Set Up an Opportunity Plan Structure

Before you can assign resources to an opportunity, you must set up a plan structure for it.

An opportunity plan structure is a hierarchy consisting of levels that is similar to the work breakdown structure (WBS) for projects. You assign resources to elements at the lowest level of the plan structure. The maximum number of levels you can have in a plan is the maximum number of WBS levels that Deltek is set up for.

When you have set up the plan structure for an opportunity, you can then begin making resource assignments for it in either Project View or Resource View.

Alternative: The procedure below describes how to set up a plan structure by setting up each of the levels one by one. An alternative is to copy the plan structure from another opportunity or from a project, and then make any needed modifications to that structure.

To set up a plan structure for an opportunity by setting up the levels one by one:

1. In the Navigation pane, go to the Resource Management section and click Opportunity Plan Structure.
2. Select the opportunity.

   Result: The Plan Structure grid displays with the opportunity name as the top level of the plan structure.

3. On the Actions menu, click Edit Plan Structure.
4. To create the second level of the structure and add the first element on that level, hover over the top-level grid row and click .
5. Enter the element name or description in the Level field on the new row.
6. To add other elements on the second level, hover over the row below which you want to add another element, click , and enter the element name.
7. To create a lower level of the structure under one of the second-level elements, hover over that element, click , and click to indent that grid row.
8. Continue adding levels and elements until the structure is complete.

   You can have as many levels in a plan structure as you allow in a project WBS (maximum is three).

9. If you want to treated the opportunity as a billable project for purposes of calculating utilization hours and utilization percentages for employees who are assigned to it, select Include Plan in Utilization Calculations.
10. To save the structure, click Save Plan Structure.