Editing a Project's Structure

You can use the Choose Project Structure form and the Edit Project Structure form 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 or template, and that project or template has a structure with more than one level, Vantagepoint displays the Choose Project Structure form after you specify the basic project information on the New Project form or Copy Project form. The project structure grid contains one row for each available phase or task in the WBS 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 Vantagepoint 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. Vantagepoint displays 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 next to the project name in the Projects hub and clicking Edit on the Project Structure dialog box.

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.

If you display this form for a regular project that has a linked promotional project, the WBS for both projects display in the grid, with the promotional project WBS below that of the regular project. Likewise, if you display the form for a promotional project that is linked to a regular project, both are displayed, with the regular project below the promotional project in this case.

Accounting and Planning Data

Accounting, planning, and budget data might exist on the level where you are attempting to add a child level. Vantagepoint 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 budget or planning data exists on the level where you are adding a new child level, Vantagepoint moves that data down to the new child level:

• Vantagepoint 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, Vantagepoint 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.
• Vantagepoint 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. Vantagepoint 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, Vantagepoint moves all the labor planning assignments to the first phase you create. The expense planning level and the consultant planning level determine how Vantagepoint 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, Vantagepoint 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 Vantagepoint 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.
• Budget data can only be entered at the lowest levels of the WBS. If you enter budget data for a WBS element and later add a WBS level below that one, Vantagepoint moves that budget data down to the first WBS element that you add at that new level.

Revenue Forecast Data

If there is revenue forecast data on the project level to which you are adding a new child level, Vantagepoint spreads the appropriate revenue forecast data down to the new child level:

• Vantagepoint automatically checks out the plan when moving revenue forecast 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, Vantagepoint 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.
• Vantagepoint informs you that revenue forecast values can only be on the lowest WBS level. Vantagepoint moves all of the revenue forecast data to the new WBS level you are adding.