Synchronize structure/budget/schedule

The core of the integration lies in this synchronization where the budget and schedule information flows to and from Microsoft Project to LN. If Microsoft Project is the owner, the user has the option of adding a new activity or a new budget line to an activity. You can always modify the dates. However, the budgeted amount of work for the resource can be changed from the Microsoft Project side only if Microsoft Project is the owner.

Example

If a piece of equipment is scheduled for 25 hours of work (budget line quantity = 25 hours), you can allocate this work of 25 hours over five days (five hours per day), or you can choose to do the work in 10 days (2.5 hours per day).

The user can perform this allocation through transfer to Microsoft Project. Microsoft Project offers you the possibility to fix your duration, work, or units. To set the duration, work, or units, on the Tools menu, click Options and click the Schedule tab. The formula for duration is as follows:

duration = work/allocation

If the Synchronize option is selected, a dialog box appears, which enables you to indicate whether to synchronize the structures, schedule information, and budget lines

The Net Change option is available only if a small part of the project’ s scheduled dates are changed. Using the most relevant combination can save time.

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For improved control, you must resort tasks (activities) after the synchronization of the structure.

  • Synchronize Budget Quantity and Schedule: Select this check box to synchronize the budget lines and schedule data.

  • Update Schedule With: You can update the schedule from Microsoft Project to LN based on the following three option:

    • Early Dates: Select Early Dates to update the LN Project planned dates with the early dates for the tasks from Microsoft Project.
    • Schedule Dates: Select Schedule Dates to update the LN Project planned dates with the scheduled dates for the tasks from Microsoft Project.
    • Baseline Dates: Select Baseline Dates to update the LN Project planned dates with the baseline dates defined in Microsoft Project. This option prevents the overwriting of planning data in LN with the actual data in Microsoft Project during the synchronization process which was the earlier case.
  • Synchronize Activity/Budget Line Relationship: Select this check box to synchronize the Activity/Budget Line Relationship data.
  • Get Newly Created Activity/Budget Line Relationship from ERP Enterprise: Select this check box to synchronize the changes in LN with Microsoft Project. This check box is enabled when you set the ownership to "MsProject" .
  • Send Actual Dates to ERP Enterprise: Select this check box to update the scheduled dates in LN with the actual dates in Microsoft Project. You can send actual dates to LN, irrespective of the ownership.
  • Net Change: Select this check box to synchronize the changes to a small part of the project’ s scheduled dates.

The ownership determines how the update is performed during the Synchronization process.