In this article, we will review how to import Key Dates from the Azure DevOps project to the PPM Express project.
If you have added Azure DevOps connection to PPM Express and linked the PPM Express project to the Azure DevOps project, it is possible to import Key Dates from the Azure DevOps project to the PPM Express project.
If you have set up a connection between the PPM Express project and Azure DevOps epic, area or iteration, then only the Work Item types for the linked epic, area, or iteration can be imported as Key Dates.
Please note: Only Work Items that have date fields filled in can be imported as Key Dates from Azure DevOps to PPM Express. The date is a required field for the Key Dates in PPM Express.
If Work Item was imported to PPM Express as a Key Date and after this, the date value was deleted from this Work Item in Azure DevOps, this Key Date will not be automatically deleted from PPM Express Key Dates after data synchronization. A warning will be shown for such Key Dates instead, notifying that this item was deleted in Azure DevOps (or the item has no dates set).
Please note: Only users who have permission to edit the PPM Express project can import Key Dates.
If the Azure DevOps connection is not added and the Azure DevOps project is not linked to the PPM Express project yet, then to be able to import Key Dates, it is required to have Manage Integrations and Edit Project permissions.
Importing Key Dates from Azure DevOps
To import Key Dates from the Azure DevOps project to the PPM Express project, perform the following:
1. Open the PPM Express project that is linked to the Azure DevOps project and where you would like to import Key Dates.
2. Click on the Import Key Dates button, and the Import Key Dates window will be opened. In the Connection section select Azure DevOps.
3. In the Search field start typing the required item. It can be found by name, type, or ID. Or you can just click in the search window, and 10 Work Item types that have Due Date will become available for selection. They can be imported at once. As you select to import them as Key dates, the next Work Items types will become available in the list.
If there is no Due Date for the item you need, perform the following:
1. Click on the Import Key Dates button. In the Connection section select Azure DevOps.
2. Click on the gear button to open the Configure Connection window.
In the Configure Connection => External Items Mapping tab click on the pencil-like button next to the required work item.
Click on the pencil-like button next to the required item and provide the date field for each type that you would like to import as Key Dates. Click Save Mapping.
Please note: The default parameters for different Azure DevOps project process types are not the same. As you set the parameters in the Configure Connection window these parameters will be saved as custom parameters and applied by default for the process type of the project you are working with. For example, if the linked Azure DevOps project is an Agile project, all Agile projects linked to PPM Express projects will have the same set of Work Item types and date fields as you set in the Configure Connection => Tasks Import settings. The same with CMMI and Scrum project process types. These custom settings can be changed and saved at any time if required.
3. Navigate to the Key Dates section of the project and select the Import Key Date option again.
If you have any Key Dates added to the project already, then select the Import Key Dates option from the section header.
4. In the Import Key Date window select Azure DevOps connection.
It is possible to search for the required Work Item type by Name, Type or ID. Or you can just click in the search window, and 10 Work Item types will become available for selection. As you select to import them as Key dates, the next Work Items types will become available in the list.
5. To select the items you would like to import, just click on them, and they will be added to the list of the selected items. When you are ready with the selection, click Confirm to import the selected items to PPM Express as Key Dates.
You can delete the selected items from the list if necessary or open them in Azure DevOps.
6. As you click confirm, the items will be imported as a Key Date and will appear on the Key Dates section at once.
Please note: All Work Item types will be imported as Key Dates. Release and Milestones are not supported for import.
The statuses due dates, and the names for the imported Key Dates are imported from Azure DevOps and cannot be changed within PPM Express. If there are any changes to these Work Item types in Azure DevOps, they will be applied to PPM Express Key Dates after data synchronization automatically. Only internal PPM Express fields can be edited for the imported Key Dates.
Statuses will be set according to the Work Items date, taking into account the current date:
- 'Done' will be set for the Work Items that have the state set from the 'Completed' category (e.g. finished, closed).
- 'Critical' will be set for the Work Item types that are late >10 days and not completed.
- 'At risk' will be set for Work Item types that are late <=10 days and not completed.
- 'On Track' will be set for all other cases, for Work Items where the date field is greater than the current date (today).
Please note: These formulas will be applied unless the user changes the thresholds on the PPM Insights settings page.
The Work Items imported as key dates can be opened in Azure DevOps from PPM Express Key dates section directly by clicking on the Azure DevOps icon next to each Key date.
The Baseline can be set for all PPM Express Key Dates. To set the baseline, select the Key Dates and click the Set Baseline button (the Baseline is created for the Date field).
The Baseline tab becomes available if you open the Key Date for editing.
To remove the Baseline mark from the timeline view, click on the 'Style' option and disable the Show Baseline option.
Deleting the Key Dates imported from Azure DevOps
To delete the imported Key Dates perform the following:
1. Open the PPM Express project where Azure DevOps items were imported as Key Dates.
2. Select the Key Dates you need to delete from the list.
3. Click the Delete Key Date button.
4. Confirm that you would like to remove the Key Dates. The selected Key Dates will be deleted at once.
Please note: After data synchronization, the deleted Key Dates will not appear again in the Key Dates section automatically. If you need to add the deleted items again, it will be needed to import them following the steps described in the 'Importing Azure DevOps items as Key Dates' section of this article.
If the PPM Express project is linked to Planner and Azure DevOps and the Key dates are imported from both systems, then in the Import Key dates window it will be possible to switch between these systems. Switching between the systems you can add the key dates for each system separately.