Connecting Design Objects—Exercises

Required Data

Registering Manual Activity Connected Objects per Project

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to familiarize you with the data that must be in place before you can perform the exercises below.

1. Verify that the design object type is allowed to be manually connected to an activity for your project.

General exercise for Registering Manual Activity Connected Objects per Project

Creating Activities

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to familiarize you with the data that must be in place before you can perform the exercises below.

1. Create activities in your subproject structure.

General exercise for Building Project Plan

Create Design Object

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to familiarize you with the data that must be in place before you can perform the exercises below.

1. Create a design object.

Map Design Object Planned Costs to Cost Elements

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to familiarize you with the data that must be in place before you can perform the exercises below.

1. For your company, map design object planned costs to project cost elements.

Create Milestone Template

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to familiarize you with the data that must be in place before you can perform the exercises below.

1. Create a milestone template.

Main Exercise

Purpose: The purpose of these exercises is to connect a design object to an activity and observe the updating of planned values and progress on the activity with corresponding values from the design object.

Windows:
Business Object Explorer/Explore Design Objects/Design Object Tree View
Project Connection
Project Connections Analysis
Project Navigator/Activity
Project Navigator/Connections
Activity
Activity/Connections

Connecting Design Objects

Perform the following steps to manually connect an existing design object to an activity starting from the design object:

1. On the Business Object Explorer, expand Explore Design Objects.
2. Expand the node for a tree view which contains the object you created in the Required Data section above.  
3. Select the object created and on the Design Object page displayed, click on the Project Data tab. Alternatively you can right-click on the object in the tree view and click Project Connections.
4. In the Project field, enter a suitable project ID (of a project with the Approved or Started status) or select one using the List of Values. This will be populated with valid project ID values.
5. In the Sub Project field, enter a suitable sub project ID or select one using the List of Values. This will be populated with valid subproject ID values.
6. In the Activity ID field, enter a suitable activity ID (of an activity with the Released status) or select one using the List of Values. This will be populated with valid activity ID values.
7. Click Save to save these values on the design object, and to create a connection.
8. To quickly access the activity information for the design object's connected activity, right-click on the object in the Business Object Explorer and click Project Connections or Project Connections Analysis. You will be able to view the most important information about the connected activity.
9. On the Project Navigator page, in the navigator, select the activity to which you have connected the design object. (Alternatively open the Activity page)       
10. Click the Connections tab.
11. Note that your design object is shown on the Connections tab and that the System Connection check box is not selected as the design object was manually connected.

Note: You can also set a Default Project ID to automatically assign project connection data to new design objects:

12. Open the User Settings (Asset Design/General Basic Data) dialog box.
13. In the Default Project ID field, enter the project ID of a required project or select one using the List of Values. 
14. In the Activity ID field, enter the activity ID of a required project or select one using the List of Values. Alternatively select an activity sequence number in the Default Activity Sequence field to select a project and activity to be connected automatically.
15. Click OK.
16. Create a new design object and view its object details (as explained in steps 1-3) to note that the created object automatically connects to the default project.

Perform the following steps to manually connect an existing design object to an activity starting from the project or activity:

17. Open the Project Navigator page (Alternatively, open the Activity page).
18. Query for your project (alternatively query for the required activity).
19. In the Navigator, select the activity to which you want to connect your design object.
20. Click the Connections tab.
21. Right-click and then click Connect/Disconnect Object.
22. In the window that appears, click the Design Objects tab.        
23. Click Populate. All the design objects that are not currently connected to any activity and also those which are manually connected to this activity are listed.
24. Connect your design object by selecting the Connection check box. Click OK to save your changes.
25. Note that your design object is shown in the upper table on the Connections tab. Select this row in the upper table to view its planned values in the lower table.
26. Note that the System Connection check box is not selected as the design object was manually connected.
27. To disconnect a design object, carry out steps 24-27. Select your design object to be disconnected by clearing the Connection check box. Click OK to save your changes.

Viewing Planned Costs and Hours Reported to an Activity

1. Open the Project Connections window and query for a required design object.
2. Right click on your design object, and click Planned Cost and Hours.
3. View the planned cost and hours reported on the activity.
4. Use the List of Values in the Milestone Template and Milestone No fields to select the required milestones.
5. In the Project Navigator page, click the Activity tab (Alternatively in the Activity page, click the General tab). 
6. Verify that the value Connected Objects is selected in the Planned Cost Driver list.
7. Verify that the value All Connected Objects is selected in the Progress Method list.
8. On the Cost and Hours tabs, note that the activity planned values are updated with the planned values from your design object. (Alternatively, this information is shown in the Activity page as well)