How Scoring Works
The ability to score schedule quality, execution performance, risk modeling, use of logic and more is a key feature of Touchstone and allows project teams to determine how best to assess their portfolio or schedule health.
Touchstone calculates a score for an uploaded schedule based on the acceptance criteria metrics that are defined at the project level. The score determines whether the schedule is accepted or rejected. You can override metric variable values when you want to use a different variable value for some of your projects. Touchstone takes these variables into account during scoring.
For more information about acceptance criteria including the Minimum Acceptance Score and the difference between a metric-based and record-based scoring method, see Acceptance Criteria. For more information about metric variables, see the Metric Variables Tab
If a schedule is not uploaded for the current period, the score column in the Submittals view for the current period is blank.
Validating the Schedule File
Before the scoring process begins, Touchstone validates the schedule file to confirm that all scoring conditions are met. The validation is completed before the file is uploaded into the database.
- The file version of the uploaded schedule file must be greater than or equal to the minimum allowed version. For version information, see the Touchstone Installation guide.
- If the file status date is not within the acceptable range, Touchstone either issues a warning or rejects the file. The way Touchstone responds depends on whether or not the
Reject submittals if the time now date is not current option is selected on the Projects Configuration tab.
The field that Touchstone uses as the status date depends on the file type.
- BK3 Files: Touchstone uses the STATDATE as the status date. If that field is empty, Touchstone uses STARTDATE.
- MPP Files: Touchstone uses Status Date as the status date. If that field is empty, Touchstone uses Start Date.
- XER Files: Touchstone uses last_recalc_date as the status date. If that field is empty, Touchstone uses plan_start_date.
- XML Files: Touchstone uses Data Date. If that field is empty, Touchstone uses Current Date.
After the validation is completed successfully, Touchstone creates a snapshot record for the project in the submittal period and the schedule file is added to the database.
At this point, additional validations are completed such as confirming that the file does not have multiple projects and that the acceptance criteria template has at least one metric. After these validations are completed successfully, Touchstone calculates the metrics and the overall score.
Processing External Relationships and Activities
Touchstone reads external relationships and external activities. This makes the count of relationships more accurate for metrics. External activities from P6 XER schedule or MPP schedules are now part of the list of activities used in calculating a score for an uploaded schedule unless metrics exclude external activities.External activities, however, are excluded from the random selection of activities used in determining the Project Critical Path Test and Logic Sensitivity.
Scoring Complete
As soon as Touchstone finishes scoring the schedule, the system sends an email to the user who uploaded the schedule (the submitter) and copies the project owner. The email includes the status, the name of the schedule, and the score. It also includes an Excel report of the score as an attachment (See "Scoring Analysis Report" below).
If the submitter does not have an email set up in EPM SA, the system only sends the email to the project owner and notes in the email that the submitter's email is missing.
If the project owner does not have an email, the email is sent to the submitter and the Touchstone default sender's email address (set in the Touchstone General setting).
Passing Score
The schedule is accepted if Touchstone checks the uploaded schedule against the acceptance criteria and it scores the same or greater than the Minimum Acceptance Score. A message displays in the Submittals view letting you know that the schedule has been accepted. You can click the link in the Score column ( or ) to view a Microsoft Excel report where you can see how the schedule scored for each metric.
Failing Score
If Touchstone checks the uploaded schedule against the acceptance criteria and it scores less than the Minimum Acceptance Score, the schedule is rejected. A message displays letting you know that the schedule failed. You can click the link in the Score column ( or ) to view a Microsoft Excel report where you can see how the schedule scored for each metric. If the Window Close Date has not yet passed, the issues can be corrected and the schedule can be uploaded again.
Failing Metric
If Touchstone checks the uploaded schedule against the acceptance criteria and it fails a metric that is set to Automatically Reject an upload, the schedule is rejected. A message displays letting you know that the schedule failed. The email that the submitter receives identifies any metrics that caused the submittal to fail.
You can click the link in the Score column ( or ) to view a Microsoft Excel report where you can see how the schedule scored for each metric. If the Window Close Date has not yet passed, the issues can be corrected and the schedule can be uploaded again.
Unable to Score
If Touchstone is unable to score the schedule, the score is not updated and the system sends an email to the user who uploaded the schedule (the submitter) and copies the project owner. The email includes a list of things that the submitter needs to correct.
If the submitter does not have an email set up in EPM SA, the system only sends the email to the project owner and notes in the email that the submitter's email is missing.
If the project owner does not have an email, the email is sent to the submitter and the Touchstone default sender's email address (set in the Touchstone General setting).
The email subject is, "Touchstone Submittal Scoring Error" and the message includes a description of the error.
- If scoring fails because there are no metrics in the acceptance criteria, check the acceptance criteria template for the project.
- If scoring fails because of an unknown error, any available exception information is included in the email.
Scoring Analysis Report
- Submittals hub: Click the score in the Score column
- Projects hub on the Snapshot tab: Click the score in the Score column.
A Save As dialog box displays and you can save the Excel report to a local folder.
The file name format is: Touchstone - <submitted schedule filename> - <submitted date> Report.xlsx and includes the name of the submitted schedule file as well as the date it was submitted. For example, Touchstone - My Submitted Schedule - 06Feb2019 Report.xlsx.
- Name and description of the project
- Name and description of the baseline project for XML (Primavera P6) if there is any
- Name of the acceptance criteria template
- Window Close Date and date submitted
- File name of the submitted schedule
- The score
- A header for each metric in the acceptance criteria followed by any activities that failed the metric
- Threshold colors (for example, green shows a passing score and red shows a failing score)