Copyright: © Ian Needs


Help Contents

Using Projections


Using Projections

Introduction

Concepts

Maintaining Projects

Maintaining Resources

Analysing the Allocation Manager

Analysing The Data Using Filters

Importing Project Plans


Introduction

A Brief Overview of Atlantic Projections

Starting Projections

Toolbars

Status bar

Using the Right Mouse Button

Leaving Projections


A Brief Overview of Atlantic Projections

Atlantic Projections is a comprehensive Project and Resource Scheduling package designed and developed by Atlantic EC Ltd.

As part of the Atlantic Business Suite, Projections allows you to schedule which Projects your Resources will work on, select which Resources will work on particular items of work and to analyse how well your Resources are being utilised.

Projections is designed to be used with little or no instruction and links seamlessly with all other Atlantic Business Suite products to provide your organisation with a comprehensive, easy to use Resource and Project Management System.


Starting Projections

Having installed Projections, you are now ready to use the program…

If necessary, power up your machine and start Microsoft Windows.  The Windows 95, 98 or NT desktop appears on your screen - turn to your Windows User Guide for full details on how to navigate around Windows 95, 98 or NT.

From the Start Menu, select the Projections program group.  From the Projections group, click the Projections program item icon to open it.

The following dialog appears...

To open Projections, type your User Code and Password.


Toolbars

Four Toolbars are available to help you use the system, you can hide and view toolbars via the View Menu.  To view toolbars, select Toolbars from the View menu and place a tick by the toolbar you wish to view, to hide a toolbar remove the tick.

To gain a quick description of what each tool can do, simply hold your mouse pointer over the tool and a description will be provided.  To activate a tool simply click on it using your mouse.

The four toolbars are:-

•	File

•	Schedule

•	Setup

•	Report

Each contains a series of tools which can be examined individually.

Related Topics

File Toolbar

Setup Toolbar

Schedule

Report

Additional Tools


File Toolbar

The File Toolbar provides the user with the facility to Show the Allocation Manager, open a previously printed report, save a report and print.


Setup Toolbar

The Setup Toolbar contains tools for setting up, Activities, Cost Rates, Charge Rates, Clients, Skills, Projects, Resources, Expense Types, Nominal Codes, the System Calendar, Login Templates, Logins and Permissions.

Additional information on setting up reference table information and logins can be found in the System Administration Guide.


Schedule

The Schedule Toolbar becomes active when the Allocation Manager is displayed.  It contains tools that will let you show the schedule view, show the filter view, bind the project and resource schedules, select whether the master grid displays projects or resources, scroll through schedule entries and refresh the screen.


Report

The Report Toolbar allows you to zoom in and out on a report, select the zoom scale and to move between reports


Additional Tools

As you use Projections, you will notice that there are a number of other tools which are not displayed on toolbars but appear within the information panel of the Allocation Manager.  Below is a summary of these tools.

  Add a Project Time Block

  Amend a Project Time Block

  Copy a Project Time Block

  Delete a Project Time Block

  Add a Resource Time block

  Amend a Resource Time Block

  Copy a Resource Time Block

  Delete a Resource Time Block


Status bar

The status bar at the bottom of the application window provides information about Projections.  The user code and current login is followed by the date and time and the name of any saved filter (if appropriate).  Finally, the status of the Caps Lock, Num Lock and insert keys on the keyboard are displayed.


Using Projections - Introduction - Using the Right Mouse Button
Using the Right Mouse Button

Throughout Projections there are occasions when additional information or commands can be accessed by using the right mouse button.  Please note that if you use the Mouse/Trackball Control Center Utility to assign various functions to the right mouse button within Windows, you may need to alter some of the settings within this utility.  To take advantage of the right mouse button features, you need to ensure that the right mouse button option is set to 'Unassigned'.  Naturally if you have used this utility to swap the mouse button functions to left hand operation, it is the left mouse button that must be set to 'Unassigned'.


Leaving Projections

When you have finished working with Projections, you can close it along with any open windows.  Click the Close box in the top right corner of the window or choose Exit from the File menu.


Concepts

What is a Time Block

What is the Allocation Manager


What is a Time Block

Before you begin to enter information into Projections it is important to understand the concepts and relationships that exist within the system.  The first and most important concept to cover is that of Time Blocks.  Time Blocks form the foundation of Projections and are used to represent much of the data that you enter into the system.

Within the system there are two types of Time Block, namely Project and Resource Time Blocks.  A Project Time Block can represent either a whole project or a particular task of a project.  A project may have multiple Time Blocks allocated to it.  An Activity can be assigned to a Project Time Block to help describe it.

Resource Time Blocks represent a resource's time allocation to a project.  A Resource Time Block must reference a single Project Time Block.  It is not possible to have a Resource Time Block without a corresponding Project Time Block.

A Project Time Block may have zero or more resource time blocks assigned to it.  However, a resource time block can only reference one project Time Block.


What is the Allocation Manager

You will add all of your Project and Resource Time Blocks using the Allocation Manager.  This can be accessed by selecting Allocation Manager from the file menu or by clicking the Show Allocation Manager Button on the file toolbar.

The Allocation Manager comprises two grids and one information panel.  The top grid is referred to as the Master grid with the lower grid referred to as the Slave.  The Master grid drives the information that is displayed in the lower grid and the information panel.  Depending on whether the Master Grid represents Projects or Resources the system will exhibit different behavior.

When the Master grid represents Projects, the Slave will display Resource Time Blocks and the information panel will provide details on Available Resources and Assigned Resources.  An Available Resource is any Resource that can be allocated to a Project Time Block and an Assigned Resource is one which has been allocated to work on the selected Project Time Block.

Alternatively, if the Master grid represents Resources, the Slave will display Project Time Blocks and the Information panel will display details about available and assigned projects for a selected resource.

You can specify whether Projects or Resources appear in the Master grid by selecting either Projects or Resources from the Schedule toolbar or choosing Projects or Resources from the View, Master menu..

Irrespective of whether Project Time Blocks or Resource Time Blocks are displayed in the Master Grid, each grid has two views available for viewing Project and Resource information.  These different views are the Plan and Table view.

The plan view is designed to make the task of viewing and entering Time Blocks as quick and as easy as possible.  Time Blocks are represented graphically in a plan view against a predefined date range.  This representation allows you to view Time Block patterns.  A Zoom function is available from the Allocation Manager Toolbar to make this process easier.

In its standard form, each row in the Plan view displays all of the Time Blocks entered for a particular Project or Resource, however, a row can be expanded to show the individual breakdown of Time Blocks by double clicking in the cells at the left of the row.

The alternative method of viewing and entering Time Blocks is the Table View.  Similar to a spreadsheet in design, the Table allows you to view a greater amount of information than the plan.

Each row in the table represents a different Time Block, and contains a detailed breakdown of information.  One of the major advantages of using the Table over the Plan is that you can make multiple selections, which is useful if you are deleting large quantities of information.


Maintaining Projects

Adding a Project Time Block

Alternative Methods of Adding Project Time Blocks.

Amending Project Time Blocks

Alternative Methods of Amending Project Time Blocks.

Deleting Project Time Blocks


Adding a Project Time Block

You can add a Project Time Block via the Edit menu in the Allocation Manager, by selecting Project Plan, Add.  Project Time Blocks can also be added by clicking the Add Project Time Block icon.

The Add Project Time Block dialog appears…

You will notice that the Add Project Time Block dialog is what is known as a tabbed dialog containing three panels – Details, Skill Requirements and Split Entry.

Related Topics

Specifying a Project Time Blocks Details

Defining a Project Time Blocks Skill Requirements

Selecting a Project Time Blocks Skill Requirements

Creating a Project Time Block Split Entry Tab


Specifying a Project Time Blocks Details

Start Date

This is the earliest possible date that resources can be allocated to work on a Task.  The Start Date must be completed before a Project Time Block can be saved.

To enter a start date either type your required date directly into the text box as appropriate (Although you can enter the date in many different formats you should use one appropriate to the Windows default date format to ensure that the date entered is interpreted as you expect.). Or, use the calendar provided to select the appropriate date.  If the date field is blank, the calendar will show the current month with toady's date highlighted; if a date has already been input, then that will be the date displayed on the calendar when it appears

The date you select appears in the text box with the full date displayed underneath.

Start Time

This field is used to input the earliest time that resources can begin work on a particular project or task.  This is not a required field and can be used depending on the level of accuracy you wish to build into the system.

Type your required time into the Time text box or use the spin button to the right of the text box to set the required time.

Anchored Start

Projections allows you to anchor a Project Time Blocks start date.  This indicates that that the earliest date that resources can work on this project or task will be fixed.  Once anchored the start date can not be adjusted by dragging the Time Blocks bar.  A black triangle on the left of the bar indicates that it is anchored.  To anchor a Start Date click the Anchor check box until a tick appears.

End Date

As well as setting a Start Date for your Project Time Blocks you are required to specify an End Date.  The End Date is the latest possible date that a resource can work on the Project or Task, it can also be thought of as the delivery date.  By anchoring the end date you are indicating that the work must be completed by a particular deadline.

To enter an end date, either type your required date directly into the text box, or, use the calendar to select the appropriate date.

End Time

If you require a high level of accuracy when you are scheduling your resources, an end time can be specified for a Project Time Block.  This is not a required field.  However, to enter an end time, either, type your required time into the Time text box, or use the spin button to the right of the text box to set the required time.

Anchored End

Projections allows you to anchor a Project Time Blocks end date.  This indicates that the task must be completed by this date.  Once anchored the end date can not be adjusted by dragging the Time blocks bar.  A black triangle on the right of a bar indicates that it is anchored.  To anchor an end date click the Anchor check box.

Description

Each Project Time Block can be given a description.  A description can be used to provide additional information about a Time Block which distinguishes it from other similar Time Blocks.  Although the description is not a required field it is useful for distinguishing Project Time Blocks when you have several scheduled against the same task.

Project

Each Project Time Block must be assigned a Project Code.  The Project provides an overall description of the Time Block.  To add a Project type the code of the required project into the text box, or, use the Pick List in the usual way.

The Project Code will appear in the text box with a description displayed to the right

Activity

A Project Time Block can be assigned an Activity to improve its description.  Entry of an Activity is not mandatory, however, it is useful if you are scheduling many tasks under one master project.  By adding an activity you can quickly identify which task you are scheduling resources against.

Type the code of the required Activity into the text box, or use the Pick List in the usual way to select the required Activity.

Days

The total duration of Days that Resources can be scheduled to work on the Project Time Block must be entered.  This is dependent upon the Start and End Date of the Time Block, the number of working days within that period and the minimum number of Resources required for the task.  The days will default to the number of working days in the period between the Start and End date.  This default duration can be changed either by typing in a new value or by using the Calculate Duration Button.  The calculate duration button calculates the duration based on the minimum number of resources, and the number of working days in the specified duration.  Should you amend the minimum number of resources, the start date, the end date or the number of working days, clicking the calculate duration button will provide an updated value for the total number of days.

Number of Resources

The purpose of this field is to specify the minimum number of Resources required to complete this Project or Task.  This value can be amended at any stage but should realistically represent the number of resources which will be required to complete the work.

To define the Minimum Number of Resources, click in the text box and type in the number of resources you require.

Confirmed

This selection button allows you to specify whether the Project Time is Confirmed.  You will set a Project Time Block as confirmed if it is already established that the Project will go ahead and that you will be scheduling resources against it.  To define the Project Time Block as confirmed, click the Confirmed selection button.

Provisional

Specifying Time Blocks as provisional allows you to enter speculative work.  Once this work has been entered you can then schedule resources against it and predict future resource requirements and cost and revenue figures.  To define a Project Time Block as Provisional, click the Provisional selection button.

Percent Complete

The Percent Complete field allows you to continually track the progress of each Project. It is also useful for filtering purposes, enabling you to see which projects are at specific levels of completion and allocate resources accordingly.  To enter the percent complete click in the text box and type the required value.


Defining a Project Time Blocks Skill Requirements

The Skill Requirement's tab allows you to view and maintain the required set of skills for the Project Time Block.  Only skills that exist in the Skills Reference Table can be assigned to a Project Time Block.  Each Skill can only be assigned to a Project Time Block once and may be assigned a level if applicable.  A Skill level can be a value from 1 to 5 indicating the level of proficiency required.  Assigning skills to a Project Time Block is useful for selecting the Resources you wish to schedule against a particular Project Time Block.

Defaults

When Projects are created they can be assigned a set of skills.  The Defaults button allows you to assign these default skills to this Project Time Block.

See Defining your Reference Tables - Project Reference Table for more information on a projects default skills.

Select Button

The Select Button allows you to assign individual skills to a Project.  These are the skills that are required by a particular item of work for its completion.  When you begin scheduling resources, Project skill requirements will be cross-referenced with Resource skill requirements to find the most suitable resources available to carry out the work.

To select Skills requirements for this project click the select button.


Selecting a Project Time Blocks Skill Requirements

Time Block

This field provides an overall description of the Project Time Block.  The description is created for you automatically using the information you entered into the details tab.

Description

This field displays the description you provided for the Project Time Block in the details panel.

Skills Available

The Skills Available panel displays all of the skills that are available for assignment to this Project Time Block. These can be filtered to show Active, Inactive and All Skills.

Skills Available Advanced Filter

By clicking on the Advanced button, a series of advanced filters will appear.  You can use these filters to specify a number of advanced criteria for selecting your skill requirements.  For more information on using the Advanced Filter.

Skill Requirements for Project Time Block

The Skill Requirements for Project Time Block list displays all of the skills that have been assigned to the current Project Time Block.  To assign skills, either click on the relevant skill in the Available Skills list and drag it into the Skill Requirements list, or highlight the skills you wish to assign and use the tools provided to move the selected items, or all items.

Assigning a Level to your Skill Requirements

Once you have finished assigning skills to this Project Time Block you can provide each skill with a level between 1 and 5.  If your organisation doesn't wish to distinguish between different skill levels these fields can be ignored.  To assign a level simply click in the level field and type a value between 1 and 5 to represent the skill level required.  1 indicates that only a basic knowledge is required, with 5 implying advanced knowledge is required.


Creating a Project Time Block Split Entry Tab

The split entry tab is used to create multiple time block entries using the information you entered in the details tab.

Excluding Dates

Before you start, it is important to remember that the days specified as non-working in the system calendar will automatically be included as non-working days.  To exclude any additional dates, click the exclude dates button.

See using the system calendar for further information.

Specifying the Duration

When you create a split entry, Projections automatically splits the total duration specified in the details tab across all of the split time blocks in proportion to the number of working days in each time block.  For example, if your total duration was 20 days and you define 2 time blocks, one with 4 working days and one with 6 working days, 8 and 12 days would be assigned to the time blocks respectively.

Two tools are available, The Calculate Duration Based on System Calendar, Standard Day Length and Minimum Number of Resources and the Distribute Duration Across Period Tools.  Duration's can also be applied manually

Calculate Duration Based on System Calendar, Standard Day Length and Minimum Number of Resources

This tool recalculates the Total Days duration based on the number of working days in each period and the minimum resources required.

Distribute Duration Across Periods

When you create a split entry the duration of each individual time block defaults to this value.

You can use this tool to evenly distribute the Total Number of Days displayed in the lower right hand corner of the panel across each of the periods.  If you manually amend the Total Number of Days, Projections will prompt you to evenly distribute this value across the periods

Manually Apply a Duration

Projections allows you to manually specify each of the duration values for the periods created by your split entry.  To manually update each of the duration's for individual periods simply click in the day's field and type the required amount.  The Total days for all periods will automatically be updated.

If you manually update the Total Days, the system will prompt you to distribute this value across all the periods replacing the current amounts.  If you select Yes, then the value will be distributed across all periods.  If you select No the value will be returned to its original amount.


Alternative Methods of Adding Project Time Blocks.

There are several alternative methods available for adding project Time Blocks.  If you click your right mouse button in either the Project Plan or Table view a menu will appear.  Selecting Add will enable you to add a new time block.  A tool bar is also available that will allow you to Add, Amend, Delete and Copy Project Time Blocks.

You can also manually add project time blocks into the Project Plan using your mouse.  Position your mouse where you wish the time block to commence, press and hold down your left mouse button and drag the time block to where it terminates before releasing the button.  You can only add Project Time Blocks in this way if the calendar is in view in the project plan.


Amending Project Time Blocks

On occasions you will need to alter a Project Time Block entry.  This may be to move a Provisional Time Block to its confirmed dates or to change the minimum number of resources that can be assigned to it.  To amend a Project Time Block click to select the time block then choose amend from the Edit, Project Plan menu.

You no longer have the opportunity to specify a split entry.  Split entries may only be created when you initially add a Time Block.

Related Topics

Amending a Project Time Blocks Details

Amending Project Time Block Skill Requirements


Amending a Project Time Blocks Details

The same principles used to add a Project Time Block maybe used to amend its details, however, certain restrictions apply.

Start Date

If any Resource Time Blocks are assigned to the selected Project, the Start Date can only be amended so that the Start and End Date of the assigned Resource Time Blocks fall within the Start and End date of the Project Time Block.  For example:

A Project Time Block with a duration of 5 days (06/07/98 – 10/07/98) has three Resources assigned to it.  These Resources are assigned between 07/07/98 and 10/07/98.  In this case it is only acceptable to amend the Start Date to 07/07/98 so that all the Resource Time Blocks assigned to this Project Time Block remain within the Start and End date.

If no Resource Time Blocks are assigned to a project then the Start Date can be amended to any date as long as it precedes the Project End date

End Date

If no resources have been assigned to the selected project there are no restrictions on setting a new Project Time Block End date.  However, if Resources have been assigned, the amended Project End Date must be greater than or equal to the last Resource End date.  If the change in end date causes the duration of the Time Block to increase, it is important to remember that the Calculate Duration button should be used to take account of this.

Project

If you change the Project which underlies the selected Time Block, all of the Resource Time Blocks that are assigned to that Project will become assigned to the new Project.

Activity

If you change or add a Project Time Block's Activity, the Activity of all of the Resource Time Blocks assigned to this Project Time Block will be updated.

Days

If you change the duration of your Time Block or the Minimum Number of Resources assigned to it, it is quite possible that you will have to change the total duration of the time block.  There are no restrictions to the number of days you can enter if no Resource Time Blocks have been assigned.  However, if you have allocated Resource Time Blocks to this Project Time Block, you will need to make sure that the number of days you assign is greater than the amount that has already been allocated to resources.

Number of Resources

Again, if you need to change the number of resources, there are no restrictions if no Resources have been assigned to this Project.  However, if Resources have been assigned you can only change the number of Resources to a value greater than the number that has been assigned.

Confirmed

You can change a provisional Time Block to confirmed by simply selecting the Confirmed option button.

Provisional

You can only specify a confirmed Project Time Block as provisional if it has no confirmed Resource Time Blocks assigned to it.

Percent Complete

To change the Percent Complete, simply type your new value into the text box.


Amending Project Time Block Skill Requirements

In the same way that you added skill requirements to your new Project Time Block you can amend them to take into affect any changes you made to the details.

Amending Skill Assignments

Skill requirements are used as a guideline for selecting which resources you will assign to a project.  Changing the skill assignments for a particular project will not effect the resources that have already been assigned to it.

See Selecting a Project Time Blocks Skill Requirements for further information.


Alternative Methods of Amending Project Time Blocks.

There are several alternative methods available for amending project Time Blocks.  If you click your right mouse button in either the Project Plan or Table view with a Project Time Block selected, a menu will appear.  Select Amend to modify the details.  A tool bar is also available that will allow you to Add, Amend, Delete and Copy the selected Project Time Blocks.

One of the simplest methods of amending Project Time Blocks is to double click on the item you wish to update in either the Project Plan or Table view.

Although you can only amend Project Time Blocks from the Project Table using the above methods, there are a couple of additional options available in the Project Plan View.  These involve dragging and resizing individual Time Blocks.

Dragging

From within the Project Plan you can use your mouse to drag a Project Time Block from one position to another subject to certain conditions.  Firstly neither the Start nor End date of the Project Time Block can be anchored.  Secondly, if you have assigned any resources to the Project Time Block, you can only drag it to a position where the start date is the same or less than the Start Date of the earliest assigned Resource Time Block.

To drag the Project Time Block to its new Start Date, click on it using your left mouse button, hold the button down and drag the Time Block to its new position.  If you drag a Project Time Block in this manner there will be no change in its duration

Resizing

From within the Project Plan you can also resize a Project Time Block. You can change its Start and End Date by dragging either end of the time block.  This facility is subject to two criteria, the duration of the assigned Resource Time Blocks and whether the Start and/or End Date of the Project Time Block is anchored.

If your Project Time Block Start date is anchored you will only be permitted to resize it by dragging its end date.  Similarly, if its end date is anchored only its start date may be adjusted.

If Resource Time Blocks are assigned to the Project, you can only resize the associated Project Time Block such that the Start Date is equal to or less than that of the earliest assigned Resource Time Block, and the End Date is equal to or greater than the last assigned Resource Time Block.

To resize a Project Time Block using your mouse.  Click and hold down the left mouse button on the edge of the Project Time Block.  Drag the Time Block to the desired size and release the mouse button.


Deleting Project Time Blocks

In some circumstances a Project Time Block may need to be removed from the system altogether.  Whether you can do this or not will depend on your Permissions and whether any Resource Time Blocks have been assigned.

There are a number of options available for deleting Project Time Blocks.  Whichever method you choose, before a time block can be deleted you will have to ensure that the time block is selected.  If you are deleting Project Time Blocks using the Project Table view you can make multiple selections.

The options available for deleting Project Time Blocks are as follows:

Related Topics

Using the Right Mouse Button

Using the Tool Bar

Using the Keyboard

Multiple Deletion


Using Projections - Deleting Project Time Blocks - Using the Right Mouse Button
Using the Right Mouse Button

Once you have selected a Project Time Block, if you click your right mouse button in either the Plan or Table view, a menu will appear, select Delete from the menu.


Using the Tool Bar

From the Toolbar a series of icons are available to Add, Amend, Delete and Copy Project Time Blocks.  Select the Project Time Block you wish to delete form either the Plan or Table view and click the Delete Project Time Block Icon.

See Toolbars for more information


Using the Keyboard

You can also use your keyboard to Delete Project Time Blocks.  Select the Time Block you wish to delete and press the delete key on your keyboard.


Multiple Deletion

You can delete multiple Project Time Blocks using the Project Table view. To do this, hold down your Ctrl key and select each Project Time Block that you wish to delete.  You can then delete all the time blocks in one step using the methods outlined above.


Maintaining Resources

Adding a Resource Time Block

Alternative Methods of Adding Resource Time Blocks

Amending a Resource Time Block

Alternative Methods of Amending Resource Time Blocks

Deleting a Resource Time Block

Alternative Methods of Deleting Resource Time Blocks


Adding a Resource Time Block

Before you can add a Resource Time Block, the Project Time Block against which it is to be scheduled needs to be selected.  Simply select it using your mouse.  If Projects are being displayed in the Master grid then the information panel will display a list of resources that are available for assignment.  If you wish, select an available resource from this list to schedule against this project.  For further information on how to use Projections to identify which resources are available to work on a particular item of work see Analysing the Data – Project Management Approach.

Related Topics

Adding a Resource Time Blocks Details

Specifying a Resource Time Block Split Entry


Adding a Resource Time Blocks Details

Start Date

The start date is the earliest date that this Resource can be scheduled to begin work on the underlying project.  Depending on how you chose to Add Resource Time Blocks the system will complete this date for you (See Alternative Methods of Adding Resource Time Blocks for further details).  Should you wish to change this date – enter a new date in the usual manner.

The Start Date for a Resource Time Block cannot be specified before the Start Date or after the End Date of the Project Time Block that it belongs to.  A Resource Time Block must be assigned within the duration of the related Project Time Block.

Start Time

Depending on the level of accuracy that you wish to use in the system you can enter a Start Time for your Resource Time Blocks.  Setting a Resource Time Block Start Time is entirely for reference purposes and will not effect utilisation as the Start Date is treated as a whole day.

Anchored

The Anchored check box allows you to provide the Resource Time Block with a fixed Start Date.  The default setting for all Start Dates is not anchored.  If you anchor the Start Date of a Resource Time Block you will be unable to amend this Date unless you remove the Anchored setting.

End Date

An End date must be defined for each Resource Time Block.  This End Date must be within the duration of the Project Time Block that the Resource Time Block belongs to.  The End Date is the last date on which this resource is scheduled to work on the underlying project.

Depending upon the method you use to add the Resource Time Block (See Alternative Methods of Adding Resource Time Blocks) the system will enter this date for you.  Should you wish to change this default date, select a new date in the usual way.  The End date must be within the duration of the related Project Time block.

End Time

If you require a high level of accuracy when you are scheduling your resources, you can specify an end time for each Resource Time Block.  You will notice that the default value for end times is none, to change this, either, type your required time into the Time text box or use the spin button to the right of the text box to select the required time.

End Times are purely used for reference purposes they will not effect a Resources utilisation.

Anchored

Projections also lets you anchor your Resource Time Block End Date.  Anchoring the End Date of a Time Block means that it will be fixed in position, and cannot be moved to a different date.  For example, if work that a Resource is scheduled to carry out on a particular project must be completed by a specific deadline the End Date could be anchored so that it cannot be amended.

To anchor an End Date click the Anchored check box until a tick appears.

Project and Activity

These fields display the code and description of both the Project and Activity of the Project Time Block that you selected in the Project Plan/Table to assign this resource to.  These fields are automatically assigned.

Resource

This field displays the Resource that has been allocated to work on the selected Project Time Block.  There is no restriction on the Resources that you can pick.  However, if Projects are displayed in the Allocation Manager's master grid the information panel will show a list of available resources which all have skills relevant to the selected project.

Description of Allocation

This allows you to enter additional information about the Resource Time Block.  If you provided the Project Time Block that relates to this allocation with a description, the system will automatically place this description in the box.

Days

This field allows you to define the number of days represented by this Resource Time Block.  This value is calculated based on the number of working days between the Start Date and End Date specified above.  The value is constrained by the number of available days remaining on the project plan.  For example, if the project plan has a duration of 10 days and 6 days have already been allocated to another resource or resources, the resource time block may only be allocated a maximum of 4 days.

The Calculate Duration based on System Calendar, Unallocated Duration and Standard Day Length Button may be used to calculate this value automatically.  Alternatively, you may override this value by typing a different value directly into the box.

Allocated

Calculated for you by the system, this read only field displays the number of days that resources have already been allocated to work on the selected project.

Unallocated

Calculated for you by Projections, this read only field displays the number of outstanding days that have not been allocated to any resources for the selected project.

Confirmed

If you are definite that a resource will work on a specific project you can categorise it as being confirmed.  You can only specify a Resource Time Block as Confirmed if the Project Time Block it refers to is also confirmed.

Provisional

If the Project Time Block you are allocating resources to work on is defined as provisional you will need to specify all of the associated Resource Time Blocks as provisional.  You may also assign Provisional Resource Time Blocks to Confirmed Project Time Blocks.

Generally, you will categorise a Resource Time Block as Provisional if you are unsure whether the resource will carry out that work.


Specifying a Resource Time Block Split Entry

In some circumstances you may wish to split a Resource Time Block entry.  For example, you may have a scheduled project with a duration that incorporates several weekends.  If your resources are unavailable to work over weekends, by splitting the resource time block entry you can exclude these days.

Excluding Dates

Before you start it is important to remember that the days specified as non-working in the system calendar will automatically be included as non-working days.  To exclude any additional dates, click the exclude button.

See using the system calendar for further information.

Specifying the Duration

When you create a split entry, Projections automatically splits the total duration specified in the details tab across all of the split time blocks in proportion to the number of working days in each time block.  For example, if your total duration was 20 days and you define 2 time blocks, one with 4 working days and one with 6 working days, 8 and 12 days would be assigned to the time blocks respectively.

Two tools are available, The Calculate Duration Based on System Calendar, Standard Day Length and Minimum Number of Resources and the Distribute Duration Across Period Tools.  Duration's can also be applied manually

Calculate Duration Based on System Calendar, Standard Day Length and Minimum Number of Resources

This tool recalculates the Total Days duration based on the number of working days in each period.

Distribute Duration Across Periods

When you create a split entry the duration of each individual time block defaults to this value.

You can use this tool to evenly distribute the Total Number of Days displayed in the lower right hand corner of the panel across each of the periods.  If you manually amend the Total Number of Days, Projections will prompt you to evenly distribute this value across the periods

Manually Apply a Duration

Projections allows you to manually specify each of the duration values for the periods created by your split entry.  To manually update each of the duration's for individual periods simply click in the day's field and type the required amount.  The Total days for all periods will automatically be updated.

If you manually update the Total Days, the system will prompt you to distribute this value across all the periods replacing the current amounts.  If you select Yes, then the value will be distributed across all periods.  If you select No the value will be returned to its original amount.

Once you have finished assigning Time Block duration's, click Save.

The new Time Blocks will be added to the Allocation Manager


Alternative Methods of Adding Resource Time Blocks

There are several alternative methods available for adding Resource Time Blocks.  If you click your right mouse button in either the Resource Plan or Table view when a Project Time block is selected a menu will appear.  Selecting Add will enable you to add a new time block.

A tool bar is also available that will allow you to Add, Amend, Delete and Copy Project Time Blocks.  Select the Add Resource Time Block Icon, again a Project Time Block must be selected.

You can manually add a Resource Time Block into the Resource Plan using your mouse when a Project Time Block is selected.  Position your mouse where you wish the time block to commence, press and hold down your left mouse button and drag the time block to where it terminates before releasing the button.

When adding a Resource time Block it is essential that the Start and End Date of the Resource Time Block falls within the duration of the selected Project Time Block.


Amending a Resource Time Block

There will be occasions when you are required to alter a Resource Time Block.  This may be to alter the number of days a resource has been allocated to work on a particular project or to transform a provisional time block into one which is confirmed.  Whatever your reason, you can amend Resource Time Blocks via the edit menu by selecting Resource Plan and then Amend.  A Resource Time Block must be selected before it can be amended.

Start Date

If you wish to change the Start Date of a Resource Time Block you are restricted by the duration of the Project Time Block against which this Resource has been allocated.  The Resource Time Block Start Date must be within the duration of the corresponding Project Time Block.

Start Time

The Start Time is used purely as a guide.  If you wish to amend the resource Time Blocks Start Time you will not be restricted by the corresponding Project Time Blocks Start Time.

Anchored

If you wish to amend a Resource Time Block so that its Start date is anchored you can simply change its status.  There are no requirements.  If you set a Start Date as anchored you will not be able to amend this date in future without removing the anchored setting.

End Date

Like the Start Date, the End Date of a Resource Time Block must fall within the duration of its corresponding Project Time Block.

End Time

As for Resource Time Block Start Times, the End Time is used for reference only.

Anchored

The anchored status of a Resource Time End Date may be altered when amending a Resource Time Block.  If you set an End Date as anchored you will not be able to amend this date in future without removing the Anchored check box.

Resource

Depending on Resource availability and utilisation, you may wish to change the resource that is allocated to work on a selected project.  No restrictions regarding which resource you can select are enforced, however, it is worth using the information panel to see which resources have already been assigned to the selected project.

Description of Allocation

As mentioned previously, the Description of Allocation field is used to provide additional information about a Resource Allocation not provided by the Project and Activity only.  If you require to amend this description there are no requirements.  Simply type the required description

Days

The number of days that can be allocated to a Resource to work on a particular Project is dependent on the duration of that Project Time Block.  Two fields are available to provide you with an indication of how many days have been allocated to a project and how many remain unallocated.  If you have changed your Resource Time Block Start and/or End Date you can use the Calculate Duration button to generate your new Days value.  If not, simply type the new value into the text box taking into account the number of days that are available for allocation, as the days may not exceed this figure.

Confirmed

You can only specify a Resource Time Block as Confirmed if the corresponding Project Time Block is confirmed.

Provisional

You can specify any Resource Time Block as Provisional.


Alternative Methods of Amending Resource Time Blocks

There are several alternative methods available for amending Resource Time Blocks.  If you click your right mouse button in either the Resource Plan or Table view a menu will appear, allowing you to select Amend.  A toolbar is also available that will allow you to Add, Amend, Delete and Copy Resource Time Blocks.  Select the Amend Resource Time Block Icon.

One of the simplest methods of amending a Resource Time Block is to double click on the record you wish to update in either the Resource Plan or Table view.

Although Resource Time Blocks in the Resource Table can only be amended using the above methods, there are a couple of additional options available to the user in the Resource Plan.  These involve dragging and resizing individual Time Blocks.

Dragging

From within the Resource Plan you can use your mouse to drag a Resource Time Block from one position to another.  Subject to certain conditions.  Firstly neither the Start nor End date of the Resource Time Block can be anchored.  Secondly, you can only drag a Resource Time block within the duration of its corresponding Project Time Block.  So for example, if the Start Date of the corresponding Project Time Block is 01/07/98 and the End Date 05/07/98, then the Start and End date of the Resource Time Block once it has been dragged to its new position must be within these dates.

To drag the Resource Time Block to its new Start Date, click on it using your left mouse button, hold the button down and drag the Time Block to its new position.  If you drag a Resource Time Block in this manner there will be no change in its duration.

Resizing

From within the Resource Plan you can also resize a Resource Time Block by dragging either end of the time block.  By stretching or compressing the Time Block you can change its Start and End Date.  This is dependent on two criteria, the duration of the corresponding Project Time Block and whether the Start and/or End Date of the Resource Time Block is anchored.

If either your Resource Time Block Start or End dates are anchored you will be unable to resize them.  If they are not anchored, you can use your mouse to move them depending on the limitations implied by any corresponding Project Time Block.

To resize a Resource Time Block using your mouse.  Click and hold down the left mouse button on the required edge of the Resource Time Block.  Drag the Time Block to the desired position and release the mouse button.


Deleting a Resource Time Block

There will be occasions when you are required to remove Resource Time Blocks from the system altogether.  You can do this using the Delete option on the Edit, Resource Plan menu once you have selected the Resource Time Block(s) to be deleted.

A message will appear asking you for verification


Alternative Methods of Deleting Resource Time Blocks

From within both the Plan and Table view there are a series of alternative methods available for deleting Resource Time Blocks.

Using the Right Mouse Button

Once you have selected the Resource Time Block you wish to delete, click your right mouse button in either the Plan or Table view.  A menu will appear, select Delete from the menu.

Using the Tool Bar

From the Resource Toolbar a series of icons are available to Add, Amend, Delete and Copy Resource Time Blocks.  Select the Resource Time Block you wish to delete form either the Plan or Table view and click the Delete Resource Time Block Icon.

Using the Keyboard

You can also use your keyboard to Delete Resource Time Blocks.  Select the Time Block you wish to delete and press the delete key on your keyboard.

Multiple Delete

You can delete multiple Resource Time Blocks in the Resource Table view.  To do this hold down your Ctrl key and select each Resource Time Block that you wish to delete, they can then be deleted in one step using the methods outlined above.


Analysing the Allocation Manager

Project Time Block Totals

Resource Time Block Totals

Resource Utilisation

Project Management Approach to Analysing Data

Resource Management Approach to Analysing Data


Project Time Block Totals

Independent of whether Projects are displayed in the Master Grid or Slave Grid the Allocation Manager provides information on Individual Project Time Block Totals and Project Time Block Average Period Totals.

Both of these values are very useful for analysing your current project schedules and for assigning Resources accordingly

Related Topics

Viewing Individual Project Time Block Totals

Viewing Project Time Block Period Totals


Viewing Individual Project Time Block Totals

You can use the project plan view to see how much time has been scheduled for each individual project time block.  To do this you will need to expand the appropriate task.

You can expand a task by double clicking on its description in the Project Plan.  If we take the following example…

… by double clicking in the description of the task PROJECTIONS TECH_DOC.  The task expands to show all of the individual time blocks and their descriptions.

We can now see how many days have been assigned to each individual Time Block by looking at the TB Total Column.  This information is also displayed in the Project Table, each individual task is listed in a row with an indication of the number of days it represents.


Viewing Project Time Block Period Totals

The Project Plan also provides information on how many days have been assigned to a particular project over any specific period.  If we take the following example…

In the period 03/08/98 to 21/08/98 three Project Time Blocks have been scheduled against PROJECTIONS TECH_DOC.  This provides a period total of 15 days, displayed in the TB Total column.  Going back to our previous example, each of the three individual Time Blocks represents 5 days, again you can see this by expanding the task.

So, when the Project/Task is not expanded the Time Block Total displayed is for all of the Time Blocks entered for that particular Project/Task in that period.

When the Project/Task is expanded, the totals displayed are those for the individual time blocks which combine to form the overall Project/Task. (See Viewing Individual Time Block Totals for more information).


Resource Time Block Totals

The Resource Plan and Table Views allow you to analyse how many days a resource has been scheduled to work on any number of projects in any period and to see how long they have been scheduled against individual Project Time Blocks.

The plan view is equally useful for viewing both individual and period information…

…whereas, the table view displays the total length of time a Resource has been assigned to an individual Project Time block.

Related Topics

Viewing Individual Resource Time Block Totals

Viewing Resource Time Block Period Totals


Viewing Individual Resource Time Block Totals

You can use both the resource plan and table view to see how much time has been scheduled for each individual Resource Time Block.

The table view lists all of the details about each individual Resource Time Block.  The field entitled Days displays the duration of these Time Blocks.

To view the duration of each individual Resource Time Block in the Resource Plan view you are required to expand the Resource List.

If we look at the following example…

… by double clicking on a resource to expand it, we can see how long each individual Time Block represents…

You are also provided with a description of the Resource Time Block which means you can easily see how many different projects a resource has been assigned to.


Viewing Resource Time Block Period Totals

The Resource Plan also provides information on how many days Resources have been assigned to work on projects over any specified period.  If we take the following example…

In the period 03/08/98 to 21/08/98, Resource IAN_NEEDS has been allocated Resource Time Blocks for a total of 15 days.

We can verify this by expanding the Resource to see how many days each individual time block represents.

Four Resource Time Blocks combine for a total of 15 days.


Resource Utilisation

Resource Utilisation is probably the most important analysis tool built into Projections.  It is an indication as to how well utilised your Resources are, for both individual time blocks and throughout an entire period.

The resource utilisation is calculated using the time block's duration and the number of working days between the time block's Start and End Date (based on the system calendar).  If the resource's standard day length differs from the system day length, then this is also taken into account.

Utilisation is measured as a percentage, with 100% representing a resource that is fully committed.  For example, a resource is 100% utilised if they have 3 days available to work and are scheduled to work on three days.  This can be used as a guide to assess the workload of a resource at any given point.

If a time block does not fall entirely within the period on display then the duration used for utilisation purposes is the proportion of the time block's duration based upon the number of working days visible.

Two different types of utilisation are available, utilisation for an individual time block and utilisation for the current period being displayed.

Related Topics

Utilisation for the Period

Utilisation for a Time Block


Utilisation for the Period

Utilisation for the period currently on display can be viewed in the resource table under the heading "Period Utilisation" and in the Utilisation column of the resource plan when a Resource is not expanded.  This shows the resource's utilisation level for the entire period using the following calculation :

System Day Length x Total Days Allocated to all Time Blocks

Resource Day Length x Working Days in Period

We can illustrate this using an example…

In the above example, Resource Anne Garnett has been scheduled to work for a total of two days during the period 02/08/98 – 22/08/98.  During this period 15 days are working days as all weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) have been specified as non working in the system calendar.  Resource Anne Garnett has a Resource Day Length of 7.5 hours and the Standard Day Length is 7.5 hours.  If we transfer this information into the equation…

(System Day Length) 7.5 x (Total System days Allocated) 2

(Resource Day Length) 7.5 x (Working days in Period) 15

This results in a utilisation of 13% for this period.

It is important to remember that the utilisation is for the entire period currently selected in the Allocation Manager.  The date range of the selected period is shown in the schedule toolbar.  It may not be possible to always show the entire period selected in the plan view, however the scroll bars may be used to view the rest of the period.


Utilisation for a Time Block

Utilisation for a Time Block can be viewed in the resource table under the heading "TB utilisation" and in the "Utilisation Column" of the Resource Plan when a resource is expanded.  This shows the resource's utilisation for each Time Block using the following calculation:

System Day Length x Total Days Allocated to the Time Block

Resource Day Length x Total No. of Working Days within Time Blocks Period

We can illustrate this using an example…

In the above example, Resource Ian Needs has been allocated to work on the Time Block for Manual – Reference Table Restrictions for three days between 03/08/98 – 07/08/97, all of which are working days.  Resource IAN_NEEDS has a Resource Day Length of 7.5 hours and the Standard Day Length is 7.5 hours.  If we transfer this information into the equation…

(System Day Length) 7.5 x (Total System days Allocated) 3

(Resource Day Length) 7.5 x (Working days Within Time Block Period) 5

This results in a time block utilisation of 60%.

If a time block falls partially outside the currently selected period then the duration used for utilisation purposes is the proportion of the time block's duration based upon the number of working days visible within the period.


Project Management Approach to Analysing Data

Atlantic Projections provides the user with two options for entering, maintaining and analysing resource and project schedules.  The first of these is the Project Management Approach.

When we talk of the Project Management Approach we are discussing the Allocation Manager in the state where Projects are being displayed in the Master Grid and Resources are assigned based on scheduled project time blocks.

Using the Information Panel

To the right of the Allocation Manager is the information panel.  The information panel is what is know as a tabbed panel containing three separate tabs, one for resources, one for skills and one for project hierarchy.  You can select the required tab by clicking on it.

Resource Tab

When you adopt a Project Management approach the information panel allows you to view resource information for the selected project.  This information includes suitable and assigned resources.  Both provide excellent guidelines for assigning resources.

Suitable Resources

Projections automatically cross-references your Resource skills with the skill requirements of the selected Project Time Block to identify Resources that are qualified to carry out this item of work.  These Resources are displayed in the Suitable panel of the Resource Tab. You can now simply select a Resource from the list and assign it to the Project Time Block

Assigned Resources

All Resources that have been assigned to the selected Project Time Block are displayed in this panel.  This is a useful guide for ensuring that Resources are not scheduled against the same Project twice.

Skills Tab

Selecting the Skills Tab will provide you with a list of all the skills required by the selected project time block together with the level at which each skill is required.  This is especially useful if you have a grasp of the skills possessed by your resources as you can quickly assign resources accordingly.

Utilisation

Analysing each Resources Utilisation levels is also very import when you are assigning Resources, although a Resource may be suitable to work on a project, it doesn't necessarily mean that they are not already fully or over utilised in that period.


Resource Management Approach to Analysing Data

When we talk of the Resource Management Approach we are discussing the Allocation Manager in the state where Resources are being displayed in the Master Grid and we will be analysing which Projects are available for Resources to work on and which Projects they have already been assigned to.

Using the Information Panel

To the right of the Allocation Manager is the information panel.  The information panel is what is know as a tabbed panel containing three separate tabs, one for projects, one for skills and one for project hierarchy.  You can select the required tab by clicking on it.

Projects Tab

When you adopt a Resource Management approach, the information panel allows you to view information about the selected resource.  This information includes suitable and assigned projects.  Both are very useful for quickly analysing which projects are available for the selected resource to work on and which projects that resource is already working on.

Suitable Projects

Projections automatically identifies which projects require the same skills as the selected Resource, providing an overview of what projects this resource can work on.

Assigned Projects

To help simplify the process of allocating Projects to Resources, the information panel also provides a list of which projects the selected Resource has already been assigned to.

Skills Tab

Selecting the Skills Tab will provide you with a list of the skills that the selected project possesses.  You can then base which resources you assign the selected resource to around the skills they possess.


Analysing The Data Using Filters

Filtering Information


Filtering Information

It is possible to filter the Project and Resource information in various ways through the use of filter options and a date range.  The behavior of these filters will vary depending on whether Projects or Resources are displayed in the master grid.  To view or assign filter options, select View, Filter from the menu or click the filter button on  the Schedule Toolbar.

All filter selections are automatically applied to the Master Grid, however, it is possible to apply filter selections to the lower grid if required.  You can do this using the Lower Grid Behavior options.  For example, if Projects are displayed in the Master Grid, no Resource filters will take effect on the Lower grid unless they are applied using the Lower Grid Behavior filters.

Related Topics

Lower Grid Behavior

Resource Tab

Project Tab

Resource Skills Tab

Project Skills Tab

Period Filters

Show Filters

Assignment Level Filters

Progress Filters

Saving Filters

Opening Saved Filters

Information Panel Filters


Lower Grid Behavior

The Lower Grid Behavior will vary depending upon whether Resources or Projects are displayed in the Master Grid.  When Projects are displayed in the Master Grid, the Lower Grid Behavior will refer to Resources, whereas, if Resources are displayed in the Master Grid the Lower Grid Behavior will refer to Projects.  We can examine these two situations in turn.

Resources displayed in Master Grid.

When Resources are being displayed in the Master Grid, any resource filters which you specify will automatically be applied.  By contrast, Project filters are not applied automatically, these must be explicitly enabled using the Apply Project Filter to Lower Grid Check box.

Apply Project Filter to Lower Grid

Any Project Filters that you have specified will only take affect if you have selected to Apply Project Filters to Lower Grid.  To apply Project Filters to the Lower Grid click the check box until it is selected.

Deselecting the Apply Project Filter to Lower Grid check box is a very simple method of removing any Project filters that have been applied to the Lower Grid.

Once you have applied Project Filters to the Lower Grid there are a number of additional filter options available that will effect its behavior.

Only Show Project Time Blocks for …  Selected Resource in Upper Grid

Selecting this option causes the lower grid to only display Project Time Blocks for the selected Resource in the Master Grid.  It is important to remember that any other filters that you specify for projects will also take effect.  This option is very useful for examining which projects an individual resource has been assigned to.

Only Show Project Time Blocks for …  All Resources in Upper Grid

Provided that no other Project Filters have been specified, when this option is selected the lower grid will display all Project Time Blocks for all Resources displayed in the Master Grid.  If any other Project Filters have been specified then the Lower Grid will display all of the filtered Project Time Blocks for all of the Resources in the Upper Grid

Show My Projects

Selecting this option will allow you to view all Project Time Blocks in the Lower Grid that your own resource has permission to view and/or maintain.

Show Others Projects

Selecting this option will mean that all of the projects that other resources have permission to view and/or maintain will be displayed in the lower grid.  Again, the actual Projects displayed are dependent on any other Project Restrictions that have been applied.

Projects Displayed in Master Grid

When Projects are displayed in the Master Grid, Resource filters will only be applied to the lower grid if explicitly requested.  Project filters will automatically be applied to the Master Grid.  A check box is available for applying resource filters to the lower grid.

Apply Resource Filter to Lower Grid.

Any Resource Filters that you have specified will only take affect if you have checked the Apply Resource Filters to the Lower Grid check box.

Deselecting the apply Resource Filter to Lower Grid check box is a very simple method for removing any Resource filters that have been applied.

Once you have applied Resource Filters to the Lower Grid there are a number of additional filters options available that will effect its behavior.

Only Show Resource Time Blocks for …  Selected Project in Upper Grid

By selecting this option the lower grid will only display Resource Time Blocks for the selected Project in the Master Grid.  It is important to remember that any other filters that you specify for Resources will also take effect.  This option is very useful for examining which resources have been assigned to a particular Project.

Only Show Resource Time Blocks for …  All Projects in Upper Grid

Provided that no other Resource Filters have been specified, when this option is selected the lower grid will display all Resource Time Blocks for all Projects displayed in the Master Grid.  If any other Resource Filters have been specified then the Lower Grid will display all of the filtered Resource Time Blocks for all of the Projects in the Upper Grid.

Show My Resources

Selecting this option will allow you to view all Resource Time Blocks in the Lower Grid that your own resource has permission to view and/or maintain.

Show Others Resources

Selecting this option will mean that all of the Resources that other resources have permission to view and/or maintain will be displayed in the lower grid.  Again, the actual Resources displayed are dependent on any other Resource Restrictions that have been applied.


Resource Tab

The Resource tab allows you to specify which Resources can be displayed in the Resource Grid.  A series of options are available to help you select these.

No Resource Filter

If the No Resource Filter check box is checked then the Resource Grid will display information about all Resources present on the system subject to your login permissions.

Selecting Resource Filters

It is possible to individually define which Resources can be displayed in the Resource Grid.  Using the Select button, those Resources that you wish to view Time Block information for can be selected.

Once you have selected which resources you wish to filter on, they will be displayed in the Resource tab.  If you wish these filter selections to take effect you will need to ensure that the Apply Resource Filter to Lower Grid check box is selected if Projects are displayed in the Master Grid.

Show Confirmed Time Blocks

By selecting this option, all Confirmed Resource Time Blocks will be displayed in the Resource Grid.  If Resources are displayed in the lower grid you will need to Apply Resource Filters to the Lower Grid.  If this option is not checked, only provisional time blocks will be shown.

Show Provisional Time Blocks

By selecting this check box, all Provisional Resource Time Blocks will be displayed in the Resource Plan/Table.  If Resources are displayed in the Lower Grid you will need to Apply Resource Filters to the Lower Grid.  If this option is not checked, only confirmed time blocks will be shown.


Project Tab

The Project tab allows you to specify which Projects can be displayed in the Resource Table/Grid.  A series of options are available to help you select these.

No Project Filter

If the No Project Filter check box is selected then all Projects present on the system will be displayed subject to your login permissions.

Selecting Project Filters

It is possible to individually define which Projects may be displayed in the Resource Plan/table.  Using the Select button those Projects that you wish to view Time Block information for can be selected.

Once you have selected which Projects you wish to filter on they will be displayed in the Projects tab.  If you wish for these filter selections to take effect the Apply Project Filter to Lower Grid check box must be selected if Resources are displayed in the Master Grid.

Show Confirmed Time Blocks

By selecting this option button only Confirmed Project Time Blocks will be displayed.

Show Provisional Time Blocks

By selecting this option only Provisional Time Blocks will be displayed.


Resource Skills Tab

The Resource Skills tab allows you to filter Resource Time Blocks based on the skills possessed by the resources.

No Resource Skills

By selecting this option, the no resource skills filter will be applied.  There will be no resource skills restrictions..

Selecting Resource Skill Filters

It is possible to filter which Resource Time Blocks will be displayed based on the skills they possess.  When a skill is selected, the Resource Grid/Table will display only the Time Blocks for Resources that possess the skill.  If more than one skill is selected then the Resource Table/Grid will display Time Blocks for all Resources that possess at least one of the skills.

Use the Select button to define which skills you wish to filter by.


Project Skills Tab

The Project Skills tab allows you to specify which Project Time Blocks can be displayed based on the skills that they require.

No Project Time Block Skills

By selecting this option, the No Project Skills filter will be applied and No Project Skill restrictions will exist.

Selecting Project Time Block Skill Filters

It is possible to filter which Project Time Blocks will be displayed based on the skills they require.  When a skill is selected, the Project Grid/Table will display all of the Time Blocks for Projects that require the skill.  If more than one skill is selected then the Project Table/Grid will display Time Blocks for all of the Projects that require at least one of these skills.

Use the Select button to define which skills you wish to filter by.


Period Filters

The period filter effects all Resource and Project Information.  Once a date range has been specified the two grids will display all of the Resource and Project information that applies to the period subject to any other filters.  To specify the Date Range select the To and From Dates in the Usual manner.


Show Filters

The Show filters are used to specify whether you wish to Show your Resources with No Time Blocks in Period and whether you wish to Show Chargeable/Non Chargeable Projects.

Show My Resources with No Time Blocks in Period

When this option is selected , subject to your login permissions, the resource plan will show all of your resource with no time blocks in the specified period.

Show Chargeable/Non Chargeable Projects Filter

Projects may be defined as chargeable or non-chargeable.  The Show Chargeable/Non Chargeable Projects filter allows you to select whether the Projects Grid will display Projects that are Chargeable, Non-Chargeable or both.

If Project Time Blocks are being displayed in the lower grid you will need to make sure that the Apply Project Filter to Lower Grid check box is checked from the Lower Grid Behavior filters for your selection to take effect.

If Projects are being displayed in the master grid this filter selection will take immediate effect.


Assignment Level Filters

If the lower grid is displaying Resources, for your Assignment Level filters to take effect you will need to make sure that the Apply Resource Filter to Lower Grid check box is selected from the Lower Grid Behavior filters.  If Resources are displayed in the Master grid, Assignment level filters will automatically take effect.  Assignment level filters allow you to filter on utilisation and resource allocation.

Filter Resource By Utilisation

This filter can be used to examine how efficiently your resources are being utilised within a certain period.  This is useful for selecting Resources that are available for allocation to additional projects.

To filter Resources by Utilisation, place a Check in the Filter Resource By Utilisation check box, Select the Operator you wish to use and type the value you wish to filter by.

For example, if you wish to filter all Resources with utilisation less than 70%, you would set the operator to < and the value to 70.

If resources are being displayed in the lower grid, you will need to check the Apply Resource Filter to Lower Grid check box for your selections to take effect.

Only Show Project Time Blocks without Minimum Resources Allocated.

When a Project Time Block is entered on the system, it will have a value for the minimum number of Resources that can be allocated to it.  The Show Project Time Blocks without Minimum Resources Allocated filter allows you to view all of the project time blocks which have not yet had the minimum number of resources allocated to them.  This is a useful tool if you wish to view all projects that still require resource allocations.

If Projects are being displayed in the lower grid, you will need to check the Apply Project Filter to Lower Grid for your selection to take effect.

Only show Project Time Blocks Not Fully Allocated

Each Project Time Block possesses a number of days that resources can be allocated to work on them.  Checking this filter causes only Project Time Blocks that do not have resources allocated upto the number of days required to complete the project to be displayed.

This filter never applies if projects are displayed in the lower grid.


Progress Filters

Each Project Time Block entered into Projections can be assigned a value for its progress, you can filter this value to see at what stage various projects are at throughout your organisation.  You can do this by filtering on the percent complete value that can be assigned to any project time block.

Filter Percent Complete

Each Project Time Block can be assigned a value for its percent complete.  The progress filter may be used to display only those project time blocks whose percent complete is in a particular range.

For example, if you wish to view all projects that are over 50% complete, you would set the operator to > and the value to 50.

If projects are being displayed in the lower grid, the Apply Project filter to Lower Grid must be checked before your selection is applied.


Saving Filters

At any point in time you can save your current filter settings for future use.  Simply click the Save button in the Filter group.  Projections will prompt you to Save the Filter with a Name, Description and whether you wish to include the Date Range.  Select the relevant options and click Save.


Opening Saved Filters

To open a saved filter click the button to the right of the filter name text box in the Filters Group.  Select the appropriate filter from the pick list.  A name and description are provided to help you.


Information Panel Filters

In the Allocation Manager a series of check boxes are available on the Resource Tab of the Information panel.  These are for specifying whether the selections you applied to the Resource Tab, Project Tab, Resource Skills Tab and Project Skills Tab in the filter screen are applied to the Information Panel and whether you can view your own or other resources and projects based on your login permissions.

Information Panel Resource Filters

When Projects are displayed in the Master Grid, the Information Panel will display information about Resources and you will be able to specify whether you wish Resource, Resource Skills, Own Resources and Other Resource filters to be applied to the information panel.

Resource

If this check box is selected any filter selections made in the Resource Tab of the Filter Screen will restrict what information can be displayed in the information panel.  For example, if you have selected two resource in the Resource Tab, the information panel will only display these two resources as suitable, this is dependent upon there skills and any other filter

Resource Skills

If this check box is selected any filter selections made in the Resource Skills tab will restrict what information can be displayed in the information.  Only Resources with the selected skills will be displayed as suitable to work on the selected project time block.

Show Own Resources

If the Show Own check box is checked, the suitability list of the information panel will include Resources that the current login has view schedule permissions for.  Otherwise those Resources will not be included in the suitability list.

Show Other Resources

If the Show Others check box is checked, the suitability list of the information panel will include Resources that the current login does not have view schedule permissions for.  Otherwise those Resources will not be included in the suitability list.

Information Panel Project Filters

When Resources are displayed in the Master Grid, the Information Panel will display which Projects that are suitable for the selected Resource and you will be able to specify whether you wish Project, Project Skills, Show Own Projects and Show Other Projects filters to be applied to the Information Panel.

Project

If this check box is selected any filter selections made in the Project Tab of the Filter Screen will restrict what information can be displayed in the information panel.  For example, if you have selected two projects in the Project Tab, the information panel will only display these two projects as suitable, this is dependent upon there skills and any other filter

Project Skills

If this check box is selected any filter selections made in the Project Skills tab will restrict what information can be displayed in the information.  Only Projects with the selected skills will be displayed as suitable for the selected Resource to work on.

Show Own Projects

If the Show Own check box is checked, the suitability list of the information panel will include Projects that the current login has view schedule permissions for.  Otherwise those Projects will not be included in the suitability list.

Show Other Projects

If the Show Others check box is checked, the suitability list of the information panel will include Projects that the current login does not have view schedule permissions for.  Otherwise those Projects will not be included in the suitability list.


Importing Project Plans

Project Plans can be imported into Atlantic Projections in three easy stages.

Related Topics

Selecting the Project Plan Import Format

Assigning Project/Activity Selections to Project Tasks.


Selecting the Project Plan Import Format

To import a Project Plan select Import from the File Menu, the import project dialog will appear.

Import Type

Use this drop down list to select the required import format.

Import To

Select the Project from Atlantic Projections that you wish to import the Project Plan To

Description

A description of the Import Type will be displayed

Last Imported

If the Project Plan has previously been imported the date on which it was imported is displayed

From

Provides a description of the file location

By

Displays the name of the login who last imported the project plan.

Import

Click the Import button when you are happy with your selections.  You will then be prompted to locate the file you wish to import.  The Project Import Tool Dialog will appear.


Assigning Project/Activity Selections to Project Tasks.

The Project Import Tool is used to assign different Project Tasks to Project/Activity selections in Projections.

Select the Project/Activity you wish to assign, select the Project Task(s) you wish to assign it to, click the Assign button.

When you have completed assigning your Project/Activity Selections to Project Tasks click the OK button.

Atlantic Projections will then ask you whether you would like to assign the default skill requirements for each assigned Project to each assigned Task as it is imported.

If you select Yes each Task will have the same skill requirements as the Project you are assigning them to.