Introduction

The user can initiate all the integration actions from the menu options and toolbars that are added to the Microsoft Project application during the integration setup.

In LN, the user must set the following parameters in the PSS Parameters (tppss0100s000) session:

  • Select the External Scheduling Package check box.
  • The ESP currency defined in the parameters is used in Microsoft Project, because Microsoft Project does not support multicurrency. If the cost rates of a cost object defined in LN is in a currency other than the ESP currency, the rate in the ESP currency is calculated with the exchange rate type of the project definition.
  • The ESP time unit defined in the parameters session is the unit to which budget lines labor, equipment, and subcontracting, as well those budget lines that use time units for scheduling, are assigned. As a result, even if the user allocates 100 days, in which, in LN, days is a unit of work to a particular budget line, Microsoft Project understands this as 100 hours when the LN ESP time unit is defined as hours.

  • The physical quantity in Microsoft Project is entered as follows:

    • For labor, the budget line quantity expressed in the budget line unit.
    • For material, the budget line quantity expressed in the cost object unit.
    • For equipment, the budget line quantity expressed in the cost object unit.
    • For subcontracting, the budget line quantity expressed in the cost object unit. Note that the unit can be a time-unit or another unit, depending on the indicator Quantity/Amount of Time. For subcontracting, the Time column is not filled in Microsoft Project.
    • For sundry costs, the budget line quantity expressed in the budget line unit.
    • If quantities are sent back to LN, when Microsoft Project is the owner, the labor and equipment time (work) is sent. For material, subcontracting, and sundry costs, the units are sent to LN.
    • The ESP Preferences tab in the PSS parameters specifies the cost object types that must be transferred to ESP. However, the parameters selected only appear as default in the Connect Project dialog box. You can choose to change these parameters at the time of connection, or afterwards in the Connection Details dialog box.

You must also set the Calendar Parameters (tcccp0100m000) session.

Projects operate with a project plan, activity and budget lines framework. The activity framework, or the work breakdown structure (WBS) in LN, is a list of activities that are classified as WBS elements, project cost accounts, planning packages, and work packages. However, Microsoft Project identifies with the terminology tasks and subtasks. The budget lines together with the entire WBS fit into the task_sub-task structure of Microsoft Project.

LN offers more extensive calendar functionality, which Microsoft Project does not support. Therefore, you must transfer calendars from LN to Microsoft Project to ensure that no scheduling-related data is lost or is unavailable to the user.

LN differentiates cost objects into the following five cost types:

  • Material
  • Labor
  • Subcontracting
  • Equipment
  • Sundry costs

Microsoft Project only identifies resources. With the exception of Labor, all the cost types are transferred as resources to Microsoft Project. The cost type that is critical to scheduling is equipment. Equipment is mostly rented and you want to schedule equipment closely.

You can associate a labor budget line with either a trade group or an employee or both. A resource assignment of Employee or Trade Group is used in Microsoft Project to represent a labor budget line.

Trade groups and employees are critical in any schedule, because the cost incurred on them is always proportional to the amount of time for which they are utilized.