How to Use CMPRO for PLM (Part 2) – Project Tracker Module

The Project Tracker Module in CMPRO is used to manage: Projects, Tasks, Action Items and Requirements. Project Tasks are fed with data from Contracts and Charge Numbers, allowing material cost data to be automatically populated into the project record. Action Items and Requirements are created from the specific requirements of the Contract to be delegated and independently completed.

Projects, Tasks, Action Items and Requirements take the PLM model from signing a contract to defining the requirements and allocating the work.

Project Tracker Module

CMPRO project management allows a great deal of flexibility in defining what a project is.  Because of this flexibility, CMPRO’s Project Tracker tools can be used to track everything from full projects and tasks that involve budgeting and expense tracking to simple to-do lists.

Projects created in CMPRO follow an explicit structure that can be visualized in this way:

All projects entered into the CMPRO project module follow this structure.  The project/task/subtask structure serves as a way to organize the project.  Tasks cannot be created without identifying the project they support; Subtasks can only be created while in a Task Detail; and the project is a required field when creating an Action Item.

Creating Projects

A good example of when to use the Project Tracker Module is if there is a requirement to track the part costs, completion status of the task order, and work order status.  After the Project and Task are created you can: assign a Contract and Charge Number, and build the project details.

Projects and Tasks

To create a project, search for Project in the menu of CMPRO and click on the create icon.

After entering the project details, you can create tasks associated with the project by clicking on the create task icon in the Project Detail screen:

Or by selecting Create in the Options box on the left side of the Project Detail screen.

This will open up the task create screen where you can enter top-level information about the task.

After creating the task, you can add additional information in the task detail screen.  This is where you will enter the Contract and Charge Number, which will allow the Material Costs to automatically populate when materials are received on Requisition Line Items that have the corresponding Contract and Charge Numbers.

You can then create Subtasks from the Task Detail Screen by selecting the Create link in the Options sections on the left side of the screen.

In the Subtask you can enter the Required Completion Date and Actual End Date to track the progress of the Subtask.  After creating the Tasks and Subtasks associated with the project Action Items can be created to assign the work.

Action Items and Requirements

The most granular document of the Project Tracker Module is an Action Item. Action Items are work-flowed documents used to assign work to be performed and tracked. An Action Item cannot be created without being assigned to a Project.

Requirements are defined together with paragraphs that detail how the requirement is to be satisfied.  Requirements and their paragraphs can be connected to other documents, such as Action Items and other specific document types, as part of the Requirement Tracking Process.

Action Items and Requirements can be created directly from the Task Detail screen.  These links are located in the Options section, on the left side of the screen.

For each requirement, one or more paragraphs can be entered that are linked to either forecasted items (future documents), or to existing documents.  Requirement records are not tracked via the work-flowed process.  They are linked to items that fulfill the objective described in the requirement paragraph.

Projects, Tasks and Action Items can have standard associations and attachments as with most other documents in CMPRO.  Since Action Items are work-flowed, this adds substantial visibility to a project’s on-going activity.  Any item that requires people to track, perform and status their activity should utilize the Action Item Tracking System.

The Project, Task, and Action Item Calendar visually connect the milestone target and completion dates to a calendar.

Conclusion

CMPRO enables product lifecycle management by allowing you to:

1. Create and track contract information
2. Link the contract to the project
3. Create Requirements and Action Items from the Project Detail
4. Assign the work to the appropriate people using Action Items

If the PLM model is followed in CMPRO you can reduce the amount of time and effort it takes to delegate and manage contract requirements. The next step in the PLM model is to use drawings, documents, and software release repositories to complete the requirements of a contract.