Microsoft Project Integration

Project Management in ASM is comprised of an integration between Microsoft Project Online (MPO) and ASM. The integration is made possible by leveraging the Azure Logic App platform.

This integration provides bidirectional integration between MPO and the ASM application to generate and sync tasks and work packages for the Project and Program Management activities of your organization. It has been developed and is provided with your “Out of the Box” (OOB) Kratos (and later) version of ASM.

This document is intended for ASM System Administrators and covers the integration and functionality between Microsoft Project and ASM. For information on using Microsoft Project, please see Microsoft’s documentation available here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/project

Introduction

The integration between MPO and ASM is not intended to replace traditional project and program management carried out by Microsoft Project, but rather to enhance it. For project managers, the ability to manage projects in Microsoft Project remains the Gold Standard of project management, but for those who must perform the work, this integration removes the need to access multiple tools in order to ascertain what work needs to be accomplished on any given day. In so doing, resource management becomes more meaningful, reportable, and thus quantifiable. It adds a new layer of visibility never before available to project managers in determining the real effort and resource availability for any given task or project phase.

Microsoft Project is still the Project Management Tool. ASM is the tool that manages the actual work of getting the project tasks done. It places all of the work for an individual in one place, facilitating better resource and time management for everyone.

Overview

Syncing tasks between Project and ASM

Enabling Sync

A project and it’s tasks are created in ASM if the project has at least 1 task ( empty projects are not synchronized).

Webhooks are defined in ASM for ASM-MPO events. They can be found in ASM/Menu/Admin/Integration/Webhooks. There is one for Request and one for Calls.

• We trigger the event when we Update OR Close a call in ASM

Project Updates

You can update your project/project task and republish it. Every time when a project is published, we check if (in this order):

A Call or Request should be opened

We will reopen a call/request in ASM if the OpenStatus is Closed in ASM AND Remaining Work in MPO is greater than 0

A Call or Request should be Closed

We close a call/request in ASM if the Open Status is NOT closed and ‘Remaining Work’ in MPO is 0.

A Call or Request should be Updated

We update a call/request in ASM if:

Description changes, OR

Task start date changes, OR

End date changes, OR

Task name changes, OR

Predecessors Tasks change

A Call or Request should be Forwarded

We forward the call/request in ASM if:

The Forward to ( Receiving analyst) is not different from ASM OR when you did some changes , e.g. The call/request is updated

And we set ( try to match) the Receiving analyst to Resource we have in MPO

Generating Work Packages (Requests)

To generate a work package instead of a call, simply select the template you would like to use.

The request template list is available to choose from the picker column in Microsoft Project: If you do not see your request templates, you (the Project Online Administrator) will need to run RequestTmplateSync from the Resourcegroup.

Using the CMDB to track project artifacts and requirements

The CMDB is not a required element for the integration. It can be used however, to house all artifacts related to Project Initiation workflows and approvals, chartering, and related Change Requests/CI, for example.

It can house requirements, contracts, and make tangible any other item that is produced or tracked as part of a project. E.g., linking change requests to their related projects and the project CI, linking calls (RAID log, break/fix, etc), external suppliers, stakeholders, or versioned sets of release documentation.

Example Scenario:

1. Project Initiation creates a CMDB Item where the type = "Project' and assigns a unique project code automatically to the Project; the CI Title is the friendly name of the project. The CI Owner can be the PM, or Project Sponsor.

2. This Project CI becomes the source of truth then for all linked SLA, Contracts, approvals, narratives and documentation and because the screens are fully configurable, each organization can create and place as many unique fields as necessary to capture the whole of the project and all important information relating to it, including the Microsoft Project URL.

3. Linked to the project could be a CMDB item for each requirement. Each CMDB Item for a requirement can house the related requirement documentation, RAG, and related external suppliers and contracts that may be delivering the requirement.

The requirement CI can hold and version the associated SOW and contract data for the requirement is it is different or is a "sub" to the original, project SOW. It can house and link all change orders that relate to that specific requirement.

In this way, the project can be tracked and data made available for excellent reporting through ASM, but also the state of each, individual requirement.

See the Technical Account Manager or Professional Services to implement the CMDB as part of your Project Management Implementation.

ADDITIONAL INFO

General Prerequisites/Platform requirements

You will receive detailed Prerequisites and platform requirements during implementation. Please contact your Technical Account Manager or Professional Services for more information

• ASM Hermes (ASM 10.6.9 and above)

• Microsoft Project On-Line and at least 1 license

• Azure Logic App Subscription