Quick Tip: How to apply non-working hours from Calendar Template in PSA / Project Operations
Problem Definition: It is generally thought by Project Operations / PSA (PO/PSA) users that the non-working hour cannot be copied via 1 Template resource to another resource when the Calendar Template is assigned. It is only assumed that the working shifts and the weekends marked are the only ones that gets copied. But that is not the case. There is a minor catch in how we do it. Following tip will help you make the non-working hours copy when a Calendar template is applied to a resource that contains a template resource which has the non-Working hours in the Work hours. Solution: Perform the following steps to get to the required solution mentioned in the Problem Definition. Step 1: Add a non-working hour in the template of the resource by following the screenshots below: Step 2: Click on the Template Resource and add a non-working hour as shown below in the Screenshot. Step 3: Select the Date range that you want to mark as non-working days. Mark them as all day. In my case, I have selected 12-July as the non-working day. The Calendar gets marked with a non-working day as shown below. Step 4: Navigate to the Calendar Template again and Remove the Calendar Tempalte Resource and Save the Calendar Template as shown in the below screenshot. Step 5: Re-add the same Calendar Template Resource again and Save the Template. Step 6: Navigate to the Resource entity and select the resources whom you want to apply the Calendar Template and apply as shown in the below screenshot. Step 7: Final step to validate if the resource which was applied with the Calendar Template is having those non-working hours as the Calendar Template resource had. This blog reflects my personal findings and based solely on my experience of using PSA/PO for last 4 years. For those who are looking for a platform that can track and manage the entire procedures of sales and project managements, I would highly recommend them to try Microsoft dynamics 365 for project service automation. This helps in keeping all the ONLY ACTIVE projects in the view and the ones that needs our action and attention.
How to create a milestone in Project Operations
Problem Definition: We always wanted a way in which we could create a milestone in the project WBS. Milestones are the way in which we can mark the task by stating that it’s a deliverable task. How can we achieve this functionality in Project Operations? Solution: Please follow the steps to mark the task as milestone in Project Operations (PO) P4W. Step 1: Open your PO environment and navigate to Projects à Tasks Tab Step 2: Add a task by and name, in this case I have added the task by the name “Milestone task 1”. Step 3: Make following columns visible “Effort”, “Start” and “Finish”. Step 3: Make the effort to 0 and ensure the Start and Finish Dates are same. This will ensure your task is made as a milestone. Step 4: Now navigate to the Timeline view and you can check whether the task is created as a milestone task or not. If the Timeline shows a diamond icon, that means it is a milestone task that is created.
Schedule API GA Release in Project Operations
Problem Definition: Unlike PSA where the users were not restricted to use the crude operations (Create, Update and Delete) CUD on entities like Project, Project Task, Resource Assignment, Project Team Member and Project Task Dependency, Project Operations (PO) blocks the user to perform these basic operations. Often these requests are at peak while we do projects with customers, as PO does not go OOB for all the needs and requirements coming from customers. Of lately a huge demand was seen for this. Solution: Microsoft has come up with custom API’s know as Schedule API in CDS to enable these CUD operations. The reason why these had to come via Schedule API was that the WBS was managed by P4W (Project for the Web) which is a different team from the PO Team. To do a seamless communication between PO and P4W Schedule API was born. The following entity with its logical names were enabled via Schedule API Entity Name Entity Logical Name Project msdyn_project Project Task msdyn_projecttask Project Task Dependency msdyn_projecttaskdependency Resource Assignment msdyn_resourceassignment Project Bucket msdyn_projectbucket Project Team Member msdyn_projectteam See the table below for all the operations Microsoft currently enabled support: Just a small note: Note, Microsoft don’t update Resource Assignments, instead they delete the existing one and create a new one. So, there is no support for Update Resource Assignment. Same thing applies to Task Dependency. These APIs can be called with entity objects that including custom fields. The Id property is optional, if you provide one, Microsoft will try to use it. Microsoft will throw an exception if they cannot use the id you provide. If you don’t provide one, Microsoft will generate one. Scheduling API would be available in the following release of ProjectOperations 4.9.0.188.
How to enable new URS Board (Schedule Board) in Project Operations
The new schedule board in Project Operations is much more powerful than before. Its performance is far more superior than the previous version of schedule board, in a way that: Loading the schedule board is much faster than before Tab switching is faster Dragging and dropping the work orders is much improved Rescheduling the bookings is much improved Well, before we get into the new features of the URS (Which I will cover in my next blog), I would like to inform you guys about how to enable the new URS board in your Project Operations environment. PN: The new URS at the moment is in preview mode and will be in GA in OCT’ 2021. Please follow the steps to enable the new URS Board: Open the app in the designer mode as shown in the image below: When the App Designer is opened, click on the Site Map as shown below: On the right pane of the Site Map Settings, update the URL to “/main.aspx?pagetype=entitylist&etn=msdyn_scheduleboardsetting” as shown in the image below: Open the Project Service App now and navigate to Schedule Board, you will see a toggle button to open the new URS Board. You are now ready to play around with the new URS Board. PN: The above blog is w.r.t the best of the information tried and tested by myself. In case of any issues or discrepancies, do not hesitate to write back to me on kgupta@d365feeds.com
How do Contract, Milestones and Projects flow between D365 CE to F&O in Project Operations
What do you expect to see in this blog? With the launch of Project Operations, we might have lot of questions around how does the data flow between D365 CE and F&O (Finance and Operation) environment. In this blog I would like to describe how does the Contract information, Milestone for Fixed Bid projects and Actuals for T&M project flows between the environment in Project Operations. Let’s begin the action: Follow the steps to integrate the Contract, Milestones and Actuals: We need to login to CE environment’s and navigate to Project Operations App as shown below. Login to the F&O environment by logging on to http://lcs.dynamics.com and Start the environment. Let’s create a Contract now. To do that you will need to create a Quote First and then the contract. Please follow the below steps to create a Quote and then Contract. Navigate to Project Operations à Sales Module à Quote Entity in CE. Fill the Mandatory details of the Quote as shown below. Click on the Quote lines tab and create Quote Lines as we used to create in PSA. We will add 2 Quote lines, 1 for Fixed Bid and 1 for Time and Material. Confirm the Quote to create a Contract. Its time now to check 3 things in F&O Environment that integrated via Dual Write maps in F&O from CE namely: Contract Header: In order to open the contract Header in F&O environment, navigate to Project Management and Accounting àProject Contract Contract Lines: In order to open the contract Lines in F&O environment, navigate to Project Management and Accounting àFixed-price revenue estimate projects. The click on Estimates TabàClick on NewàSelect the Forecast Model as shown in the Drop DownàClick OK. Post that select the created Record and Click on Save. Milestones: In order to Navigate to check the Milestones, click on Project Management and Accounting–>All Project–> select the project–> From ribbon select Pending transactions as shown below PN the following: 1. Quote does not flow between CE to F&O. 2. Contract and Projects can be edited in CE environment only. Hence, if you try to open them in F&O environment, they will open up in CE Environment. 3. Contract and Contract lines flow from CE to F&O. Please note that the above blog is with respect to the latest information provided by Project Operations in Public Preview. Any issues or discrepancy in the above blog can be reported directly to me on kgupta@d365feeds.com. In my upcoming blog I will show you how does Invoicing works in F&O along with Revenue Recognition and Part Payment.