Making Multi-Project Charts for Planisware Enterprise for Version 7.2

Overview

One of the strength of OnePager is its ability to create compact visual representations of multiple projects that are part of a single Planisware Enterprise import source plan as well as create OnePager charts from multiple single Planisware Enterprise files. These can be several projects that belong to one program or they can be several projects and programs in an organization’s portfolio. Representing multiple projects originating in a single Planisware Enterprise source plan can, therefore, be easily done with the creative selection of Row and Swimlane fields from the Planisware Enterprise source plan.

The OnePager Bundle Standalone application can import these multi-project Planisware Enterprise import source plans and produce multi-project charts.

Additionally, OnePager has the capability to build multi-project charts from individual Planisware Enterprise exported files.

Creating a Multi-Project Chart from a Multi-Project Planisware Enterprise Import Source Plan

One method for using a single Planisware Enterprise import source plan is to add a field to your source plan with any appropriate field name. In the illustration which follows we've added the Planisware Enterprise field name of Campaign responsible and populated the column with two individual names who are responsible. This name is recognized by OnePager and is utilized in multi-project Template Properties form shipped with the product. An example Planisware Enterprise source plan with the Campaign responsible field is shown below:

After configuring your Planisware Enterprise source plan with the Campaign responsible field and the necessary multi-project schedule data, you can create a useful multi-project chart by following the steps described in the next section.

Launch OnePager and connect to your Planisware Enterprise account. Select the NEW option on the OnePager Bundle Start form and select the Planisware Enterprise multi-project file shown here:

Creating a NEW Chart from a Multi-Project Source Plan

Next, click the NEW button on the OnePager Bundle Start form. This accesses the OnePager choices (OPC) form where clicking the Select command in the Please select a source file sub-control group enables you to BROWSE Planisware Enterprise ... import source plans or to select a RECENT import source plan as shown here:

For this illustration, we'll select the source plan named BlueGrass Project - RSF (on Planisware Enterprise). When we do this, the OPC form is expanded to look like this:

Before creating the NEW multi-project chart we must change the Template Properties form to support the creation of a chart from a multi-project source plan as described below.

Setting up the OnePager Template Properties Form for a Multi-Project Chart

As shown above, the OnePager choices (OPC) form does not show that a multi-project Template Properties form is being used. Before proceeding further we must change the Template Properties form's setting so that a multi-project Template Properties form is used to create the chart. This is done by clicking the Change button in the Starting Template group of the form as shown below:

Clicking the Change button accesses the folder where OnePager stores Planisware Enterprise Template Properties forms distributed with the product as shown above. Select the Multi-Project Gantt Chart - Detailed for Planisware entry in the window shown above and click the Open button at the bottom of the form. When you click the Open button on the Open form shown above, OnePager changes the current Template Properties form to the Multi-Project Gantt Chart – Detailed for Planisware Template.

After changing the Template Properties selection, type in the title of the chart and assure that the Task Selection sub-control group's controls are set to import the tasks you need for your chart.

Use the Planisware Enterprise Source Plan to Create the Chart

You are now ready to create the multi-project chart. First, click the Next> button (shown above) which takes you to the second page of the OPC form shown below:

Next, check your field mapping settings or make any Template Properties form adjustments. When you are finished, click the Create new chart button on the second page. OnePager generates a multi-project chart that looks like this:

The chart above represents two separate campaigns using the swimlanes to organize the tasks/milestones for each campaign grouping. As the campaigns progress and additional campaigns are added, the additional swimlanes with their corresponding rows are added to the chart in future snapshots.

Updating Charts Created from Multiple Projects in a Single Planisware Enterprise Import Source Plan

Eventually you want to update your multi-project chart by either adding a snapshot or replacing a snapshot. To perform either the add or the replace snapshot, the processes described in these two referenced article references that follow can be used.

REPLACING a Snapshot via Pull Operation

ADDING a Snapshot via Pull Operation

The key to making updates to multi-project charts from multiple-projects contained in a single Planisware Enterprise source plan is the proper management of the Planisware Enterprise source plan data in the source packet. Recall that the source packet contains the import source plan or import source plans that are to be used to either create or update a chart. They are stored as file names and path names in the chart’s .TAM file, and can be accessed from the OnePager Data ribbon tool bar tab’s Selected file(s) button on the ribbon as shown below:

Validating the contents of the source packet and assuring that these are the Planisware Enterprise source plans that were updated is an essential step before proceeding to perform a chart update.

Creating a Multi-Project Chart from Individual Single-Project Planisware Enterprise Import Source Plans

Introduction

Suppose you have multiple Planisware Enterprise source plans that are related and you want to create a single chart that shows the important schedule items and will be updated as the project proceeds. Whenever chart updates are contemplated in the future OnePager requires that tasks being imported have unique task identifiers that OnePager can use to keep the updates aligned. Planisware Enterprise source plans have unique task identifiers built in and the data are imported when OnePager imports the Planisware Enterprise source plan. OnePager makes these unique task identifiers available in the OnePager Chart Editor as the Planisware Enterprise Internal number field which is discussed later.

For more information on Planisware Enterprise Internal number, please see the section in the article at:

Planisware Enterprise - The Internal number Field

Making a Multi-Project Chart from Separate Planisware Enterprise Source Plans

To illustrate what is needed, let’s construct a multi-project chart from three simple source plans - Project A, Project B, and Project C. Each has essentially the same tasks and WBS structure but each has different Planisware Enterprise Internal number values. The three source plans are shown below:

Project A Project B Project C

Important Note

Each of the Planisware Enterprise source plans above have unique Planisware Enterprise Internal number fields with unique numbers generated by OnePager at source plan import. It is important throughout the use of these Planisware Enterprise source plans that these assigned unique Planisware Enterprise Internal number values remain with their respective tasks. Dates can change in the Planisware Enterprise source plan's rows along with other updated information as the projects progress, but the Planisware Enterprise Internal number values must remain associated with the task activity. Tasks can be deleted, but the deleted Planisware Enterprise Internal should not be reused for a later snapshot. OnePager can process out of sequence Planisware Enterprise Internal number numbers.

Setting up the One Pager Template Properties Form for a Multi-Project Chart

The next step is to select and update an appropriate Template Properties form.

For this illustration we’ve selected the Multi-Project Gantt Chart – Detailed for Planisware Template Properties form. Once the current Template Properties form is established as a multiple-project Template Properties form, go to the Rows/Swimlanes tab and make sure that the Group rows into swimlanes and Label swimlanes by windows are set to Project name. Also, for this illustration, make sure that text columns are displayed and that the Custom Text Columns are set to Level 2 summary name which is the WBS level for Phases.

The Rows/Swimlanes tab in the Template Properties form looks like this:

When the steps above are completed and the Template Properties form for is updated, click the Save and use button to make the modified Template Properties form the current Template.

Create a Multi-Project Chart from Separate Multiple Planisware Enterprise Import Source Plans

Launch Planisware Enterprise and Load the First Planisware Enterprise Import Source Plan

Launch Planisware Enterprise, open the first of the multi-project Planisware Enterprise source plans, and make any editing changes necessary. In this case it’s the Project A file.

Next, launch OnePager Bundle. The OnePager Bundle Start form appears.

Click the NEW button which accesses the OnePager choices (OPC) form as shown below:

Note that the Project A Planisware Enterprise source plan appears in the Selected File(s) group and that the Add/Remove button is active.

Adding the Second Planisware Enterprise Import Source Plan

Click the Add/Remove button which accesses the Data source selection form as shown below:

We want to now add the second Planisware Enterprise source plan to the source packet. To do this, click the ADD button in the Data source selection form and a Windows Open form appears. Navigate to the desired source plan, select it, and then click the Open button as shown below:

Repeat the process shown above to add the third Planisware Enterprise source plan to the source packet.

After you’ve completed placing the third Planisware Enterprise source plan into the source packet, the window in the Data source selection form looks like this:

When you click the OK button above, the OPC form is updated to reflect that three (3) source plans are in the source packet and the title for the new chart that we typed in as shown here:

Create the NEW OnePager - Planisware Enterprise Multi-Project Chart

When you click the Next> button, OnePager goes to the second page of the OPC form where you can confirm other settings or make any Template Properties form setting changes.

When these confirmations are complete, click the Create new chart button. The chart looks like this:

Once you merge all your projects into a single snapshot, you can now add a new snapshot to the chart to show how tasks changed.

Updating a Chart Created from Multiple Planisware Enterprise Import Source Plans

Eventually you want to update your multi-project chart by either adding a snapshot or replacing a snapshot with updated data. To perform either the add or the replace snapshot, the processes described in these two referenced article references that follow can be used.

REPLACING a Snapshot via Pull Operation

ADDING a Snapshot via Pull Operation

The key to making updated multi-project charts from multiple Planisware Enterprise source plan is the proper management of the Planisware Enterprise data in the source packet. Recall that the source packet contains the source plan(s) that are to be used to either create or update a chart.

They are stored as file names and path names in the chart’s .TAM import source plan and can be accessed from the Data tab’s Selected file(s) button on the ribbon as shown below:

Validating the contents of the source packet and assuring that these are the Planisware Enterprise source plans that were updated is an essential step before proceeding to perform a project update.

Related Links

Creating a NEW Chart via Pull Operation Feature	REPLACING a Snapshot via Pull Operation
ADDING a Snapshot via Pull Operation	Using the OnePager "Data" Tab's "Selected file(s)" Button
Merging the Wrong Tasks into a Chart - OnePager Bundle - Planisware Enterprise	OnePager's Ribbon Tool Bar Data Tab

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