Set Up Proposal Attributes Data File

Costpoint Analytics loads proposal data from Microsoft Excel files. Those files must have the correct names and location, and the data in the files must be formatted correctly.

• Because proposals are usually not set up as projects in Costpoint, you use the Proposal Attributes file, a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, to identify proposals and specify their key attributes (name, owning organization, project manager, and so on).

• You specify budget data for proposals in the Backlog Budget file and the Revenue and Cost Budget file, along with the budget data for actual projects. See Set Up Budget Data Files for more information on budget data.

Sample Proposal Attributes Data File

The Costpoint Analytics installation copies a sample proposal attributes data file to the <installation destination folder>\Analytics\Budget folder. The file name is ProposalAttributes.xlsx. That file has the required file name and contains sample data in the correct format.

Preparation

Before you create the proposal attributes data file, do the following:

• Review  the proposal attributes data descriptions provided later in this document, and open and review the sample data file provided with Costpoint Analytics in the <installation location>\Analytics\Budget folder.

• Review the information about the proposal data in the Budget Data Validation table. Use the following link to open and download that document from the Deltek Customer Care Connect site: https://deltek.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/61242.

• Identify the sources in your firm for the required proposal attributes data, and make sure you have access to that data.

• Determine how you will extract the proposal data from those sources, format it, and load it into Microsoft Excel.

Procedure: Create the Proposal Attributes Data File

To create your budget data files, complete the following steps:

1. Extract the proposal data from your source files into Microsoft Excel files (.xlsx files) for use in Costpoint Analytics.

2. In Excel, manipulate the proposal data as necessary so that the file contains the required data in the required format. Use the sample proposal data files as a guide.

3. Replace the sample Excel file in the <installation location>\Budget folder with your file. Make sure the file is named ProposalAttributes.xlsx.

Important: It is very important that the Proposal Attributes file contains the required data in the required format. Use the Budget Data Validation table as a guide for setting up your data file and as a troubleshooting tool if you have any data problems after you load the data. The Budget Data Validation table is available in the Knowledge Center on the Deltek Customer Care Connect site from KB article 61242. Use the following link to open and download that document: https://deltek.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/61242.