Touchstone Workflow

This topic includes information about initial setup through to uploading a schedule and reviewing benchmarks.

The topics are listed in the order in which they should occur.

1. IT Administrator: Create user accounts in EPM Security Administrator
2. Touchstone Administrator: Initial Touchstone setup
3. Project Manager: Create a program
4. Project Manager: Create projects
5. Project Manager: Send Submitter log in details
6. Submitter: Log into Touchstone for the first time
7. Submitter: Upload a schedule snapshot
8. Project Manager: Select and view benchmark attributes

IT Administrator: Create User Accounts in EPM Security Administrator

Use EPM Security Administrator and the Access Control tabs in Touchstone to define security rights and permissions.

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Add users to EPM Security Administrator (EPM SA) and assign a Touchstone license In order for users to have access to different areas of Touchstone, they must be added to EPM Security Administrator and assigned a Named or Submitter license. Users might be: Touchstone Administrators Project Managers Subcontractors (Submitters) Note: When you set up a user in EPM SA, make sure you add a password. Touchstone does not accept a blank password for login. In EPM SA, you create roles that specify access to certain areas of Touchstone. When you create a user, you assign them to a role. For example, if you disable Settings for a role, the users assigned to that role won't see the Settings group in the Touchstone Navigation pane. Security uses the most permissive access. For example, if a user has read-only access to a project but is a member of a group that has full access to the same project, the user will have full access.

How to... Enable EPM Security Administrator Audit Log Email Users to Let them Know How to Log In to Touchstone Learn more about... EPM Security Administrator Access Control Overview User Roles in EPM Security Administrator What Happens When You Delete a User in EPM Security Administrator?

Touchstone Administrator: Initial Touchstone Setup

Before users can start working in Touchstone, you need to set up system email preferences, import metrics files, create acceptance criteria, benchmark attribute, and field mapping templates, and grant access to the templates.

Note: Before you begin, use the My Preferences Dialog Box to specify the date format, decimal symbol, and digit grouping symbol that you would like to use. You can also set the default view that you want Touchstone to display when you log in. Each user can set up their own preferences.

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Set system preferences for email servers In the Submittals view, you have the ability to email the Submitter (that is, the person who uploaded the schedule). For example, you may want to email them to ask a question about the schedule. The email server information is needed for this purpose.	How to... Specify Email Server Settings Specify Default Email Addresses
Import an .aft Acumen metric file Acceptance criteria use metrics to analyze the schedules. Default metrics are installed as part of your Touchstone installation. In order to use custom or additional metrics in the acceptance criteria templates, you must import a metric library.	How to... Import a Metric File Learn more about... Metrics Overview What Happens When I Import a Metric File?
Create acceptance criteria templates The ability to score schedule quality allows project teams to determine how best to assess their portfolio or schedule health. The acceptance criteria operate at the project level; that is, each project can have its own acceptance criteria template that includes project-specific metrics and influence values. After you create the template, the Project Manager can assign it to one or more projects. Projects in different phases may use different metrics or metric variables for scoring. For example, a long duration during the building phase may be 44 days whereas a long duration during the design phase might be 66 days.	How to... Create a New Acceptance Criteria Template with Metrics and Score Change the Minimum Acceptance Score Remove a Metric from an Acceptance Criteria Template Learn more about... Acceptance Criteria Overview How Scoring Works
Create benchmark attributes Benchmark attributes are values that you manually enter for each project submittal. They are qualitative measures of success for the project that are used in benchmark reporting. Benchmark attributes are assigned at the program level and are applicable to all associated projects. You create the attributes in the Benchmark Attributes view in Settings > Benchmark Attributes. After you create the attributes and add options and values, the Project Manager can select the attributes they want to use with their program.	How to... Create a Benchmark Attribute Learn more about... Understanding Benchmark Attributes Benchmark Attributes View
Create field mapping templates Touchstone uses a standard import template to import data from project schedules based on the schedule type (Open Plan, Microsoft Project, or Primavera P6). However, it also allows you to use field mapping templates to custom map any data in the project file. For example, you may have a user-defined field or a code field with location information that you want mapped to a Touchstone field. You can create different field mapping templates to suit the different projects. After you have created a template, and mapped schedule fields to Touchstone fields, the Project Manager can assign that template to one or more projects.	How to... Create a New Field Mapping Template and Map Fields Copy an Existing Field Mapping Template Map a Schedule Field to a Touchstone Field Learn more about... Why do I need to Map Fields? Field Mappings Overview Default Field Mappings Field Mappings Mapped Fields Tab
Grant users access to field mapping and acceptance criteria templates After users are set up in EPM Security Administrator, you add them to the Access Control tab for each object to which they need access. Field Mappings: Add users who need to set up or view field mapping templates. Acceptance Criteria: Add users who need to set up or view acceptance criteria templates. After the Project Manager has set up the Programs and Projects, they will use the Program and Projects Access Control tabs to grant users access to those areas.	How to... Grant Users Access to Field Mapping Templates Grant Users Access to Acceptance Criteria Templates Learn more about... Field Mappings Access Control Tab Acceptance Criteria Access Control Tab
Change the upload file size If needed, you can change the upload file size in the web.config files. Touchstone has two web.config files - one for the PPM.API and one for the Touchstone API. The file size must be set to the same value in both.	Learn more about... For more information, see the Deltek Acumen Touchstone Installation and Administration Guide.
Setup Company Email Signatures You create the attributes in the company specific email signatures with logos in Settings » General » Email Footer Template Tab. After you create the footer template, select it in the Default Email Footer Template field at the bottom of the form.	Learn more about... Email Footer Template Tab

Project Manager: Create a Program

A program is associated with one or more projects and is used to standardize benchmark attributes across all associated projects. This allows you to maintain the same standard across many projects and to evaluate multiple projects based on the same benchmarks.

Note: Before you begin, use the My Preferences Dialog Box to specify the date format, decimal symbol, and digit grouping symbol that you would like to use. You can also set the default view that you want Touchstone to display when you log in. Each user can set up their own preferences.

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Create a program Programs define common benchmarking attributes to be used for all projects within the program. They also track overall dates, progress, and costs for the program. In addition to creating a new program, you can make a copy of an existing program to use as the basis for a new program.	How to... Create a New Program Copy a Program Learn more about... Programs Overview
Associate benchmark attributes Benchmark attributes are values that you manually enter for each project submittal. They are qualitative measures of success for the project that are used in benchmark reporting. At the program level, you define which attributes you will be tracking for the program. Individual values are entered for each project snapshot.	How to... Add Benchmark Attributes to a Program Learn more about... Understanding Benchmark Attributes
(Optional) Override metric variable values The variables listed on the Metric Variables tab (Settings > Metrics) apply to all projects in Touchstone and are used in metrics that make up acceptance criteria; however, there may be instances when you want to use a different variable value for some of your programs. For example, a program for an offshore platform may have different values than a program for a refinery. In this case, you can add the variable to the Override Metric Variable Values grid (Programs > Configuration tab) and edit the value as needed. The adjusted variable values apply to all projects associated with the selected program. When you import a new metric file, the values in the grid on the Metric Variables tab are overwritten; however, the values in the Override Metric Variable Values grid are not overwritten.	How to... Override a Metric Variable Value Learn more about... Programs Configuration Tab Metric Variables Tab What Happens When I Import a Metric File?
Grant users access to programs After users are set up in EPM Security Administrator, you add them to the Access Control tab for each program to which they need access. When a user is granted access to a program, they do not automatically gain access to the associated projects. After you create and associate each project, you use the Projects Access Control tab to give users access to the project. This allows you to control who can see and work on each project in a program. For example, you can allow a user to have access to Project A but not Project B, even though both projects are associated with the same program.	How to... Grant Users Access to Programs Learn more about... Programs Access Control Tab

Project Manager: Create Projects

Before your subcontractors can submit schedules, you must first set up projects. Use the Projects hub to view all of the projects in Touchstone to which you have access as well as the program to which they are associated. You can also add, edit, or delete projects, and enter benchmark attribute values.

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Create projects You can create projects from the Projects hub or from the Programs hub Projects tab. The only difference is whether the project is manually or automatically associated with the program. When you create a project from the Projects hub, you select the program to which you want the project associated. When you create the project from the Programs hub Projects tab, the project is automatically associated with the selected program.	How to... Create a New Project From the Projects Hub Create a New Project From the Programs Hub Projects Tab
Associate your projects with a program The benchmark attributes operate at the program level and are standardized across all associated projects. This allows you to maintain the same standard across many projects and to evaluate multiple projects based on the same benchmarks. In order to utilize the benchmark attribute feature for a project, you must associate the project with a program. You can associate projects with a program from the Projects hub or from the Programs hub Projects tab.	How to... Associate a Project with a Program using the Projects Hub Associate a Project with a Program using the Programs hub Projects tab.
Select an acceptance criteria template The ability to score schedule quality allows project teams to determine how best to assess their portfolio or schedule health. The acceptance criteria operate at the project level; that is, each project is associated with an acceptance criteria template that includes the metrics used to evaluate the submittals. The Touchstone Administrator creates the acceptance criteria templates. After you create each project, you can select the acceptance criteria template that you want to use for the project. If a project is not associated with an acceptance criteria template, it will not display in the Submittals view and the submitter will not be able to upload schedules.	How to... Assign an Acceptance Criteria Template to a Project Learn more about... Acceptance Criteria Overview How Scoring Works
Select a field mapping template Touchstone uses a standard import template to import data from project schedules. However, it also allows you to custom map any data in the project file. For example, you may have a user-defined field or a code field with location information that you want mapped to a Touchstone field. Field mapping templates are defined in Templates > Field Mappings	How to... Assign a Field Mapping Template to a Project Learn more about... Field Mappings Overview
Specify how often the schedule should be uploaded Set the frequency for which you want schedules uploaded and the number of days permitted for an upload. The Window Close Date in the Submittals view is calculated using this information.	How to... Set the Schedule Upload Frequency Learn more about... Projects Configuration Tab
Define Time Now The Time Now field displays on the Projects Overview tab, in the Projects List view, and in the Submittal view. It displays the exact date value extracted from the schedule file and is not adjusted to the local time zone. It is populated using data from the last snapshot for each associated project and displays None until at least one associated project has an uploaded snapshot. Time Now is called Data Date in P6 and Status Date in Microsoft Project. This field displays in red when the Time Now value is not current. You must define "Current" on the Projects Configuration tab. If a submitter submits a schedule and the Time Now value is not current, Touchstone includes a warning in the email after the schedule is submitted. If the submitter tries to submit a schedule when the Time Now value is not current and the option to Reject submittals if the time now date is not current has been selected on the Projects Configuration tab, Touchstone displays a warning message and the schedule is not uploaded.	Learn more about... Projects Configuration Tab
Grant users access to projects After users are set up in EPM Security Administrator, you add them to the Access Control tab for each project to which they need access. At a minimum, you must grant submitters access to the projects for which they need to upload their schedules. When a user is granted access to a project, they do not automatically have access to the associated program. You have to add them to the program's Access Control tab if you want them to have program access.	How to... Grant Users Access to Projects Learn more about... Access Control Overview Projects Access Control Tab
(Optional) Add a custom email footer template If you want to include information in the footer of the system-generated emails, you can add a custom email footer template. For example, you might want to add your company logo or contact information. The template you select on the Project's Access Control tab applies to all system-generated emails for the selected project. If you leave the field set to <Default Template>, Touchstone uses the email template selected in the Default Email Footer Template field on the Email Footer Template tab in Settings > General. If you do not select a default template, the emails will not contain a footer. You can create custom email footer templates using the options on the Email Footer Template tab.	How to... Upload an Image to an Email Footer Template Learn more about... Project's Access Control Tab Email Footer Template Tab

Project Manager: Send Submitter Login Details

After you have set up your programs and projects, your submitter can start uploading their schedule.

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Contact your submitter and provide them with their Touchstone log in details. Let them know that they will need to upload a schedule using the frequency you have set.	How to... Email Touchstone Licensed Users Learn more about... Schedule File Types and Maximum Size Projects Configuration Tab

Submitter: Log into Touchstone for the First Time

After you have received an email with your login details, you can log into Touchstone.

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After your account has been set up in the EPM Security Administrator, and you have received an email with your user ID and temporary password, you can log into Touchstone. When you log in, you enter your user ID and temporary password, and select your data source. After you click Login, Touchstone displays a Set Password dialog box where you must create a new password. When you create your password and click Save, Touchstone displays the Login screen again and you can log in using your new password.

How to... Log Into Touchstone for the First Time (with a Temporary Password) Learn more about... Security and Licensing in EPM SA and Touchstone

Submitter: Upload a Schedule Snapshot

The Submitter logs onto a web portal and uploads their schedule each period. The frequency at which the schedule is uploaded is set at the project level via the Projects Configuration tab (for example, monthly, bi-weekly, or weekly). A snapshot of the project is created each time a schedule is uploaded.

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Use the Submittals hub to upload a schedule. Touchstone compares the uploaded schedule to the acceptance criteria metrics and scores the schedule based on the metric influence selector values. For each condition that the schedule meets, it accumulates a point value, whether the point value is negative or positive. The score is then normalized on a scale of 0 to 100 and compared to the Minimum Acceptance Score on the Acceptance Criteria tab. If the score is equal to or greater than the Minimum Acceptance Score, the schedule passes and Touchstone displays Accepted in the Submittals view Status column. If the score is less than the Minimum Acceptance Score, Touchstone displays Rejected in the Submittals Status column and the submitter can view a report of the issues that caused the schedule to fail. Note: The schedule is stored in the Touchstone data source regardless of the score.

How to... Upload a Schedule Snapshot View the Scoring Analysis Report for a Submittal Learn more about... Schedule Types That You Can Upload to Touchstone I can't See the Project in the Submittals View How Scoring Works

Project Manager: Select and View Benchmark Attributes

After a project is uploaded, it becomes available to the Project Manager for analysis.

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Benchmark attributes are manually entered for each project submittal. They are qualitative measures of success for the project that are used in benchmark reporting. Select benchmark attributes for each snapshot For each reporting cycle of a project snapshot, and typically based on input from the project team, the Reviewer selects attribute options on the Projects Snapshots tab or in Submittals. Touchstone adds up the option values selected on the last uploaded snapshot for each associated project and divides by the number of snapshots to calculate an average for each benchmark attribute. The benchmark option closest to that value is the average. Note: See "Understanding Benchmark Attributes" in Related Topics for more information and an example. Missing Snapshots When the Window Close Date has passed, the Status column changes to Missing and you can no longer click Upload Now in the Uploaded column (Upload Now no longer displays). You will need to add the missing snapshot if you want to select new benchmark attribute options for the period that Touchstone can use in the average benchmark calculations that display on the Programs Overview tab. There are two ways to add missing snapshots to a project: Add missing snapshot placeholders: This does not upload a schedule but it does allow you to enter the benchmark attributes for the missing snapshot periods. Upload a schedule for a prior period: If you are the owner, owner-delegate, or in the SYSADMIN group, you can upload a schedule for a period that has already closed. In addition to the schedule that you upload, Touchstone also adds snapshot placeholders on the Snapshots tab for any other missing snapshots.

How to... Select Benchmark Attribute Values using the Submittals Hub Select Benchmark Attribute Values using the Projects Snapshot Tab View the Average Benchmark Attributes Add Missing Snapshot Placeholders Upload a Schedule for a Prior Period Learn more about... Understanding Benchmark Attributes Why do we Need to Add Missing Snapshots?