Supporting Project Management

Before you start

To use this supporting function, these prerequisites must be met:

• The project must be created.
• A locked budget version must be specified.
• A locked schedule version must be specified.
• Checklists must be connected to the project.
• The M3 mailbox is activated.

Follow these steps

The supporting function describes the following:

1. Follow-Up and Tracking

   Follow-up can be done on costs and revenues, activities completed, and performance index. This includes tracking activities and subprojects.

2. Follow-Up Costs and Revenues

   Costs and revenues are followed for every activity and subproject. This is done using the appropriate option in 'Project. Open' (POS100). Both amounts and quantity can be followed.

   Information can be obtained for:

   • Budget
   • Actual
   • Value of commitments for purchase orders and time reports
   • The difference between forecast and actual total
   • Forecast

   Actual is compiled for the total, annually, and reporting period. The transactions resulting in actual can also be reviewed in the general ledger.

   Follow-up is done for each:

   • Activity or subproject in the project structure with information displayed per budget item. Total costs and revenues and the income differences between them are also displayed.
   • Activity or subproject with information displayed per project and budget item.
   • Budget item with information displayed per project and project element.
   • Change in the project with information displayed per budget item.

   Reports can be printed using 'Project. Print Report' (POS650). These can cover costs and revenues for any number of projects, which can be included using a wide variety of selection criteria.

   The following report types are available:

   • Budget and forecast per
   • Project element
   • Budget item
   • Accounting string
   • Quotation stock
   • Quotation value on lost orders
   • Actual for twelve periods forward from a specified starting period

   Follow-Up Activities Completed

   'Project Control Board. Open' (POS300) indicates whether activities, subprojects, or projects are finished. Each project element is displayed in either order of their start date or finish date. Information on milestones and if these are achieved is presented per project.

   Performance Index

   'Project. Display Progress' (POS305) contains information about the progress of a project in the form of variances and indices, such as:

   • Cost variance
   • Cost performance index
   • Scheduled variance
   • Schedule performance index
   • Total cost performance index.

   These are calculated in a night job which can be run weekly or monthly.

   Tracking Activities per Project

   'Project Control Board. Open' (POS300) can also be used to track all or parts of projects or the various types of activities. Activities are sorted in order of their start or finish dates. Whether activities are started or finished as scheduled can be checked as of the current date, presented in a Gantt chart. Selecting the main project element type displays the milestone in the project and if these are achieved.

3. Project Log

   The project log can be used to record changes to projects such as when activities are added or deleted. Different activities that are connected to a change can also be tracked separately.

   Changes are entered in the project log in two stages. First the change is entered and then the project is rescheduled to accommodate the change:

   Enter Change

   When a change is entered in the project log it is also possible to describe the results of that change. The change is finished by approving the change entry.

   Reschedule for Change

   Approve change entry can necessitate rescheduling the project. This can result in:

   • A new forecast version to describe changes to the scope or costs
   • A new budget version
   • A new schedule version
   • Additional project information
   • Rescheduling or deleting other activities/subproject
   • Adding other activities/subproject

   The project log can also contain events that do not affect scheduling or resources in the project or it can be used to document the progress of the project. The latter can also be done using Project Notes.

4. Changing Project or Subproject Manager

   This activity involves changing the project manager or any subproject manager when necessary. Changing the project manager is done at the main project level. Subproject managers can be changed in any of the project's activities or subproject. The new subproject manager is assigned responsibility for the activities or subprojects on the level the change is made.

5. Activating Project Messages

   Project messages created in the M3 BE mailbox provide the project or subproject managers with information about important events in the project. The message function can be activated for each project element in 'Project. Open' (POS100). Each project element is set to either:

   • Generate all messages activated in 'Settings - Application Messages' (CRS424)
   • Generate specific messages

   The available message types are:

   • Done/occurred, such as Activity started/finished
   • Not done/occurred, such as Activity not started
   • To be done, such as Start activity

   The first type of messages is most often generated when some part of the project is done or an event occurs. The second and third types are generated in a night job, most often for scheduled event compared to the current date. These messages can also be generated with a menu item.

6. Project Manager Checklist

   The project manager can use a checklist connected to various project elements to plan and manage activities in the project. Checklist lines connected to activities can be scheduled according to the start or finish date of each activity.

7. Notes

   The project manager or designated project participant can use a text function to note important events in the project. The text function can contain text blocks to organize these notations, such as for a project diary or final report. These texts can be connected only at the main project level.