PPM Express allows users to copy tasks and related data from connected project management systems directly into PPM Express.
The Copy to PPM Express functionality is available only for PPM Express Projects that are linked to one of the supported PPM Express connections. For guidance on adding connections, please refer to the PPM Express Connections article section.
Copying Tasks from External Systems
When a connection is added to PPM Express, you can either import or link Projects from the connected external system, which keeps the tasks synchronized to a dedicated Tasks page, but read-only in PPM Express.
Tasks from the imported/linked Projects can also be copied to the PPM Express Tasks page. Copied tasks are no longer linked to the external system and become fully editable in PPM Express, functioning as native tasks with all features available.
This makes the Copy to PPM Express option especially useful for:
- Migrations – bringing project structures and task hierarchies from an external system into PPM Express for long-term use.
- Project setup – quickly creating a new PPM Express project based on tasks defined in an external system.
The Copy to PPM Express option is available on the Projects page and the Tasks page.
Projects page: Open the Projects page and select a Project(s) that is linked to an external system. Once a user selects at least one project, the Copy to PPM Express Tasks action becomes visible in the panel. The exact copy options depend on the systems connected to the selected project:
- If a project is linked only to one system, only that system will appear in the menu.
- If multiple systems are connected, all of them will be available for selection.
Tasks page: Open the dedicated Tasks page of the linked Project. Under the Tasks section, click Actions -> Copy to PPM Express Tasks.
Tasks synchronized from the linked Project will be copied to the PPM Express Tasks page, along with their groups and all synced values.
Copying Behavior
When tasks are copied, they are added to the PPM Express Tasks page and organized into automatically created groups labeled with the external system’s name.
Task data is imported exactly as it was brought during the last synchronization. All available fields and details are transferred into PPM Express.
All tasks are copied over; the system does not allow selective copying. Even if a filter is applied on the external system Tasks page, PPM Express copies the full task hierarchy.
If a synchronization process is already running when a user initiates a copy, the copy will start immediately after the synchronization is finished, ensuring that the most up-to-date data is copied. The interface shows a simple “Copy started” message, and the process continues automatically in the background. The same behavior applies if reporting processes are running.
When copying tasks, PPM Express automatically recalculates task dates based on predecessors and lags. This ensures consistency in scheduling, even if the source system has inconsistencies. For example:
- If a task has a predecessor with a lag, PPM Express adjusts the start date accordingly.
- If the duration and dates in the source data do not align, PPM Express recalculates and corrects the dates to reflect realistic schedules.
This behavior ensures that copied projects remain consistent. However, please note that in cases where task dates were misconfigured in the external system, as some external systems may have incorrect setups, the dates in PPM Express may differ slightly from the original dates.
Calendar exceptions (such as weekends, holidays, or shortened working days) affect task scheduling in PPM Express.
Please note that when a task is created or copied after an exception has been added to the calendar, the task dates will automatically shift according to the exception rules. However, if a task was created before the exception was added, the task dates will not be updated automatically. In this case, task dates remain unchanged unless adjusted manually.
To ensure that calendar exceptions are correctly applied to tasks, we recommend the following flow:
- Configure your tenant calendar, including all required exceptions.
- Copy new tasks.
By following this sequence, all existing exceptions will be taken into account during task scheduling.
If exceptions were added after tasks were created, tasks will not automatically update. In this case, we recommend deleting the imported task and repeating the copy process to ensure exceptions are applied.