Interface Conditioning Options

These are all of the available fields displayed in the Interface window. The displayed fields change depending on the Type field setting (Generate file and validate, Generate file, Import). Category headings are shown in gray for easy reference. Fields which are required display <Required> in the cell. These fields must be filled.

Interface Conditioning Fields

Project Selection	File Name Selection	Estimates
Interface Processes	WBS Descriptive	BCWP
Output Options	WBS Schedule	Milestones

Filter	Criteria
Project Selection
Project	Drop down list of projects
Interface Process
Type	Generate file and validate Generate file Import
MS Project File Name	<Required>
MS Project Task Filter Name	51 character data entry field
Replace Values	All data Changed data only
Mapping File Name	<Required>
Generated File Name	<Required>
Output Options
Output Format	Printer Viewer Comma Separated Values (.CSV) Excel 95 (.XLS) Excel 97-2000 (.XLS) Tab Separated Values (.TXT) HTML (*.HTM)
Display errors only	Check mark option $image\img00002.gif$
File Name Selection
Output File Name	<Required> when Output Format set to File Type.
Append to Existing File	Check mark option $image\img00003.gif$
WBS Descriptive	Check mark option $image\img00004.gif$
WBS Schedule	Check mark option $image\img00005.gif$
Time Now Date	<Date> Defaults to current date
Shift Baseline Resources	Check mark option $image\img00006.gif$
Shift ETC Resources	Check mark option $image\img00007.gif$
Shift Milestones - Schedule Dates	Check mark option $image\img00008.gif$
Shift Milestones - Forecast Dates	Check mark option $image\img00009.gif$
EOC Reprice Conditioning
L-LABOR M-MATERIAL O-OTHER DIRECT COSTS	Hours EQP Prime Dollars Total Burdened Total Cost Total Dollars Total Price Original Estimate Type
Time-phased Estimates	Check mark option $image\ebx_1904805720.gif$
Estimates to Import	Baseline ETC Baseline and ETC
Autospread Estimates	Check mark option $image\ebx_1904805720.gif$
Estimates to Import	Baseline ETC Baseline and ETC
BCWP	Check mark option $image\img00011.gif$
Fiscal Status As Of Date	<Date>
Milestones	Check mark option $image\img00012.gif$
Identify Milestones by	ID Description Symbol/Description/Schedule Date
Update BCWP Status	Check mark option $image\img00013.gif$
Fiscal Status As Of Date	<Date>

Project Selection

Project — Displays a drop down list of projects that the user has been granted access to. It will not display any projects where the 'suspend user' has been checked in Project Maintenance. It defaults to the first project in the list if there is no previously selected project.

Interface Processes

Type
Generate file and validate — This process first analyzes the data coming from MSP to see if it is valid prior to processing. It creates a generated file that contains project data to be imported. It also creates a validation report listing all warnings and errors based on comparing MPM data to the generated file. See Generate File and Validate, Generate File for further details.
Generate file — This process creates a generated file that contains project data to be imported. See Generate File and Validate, Generate File for further details.
Import — This process imports the data from the generated file into MPM and generates a processing report listing all warnings and errors. See Import for further details.
MS Project File Name — This is a required field when Type field is set to either Generate file and validate or Generate file. Click $image\img00014.gif$ Browse to find the mpp file that you wish to use. This field is not available when Type field is set to Import as the interface process uses the generated file.
MS Project Task Filter Name — Use this optional field to enter the name of an MSP task filter. When a task filter is used, MPM will apply that filter to the MSP file prior to the interface process starting. Only that subset of data will be looked at and used by the interface process. Valid filters from MSP are those that can be found under Project » Filtered For » More Filters with Task selected. This filter list is also available in the MSP Organizer under the Filter Tab. This option may only be used for task filters. This field is not available when Type field is set to Import as the interface process uses the generated file.
Replace Values — This field is not available when Type field is set to Import.
All data — This selection will update all mapped field data between MSP and MPM.
Changed data only — This selection will update data in any mapped field that has changed between MSP and MPM. With this selection, only the changed data is written to the generated file. Any validation will only be run on the changed data fields.

Mapping File Name — This is a required field when Type field is set to either Generate file and validate or Generate file. Select $image\img00015.gif$ Browse to access a previously saved mapping file. Select $image\img00016.gif$ Mappings to create a new mapping file. See MSP Link Mappings for further information on mapping. This field is not available when Type field is set to Import as the interface process uses the generated file.
Generated File Name — This is a required field. The file type is .gen. It is the input file when Type field is set to Import and the output file when Type field is set to Generate file and validate or Generate file. Select $image\img00017.gif$ Browse to find and overwrite an existing file, or create a new filename.

Output Options

Output Format — This option is applicable to the validation report when the Type field is set to Generate file and validate, and to the processing report when the Type field is set to Import. When the drop down arrow is selected, there is the option to select a printer, viewer, or a file type. This option is not available when the Type field is set to Generate file.
Display errors only — This option is only applicable when the Type field is set to Generate file and validate. When this field is checked, the validation report displays only error messages and does not display any warning messages.

File Name Selection

Output File Name — This is a required field when the Output Format is set to any other option other than the Viewer or Printer. Select $image\img00018.gif$ Browse to find and overwrite an existing file, or create a new filename.
Append to Existing File — This option is enabled when the Output option is set to any other option other than Viewer or Printer. This field is only applicable to batch processing when it appends the validation reports or the processing reports together. See Batch Processing for further details.

WBS Descriptive

Use the WBS Descriptive option to create new WBS elements or update or build onto an existing WBS leg by importing new WBS elements. WBS elements created by the interface will have Start and Complete dates which default to their parent dates. This interface cannot be used to change a parent ID for an existing child.

If your WBS is currently empty, all of the mapped fields are added to the generated file. If a WBS ID already exists in your WBS, all mapped fields except for the parent WBS ID will be updated. Any existing fields not included in the import will not be changed.

Any Fee Limit Amount values imported are assigned to the specific WBS element; however, those fields in children of the specified WBS are not modified.

CLIN, Recurring/Nonrecurring and/or Fee % values imported are assigned to the specific WBS element and all of its children.

WBS Schedule

These fields are only available if the WBS Schedule row is checked, if the Type field is set to Import, and if Estimates is de-selected. The WBS Schedule enables you to:

Summarize tasks or activities by assigning them to the same WBS ID.
Create a many-to-one relationship between networked activities and a WBS ID. When a many-to-one correspondence exists, the WBS Schedule Interface looks at all the networked activities. It finds the earliest early and late start and the latest early and late finish.

Use the WBS Schedule option to update Baseline, ETC, Early and Late dates, depending on what fields are mapped.

Time Now Date — Specifies the point in time where updating dates and shifting resources begins. If dates are being updated for WBS elements with no estimates (no shift required), only those WBS elements that start after Time Now are updated. If dates are being updated for WBS elements with estimates and resources are also being shifted, only those estimates that start after Time Now are shifted. If this field is left blank, then all dates are updated.

MPM will not update WBS elements which have already started, or if they contain Actuals or BCWP data.

Shift Baseline Resources — If a WBS element contains Baseline estimates, click the Shift Baseline Resources check mark box to shift baseline resource estimates from their planned start to the new start date. Because the completion of a WBS element is determined by the length of its estimates, only the start date will be set equal to the imported/early/late start date; the duration of the estimate will be maintained
Shift ETC Resources — If a WBS element contains ETC estimates, click the Shift ETC Resources check mark box to shift ETC resource estimates from their planned start to the new start date. Because the completion of a WBS element is determined by the length of its estimates, only the start date will be set equal to the imported/early/late start date; the duration of the estimate will be maintained
Shift Milestones-Schedule Dates — This option is only available if you selected Shift Baseline or ETC Resources.

If you select Shift Baseline Resources and Shift Milestones, the milestone dates are shifted the same number of days that the baseline has been shifted.
If you select Shift ETC Resources and Shift Milestones, the milestone dates are shifted the same number of days that the ETC has been shifted.
If you select both Shift Baseline and ETC Resources and Shift Milestones, the milestone dates are shifted the same number of days that the baseline has been shifted.

Shift Milestones-Forecast Dates — This option is only available if you selected Shift Baseline or ETC Resources.

If you select Shift Baseline Resources and Shift Milestones, the milestone dates are shifted the same number of days that the baseline has been shifted.
If you select Shift ETC Resources and Shift Milestones, the milestone dates are shifted the same number of days that the ETC has been shifted.
If you select both Shift Baseline and ETC Resources and Shift Milestones, the milestone dates are shifted the same number of days that the baseline has been shifted.

EOC Reprice Conditioning — This option is only available if you selected Shift Baseline or ETC Resources. If you elect to shift resources, MPM must reprice after it shifts the estimates. All EOC stored in the EOC table are displayed. For each EOC, one of the following values must be maintained for repricing:
Hours
EQP
Prime Dollars
Total Burdened
Total Cost
Total Dollars
Total Price
Original Estimate Type

The value that you enter for each EOC is held constant by MPM.

Estimates

This option can only be selected if WBS Schedule is de-selected.

This interface allows you to import monthly estimate values into MPM. This interface allows you to:

Summarize all tasks where the WBS ID, Resource Code, Resource Department and Overtime fields are the same to one estimate.
Do resource loading in MSP and establish estimates in MPM.
Enter a total estimate value per task in MSP and have MPM spread the value for you over a specified start and finish date.
Estimate Summarization: If WBS ID, Resource Name, Resource Department and Overtime are the same then we add resource assignments together . If any one of these four fields are unique then it is a treated as a new estimate.

A task in MSP needs to have a Resource assigned to it in order for it to be added to the generated import file.

Time-phased Estimates — this option is used when you have a resource loaded schedule and have made resource assignments on your MSP tasks. It allows you to duplicate the time-phasing of your resource spreads from MSP schedule to MPM.
The MSP Link process will pull the resource assignment detailed data (from the .mpp file), accumulate it into the right fiscal bucket (according to the calendar in MPM), and generate the import file.
If this option is selected then the WBS Schedule option will be disabled.
Replace Values is always complete. (updates and adds only).
Autospread Estimates — this option is used when you have scheduled tasks that have a lump sum value and resource assigned to them. The lump sum can be mapped to MPM as the estimate value with a spread curve. MPM will spread the lump sum value according to the task start and complete dates and spread curve that are mapped.

Autospread Estimate Data Summarization:

If there are several same WBS IDs with the same Resource Code, Resource Dept, Overtime field combinations and if the estimate type is all one type, then the lump sum value is added.
If summarization has different estimate types, then no records will be produced. It will be reported on the validation report.
If summarization has different spread curves then the spread curve identified on the first existence is used.
If summarization has different dates, then the earliest start date and the latest completion date from the set of tasks become the estimate start and complete.
If the autospread value is at the task level then there can only be one resource. If there is more then one resource, then everything is put onto the first resource. This is then noted in the Validation Report.

BCWP

This interface allows you to export BCWP (earned value percentage complete) from MSP tasks into MPM.

Fiscal Status As Of Date — This row is not available when Type field is set to Import. Enter the date for the fiscal month for which BCWP is to be statused.

We suggest that you do not mix Work with Material budgets for the purpose of this calculation, i.e.: the tasks are either all Work or all Material but not a mixture of both.

MSP Link BCWP Summarization

Summarize all tasks where the WBS ID is the same and the EV% Complete Task Flag exists.

The Cumulative Percent Complete will be calculated based on the mapped Task BAC of all summarized tasks. If WBS Schedule or Estimates is imported with BCWP, then %Complete cannot be calculated because BAC may have changed.
The Cumulative BCWP Amount will be the total from all summarized tasks.

Milestones

Use the Milestones option to import new milestones for a WBS element or update existing milestones. The Milestones fields are only available if the Milestones row is checked, and if the Type field is set to Import. These fields allow you to:

Set up networked activities and determine which completion points are milestones when establishing the project baseline.
Establish a direct correlation between scheduled events and milestones.
Interface milestones to the WBS ID in MPM.
Status activities in MSP to determine milestone progress in MPM.
Interface completed MSP milestones as milestone status in MPM.

We can only auto-weight Milestones if the budget exists at the same level as the 'Milestone' tasks.

If Milestone Weight is mapped to a task work field, then the BCWP Base Unit should be set to Hours for labor tasks and Prime for non-labor tasks in order for the weight to be calculated.

If mapping Milestone weights to a user-defined field, we suggest entering Hours for labor tasks and Prime for non-labor tasks in order for the milestone to be weighted correctly.

The Milestones option uses the Task Identifier (Milestone Flag) Field to find all tasks that are identified as milestones. Earned value methods can be established in MPM on a WBS ID prior to importing tasks identified as milestones in MSP. If you are importing WBS Descriptive with Milestones, you can establish the EVM in the WBS in MSP by mapping EVM in the WBS Descriptive Import.

Identify Milestones by — This option determines the method for matching the milestones in the interface generated file (or with MSP if the process type is Generate.) with the milestones in your MPM project. Matching during Generate is done when checking if the data has been changed. 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 MSP is updated to the generated file for import. If that exact Milestone ID is not found, the data is added as a new milestone. If the interface generated 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 interface generated 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 interface generated 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 one found in MSP is updated to the generated file for import. If that exact description is not found, the data is 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 interface generated file. Milestone Description must be mapped if this is selected.
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 is added to the interface generated file for import. If that exact combination of symbol, description and schedule date is not found, the data will be 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 interface generated file. Milestone Symbol, Description and Scheduled Date must be mapped if this is selected.

Update BCWP Status — This option is only enabled when Type field is set to Import. 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 Date 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.
Fiscal Status As Of Date — This option is only enabled when Type field is set to Import. 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.