Editing a Project's Structure

You can use the Choose Project Structure form and the Edit Project Structure grid to edit a project's work breakdown structure (WBS).

The Choose Project Structure Form

When you are creating a new project from an existing project, template, or opportunity and template that has structure, after you specify the basic project information on the New Project form, DPS displays the Choose Project Structure form. The project structure grid contains one row for each available phase or task in the work breakdown structure you are copying. The grid uses indentation to show the parent-child relationship between the phases and tasks.

Use the check boxes in the first column of the project structure grid to specify which phases and tasks you want to include in the new project:

  • By default, all check boxes in the grid are checked. This is because DPS assumes that you want to copy the entire structure from the existing project or template to the new project.
  • Toggle the check box in the grid header row to deselect/select all phases and tasks in the grid.
  • If the template you are using to create a project structure has no tasks, then the header label for the second column is Phase instead of Phase/Task.
  • If a parent check box is checked, and you deselect some or all of the child check boxes, then the parent check box remains checked. For example, you might want to add a phase without initially adding child tasks.
  • If a parent check box is not checked, checking a child check box forces the parent to become checked.
  • If you uncheck a parent check box, then its child check boxes become unchecked.
  • If you check an unchecked parent check box, then all of that parent's child check boxes become checked.
  • If all phases and tasks are unchecked, then the Use button is disabled.

The Edit Project Structure Form

You use the Edit Project Structure form to add phases and tasks to a project or to change the project information. For example, you might change the status or the project manager of a particular task. DPSdisplays the Edit Project Structure form as part of the work flow when you are creating a new project that has structure. You can also display the grid directly and edit an existing project's WBS by clicking the WBS Navigation icon in the Projects hub and clicking Edit.

The first row in the grid displays the project information. The remaining rows in the grid list each phase and task in the WBS. The first column in the grid indicates the WBS Level number of the phase or task, and the remaining columns display the project information for that phase or task.

Accounting and Planning Data

Accounting and planning data might exist on the level where you are attempting to add a child level. DPS does not allow you to add a child level if there is accounting data (for example, when job-to-date (JTD) transactions already exist on the project). If there is planning data on the level where you are adding a new child level, DPS moves all the appropriate planning data down to the new child level:

  • DPS automatically checks out the plan when moving planning data and then automatically checks the plan in when the move is complete. If another user has the plan checked out, and you are an administrator, DPS prompts you to check in the plan. If you are not an administrator, you cannot make the change to the WBS until the other user checks in the plan.
  • DPS informs you that labor assignments can only be on the lowest level and that expense and consultant assignments can only be on the planning Level configured in the Plan Settings dialog box. DPS moves all of the labor assignments, along with any impacted expense and consultant assignments, to the new WBS level you are adding.
  • If planning assignments exist at the project level and you are adding new phases, DPS moves all the labor planning assignments to the first phase you create. The expense planning level and the consultant planning level determine how DPS moves expenses and consultants. If the expense and consultant planning levels are at the project level, then all expenses and consultants stay at that level. But if the expense and consultant planning levels are at the phase level, all expenses and consultants are moved to the first phase you create.
  • If planning assignments exist at the phase level and you are adding new tasks, DPS moves all the labor planning assignments on that phase to the first task you create. The expense planning level and the consultant planning level determine how DPS moves expenses and consultants. If expense and consultant planning are at the project level, then all expenses and consultants stay at that level. If the expense and consultant planning are at the phase level, then all expenses and consultants stay at that level. But if expense and consultant planning are at the task level, all expenses and consultants are moved to the first task you create.
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