This article describes what data is synchronized to the PPM Express project from the Project Desctop client (.mpp file).
There are two ways how a project can be published to PPM Express from Project Desktop:
1. When the project is published as a new project to PPM Express. In this case, a new project will be created in PPM Express, and the task page will be created to display the information for the Project Desktop tasks.
2. When the project is published to an existing PPM Express project. In this case, a separate task page will be created for the existing project in PPM Express to display the tasks from Project Desktop.
Data is synchronized in the same way, except for the project dates, and the Summary section.
If a new project is created, the dates (Start Date, Finish Date) for the PPM Express project will be set according to the start, and finish dates of the Project Summary Task, and the Summary section will also be set accordingly.
If data is synchronized to an existing PPM Express project, the existing dates in the PPM Express project will not be affected (even if there is only one date set: Start Date or Finish Date) as well as the Summary section. However, if data is synchronized to an existing project with no Start Date and Finish Date, then the dates will be set according to the start, and finish dates of the Project Summary Task and the Summary section will also be set accordingly.
The following project sections are populated with data on project publish:
Summary
In the Summary section, the progress bar will display data according to the Start/Finish project dates.
Project Dates are set during the first project synchronization only, if the Start and Finish dates in the PPM Express project are not specified.
- Project Summary Task Start Date -> Start Date
- Project Summary Task Finish Date -> Finish Date
If at least one date, Start or Finish, is already set in the PPM Express project, or both dates are set, the project dates will not be synchronized.
Also, the progress shown under the Project Desktop icon is always synchronized and is taken from the % Complete of the Project Summary Task.
Schedule
The Schedule section for Project Desktop displays tasks by status, progress, and summary.
All tasks can be reviewed on a separate task page that can be opened by clicking the 'View tasks from Project Desktop' button.
The summary tasks and tasks/sub-tasks are synchronized from the Project Desktop to the task page, preserving the schedule hierarchy from Project Desktop.
- 'Task Statuses', and 'Task Progress' Counters include the project tasks without summary tasks.
- 'Tasks Summary' counters ('Late', 'My Tasks', 'This Week', 'Today', 'No Dates') include all summary tasks, tasks, and sub-tasks.
- Milestones are included in the counters.
- 'All Milestones' task filter includes milestones that are not summary tasks, only regular tasks.
Please note: Tasks status is recalculated when the project data is synchronized (republished). The synchronization button is also available from PPM Express, but it will not add new/modified data, it will update the task statutes only.
For more details, please refer to the 'Project Desktop tasks page' article.
Key Dates
Project milestones from the Project Desktop client are synchronized to the Key Dates section.
The following information is imported to PPM Express:
- Title
- Date (Milestone finish date)
- % Complete:
No – %Complete does not equal 100%
Yes – %Complete equals 100% - Statuses:
On Track: Finish Date is greater or equals Today
At Risk: The key date is late for less than 10 days (from Today)
Critical: The key date is late for more than 10 days (from Today)
Done: The Key date is Completed - Resource Name -> 'Assigned to'
Please note: Data synchronized from Project Desktop cannot be edited for imported milestones, i.e. Title, Date, Complete, and Status fields.
To make some changes to milestone fields synchronized from the Project Desktop client, edit the milestone in the Project Desktop, and publish the project to PPM Express.
The following fields can be edited in PPM Express for milestones synchronized from Project Desktop:
- Show on Timeline
- Description
- All custom fields created in PPM Express for the Key Dates section
Team
The Team section displays all resources assigned to tasks and included in the mapping performed during project publishing. Next to each resource is displayed a total amount of assigned tasks grouped by Status.
Task Statuses:
- In Progress Tasks: Tasks with % Complete within 1-99%
- Completed Tasks: Tasks with % Complete = 100%
- Not Started Tasks: Tasks with % Complete = 0%
- Late Tasks: Tasks with a finish date less than Today and % Complete less than 100%
- This Week Tasks: Tasks that are executed this week
Please note: In the Team section all tasks with all types are calculated: milestones, summary tasks, project summary tasks, and child tasks.
