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Planning a blank project

 

Prerequisites

 

Introduction

A project consists of a temporary effort towards creating a product or service with a specific result. In the system, it is possible to start a blank project, which allows for fully customizing its configurations and structure in order to meet the organization's needs.

This type of planning is ideal to manage specific tasks, such as the development of a new product, the implementation of a service, or the execution of a strategic initiative.

This article will demonstrate how to create and configure a product development project from scratch, defining its scope, objectives, and resources, in accordance with the context of the operation.

 

Planning a blank project

Watch the video below and learn how to plan a project from scratch:

Project configurations

When the Configurations button is expanded, the following resources are made available:
 

Project

Default task type: this field will be filled in by the system with the default task type defined in the project type, but it is possible to edit it. In this case, select the type that will classify the tasks included in the projects.

Color: select the color that will identify the project in the resource allocation schedules.

Pattern: select the pattern that will identify the project in the resource allocation schedules.

View profile: this field will be filled in with the default view profile defined in the project type, but it can be edited. In this case, select the view profile that will be applied to the SE GanttChart visions of the project template. Use the other buttons next to this field to view the data of the selected view profile, to restore the profile to the configurations of its record, and to clear the field.

Schedule from: choose whether the schedule of the projects from the template must be defined from the start date or end date of the project. The ideal is for the project schedule to be defined from the planned start date; however, in some cases, the best option is to define it from the end date, such as when it is of uttermost importance that the project be finished on a specific date.

Currency: define the default currency for the projects from the template. The currencies shown are added through the SoftExpert Configuration > Configuration > System (CM006) menu, in the Currencies section.

Allow this project to be edited by the responsible in charge of the macro-project?: check this option so that, if the projects from the template are subprojects, the party responsible for the parent project (macroproject) can also make changes to them.

Generate automatic identifier in the tasks: this option will be shown checked or unchecked, depending on the configurations set in the project type, but it can be changed. In this case, check this option in order for the ID # of the tasks from the project template to be generated by the system. Thus, the system will generate a sequential number to identify the tasks; it cannot be edited.

Allow the process status to be changed according to the change in the project status: check this option to allow for changing the status of the processes with which the project is associated. The status will be changed when the cancel, postpone, and reactivate actions are executed in the project, and when the association between project and instance is a blocking one. For the project to be reactivated automatically, the process instance must be activated again manually. The process history will store the explanation and the information that the status has been changed automatically through integration with SoftExpert Project.

Request countersign: check this option so that a countersign is requested in order for actions to be performed in the projects from the template. The requested countersign is defined in the general configurations of the system.

 

Resource > Cost

This section must be filled out only after resources are allocated to the tasks of the project template. In it, it is possible to add the estimated costs referring to the resources involved in the projects created from the template.

 

Audit

This section will only be displayed if the type that classifies the project template has SoftExpert Audit automation configured.

In the Occurrence tracking subsection, check the Requires tracking option so that all occurrences and incidents associated with the audits based on the projects from the template are tracked. Then, define the team responsible for tracking the occurrences. The members of the selected team will receive the occurrence tracking task in the SoftExpert Audit component. To finish, enter the deadline in days for the closure of all occurrences associated with the audit.

In the Automatic requirement update subsection, define whether, when new revisions of the reference requirements associated in the project structure are released, the structure must be updated automatically or not.

 
 

Project associations

When the Associations button is expanded, the following resources are made available:
 

APQP/PPAP

This section will only be displayed if the project type has SoftExpert APQP/PPAP automation configured. Clicking on it will open the data screen of the APQP created from the project in question.

 

Indicator

In this section, the responsible party will be able to associate the indicators to which the project is related. For this feature to work properly, the Performance component must be part of the solutions acquired by your organization.

Indicators can be located through the scorecard with which they are associated, or through a list of indicators during the association.

 

Item

In this section, the responsible party will be able to associate the products to which the project is related. For this feature to work properly, the PDM component must be part of the solutions acquired by your organization.

Items can be located through their status and/or data, or through the attributes related to them during the association.

 

Workflow

In this section, it is possible to view the workflows with which the project has been associated in the Workflow component. For this feature to work properly, SoftExpert Workflow must be part of the solutions acquired by your organization.

Use the "Display" field to filter only the instances associated with the project (current), the instances associated with the subproject (lower level), or all instances associated with the project, subproject, and/or tasks (all sublevels).

Use the available buttons to view the data screen and the flowchart of the workflows on the list of records. Click here for specific details about workflows.

 
 

Project communication

In the Communication tab, it is possible to determine the need and the mode for information exchange and communication among the stakeholders of the project. To configure communications, the following sections are available:

Plan

In this section, it is possible to configure a communication in order for information to be passed on successfully.

In the Team subsection, define how the communication plan team will be composed:

  1. Click on the button.
  2. In the Name field, select the user who will compose the communication plan team.
  3. In the Project role field, select the role that the selected user will have in the project.
  4. Save the record.
  5. Repeat the procedure to add all desired members to the communication plan team.

In the Matrix subsection, define how information will be passed on and who will be responsible for doing that:

  1. At the top of the screen, click on the button.
  2. In the Communication item field, select the item (event) that will be communicated.
  3. Check the Controlled frequency option to control how often the item will be communicated. In this case, enter the number of days, weeks, or months that the frequency interval will comprehend and briefly describe the defined frequency. If this option is unchecked, the system will require a description of how the communication frequency will be set.
  4. In the Responsible field, select the plan team member who will be responsible for communicating the selected item.
  5. In the Communication channel field, select the communication channel that will be used to exchange project information among the people involved.
  6. In the Description tab, record relevant information about the communication.
  7. In the Comment tab, enter necessary notes about the communication.

Then, add the people to whom the information will be passed on:

  1. At the bottom of the screen, click on the button.
  2. On the screen that will open, select the plan team members who will receive the communication.
  3. After filling in the necessary fields, save the record.
  4. Repeat the procedure to add all communications defined in the plan.

 

History

This section displays the to-do task e-mails sent to those involved in the project.

 

Meeting

In this section, it is possible to view, schedule, and record meetings referring to the project. For this feature to work properly, SoftExpert Meeting must be part of the solutions acquired by your organization. Click here for specific details about meetings.

 

Forum

This section presents all forum discussion topics related to the project, regardless of their status.

 
 
  • The display of some sections and fields may vary if the logged user has any restrictions configured.
  • The fields referring to the rescheduled and actual dates will be enabled for completion during the tracking of the project and as its tasks are executed.
  • Customer association with the project may be required and restricted to the planning and revision of the project, in accordance with the configurations set in the Optional > Customer/Supplier tab of the project type.
    If a project has been created through the wizard, a customer or supplier may have been included at the time of its creation; however, it is possible to edit it in this section.
 
  • Click here and learn how to use the identification mask.
  • Click here and learn how to configure access restriction in the Security tab.
  • Click here and learn how to use the Approval tab.
  • Click here and learn how to use attributes.
  • Click here and learn how to configure a view profile.
  • Click here and learn how to associate file forms.
  • Click here and learn how to use the Documentation section.
  • Click here and learn how to work with customers.
  • Click here for more details about suppliers.
 

 

Configuring the finances of a project

Watch the video below and learn how to configure the budget, costs, and revenues of a project:

  • While the project is under execution, the parties responsible for it can redefine the values of its costs and revenues through the Management > Project tracking (PR013) and Execution > Financial entry (PR064) menus. It will be possible to add, delete, and access cost and revenue data, as well as to enter a new quantity and a new value in the Rescheduled field of the details panel.
  • While the project is under planning, it will be possible to add the costs and revenues estimated for it through the Execution > Financial entry (PR064) menu, provided that the logged user has access to its finances.
 

 

Adding tasks to the project schedule

Click here and learn how to add tasks to the schedule of a project in general. Below is a task addition example demonstrating the structure of a product development project:

 

Conclusion

After planning the project by configuring its finances and adding tasks to its schedule, send it to the next step.


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