Use the Import Milestones window to import new milestones for a WBS element or update existing milestones from files created outside MPM. After importing milestones, you must recalculate BCWP to reflect the changes resulting from your import.
During the milestone importing process, MPM looks for a match on the fields you selected in the Identify Milestones By option. If a match is found, the other fields for that milestone are updated with the imported data. If there is no match, a new milestone is inserted based on the Identify Milestones By option. To update an existing milestone, the milestone being imported must match the Identify Milestones By fields exactly.
Access the Import Milestones window by double-clicking the Milestones icon on the Menu Manager with the Imports tab showing. MPM displays the Import Milestones window.
The Milestones import has three additional options on the Import Conditioning window:
Identify Milestones By
Update BCWP Status
Fiscal Status As Of Date
This option determines the method for matching the milestones in the import file with the milestones in your MPM project. There are three methods to choose from:
ID — This method matches milestones by their Milestone ID. The first milestone encountered in the project with the same ID as the ID in the import file is updated with the imported data. If that exact Milestone ID is not found, the data is imported and added as a new milestone.
If the import file includes a WBS ID with a Milestone ID that exists on another WBS, the milestone is added to the WBS ID specified in the import file and removed from the WBS ID where it previously existed. When using this option for matching, the Milestone ID field is a required field in the import file. If you are updating an existing Milestone ID, the WBS ID is not a required field in the import file.
Description — This method matches milestones by their WBS ID and Milestone Description. The first milestone encountered within the WBS ID specified with the same description as the import is updated with the imported data. If that exact description is not found, the data is imported and added as a new milestone. If the Milestone ID is blank or contains a duplicate of an existing Milestone ID, MPM generates a new unique ID for the milestone contained in the import file.
Symbol/Description/Schedule Date — This method matches milestones by their WBS ID, Symbol, Milestone Description and Schedule Date. The first milestone encountered within the given WBS with the same symbol, description and schedule date as the import is updated with the imported data. If that exact combination of symbol, description and schedule date is not found, the data is imported and added as a new milestone. If the Milestone ID is blank or contains a duplicate of an existing Milestone ID, MPM generates a new unique ID for the milestone contained in the import file.
To update BCWP status (recalculate percent complete) when importing milestones, place a check mark in the Update BCWP Status field. MPM will re-evaluate the status of all the milestones on the WBS element and calculate a new cumulative percent complete to be stored in the designated fiscal As Of Month field for the WBS. If the Update BCWP Status field is not checked, the new milestone status will be imported but BCWP will not reflect the new status.
To use the Update BCWP Status option, your WBS must use one of these Earned Value Methods (EVM): 0/100, 25/75, 40/60, 50/50, Milestone Weights, Milestone Weights with % Complete, or Key Event.
After performing the import, you must recalculate BCWP for the project if you want BCWP to be based on the new percent complete.
If you elected to update BCWP status, enter the date for the fiscal month for which BCWP is to be statused. If you elected not to update BCWP status, this field is ignored.
If you want to retain percent complete when importing milestones, you must:
Set the Identify Milestones by option to Descriptive.
Check the Update BCWP Status option.