Conditional Editing Allowed in Project Management

Depending on the synchronization mode that has been selected for a project, the project structure and task information will be controlled by either Project Management or Microsoft Project. Depending on the synchronization control mode selected for the project, some editing features in Project Management will be disabled. Information controlled by Microsoft Project cannot be edited in Project Management.

Summaries of the conditional editing restrictions for each synchronization mode are listed in Conditional Editing Allowed in Project Management.

Editing Project Management-Controlled Projects

When Project Management controls the project, the user is allowed to edit all information in Project Management. This includes changing the task structure, adding or deleting new subprojects and tasks, and editing task scheduling and actual fields.

Editing Microsoft Project-Controlled Projects

When Microsoft Project controls all the project planning and tracking activities, the comparable editing functions in Project Management are disabled. The data that is distinct to Project Management and not shared with Microsoft Project can still be edited. This includes task activity, role, skill values, description, user data, notifications, notes, and task references.

When working with a project type that enforces a particular work plan template, you can create the work plan initially in Project Management from the specified work plan template. You can then open the work plan in Microsoft Project.

Any function that could change the project and task structure is disabled in Project Management. This includes the following components:

  • Add Task icon

  • Delete icon

  • Indent/Outdent icons

  • Move up/Move down icons

Since scheduling can change dates and durations, the Schedule Project icon is disabled. The status of the PPM project cannot be changed in this synchronization mode; therefore the Change Status is also disabled. The keyboard shortcuts for these icons are disabled as well.

In the standard Project Management interface, the My Tasks portlet and the Task Detail page will not allow users to enter task actuals. The My Tasks portlet and the Task Search page still return the current incomplete tasks assigned to a user regardless of the control mode. This provides visibility to the project's participants. The actuals collected in Microsoft Project are visible through the Work Plan page.

Roll-up calculations are disabled through Project Management, whether triggered by actions in the PPM Workbench, the standard web pages, or any other method. Therefore, the rolled-up values in Project Management will match Microsoft Project even if calculations in Project Management would normally produce a different value.

Editing in Shared Control Mode

The shared control mode is more complex than the other two modes when disabling fields. This mode allows users to change the actual fields while keeping the planning fields unchanged.

Only actual fields are editable, through the Resources tab on the Task Details page. The planning fields are disabled. In the Schedule view, planning fields in the subproject/task table are also not editable.

Similar to the Microsoft Project control mode, any function that could change the project and task structure is disabled. This includes the following components:

  • Add Task icon

  • Delete icon

  • Indent/Outdent icons

  • Move up/Move down icons

Some roll-up operations are disabled. Roll-up of actuals fields still occurs, but schedule fields will not roll up. The imported values from Microsoft Project are retained.

The functionality allowed in shared control mode is very similar to the functionality allowed to a user who has been given only the Update Tasks access grant.