Integration to Microsoft Project

Microsoft Project is commonly used in addition to IFS Project. The integration enables the possibility of exchanging information between IFS Project and Microsoft Project.

The Microsoft Project integration is a two-way integration. This means that an IFS project can be transferred to Microsoft Project, or likewise a Microsoft Project file can be transferred to IFS Project.

All information necessary for planning purposes is handled by the integration, such as project information, the sub project structure and activities with their relevant information. It is optionally possible to transfer information about resources, resource assignments, dependencies and constraints.

This document gives an overview about the integration between Microsoft Project and IFS Project.

Transfer Data to MS Project

Field Descriptions - Microsoft Project and the equivalent in IFS Project

The following Project Properties fields are updated:

In Microsoft Project	From IFS Project
Project Properties Summary Title	Overview - Project Name
Project Properties Summary Manager	Overview - Project Manager
Project Properties Summary Comments	Overview - Project Description (255 characters only)
*Project Information: Start Date	Overview Project: Planned Start
**Project Information: Finish Date	Overview Project: Planned Finish

Note:

If the MSP project is configured to schedule from Project Start Date (in Project Information), this MSP project start date will be given the same date as the earliest activity early start date in the IFS project you are exporting.
If the IFS project has no activities, the project start date in Microsoft Project will be given the same date as the planned start date in Overview Project, provided that this field has a value. If the project has no activities and the planned start date has no value, today's date will be used as the project start date in Microsoft Project.
If the MSP project is configured to schedule from Project Finish Date (in Project Information), the MSP project finish date will be given the same date as the latest activity early finish date in the IFS project you are exporting.
If the IFS project has no activities, the project finish date in MS Project will be given the same date as the planned finish date in Overview Project, provided that this field has a value. If the project has no activities and the planned finish date has no value, today's date will be used as the project finish date in Microsoft Project.

The following task fields are updated:

Microsoft Project Task Field Name	In Microsoft Project table IFS Project or Field Titles in MSP	From IFS Project
Initials		Resource Group Resource ID
Resource Name		Resource Group Description
Group		Resource Group/Category ID
Costs A (default): Effective Date		Resource Group/ Cost/ Project tab 'Valid From (Date)' If no value is defined there, then Resource Group/ Cost/ General tab 'Valid From (Date)' Note: multiple records are imported
Costs A (default): Standard Rate		Resource Group/ Cost/ Project tab 'Internal Price' If no value is defined there, then Resource Group/ Cost/ General tab 'Cost' Note: multiple records are imported
Resource Text1	Text1	Resource Type
Task Name	Description	Activity Description / Sub Project Description
Task Text1	Sub Project ID	Activity Sub Project ID
Task Text2	Activity ID	Activity ID
Task Text4	Import Comments
Task Text5		Activity Project ID
Task Text6	Responsible	Activity Responsible
Task Text7	Activity Status	Activity Status
Task Text11		Activity Seq.
Task Number1	Cost Estimated	Total Estimated Cost for the Activity
Task Number4	Hours Estimated	Total Estimated Hours for the Activity
Task Number5	Hours Planned	Total Planned Hours for the Activity
Task Number6	Cost Planned	Total Planned Cost for the Activity
Task Number7	Hours Actual	Total Used Hours for the Activity
Task Number8	Cost Actual	Total Used Cost for the Activity
Task Duration	Duration	Activity Early Start – Activity Early Finish
Task Start	Early Start	Activity Early Start
Task Finish	Early Finish	Activity Early Finish
Task Actual Start		Activity Actual Start
Task Actual Finish		Activity Actual Finish
Task % Complete	Progress	Activity Calculated Cost Progress
Notes	Notes	IFS/Project Activity Notes
Resource Usage: Work		IFS/Project Activity Resource Planned Hours
Task Information: Constraint Type		Microsoft Project Constraint Type
Task Information: Constraint Date		Microsoft Project Constraint Date
Successors/Predecessors From Activity		Successors/Predecessors From Activity
Successors/Predecessors To Activity		Successors/Predecessors To Activity
Successors/Predecessors Type		Successors/Predecessors Dependency type
Successors/Predecessors Lag		Successors/Predecessors Lag
Baseline Start		Activity Baseline Start
Baseline Finish		Activity Baseline Finish

Additional Information about the Project in MSP after Import

In Microsoft Project, sub projects are identified by a blank Activity ID.

An activity will always belong to a sub project, and will be indented accordingly.

Sub projects are indented according to their depth in the sub project structure in IFS/Project.

Given below are the meanings of some of the import comments that accompany imported tasks:

New means that the task was created during the last import.
Updated means that the task was updated without breaking any constraints placed on the task.
Any other message will tell you which constraint was broken, and how the task was affected.

All import comments will be updated each time you import a project.

Also note that the update of a project is dependent on that you do not move sub projects or activities around in the project after you have imported it the first time, and would like to keep updating the project through export/import. If you move an activity from one sub project to another in the project in IFS/Project, this will not be recognized as the same activity in Microsoft Project during import.

It is important to know how Microsoft Project behaves when setting a date for start, finish and duration.

During an import, Early Start and Early Finish in the Microsoft Project file are set equal to the ES and EF dates from IFS/Project for all activities. Duration, in days, will be calculated according to the default calendar in MSP.

Information About Import Options

Project Resources:

If IFS project is imported with Project Resources check box checked, and if the login user has access to the project's company then all the resources belonging to the project’s company which are marked as 'Used in Project' will be imported into MSP. Changes done in IFS resources will also be imported but deleted resources in IFS will not be removed in MSP.

If IFS project is imported with Project Resources check box unchecked, then no resources will be inserted, changed or removed in MSP.

If Project Resources check box is not selected and Resource Allocations check box is selected, then resources which are connected to the project through a resource allocation will only be imported to MSP.

Sub Project Structure:

If Sub Project Structure check box is selected, then the project Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) in IFS will be imported and the next level of check boxes (Resource Allocations, Constraints and Dependencies) will get enabled.

If not selected WBS will not get imported and lower level check boxes will be disabled.

Resource Allocations:

If IFS project is imported with Resource Allocations check box selected, then all the resource planning records available in IFS project will be imported into MSP. Any changes or removal done to the already imported resource planning records in IFS will also be re-imported.

If unchecked, then no resource planning records will be inserted, changed or removed in MSP during import.

Note: If multiple resource criteria are enabled on the project in IFS, the transfer of resource assignment information is not supported by the integration.

Include Resource Actual Hours:

This check box will be enabled only upon selecting resource allocations check box. If this is selected then any reported hours for a resource in IFS will be imported in to ‘Actual Work’ column in MSP. Changes done to resource reported hours in IFS will also be imported.

If the project is imported without selecting this check box, then ‘Actual Work’ column will be cleared out and zero will be inserted.

Constraints:

If IFS project is imported with Constraint check box checked, then all the constraints that are available in MSP side (including automatically added ones from MSP) will be removed and only the constraints that are available in IFS project will be inserted.

If the same is done with Constraint check box unchecked then no constraint will be imported and all the constraints that are available in MSP side (including automatically added ones from MSP) will remain as it is.

Dependencies:

If IFS project is imported with dependencies check box checked, then all the dependencies that are available in MSP side will be removed and the dependencies that are available in IFS will be inserted. If the same is done with Dependencies check box unchecked, then no dependencies will be imported and already existing ones in MSP side will remain as it is.

Transfer Data from MS Project

Field Descriptions - Microsoft Project and the equivalent in IFS Project

For the project the following information is created or updated. (The Microsoft Project must be calculated if the Project Information Start or Finish Date is revised):

In IFS Project	Table
Overview Project - Planned Start	Project Information - Planned Start
Overview Project - Planned Finish	Project Information: Planned Finish

For resources the following information is created for those that do not exist:

In IFS Project - Resource Group Information	From Resource Sheet in Microsoft Project
Resource Group Resource ID	Initials
Resource Group Description	Resource Name
Resource Group Company, is automatically set to the Project's Company. Schedule Capacity and Capacity Calculation Base are set as 'Infinite Capacity' and 'Individuals' respectively.	Does not exist in Microsoft Project

Note:

In order to create a new resource groups through an MSP export to IFS, there must be a valid resource type entered in the 'Resource Text1' field in MSP.
Cost and capacity information is not sent to IFS. The recommendation is that resource information is normally created in IFS and imported into MSP, rather than the other way around.

For sub-projects the following information is created for those that do not exist:

In IFS Project - Sub Project Information	From Task Data in MSP ( IFS Project table)
Sub Project ID	Sub Project ID, 10 characters
Parent Sub Project ID	Sub Project ID, 10 characters
Sub Project Description	Description, 35 characters

For existing activities the following information is updated:

In IFS Project - Activity Information	From Task Data in MSP (IFS Project table)
Activity Description	Task Name (Description, 200 characters)
Activity Early Start	Task Start (Early Start) Note: If the IFS activity has an actual start date, the early start date will not be updated when exporting.
Activity Early Finish	Task Finish (Early Finish) Note: If the IFS activity has an actual finish date, the early finish date will not be updated when exporting.
Activity Late Start	Task Late Start Note: If the IFS activity has an actual start date, the late start date will not be updated when exporting.
Activity Late Finish	Task Late Finish Note: If the IFS activity has an actual finish date, the late finish date will not be updated when exporting.
Activity Free Float	Free Slack
Activity Total Float	Total Slack
Notes	Notes

For new activities the following information is created:

In IFS Project - Activity Information	From Task Data in MSP (IFS Project table)
Activity ID	Activity ID
Activity Sub Project ID	Task Text1 (Sub Project ID, 10 characters)
Activity Description	Task Name (Description, 200 characters)
Activity Early Start	Task Start (Early Start)
Activity Early Finish	Task Finish (Late Start)
Activity Late Start	Task Late Start
Activity Late Finish	Task Late Finish
Activity Free Float	Free Slack
Activity Total Float	Total Slack
Notes	Notes

Note: During transferring data from MSP to IFS no any actual date values will be passed through the integration.

Information about resources allocated to activities, constraints and dependencies will be created or updated:

In IFS Project	Field Titles From Microsoft Project
IFS Project Activity Resource Planned Hours	Resource Usage: Work
Microsoft Project Constraint Type	Task Information: Constraint Type
Microsoft Project Constraint Date	Task Information: Constraint Date
Successors/Predecessors From Activity	Successors/Predecessors From Activity
Successors/Predecessors To Activity	Successors/Predecessors To Activity
Successors/Predecessors Dependency Type	Successors/Predecessors Type
Successors/Predecessors Lag	Successors/Predecessors Lag

Note: If multiple resource criteria are enabled on the project in IFS, the transfer of resource assignment information is not supported by the integration.

As a result of the transfer from MSP, activities and sub projects that exist only in IFS/Project (sub projects and activities that have been deleted while in MSP) will not be deleted. These sub projects and activities should be deleted manually in IFS/Project.

Task status in MS Project ( Active/ Inactive) will be ignored when transferring data in both directions. Hence, all tasks in MS Project will be transferred through integration disregarding the status of the task. For a successful integration, it is recommended to transfer tasks with status "Active". Trying to update "Inactive" task information in MS Project through import process will result integration failure.