Capital Projects / Projects

Importing from Microsoft Project

The Projects application allows you to export project and work package actions to Microsoft Project and then edit the actions in Microsoft Project. After editing in Microsoft Project, you can import the Microsoft Project file back into the Projects application, and post the data to the database. The project / work package actions are then available to be viewed and edited in Archibus Projects.

It is important to note that when you import the file, you first import it for review purposes. While you are reviewing the imported data you can choose to clear the data and make changes before you import again. After you are satisfied with your imported data, you post the data. When you post the data, the data is copied to the Archibus database. After the data is copied to the database, it is available for editing in the Projects application.

Accessing the Import Tasks

You can import data from Microsoft Project from any of the following consoles.

• Working from the following Management consoles, you select a project and then select the Actions tab . From the Actions tab, use the More Options button to access the menu option for importing from MS Project:
  • Projects / Manage / Management Console
  • Projects / Execute / Management Console
• Working from the following consoles, you select a project and then select the Import / Export tab. You then select the sub- tab that contains the items to be imported: Import Project or Import Work Package. You then run the Import from MS Project action:
  • Projects / Plan / Management Console: Plan
  • Projects / Procure / Management Console: Procure

For information on exporting project / work package actions from the Projects application to Microsoft Project, see the Exporting to Microsoft Project topic.

Imported Data

When you import an Microsoft Project .mpp file to Archibus, the file is uploaded to the Archibus Projects table's actions_xfer field or Work Packages table's actions_xfer field, depending on whether you are importing all a project's actions or actions for a single work package.

Data from this field is then extracted and copied to the Archibus Action Items Transactions table. This data is then available for you to view in the Import Project task Actions Transactions panel.

For information on the database tables used for importing projects and work packages from Microsoft Project, see the Importing from Microsoft Project Tables topic.

If importing after selecting project and work package, the file is imported as a work package.

If importing after selecting project, the file is imported as a project.

The fields listed below are updated when the Microsoft Project file is imported. Project ID, Work Package ID, and Action ID are imported for identification purposes. The remaining fields are updated, based on the edits that were made in Microsoft Project. For a mapping of Archibus fields to Microsoft Project fields, see the Exporting to Microsoft Project topic.

Note: It is only possible to import into an Archibus project and work package actions that have one of the following statuses: N/A, Requested, Planned, Scheduled, or In Progress.

Imported Fields

• Project ID (project_id)
• Work Package ID (work_pkg_id)
• Action Item ID (activity_log_id)
• Action Title (action _title)
• Date to Perform (date_scheduled)
• Duration - Est. Design (Days) (duration)
• Work Breakdown Structure Code (wbs_id)
• Predecessors (predecessors)
• Assigned To (assigned_to)
• Comments (comments)
• Percent Complete (pct_complete)
• UID (uid_ms_project)

Note: Existing actions items have the pipe - | - as a separator between the activity_log_id and the action_title, If there is no pipe character between these two fields, the item is imported as a new action item, and a new a record is created. .

Note: When adding a Work Package and Actions in the MPP file, add the “|” and Action Item ID number .

Import Action Status Updates

The following Action Status changes may occur when you import a file from Microsoft Project:

• New - If the Action ID is new, the action's Action Status is set to "New"
• Changed - If the action has changed, the action's Action Status is set to "Changed".
• Unchanged - If the action has not changed, the action's Action Status is set to "Unchanged".
• Deleted - If the action was deleted in Microsoft Project, the action's Action Status is changed to "Deleted".

Clear Button

After reviewing data in the Actions Transactions panel, if you click the Clear button, all extracted data is cleared from the Action Items Transactions table, and is no longer displayed in the view.

Round-tripping of data

You can round-trip your data, that is, export it to MS Project, and then import it back into Archibus. Round-tripping of data is supported on the following databases:

• MS SQL Server
• Oracle

If items were linked as dependent in MS Project , when you import them into Archibus, and then export them again to MS Project, the dependent items are still linked.

Posted Data

When you click the Post button, the action items that you imported to the Action Items Transactions table are copied to the Action Items table. The data is then available to be viewed and edited in Archibus.

Post Action Status Updates

The following Action Status changes may occur when you post a file:

• New - If the Action ID is new, the action's Action Status is set to "New".
• Changed - If the action has changed, the action's Action Status is set to "Changed".

• Complete - If the action's Percent Complete value is updated to 100% based on the posted MS Project data, then the action's Action Status is changed to "Complete".
• Cancelled or Stopped - If the action is deleted in MS Project, then the action's Action Status in Archibus is changed to "Cancelled" (when the current Action Status is "Requested", "Planned", or "Scheduled") or "Stopped" (when the current Action Status is "In Progress").

Importing and Posting Project Actions

If you originally exported all of a project's actions, then you import all of the project's actions back into Archibus.

To import all project actions from Microsoft Project to Archibus:

1. Open one of the MS Project (*.mpp file) you have created,
2. Edit the data in MS project as needed. You can edit action items, add new actions, or delete existing ones. Do not remove the pipe symbol from the action_title field, as the pipe is how the application knows that this is an existing record.
3. Save the file as an .mpp file in MS Project.
4. Access the Management Console by selecting a Management Console task in the Navigator. For example, select the Execute / Management Console task.

   The selected console appears with the Select Project tab selected.

5. From the list, select the project to which you want to import.
6. Depending on the console you are working from, do one of the following,:
   • Select the Actions tab, click More Options to show its list, and select the Import to MS Project option from the menu.
   • Select the Import / Export tab, select the Import Project sub-tab, and click Import to MS Project.
     

   The Import Action Items from Microsoft Project dialog appears.

   

7. Use the Check in New Document button to locate the file to be imported.
8. After locating the file, click Import to import MS Project tasks into Archibus.
9. After the import completes, you can review the changes.

   Notes:

   • If you changed an action item's Percent Complete to 100%, this action is marked as Completed in Archibus,
   • If you added a new task in MS Project, the application creates a new record for the action item. The Action Type for these actions is "PROJECT - TASK," although you can change this to anything you'd like inside Archibus.

     Note: The PROJECT - TASK Activity Type must exist in the validating table before re-importing projects with new tasks into Archibus; the Activity Type field is validated and a required one.

   • If an action item was deleted in MS Project, the action item in Archibus is adjusted in the following ways:
     • If the previous status was N/A, Requested, or Planned, the action item Status is changed to Canceled.
     • If the previous status was "In Progress", the action item Status is changed to Stopped.
   • When importing for a project, new items are assigned to the current project.
   • When importing for a project and work package, new items are assigned to the current project and work package.
   • If you enter a blank line before the last item in MS Project, a blank Action Item record is created in Archibus,
   • If you have a Percent Complete in MS Project for the action item, and then move the Action Item, only the end of the Action Item moves, leaving a dotted line for the first portion. If you then re-import this field into Archibus, the Action Item again shows as the Start Date plus the Duration, with no dotted line.

   Select Plan / Add or Edit Actions to view or edit the actions you have imported.

Importing and Posting Work Package Actions

If you originally exported the actions from a specific work package, you then import the work package's actions back into Archibus. The work package must exist in db before importing.

To import work package actions from Microsoft Project:

1. Save the project from Microsoft Project to an .mpp file.
2. Access the Management Console by selecting a management console task in the Navigator. For example, select the Execute / Management Console task.

   The Management Console appears with the Select Project tab selected.

3. Select the project that contains the work package that you want to import from Microsoft Project.
4. Depending on the console, you are working from, do one of the following after selecting the Project:
   • Select the Actions tab, select the check box for the work package from the list, click More Options to show its list, and select the Import to MS Project option from the menu.
   • Select the Import / Export tab, select the Import Work Packages sub-tab, select a work package from the list, and click Import to MS Project.
     
5. Click the Check In New Document button next to the Stored Import file field to check in the new .mpp file that you created in Microsoft project. For more information on using the document management feature, see the Using the Document Management System topic
6. Click Import.
   The .mpp file is imported and visible in the Action Transactions panel.

   Note: At this point, the .mpp file has been imported into a review table, the Action Items Transactions table, so that data is visible. To save this data to the database, you must post the data.

7. Review the data in the Action Transactions panel.
8. If you are not satisfied with the data, click the Clear button to remove this data. You can then edit the file in Microsoft Project and import the edited file again.
9. When you are satisfied with the .mpp
10. file data that you have imported, click the Post button to save the data to the Action Items table.
    The work package action items that have been posted are now ready to be edited using the Projects application.
11. Select a task, such as Plan / Add or Edit Actions, to view and edit the actions you have imported and posted.