Difference between revisions of "Testing Article1"

Revision as of 13:54, 30 November 2021

Overview

One of the strength of OnePager is its ability to create compact visual representations of multiple projects that are part of a single Smartsheet file as well as create OnePager charts from multiple single Smartsheet 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 Smartsheet source plan can, therefore, be easily done with the creative selection of Row and Swimlane fields from the Smartsheet source plan.

The OnePager Bundle Standalone application can import these multi-project Smartsheet files and produce multi-project charts.

Additionally, OnePager Bundle Standalone has the capability to build multi-project charts from individual Smartsheet exported files.

Multi-Project Smartsheet Source Plan in a Single Spreadsheet

One method for using a single Smartsheet file is to add a field to your source plan with a field name of Project. This name is recognized by OnePager Bundle (OPB) Standalone and is utilized in OPB multi-project Template Properties form shipped with the product. An example Smartsheet source plan with the Project field is shown below:

After configuring your Smartsheet source plan with the Project 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.

Procedures

Launch OPB Standalone and connect to your Smartsheet account. Select the NEW option on the OnePager Bundle Start form and select the Smartsheet 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 Smartsheet ... files or to select a RECENT file as shown here:

For this illustration, we'll select the source plan named BlueGrass Excel Project Plan-Bundle (on Smartsheet). 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 Bundle 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 Bundle stores Smartsheet Template Properties forms distributed with the product as shown above. Select the Multi-Project Gantt Chart - Detailed 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 Template.

Use the Microsoft Excel 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 projects using the swimlanes to organize the tasks/milestones for each project grouping. As the projects progress and additional projects 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 Microsoft Excel 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.

The key to making updates to multi-project charts from multiple-projects contained in a single Microsoft source plan is the proper management of the Microsoft Excel source plan data in the source packet. Recall that the source packet contains the file or files 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 Microsoft Excel source plans that were updated is an essential step before proceeding to perform a chart update.

Related Links

Creating a NEW Chart via Pull Operation Feature 7.13.1-71

REPLACING a Snapshot via Pull Operation 7.14.1-71

ADDING a Snapshot via Pull Operation 7.15.1-71

(8.3.1-71)