In this article, we will review the PPM Insights AI project section.
PPM Insights AI gives you access to AI-driven functionalities from PPM Express directly. The PPM Insights AI project section shows project managers important insights generated from project data and statistics, helping them concentrate on critical issues that could affect the project's success. PPM Insights AI aims to save time during project health assessments, prioritize topics demanding immediate attention, and boost daily work efficiency.
PPM Insights AI project section
When the PPM Insights AI is enabled on your tenant, the PPM Insights project section becomes available. This section aggregates all the information that requires your attention on the selected project for you to quickly review it and take action. To make this section visible on the Project dashboard, add this section to the views or layouts.
When the section is added to the project view, it is empty.
Click the Generate button to show a list of AI-generated insights based on the project data. Also, if the project is connected to any of the external systems, this section will start displaying data automatically after the next data synchronization.
A list of Insights will be shown with the identified issues that need to be addressed as soon as possible.
The information on these Insights cards will be refreshed as soon as the user clicks the Regenerate button or on data synchronization if the project is linked to any of the external systems. You can see the last data update date and time below and click the Regenerate button to refresh your data.
Please note: The Insights are regenerated by data sync only for projects with project progress set to In Progress or the project stage to Idea/Pipeline/Planning/Execution. For cases when the progress status is Not Started/On Hold/Canceled/Completed or the project stage status is Suspended/Canceled/Closing the Insights are not generated by project data synchronization. You can still regenerate the Insights data manually, or change the project stage/progress.
If you click on the View button below any Insight, the corresponding project section will be opened in full-screen mode showing the details for the items in question (filtered out accordingly). The corresponding project sections can be opened in full-screen mode only if these project sections are added to the Project dashboard view. For your convenience, it is possible to create a separate view that will include all the needed sections.
Please note: If the information is in the Details project section, make sure to add the fields that require your attention according to the Insight card to the view of this section.
If you click the Like or Dislike button, your feedback will be sent to the PPM Express Team. Any kind of feedback is appreciated, it helps us improve the PPM Express functionality, PPM Insights AI in this case.
For a detailed response on whether the section or its specific insights are useful to you, please use the form under the Leave Feedback button.
Creating Action Items from the Insights
It is possible to create action items for the Insight cards, assign them to necessary resources, and track how the indicated problems are solved. There is an icon on each insight card at the bottom 'Create Action Item'.
Clicking on it opens the Create Action Item panel, it is the same as in the Action Items project section.
The following fields are filled in with data from the card:
- Action Item Name: Title of the card
- Description: insight from the card generated with AI;
- Assigned To: by default, the current user resource is set;
- Date Assigned: today's date.
All fields can be edited as needed. The action item is then added to the project Action Items section. Action Items may be created for the same cards many times.
Please note: Only users with Edit permission for the project or Project Managers can create Action Items. For users with Collaborate or View project permission, the Create Action Item icon is hidden on the cards.
List of available Insights
Please review the list of Insights in the order of appearance:
Failed Sync Card:
Displays if there is a failed synchronization for any external system. A separate card is shown for each connection with failed synchronization. A joined card may be shown for the linked Planner, Office365 Group, and MS Teams if the synchronization fails for the same connection.
Not On Track Statuses:
All Project statuses with the Status At Risk or Critical.
- Overall Status
- Schedule Status
- Cost Status
- Risks Status
- Issues Status
- Resources Status
Key Dates cards (including external key dates):
- Overdue Milestones: all late key dates: not completed, with ‘Date’ < today;
- Slipped Milestones (baseline): Key dates with Baseline < Current values. Doesn’t include completed milestones;
- This week milestones: Key dates with ‘Date’ that’s Due this week, not Completed.
Task Cards (only for internal PPM Express tasks):
- Overdue Tasks: appears and counts late not completed project tasks, i.e., tasks with ‘Due Date’ < today, Progress < 100%
- Slipped Tasks: appears for tasks with baselines where Baseline value < Current value for any or all baseline fields (‘Start Date’, ‘Due Date’, ‘Duration’, ‘Effort’, ‘Original Estimate’). It does not include completed tasks.
- This Week Tasks: shows project tasks that have dates scheduled for the current week, i.e., the ‘Start Date’ – ‘Due Date’ frame includes this week’s dates. It also includes completed tasks.
- Tasks Effort vs Completed Work: compares the total project Effort, Completed Work, and Remaining Work. The values are taken from the project fields with roll-up values from tasks – ‘Schedule Effort (PPM Express)’, ‘Schedule Completed Work (PPM Express), ‘Schedule Remaining Work (PPM Express)’. The card is not shown if the values for the mentioned fields are 0, or they are empty.
- Tasks Story Points vs. Completed Story Points: compares the total project Story Points and Completed Story Points. The values are taken from the project fields with roll-up values from tasks – ‘Schedule Story Points (PPM Express)’, and ‘Schedule Completed Story Points (PPM Express)’.
Budget cards:
- Budget Overrun: (Budget vs. Forecast/Baseline/Actual) compares the total Budget value with the Forecast, Baseline, and Actual grand total values (project Budget section). The card is shown if the total budget value is less than any of the grand total values.
- Budget Overrun: (Actual vs. Forecast/Baseline) compares the Actual budget value with the Forecast and Baseline grand total values (project Budget section). The card is shown if the total Actual budget value is greater than the Forecast or Baseline grand total values.
Overallocated Resources:
All resources that have overallocation (with Committed booking type).
Active Risks:
The card counts Risks with the Status ‘Active’. It is shown when there is at least one active risk.
Active Issues:
The card counts Issues with the Status ‘Active’. It is shown when there is at least one active issue.
Active Change Requests:
Change Requests with a Status ‘Active”. It is shown when there is at least one active change request.