Project configuration steps - Others

In order to properly deal with a project, it can be needed/useful to manage additional information.

Agreements

These functionalities and related guide are currently under review. Refer to itmSUITE support for more information.

Cost Occurrences

In this section it is possible to enter actual cost occurences for the project. The budget for cost occurrence categories is defined in estimations (see the estimation guide section). Cost occurrences management is possible only if the FM - Financial Management module is active.

Field	Description	Comment
Description	This is the textual description of the cost occurrence.
Competence Period	The competence period to which the cost occurrence refers.	The type of competence periods is defined for the project (see estimations guide). A competence period can be added among those specifically activated for the estimation (see estimations guide).
Activity	The project activity to which the cost occurrence refers.	Project activities are managed in the Activities section.
External Activity Code(s)	A read only text reporting the external activity code(s).	The external activity code can be used to match the cost occurrence with project activities.
Cost Occurrence Category	The category for the cost occurrence.	The cost occurrence category is a classification of the type of cost (e.g. hardware, software, services). The cost occurrence categories in General/Projects/Cost Occurrence Categories.
Occurrence Date	The date when the cost occurs.	This date is a convention. For example the date when the order to which the cost refers is issued is often used as the occurrence date.
Currency	The currency of the cost occurrence.
Value	The amount of the cost occurrence in the Currency.
Reference Number	A text which can be used to store a reference for the cost
Supplier Name	A text where to store the name of the supplier of the cost occurrence.
Accounting Order	A text where to store the order identifier to which the cost occurrence refers.	The order which is issued and sent to the supplier to which the cost occurrence refers.
Order Row	A text where to store the order row identifier to which the cost occurrence refers.
Internal Order	A text where to store another order identifier to which the cost occurrence refers.	In some organizations an internal order is issued before an external (the one issued to the supplier) is done.
Reference User	A text where the name of the user owner of the cost occurrence can be entered.
Cost Dimension	The cost occurrence dimension.

Documents

In this section it is possible to manage documents specifically related to the project. See document management guide for more information on how to manage documents.

Daily Log

The Daily Log allows to enter logs about any events related to the project. Logs can be related to any to the key project entities (resources, project activities, project milestones, etc.). See managing records in standard mode for more information on how to manage the daily log records.

Issues/Risks

This section allows to manage project issues and project risks. They are both managed with a single entity which can be either a project issue, a project off-specs, a project RFC or a project risk.

Field	Description	Issue	Risk	Off-specs	RFC	Comment
Creation User	To show the user who created the record.	X	X	X	X	This information is automatically recorded and cannot be manually changed.
Creation Date	To show the date and time the record was created.	X	X	X	X	This information is automatically recorded and cannot be manually changed.
Edit User	To show the user who last edited the record.	X	X	X	X	This information is automatically recorded and cannot be manually changed.
Edit Date	To show the date and time the record was last edited.	X	X	X	X	This information is automatically recorded and cannot be manually changed.
Number	This is the record numeric identifier.	X	X	X	X	This information is automatically recorded and cannot be manually changed.
Close Flag	This check box shows the status of the matter.	X	X	X	X	If checked it means it is closed and no further changes will be possible.
Category Name	The typology of the matter.	X	X	X	X	Possible values are: "Risk" (the record represents a project risk), "Off-Spec" (the record represents an off specification of some product), "RFC" (the record represents a request of change for the project), "Issue" (the record represents a project issue).
Description	The textual description for the matter.	X	X	X	X
Estimated Date	The date estimated for the closure of the matter.	X	X	X	X	Closure usually means no more activity are needed and the related topic is no more an issue.
Closure Date	The actual date of the closure of the matter.	X	X	X	X	Closure usually means no more activity are needed and the related topic is no more an issue. The actual closure is updated with Close Flag.
Referent	A textual field.	X	X	X	X	It is intended to be used to store the name of the owner or coordinator of the activities needed to deal with the matter.
Issue Subject	A topic to which the matter refers to.	X	X	X	X	This is a pick list and the possible values are managed in General/Projects/Issue Subjects.
Issue Priority	A value showing the priority of the matter.	X	X	X	X	This is a pick list and the possible values are managed in General/Projects/Issue Priorities.
Criticality Level	A value showing the criticality of the matter.	X	X	X	X	The possible values are fixed ("HIgh", "Medium" and "Low").
Value	The economic value of the matter.	X	X	X	X	This is expressed in the project currency.
Probability	The likelihood of the project risk.		X			This value shall be between 0 and 100.
Proximity	The proximity of the project risk.		X			This is a pick list and the possible values are managed in General/Projects/Risk Proximity.
Weighed Value	The economic weighed value of the matter.		X			This is automatically calculated as Value x Probability.
Mitigation Actions	A text field.		X			Usually used to record the mitigation actions to be done for the matter.
Comments	A text field.		X			Usually ued to record any comment.

Managing the above data will affect some project semaphores if configured. See the semaphores management guide for more information.

History

In the History section the updates of project key data are logged.

Reports

A set of basic reports is provided for the projects with the installation of the PM - Project and Portfolio Management module. Additional (custom designed) reports can be added with the REP - Reporting module.

It is possible to access to the provided reports either in the project Reports section or in the Projects/Reporting menu with the difference that in the project section reports are specific for the project while in the menu entry reports are available on multiple projects according to user privileges and choice.

Report title	Description	Comment
Cost Trend Report	This report shows the trend of project costs in time. The trend is shown per each executed project milestone and related attached estimation.	Data will be available only if the FM - Financial Management module is active.
Tree Report	This report shows all the project semaphores in a tree structure. The warning and alarm thresholds for the semaphores are propagated to the tree node.	Financial data will be available only if the FM - Financial Management module is active.
Project info report (by activity)	This report shows the details of the budgeted and actual days and expenses per project activity and timesheet status.	Data will be available only if the FM - Financial Management module is active.
Profitability report	This report summarizes costs, revenues and margins of the project.	Data will be available only if the FM - Financial Management module is active.
Summary Report	This report summarizes all the information concerning the project.	Financial data will be available only if the FM - Financial Management module is active.

Messages

In this section it is possible to manage messages specifically related to the project. See messages management guide for more information on how to manage messages.

Sale Contracts

In this section, one or more sale contracts related to the project can be assigned. Sales contracts are use to bill or assign a value to project activities. Sales contracts can be fixed price or time&material. In any case only sales contracts for one project Client (defined in the General section) can be entered and they should not overlap (Term Start Date and Term End Date). For more information on sales contracts, see the client management guide.

To manage sales contract the FM - Financial Management module shall be active.

Settings

The Settings section of the project allows to set configuration options. These are grouped in different subsections as described in detail below.

Capacity Management

This section allows to define how the project is considered in order to determine resources capacity. The following parameters are made available.

Field	Description	Comment
Capacity Evaluation	A pick list with three possible values: "None", "Based on Tickets", "Based on Project/Service".	"None": the allocation of resources to the project or to ticket estimations where the ticket belongs to the project will not have any impact on the resources capacity. "Based on Tickets": ticket estimation data, for tickets related to the project, are will impact the resource capacity. "Based on Project/Service": project estimation data will impact the resource capacity.

Configuration Management

Financials

In this section it is possible to configure the following options.

Field	Description	Comment
All Invoices Issued Flag	This shows if all invoices related to the project were issued (when "True" or checked).	The information is manually set. Having this flg "True" is mandatory to set the Administrative Status of the project to "Closed".
PM Cost Visibility	This defines if the project manager has visibility of the costs of the project.	If unset the project manager will only see the working time but not the corresponding economical value.

Timesheets

This section allows to manage options which applies to the timesheets related to the project.

Field	Description	Comment
Use Timesheet Category for TS
Force Using Activity for TS	If set it makes mandatory the input of the Activity (project activity) or timesheets.	This can be made optionally mandatory for resource row (R checked) or pm row (PM checked) or manager row (M checked).
Force Using Activity Description	If set it makes mandatory the input of Activity Description for timesheets.	This can be made optionally mandatory for resource row (R checked) or pm row (PM checked) or manager row (M checked).
Force Using Activity Type for Activity	If set it makes mandatory the input of Type for project activities in project Activities section.	This is useful for statistical aims, for example to understand ho much work is done for all the project activities belonging to the same Type (e.g. sw development).