Definition

EndDefinition

Each project:

• Has a precisely defined objective to be attained within a scheduled time limit.
• Determines the best kickoff opportunity based on the estimated budget and risk assessment performed.
• Employs a set of human, hardware and software resources.

• Contains a series of steps sequentially scheduled in a Gantt chart. These steps are identified in a unique way in the WBS (Work Breakdown Structure). Each step can define:* A task: An individual action performed by project participants.

  example Production of user guide assigned to Carole Adam

  • A milestone: A reference point used to monitor progress within the project life cycle. No resources are assigned and its duration is null.

    example  End of development

  • A parent task: Extended period with no resources assigned that contains a group of subtasks.

    example  Documentation and training includes the following tasks: Production of user guide, Production of administration guide and User training.  See the example of the Gantt chart.

• Can be associated with equipment, CIs, change requests, incidents, etc.
• Is constantly assessed using four health indicators that enable project managers to anticipate any overrun in terms of budget, deadline, progress and workload and make the necessary adjustments.  See Project Portfolio.
• Can be defined using a template or by duplicating another project.
• Can be attached in a type allowing organizing projects depending on their function.

     See the life cycle of a project.

Examples

Project template vs project duplication

The DMS deployment project must be set up on three corporate sites, i.e. Boston, London and Paris. It can be broken down into nine tasks.  See the Gantt chart.

• Solution 1: Create one project for each location.
  --> Weakness: The project must be created three times together with its nine tasks to be assigned to different resources.

• Solution 2: Create a template and then create the three projects using the template.
  --> Weakness: Once deployment is performed on the three sites, the template will not be reused. As such, it is pointless to store the template in the library.

• Solution 3: Create the project for the Boston site and authorize its duplication. Next, create the two other projects by duplicating this project.
  --> Strength: The nine tasks assigned to different resources are automatically copied. Only the location, London or Paris, must be modified for each new project.
  Once all three projects have been created, you can remove the duplication authorization from the Boston project which was used as a temporary template.

Calculation of project workload

A project has a scheduled duration of ten days with a working day duration of seven hours --> Scheduled workload = 70 hours (10 days * 7 hours per day)

Notes

• EasyVista does not impose any project methodology. Projects are not managed by a workflow. Task progress and changes in status must be made manually.
• Projects can be created easily:
  • Using an existing project as a temporary template and by copying the entire structure of resources and tasks.
  • Using a project template.
  • Using an MS Project file that was exported in an XML file.
    • In MS Project, several resources can be assigned to one task. When importing the file, a summary task will be created for the task. It will contain as many subtasks as there are resources assigned.
    • Service Manager only manages full working days. As such, hours for tasks will automatically be truncated during the import.

• Only project managers can select My Projects in the menu to modify a Project form or Gantt chart. Users who are defined as project participants can only access the project in read mode by selecting All Projects in the menu.
• Only project managers can assign resources to uncompleted projects:
  • Directly in the relevant tabs of the Project form.
  • Using the Link to a Project wizard available in Incident, Service Request, Investment Request, Change Request, Problem and Action (Change Request, Problem) forms.
• Values entered in the Project form are global values. You can enter details for each task in the Gantt chart, e.g. cost, completion period, or workload.
• The project end date does not depend on the completion end date of the last project task.
• You can end a project early using the Cancel Project wizard.

Caution

• The WBS does not support more than 999 tasks by hierarchy level. If the number of tasks is more important for a level, you must divide your project into several sub-projects or you must create parent tasks.
• Be careful when modifying estimated project elements, e.g. duration, workload or budget, because they are used as references for calculating the health indicators displayed in the Project Portfolio.
• The WBS is automatically updated each time the hierarchy level of tasks is modified. Use the Recalculate WBS of Tasks wizard only if numbering is inconsistent. This is because all parent tasks and subtasks will become level 1 tasks.

Best Practice

• Use the Gantt chart to create tasks and assign resources.  See the procedure.
• To design a new project quickly and minimize the risk of overlooking some steps, use a project template or duplicate an existing project with a similar structure.
• If the project's usefulness is only temporary, you should not create a template. Instead, you should authorize its duplication by selecting the Can be duplicated box.  See the example.
• The project status is automatically updated only when it is created or when the End of Project or Cancel Project wizard is run. You must modify it manually throughout the entire project life cycle.
• Resources, other than participants, that are associated with the project, e.g. equipment, licenses, etc. are displayed only for information purposes and are not affected during the project life cycle. Create alerts, business rules or notifications for these elements if you want to inform the relevant users.

  example  The SAP software implementation project requires a dedicated server for one full working day ==> Create an alert to warn the IT Manager of the server's scheduled unavailability. 

Menu access

• Project > Project > My Projects or Our Projects (Groups / Participants) or All Projects

• Gantt Chart: Go to the list of projects >  next to the project you want

Description of tabs

TabUpdateRules_After2016Versions

Alphabetical order of the tabs

QuickAccess

Details

Project Number: Automatically generated number when the project is created.

• To format the number, select Administration > Parameters > Auto-Inc Fields in the menu.
• To prohibit subsequent modification, switch to edit mode and make the field accessible only in read mode.  See the configuration of forms.

Status: Current project status used to show progress.

• Update: Automatically when the project is created or when the End of Project or Cancel Project wizard is run.
   

ProjectName

EndProjectName

Can be duplicated: Used to indicate if the project can be used as a temporary template for creating a new project (box is checked) or not (box is not checked). If duplication is authorized, then the entire project structure is copied, i.e. tasks, resources assigned, etc.

• Temporary templates are not stored in the template library.  See the example.
• The duplicated structure can be modified for the new project.
   

ProjectType

EndProjectType

ProjectManager

EndProjectManager

ScheduledDate

EndScheduledDate

DurationWorkingDay

EndDurationWorkingDay

PlannedBudget

EndPlannedBudget

ScheduledWorkload

EndScheduledWorkload

        See the example.

End Date: Effective end date of the project or of the canceled project.

• Late tasks are those whose scheduled end date is later than this date.
• Update: Use the End of Project or Cancel Project wizard.
   

Location

EndLocation

Department

EndDepartment

Workload carried out: Total time spent by participants on all project tasks, including completed tasks and tasks in progress.

• Expressed in hours:minutes.
• This is automatically calculated and updated when time sheets are entered.

          See the example.

Scheduled workload: Total scheduled time for all project tasks, including scheduled tasks, tasks assigned or not assigned to participants.

• Expressed in hours:minutes.
• It does not take workload progress into account.
• This is automatically calculated and updated each time the schedule in the Gantt chart is modified.

          See the example.

Workload ( % ): Estimated average rate of progress. It takes into account the time spent on each task. This is represented by the Progress indicator in the Project Portfolio.

• (∑ time spent / ∑ scheduled time) * 100
• This is automatically calculated and updated when time sheets are entered and each time the schedule in the Gantt chart is modified.

          See the example.

Percentage of completion: Average rate of progress. It takes into account actual progress for each task. This is represented by the Progress indicator in the Project Portfolio.

• [ ∑ (scheduled time * rate of progress) / ∑ scheduled time ] * 100
• This is automatically calculated and updated when time sheets are updated and each time the schedule in the Gantt chart is modified.

          See the example.

Description

EndDescription

Synthesis

Detailed information used to explain the health indicators displayed in the Project Portfolio, i.e. compliance in terms of budget, deadlines, progress and workload.

• Accessible only in read mode.
• Update: Automatically throughout the entire project life cycle.

Risks

Overall project risk. It can be a value and/or assessed using a risk level, i.e. high, medium, low.

• You can enter the breakdown of the cost of the project risk in the Hazards tab. 

Discussions

DiscussionTab

ProjectTabs

Procedures and Wizards

How to create a project

Step 1: Creating the project.

1. Select Project > My Projects in the menu.

2. Click .

3. Select the method used for creating the project.

To initialize the project using an MS Project file

• Select Imported from MS Project. Next download the XML file that was exported from MS Project.
• To create resources that do not exist in the Service Manager user table automatically, select the Add Unknown MS Project Participants option.
  • The link between Service Manager and MS Project will be performed using the user's name. 
  • The administrator must assign a profile, domain and password to all newly created employees so that they can log in to Service Manager, view assigned tasks and enter time sheets.

To create a blank project

• Select Created by EasyVista.
• Click Next.
• (optional) Initialize the project structure (i.e. tasks, resources assigned) using a template from a template. Note: All templates in the library and all projects that can be duplicated will appear in the drop-down list.
• Click Next and specify the main information on the project.
• Click Finish.
• (optional) Modify the project number.
• Click Finish.
  The Project form will appear.

Step 2: Defining tasks and assign resources from the Gantt chart.

1. Click  next to the Project field and click Display Gantt.
The Gantt chart will appear.

2. Specify the information.  See the procedure.

3. Click  

Step 3: Entering additional information.

1. Close the Gantt chart.
The Project form will appear.

2. Enter additional information in the other tabs.

3. Click .

Wizards

Cancel Project
End of Project
Recalculate WBS of Tasks