provide some clarity this article will define each of these project it...
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Can I define a custom Risk Rating calculation?
Most project management methodologies including PMBOK and PRINCE2 suggest that you calculate a Risk Rating for every risk that is raised for a project. By default, PPO is configured to support the calculation of risk ratings using the models sugge...
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How can I filter the Parent Project List to only reflect parent projects?
When projects are added on PPO, they can either stand alone or be linked to a parent project. The parent project field is a project list, that shows all the projects that are currently visible on the project list. If you want to link a project to ...
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Does PPO support alternative scheduling tools besides Microsoft Project?
This is a question we get asked a lot and the answer is Yes. PPO allows users to import tasks into PPO using either a native Microsoft Project file(.mpp) or a Microsoft Project XML (.xml) file. If the alternative scheduling tool allows project pla...
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Does PPO allow for Dependencies to be logged and how?
PPO provides functionality to show dependencies which impact a project. These dependencies can be anything from the completion of other projects, events that must be completed before another can start, etc. How do I go about setting this up? De...
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What are the common problems associated with MSP and how can I fix them?
PPO's bi-directional integration with MSP allows for data to be transferred quickly and easily from MSP to PPO and back to MSP. However, as with any integration, there are some basic problems or errors that present themselves from time to time. Th...
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How can I send e-mails to non-users?
Project Portfolio Office (PPO) provides functionality to notify individuals via e-mail when an item has been updated, including updates to Projects, Tasks, Documents, Issues, Leads or any other entity within PPO. The notification can be sent to in...
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How can I set up Template Projects in PPO?
It is not uncommon for organisations to have different groups of users following different processes, managing different types of projects and all making use of the same instance of PPO. Different processes can be followed using a single PPO insta...
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How can I set up a Team Members entity with the related security?
Project Managers often want to record a list of their project team members, specifying who will play which role during the life span of their project. PPO's custom entities allow for a Team Members entity to be set up to assist with managing team ...
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How can I set up PPO to use different processes for different types / sizes of projects?
It is not uncommon for organisations to have different groups of users following different processes, managing different types of projects and all making use of the same instance of PPO. PPO allows for these varied management methodologies through...
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How can I measure and report on Data Quality?
To evaluate the quality of the data captured on PPO, clients are generally interested in answers to questions such as the following: Is the Project Manager allocated at the correct time during the project Life Cycle? Have Risks been uploaded to t...
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How can I show documents in a folder structure?
PPO's document entity provides users with the ability to store documents and upload documents of any format. Each document is connected to a set of meta-data, such as document type, document status, document title and description of the document. ...
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Can PPO link to documents stored on our Intranet (or other external locations)?
Normally, PPO requires a physical file to be uploaded when you add a document to PPO. There are however circumstances where there is a requirement to link to an external document, rather than uploading a file. Examples of some of these reasons in...
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How can I import Costs with my project plan?
Step 1 - Implement a Cost Data FieldA new data field must be added to the Tasks entity as follows: Note: when the field is added the Field Type must be Currency. Step 2 - Map the MSP Cost field to PPOThe cost for each Task can be entered into on...
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How can I capture Baselines and track slippage in PPO?
PPO allows for the capturing of baselines, by making use of a Baseline Date field on the projects entity, as well as two calculated fields on the tasks entity. Project Managers should ensure that they complete the baseline date for the project, o...
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Why do projects that are added at the same time have the same PPO code?
PPO assigns project codes after a user has clicked on the Add Project icon but only affirms / saves this code once the user clicks on the Submit icon. The reason for this is to prevent gaps in project numbering when a user clicks on the Add Proje...
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How are the Total at Completion and Cost Variance fields on the Costs entity calculated?
Default Cost Entity Fields PPO’s default configuration includes the following cost entity fields: Budget – This field allows the Project Manager to record the project budget that has been approved. Spent – This field allows the Project Manager to...
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Why does the last updated date on my project not reflect the last time I updated my Tasks / Health Indicators / Comments, etc?
The last updated date on the Projects entity only shows the last date on which the fields on the Projects entity itself were updated – it does not flow through from all the underlying entities (such as Issues, Comments, Health Indicators,etc.). Th...
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Why is the content in the Action / Response field cleared every time I update my Issue?
Because the field is cleared automatically and it is mandatory, it forces the user to provide a response. The “Action / Response” field on the issue entity is a typical scenario where you want to force this behaviour since you want the user to pro...
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Can I increase the document upload limit in PPO?
The maximum physical file size allowed on PPO is currently 50MB. This is a hard limit and cannot be changed. We periodically review this limit and on the basis of a number of factors take a decision on whether to increase it. Some of the factors t...
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How can PPO assist to manage scheduled as well as ad-hoc activities, and what is recommended?
This can be done as follows: the solution needs to be provided in line with your other requirements but what works well with most clients is the following: Scheduled Activities: Use the Tasks entity and even go as far as pre-loading activities fo...
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How can I create a link from one entity record to another entity record?
It is sometimes required to create a link from a specific record in one entity, such as an Issue, to a specific record in another entity, such as a Risk. This can be done in PPO by implementing a calculated field. For more information on calculate...
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How can I show the phase of a Task in my MSP schedule?
Step 1 - Implement a Phase Data FieldA new data field must be added to the Tasks entity as follows: Note: when the field is added the Field Type must be Custom List and must be linked to a custom list containing all the required Project Phases. S...
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How can I change the default set of Health Indicators or Comments created on a project?
By default, Health Indicators and Comments are automatically created when you add a new project. The mechanism that is used to do this will depend on whether whether your instance was provisioned before 9 October 2019. Prior to this date, the defa...
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Does PPO automatically delete / add my tasks when I‘ve deleted / added them on my MSP plan?
Deleted tasksWhen Tasks are deleted from your MSP plan they will not automatically be deleted from PPO upon the next import. The reason for this is that PPO has the ability to only import selected Tasks based on which Tasks are selected on the Imp...
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Does re-importing my project plan overwrite the existing Tasks in the Tasks section and how does it work?
PPO does not overwrite project plans When a project plan is re-imported into PPO, PPO compares the information in its database with that provided by MSP and updates the Tasks accordingly. PPO does not overwrite the Tasks in the Tasks section, it f...
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How can I hide confidential projects / documents from certain user groups in PPO?
Confidential projects and documents can be hidden from specified user groups by implementing a field on the entity called: Confidential. This should be a Yes / No field. A user group filter should then be set up for the user groups who are not al...
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Does PPO have a Knowledge Management / Lessons entity?
Lessons entityPPO has a standard, pre-configured Lessons entity that can be deployed to your instance. This Lessons entity is included in some of PPO’s pre-configured instances, but can also be deployed to your instance by request. To set up this ...
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How can I set up prioritisation models in PPO?
PPO provides for prioritisation models which allow projects to be rated in the Projects entity, or as a separate custom entity based on the client requirement and current configuration. Prioritisation models are implemented in PPO using its standa...
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How can I configure project governance in PPO?
PPO allows for the monitoring of adherence to project governance rules by means of pre-defined reports and associated configuration. These reports measure whether a defined set of documents are produced and approved for each of the phases of a pro...