This article describes how to create a Project in PPM Express and link this Project to one or several Connections that PPM Express supports.
To find detailed information about PPM Express Connection Types please refer to this article.
Creating a Project
1. On the Projects page in the upper left part of the screen, click New.
New Project menu will appear on the right part of the screen.
2. Enter the Project name.
3. Choose the Project layout you want to apply to your Project (the default layout is already selected).
4. If you want to link your new Project with any Project in the connected source systems, switch the Configure Project Connections toggle to Yes.
5. Click Create Project. The Project dashboard screen for your newly created Project will be opened. If you have checked Configure Projects Connections checkbox before saving the Project, Configure connections menu will also appear.
Linking a Project to one connection
If the Project is linked to any of the Connections PPM Express supports, the data from the source system selected is synchronized to the PPM Express Project. Please find detailed information about each Connection following this link.
To link a Project created in PPM Express to one of the Connections PPM Express supports, perform the following:
1. On the Project dashboard, click the Connect button in the upper right corner of the screen. Configure connections window will appear.
2. Choose one of the source systems.
PPM Express allows linking the PPM Express Project to any Project from an external system from the Link to Project tab and/or to any external system for team communication and data exchanges from the Work Together tab.
3. In the Connection section, provide the URL and account used to get access to the source system.
4. In the Select Project section, select the Project you need to link to the PPM Express Project.
5. Click Link Project and start Project linking.
When linking the PPM Express Project to the Project from an external system for the first time, PPM Express will suggest switching from the primary PPM Express Schedule to the Schedule from the connected system. The primary schedule setting defines from what schedule the rolled-up values will be displayed in the global Project rolled-up fields on the Project dashboard Details section. For more details, please refer to the Project Settings article. Please refer to the 'Project Schedule rolled-up fields for each connection' article for a detailed description of the roll-up fields for external connections.
PPM Express allows configuring field mapping to synchronize additional data. Please find more details here.
Linking a Project to several connections
PPM Express provides the ability to link one Project created in PPM Express to several Connections.
There are scenarios when the Development Team tracks task progress in Jira or Azure DevOps while other team members keep track of their tasks in Project Online or Planner, for example.
PPM Express allows you to combine Project progress and general Project information (resources, key dates, issues, risks, etc.) from several source systems in one place.
Linking PPM Express Project to several Connections, Project Managers can keep track of overall Project progress and have Project information in one place without the necessity to open different source systems.
To link a Project created in PPM Express to several Connections, PPM Express supports the steps will be the same as when linking a Project to one connection but will need to be taken several times.
1. On the Project dashboard, click the Connect button in the upper right corner of the screen.
Configure connections window will appear.
1. Choose one of the source systems.
2. In the Connection section provide the URL and account used to get access to the source system. Monday.com is used as an example.
3. In the Workspace section, select the workspace you need to link to the PPM Express Project. Next, select the Board for linking.
4. Click on the Link Project button to start Project linking.
5. Click on the Connect button in the upper right corner of the screen again and select another source system you would like to link to the same Project.
6. In the Connection section provide the URL and account used to get access to the source system.
7. In the Project section, select the Project you need to link to the PPM Express Project.
8. Click on the Link Project button to start Project linking.
Now, the PPM Express Project is linked to two source systems at once.
Both Team and Schedule sections are non-editable, data for these sections is retrieved from the linked Project during synchronization. If you have several source systems linked to one PPM Express Project, you can switch between these source systems to review information for your Project accordingly. Team and Schedule sections have Linked Project buttons, using which you can select the system linked to this Project and review data synchronized from each system separately.
Additional Settings for Jira Project linking
When linking Jira Projects, there are additional options: Import Sprints and Link to Epic.
In case you need to import sprints, check the Import Sprints checkbox and select the board from which you want to synchronize sprints.
Select the board if you need to synchronize sprints from the Jira Project.
If you want to link a PPM Express to a Jira epic instead of a whole Project, check the Link to Epic checkbox.
One PPM Express Project can be linked to one Jira Project or one Jira epic. Jira Epics within one Jira Project can be linked to different PPM Express Projects.
If you link a PPM Express Project to the Jira Epic, then the PPM Express Project will display all data from the epic, i.e. Jira Epic will be considered as a Project in itself.
Additional Settings for Azure DevOps Project linking
PPM Express Project can be linked to the following Azure DevOps entities:
- Project – allows linking the PPM Express Project to the Azure DevOps Project. To link the PPM Express Project to a Project from Azure Dev Ops select the Project from the list.
Additionally, the PPM Express Project can be linked to Epic, Area, and/or Iteration. For that, click the Additional filter and select the required entities.
- Epic – allows linking the PPM Express Project to Azure DevOps Epic. In this case, the PPM Express Project will display all data from the epic, i.e. Azure DevOps Epic will be considered as a Project on itself.
- Area – allows linking the PPM Express to the specified area in Azure DevOps.
- Iteration – allows linking the PPM Express to the specified iteration in Azure DevOps.
- Team - allows linking the PPM Express to the specified iteration in Azure DevOps.
For detailed information on data synchronization logic for Azure DevOps please refer to this article.