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Infor® ERP LN 6.1 Projects

Infor ERP LN Project Integration Pack for Microsoft® Project 98-2000-2002-2003 User’s Guide

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Publication Information

Document code: U8917B US

Release: Infor® ERP LN 6.1 Projects

Publication date: July 08

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Scheduling............................................................................................................... 1-1 What is a schedule?................................................................................................................... 1-1 Ingredients of a schedule ........................................................................................................... 1-2

Activities and milestones...................................................................................................... 1-2 Dates ................................................................................................................................... 1-3 Calendar input...................................................................................................................... 1-3 Resources............................................................................................................................ 1-3

To represent work in a schedule ................................................................................................ 1-4 Planning board..................................................................................................................... 1-4 Network planning ................................................................................................................. 1-4 Work breakdown structure ................................................................................................... 1-5

To schedule multi-projects ......................................................................................................... 1-7 Summary.................................................................................................................................... 1-8

Chapter 2 External Scheduling Packages.............................................................................. 2-1 Why does ERP LN integrate with a scheduling package? ......................................................... 2-1 The logistic data to be integrated ............................................................................................... 2-2 Prerequisites .............................................................................................................................. 2-3

Data transfer ........................................................................................................................ 2-3 Usability ............................................................................................................................. 2-12 Ownership details .............................................................................................................. 2-12 Scenarios........................................................................................................................... 2-12

Integration software through middleware ................................................................................. 2-18 To connect an ERP LN project to an ESP................................................................................ 2-19

Chapter 3 Integration with Microsoft Project ......................................................................... 3-1

ii | Table of Contents

Integration settings..................................................................................................................... 3-1 Prerequisites .............................................................................................................................. 3-2 To connect ERP LN with Microsoft Project ................................................................................ 3-2

Connect Project ................................................................................................................... 3-4 Log files ............................................................................................................................... 3-4 Connection Details............................................................................................................... 3-9 Synchronize master data ................................................................................................... 3-12 Save Baseline .................................................................................................................... 3-13 Synchronize Activity Structure/Budget/Schedule ............................................................... 3-13 Disconnect project ............................................................................................................. 3-16 Reset connection ............................................................................................................... 3-17 Transfer standard CE......................................................................................................... 3-17 Convert resource assignments to subtask ......................................................................... 3-17 ERP LN login details .......................................................................................................... 3-17

Usability ................................................................................................................................... 3-18 Tools .................................................................................................................................. 3-18 Views ................................................................................................................................. 3-24 Integration views ................................................................................................................ 3-24

Microsoft Project integration demo........................................................................................... 3-25

Chapter 4 Integration with Microsoft Project Server............................................................. 4-1

About this Guide

This document is a User’s Guide that describes the scheduling process and the reasons why ERP LN Project uses external scheduling integrations. This document also discusses the integration with Microsoft Project (MSP) in detail. The figures in this document can differ slightly from the screens in your ERP LN software version.

This document contains the following chapters:

Chapter 1, “Scheduling,” describes the ins and outs of scheduling on a conceptual level.

Chapter 2, “External scheduling packages,” describes the reasons behind ERP LN’s choice for integration with external scheduling software.

Chapter 3, “Integration with Microsoft Project,” describes the integration between ERP LN Project and Microsoft Project.

Chapter 4, “Integration with Microsoft Project Server,” provides an overview of the integration between ERP LN Project and Microsoft Project Server.

The following table provides a list of abbreviations used in the document:

Abbreviations

MSP Microsoft Project

ESP External scheduling package

AVT Availability type

The following documents are available on the ERP LN Project - Microsoft Project integration:

iv | Table of Contents

Reference Documents

Title Number ERP LN LN Version

Installation Guide for ERP LN Project Integration Pack for Microsoft® Project 98-2000-2002

U8374C US ERP LN LN 6.1

Integration Guide for Microsoft® Project 98-2000-2002 to ERP LN 6.1 Project

U8291B US ERP LN LN 6.1

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1 Chapter 1 Scheduling

This chapter provides a general description of scheduling. This chapter also discusses how a planner can use a schedule to maximize the business within limited resources and time

What is a schedule?

A schedule is the planning of work to be completed within a specified period. APICS, the authoritative organization on logistics, defines a schedule as follows:

A timetable for planned occurrences, for example, a shipping schedule, manufacturing schedule, and supplier schedule. Some schedules include the starting and ending time for activities.

According to the guide for the Project Management Body of Knowledge, 2000 edition, a schedule is:

The planned dates for performing activities and the planned dates for meeting milestones.

These definitions state that a schedule is used to plan activities and milestones in a specific timeframe. The planner can only define time if the planner knows about the availability of resources, such as the employees or the equipment, in a particular period.

The planner uses resource calendars and company calendars.

The planner can plan for an activity if the dates for the receipt of material are available. The planner can indicate if an activity can start or is completed and the next step in the process. The focus of the process, is on the resources, the time required to finish the work, and the relationship between activities

1-2 | Scheduling

While planning seems like an easy job, a company cannot hire a planner simply to check whether all calendars match with the work on-hand and the incoming orders. A planner is expected to find solutions for immediate problems, for example, an unavailable resource, such as a broken-down crane. The schedule enables a planner to analyze alternatives.

One of the responsibilities of a planner is to calculate the project risks. A planner must not merely calculate the risk of crossing deadlines, but must also look into the risk of, for example, unexpected costs. In addition, a planner must also know how much slack time is left to process possible delays. In more complicated projects, a planner must work with a team of planners who are responsible for different phases of the project. In this case, the planner is not the only one responsible for the planning. Planning in a matrix organization is even more complex, from the cost point of view, because each sub-project can be the responsibility of a different department. For more information on this, refer to “To schedule multi-projects,” later in this chapter.

Ingredients of a schedule

In the past, activity planning was carried out on paper. Nowadays, the calculations, especially the calculation with dates, calendars, and so on are so complex that companies perform activity planning with the help of computers and software. Following are the basic ingredients of a schedule:

Activities and milestones

Dates

Calendar input

Resources

Activities and milestones

In a schedule, work is divided into tasks, which are also called activities. The set of activities required to complete a work are placed in a logical sequence with dependencies and defined resources. You can plan the work or a project based on these dependencies. Activities can depend on each other in the following ways.

If activity One must finish before activity Two can start, the dependency is called Finish-to-Start.

If activity One and Two must finish at the same time, the dependency is called Finish-to-Finish, and so on.

These dependencies help track the progress on a project.

Scheduling | 1-3

Another useful ingredient for planning is the milestone. A milestone is a given point in time that indicates a target for the project, for example, an order that must be received before a particular date. You can use milestones in the same way as activities, except that milestones have duration of zero, in which no start or finish date is defined. You can link milestones to activities and then allocate resources to these activities.

Dates

The start and finish dates of the project and of activities are important factors for accurate planning. In combination with the availability of resources, the calendar, and the dates, you can effectively schedule the work.

Calendar input

A planner uses the calendar to define the availability of resources and to calculate the shortest possible duration of an activity. In general, the following two types of calendars are in use:

A company calendar (or department calendar).

A resource-specific calendar.

For the schedule, having both calendars up-to-date is essential. The company calendar contains only days, such as national holidays or recurring off-days, for example, weekends. The resource-specific calendar contains the exceptions to the company calendar, holidays for one particular resource or group of resources, for example, vacation availed by an employee or the days of outsourced equipment.

Resources

A resource is the requirement to complete a task for example, a machine or an employee. Just as calendars restrict the scope of the planner, the availability of resources also restricts the planning process. A planner cannot plan a resource for two tasks simultaneously.

When you work for a project of a huge magnitude, you can easily lose track. The planner must reschedule the planning if the project scope changes, an employee becomes ill, or equipment is damaged, the planner must reschedule the planning. For this reason, the planner keeps track of resources to try to level resources, if possible, and to prevent over-allocation.

1-4 | Scheduling

To represent work in a schedule

In a schedule, the following methods are available to represent the quantity of work:

The planning board: a simple network planning.

The Gantt chart: activities used in a more complex network planning.

The PERT chart: a work breakdown structure combined with network planning.

Planning board

Most small companies use a planning board with a simple logical network planning. A network planning is a sequence of linked activities set in time.

Example:

Alex Handyman starts his own electricity-repair business, Fix and Go. In his house, Alex has a huge drawing board to schedule his work, and the activities for each week. The more the Fix and Go Company grows the more employees Alex hires. Consequently, working with only the floating and fixed activities on a drawing board becomes increasingly complex. One of Alex’s new partners who works in the construction business suggests that Alex computerize his planning. A simple software program replaces Alex’s planning board. After the first few trials, the benefits are obvious.

Alex can view his week schedule, link his resources (his employees) to various planned activities, and connect milestones to particular activities to order supplies. In short, Alex has created a simple network plan.

Network planning

You can use network planning as a tool when you have a set of activities that depend on each other and together complete a work or a project. The planner can calculate whether the deadline is reached and, if another resource has to be linked to an activity, or to change start and finish dates. In the Gantt chart view, the planner can see the critical path of the project. The critical path is a sequence of activities that cannot waver from a set course, starting from the start of the project to the completion.

Scheduling | 1-5

Work breakdown structure

As projects become increasingly complex, the projects must be scheduled in such a way that not only the planner, but also the manager or the project leader understands the flow of activities. For this reason, hierarchical interrelations are essential. The following example explains the schedule that is developed for project-based work using a work breakdown structure in combination with network planning.

Example:

A partner of Fix and Go, the Wait and See Construction Company, builds apartment blocks. Each apartment block is viewed as a project. The project managers are expected to use one structural overview of all project activities to ensure that everyone involved in the project uses the same structure for each apartment block. For additional activities that differ by site, the project manager can add an activity to the standard structure.

The new project manager, Mr. Burns, downloads the report on how to build an apartment block and finds the following structure:

Block 10 apartments

Foundation 1st Floor 2nd Floor

ConcreteRammingpiles Levelling

Project: Sea Viewp.m.: Mr.. BurnsStatus: Preparing data

= work breakdown structure with WBS elements

The block of 10 apartments project is always divided into three work phases: the foundation, first Floor, and second Floor. The top three activities form the work breakdown structure (WBS). The WBS elements provide an overview, but do not provide the detailed outline for which the planner, Mr. Cupper, can define activities or hire resources. Therefore, the third level of the structure needs the detailed activities for each WBS element.

1-6 | Scheduling

In a meeting, Mr. Burns and Mr. Cupper discuss the structure and both agree that they can plan and work with this structure for the new block of apartments. Mr. Burns asks Mr. Cupper to plan activities and enter the progress on every activity, particularly the activities that are in the critical path, and the sequence of activities that determine the length of the project. Mr. Cupper reports to the management. With the schedule information provided by Mr. Cupper, Mr. Burns can make a sound report on the progress of the project.

The following figure provides an idea of how a combined activity structure and network planning schedule works:

WBS

Network planning

Foundation

= progress

Block 10 apartments

1st Floor

Ramming piles Concrete

Ramming piles

Concrete Leveling

14/01 15/01 16/01 17/01 18/01Calendar

Foundation summary task

50%

100%

Conclusion:Conclusion:The progress is 50% for The progress is 50% for the Foundation activity.the Foundation activity.

2nd Floor

Leveling

The network planning outlines the activities chronologically and displays the WBS element Foundation as a summary task. In the WBS, the planner can see the relation between the Ramming Piles activity and the Foundation summary task. If the Ramming Piles activity is completed, the Foundation element displays 50 percent progress. In this WBS/network view, the overview is an essential enhancement. The planner can link milestones to the WBS element. For example, a trigger to send a progress report to Mr. Burns can be linked to the Foundation activity. In that case, if laying the foundation is completed for the apartment block, the milestone “Send a progress report to Burns” is reached.

Scheduling | 1-7

To schedule multi-projects

For the construction company, scheduling was a stand-alone job for one planner, who was also the sole person responsible for the work. However, in practice, large companies work with several subprojects to keep work traceable and compact, and each subproject can have a different planner and can be the responsibility of a different department. For such projects, an example is best found in the engineer-to-order world.

The engineer-to-order company Sea World Corporation builds submarines. The process to build a submarine is a huge undertaking with many planning phases, as illustrated in the following figure:

Periscope

Control panel

Navigation system

Generator

AIRCOsystem

Steer

Wiring system

Engine Gear

Transmission

Hydraulic cylinder

Propellers

HullOperation room

ElectronicsHydraulicsMechanics

SubmarineSubmarine

The process to plan the production of a submarine with large numbers of people involved and with a time span of longer than two years is an awesome job. For this reason, these types of long-term jobs are planned with the help of a matrix of a work breakdown structure and organization breakdown structure. An organization breakdown structure (OBS) is a hierarchical structure of the company. By linking the OBS and WBS structures, responsibilities become clearer, and the department that is linked to a particular cost account in the WBS structure can control the costs of activities.

The work-breakdown-structure elements or the summary tasks for the submarine are as follows:

Hydraulics

Mechanics

Electronics

1-8 | Scheduling

Mechanics Electronics Hydraulics

SubmarineSubmarineactivity structureactivity structure

1.21.1 1.3

A1

A1.2

A1.3

A.1.1A.1.2

A1.3B1 C1

yard external

yard internal

BaanERP Sea World Corp.

yard

subsystem

maritime

engineering

machinery

1

1.1

1.2

1.3

1.1.1

1.1.2

1.3.1

1.3.2

Organization Breakdown Structure

As shown in this figure, the Sea World Corporation contains the following three departments that are involved in building the submarine:

Yard department

Machinery department

Engineering department

The responsible departments are part of the organization breakdown structure. The OBS is usually much larger but is kept small in this example. An employee, who works in one of the involved departments, may not work on the activities but can be responsible for the cost control for that specific part of the work.

Summary

A planner uses a schedule to plan the work. The planner must consider scope, resource availability, and restricted calendars. With the snapshots of the planning, the project manager can see the progress of the project and use this information as input to analyze the project, the scheduled and actual progress data.

For more information on how to work with schedules, for example, refer to Project, Planning, Scheduling, and Control by James P. Lewis.

2 Chapter 2 External Scheduling Packages

This chapter explains the need for the integration of ERP LN logistic data with external scheduling packages and the data that is used for the integration.

Why does ERP LN integrate with a scheduling package?

In the example in the previous chapter, the project manager of the construction project used the scheduled data as the input to submit a report to his manager on the progress of the project. The project leader of the shipyard used the created report for extensive planning and cost control.

Various methods are available to keep track of data on progress, budget, and costs. One of the options is to retrieve the data from a logistics software program that keeps track of all the logistic data of your company. The same software program can process the logistic flows, order material, book hours, and so on.

Inforl offers a complete suite called ERP LN for the logistic flow. In this suite, you can do the following:

Build a project.

Build the structure.

Monitor a budget.

Work out cost control and progress.

Order the necessary equipment.

Invoice the customer.

Send the work in progress information to the financial department.

2-2 | External Scheduling Packages

In ERP LN Project, you can define a project. A project is seen as a sub-administration of the finance department. Invoices, commitments, and purchases are handled in the finance integration. Warehouses for the purchased orders and manufactured items also have integration with the project.

Infor did not build a scheduling package, but decided to create integrations of ERP LN Project with the existing external scheduling packages, such as Microsoft.

The reasons for these integrations are:

Scheduling capacity

Usability of the scheduling integration

Reporting tools available through the scheduling packages

Special features such as Internet and risk management

The most important reason why ERP LN uses an ESP is the scheduling capacity that calculates start and finish dates of activities. These dates are transferred to Infor to drive further logistic planning.

Note: Infor decided to integrate scheduling data and leave the actual cost and actual hour data outside the integration.

The logistic data to be integrated

It is important to know the data ERP LN integrates with a scheduling package. One thing Mr. Cupper discovered when his company decided to work with ERP LN was that the activity structure used to build several blocks of apartments can be created in ERP LN Project. In addition, basic data, such as cost objects, resources, and calendars, are shared between ERP LN and an external scheduling package.

The external scheduling package tasks are linked to activities (=ERP LN activities) and budget lines in ERP LN Project. The flow of start and finish dates is transferred to ERP LN.

External Scheduling Packages | 2-3

Prerequisites

In ERP LN, the user must set the following:

The External Scheduling Package (ESP) link in the Schedule Link field must be set to Create Link for budget lines. For more information, refer to the Activity Budget (tpptc2111s000) session. For standard cost objects, select the Used in Schedule check box.

The ESP currency defined in the PSS Parameters (tppss0100s000) session is used in the ESP. The external scheduling packages do not support multicurrency. If the cost rate of a cost object defined in ERP LN is in a currency other than the ESP currency, the rate for the currency is calculated with the exchange rate type of the project definition.

In the CCP Parameter (tcccp0100m000) session, you can enter a maximum calendar code length of 59 for the Microsoft project. The default start time is the start time of the Microsoft Project calendar day..

The ESP time unit that is defined in the PSS Parameters (tppss0100s000) session is the unit for budget lines, such as labor, equipment, and subcontracting in the integration.

Data transfer

The following data can be transferred:

Calendars, ERP LN ESP

Projects, ERP LN ESP

Cost object / resources, ERP LN ESP

Activity Structures, ERP LN / ESP

Budget lines, ERP LN ESP

Activity Relationship ERP LN ESP

Schedule information, ERP LN ESP

Baselines, ERP LN / ESP

The symbols in this list denote the following:

= One-way transfer

= Both ways

/ = One way or the other

If two packages integrate, only one of the packages can be the owner of the data. As a result, if ESP is the owner of the data, you can change the data on the ESP side and synchronize this data with ERP LN. The changed


information on the ERP LN side is then overwritten with the new data from ESP, and vice versa.

Note: The schedule dates in ESP are synchronized to ERP LN.

Calendars

ERP LN contains a Central Calendar (CCP) module that contains calendars used throughout the ERP LN packages. An external scheduling package works with a copy of the ERP LN calendars. In the Calendars module, you define availability of a resource with the Availability Type (AVT) code. You can define a calendar for availability types that is a work-time type, for example, where the workday starts at 8:00 A.M. and ends at 5:00 P.M. in ERP LN Calendars (tcccp). You can use the availability type to differentiate, for example, availability for projects from availability for service (or maintenance) activities for the same period.

One resource can have one calendar, but multiple availability types, because multiple availability types can be defined as part of the same calendar.

The external scheduling package does not work with availability types. This package, however, supports a parent/child relation in calendars: for example, a derived-from base calendar and a resource calendar for each resource. To overcome this difference, the availability type in ERP LN is the link between ERP LN and ESP.

The Calendar Selection for External Scheduling Packages (tcccp0181m000) session contains the calendars that are transferred to an external scheduling package as base calendars. The resource calendar is transferred with the resource if this calendar is one of the selected calendars.

If the calendar is not found in the Calendar Selection session, the AVT you chose during the integration becomes the AVT of the resource, and the base calendar the chosen AVT is linked to the resource in ESP.

To retain ERP LN information, the base calendar codes contain the complete derivation path with the correct punctuation, which is, a dot between every level.

Example:

C001.E01: where C is the Microsoft Project letter code for the calendar, 001 is the availability type, and E01 is the ERP LN calendar.

By default, Microsoft Project sets the project calendar for the integrated ERP LN project. To access the calendars, on the Tools menu of Microsoft Project, click Change Working Time.


The following figure provides an overview of the calendar selection:

Calendar selection for ESPAvailability type is crucial to calendar

choice for ESP integration.

Standard calendar

Availability, working hours types, and exceptions

ERP ESP

Only exceptions areBase calendar

Resource calendar

Actual calendar

Base calendar is for project.A specific resource calendar is used for exceptions, holidays.

default for:

Cost objects/resources

The following figure shows an overview of the transfer of cost types from ERP LN to ESP:

Cost objects / resources

ERP ESPCost Types:- Labor

Reference availablefor attaching to the EMPTrdGrp assignmentsrepresentingbudget linesResources:

- Material- Equipment- Subcontracting- Sundry costs

- Trade groups- Employees

- Material- Equipment- Subcontracting- Sundry costs

- Trade groups- Employees

ERP LN distinguishes five cost types of cost objects, employees, and trade groups, as illustrated in the previous figure. An external scheduling package


can only treat those cost objects that use time units as resources or tasks. All cost types, except labor, can be transferred as resources to an external scheduling package.

Note: Only the cost objects for which the Used in Schedule check box is selected in the relevant standard cost object sessions are transferred. Cost objects are available for reference if you create a budget line task or a resource assignment in an external scheduling package. Using the budget line tasks or resource assignments, you can also create a corresponding budget line in ERP LN Project.

The labor budget lines are represented in a resource assignment of either the trade group, or of the employee who actually perform the work. For more information on this topic, refer to “Budget lines,” later in this chapter.

Activity structures

The following figure shows an overview of the activity structure decomposition for an external scheduling package. In this figure, you can clearly see that the start and finish dates, the planning progress (percentage complete), and the actual dates from the ESP are synchronized.

Structures in integration

ESPERPWBS

PCA

PPWP

Activitystructure

copy 1:1

Activity structure

start-finish dates

percentage complete

actual dates

The activity structure of an ERP LN project can be made up of WBS elements, project cost accounts (PCAs), planning packages (PPs), and work packages (WPs). In the integration, the ownership setting defines how this structure is handled for an ERP LN project. If the All Activity Types check box in the General Parameters (tppdm0100s000) session is selected, you can use the various types of activities. If the check box is cleared, the activity type is a work package.

The start/finish dates are preloaded in an external scheduling package when the structure is transferred from ERP LN to an external scheduling package.


Note: The preload of scheduled dates from ERP LN is performed only once when the link is established for the first time.

If no dates exist, the duration can be derived from information on the activities. For more information on this topic, refer to “Synchronize activity structure/budget/schedule,” in Chapter 3, “Integration with Microsoft Project.”

For example, if a piece of equipment is scheduled for 25 hours of work, the budget line quantity is 25 hours.

You can assign the ESP to allocate this work of 25 hours over five days, five hours per day, or you can choose to do the work in 10 days, 2.5 hours per day. In relation to this, the ESP enables you to fix either the duration, work, or units.

The formula for duration is as follows:

Duration = work /allocation

If you have not entered scheduled dates for activities in ERP LN, the external scheduling package calculates the duration of an activity from the value of the quantity entered, the production rate, and the rate multiplied by the time unit. If you have not entered these factors in ERP LN, the ESP cannot calculate the duration for the activity.

If on initial transfer, quantity and production rates are present, these rates are used to calculate a duration. The same holds true for the start and finish dates, but only on initial transfer.

After the user changes the schedule information of the activities/budget lines/tasks/resource assignments, the start and finish dates, along with the duration and percentage complete, are rolled up to the summary activity in the external scheduling package. The summary activity is an ERP LN activity.

Notes on percentage complete:

This percentage is only transferred if the project status is Active.

The percentage is a planning percentage completed. You can enter the value in the activity session.

You can now update the schedule information for the above activities in ERP LN. The information is rolled up to the top of the activity structure. If an external scheduling package is the structure owner, the actual start and finish date, as well as the percentage completed, is also transferred to ERP LN Project. Empty fields in an external scheduling package project are ignored and values set in ERP LN Project are retained.


Activities vs. tasks

ERP LN Project operates with a project plan, activities, and a budget line framework. The activity framework in ERP LN is a list of activities that are classified as WBS elements, project cost accounts, planning packages, and work packages.

However, the external scheduling package recognizes the tasks and subtasks terminology. Together with the entire activity structure, the budget lines fit into the task/subtask structure of the Microsoft Project package.

In Microsoft Project, resources are allocated to subtasks (activities), and these subtasks are part of the overall summary tasks. You can choose whether to transfer budget lines as subtasks or as resource assignments.

Activity Relationship

You can maintain relationships between activities, between budget lines and between an activity and a budget line in ERP LN. The relationships can be transferred to Microsoft Project for schedule development.

To transfer the data, you must select the Transfer Activity and Budget Line Relationships check box in the Budget tab in the Connect MS Project to ERP LN Projects screen. The Activities/Budget lines relationship data is transferred to MsProject as Task dependencies. The transfer of relationship data is optional. However, by default, the data gets transferred. The data does not get transferred when you uncheck the Transfer Activity and Budget Line Relationships check box. When the check box is not selected, the Ownership of Activity and Budget Line Relationship field in the Connection tab of the Connect MS Project to ERP LN Projects screen, is set to Not Applicable.

Note: You can select the Transfer Activity and Budget Line Relationships check box only when the Create Tasks Based on Activity Structure and Budget Lines check box is selected.

It is possible to update the relationships in ERP LN 6.1 Project from Microsoft Project and vice-versa.

You can synchronize the relationship data at the time of synchronization. You must select the Synchronize Activity/Budget Line Relationship check box to synchronize the relationship data. This option is enabled only when the Transfer Activity and Budget Line Relationships check box is selected


Budget lines

The following figure presents an overview of the activity budget-line transfer to an external scheduling package:

Budget lines - sub tasks

ERP ESP

WP 1 Act. A (WP1)

Equipment,Employee orTrade groupassignmentsResourceScheduling

Sub Tasks

Budget Lines ResourceAssignments

Resource list

The ERP LN budget is built bottom-up, starting with the budget lines. Each budget line represents a cost object that belongs to one of the five cost types and is budgeted in terms of both quantity and time for a particular project/activity. A labor or equipment budget line is more a task than a resource.

For these budget lines, you can choose to create labor tasks with a trade group linked at the start of the project. Later, you can change the trade group into the employee who is planned for the actual work. Because the cost incurred on these trade groups and employees is always proportional to the amount of time they are used, trade groups and employees are critical for a schedule.

If an external scheduling package is the owner of the activity planning and resource assignments, you can perform the following actions:

1 Transfer or create the activity budget lines in ERP LN as subtasks or resource assignments in an external scheduling package along with the complete activity structure, starting from the connection node. The resources that are already transferred to an external scheduling package will be assigned to a new subtask or a resource assignment will be added to a task. If a resource is used more than once for an activity in ERP LN, Microsoft Project automatically creates a subtask.


Microsoft Project cannot handle more than one line with the same resource for one task. Hence, a one-to-one mapping evolves between budget lines in ERP LN Project and the budget line task or resource assignment in an external scheduling package.

2 After you create the budget lines, an external scheduling package updates the start and finish dates for ERP LN budget lines if changes take place in scheduling.

3 Quantities on an external scheduling package’s budget line tasks or resource assignments are updated from ERP LN, if ERP LN is the owner. The quantities are updated from an external scheduling package if you made an external scheduling package the owner.

4 Budget information is synchronized between ERP LN and an external scheduling package.

Note: If you created an element/activity or element/element budget for an ERP LN project, you can also use an external scheduling package for scheduling purposes. In the external scheduling package, a plan is created from the activity structure and budget lines in ERP LN. Schedule information can only be updated in ERP LN from the external scheduling package and you can no longer perform Steps 3 and 4. The schedule is used for simulation purposes. You cannot update the element budget from the ESP.

Schedule information

If the ERP LN Project information is transferred to the external scheduling package, you can start to use the scheduling features that ESP provides. You can also insert new tasks in the external scheduling package that can represent new budget lines in ERP LN. Schedule information is transferred to ERP LN Project on synchronization.

Baselines

You can use the scheduling information in the external scheduling package to create baselines in ERP LN Project, as well as in the external scheduling package. From the external scheduling package, you can create a new baseline or update an existing baseline for the connected ERP LN project. A list of all the baseline numbers from ERP LN project is available. Use the list to select a baseline to update or derive a new baseline.

The user can update baselines with the most recent schedule information of the activity structure from the external scheduling project. After you update the baselines, the schedule information is aggregated to the top activity in ERP LN.

During the initial planning or schedule development phase, the planned schedule dates (start/finish) dates from Microsoft project are updated to ERP


LN Project. As the project progresses, some customers update the actual information in Microsoft Project, owing to which the planned information changes to actual dates. During the synchronization process, the planned information gets updated with actual dates in ERP LN Project. This overwriting of data can be avoided by updating the planned dates with the baseline information. Microsoft project 2002 allows the user to define/save multiple baselines. Hence the user can select the baseline with which the planned date is to be updated.

Projects

An external scheduling package project can be part of the work breakdown structure or part of an ERP LN project.

You can link several projects to an ERP LN project to handle various project phases, as shown in the following figure. You can link these project phases to organization breakdown structure elements:

Note: Each project in a multi-project setting can use a different resource pool. A resource pool is a shared employee pool that you can create in an external scheduling package as a separate project.


Usability

The integration software installs various options and icons in the planning packages, for example, the option Connect Project. For Microsoft Project, these options are discussed in Chapter 3, “Integration with Microsoft Project.”

Ownership details

You can transfer ownership of the activities from ERP LN Project to ESP and back. You can also add new activities and make updates to budget line quantities in the project that has ownership. The ownership is set at the time of connection and during project data synchronization.

You can set the ownership in the Connection tab of the Connect MS Project to ERP LN Project screen. In the previous releases, ERP LN Project owned all the data and the user had to create the ERP project first and maintain the data, with the exception of resource assignments, in ERP LN. The new ownership feature provides more flexibility to the user.

Scenarios

To connect an external scheduling package project to an ERP LN project, you must link the project to an activity in the activity structure. The connection information is stored in the external scheduling package. If you disconnect a project from an ERP LN project, the information is cleared. You can achieve this connection in one of the following ways:

Scenario 1:

The complete activity structure including the budget and activity relationships is maintained on the ERP LN side, and the external scheduling package is used purely for planning / simulation purposes.

When you connect the project, the ownership is set to ERP LN. A connection is made to an ERP LN Project plan with one of the activities as the connection node. The connection node becomes the top summary task in the external scheduling package. The activities below the node appear as child tasks in the external scheduling package.

At the time of synchronization of the activity structure, the latest structure from ERP LN is sent to the external scheduling package. Activities that no longer exist in ERP LN are no longer found at the external scheduling package client side.


Scenario 2

The complete activity structure including the budget is maintained on the client side to use the graphic functionality provided by an external scheduling package.

When you connect the project, the ownership is set to the external scheduling package. A connection to an ERP LN Project plan is made. The top summary task in the external scheduling package becomes the top activity in ERP LN, and also becomes the connection node. The structure beneath the top summary task in an external scheduling package is built up as the activity structure in ERP LN.

At the time of the synchronization, the latest structure from the external scheduling package is sent to ERP LN. If you set the activities to Delete before synchronization and if the status of the activity permits this action, activities that are no longer found in an external scheduling package are deleted on the ERP LN side.

Scenario 3:

The project structure is made on the ERP LN side, up to the project cost account level (the ERP LN activity type for which you can link OBS elements). The lower-level structure, the work packages, and planning packages are worked out in an external scheduling package. The detailing can follow either of the previous scenarios.

As a cost account manager, you can assign an organization breakdown structure (OBS) element to each of the project cost accounts (PCAs) on the ERP LN side.


You can now connect the same ERP LN project at multiple levels to various external scheduling package files. Individual cost account managers can now track or monitor only those parts of the project's activity structure for which the managers are accountable, irrespective of the progress of the other projects. In ERP LN, you can see the updated progress of all the cost account managers’ domains. In these domains, you can manage the complete project.

When connecting the project, the ownership is set to the external scheduling package. A connection to an ERP LN Project plan with activities is created. One of the activities, usually a PCA, is chosen as the connection node. The activity code and type must be the same as the top summary task in an external scheduling package.

During the activity structure synchronization, the latest structure is sent from an external scheduling package to ERP LN. Activities that are no longer found in an external scheduling package are deleted on the ERP LN side.

If you synchronize the data, the schedule information is rolled up to the top of the project structure in ERP LN.

Scenario 4: (Workaround to retain activity relationships)

The completed project’s schedule including, activity structure, the budget, and activity relationships is saved as a Microsoft Project Template (.mpt) file. A new Microsoft Project of type .mpp derived from this template is then connected to a new project on the ERP LN side.

Define a template in Microsoft Project that contains an activity structure, budget, activity relationships, cost object, and so on. You can use this as an easy means to create project structure and budget lines for the new project in ERP LN.

A completed project’s schedule, including an activity structure, the budget, and activity relationships, is saved as a Microsoft Project Template (.mpt) file. A new Microsoft Project (.mpp) is derived from the saved template. Click Reset Connection first.

This enables the Connect Project button, which in turn enables you to connect the derived Microsoft Project to a new project in ERP LN.

When you connect the project, the ownership is set to Microsoft Project. A connection to a new ERP LN Project plan with no activities is made. The top summary task in Microsoft Project becomes the top activity in ERP LN and also becomes the connection node. The structure below the top summary task in Microsoft Project is built up as the activity structure in ERP LN.


Along with the activity structure, the schedule information, which includes subtasks and resource assignments, is transferred as budget lines to ERP LN. The major advantage of this approach to schedule development is the reuse of the activity relationships.

To modify the derived Microsoft Project, you can add, delete, and modify activity and budget information before you connect to a new project.

Note

The original Microsoft Project Template file can still retain the connection to the corresponding ERP LN Project. Any changes made in the ERP LN side can be transferred to the template file, and vice versa, depending on the ownership. You can handle the file as any other file specified in Scenarios 1, 2, and 3 To use the graphic functionality provided by an external scheduling package the complete activity structure including the budget is maintained on the client side.

When you connect the project, the ownership is set to the external scheduling package. A connection to an ERP LN Project plan is established. The top summary task in the external scheduling package becomes the top activity in ERP LN, and also becomes the connection node. The structure beneath the top summary task in an external scheduling package is built as the activity structure in ERP LN.

At the time of the synchronization, the latest structure from the external scheduling package is sent to ERP LN. If you set the activities to Delete before synchronization and if the status of the activity permits this action, activities that are no longer found in an external scheduling package are deleted on the ERP LN side.

Scenario 3:

The project structure is made on the ERP LN side, up to the project cost account level (the ERP LN activity type for which you can link OBS elements). The lower-level structure, the work packages, and planning packages are worked out in an external scheduling package. The detailing can follow either of the previous scenarios.

As a cost account manager, you can assign an organization breakdown structure (OBS) element to each of the project cost accounts (PCAs) on the ERP LN side.

You can now connect the same ERP LN project at multiple levels to various external scheduling package files. Individual cost account managers can now track or monitor only those parts of the activity structure for the project for which they are accountable. This is irrespective of the progress of the other projects. In ERP LN, you can see the updated progress of the domains of all


the cost account managers. You can manage the complete project in these domains.

When you connect the project, the ownership is set to the external scheduling package. A connection to an ERP LN Project plan with activities is created. One of the activities, usually a PCA, is chosen as the connection node. The activity code and type must be the same as the top summary task in an external scheduling package.

During the activity structure synchronization, the latest structure is sent from an external scheduling package to ERP LN. Activities that are no longer found in an external scheduling package are deleted from ERP LN.

If you synchronize the data, the schedule information is rolled up to the top of the project structure in ERP LN.

Scenario 4: (Workaround to retain activity relationships)

Define a template in Microsoft Project that contains an activity structure, budget, activity relationships, cost object, and so on. You can use the defined template to create project structure and budget lines for the new project in ERP LN.

A completed project’s schedule, including an activity structure, the budget, and activity relationships, is saved as a Microsoft Project Template (.mpt) file. A new Microsoft Project (.mpp) is derived from the saved template. Click Reset Connection.

Connect Project command is enabled. Use Connect Project to connect the derived Microsoft Project to a new project in ERP LN.

When you connect the project, the ownership is set to Microsoft Project. A connection to a new ERP LN Project plan with no activities is made. The top summary task in Microsoft Project becomes the top activity in ERP LN and also becomes the connection node. The structure below the top summary task in Microsoft Project is built up as the activity structure in ERP LN.

Along with the activity structure, the schedule information, which includes subtasks and resource assignments, is transferred as budget lines to ERP LN. The major advantage of this approach to schedule development is the reuse of the activity relationships.

To modify the derived Microsoft Project, you can add, delete, and modify activity and budget information before you connect to a new project.

Note: The original Microsoft Project Template file can still retain the connection to the corresponding ERP LN Project. Any changes made in the ERP LN side can be transferred to the template file, and vice versa,


depending on the ownership. You can handle the file as any other file specified in Scenarios 1, 2, and 3.

Activity Relationship

Previously, the activity relationship between activities and budget lines was maintained in MSP only. Now, the activity relationship can also be defined in ERP LN and the relationship data can be transferred to MS Project as task dependencies.

The status of the ownership for the project’s activity and budget line relationships can be set to either MS Project or ERP LN. The ownership of activity relationships depends on the ownership of activity structure/budget lines. Following scenarios are possible:

Activity Structure and Budget Line owned by ERP LN and Activity Relationship owned by ERP LN

The complete activity structure and the budget lines, including the activity relationships are maintained in ERP LN and MS Project is used for resource planning. This option is useful when the activity structure and the budget lines including the relationships are part of the ERP LN template project. The option is used to create projects from templates.

Activity Structure and Budget Line owned by ERP LN and Activity Relationship owned by MSP

The complete activity structure, and the budget lines are maintained in ERP LN and the activity/budget lines relationship (task dependencies) is maintained in MS Project client side to use the graphical functionality provided in MS Project. MS Projects checks the circular relationship (circular relationship is not checked in ERP PLN). While establishing the connection, the default activity relationships, if present, in the ERP LN, are transferred as default dependencies and MS Project owns the task dependencies. This option is useful to create template projects.

Activity Structure and Budget Line owned by MSP and Activity Relationship owned by MSP

The complete activity structure, the budget lines and task dependencies are maintained in the MS Project client side in order to use the planning functionality provided by MS Project. While establishing the connection, the ownership is set to MSP and a connection is made to an empty ERP LN Project plan with no activities. The top summary task in MS Project becomes the top activity in ERP LN and the connection node. The structure under the top summary task in MS Project is transferred as the activity structure in ERP LN. All the budget lines are transferred to ERP LN with the External Schedule


Link field set to Linked. After the activity structure and the activity budget lines are created, the activity/budget line relationship is created, in ERP LN from MS Project.

You must select the Create Activities Based on Activity Structure and Budget Lines check box on the Budget tab of the Connect MS Project to ERP LN Projects screen, to transfer the activity structure and the budget lines to Microsoft Project as tasks.

You must select the Transfer Activity and Budget Line Relationships check box on the Budget tab in the Connect MS Project to ERP LN Projects screen, to transfer the relationship data as task dependencies.

Integration software through middleware

To integrate with an external scheduling package, ERP LN uses middleware as a translator to talk with the external package, as shown in the following figure. The translator provides a bridge between the ERP LN application and any Windows application that runs on the Microsoft Windows platform. In this way, the ERP LN application uses the functionality of the Microsoft Office applications, such as Microsoft Project.

OpenWorldX Adapter is the middleware for external packages.


To connect an ERP LN project to an ESP

Before you can work with an ESP integration, you must check a number of sessions, as discussed in the following example.

The project manager of the Sea View construction project, Mr. Burns, creates the Sea View project in ERP LN and copies the standard activities from his company to this project.

Mr. Burns ensures that the following sessions have the appropriate data:

A calendar must be entered in one of the Calendar Selection to transfer the ESP sessions. An availability type must exist and must be defined in the standard calendar template.

A time unit corresponding with the ESP time unit must be entered in the PSS Parameters (tppss0100s000) session.

Note: If you do not use an activity structure, you must create at least one default activity.


The structure:

Mr. Burns enters the following budget lines:

Ramming piles: 100 hours.

Concrete worker: 20 hours.

Leveling: 8 hours.

The Used in Schedule check box is selected for the used cost objects and Mr. Burns checks whether the schedule link is set for the budget lines on the second tab of the detailed session:

To indicate the start of the project, Mr. Burns sets the activities and the project to Active/Actual.


The project schedule data can be integrated, but if the project manager wants to book costs in ERP LN, these do not appear in the ESP.

In the Activities (tppss2500m000) session, on the Specific menu, Mr. Burns clicks Global Update of Schedule Link to run the Global Update of Schedule Link (tpptc2202m000) session to ensure that all the activities and budget lines are linked to the ESP.

Also, the activity relationships for your projects can be maintained in the Activity Relaionships (tppss2510m000) session

If progress is booked on an activity in a scheduling package, only the planning progress, the project progress in time, is synchronized with ERP LN.


As a result, if you keep track of the progress of an activity and you want to use this as physical progress in ERP LN, you must inform ERP LN. ERP LN does not work with planning progress, but with the actual hours worked and so on.

In the synchronization process, the percentage complete found on the ERP LN activity is the planning progress. Run the Generate Progress from Planning (tpppc1240m000) session to change this percentage to physical progress. In other words, the planning progress of the external scheduling package is synchronized with ERP LN and becomes physical progress only if you run the Generate Progress from Planning (tpppc1240m000) session.

After you link the project, the External Schedule Links (tppss2530m000) session displays whether ERP LN and the scheduling package are linked. If an error occurs with the connection and you want to reconnect with an ESP, you must delete the connection in this session.

3 Chapter 3 Integration with Microsoft Project

This chapter describes the integration of ERP LN with Microsoft Project. This chapter discusses the following topics:

Integration settings and the prerequisites

How to connect a project

Usability of the ERP LN scheduling integration

Demonstration of the integration process

Integration settings

The integration with Microsoft Project enables you to plan activities, milestones, and budget lines. The integration enables you to do the following:

Time-phase your budget and perform financial analysis

Determine order dates for requirements planning

Time-phase revenues from installment invoicing

Note: The hours spent on the project and the other actual project costs, are not transferred from ERP LN Project to Microsoft Project, or vice versa.

You can use the Microsoft Project functionality to do the following:

Set up tasks to make a plan.

Assign ERP LN resources to tasks.

Perform network planning.

Perform resource leveling.

Create a resource-pool project.

3-2 | Integration with Microsoft Project

You can perform these functions without a permanent connection to the ERP LN system. When you run the integration and transfer the logistic data from ERP LN to Microsoft Project, you can continue to work in Microsoft Project without running the ERP LN connection. The Not-Permanent Connection option is useful in case the ERP LN data remains unchanged. Later, you can reconnect to the ERP LN to synchronize changed scheduled dates.

Prerequisites

Following are the prerequisites for the integration:

The time unit you enter in the PSS Parameters (tppss0100s000) session must be the same as the time unit in ESP. To define the unit in Microsoft Project, go to Tools Options Schedule Unit of Work. You must also have a conversion table with units other than those used in ERP LN. If labor is defined in days, the PSS parameter converts the days into hours according to the conversion table. If the conversion table between hours and days does not exist, the days are taken as hours in the ESP. For example, a hundred days become a hundred hours.

The time quantities in Microsoft Project are calculated according to this rule, while the physical quantities are copied from ERP LN in their existing format.

ESP Preferences tab in the PSS parameters to specify the cost object types that can be transferred to the ESP. These cost object types are used as a default in the Connect Project dialog box and you can change the settings at the time of connection, or later using the options in the Connection Details dialog box.

Fill in the parameters in the CCP Parameters (tcccp0100s000) session and the calendar preferences in the Calendars Selection for ESP (tcccp0581m000) session.

To connect ERP LN with Microsoft Project

You can initiate the settings to connect projects and to synchronize data from Microsoft Project. Install the OpenWorldX and the integration software. Microsoft Project starts by connecting a new project to a selected ERP LN project. Calendars, cost objects, resources, and the activity structure, plus their budget lines and activity relationships, are transferred to Microsoft Project. You can now add tasks, schedule tasks, and assign resources. The resulting start dates and finish dates can be retrieved from and updated to

Integration with Microsoft Project | 3-3

ERP LN to the linked activities and budget lines. You can change the ownership from Microsoft Project to ERP LN, and vice versa.

To access ERP LN, you must run the default back-end component specified in the OpenWorldX Adapter. To run this component you can use OpenWorldX Server Manager (tmboaserver) session. You can run this session in either Check User mode or in Free mode.

Start Microsoft Project and, on the ERP LN Project toolbar, click ERP LN Login Details and enter the username and password.

Select the Checkuser Mode checkbox to run the OpenWorldX Server manager in check user mode (tmboaserver –usermode checkuser). You must provide the necessary ERP LN user name and password

In case the tmboaserver runs in free mode, clear the Checkuser Mode check box and click Save.

The user must take the following steps to enable the ERP LN Login protocol to perform the check user authentication in case the ERP LN server is running on Windows:

1 Start the ERP LN NT manager

2 Right-click the ERP LN Login daemon and, on the shortcut menu, click Properties.

3 Enable the ERPLNLogin protocol

4 Restart the ERPLNLogin daemon

Now, on the File menu, click ERPLNProject/Connect Project to view the connection options.


You can initiate all the integration actions from the menu options and toolbars that are added to the Microsoft Project application.

Connect Project

After you define a proper project structure in ERP LN, you can schedule the project in Microsoft Project. You must have a default ERP LN configuration login, which allows you to access the server and company where your project data is stored.

Make sure that you select the Set as Default option in the ERP LN Environment and Configuration Selector, for the configuration you use.

The current project in the Microsoft Project must be saved before the connection. You must save the Microsoft Project file with a name similar to the project on the ERP LN. This Microsoft Project file name is visible in the External Schedule Links (tppss2530m000) session and the connected budget lines tables near the ESP Link field.

Log files

Microsoft Project integration creates log files during the connection to ERP LN. The log files display the information of the data transferred. These files are saved in the directory where you save your Microsoft Project project. The naming convention used is: <project name>.log

When you connect a project, the following Log file is generated. The file displays the data transferred and alerts you to problems, if any.


The log file displays the errors that can occur when Microsoft Project integrates with ERP LN. For example, if the log file says, “Labor is not transferred,” you can conclude that the Labor Cost Object Link with the External Package check box is not selected.

The ERP LN data will be transferred to the saved project. In case the data entered by you is present in the file, it is replaced by the data retrieved from ERP LN.

The following data is transferred when the project is connected to ERP LN:

Calendar data

Resources: Includes general resource types/project specific

Activity structure

Activity/Budget Line relationship data

When you connect the project in Microsoft Project to the project in ERP LN, the scheduled start and finish dates in ERP LN, if any, are transferred to Microsoft Project. The transfer is applicable when you establish the connection for the first time, after which, the ownership of the scheduled dates rests with Microsoft Project.

Note: The connection you make is a logical data transfer that you can carry out once only, for every project.

To connect to the ERP LN Project, go to File ERP LN Project Connect Project. The Connect MS Project to ERP LN Project screen appears:


Connection tab

The Connection tab contains the following fields:

Company: Connect to the ERP LN company server that contains the ERP LN user information. Click Select to switch to other logistic companies to which you have access rights. This enables you to connect to another company without changing the user data on the ERP LN side.

In case your company environment differs from your default environment, you must do the following:

Close all the sessions of the former bshell.

Go to the ERP LN Environment and Configuration Selector (BECS) and select the default server you want to work with.

Go to the Microsoft Project project and connect your project with the new bshell.

Projects: Select an ERP LN project from the Project list. By default, the project information retrieved from ERP LN is displayed.

Start and Finish Date: This field displays the start and finish date of the ERP LN project for information only.

Plan: By default the leading plan is displayed. You can also select another plan. In case the leading plan has a active link to a project in Microsoft Project or to a project with the status Active, you can only use the leading plan.


Connection Node: The activity node taken from the activity structure to which the connection is made. The activities connected to the node are used in Microsoft Project. You cannot link an activity to Microsoft Project if the node above this element is already used for another project.

Select Node: Click Select Node to view the activity structure. Select an activity for the connection. The value is displayed in the Connection Node field. The button is enabled only if activities are defined for the selected ERP LN Project plan.

The Ownership Set the ownership of activity structure, budget line quantities and activity/budget line relationship data. You can set the ownership to either ERP LN or MS Project.

Resources tab

The Resource tab contains the following fields:

Transfer Resources/Cost Objects to Project: Select the Transfer Resources/Cost Objects to Project check box to select the cost object types from the ERP LN source data. These selected cost object types are transferred as resources to Microsoft Project. The cost objects are transferred to the resource sheet in Microsoft Project, with the exception of labor cost objects, which are stored in an external file <Microsoft Project project file name>.lco. You must transfer the cost object you need for budget lines to create budget lines in Microsoft Project.


Resource Calendars/Availability Type: You can select the resource calendars’ availability type. You must select an availability type so that Microsoft Project recognize the ERP LN calendar. In case the exceptions to the resource calendar are defined in ERP LN, this availability type is used. Additionally, a base calendar with this availability type is created in Microsoft Project. If no calendar is specified for any resource in ERP LN, or the specified calendar is not selected for transfer to Microsoft Project, the default Microsoft Project calendar (the Project Calendar) is used as the base calendar for that resource.

You can decide to create a separate resource pool later. To create a resource pool, on the Tools menu, click Resources Use Resources, and select the resources with which you intend to create the pool. If you use a In case the resource pool is in use, you must not transfer resources from ERP LN after you create the resource pool.

In case you transfer the resources from ERP LN, the resource pool contains the resources from ERP LN.

Budget tab

The Budget tab contains the following fields:

Create Activities Based on Activity Structure and Budget Lines: Select this check box to transfer the activity structure, starting from the connection node, and the budget lines to Microsoft Project as tasks.


Transfer Activity and Budget Line Relationship: Select this check box to transfer the activity and budget line relationship to Microsoft Project as task dependencies. You can select this check box only when the Create Activities Based on Activity Structure and Budget Lines check box is selected. By default, the check box is selected for all new projects. If this check box is not selected, the Ownership of Activity and Budget Line Relationship field in the Connection tab is set to Not Applicable.

Transfer Budget Lines: The group box contains fields that enable you to select the budget lines that must be transferred as a resource assignment or as a subtask. Labor and Equipment lines are transferred as subtasks.

Note: All the milestones linked to an activity in ERP LN are transferred as subtasks to the activity task in Microsoft Project. All the milestones which are not linked to an activity in ERP LN are transferred to the top of the Microsoft Project tasks as stand-alone milestones. You can then use these milestones to set goals for related projects.

Connect Project: Connects ERP LN Project to a MSP project. The button is enabled only when valid data is entered in the Connect Microsoft Project to ERP LN Project screen.

Connection Details

To view the connection details, go to File ERP LN Project Connection Details. The ERP LN Connection Data screen appears which displays the connection details with ERP LN Project.

The changes made in this dialog box become effective during the Synchronize Master Data process or the Synchronize Activity Structure/Budget/Schedule process in Microsoft Project.

Most of the fields are similar to the fields on the Connect Project form. The following sections describe these fields in detail.


Connection tab

ERP LN Baseline: The field displays the baseline number saved in ERP LN, in case you save a baseline in Microsoft Project along with a baseline for ERP LN Project. This is a display field.

Resources tab

Transfer Resources/Cost Objects to MS Project: This field displays the options you have selected when you connect the project. In case you change the data, the data becomes effective during the synchronization of the master data. As a result, resource types which were not selected previously on the Connection tab and are now selected are transferred. Resources which are not selected are not synchronized.


However, these resources are not deleted from the Resource sheet in Microsoft Project.

Budget/Schedule tab

The Budget/Schedule tab contains the following fields:

Schedule Based on: Select Early Dates to update the ERP LN Project planned dates with the early dates for the tasks from Microsoft Project. Select Schedule Dates to update the ERP LN Project planned dates with the scheduled dates for the tasks from Microsoft Project.

Create tasks from Activity Structure and Budget Lines: If this check box is not selected in the Connect Project dialog box, no structure is transferred from ERP LN to Microsoft Project. You can define your own structure in Microsoft Project, but each task that represents an activity in ERP LN must be marked in the appropriate column. If you set ERP LN as the owner of the activity structure and you synchronize activity structure/budget/schedule, the outline structure in Microsoft Project is modified to comply with the activity structure in ERP LN Project.

If the Create Tasks from Activity Structure and Budget Lines check box is selected in the Connect Project dialog box in Microsoft Project, in the Connect Project dialog box, the activity structure and the milestones are transferred to Microsoft Project.

If the Create Tasks from Activity Structure and Budget Lines check box is selected in the Connect Project dialog box in Microsoft Project, and not selected in the Connection Details dialog box, the following applies:


The activity structure and the milestones are transferred to Microsoft Project when you connect the project. When the structure/budget/schedule is synchronized, the outline structure in Microsoft Project is left untouched. This functionality enables the user to retain the outline structure in Microsoft Project for scheduling purposes.

Transfer Activity and Budget Line Relationships: If this check box is selected, activity and budget line relationship data is transferred from ERP LN to Microsoft Project as task dependencies.

Delete Budget Line when Task is Deleted in Microsoft Project: If this check box is selected, during the synchronization of activity structure/budget/schedule, the budget lines in ERP LN is deleted if the corresponding linked tasks in Microsoft Project is deleted. Else, the budget line External Schedule Link field is set to No Link in ERP LN, and the connection information for the budget line is cleared.

Delete task when Budget Line is Deleted in ERP LN: If this check box is selected, during Synchronize Activity Structure/Budget/Schedule, the budget line tasks in Microsoft Project is deleted when the linked budget lines in ERP LN are deleted.

Synchronize master data

This option synchronizes the following:

Calendar data

Resources/ cost objects


Save Baseline

Following are the two key aspects you must remember, with respect to the Save Baseline feature:

You must synchronize Structure/Budget/Schedule when you are sure that it can be frozen with a baseline. The process is similar to running the Save Baseline session on the ERP LN side where the user either creates a new baseline, possibly derived from an approved Baseline, or updates an existing baseline.

The baseline plan must be the leading plan of the project.

The Save Baseline option includes the standard functionality of Microsoft Project, which enables you to save a baseline or an interim plan, extended with the possibility to save a baseline in ERP LN Project, as in the Save Baseline (tppss2220m000) session in ERP LN.

Synchronize Activity Structure/Budget/Schedule

The core of the integration lies in the synchronization of data wherein the budget and schedule information flows to and from Microsoft Project to ERP LN. If Microsoft Project is the owner, the user has the option of adding a new activity or a new budget line to an activity. You can always modify the dates.


However, the budgeted amount of work for the resource can be changed from the Microsoft Project, only if Microsoft Project is the owner.

Example:

If a piece of equipment is scheduled for 25 hours of work (budget line quantity = 25 hours), you can allocate this work of 25 hours over 5 days (5 hours per day), or you can choose to do the work in 10 days (2.5 hours per day).

This allocation can be performed through transfer to Microsoft Project. Microsoft Project offers you the possibility to either fix your duration, work, or units. To set the duration, work, or units, on the Tools menu, click Options and then click the Schedule tab. The formula for duration is as follows:

Duration = Work/Allocation

Select the Synchronize option. A dialog box is displayed which enables you to indicate whether or not to synchronize both structures, schedule information, and budget lines. The Net Change option is used, when, only a small part of the project’s scheduled dates are changed. Using the most relevant combination can save time:


You can use the following options to synchronize data:

Synchronize Activity Structure: Select this check box to synchronize the activity structure.

Synchronize Budget Quantity and Schedule: Select this check box to synchronize the budget lines and schedule data.

Update Schedule With: You can update the schedule from MS project to ERP LN. The updating can be based on the following three option:

Early Dates: Select Early Dates to update the ERP LN Project planned dates with the early dates for the tasks from Microsoft Project.

Schedule Dates: Select Schedule Dates to update the ERP LN Project planned dates with the scheduled dates for the tasks from Microsoft Project.

Baseline Dates: Select Baseline Dates to update the ERP LN Project planned dates with the baseline dates defined in Microsoft Project. This option prevents the overwriting of planning data in ERP LN with the actual data in MS Project during the synchronization process, as in the was the earlier case.

Select Schedule Dates to update the ERP LN Project plan with the scheduled dates for the tasks from Microsoft Project.

Synchronize Activity/Budget Line Relationship: Select this check box to synchronize the Activity/Budget Line Relationship data.

Get Newly Created Activity/Budget Line Relationship from ERP LN: Select this check box to synchronize the changes in ERP LN with MS Project. This check box is enabled when you set the ownership to MSP.

Send Actual Dates to ERP LN: Select this check box to update the scheduled dates in ERP LN with the actual dates in MS Project. You can send actual dates to ERP LN, irrespective of the ownership.

Net Change: Select this check box to synchronize the changes to a small part of the project’s scheduled dates.

The ownership determines how the update is performed during the Synchronization process.


If Microsoft Project is the owner

Microsoft Project ERP LN Project

Activities acquire actual dates.

Milestones acquire actual dates, with the exception of milestones linked to customized items. For these milestones, ERP LN is always the owner.

Budget lines acquire related start and finish dates plus additions or deletions, or both.

When you synchronize, the budgeted quantity of a budget line can be changed in the Microsoft Project and the value is updated to ERP LN.

If ERP LN is the owner

ERP LN Microsoft Project project

Activities are updated: the activity structure can be changed, activities can either be added or deleted, or both.

Milestones can either be added or deleted or both.

Budget line tasks acquire budget line quantity, additions or deletions, or both.

Activities / budget relationship are updated: the relationship can be changed, added or deleted, or both.

Calendar information comes from ERP LN.

Cost rate, maximum number of units available, calendar /availability type for resource comes from ERP LN.

Microsoft Project is only used for simulation.

Disconnect project

In case you work offline, run Synchronize after you are online again, to update your project. You only must disconnect your project when you linked to the wrong project or if you decide to link to a different node of the ERP LN project.

If you disconnect a project, the connection information stored in the External Schedule Link (tppss2530m000) session is deleted. On the budget lines, the schedule link is reset to No Link.


Make sure that you update the schedule links when you reconnect.

Reset connection

The Reset Connection enables you to connect a Microsoft Project derived from a template to a new project in the ERP LN. You must use this button only for projects of type .mpp that have been derived from a pre-integrated template file .mpt. For more information, refer to Scenario 4, earlier in this chapter.

Transfer standard CE

Transfers the standard activities defined in the Standard Activities (tppss2500m000) session from ERP LN to a Microsoft Project file.

Convert resource assignments to subtask

This option converts the resource assignments as subtasks for the selected activity task. You must mark an activity task in Microsoft Project before you click Convert resource assignments to subtask.

ERP LN login details

Use this button to save ERP LN login details.

If the OpenWorldX Server manager is run in check user mode (tmboaserver –usermode checkuser), you must select the Checkuser Mode check box


and enter a valid ERP LN user name and password. If the tmboaserver is run in Free mode, do not select Checkuser Mode check box and user name and password details must be left empty.

Usability

Microsoft Project uses various toolkits and views to aid the planner. For integration with ERP LN, the following tools and views are used:

Tools

The following buttons are available on the ERP LN Project toolbar:

Tools graphics

Graphic Name Description

Synchronize Activity Structure / Budget / Schedule

Use this button to transfer the activity structure, budget and schedule information to and from Microsoft Project to ERP LN.

For more details, refer to the corresponding menu option.

Insert CE Inserts a new activity.

Modify CE Modifies the type or description of the activity you selected.

Select/clear CE for deletion

Selects/clears an activity for deletion. When you synchronize the data later, the activity is also deleted in ERP LN. Only activities with the status Free can be deleted. In case you do not use the button to delete the activity, there can be problems when you synchronization the data to ERP LN, because the activity is not deleted in the ERP LN.

Note: The previous buttons are available only when Microsoft Project is the owner of the structure.

ERP LN Budget Details

You can use this button in two views: ERP LN Project Budget and ERP LN Project Gantt. In the first view, this button functions as a modifier of


budget details, and in the second view you can use the button to insert a new budget line.

Save Baseline Use the button to save a baseline in ERP LN and/or Microsoft Project.

ERP LN Activity Data dialog box:

The following list describes some of the fields in this session:

Parent Activity ID: When you select the parent, you must take the following conditions into account:

The parent of a WBS element can only be a WBS element.

The parent of a project cost account is always a WBS element, unless the project cost account is at the top of the activity structure.

The parent of a planning package is a project cost account or a planning package. If you do not use an organization breakdown


structure, the parent of the planning package is either a WBS element, or a planning package that forms the top of the activity structure.

The parent of the work package can be a work package, a planning package, or a project cost account. If you do not use an organizational breakdown structure, the work package can have a WBS element, a planning package, or a work package as its parent. Alternatively, the work package can form the top of the activity structure.

You can select the Derive from Standard Activity of Company check box to derive the activity from a standard activity. If you transfer the standard activities, the list box that corresponds to the Derived From check box is enabled and shows the list of the standard activities. The first part of the code of an activity indicates the activity type.

Following are the activity types:

WBS: Work breakdown structure element

PCA: Project cost account

WP: Work package

PP: Planning package

Mil: Milestone

When you select a standard activity, the corresponding activity type and activity description are displayed by default.

You must specify a value in the Activity Type field. If an activity is derived from a standard activity, the default value is displayed in the field and can be modified.

You can only use the Treat as Standalone Milestone check box for activities of type Milestone.

You can enter the value in Standard Activity field manually, or the value is automatically generated. If the Standard Activity field has a value, make sure the Activity ID field is empty and is populated by an automatically generated number in ERP LN when the synchronization occurs for the first time.

If the Standard Activity field is empty, the Activity ID field must contain a unique value.

If you open the ERP LN Activity Details dialog box to insert a new activity, all fields except the Standard Activity list are enabled.

If you open the ERP LN Activity Details dialog box to modify an existing activity, ERP LN checks if an activity information is present.


A flag is associated with each task to indicate that this information is present. In case the activity information is present in ERP LN, the check box and the list box associated with the standard Activity and the Activity ID field is disabled. The Activity Type field and the Description field are always available.

After each modification or insertion, checks are carried out to ensure the validity of the activity structure. If you use the ERP LN Activity Details dialog box to enter the details, ERP LN checks the validity immediately after you click OK in the ERP LN Activity Details dialog box. The checks are also performed during the synchronization process.

ERP LN Budget Details

This button is functional for the following two views:

ERP LN Project Budget

In this view the button acts as a modifier of budget details.

ERP LN Project Gantt:

In this view the button is used to insert a new budget line. The view to insert budget lines is slightly different from the one shown in the following figure.


The Quantity field is for cost types Material, Subcontracting, or Sundry cost.

The Work field is for Labor and Equipment, displayed in hours.

The Unit field to the right of the Quantity field is only a display field with the unit taken from the cost object data.

Convert Resource Assignments to Subtask

Converts the resource assignments as subtasks for the selected activity task. You must mark an activity task in Microsoft Project before you click Convert Resource Assignments to Subtask.

You cannot convert a specific resource assignment to a task. In case more than one resource assignment exists for a task, all of the resource assignments for a selected cost type are converted to subtasks.

This conversion is suitable in situations for which the initial schedule is made with budget lines represented as resource assignments, however, later on, the task representation is needed to micro-manage the project.


Reset Connection Enables you to connect a Microsoft Project derived from a template to a new project on the ERP LN side. Use this button to establish a connection with ERP LN.

You must only use this button for projects of type .mpp that have been derived from a preintegrated template file .mpt.

ERP LN Login Details

Use this button to save ERP LN login details.

You can click ERP LN Login Details to save ERP LN user login details to be able to connect to the ERP LN server when the OpenWorldX server manager runs in Check User mode

You must maintain the consistency between the mode in which the OpenWorld server manager (tmboaserver) runs and in which the ERP LN Login Details are maintained. When you run the tmboserver in check the user


mode, the Check User Mode check box must be selected and a proper user name and password must be entered and saved. When the tmboserver is run in free mode, the Check User Mode check box must be cleared and saved.

Views

Each scheduling program uses its own views to help the planner in the planning of the resources.

Examples of views include:

Gantt chart: A list of tasks and related information and a chart that shows tasks and its durations over time.

Tracking Gantt: Compared baselines used in Microsoft Project to report delays.

PERT: Program Evaluation Review Technique. A network planning that shows task dependencies.

Integration views

The ERP LN - Microsoft Project integration uses the following integration views:

Integration Views

Graphic Name Description

ERP LN Project Budget

This view enables you to modify budget details with the ERP LN Budget Details button.

ERP LN Project Gantt

This view insert budget lines with the ERP LN Budget Details button.

ERP LN Project Resources

This view enables you to modify the resource information.

These views show some of the additional ERP LN-related information. Other views are also available, and for more information on these views, you can consult the online Help in Microsoft Project.


Microsoft Project integration demo

For the apartment building company, the ERP LN scheduling information is sent to Microsoft Project.

1 On the File menu, point to ERP LN Project, and click Connect Project:

The Connect MS Project to ERP LN Project dialog box appears.

2 Click Sea View in the Projects list:

3 Select a plan, the activity structure node, and the availability type and click Connect Project. Microsoft Project automatically starts with the ERP LN activities in the bar chart.


Note: ERP LN uses a tree view and Microsoft Project makes use of mapping. These activities are taken from the ERP LN structure and mapped in a hierarchical way. In the Connect Project Details, you can see the ERP LN structure view, as the ERP LN structure is sent to Microsoft Project in a text file that the Microsoft Project reads in a flat tree view.

4 Choose Changing Working Time from the Tools menu to check the calendar.

5 Enter the planning information. Enter the start and end dates for the activities, and link the activities on the Predecessors summary task information tab or link the activities in the graphic view. Link arrows appear between the activities in the visual planning part of the Gantt chart view:


6 Enter the constraints between the activities, link the resources, and set the priority:

The PERT chart displays the links between the activities:


7 Create a baseline after the planning is complete:

The ERP LN Project Budget view displays the budget lines:


The budget lines are regarded as subtasks:

When you use ERP LN, you can enter and synchronize the progress for every detailed level.


8 Copy the scheduled progress to physical progress in the Generate Progress from the Planning (tpppc1240m000) session:

4 Chapter 4 Integration with Microsoft Project Server

ERP LN Project is integrated with Microsoft Project Server. Through this integration, the user can access the various user-friendly features that Microsoft Project offers for scheduling and, at the same time, use the extensive functionality provided by ERP LN Project.

To work with the project server integration, you must perform the installation to update the enterprise global template.

For more details about the installation of the project server, refer to the Installation Guide.

During the synchronization of master data from ERP LN, resources such as the labor cost object, the organization break down structure, and log files are stored as separate text files. With the Project Server integration, you must store these resources in a shared location that the users who perform the integration can access, preferably the system on which the project server is installed.

While you connect the project, if the user is linked to the Microsoft Project Server, the following screen appears, in which the user must specify the complete path of the shared folder as \\<system name>\<shared folder name> (or can map the folder to a drive and use the same), in which you can store resource files.

4-2 | Integration with Microsoft Project Server

A preliminary level check is carried out to check whether the folder exists and you can save a file in the location. If the check fails, the process stops:

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