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:

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 Microsoft 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:

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, then all the resources belonging to the project’s company 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):

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

Note:

• In order to create new resource groups through an MSP export to IFS, there must be a valid cost element entered in the "Code" field in MSP or if none, a default cost element for the project company.
• If a new resource group is created through the integration, it will not be a Project Reporting resource in IFS.
• 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:

For existing activities the following information is updated:

For new activities the following information is created:

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:

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