Unifier User Guide PDF
Unifier User Guide PDF
Unifier User Guide PDF
Release 15.1
March 2015
Contents
Getting Started ........................................................................................ 27
Information for First Time Users ................................................................. 27
Configuring Your System for Unifier ............................................................. 27
Supported Browsers and Settings ................................................................ 27
Username and Password........................................................................... 28
Sign In to and Sign Out of Unifier ................................................................ 29
Security Warnings .................................................................................. 30
If You Need Help ................................................................................... 30
File Viewer and File Transfer Options ........................................................... 31
Download and Install Java ........................................................................ 32
Download the Installation Instructions for Unifier File Transfer Utility .................... 33
Signing In to Self-Service Portal .................................................................. 33
Navigating in Primavera Unifier .................................................................. 34
About Unifier User Interface (UI) Content and Internationalization .................... 34
User Home Page................................................................................. 34
Navigator ......................................................................................... 35
Tabs and Navigation Bar ....................................................................... 35
Modes of Operation ............................................................................. 36
Breadcrumbs (locator links) ................................................................... 37
Bookmarks ....................................................................................... 37
User Preferences ................................................................................... 38
Viewing Your Contact Information ........................................................... 39
Changing Your Password ....................................................................... 39
Changing the Time Zone or Date Format .................................................... 41
Changing Number and Currency Formats .................................................... 42
Changing Language ............................................................................. 43
Choosing a Viewer Option and Setting Viewer Exceptions ................................ 43
Choosing a File Transfer Option .............................................................. 44
Selecting Email Subscription Options ........................................................ 46
Changing Unifier Default Landing Page ...................................................... 50
Choosing a Proxy User .......................................................................... 50
Additional Support .............................................................................. 53
Unifier User Mode .................................................................................... 55
Unifier Modules Overview ......................................................................... 55
Common Procedures ............................................................................... 57
Queries ........................................................................................... 57
Attaching Files .................................................................................. 61
Adding an image ................................................................................ 63
Adding Hyperlinks............................................................................... 63
Importing Data From an Outside Data Source Into Unifier ................................ 64
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Copy and consolidate line items from different business process forms .......... 203
Adding and Managing Line Items Using the Grid Feature ............................ 206
Add line items using the Grid ............................................................. 208
Link line items to other business process records ..................................... 209
Edit line items using the Grid ............................................................. 209
Insert a row into the grid .................................................................. 210
Manually create a business process from the Grid .................................... 210
Copy a line item on the Grid .............................................................. 211
Adding and Managing General Comments ............................................... 211
Add comments to a business process form ............................................. 212
Add comments to a document type business process ................................ 212
View comments .............................................................................. 213
Edit or delete comments .................................................................. 213
Hide comments .............................................................................. 213
Add comments to an attached document............................................... 214
Working with File Attachments and Markups........................................... 215
Attach files to business process forms .................................................. 215
Attach files to Document-type business process forms .............................. 216
Remove attachments from a document type business process ..................... 218
Attach drawing and reference files to a business process ........................... 218
View, delete, or download attached files .............................................. 218
Add or view graphic markups to a business process attachment ................... 219
Linking Business Process Records ......................................................... 220
Link a business process record ............................................................ 220
Manage linked records ..................................................................... 221
Linking uMail Messages to a Record ...................................................... 222
About permissions ........................................................................... 222
Attach an existing uMail message ........................................................ 222
Create and attach a new uMail message ................................................ 223
Manage linked uMails ....................................................................... 223
Reply to or forward a linked uMail message ........................................... 223
View the list of linked BPs from a uMail message ..................................... 223
Send and manage linked uMails from RFB forms ...................................... 224
Attaching External Emails from the Project or Shell Mailbox to a Record ........ 224
Adding or viewing a map (geocoding) ................................................... 225
Adding an image ............................................................................. 227
Adding a hyperlink .......................................................................... 227
Viewing Referencing Records ............................................................. 228
View a list of referencing records ........................................................ 228
What you can do on the Reference Graph window: .................................. 229
What you can do on the Reference and Linked Records window ................... 242
Spell-Checking a Form...................................................................... 247
Participating in a Workflow .................................................................. 247
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Getting Started
If you are using Primavera Unifier for the first time, review this section which will help you get
acquainted with Unifier and its navigation.
In This Section
Information for First Time Users .............................................................................. 27
Configuring Your System for Unifier ........................................................................ 27
Supported Browsers and Settings ........................................................................... 27
Username and Password ........................................................................................ 28
Sign In to and Sign Out of Unifier ............................................................................ 29
Security Warnings ................................................................................................... 30
If You Need Help ..................................................................................................... 30
File Viewer and File Transfer Options...................................................................... 31
Download and Install Java ....................................................................................... 32
Download the Installation Instructions for Unifier File Transfer Utility ....................... 33
Signing In to Self-Service Portal .............................................................................. 33
Navigating in Primavera Unifier ............................................................................... 34
User Preferences .................................................................................................... 38
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Mozilla Firefox
Google Chrome
Apple Safari
Note: For the full list of system requirements, supported software, and
versions, see the Tested Configurations document under “Installation and
Configuration Documentation” in the Primavera Unifier Online
Documentation Library.
Mozilla Firefox
Refer to Mozilla Firefox Help to see the details on language settings. If your internet settings are
customized, contact your IT for more information. When finished, sign out of Unifier and close the
browser completely in order for the new settings to take effect.
Google Chrome
Refer to Google Chrome Help to see the details on language settings. If your internet settings are
customized, contact your IT for more information. When finished, sign out of Unifier and close the
browser completely in order for the new settings to take effect.
Apple Safari
Refer to Safari Help to see the details on how to set up the options explained here.
To use Apple Safari you must set Java to Run in Unsafe Mode, in browser preferences. Go to
Preferences, under Security select Java, then select Run in Unsafe Mode, and click OK.
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Getting Started
Forgot Password
You can reset your own password if you forget it. In order to do this, you must first set up one or
more secret questions in Primavera Unifier. It is recommended that you set up these secret
questions so you can reset your own password. If you have not set up secret questions, contact
Customer Support to reset your password.
To reset your password if you forget it:
1) In the Primavera Unifier Sign In window, click Forgot Password?
2) Enter your user name and email address, and click OK.
3) Answer your Secret Question(s) and click Submit. You will receive an email notification
containing your reset password. Use the new password to sign in to Primavera Unifier.
To add secret questions to use when resetting your password:
1) Sign in to Primavera Unifier, then click the Preferences link in the upper right portion of the
Primavera Unifier window.
2) Click the Security tab.
3) Under Password Recovery Secret Questions, select a question and enter the answer. You can
add up to three Secret Questions.
Notes:
The Sign In page appears based on the supported browser language.
If the browser is not supported, the Sign In page appears in English.
After signing in to Unifier, the Unifier language will be based on the
Language selected in the User Preferences. See User Preferences
(on page 38) section for details.
1) Open your browser and enter the web address to open the Primavera Unifier Sign In window.
a. If you are on the Oracle Cloud then this web address will come from Oracle Cloud
Provisioning
b. If you are an on-premises user, use the web address that your site administrator gave you.
2) Enter your user name: coadmin
3) Enter the password that was set for you during the Unifier installation.
4) Click Sign In to open the application.
Note: To sign out of the Primavera Unifier, click Sign Out from the upper
right-corner of the Unifier window.
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If you still have trouble signing in, contact your Company Administrator or Oracle Customer
Support.
After signing in for the first time, you may wish, or be required, to change your password. See the
Changing Your Password (on page 39) section for details.
Note: Save your work often. If you are inactive in Unifier for longer than
the time-out limit (one hour), the system will sign you out automatically,
and any unsaved work will be lost.
Security Warnings
The first time you perform certain functions in Primavera Unifier, security warnings may appear
from third party software confirming the use of Java plug-ins from these business partners.
Follow the instructions below to prevent the warnings from recurring every time that you use the
functionality in Primavera Unifier that requires these certificates.
Online Help
If you have a question or need further assistance regarding a specific feature, review the online
help.
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For JRE 8
Do the following steps in java control panel:
1) In the Advanced tab, deselect: Use TLS 1.1 and Use TLS 1.2 check-boxes.
2) Click OK.
3) Go to the Security Tab.
4) Add the Unifier URLs in the Edit Site List.
5) Click OK.
6) Close the Control Panel on your computer and close all open browsers for changes to take
effect.
For JRE 7
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Note: You must have been given the proper permissions to create, view,
or edit portal-enabled records.
Notes:
The user input data (data entry) in Business Processes (BPs),
attribute forms of various Managers, and other similar elements, when
entered at runtime, cannot be translated.
User’s data entry must be saved “as-is” and include support for single
and multi-byte characters UCS Transformation Format—8-bit
(UTF-8).
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Getting Started
See the login information: The last login date and time that you signed in.
See the name of the user who has signed in.
Access username menu, Help, and Sign Out options.
Access Preferences from the username menu.
Change password and access proxy login settings (Proxy For) from the username menu,
without opening the Preferences window.
Access Unifier Help, Unifier Library, Contact Support, Download Plugins, and About Unifier
from the Help menu.
Review all of your projects or shells, tasks, or messages.
See which projects have active tasks or new uMails.
View system-wide project or shell or shell announcements.
Access Primavera Unifier functions using the Navigator.
Navigator
The primary means of accessing Primavera Unifier features within a project or a shell is through
the Navigator, located in the left pane of the Unifier window.
The Navigator is similar to a folder system, much like a network drive. Each feature is stored in its
own "node," similar to a folder. Each node is controlled by permissions. If you do not see a feature
in the Navigator, contact your project or shell Administrator or Company Administrator to verify
that you have been assigned the proper access permissions.
Use the Expand All or Collapse All buttons, at the bottom of the Navigator pane to expand or
collapse the nodes.
Tabs
Primavera Unifier uses tab-based navigation. You can use tabs to navigate to frequently used
locations: Home, Company Workspace, individual projects, programs, and single- or
multiple-instance shells.
Unifier allows you to create, and use, unlimited number of tabs, rearrange your tabs locations on
the screen, close all tabs (except one). You can arrange tabs (including the Home tab) by
dragging.
To create a new tab, click the plus (+) sign next to the existing tab on your screen and use
dragging to arrange tabs, including the Home tab.
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Note: When tabs no longer fit on the page, Unifier provides scrolling
option and drop-down list to assist you with accessing all your tabs.
You can also create multiple tabs representing the same location to quickly navigate to, or in,
different areas within that location.
Tabs maintain their states if you switch tabs. For example, if you are working in Schedule Manager
(User mode) and decide to switch to another tab and switch back, the system preserves your
setting, Schedule Manager (User mode). Similarly, when you sign out of Unifier and sign in again,
you return to the tab that you were working with, before you signed out, with your settings
preserved.
Note: First-time Unifier users see only the Home tab. Returning users see
all the tabs that were displayed in the previous Unifier version.
(For on-premises users only) Unifier displays the Executive Dashboard tab only if you have
access to a company dashboard. The Executive Dashboard tab is different from the other tabs.
The following lists the Executive Dashboard tab features:
Fixed height and width
Displays a chart
Always remains as the first tab, so it cannot be reordered like other tabs
Is not included in the scroll area, so it remains in place to the left of the scroll controls
Navigation Bar
The navigation bar in Unifier consists of bookmarks, navigation field, and breadcrumbs (locator
links).
Bookmarks: See Bookmarks.
Navigation field: To enter the name, number, or path of the location you want to go to. The
navigation field provides an alternative way to navigate to the frequenty used locations.
Breadcrumbs (locator links): See Breadcrumbs (locator links).
Modes of Operation
Primavera Unifier has two modes of operation.
User Mode: Users spend most of their time in this mode. The User Mode allows you perform
the day-to-day activities, collaborate through business processes and uMail, maintain, for
example, the Cost Manager, Schedule Manager, and Document Manager, and run reports.
Administration Mode: Company administrators work in this mode to set up, for example,
company, program, and project or shell properties, user permissions, templates for major
Unifier features, data structures, and configure and set up business process forms and
workflows.
You can switch between modes using the Navigator. The switch is located at the bottom of the
Navigator. You can click, or drag, the switch to access the User or Administration modes.
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Getting Started
Note: Even if you do not have permission to access a shell, the shell
name appears in the breadcrumb trail.
Bookmarks
The function of bookmarks in Unifier is similar to the bookmarks that you create in a web browser
to help you access a web page more quickly, or navigate to frequently used locations.
Note: Unifier does not validate bookmark names, so ensure that you do
not add duplicate or confusing bookmark names.
You can add bookmarks to Unifier User Mode functions where you frequently work.
To add bookmarks:
1) Go to the tab/node that you want to bookmark.
2) From the top left-hand corner, click the Star icon to open the Bookmarks window. The name of
the tab/node appears in the Name field. You can modify the name for your bookmark, if you
wish.
3) Click Add to create a bookmark.
4) Close the Bookmark window.
To use bookmarks:
1) From the top left-hand corner, click the Star icon to open the Bookmarks window.
2) Provided that you have permission to access that module, clicking on a bookmark opens the
shell or project. Breadcrumbs to your current location appear in the upper right-corner of the
Unifier window.
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To organize/manage bookmarks:
1) From the top left-hand corner, click the Star icon to open the Bookmarks window.
2) Click Organize, located at the top of the Bookmarks window, to open the Organize Bookmarks
window.
3) Proceed to organize/manage:
To designate a bookmark as the default module shown to you at sign in, select the
bookmark and click OK. The Organize Bookmarks window closes.
User Preferences
To access the User Preferences window:
1) From the top right-corner of your window, click your User Name to open a contextual menu.
The menu offers a limited set of choices that are available in the current state.
2) Click Preferences to open the User Preferences window. The User Preferences window
opens on the General tab.
The User Preferences window contains five tabs as described below.
General
Use this tab to view company contact information.
Security
Use this tab to manage password reset, password recovery, selection of secret questions, and
view password policy.
Options
Use this tab to manage company settings such as: File viewer (Default Viewer and Viewer
Exceptions), File Transfer Option, Default Login View, Email Subscription, Workflow, Document
Manager, uMail, User Defined Reports (UDRs), Alerts, Gates, and Project/Shell.
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Region Format
Use this tab to manage settings such as: Language, Time Zone, Date Format, and Number and
Currency Formats.
Proxy
Use this tab to add:
Users who can act as your proxy
Users you can act as their proxy
The Company Administrator can:
Set a default format for all users by specifying the desired format in the User Preference
Templates.
Create multiple User Preference Templates and advance these templates to all or selected
users.
The topics that follow describe available User Preference configuration settings for each tab, in
details.
Notes:
If your company is using Oracle Identity Management (OIM) to add
users to your company, you must use OIM to manage your password.
For information on changing your password, see the documentation
included with OIM.
You cannot recover/reset your password if you do not set up password
recovery secret questions and corresponding answers.
For better security, change your password at regular intervals. Your
Company Administrator may require you to change it at set times.
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To change your password using the Security tab of the User Preferences window follow these
steps:
1) Go to the User Preference Security tab.
2) Click View Password Policy, review the policy (see the Password/Login Policy section at
the end of this section for details), and close the window.
3) Enter your current password and new password in the Current Password and Password fields.
4) Confirm your new password by entering the new password in the Confirm Password field.
5) Under Password Recovery Secret Questions section of the Security tab, select a question and
enter the answer. You can designate up to three secret questions.
6) Click Apply and click OK to close the User Preferences window.
To change your password using the Security tab of the Change Password option follow these
steps:
1) From the top right-corner of your window, click your User Name to open a contextual menu.
2) Click Change Password to open the Change Password window.
3) Enter your current password and new password in the Current Password and Password fields.
4) Confirm your new password by entering the new password in the Confirm Password field.
5) Click Save complete changing of your password.
You can recover your password from the Sign In Page.
To recover your password:
1) Go to the Sign In page.
2) Click Forgot Password? link to open the Reset Password window.
3) Enter your user name and email in the User Name and Email fields.
4) Click Submit to show the Secret Question.
Note: If you did not set up the Password Recovery Secret Questions, or if
your Unifier account is Inactive or On-Hold, you will receive an error
message instructing you to contact Oracle Customer Support.
5) Enter the answer to your secret question field and click Submit. A system-generated email
containing a temporary password will be sent to you automatically.
6) Click OK in the Alert window.
7) Go to your email inbox and open the system-generated email titled "Unifier Password Reset
Notification" and follow the instructions.
Password/Login Policy
Minimum overall characters: Minimum number of characters that a password must contain;
default is one (1).
Maximum overall characters: Minimum number of characters that a password must contain.
Minimum numeric characters: Password must contain a minimum amount of numbers.
Minimum alphabetic characters: Password must contain a minimum amount of letters.
Minimum special characters: Special characters are [{~!@#$%&*()-_=+;:"’,<.>/?}].
Password cannot be same as Username: Users cannot use their user name as a password.
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Password cannot be the same as the user’s First or Last Name: Users cannot use their first or
last name as a password.
Password cannot be same as last password(s): A newly changed password must be different
from the previously used passwords.
Password expiration day(s): If a password expires, users are prompted to change it when they
next sign in.
Inform user before expiration day(s): Upon signing in, users are warned that their passwords
are about to expire, and are given the opportunity to change the password.
Maximum sign in attempts: If a user does not successfully sign in after this number of attempts,
the account is locked.
Suspend inactive user after day(s): Sets the number of days of inactivity before a user account
is locked.
Note: The Time Zone setting is based on the Coordinated Universal Time
(UTC).
Note: The time format for all dates is: HH:MM AM.
DD.MM.YYYY
YYYY-MM-DD
MMM/DD/YYYY
DD/MMM/YYYY
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YYYY/MMM/DD
M/D/YYYY
M/D/YY
D/M/YYYY
D/M/YY
YY/M/D
YYYY/M/D
YY/MM/DD
YYYY/MM/DD
Note: When the Company Administrator creates a User for the first time,
when selecting a language, the values of the number formats are
populated accordingly and displayed in the Region Format tab of the
User Preferences. The number formatting options are not displayed in the
User Properties window. The number formatting options are displayed in
the User Preferences. If the Company Administrator changes the
language value in the User Properties window, the Region Format tab of
the User Preferences shows the same languages as in User Properties
window and the number formatting options remain the same.
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Changing Language
The following settings are maintained in the Region Format tab of your User Preferences.
To set the language:
1) Go to the User Preference Region Format tab.
2) Click the Language drop-down list and select your language.
3) When finished, click Apply and then OK.
The following languages are supported:
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
Dutch
English
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Portuguese (Brazil)
Russian
Spanish
Viewer Option
Note: Before you choose a file viewer option, you must have an active
AutoVue license and AutoVue installed and configured on your server.
The file viewer option determines how Unifier displays files (such as documents or drawings) that
are attached to business processes or stored in the Document Manager and opened from within
Unifier.
You can choose a default viewer, which will be used to open most file types in Unifier. You can
also specify exceptions to this; for example, you may choose Unifier Viewer as the default viewer,
which will be used to open most file types, but then choose to open a few file types such as
drawing files and image files using the native software applications that reside on the user's
desktop machine.
To select a file viewer option:
1) Go to the User Preference Options tab.
2) Click the Default Viewer drop-down list and select one of the following viewer options:
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Native
Unifier Viewer
3) When finished, click Apply and then OK.
The following describes each of the default file viewer options in details:
Native
To open documents in their native software applications (for example, Microsoft® Word
documents are opened in Microsoft Word). In order to be able to use this option to view files, you
must have the native software application installed on your computer.
Note: The native software application does not display the document
graphical markups, but Unifier displays the document graphical markups
automatically, using the AutoVue viewer.
Unifier Viewer
To open documents in AutoVue viewer, which can display virtually any type of file.
Note: If you select Unifier Viewer, the document opens in read-only view,
but it supports adding graphical markups and text comments (for
example, in attachments to business process and other records, or in files
in the Document Manager).
Viewer Exceptions
The Viewer Exceptions section of the Options tab allows you to specify exceptions to the default
viewer of your choice.
Example
If you selected “Unifier Viewer” as your file viewer and want “Native” to show a particular
extension and not the “Unifier Viewer,” enter the extension in the “Always Use Native:” field.
If you selected “Native” as your file viewer and want “Unifier” to show a particular extension
and not your Native software, enter the extension in the “Always Use Unifier:” field.
Notes:
Omit the period before the extension.
Separate multiple extensions by a semicolon, with no space in
between.
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Attaching files from your local system to a business process, cost or funding sheet cell,
schedule sheet or uMail message
There are three file transfer options:
Basic
Intermediate
Advanced
The following describes each option in details.
Basic
This option uses HTML. It can be used on any Unifier-compatible machine. It has the most basic
functionality, allowing single-file selection for uploads and downloads, and will resolve drawing
reference files after upload.
Intermediate
This option uses Oracle Java SE Runtime Environment (Java). In addition to basic functionality, it
supports the selection of multiple files and folders for uploading and downloading. It will resolve
reference file relationships in DWG and DGN drawing files. This process takes place on the server
(that is, reference files should already be uploaded to Unifier or be part of the current upload
process). Refer to the Unifier Help (File Transfer Option) and the Tested Configuration Information
document for more details.
Advanced
This option uses Java and Primavera Unifier File Transfer Utility. It provides the greatest flexibility
for uploading and downloading documents and folders, especially drawing files. In addition to the
Intermediate functionality, its advanced functionality for managing reference file relationships in
DWG and DGN drawing files makes it easier for users to locate, upload, revise, and download
reference files. The resolve process is done on your local system. The process will make sure that
all reference files are included in the upload and will automatically bundle necessary files as
needed.
The Advanced option requires the download and installation of Primavera Unifier File Transfer
Utility and Java. The Primavera Unifier File Transfer Utility installation file and instructions are
available for download from within Unifier; click the Support link, then choose the Download tab.
Refer to the Unifier Help (File Transfer Option) and the Tested Configuration Information
document for more details.
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Java (plus
Primavera
Advanc
Unifier File Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
ed
Transfer
Utility)
Note: For information about installing Java and the Primavera Unifier File
Transfer Utilities, refer to the Unifier Help (File Transfer Option) and the
Tested Configuration Information document.
Note: If you do not have view permission, your email notifications settings
do not override the original permissions (set by your Company
Administrator), and you only get email notifications for modules and/or
events that you have permission to view.
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If you are using an email address from a generic email account such as Yahoo, Hotmail, and so
forth, your spam filter may filter out these notifications. Refer to your email provider regarding how
to allow these notifications to reach your inbox.
Notes:
For permission-based emails, email notification is usually sent the first
time permission has been granted and not when permissions are
modified, unless otherwise noted.
Document Manager email notifications are only sent if users have at
least view permission on the affected item, and if the item owner
enables email notification.
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Users with view permission (set in the Document Manager) on the applicable document, folder, or
shortcut target receive notification when the following occurs:
Document upload
A new document is uploaded into the folder.
Transfer ownership
File or folder ownership is transferred. The new owner is notified.
Move
A document, folder, or shortcut is moved from one location or folder to another.
Delete
A document, folder, or shortcut is deleted.
Document revise
A document is revised.
Folder rename
A folder is renamed.
uMail
Personal uMail
Users receive email notification when a new uMail is received.
User Defined Reports (UDRs)
Users receive email notification when:
New report granted
The user is granted at least run permission to a user-defined report by another user.
Results from scheduled reports
When a scheduled report has been generated and the results are available; requires run
permission be granted for the report.
Alerts
Each alert
Users can receive notification when an alert is generated.
Gates
Change Phase Notification
User receives notification when a phase is changed.
Auto-email PDF Gates run
User receives a PDF copy of an automated gates run.
Project/Shell
Successful Creation
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The following settings are maintained in the Options tab of your User Preferences.
When you sign in to Unifier and the application opens, by default you see the Home tab view as
the landing page. You can change the landing page view to a custom dashboard of your choice at
Company-level, only.
You can choose from the configured custom Company-level dashboards by selecting a dashboard
from the Available Dashboards drop-down list in the dashboard view.
To change the landing page view to a custom dashboard:
1) Go to the User Preference Options tab.
2) Select Use Custom Dashboard as default login view, next to the Default Login View field.
3) Click Apply and OK.
Note: If the proxy user must receive task notifications immediately, ask
the proxy user to be sure the Send notifications in a single daily digest
checkbox is not selected. See Selecting Email Subscription Options
(on page 46) on the User Preferences Options tab.
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Note: If the "Do not allow Proxies" option in the Proxy tab is selected for
proxy users who have existed already, then the users will be unable to act
as proxies.
Note: The following option is available only if the Administrator has not
checked the "Do not allow Proxies" option. The "Do not allow Proxies"
option is not editable for the users. See the following topic: "Do not allow
Proxies."
Note: If you do not specify a start or end date, the proxy user can access
your account immediately and their access privileges will not expire.
6) Choose Active to activate the proxy user access, or Inactive to disable proxy user access.
7) Click OK.
Note: If you have access to more than one company and want to assign a
proxy in those companies, you will need to go into each company and set
the proxy user. Click your User name, select the company and repeat the
above steps for that company.
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You can designate only one proxy user. If you want to change to a different proxy user, make the
first user inactive, then add a new one.
Note: Your Company Administrator can also assign another user to act as
proxy to your account if you are unable to do so.
If you have been designated as a proxy for another user, that user will be listed in the lower portion
of the Proxy tab of the User Preferences window. As a proxy user, you have virtually all of the
permissions of the other user, with the following exceptions: you cannot change the original user’s
Preference settings (including their password), and you cannot alter any user’s Permission
settings, even if the original user has Administration permissions to do so.
To log in as someone else’s proxy user:
1) From the top right-corner of your window, click your User Name to open a contextual menu.
2) Click the Preferences link. The User Preferences window opens.
3) Click the Proxy tab.
4) Select the user account to which you want to log in as a proxy.
5) Click Proxy Login. The Unifier Home Page opens, and you are immediately acting on behalf
of the user.
To log out as a proxy user:
Click the Logout link at the upper right portion of the Unifier window. Your Proxy session will end,
but you will still be signed in to Unifier under your own user name.
To view the proxy user settings:
1) From the top right-corner of your window, click your User Name to open a contextual menu.
2) Click the Preferences link. The User Preferences window opens.
3) Click the Proxy tab.
4) In the lower portion of the Proxy tab window, select the user account to which you have been
named proxy user. See the table below.
5) Click Settings. The Proxy User Settings window opens.
6) Enter the Start and End Date/Time of your proxy access.
7) Check that Active is selected (default.)
8) Click OK.
9) In the User Preferences window, click OK.
Item Description
Allows you to designate another person who can log in as
your proxy user. That person will have access to all of the
records and functions that you do. A proxy user signed in
Users who can act as my to your account cannot change your Preference settings.
Proxy Audit logs reflect that actions taken by a proxy user are
on behalf of the original user. The Settings button allows
you to activate/deactivate the proxy user or set login time
limits.
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Getting Started
Additional Support
The following is a list of additional support that are available in Unifier:
Unifier Help
Unifier Library
Contact Support
Download Plugins
About Unifier
Note: The Contact Support and Download Plugins options both open a
single window, Support. The only difference is as follows:
- Contact Support opens the Contact tab of the Support window by default
- Download Plugins opens the Download tab of the Support window by
default
Unifier Help
Click Help from the upper right-hand section of the Unifier window to open a contextual menu and
click Unifier Help to open the Unifier and uDesigner Help.
Unifier Library
Click Help from the upper right-hand section of the Unifier window to open a contextual menu and
click Unifier Library to open the Unifier documentation library.
Contact Support
Click Help from the upper right-hand section of the Unifier window to open a contextual menu and
click Contact Support to open the Support window.
The Support window has two tabs:
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In the Contact tab, eLearning section, you see the location (Access), name of the contact
(Contact), and any instructions that you might need in order to access the eLearning materials.
Note: Your company may elect to provide access to the eLearning suite,
where you can access interactive Primavera Unifier learning materials.
Alternatively, your company may have its own customized support or
training materials that can be accessed on an internal site/location. If your
company administrator provides this contact information, it will be listed at
the bottom of the window.
In the Download tab, Download section, you can see a list of the following application and plug-ins
available to download, with installation instructions.
File Transfer Application
Unifier uCAD Plug-in
Each application and plug-in has two options:
Download
Installation instructions
Follow the links within each option to proceed.
Download Plugins
Click Help from the upper right-hand section of the Unifier window to open a contextual menu and
click Download Plugins to open the Support window.
The Support window has two tabs:
Contact
Download, which opens by default
In the Download tab, Download section, you can see a list of the following application and plug-ins
available to download, with installation instructions.
File Transfer Application
Unifier uCAD Plug-in
Each application and plug-in has two options:
Download
Installation instructions
Follow the links within each option to proceed.
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In the Contact tab, Contact Information section, you can see the name, phone, and contact
instructions of someone at your company that you can contact when you need help with Primavera
Unifier. For assistance, try this person, first.
In the Contact tab, eLearning section, you see the location (Access), name of the contact
(Contact), and any instructions that you might need in order to access the eLearning materials.
Note: Your company may elect to provide access to the eLearning suite,
where you can access interactive Primavera Unifier learning materials.
Alternatively, your company may have its own customized support or
training materials that can be accessed on an internal site/location. If your
company administrator provides this contact information, it will be listed at
the bottom of the window.
About Unifier
Click Help from the upper right-hand section of the Unifier window to open a contextual menu and
click About Unifier to access version number, copyright information, and software agreement
details for the Oracle Primavera Unifier.
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Common Procedures
This section summarizes some procedures that are the same or very similar in different sections
and modules within Unifier.
Queries
You will be using queries to extract data from the database for reports and data pickers, and to set
up auto-creation with creator elements.
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A query is a data mining tool—a method for retrieving information from a database. A query filters
the information returned from the database according to restrictions or conditions you specify. The
Unifier queries can:
Filter or narrow the data being retrieved for use in reports and manager sheets
Set up conditions or triggers to make something happen automatically in Unifier
Filter or narrow the data being retrieved for use in a data picker element
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This formula produces data that meets a field value (string or numeric) from the form of a
business process or a shell in a hierarchy, or a constant. Used to populate a data picker.
Date difference
This formula subtracts one date from another to give you the number of days between the
dates.
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Between dates
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You can compare a date field value to see if it falls between two dates. Used to populate a data
picker.
Attaching Files
This section outlines the rules for file transfer and attachment in Unifier.
Assuming that you have the proper permissions, you may attach files (such as Word documents,
spreadsheets, drawings, etc.) to business process forms, cells (such as a cost sheet or funding
sheet), and uMail messages. These files can be uploaded and attached from your local system, or
they can be attached from documents already uploaded and stored in the Document Manager.
The file attachment procedures are similar across Unifier. When an Attach button is available in a
Unifier window, it is associated with the ability to attach a file. When attaching files to other Unifier
modules, such as a uMail message or Cost Sheet cell, you will be presented with two options:
My Computer: To attach a file from your local system. When you attach files from your local
system, the method of upload depends on your File Transfer Option: Basic (HTML),
Intermediate (Java), or Advanced (Java and the Primavera Unifier File Transfer Utility).
Primavera Unifier Folder: To attach documents from the Document Manager. The window
opens, displaying the Documents files and folders. Select the files and folders to attach and
click OK. (Folders are not attached; the contents of selected folders are attached in a flat list.
Documents with duplicate files names will not attach.) You must have at least view permission
to the folders and files within the Document Manager in order to view and attach them.
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Adding an image
In many forms, you can add an image to a business process, project, shell, etc. For example, you
can add an image that shows progress on the project information record, pictures of assets related
to a specific asset record, or a photo of an employee in the Resource Manager. You can add
images to attribute forms in shells, projects, companies, and BPs.
If the Image picker functionality has been added to your project in uDesigner, forms with the
functionality display the image name and a virtual box that will hold the uploaded image.
Note: The image name is based on the data element name provided in
uDesigner.
You can change the image by replacing it with another uploaded image. Images display on the
HTML or PDF formats of printed forms. They display in print preview as well. The Image picker can
be added to all forms except for those in the Cost Manager, Generic Cost Manager, Schedule
Manager, and the Document Manager.
Adding Hyperlinks
In many forms, you can add a hyperlink to a business process form, project, shell, etc. For
example, you can add a hyperlink to equipment documentation, details on a resource, or external
websites that contain information pertinent to a business process record. You can add hyperlinks
to attribute forms in shells, projects, companies, and business processes.
If the Hyperlink picker functionality has been added to your project in uDesigner, forms with the
functionality display a hyperlink name, such as vendor website or internal web page.
To add a hyperlink:
1) Click on the hyperlink area on the form.The Hyperlink window displays:
2) Enter the hyperlink name and the URL. Only the URL is mandatory. If you enter the name and
the URL, the hyperlink displays as the name you entered. If you enter the URL only, the
hyperlink displays as the URL. The protocols HTTP and HTTPS are the only protocols
allowed. FTP is not supported for hyperlink creation on forms.
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Note: The URL should not reference the same domain that Unifier is using
for operation (ask your site administrator if you do not know your domain
name. If you attempt to use the same domain, a warning message will
result.
3) Click OK.
To reset a hyperlink:
1) Click on the hyperlink area on the form. The Hyperlink window displays.
2) In the Hyperlink window, click Clear. This will remove the existing hyperlink.
3) Enter a new hyperlink name and URL.
4) Click OK.
Note: New records can also be created by XML integration via Web
Services. For more information about Web Services integration, see the
Integration Interface guide. XML integration via Web Services must be
coordinated with Primavera Unifier Consulting Services.
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A class for a
code-and-record-bas
In the [Manager] node of the Navigator, select the class.
ed configurable
manager
Caution: Do not add, move, or delete the columns in the CSV file.
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This section explains how the availability of different languages (Internationalization) impact the
various CSV files created, used, imported, or exported.
Note: Number formatting is not supported for Symbols that are based on a
right-to-left language such as official languages of Afghanistan or Hebrew.
Notes:
If translation is not available for a custom error message, then the
source string is displayed.
Before importing a CSV file, always check the User Preferences
settings to see the allowed format and number formatting.
When importing, or exporting, a CSV file, the date format follows the
User Preferences date format settings.
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If importing a CSV data file (Example: Importing Column details), the column data appears
according to your User Preferences settings.
You do not need to enter the Currency symbol manually because the symbol is included in the
header. Entering the Currency symbol manually generates and error message.
When importing a CSV file is complete, the number formatting displays according to your User
Preferences settings.
When importing a CSV file is complete, the date formatting displays according to your User
Preferences settings.
List of impacted sheets and modules
Cost Sheet
Funding Sheet
CM sheet
Generic Cost Sheet
Planning Sheet
Summary Fund Sheet
Summary Budget
WBS Details
Column Details
Data Definitions (DDs) export
List of modules impacted by exporting, only
In Unifier functionalities that allow only exporting of data but not importing data through a CSV file,
the column headers and the Data Element (DE) labels display according to your User Preferences
settings. The following shows a list of modules impacted by exporting, only:
Basic data definitions under Data Structure Setup
Cost Codes under Data Structure Setup
Data Elements under Data Structure Setup
Data Picker under Data Structure Setup
CSV templates
When exporting a CSV template, the column headers display according to your User
Preferences settings. The following provides additional information:
If you enter data for any text type DE, the data is not translated. Example: "Vendor Specialty" is
a text type DE. If the User enters "Electrical Appliances" as the data, then the entry is not
translated according to the User Preferences settings.
You must not include currency and digit grouping symbols when you enter data because the
information is captured as a part of header information and according to your User
Preferences settings. If you enter currency and digit grouping symbols when you enter data,
you receive an error message.
Ensure that you enter the negative number format with a minus sign at the beginning of the
number: Example: -10000,99 (minus 10000 comma 99). The decimal symbol is a comma)
If you enter a value in the date field, or in line items, through CSV, the values display according
to your User Preferences settings.
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Notes:
All error messages, system, custom, or form validation, display
according to your User Preferences settings.
The file name of an exported file will not be translated automatically.
As Project Administrator, you can receive email notification of the successful creation of a shell
instance, for shells that are created manually, through Web Services or a CSV file upload, or
through auto-creation. This notification can be set up in email notifications in uDesigner. Also, you
can set your User Preferences to control whether you receive these notifications.
Refer to the Primavera Unifier Integration Interface Guide for data elements you can use with Web
Services.
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Note: Number formatting is not supported for Symbols that are based on a
right-to-left language such as official languages of Afghanistan or Hebrew.
Note: The DEs of the DD = "Record Status Pulldown" will not be opened
for Bulk Eidt or Bulk Action settings.
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You can update a maximum of 200 records using bulk editing. You must have Allow Bulk Edit
permission on the records. Bulk editing uses an integration interface to update multiple records.
Your Administrator must design this integration interface in uDesigner before bulk editing is
possible. If you receive a message that the interface has not been created, notify your
Administrator.
For business processes, only the upper form can be modified during bulk editing. For all other
types of records, the detail form can be modified. All system-generated field values and formula
columns on manager sheets are automatically recalculated during the bulk edit.
On business processes, the bulk edit function works only on fields from the action form (upper
form) for the current step in a workflow. It cannot be used to edit the following:
Auto-populated fields
Fields in a dynamic data set
Read-only fields
Fields from line items
System-generated fields, such as record number, status, or due date
Notes:
Bulk edits overwrite data without stopping for you to verify the edit. Be
sure you have entered the data you want to edit correctly.
Bulk edit is not available for Resource Booking and Timesheet
business processes, or single-record business processes.
If you use bulk edit to update multiple records, and attempt to update a
field that has value uniqueness configured, only the first record will be
updated (and is therefore unique).
From a master log, you can select records across projects or shells for bulk editing, but the
following fields cannot be modified:
Image Picker
Program Picker
Company Picker
Group Name Picker
User Picker
Project Picker
BP Creator
Record Status Pulldown
To update multiple records using bulk editing:
1) Navigate to the log where the records reside.
2) Select the records you want to bulk edit.
3) Choose Edit > Bulk Edit. The Bulk Edit window opens.
The Bulk Edit window displays all the editable fields from the form that were included on the
integration interface.
4) Modify the fields needed.
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5) Select the Update checkbox beside the fields that you want to update. The checkbox is
automatically selected when you type into or modify a field. You can deselect it if you do not
want to modify the field at this time.
Note: If the Update checkbox is selected for an empty field, the field will be
updated with a blank value.
6) Click Update. This launches the bulk edit of the selected records.
When you click Update, a Bulk Actions Status window opens, where you can view the
progress of the bulk edit.
If you want to cancel the bulk update in progress, click Cancel.
7) After all the records have been processed, click OK.
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In many floating Find windows, fields often show an operator, such as "contains" or "equals,"
which you can use to specify more precisely which items you want to see. In the example Find
window below, you could narrow the list to show only forms with a status of "pending." Or to show
only those forms with a status that equals "in progress."
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Some fields have a Select button that opens a picker or displays a list of values to choose from.
Some of these lists (e.g., a multi-select field) allow you to choose multiple values by holding down
the Ctrl key as you click the items. When you choose multiple values, the search will return results
that match any or all of the values you specified. This feature is a convenient way to conduct
searches for multiple query values in one action.
Changeable operators, such as "contains" or "equals," are not available in static Find windows,
nor is the "save search" feature.
Static Find windows display search results that do not include a banner across the top of the
window. To restore the list of records to its unfiltered state, click the X icon in the upper-right corner
of the Find window.
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Another example might be that the value in the field should be between:
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Floating Find windows display search results that include a banner across the top of the window.
This banner indicates that the list has been searched, or filtered. To restore the list of records to its
unfiltered state, click Cancel Filter in the banner.
To search a log
1) Open log you want to search.
For your Tasks log, go to the Home tab and switch to User Mode. Click Tasks in the left
Navigator.
For a business process log, go to the Company Workspace tab or go to your project and
switch to User Mode. In the company workspace, click Company Logs in the left
Navigator. In a project, click Logs in the left Navigator.
For a Designer log, go to the Company Workspace tab and switch to Administration
Mode. Click uDesigner in the left Navigator, then click the log you want to search.
2) Click the Find button above the log.
3) Enter the search criteria.
In those fields with operators you cannot change, enter the value the field should contain,
or click the Select button and select the value from the list that appears.
In those fields that show an underlined operator, first click the operator and choose the
operator you want to use on the field, such as "equals" or "does not contain." Then enter
the value the field should contain.
Some fields have a Select button that opens a picker or displays a list of values to choose
from. Some of these lists (for example, for multi-select fields) allow you to choose multiple
values by holding down the Ctrl key as you click the items.
4) (Optional) Save the search.
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In the Save As field, enter a name for the search, and click the Save button.
For more information about saving searches, see Using and editing saved search criteria
(on page 85).
5) For business process logs:
a. If you want to sort the records in the log by special groupings, in the View Records equals
field, select as shown in the first table below.
b. For workflow business process records, in the Workflow Status equals field, select as
shown in the second table below.
c. Click the Search button (or press the Enter key on your keyboard).
Unifier searches and displays all the records that met the criteria you entered. For example,
this search located all the Transmittal business processes on a Tasks Log:
6) Click the Search button (or press the Enter key on your keyboard).
Unifier searches and displays all the records that met the criteria you entered. For example,
this search located all the Transmittal business processes on a Tasks Log.
First Table:
Second Table:
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The Clear button works a bit differently on the Tasks log. Depending on the type of business
process you are searching, you may see different fields to search by. When you use the Clear
button, Unifier removes these fields from the Find window.
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Note: The Find feature searches only the latest versions of documents. It
does not search older versions.
In the Document Manager, the Find feature offers you two search options:
By Properties: With this option, you can search the metadata of the folder or document, which
can include properties such as the name, owner, title, or creation date.
By Content: With this option, you can search folders and documents for specific content. You
can search by single words or phrases.
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Note: As applies to the Search by Properties Option and Dates: If you are
using dates to search for documents, you have the option of entering only
one date. If you enter only the first date, Unifier will show all the
documents from that date onward. If you enter only the second date,
Unifier will show all the documents from that date and prior to that date.
Tip: For best results, use only alpha-numeric characters in your search
criteria. If you are not receiving the search results you expect, try placing
your criteria in quotes.
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Searching Sheets
For all manager sheets except the Cost sheets, searching for items entails searching a specific
column on the sheet for a value. Unifier searches the line items in that column and highlight the
value, if found. (For cost sheet searches, see the following.)
To search a sheet:
1) Open the sheet.
2) Click the Find button (or choose Find from the View menu). A Find window opens.
3) In the Column field, choose the column that contains the value you are looking for.
4) In the Value field, enter the value you are searching for.
You can enter a full or partial word, number or other value, but do not enter a wildcard
character for partial entries. The format of your entry will depend on the type of value you are
searching for. If you are searching for a fund code, you can include the code separator if one is
used (for example, a dash).
5) In the Search field, choose the direction in which you want to search, relevant to the location of
your cursor on the sheet. Choose Up or Down.
6) Click the Find Next button.
If Primavera Unifier finds the value, it will highlight the row on the sheet.
Search for cost codes on a Cost Manager Sheet:
The Find feature on the Cost Manager Sheet works differently from other sheets. On Cost
Manager Sheets, you will be looking for a cost code.
To search for a cost code:
1) In the Cost Sheet window, click the Find button. The Cost Code Find window opens.
2) Select the cost code segment you want to search by.
3) In the Cost Type field, select the cost type you are looking for.
4) Click OK.
Unifier displays the results in a separate cost sheet window.
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Searching Pickers
Most pickers include a Find feature with which you can locate specific objects (codes, assets,
business processes, users, shells, etc.) while you are working on a form or a sheet . When you use
this Find feature, Unifier narrows the list of items shown on the picker to match the search criteria
you specified. For pickers with extensive lists, this can make completing the business process
form much quicker.
Some pickers display static Find windows; others display floating windows like the Task and
business process logs (however, without the "save search" feature).
For most pickers, the Find feature works as generally described under Floating Find windows
(on page 74) and Static Find windows (on page 75); however, the User/Group Picker works
differently.
Notes:
Fund Pickers are most often searchable by the fields that were
created for the fund attribute form in uDesigner. However, if no
attribute form was created for the fund, you can search for the fund by
its name or code.
Pickers that include WBS codes display information generated from a
sheet (the cost sheet or an SOV). Consequently, the Find feature on
the WBS Picker, Commit Line Item Picker, and SOV Picker works the
same way as it does on manager sheets . For instructions on using
these pickers, see Searching Sheets (on page 83).
Note: If you choose to, you can cancel the search action by clicking
[Cancel Filter]. Unifier will restore the picker list.
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Use this
To:
field:
Change the order of saved searches that appears in the Filtered By menu
Order on the log. Click in an Order field and enter a positive number. Then click
the Update Order button to see the new order.
Change the name of a saved search. Select the name and enter a new
Name
one. You can rename only the saved searches that you have created.
Enter a description for your saved search (up to 150 characters). You can
Description
add a description only for saved searches you have created.
Make this search your default search. Select the checkbox to make this
Default search appear first in the Filtered By drop-down list.
The "Default" option is not available for Tasks log searches.
Public Make your saved search public; that is, available to other users. Select the
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Click this
To:
button:
View public saved searches created by other users.
To add the search to your list of saved searches, select one or more
searches and click Select. You cannot modify saved searches created by
Public other users.
Searches To modify someone else’s saved search for your use, select it (or select
multiple searches) and click Copy. This copies the search so you can
modify it to create a new search. The new search is initially marked as
private, and you are designated as the owner.
Remove a search from your saved searches list. Select the search and
Remove
click Remove. You can delete only saved searches that you have created.
Move Up / Reorder the searches in the list. Select a saved search and move it up or
Move Down down the list by clicking the Move Up or Move down button.
Update Preview the revised order of the saved searches. The new ordering is
Order saved when you click the Save button.
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If a scheduled job such as Project Gates, where the "Auto-email as PDF attachment to users and
groups" option is selected, the language in the PDF attachment is according to the User
Preferences of the creator of the job (Project Gates creator).
When a manual refresh of the Gates is requested, the language in the PDF attachment is
according to the User Preferences of the User who requested the refresh.
Oracle Map viewer supports internationalization for Tier 1 languages. Refer to the Oracle Map
Viewer User Guide for more details.
The language displayed in the map, and the following subsequent areas, is according to the
language selected in the User Preferences of the User:
View map for BP records from log
Shell Landing Page
Map Picker in Log Find
Map Picker in Bulk Edit
View Map when invoked from the BP record
Note: eLocation services, which is used for geocoding, does not support
internationalization. As a result, the map labels are displayed in English. If
a User enters a label in a different language, then the Find feature does
not provide the desired results.
The latest version of the File Transfer Application (FTA) supports internationalization as follows:
Basic upload
You can conduct a basic upload from My Computer or Unifier folder.
When using My Computer, the System Strings displayed on the upload window are translated as a
part of System Strings translation.
When using Unifier folder, the System Strings displayed on the upload window are translated as a
part of System Strings translation; however, the folder names (on the left-hand pane) cannot be
translated because the folder names are User input data.
Intermediate Upload
You can conduct a intermediate upload from My Computer or Unifier folder.
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The intermediate upload window supports internationalization based on the language selected in
the User Preferences of the User.
Advanced Upload
FTA Advanced upload has two components:
Installer
Upload window
The FTA installation file does not support internationalization and will be in English.
The upload window of Advanced FTA supports internationalization based on the language
selected in the User Preferences of the User.
System Strings display according to the language selected in the User Preferences of the User.
Advanced Upload in Space Manager
The Import Drawing Files feature in Space Manager requires the User to have the upload option
set to Advanced.
After a drawing file has been uploaded, the Drawing file processing window displays according to
the language selected in the User Preferences of the User.
Notes:
The non-RTF templates do not support internationalization.
You can change the template type when the template is in Creation
stage, only. Once you create a template, you cannot change the
template type. Use the report designer to create a new template with
the desired template type and remove the template that is no longer
needed.
In the Custom Report window (Report File tab), the only editable column is the Default column,
which allows you to set the default template by selecting (check-box) the corresponding template.
Note: The system sets the first template, or XLIFF file, that you upload as
the default template.
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Use Modify in the Custom Report window (Report File tab) to modify an existing template. Once
you click Modify, the Modify Template and Files window opens which allows you to modify the
template and the translated XLIFF file for that template. When finished, click OK.
Use Download in the Custom Report window (Report File tab) to download a template and the
corresponding translated XLIFF file, in a zip file.
External BIP reports
If you want to download the data model of a template, select the template and click Download in
the Custom Report window (Report File tab). When the download is complete for an External BIP
report, the data model is included.
Non-RTF type template
BIP supports RTF templates and XLIFF files. If the report designer selects a non-RTF type
template, the Browse option in the Modify Template and Files window (Translated XLIFF files for
the Template section) will be disabled.
Custom Report (Query tab) window
Queries based on Data Definition (DD) support internationalization and number formatting
associated with internationalization according to the User Preferences settings.
Queries based on Data Views do not support internationalization and formatting because raw data
is being used.
Queries based on Ad-Hoc support internationalization and number formatting associated with
internationalization according to the User Preferences settings.
Internationalization (Dashboards)
Shell Dashboards
The Shell Dashboards support Internationalization and number formatting for System Strings as
well as Custom Strings according to the User Preferences settings.
Custom Dashboards
Custom Dashboards have two components:
Data cube
SWF file
The SWF file uses the data cube and the labels are created when the user selects the Download
XML option from the Custom Dashboard log and downloads the generated XML. The language
used in the generated XML is based on the User Preferences settings for both System Strings and
Custom Strings.
Note: If you change the language, you need to recreate the SWF (Small
Web Format) file in order to generate a translated XML. If there are no
caching of data in the Dashboard, the translation takes place, but if there
caching of data in the Dashboard, then there will be no translation.
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Note: You can translate the Help files, using a third party translator, and
display the files based on the your User Preferences settings. This
includes uploading a single PDF with multiple language help information.
Note: If the language selected in your User Preferences is not English, the
Spell Check option will not be available.
Note: The time format for all dates is: HH:MM AM.
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Company Workspace
The Company Workspace is the home for managing company assets and resources, the
company-level Document Manager and Cost Manager, company-level business processes, and
more. Depending upon the modules your company has set up and your access permissions, the
following company functions are available in the Navigator.
Summary: Provides a snapshot of project or shell information for the company. You can
customize your summary page (see Working with the Company Summary (on page
92)).
Collaboration: Similar to the project or shell level collaboration area, lists current
company-level business process tasks, messages, and drafts business process logs. See
Unifier Business Processes (on page 150).
General: This log stores company-level, simple-type business processes.
Data Manager: This is a collection of logs storing company-level business processes
created in uDesigner.
Asset Manager: Manage assets in asset sheets. See Unifier Asset Manager (on page
318).
Cost Manager: Access company-level Cost Manager functions as listed below.
Document Manager: Repository of company-level and cross-project or shell documents,
allowing collaboration, revision control, markups, etc. See Unifier Document Manager
(on page 529).
Planning Manager: Create planning items and manage planning sheets. See Unifier
Planning Manager (on page 613).
Resource Manager: Manage staff resources and role information. See Unifier Resource
Manager (on page 624).
Company Logs: Primary storage of company-level business processes.
Reports: For creating and generating company-level, user-defined reports. See About
User-Defined Reports (on page 809)
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Unifier Projects
A project is a "collaboration space" that allows project users to collaborate on and coordinate the
execution of a project. Related projects can be grouped together under a program. If you are a
member of a project that is part of a program, you may be a member of that program.
As a Unifier user, you may be part of a sponsor company or a partner company (or possibly both).
Sponsor companies can commission and administer projects and programs. Partner, or member,
companies (e.g., subcontractors and vendors) work with sponsor companies to complete projects.
Note: User access and permission levels for all functions are controlled by
the Company Administrator. Contact your Company Administrator if you
have questions regarding access.
Within Unifier, a shell is a construct that contains sub-shells. Shells are like standard projects, but
offer more functionality and flexibility in terms of how you work with them in Unifier.
Shells allow users to manage different modules. Projects are also shells that are pre-defined in
Unifier. The Shell Manager allows shell types to be defined in uDesigner. Administrators can later
create one or more instances under each shell type in Unifier. Each instance can have its own
business process, cost manager, reporting module, or other modules as needed.
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Open a project
Open a project to access the project functions and its tabs (see below.) Projects are listed on the
Standard Projects tab. For details on navigation, Navigating in Primavera Unifier (on page 34).
Note: Your company may have configured the navigation so that the
labels on the navigation tabs across the top or nodes on the left Navigator
may differ from the default labels discussed here.
To open a project
Select a project from the Projects log and click Open. The project home page opens, providing an
overview of the project.
When you open the project home page, the Navigator expands, providing access to project-level
features and business processes.
Summary: The Project Summary provides a snapshot of the overall project. You can use the
standard view or customize your own summary page. See Working with the Project
Summary (on page 97) for details.
Alerts: You can create customized alerts to alert you to a condition or event in Unifier that you
specify. See Managing Project Alerts (on page 101) for details.
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uMail: An internal Unifier email feature that allows Unifier project team members to
communicate with each other and maintain a record of the communications. See Working
with uMail (on page 102) for details. For projects with View-Only or Inactive status, uMail is
available for viewing, but you cannot send, edit or delete messages.
Mailbox: The Mailbox is the repository that collects external emails related to the project.
These emails can come from project members or from external users who do not use Unifier.
From the Mailbox, project users can forward the emails to appropriate members, flag them for
review, and reply to them. In addition, these external emails can be linked to business process
records. See Using the Project Mailbox (on page 107) for details.
Collaboration (Tasks, Messages, Drafts): Lists current business process tasks that have
been assigned to you, that you have been copied on, and draft copies that you have saved.
Tasks and Drafts are not available for View-Only projects. Messages are available for
View-Only projects, but you cannot add general comments.
Project Directory: List of project team members. See View the Project Directory (on page
110) for details.
General: List of simple-type business processes.
Gates: Displays project phase and gates information, and enables manual or automatic
advancement of project phases. See Working with Gates (on page 111).
Cost Manager: Access project-level Cost Manager functions (cash flow, cost sheet, earned
value, funding, schedule of values). Cost Manager is discussed in
Document Manager: Repository of project documents, allowing collaboration, revision
control, markups, etc.
Resource Manager: Manage staff resources and role information.
Data Manager: A collection of BP logs storing project-level business processes not stored in
project logs.
Schedule Manager: Manage project schedules, and import other related schedule files.
Project Logs: Primary storage of transaction and other project business processes.
Reports: Access to system and user-defined reports.
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The Project Administrator will receive email notification when the status of a project changes. The
change of project status could occur due to a manual change, bulk update, through Web Services
or a CSV file, or through automatic update.
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This will appear over the data on the summary page. By default, the field
Block Title
will show the report name, but is editable.
Display Type Choose to show the data as a bar chart, pie chart, or table format.
Choose one of the following:
Actual Value: Shows the actual value of what is being reported
Show Result (number of records for a particular BP type, etc.).
Percent distribution of total: Calculates the value as a percentage
of the total (the percentage of total records to which a BP type
corresponds, etc.).
Select this checkbox if you want to display the total value of the data.
Show Total This will vary, depending on what data is used in the report. For example,
it may include the total number of records, total currency amount, etc.
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To create an alert
1) Create an alert report in user-defined reports. See User-defined report data types (on page
810) for details.
2) Open a project and click Alerts on the Navigator. The Alerts log opens.
3) Click New. The Alert window opens. Complete the window as described in the table below.
4) Click OK to close the Alert window.
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To edit alerts
1) Open a project and click Alerts on the Navigator. The Alerts log opens.
2) Select an alert and click Open. The Alert window opens.
3) Make changes to the alert as needed and click OK.
To delete an alert
Open a project and click Alerts on the Navigator. The Alerts log opens. Select an alert and click
Delete.
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Primavera Unifier Folder: Attaches documents from the Document Manager. The
window opens, displaying the Project Documents files and folders. Select the files and
folders to attach and click OK.
Note: Folders are not attached. The contents of selected folders are
attached in a flat list. Documents with duplicate file names will not attach.
3) Click OK to add the file, and click OK to close the General Comments window.
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2) From the toolbar, click the Find button. The Find box expands above the log.
3) Do any of the following:
To search by the recipient (To field), click the Select button and choose the user from the
User/Group picker.
To search by subject, enter a word or phrase in the Subject Containing field (partial
entries are acceptable).
To search by message content, enter a word or phrase in Message Containing.
You can further refine the search by clicking the Items that are: drop-down list and
choosing Read or Unread.
4) Click Search. The messages meeting your search criteria will be listed in the log.
Note: When you delete a message from your account, a copy of the
message remains in the central project record: the Public Items folder.
Messages deleted from the Public Items folder are permanently deleted.
Note: This option is available only in BPs that have been set up to
accommodate linked uMail messages. The ability to attach messages or
view attached messages depends on the user’s uMail View permissions.
Reply, reply all, and forward messages sent from a linked uMail will also
be automatically linked to the BP.
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Note: External emails that have been blind carbon-copied (Bcc’d) are not
collected by the Mailbox.
To open an email
On the Mailbox log, double-click the email. Unifier opens the email. If there are attachments, the
email will display an Attachments (n) link. To open an attachment, click the link and double-click
the attachment on the list that appears.
To reply to an email
1) Open the email and click the Reply button.
Unifier displays the addressee’s email address in the External To field. You can add additional
external addresses in this field, separated by semi-colons (;).
2) (Optional) To add email addresses to the Cc line, click the Cc button. The User/Group Picker
opens.
a. Select the user(s) you wish to add to the message and click Add. The names appear in the
Selected Users area at the bottom of the window.
b. Click OK.
3) (Optional) To attach a file to the reply, click the Attach button and choose My Computer or
Primavera Unifier Folder.
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a. In the window that opens, select the file you want to attack, or browse your computer
directories to locate the files to attach.
b. Click OK. Unifier attaches the file to your reply.
4) Enter your reply and click Send.
Unifier sends the email to the persons you specified.
To forward an email
1) Open the email.
2) To forward the email, click the Forward button. A forward email window opens.
3) Click the To (and optionally, the Cc) button. The User/Group Picker opens.
4) Select the user(s) to whom you wish to forward the message and click Add. The names
appear in the Selected Users area at the bottom of the window.
5) (Optional) To forward the email to external users, enter their addresses in the External Cc
field, separated by semi-colons (;).
6) Click OK. Unifier forwards the email to the persons you specified.
To delete an email
On the Mailbox log, select the email and click the Delete button. To delete multiple emails, hold
down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and select the emails.
To print an email
On the Mailbox log, select the email and click the Print button. To print multiple emails, hold down
the Ctrl key on your keyboard and select the emails.
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Unifier will display the emails that match the criteria you entered. It will also identify the criteria
by which you have searched the list in the "Current View: filtered by" line above the list.
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2) In the Contact Information selection list at the top of the window, choose one of the following:
Current Project: Displays contact information specific to the current project, such as an
on-site address or cell phone.
Company Contact Information: This is the member's company contact information.
Note: You may also contact a team member using uMail. See Working
with uMail (on page 102).
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To access Gates
1) Open the project and switch to User mode.
2) Click Gates in the left Navigator. The Gates dashboard opens.
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Unifier Programs
Cost data from different projects or WBS code-based shells can be rolled up into a program. The
roll up lets you view and compare member project and shell data in a cash flow worksheet or cost
sheet, and in the company's base currency.
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Base currency: Projects and shells can use different currencies. Unifier converts all project and
shell currencies to the company's base currency and presents the rolled up data in the base
currency using the earliest exchange rate defined for the period. You can create a snap shot of this
data for later reference, see Working with Snapshots (on page 487). This data is reportable, see
About User-Defined Reports (on page 809).
Refresh: When there are changes to the program roll up, either additions or removals of projects
or shells, refreshing the worksheet updates the cash flow curve.
Program membership: Program administrators determine program membership.
If you are a member of a project or WBS shell that is part of a program, you may be a member
of that program.
You can also be a member of a program without being a member of a project or shell.
Company membership: As a Unifier user, you may be part of a sponsor company or a partner
company (or possibly both).
Sponsor companies can commission and administer projects or shells and programs.
Partner, or member, companies (e.g., subcontractors, vendors) work with sponsor companies.
Open a program
Open a program to access the program level functions.
To open a program
1) Go to the Program tab and switch to User mode. The Programs log opens and lists any
programs to which you have access.
2) Select the program you want to see and click Open (or double-click the program).
3) In the left Navigator, select the module for which you want to see the data roll up of included
projects or shells.
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To add a user-defined summary report, click the Add Custom button. The Custom
Summary Block window opens. Complete the window and click OK.
To add a pre-configured, standard data type report, click the Add Standard button. The
Standard Summary Block window opens. Complete the window and click OK.
The report will be added to the Blocks window.
7) Click Close. The Program Summary - User View will update to include the new report.
Available program-level reports
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Unifier Shells
In Unifier, shells define your project collaboration workspace. Shells can represent whatever you
want them to, for example:
Capital Projects
Maintenance Projects
Business Portfolios
Project Delivery Management
With shells, you can show project relationships and hierarchies to more accurately represent a
real-world physical or organizational structure. In the following example, indentation is used to
represent levels in a hierarchy:
Region
Properties
Buildings
Buildings
Projects
You can create multiple templates from which you can centrally manage large numbers of shells.
The shells you create can have their own business processes, cost worksheets, reports,
dashboards, document repositories, and users and groups. You can organize shells into project
hierarchies that allow you to pull data from a current shell and any of its subordinate shells.
Working together, these features give you visibility into, and control of, your projects.
In this simple hierarchy, the shell Region was created and named in uDesigner. The Region shell
has the subshells Properties, Buildings, and Projects. The subshell Properties also has a subshell
called Buildings. Subshell organization is configured in administration mode and managed
through the shell detail form.
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To open a shell:
1) Navigate to the anchor shell tab
2) Select the shell you want to open from the shell log window
3) Click the Open button. The landing page opens.
The top section of the landing page contains the Shell Dashboard. See Configuring a shell
dashboard (My Dashboard) (on page 124) for details on the shell dashboard, and instructions on
how to configure the dashboard.
By default, the shell dashboard contains the following blocks:
Image
Items Requiring Your Attentions
Details
Links
The bottom section of the shell landing page displays a mini-log window of sub-shells that have
been created under the currently selected shell.
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For example, if you select the sub-shell South Bay, and then the further sub-shell Mathilda
Northwest, this landing page displays.
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Set filters
Click the Filters button in the upper left corner of the dashboard. If there are filters defined, they
will be listed, and enable you to filter the dashboard data by criteria defined in the Edit >
Dashboard Filters window.
Use drilldown
You can click on activated elements in dashboard blocks to drill into layers of data contained in the
shell.
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2) View the next level of data. In this example, after you double click on Terminal Expansion, the
next level of data displayed looks like this:
3) You can return to the original data view by clicking the left arrow icon.
Note: In most cases, the Company Administrator will configure the shell
dashboard for you.
Each shell dashboard has at least one tab and can have up to five tabs. The default tab name is
Summary,which you can change. The default shell dashboard layout contains these four blocks:
Image Displays the image your company administrator uploaded for the shell.
Items Requiring Your Attention: Contains items that are generally listed on the Unifier Home
page, such as tasks and messages.
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Details: Lists shell details, including shell number, shell name, administrator, and other
details.
Links: List of links configured for the shell by your company administrator.
On each tab, you can select a different layout to which you can add blocks of these types:
Standard: Use this selection to view project data from, for example, business process,
manager, users, and active tasks
Portlet: Use this selection to view an external URL, such as a web cam, or a frequently visited
web site
Drilldown: Use this selection to slice and dice project-shell data. See Add a drilldown block
to my dashboard (on page 126)
Custom: Use this selection to view data from the current shell, subordinate shells, or both
(cannot cross hierarchies)
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9) This allows you to add content to your dashboard from a URL address. For example, you could
use this portlet to specify a webcam site to monitor activities via a live camera. You can add as
many portlets as needed.
10) You can define a block that allows users to drill down into the displayed data.
Note: You must add drilldown blocks if you want to use filtering on your
dashboard blocks.
11) After you define the drilldown, you can also add filters.
12) To remove a block, click Remove. To reposition a block, click Move Up or Move Down.
13) Click another tab name to modify the tabs and sources for that tab. Repeat these steps for
each tab until you have configured the entire dashboard to meet your needs.
14) Click Apply to save your configuration, and then click OK to close the window.
Use the following table for Standard blocks.
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For example, if a dashboard block shows a pie chart with data for two projects, called Parking
Extension and Terminal Expansion, and you can double-click on Terminal Expansion to expose
the vendors on that project
To continue the example, when you double-click on Terminal Expansion the to access the vendor
information, and the amount associated with the vendors Acme Equipment, Pacific Building
Interiors, and L. Loring & Company:
Note: If you want to use filters on your dashboard blocks, you must first
define a drilldown block.
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2) Click Add to add Drilldown Details. The Edit Drilldown Details window opens. See the second
table below.
3) When complete, click OK, and click OK to exit the Edit Dashboard window.
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View dashboards
Users with Configure User Dashboard permissions can configure and maintain a shell dashboard.
This user-configured dashboard is listed as My Dashboard in the View Dashboard drop-down list.
This menu can also list shell dashboards that were configured by the Administrator.
For example, the Administrator can create separate shell instance dashboards to serve various
business groups that are using shells in a single instance. For example, the Administrator can
create these types of shell instance dashboards for a shell instance called Building 100:
With permissions, you can view the dashboards provided by the Administrator, but you cannot
modify them.
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To view dashboards
1) Navigate to a shell.
2) Select a dashboard from the View Dashboard drop-down list. Any dashboard that you have
configured for yourself is called My Dashboard.
3) You can select dashboard in the View Dashboard drop-down list to which you have View
permission. The last dashboard that you view will display the next time you sign in to Unifier.
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The Shell Administrator will receive email notification when the status of a shell changes. The
change of shell status could occur due to a manual change, bulk update, through Web Services or
a CSV file, or through automatic update.
Note: User access and permission levels for all functions are controlled by
the company administrator. Contact your company administrator if you
have questions regarding access.
Open a shell
Open a shell to access the shell functions.
To access shells
From your user home page, click a shell tab.
When you click a shell tab, the shell landing page displays. From the shell log, you can access the
various subshells listed.
To open a shell
Select a shell from the shell log and click Open. When you open the shell, the Navigator expands,
providing access to shell-level features and business processes.
To find a shell
Since shell hierarchies can be extensive, Unifier provides a Find feature to help you locate a
specific shell.
1) Click the anchor shell tab that contains the shell you want to locate.
The shell dashboard appears, and a "mini log" of sub-shells appears at the bottom of the
window.
2) From the View drop-down list on the mini log, select the sub-shell you want to search.
3) Click the Find button.
To accommodate the Find operation, Unifier collapses the dashboard to show only the mini
log, and displays a Find window.
On the Find window, you can search for shells using a geocode search or you can search for
shells using search operators on shell information. Operators such as "contains" or "is not
empty" can help you narrow the search for the shell.
To search using a geocode, enter an address, latitude, longitude, or radius
To search on shell information using operators:
a. Choose the operator you want to use on the field, such as "equals," "does not contain," or
"is empty."
b. Enter the value the field should contain.
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4) Click Search (or press Enter). Unifier displays all the shells that meet the search criteria you
entered.
If you choose to, you can cancel the find operation by clicking [Cancel Filter] or the x icon in
the upper-right corner of the window. Unifier will restore the mini log to its unfiltered state.
5) When you have finished using the Find feature, click the Restore button to return the
dashboard to normal view.
You can use the Project/Shell Creation business process to create shells and projects from the
project or shell templates set up for this purpose in Unifier. Templates provide shells or projects
with the name, number, location, and status for each new project or shell, as well as any included
images and phase definitions. If the template includes links, the new shell landing page will display
these links. If designed and configured to do so, the template will automatically assign a manager
and employees to the shell/project.
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The sub-shell may contain other sub-shells. You can navigate to them by clicking the View
drop-down (located in right corner) and selecting the sub-shell from the list.
5) Specify the template that should be used to create the shell as follows:
a. Click the Select button. The Shell Template picker opens, showing a list of the templates
that have been designed for the shell type this BP will create.
b. Select the template and click the Select button. The name of the template appears in the
field on the form.
6) Specify the shell status, such as Active or On-Hold.
When the shell is created, this is the status it will be assigned.
7) Specify the BP status.
When this status reaches this BP’s designated "terminal" status, it will automatically create the
new shell or project and assign it the status you specified in step 6.
Note: If you do not specify a status, Unifier will assign a status of Inactive
to the shell and you will have to manually change the status to make the
shell active.
8) Complete any other fields that have been included on the form.
9) Click Finish Editing.
When the business process reaches its terminal status, it will create a new shell/project using
the template you specified on the BP form, and the new shell/project should appear in the
hierarchy in its appropriate place.
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a. Click the Select button. The Shell Template picker opens, showing a list of the templates
that have been designed for the shell type this BP will create.
b. Select the template and click the Select button. The name of the template appears in the
field on the form.
8) Specify the shell status, such as Active or On-Hold.
When the shell is created, this is the status it will be assigned.
Note: If you give the shell a status of Inactive, child shells cannot be
created.
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Configurable Modules: The configurable modules that have been created to work with your
shells.
Cost Manager: Access shell-level cost manager functions.
Document Manager: Repository of shell documents, allowing collaboration, revision control,
or markups.
Reports: Access to system and user-defined reports.
Add an image
If an Image picker is available to your shell, forms display the image name and a box to hold the
uploaded image. An Image picker can be added to all forms, except for those in the Cost Manager,
Generic Cost Manager, Schedule Manager, and Document Manager.
You can change the image by replacing it with another uploaded image. Images display as HTML
or PDF formats in printed forms as well as in print preview.
Note: The image name is based on the data element name provided in
uDesigner.
To add an image
1) Click Upload Images in the toolbar at the top of the form.
2) Browse for the image to upload and click OK.
3) Click OK.
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Note: Unifier displays the image online, but it is not available for printing.
Also, images do not appear in UDRs or email notifications.
For information about translating Email Notifications, see the Internationalization (Email
Notifications) section.
To create an alert
1) Create an Alert report in user-defined reports.
2) Open a shell and click Alerts in the Navigator. The Alerts log opens.
3) Click New. The Alert window opens.
4) Complete the window as described in the table below.
5) Click OK to close the Alert window.
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To edit alerts
1) Open a shell and click Alerts in the Navigator. The Alerts log opens.
2) Select an alert and click Open. The Alert window opens.
3) Make changes to the alert as needed and click OK.
To delete an alert
Open a shell and click Alerts in the Navigator. The Alerts log opens. Select an alert and click
Delete.
Access uMail
The uMail feature is shell-specific, and the full functionality is accessed at the shell level. A
cross-shell listing of your Inbox can also be accessed in the uMail node on the Home tab.
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Public Items: Stores copies of all uMail messages sent between shell team members.
Access to the Public Items folder must be granted through permission settings.
Note: To attach files, format the text, flag a message for follow up,
compose and save a draft of your message without sending it, or preview
your message in a browser, see the following procedures.
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3) Click OK to add the file, and the click OK to close the General Comments window.
You can also send a copy of a completed BP form directly while working in the BP form. Unifier
automatically creates a PDF copy to send via uMail.
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Note: To use any of the mailbox features, you must have permissions.
To open an email
On the Mailbox log, double-click the email. Unifier opens the email. If there are attachments, the
email will display an Attachments (n) link. To open an attachment, click the link and double-click
the attachment on the list that appears.
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Note: To remove the flag, click the Flag for Follow up button, and then
click Clear Flag.
To reply to an email
1) Open the email and click the Reply button.
Unifier displays the addressee’s email address in the External To field. You can add additional
external addresses in this field, separated by semi-colons (;).
2) (Optional) To add email addresses to the Cc line, click the Cc button. The User/Group Picker
opens.
a. Select the user(s) you wish to add to the message and click Add. The names appear in the
Selected Users area at the bottom of the window.
b. Click OK.
3) (Optional) To attach a file to the reply, click the Attach button and choose My Computer or
Primavera Unifier Folder.
a. In the window that opens, select the file you want to attach, or browse your computer’s
directories to locate the file to attach.
b. Click OK. Unifier attaches the file to your reply.
4) Enter your reply and click Send.
Unifier sends the email to the persons you specified.
Once you reply to an external email, the communication will become part of Unifier uMail system.
To see your reply, or any other communication regarding this email after this point, look for it in the
uMail node of the Navigator.
Any reply you made to the email will appear in the Sent Items node of uMail.
Any email you forwarded will also appear in the Sent Items node of uMail.
To forward an email
1) Open the email and click the Forward button. A forward email window opens.
2) Click the To (and optionally, the Cc) button. The User/Group Picker opens.
3) Select the user(s) to whom you wish to forward the message and click Add. The names
appear in the Selected Users area at the bottom of the window.
4) (Optional) To forward the email to external users, enter their addresses in the External Cc
field, separated by semi-colons (;).
5) Click OK. Unifier forwards the email to the persons you specified.
To delete an email
On the Mailbox log, select the email and click the Delete button. To delete multiple emails, hold
down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and select the emails.
To print an email
On the Mailbox log, select the email and click the Print button. To print multiple emails, hold down
the Ctrl key on your keyboard and select the emails.
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For example, a bank can have multiple banking centers. When a new banking center is
commissioned, then a project shell can be used to manage the construction details of the banking
center. A Work Order business process, which is created under the project shell contains details
including physical characteristics from the Site shell. In this example, that includes the building
color, which is auto-populated to the Work Order business process so that the building is painted
the correct color.
Note: If a shell is moved to a new place in the shell hierarchy, fields that
are auto-populated for that shell retain the values that were populated
when the shell was initially created. Auto-population does not reoccur
when a shell is moved in the shell hierarchy.
Note: Reverse auto-population does not occur for shells with View-Only
status.
Depending on the set up in uDesigner, reverse auto-population can occur in these instances:
Changes to the data elements in a child shell’s attribute form can result in changes to the
attribute form of any parent shell in the shell hierarchy
Changes to data elements in a BP detail form under a child shell can result in changes to the
current shell attribute form or any parent shell attribute form in the shell hierarchy
For example, When a new banking center is commissioned then a shell instance is used to
construct the banking center. The parent shell needs to be updated with data from the Attribute
forms of the child shell and from BPs within the child shell.
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Also, data stored in a Code and Records-based Manager (such as a Parts Manager) may change
based on company-level or project/shell-level BPs, and those changes need to reverse
auto-populate back to the attribute form.
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Select a phase and click the Edit button on the toolbar. Click the View button below the
Gate Condition pane. The Edit button is available if the gates setup is active.
Double-click a gate condition in the Gate Condition pane.
The Edit Gate Condition window opens. This is a view-only window. The General tab displays
the data type associated with the gate condition. The Query tab displays the data element and
trigger condition for this gate condition.
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General
Click the button to add or view general comments associated with this
Comments
phase.
Add/View
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In the Gates console, select the shell phase and click the Edit button. Click the General
Comments Add/View button. The General comments window opens.
Monitoring Gates
You can view results from prior scheduled gates runs.
Notes:
Permission for "Get / Set Activity Sheet Data" from Shell log are
configured in Unifier Admin Mode while permissions to take these
action from within a Shell (User mode) are given at Unifier User mode
level.
The options listed here are not available form the User mode of the
Shell log (WBS type Shell) window menu toolbar.
To integrate multiple Shell instances with P6, switch to the Admin mode, go to a WBS type Shell
and from the Shell log window perform any of the following operations:
To get an activity sheet data:
1) Click File from the menu.
2) Select Get Activity Sheet Data.
3) Select one of the following choices:
a. All Shells
b. Selected Shells
c. Filtered Shells
d. History
To send an activity sheet data:
1) Click File from the menu.
2) Select Send Activity Sheet Data.
3) Select one of the following choices:
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a. All Shells
b. Selected Shells
c. Filtered Shells
d. History
When in Admin mode, the following options are available in the WBS type Shell (in the Shell log
window) toolbar:
Get Activity Sheet Data
Send Activity Sheet Data
The following explains the options above in details:
Get Activity Sheet Data > All Shells
You can select this option without having to select a Shell from the log.
Get Activity Sheet Data > Selected Shells
You can select this option only when you select at least one Shell instance from the log.
Get Activity Sheet Data > Filtered Shells
You can select this option after filtering Shells by using the Find option in the Shell log.
Get Activity Sheet Data > History
Similar to the History option in other Unifier modules, you can select this option to view the
history of a "Pull" action to see whether a request has been submitted successfully, or not.
Send Activity Sheet Data > All Shells
You can select this option without having to select a Shell from the log.
Send Activity Sheet Data > Selected Shells
You can select this option only when you select at least one Shell instance from the log.
Send Activity Sheet Data > Filtered Shells
You can select this option after filtering Shells by using the Find option in the Shell log.
Send Activity Sheet Data > History
Similar to the History option in other Unifier modules, you can select this option to view the
history of a "Pull" action to see whether a request has been submitted successfully, or not.
Note: Each time you initiate a "Get" data or a "Send" data action, the
systems displays a confirmation message. Click OK on the message
window to exit.
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The information that you enter into business process fields may be used throughout Unifier. Each
field corresponds to a "data element" that can be identified, reported upon, and tracked; some
data element values may be rolled up to sheets such as a cost sheet or resource sheet. The look
and feel of a field (data element) is determined by the data definition on which the data element is
based. The data definition determines whether the field is a text-entry field, a drop-down list of
options, a checkbox that you can select, a picker that is used to select an existing Unifier record,
etc.
Business processes can be associated with specific project or shells (project- or shell-level
business processes) or can be applicable for the entire company and not project- or shell-specific
(company-level business processes). The project or shell or company administrator determines
which forms are to be used and how the workflows will operate.
Business process forms are designed in uDesigner.
Also see the Internationalization and CSV Files section for language (Internationalization)
details.
Cost Type
These forms track and manage cost information and interact with the project or shell cost sheet.
Examples include base contracts or purchase orders, change orders, budget change requests,
invoices, fund appropriations, and leases. Additional cost-related functionality includes schedule
of values and payment applications.
Cost business processes have several sub-types that are used to perform specific cost-type
functions in Unifier. The cost business process subtypes are:
Commit at company level (also known as Blanket Purchase Order): This sub-type allows
tracking and control of costs at the company level above the WBS level. It is independent of a
budget or cost sheet and is used for tracking non-WBS expenses across projects or shells.
Project or shell level commit BPs can be set up to reference a company commit.
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Line items with WBS code: These business processes directly relate to the project or shell
cost sheet. BPs that use a WBS picker to reference WBS codes must use this subtype. These
BP transactions can directly affect the budget. Examples include base commits, change
commits, general spends, and payment applications.
Line items with fund code: This sub-type is used for fund appropriation at the project or shell
level. Business processes can be created to automatically allocate or consume funding source
funds, which are chosen using a Fund picker. These transactions are for fund management
and do not necessarily affect the budget. Transactions on this type of BP roll up to the Fund
Manager.
Line items with both WBS and fund code: This sub-type is used during fund appropriation
at the WBS level. These transactions are for fund management and do not necessarily affect
the budget. Transactions on this type of BP roll up to the Fund Manager and Cost Manager.
Line items with company accounts code: This is a company-level business process that
can be used to roll up transaction data to the company accounts sheet.
Line items with asset code: This is a company-level business process that can be used to
roll up transaction data to asset sheets.
Line items with multiple codes: This sub-type is for business processes that can be used
with a generic (non-WBS) cost manager.
Document Type
You use this form as an "envelope" to package a set of files, such as spreadsheets, drawings, and
design documentation, that flow from one group to another. Advanced functionality allows
documents to be attached to the form as line items, with line item status control. This allows the
ability to change the status (for example, approve or reject) for each attached document.
Examples are submittals and transmittals.
There are two sub-types of Document type BP:
With folder structure: Both documents and folders can be uploaded to the BP. The folder
navigator in the lower left of the form displays the folder structure.
Without folder structure: The folder structure will be ignored, and documents are attached in
a flat list. The contents of selected folders and sub-folders are attached.
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You can design these BPs to accommodate line item status, so you can control modifications to
individual line items based on their status.
There are three sub-types of Line Item BP type:
Generic: Use this sub-type for all Line Item BPs unless you want to filter BP records. To filter
BP records, use the sub-type explained below.
Line items to filter business process records: Use this sub-type to filter company records
into smaller lists of records for your projects. This BP is particularly suited for selecting specific
vendors from a company’s master vendor list to create a sub-set of the master list that contains
vendors who are appropriate for a particular project. Used for this purpose, this BP type can be
linked (as a reference process) to an RFB to supply a project-specific vendor list for bid
invitations.
Preventive Maintenance (If the module is available): Use Preventive Maintenance to
maintain assets proactively and on a regular basis, even when no issue has been reported on
the asset. The Preventive sub-type has 5 classifications (Asset, Asset Template, PM Book,
PM Book Template, and Meter Reading) and they are available for selection from
Classification drop-down list, once you select Preventive Maintenance as a sub-type. A
Company can have more than one BP of a particular type (e.g., two or more Asset BPs, two or
more Asset Template BPs, and so forth).
Resource type
Resource business processes work with the Resource Manager. There are two subtypes:
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Resource booking: This is a project-level business process. In the upper form, you pick a
date range to book resources. The line item list displays a summary of booking rows. You can
one resource booking BP per project.
Time sheet: The time sheet business process can be designed to roll up hours and costs from
the time sheet to cost sheets. There is one per company, but there can be multiple schemas.
Simple type
These BPs consist of an upper form only (like a line-item-type BP without the line items). It is a way
to add company or project or shell information that does not require line items. Simple BPs can be
a company-level, non-workflow, single or multi-record, or s project- or shell-level, workflow or
non-workflow, multi-record. An example is a project information form to capture basic reference
information.
Text type
This form’s content is typically a text comment in the lower portion of the form. Examples of text
type BPs include RFIs (Request for Information) and action items, which track issue resolution.
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Note: The section labels are determined in uDesigner and may vary. The
basic form functionality remains the same.
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You can minimize and later expand a business process form. For example, you might want to
minimize the General and workflow portions of the form to avoid scrolling through many line items.
Toolbar: The business process form has a toolbar at the top of the form, with the following
buttons:
After you are done working on the business process form, click Send to route the workflow
business process to the specified recipients. You can click Save to save a draft of the form, so you
can work on it again. Click Spelling to check the spelling in your form. You can click Add
Attachment to add attachments to the form. If the BP is designed to include discussions among
members of a group, you can click Discussion to open a discussion forum. When you have
completed work on the business form, click Close Window.
Note: The Close Window action does not save the information on the
form. To save the information, you must click Save before you click the
Close Window button.
Upper Form: The upper portion of the business process contains the basic (General) information
that the form is managing, such as the name of the record and its description, who created the
record and when, and other general information. It may also contain fields for referencing other
forms, and it may contain fields that are required for specific functionality. This is an example of an
upper form for a business process type called Work Orders:
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Workflow or Action Details: This section appears in the middle part of workflow business
processes. It is for viewing or assigning the next assignee in the workflow or shows the last person
who took action on it. Depending on how the workflow has been set up for the BP, the next
assignees may be predetermined, or you may be able to choose the next assignee or send a copy
of the BP to another user. You can print workflow progress using custom print.
Non-workflow business processes do not have an Action Details section.
This is an example of the Action Details section of a business process.
The To: and Cc: buttons are active after you select a workflow action in the Workflow Actions
drop-down list in the upper right corner of the form.
You can track a step through the workflow by clicking on the link "Click here" to view latest
content.
Click the notepaper icon next to Task Notes in the Action Details section to add notes to the
routed task. These are notes for the task recipients.
Content or Lower Form: The lower portion of the form contains the details and main content of
the record, such as line items, file attachments for Document-type business processes such as
transmittals or submittals, or comments or instructions in text-type BPs such as RFIs. Simple-type
BPs do not have a Content section.
The lower form of certain BPs may be organized using multiple tabs. The BPs that support tabs in
the lower form are:
Line item type
Cost type with the classification generic (line items with WBS codes, multiple codes, or
account codes)
Cost type with the classification lease, and the subtype line items with multiple codes
Tip: If the entire name is too long to appear on the tab, hover the mouse
over the tab. Unifier will display the complete name in a tool tip.
There are buttons under the lower form portion of the business process form that enable you to
work with line items:
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Use the Add button to add detail or summary line items to the record.
Use the Copy button to copy another line item from the record, included consolidated line items.
Use the Import button to import a line item from a CSV file.
Use the Remove button to delete a line item from the record.
Use the Grid feature to enter line items directly into the Item log. (This is best used for short line
items.)
Use the Find function to locate a line item in a long list of line items.
Links: Links at the bottom of the business process form allow you to access attachments, linked
records, comments, and uMail:
Auto-sequencing
The Administrator can configure auto-sequencing for certain data elements on a business process
form. This is in addition to the standard business process numbering, and allows the numbering of
up to two fields on a upper form, and two fields on a lower form. For example, the Administrator
can specify that a "Name" field uses auto-sequencing in order to number business processes that
have similar names. Auto-sequencing generation occurs for the business process when the you
click:
Send on workflow business processes
Save on non-workflow business processes
Finish Editing on non-workflow business processes for line items
Apply or OK for line items
Note: Fields configured for auto-sequencing are not available for Bulk
Edit, since the values for these fields are system-generated.
Unique values
The Administrator can configure unique value validation on data elements on business process
upper forms. For example, if a business process has a field called Invoice, and should enforce that
each invoice number is a unique string, this field can be configured to validate for a unique value.
If you attempt to enter a string that is not unique (has been entered on another business process),
you will get a warning message that an alternate value must be entered. Unique value validation
occurs for the business process when the you click:
Send on workflow business processes
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Note: If you use Bulk Edit to update multiple records, and attempt to
update a field that has value uniqueness configured, only the first record
will update (and is therefore unique).
Pickers
When you select a picker on a form, it opens a list, as shown in the image below. These pickers
allow you to view, select, or reference another business process record.
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Some pickers can be designed to display a navigation structure to guide you to the correct location
where a record resides, such as a specific project or a specific business process. Below is a list of
Work Order business process records that have been designed to show an additional navigation
column on the left.
By using this additional tree structure column, you can navigate more easily through your business
process records to the one you want. The Cost Control base product uses the following pickers:
Picker Description
Account Code Found on cost-type business processes for choosing company
Picker account codes.
Found on project- or shell-level business process forms for selecting
Activity picker
activities from the master schedule sheet.
For linking one business process to another (for example, to tie
invoice business processes to purchase order business processes).
Often, the field will be named something like Reference BP, although
this is up to the designer of the business process. Depending upon
the design of the form, some fields may be automatically populated
BP picker when the referenced business process is selected.
Note: The business process list that you see will depend on your
permissions. Users who do not have permission to view a BP that
may be part of the business process picker list will not see that
business process on the list.
Used when you create a new line item for a change commit business
Commit Line Item process. This picker displays a composite view of base commit and
picker change commits. The data elements on the picker are reference,
description, and WBS code.
For selecting a currency on a cost-type business process. If no
Currency picker currency is chosen by the creator of the record, the default is the
project or shell currency. If there isn't a Currency picker is on the form,
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To hide tasks
1) On the Tasks Log, highlight the tasks that you want to hide.
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To unhide tasks
1) Click the View menu and choose Hidden Tasks. Unifier lists the tasks that have been hidden
from the Tasks Log.
2) Select the tasks that you want to unhide.
3) From the Edit menu, choose Unhide > Selected.
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To filter the list by project or shell, use the List Names From field and choose the name of the
project or shell. (This filter option is usually available only to administrators; for example, when an
administrator is adding project or shell members.)
To filter the list by user or group, use the Show By field to display users, groups, or both users and
groups on the list.
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About Workflows
The Unifier workflow engine routes a business process form through your company’s business
protocols.
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When you participate in a business process workflow, you are taking action on the form (for
example, reviewing and approving an invoice, or responding to a request for information).
Depending upon the workflow setup, you may choose the next recipient of the business process in
the workflow, or this may be automatically selected for you. When you send the business process
to the next step, it proceeds along the workflow and records each action taken at each step.
In the workflow example above, the form is created and filled out, and then sent for review. The
reviewer has the option of sending the form for revision (after which, it is resubmitted to the
reviewer), or sending it on for approval. The approver may send the form back for further
clarification or revisions, may reject the form, or may approve the form. A rejection or approval
status essentially ends the workflow. At the approval or rejection step, the business process is
considered to be in a "terminal" status, and this status cannot be changed; however, comments
and certain edits can still be made to the record. From a terminal status, the business process
proceeds to the End step.
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Notes:
Reverse auto-population does not occur for projects and shells with
View-Only or Inactive status.
Reverse auto-population is not supported for single-record business
processes, except in the case of BPs existing under child shells, which
can reverse auto-populate to single-record BPs under any parent shell
in the shell hierarchy.
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An office move order business process could reference a user attribute form. Once the
move is complete, the user’s new location could be updated on the attribute form. (This
kind of reverse auto-population is normally triggered when you choose a user from a data
picker, rather than when a business process is auto-created.)
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Notes:
Remember that all BPs require view, modify, or create permissions to
access and use them. Contact your project or shell or company
administrator about permission settings for BPs that you need to
access.
You can also access a business process from your Tasks log. For
more information, see View the tasks assigned to you (on page
177).
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Master Logs: Located under the Home tab. Master Logs allow you to access all or a subset of
business process records of the same type, in a single log that spans multiple projects or
shells.
The "Business Process Log" option is pre-selected according the definition of Advanced Log, or
"Standard" Log in uDesigner.
If you select the "Business Process Log" option that in Admin mode as "Standard," then in
User mode:
The Master Log for that Business Process displays the Advanced Log and all other Business
Process logs render the Standard Log.
If you select the "Business Process Log" option that in Admin mode as "Advanced," then in
User mode:
The Master Log for that Business Process displays the Advanced Log. In addition, all other
Business Process logs render the Advanced Log.
The following illustration shows an example of a business process log that includes navigation on
the left side of the log.
In this example, the configured hierarchy is based on asset name associated with the work order,
and then on the business process status.
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You can also save searches of business process records in the Master Logs as needed.
A business case example for the use of the Master Logs is a dispatcher who is responsible for
translating service requests into work orders. This dispatcher could have Work Orders created for
different buildings (represented as shells in Unifier) over different regions. A Work Order Master
Log to which the dispatcher has access permission allows him to create and edit Work Order
records for any building shell from a single location in Unifier, rather than drilling into each Building
shell to access the records.
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Another possible business case example is a regional Lease Manager who must access all of the
active leases in the system that have Lease Amounts > $50000 per year. The Master Logs allow
the Lease Manager to access all Lease business process records based on search criteria and
save the search criteria.If you do not have permissions to view any of the business process types
listed under the Master Logs node, then you will not see the Master Logs node listed under the
Home tab.
Note: If you do not have permissions to view any of the business process
types listed under the Master Logs node, then you will not see the Master
Logs node listed under the Home tab.
You can vary the operators you use in a search (=,<,>, range, etc.) by clicking the operator link
and selecting a new operator.
4) Click Search (or press Enter).
Unifier displays the business process records that met the search criteria you entered.
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If you choose to, you can cancel the filtering action by clicking [Cancel Filter] or the x icon in
the upper-right corner of the window. Unifier will restore the list of BP records to its unfiltered
state.
5) Close the Find window when you are finished searching records.
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When you mark a saved search as public, that search can be used by other users in all business
process logs to which those users have permissions. You can add searches created by other
users (and marked as public) to your list of saved searches. Users with View permission on a
business process can view the existing saved searches.
Functionality Description
Change the order of saved searches by clicking in
Order
an Order field and entering a positive number.
Change the name of a saved search by clicking
on a Name and entering a new name. You can
Name
rename only the saved searches that you have
created.
Enter a description for your saved search (up to
Description 150 characters). You can add a description only
for saved searches you have created.
Select the checkbox to make a saved search your
Default default search. This is the search that will display
by default in the Filtered by drop-down list.
Select the checkbox to designate a saved search
as public and make it available to other users. You
can deselect the checkbox to make the saved
Public
search private. By default, the saved searches
you create a private, and you must mark them as
public to make them available to other users.
Lists the owner of the saved search, which is
Owner
usually the creator.
Click to save your changes. All changes occur
Save
only when you save them.
Public Searches Click to access public saved searches created by
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other users.
Select one or more searches and click Select to
add the search to your saved search list. You
cannot modify saved searches created by other
users.
Select one or more searches and click Copy. This
copies the search so you can modify it to create a
new search. The new search is initially marked as
private, and you are designated as the owner.
Select a search and click Remove to delete a
Remove saved search. You can delete only saved
searches that you have created.
Select a saved search and click Move Up or Move
Move Up / Move Down
down to reorder the searches in your list.
Click to preview the revised order of the saved
Update Order searches. The new ordering is saved when you
click the Save button.
Click to close the Managed Saved Searches
Close Window
window.
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You are an editor on a business process, which means you are a user or member of a group
that can edit a business process without being granted explicit record-level permission.
Editor designation allows someone other than the assignee to edit the business process
record. Editors can be added to these workflow or non-workflow business process types:
Line Item
Cost (all types, including Lease and Line Item with Multiple Codes)
Document
Simple
RFB
Text
If you are an Editor on a business process, you can open and edit any record that you can see
listed in the log, per your view access permission (View User Records, View Company
Records, or View All Records). You must have at least one of these permissions to be able to
view the record in the log to access it to edit.
Editors cannot edit a workflow record until the task assignee accepts the task, and saves
the draft.
Edits performed by editors are not audited.
Edits performed on the end step of a workflow business process affect the record directly, as
no draft exists.
Note: Last One to Save Over-Writes Other Edits
If multiple editors and the assignee are editing the business process at the same time, the data
saved by the last edit will over-write all previous edits. For example, if User 1 changes an amount
field from 15,000 to 23,000 and saves the change, and User 2 changes an address field, but does
not change the amount field on her copy of the form, when User 2 saves her change, Unifier will
commit User 2’s edits and overwrite User 1's changes. In this scenario, the amount field value will
be 15,000.
For information about responding to your tasks, see Working with Tasks (on page 252)and
Completing Tasks via Email (on page 260).
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For example, you might have notifications from Unifier that are sent to email programs, such as
Microsoft Outlook or Yahoo Mail, outside of Unifier. From that email program, you could open a
view-only copy of the business process.
Or, you might have an approval process that resides outside of Unifier. At a certain point in the
workflow, the business process record data could be sent from Unifier to that external approval
process. From that external system, you could open a view-only copy of the business process
record.
Note: If this business process created records before this URL field was
added to the form, those records will not show data in the URL field. Only
new records will show data in the URL field.Any business process
designed to be opened from an external system must be available on the
Master Log.
Note: If Unifier has been configured to sign in users using single sign-on
(SSO), the Sign In window will not appear.
Depending on what permissions you have, you can take the following actions from this view-only
copy of the record:
Terminate the business process
Print the business process
Send umail
Transfer ownership
View reference records
View the audit log
View record attachments, general comments, linked records, and linked uMail
Click line item tabs and open the line items in grid view
Use the Find feature to locate line items
Use any hyperlinked field, such as a picker, an image, or a URL, or the workflow progress
link
View the assignees and cc’d users on the step
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Messages are view-only snapshots of the form at a particular step and remain available for
viewing until the BP is sent to the next step. Messages received for an end step will remain
available in the log.
To view messages
Navigate to the Messages log by doing one of the following:
Click the Home tab and click Messages in the left Navigator.
Click the Home tab, and click the Messages link listed under Items Requiring Your
Attention from your User home page.
Open a project or shell and click Collaboration > Messages in the left Navigator.
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Note: Unifier will not display the Select Workflow window if: a) this is a
non-workflow business process, or b) there is only one workflow schema
you can choose for this business process
There are specific conditions for creating workflow and non-workflow records in the Master Logs.
For workflow business process records:
Business process must have an Active setup in the selected project or shell
Chosen project or shell controls the list of enabled workflow setups
You must be an assignee on the Create step of the business process within the selected
project or shell
If you save the record during its creation, instead of sending it, the record is listed in the
Home Drafts folder, is not yet listed in the Master Log for the business process
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After the record is created, it is listed in both the business process log for the project or
shell and well as the business process Master Log
Creation conditions for non-workflow business process records:
Business process must have an Active setup in the selected project or shell
You must be on the Creator list for the business process in the select project or shell
After the record is created, it is listed in both the business process log for the project or
shell and well as the business process Master Log
Note: The copied record will reflect the data found in the original record.
Auto-populated fields will not be refreshed or recalculated.
In addition, you can restrict the line items to be copied and specify other copy options by using the
Advanced copy option. The Advanced copy offers these options:
Copy specific (rather than all) line items
Include or exclude attachments
Retain or remove references to records auto-created from an upper form
Retain or remove references to records auto-created from line items (from all tabs)
Include linked records
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With Attachments to copy all file attachments from the original record to the new record.
This includes attachments to line items.
Without Attachments to create a new record without file attachments.
The Select Workflow window opens.
Note: Unifier will not display the Select Workflow window if this is a
non-workflow business process, or there is only one workflow schema you
can choose for this business process.
Note: If your administrator has set up only a single copy option, you will
not see the Select a record copy option window. Unifier will use the single
copy option it finds to copy the record.
3) Select the copy option you want to use and click OK.
Unifier copies the record using the line item restrictions and other options from the copy setup
you chose.
Auto-Creating Records
There are three ways of auto-creation:
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The original record can be set up to automatically populate upper form (header) information on the
new record, provided the data elements of the upper form fields are the same on both records.
That is, for example, if a Description field using the same data element appears on both records,
the text in the original record can be entered automatically into the new record.
Note: If the line items have been grouped (as part of the administrator's
business process setup), you can manually invoke the auto-creation;
however, only those line items in a status of "pending creation" will be
grouped.
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For payment applications, the associated SOV is locked, either by the payment application
record in routing, or by a change commit with a negative line item value.
Note: If the destination business process does not exist or has not been
imported into Unifier, the location specified in the email notification might
be non-existent or incorrect.
Workflow BP
For a workflow BP, the administrator specifies the workflow schema to use, the step in the
workflow that the record should use as its first step, the workflow duration, and the name of the
person or group who will be the owner of the auto-created record. When the record is created,
data will roll up to any applicable manager sheets (e.g., the cost sheet) at the appropriate status;
however, if Unifier encounters errors or invalid data, the record will remain at the Create step, and
roll-ups will not occur until the user resolves the errors.
Non-workflow BP
For a non-workflow BP, the administrator can set up an auto-created record to skip the initiation
step. In this case, the non-workflow BP will be created and will appear in the users' BP logs in
either an "edit" or "finish edit" mode. If it appears in an "edit" mode, the user will have to open the
record and add or correct information on the form. If it appears in a "finish edit" mode, the record is
considered complete, and data will roll up to any applicable manager sheets.
Note: In this scenario, the Line Items will be copied from the source to
destination, and the uuu_sovlinum field will be set as blank. All other
fields will be mapped from source to destination Detail form.
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In the above scenarios, since the "refid" is blank, no Line Items will get copied into the "Standard"
tab of the auto-created Change Commit record.
Note: If any other tab in the "Change Commit" is configured to copy Line
Items from the source, those Line Items will be copied.
You will be able to auto-create a "Change Commit" type BP from any type of BP Upper or Detail
forms.
Examples of Auto-Creation
You can use Unifier auto-creation feature to manage events such as the following:
Line Items of Lease Business Process generating Payment Request BP records: A
lease business process with a pre-generated payment schedule can use this feature to
generate Payment Request records at appropriate days in advance of the payment due date
so that the record can be routed for approvals.
Preventive Maintenance BP line items generating Work Order BP records: A Preventive
Maintenance type business process (Preventive Maintenance Book) can be set up to create
Work Orders for assets at periodic intervals depending on the service needs of the asset.
Create Action Items from Meeting Minutes: Auto-creation feature can be used to create and
assign tasks to different people creating a fully automated flow for routing of action items from
meeting minutes records that have lines items. For example, each line item Action Item could
auto-create a separate Action Item records from the meeting minutes record.
Create a planning item from a business process: You can create a planning item from a
business process when the business process, with its details (such as expense estimates,
owners, etc.) has been approved.
Add a new line item to an existing record: You can add a line item to an existing business
process. For example, a submittal registry record could contain line items that auto-create
separate submittal business process forms for each contractor on a project. In the course of
work, you might realize that the original submittal registry record is missing a submittal for an
architectural drawing. You could submit a new submittal business process form that would add
the missing architectural drawing submittal to the original registry record.
For Line Item Creation
You cannot create a line item on a record that is at a terminal or terminated status.
If you create a line item on a non-workflow cost type business process, the cost amount(s) will
roll up to the Cost Sheet.
If you create a line item on a workflow cost type business process, the cost amount(s) will NOT
roll up to the Cost Sheet.
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Rule 1
The Company Administrator selected the Enable Auto creation checkbox for BP Creator when the
auto-creation was set up in Unifier.
If the Enable Auto creation checkbox is checked, it implies system based auto-creation, and the
BP Creator Select button is not displayed in User Mode.
For non-workflow BPs: The condition check occurs on Finish Edit. If condition met, creates
record and shows the link for the auto-created BP. If no condition is specified auto-creates records
and shows the link for the auto-created BP.
For workflow BPs: The condition check occurs on Send. If end step reached and Action Form is
used on End Step, the condition check occurs on Save instead of Send. If condition met, creates
record and shows the link for the auto-created BP. If no condition specified blindly creates records
and shows the link for the auto-created BP.
If the Enable Auto creation checkbox is not checked, it implies manual creation.
For non-workflow BPs: The condition check does not occur on Finish Edit.
For workflow BPs: The condition check does not occur on Send.
BP Creator- Select button shown in User Mode so that the user can create the business process
manually. If clicked, creates BP record without checking any condition, and creates record and
shows the link.
Rule 2
Date Trigger Condition check: Are checks on the specified Date Data Element. Setting this up
implies that condition checks are done on a date instead of Finish Edit/Send in case of Non
workflow and Workflow respectively provided a link does not already exist next to BP creator
element. If a link already exists, it will not create any new records for that BP Creator element in
the chosen line item of the record.
Rule 3
Trigger Condition check based on frequency (Periodic): Are checks on frequency for BP
Creator elements with Enable Auto creator checked. If specified, these are the only time condition
checks are done. This overrides any other checks for date. This is the only method to create
multiple records even if a link already exists and a record has already been creator for this BP
Creator element. The link created using this will always point to last auto-created record.
Auto-creation In Operation
Upon auto-creation, the following are not copied to the auto-created Business Process (BP) from
the source BP:
Line item status
Creator fields
Hidden tab data
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These elements are copied from the source BP to the auto-created BP on certain conditions:
BP Pickers are not copied if the auto-creation occurs from a Project (Standard) to a Shell and
the BP Picker location is not defined or is no longer valid
Configurable Manager codes and WBS codes are copied from the source business process to
the auto-created business process if the codes are available in the destination shell.
User/Group Picker values are copied only if they are available in the destination shell.
Transaction currency field is copied if that currency is available in the destination shell.
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Once you create a new workflow record, Unifier sends it to the assignees as an initiation task (I
Step) that will appear on their Tasks log and the BP log to which the record belongs. If a new
record is sent as an initiation task, users must accept the task to manually launch the record.
Once you create a new non-workflow record, Unifier sends it to the designated creators as an
initiation task (I Step) that will appear on their Tasks log and the BP log to which the record
belongs. Users must accept the task to view the record.
To create a new business process record or line item with manual auto-creation
1) Open the record that will auto-create the new record or line item.
2) Click the Create button next to the creator field.
The field will display the words "Pending Creation."
Unifier immediately auto-creates the destination record or line item. The new, auto-created
record or line item will show a link to the source record that created it. You can click this link to
view the source record.
If you manually auto-create a line item, Unifier will validate the creation and tell you
immediately if there are errors that caused the auto-creation to fail.
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Note: You can save the record by clicking the Save button, which saves a
draft of the record but does not affect the template. When the BP is ready
to move to the next step, click Send.
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Note: When you create BP records from a BP template, any values in any
of the form fields on the template (either manually entered or
auto-populated) will be copied to the new record. Line items, file
attachments, and attachments to line items will also be copied. Other
attached information, such as general comments, linked records, and
linked uMails, will not be copied to the new form.
To create a template
1) In User Mode, open to the log containing the business process for which you want to create the
template.
2) In the Navigator, select the business process.
3) Click the File menu and choose Template. The Template List window for that business
process opens. The window displays any templates that have been created for the selected
BP.
4) Click the New button. The Properties window opens.
5) Use the information in the table below to fill in the General tab.
Note: Although the Schedule tab is visible, it is disabled until you have
changed the status to Complete. At this point, you can use this template to
manually create BP records; however, if you want to schedule automatic
creation, you must first change the template status to Complete.
6) Click OK.
Unifier adds the template to the Template List with a status of Draft and opens the form as it
would in the create step of the workflow. This form will be used as the template.
7) Enter any information into the template form that you want to include in the records that you
create from it.
8) You can add line items as needed. You can also add file attachments, which will be attached
when a record is created from the template. This includes attachments to the record itself and
attachments to line items.
You can also add linked records, linked uMail, and general comments to the template, but
these will not be included in the records created from this template.
9) Click the Save button at the top of the form.
Unifier saves the template in Draft mode, and the window remains open. You can use the
template at this point to manually create BP records; however, if you want to schedule
automatic creation, you must first change the template status to Complete (see the following
procedure).
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Copy Linked Select the check box if you want to copy any linked records
Records whenever a record is created from this template.
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All required fields have valid data (and all other information on the form is valid).
The workflow action has been selected.
The Action Details/Assignees section To field is populated with valid users or groups,
based on the BP setup.
When the status is Complete, the template form becomes view-only. If you have defined a record
creation schedule in the Schedule tab, the schedule will be activated.
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6) Click OK. The schedule is active as long as the template status is Complete.
Auto-email creator if scheduled Select this option if you want the template owner or
creation fails creator to receive email notification if the scheduled
creation fails. The email will contain location
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To edit a template
1) In User Mode, navigate to the log of the business process for which to edit the template. Click
the File menu and choose Template. The Template List window opens.
2) Select a template and click Open. The template form opens.
3) The fields, line items, file attachments, and other data are editable. You cannot change the
workflow once the template has been created.
To delete a template
In the Template List window, select the template and click the Delete button. Click Yes to confirm.
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WBS code is invalid, which can happen if the WBS code becomes inactive after selecting in
the template.
If the rules engine validation fails.
For payment applications, if the associated SOV is locked either by the payment application
record in routing, or by a change commit with a negative line item value.
Note: If the destination business process does not exist or has not been
imported into Unifier, the location specified in the email notification might
be non-existent or incorrect.
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a. When you have completed the form, select an action from the Workflow Actions
drop-down list, located in the top right of the form. Action selections depend on the BP
design, for example, if this is a review step, an action that you may be able to select is
"Approve Budget Approval." Selecting a Workflow Action activates Action Details.
b. In Action Details, designate assignees for the next step; that is, the users and groups who
will receive the record as a task on the next step in the workflow. If the next step is the End
step, then the To field will be preassigned.
c. Click the Send button. At the Creation step, sending the form to the next step in the
workflow creates a permanent record.
If the workflow is not yet complete, the form will be forwarded to the next step in
the workflow.
If the workflow is complete (that is, your task was the last step of the workflow),
the record will appear as complete in the business process log.
Note: Drafts for View-Only and Inactive projects or shells are not listed in
the Drafts log.
To open a draft
Select a record from the Drafts log and click Open.
To delete a draft
Select the record from the Drafts log and click Delete. The draft form will be permanently deleted.
A draft is automatically deleted from the log after the record has been sent or otherwise
completed, or the discussion group ends.
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Note: Document and Line Item BPs can be designed to include line item
status control, which allows users to choose a status for individual line
items and control whether they can be modified.
If designed in uDesigner, there may be multiple tabs in the line item area of your BP form. Click
these tabs to access the various line items.
You can enter line items using either a line-item entry form, or the Grid feature. Line item entry
forms open in a separate window, which you must fill in and click OK to insert into the Item log at
the bottom of the form. With the Grid feature, you can enter information directly into the Item log,
but it is best used for short line items.
You can access the attachments in Workflow task emails under General comments section in the
Document type BP.
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For information about adding documents to Document type business processes with line items,
see Attach files to Document-type business process forms (on page 216).
Note: When you remove a line item, Unifier also removes link information,
both from the record the line item belongs to, and from the record the line
item was linked to.
Note: If the line item contains Yet To Buy (YTB) or AFC values, it cannot
be modified.
This table lists the classifications of business processes and locations that allow the edit of line
items on cost business processes:
Shell
Project Shell (WBS Company Edit Line
Classification (Generic
(Standard) Code) Workspace Item
Code)
Line Item with
Yes Yes No No Yes
WBS Code
Line Item with
Both Fund
Yes Yes No No No
Code and WBS
Code
Line Item with
Yes Yes No No No
Fund Code
Line Item with No No No Yes No
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Account
Line Item with
No No No Yes No
Asset Code
Line Item with
No No Yes No Yes
Multiple Codes
Commit at
No No No Yes No
Company Level
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The Find window shows fields from the line item list, which you can use to narrow the list of line
items you see. Each field shows an operator, such as "contains" or "equals," which you can
use to specify more precisely which line items you want to see on the list. In the example Find
window above, you could narrow the list of line items to show only certain class levels or cost
categories.
2) To specify search criteria, first choose the operator you want to use on the field, such as
"equals," "does not contain," or "is empty".
3) Enter the value the field should contain, or click the Select button and select the value from the
list that appears.
4) Click Search (or press Enter).
Unifier displays all the line items that met the search criteria you entered.
If you choose to, you can cancel the filtering action by clicking [Cancel Filter] or the x icon in
the upper-right corner of the Find window. Unifier will restore the list of line items to its
unfiltered state.
Copy a line item from the same form
You can create a new line item by copying an existing line item. You can choose to include any
attachments that are on the source line item; however, any links the line item has to other records
will not be copied.
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There are some restrictions when consolidating line items from different BP types:
Source (across)
To copy line items from one or more business process records into another
1) Open the business process record into which the line items will be consolidated (the
destination business process).
2) On the bottom toolbar, click Copy and choose Consolidate Line Items. The Line Items
Consolidation window opens. This window lists the business processes that are eligible for
consolidation with this BP.
Note: This window will not appear if there is only one eligible business
process. Instead, a list window opens, displaying a list of the eligible
records from that business process. Continue with step 4.
For Shells:
If you are consolidating line items from a business process in a shell, the
window will display a Choose Location field. Use this field to specify which
shell the business process resides in. (View-only shells are not usable
with this feature.)
For Data Pickers:
If the source BP includes a data picker on the form, it might be set up to
present the list of records in a hierarchy. If this is the case, Unifier will
ignore the Choose Location field.
3) Select the source business process and click OK. A list window opens, displaying a list of
eligible records from that business process.
4) Select a record from the list. To search for a particular record, click Find.
5) To copy specific line items from the selected record:
Click the Select Line Items button. The BP Line Item(s) window opens, displaying the line
items for that record.
Select one or more line items and click Copy.
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Choose With Attachments to include any file attachments that may be present on the line
item to be copied, or choose Without Attachments to ignore attachments.
6) To copy all line items from the selected record:
Click All Line Items.
Choose With Attachments to include any file attachments that may be present on the line
item to be copied, or choose Without Attachments to ignore attachments.
Note: If there are multiple tabs on the record you selected, Unifier will
prompt you to select the tab you want to copy the line items from.
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If the destination line item form and the source line item form both contain a data element
that is designed to be auto-populated from another source, the auto-populate will be
ignored during consolidation. The copied line item data will take precedence over
auto-populated data in the destination BP.
Note: The Grid feature is best used for short line items.
The grid shows the line item number and all the fields on the line item entry form, including fields
that are required, formulaic, or populated, as well as fields that are part of a dynamic data set. The
fields on this grid work the same way they do on a line item entry form—pickers display picker
windows, menus display lists, formula fields produce calculations, date picker fields display
calendars, etc.; however, radio buttons will appear as pull-down menus, and image, hyperlink, and
BP Creator fields have special behaviors.
You can resize the columns by dragging, and sort the data by column (except for Row and image
fields). You can use the Tab and arrow keys to move from field to field and open them. For
business processes that include many line items, you can use the Find function to filter the list to
display only certain line items.
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Last One to Save Over-Writes Other Edits (Except for Deleted Rows)
The Grid feature can be used simultaneously by multiple users. To accommodate multiple editors
using the grid simultaneously, the commit order of saved edits is on a line-by-line basis, not on the
entire grid view. If two users are editing the same line item, but different fields, at the same time,
the edits made by the last user to save that line item are the edits Unifier will commit to the record.
For example, if User 1 changes an amount field from 15,000 to 23,000 and saves the change, and
User 2 changes a different field, but does not touch the amount field, when User 2 saves the grid,
Unifier will commit User 2’s edits; and the amount field will show 15,000 rather than 23,000.
The order of saved edits is particularly important for deleted rows on the grid. Once a row is
deleted, it cannot be reinstated with a later edit. For example, if User 1 deletes a row and saves the
grid view, and User 2 changes the amount field in that row from 15,000 to 23,000 and saves the
grid view, the row will not be reinstated with the new amount of 23,000.
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Split screen
To make editing line items easier, you can use the Split button to split the screen into two halves.
Error messages
If Unifier detects errors when you save line items, error messages will appear at the bottom of the
Grid window, indicating the row where Unifier found the error.
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Note: If any comments already exist on this business process, they will be
listed in the Comments section of the window.
Note: The Text Comments box does not recognize formatting, including
line breaks. Even if you press the Enter key to make a new line in the Edit
General Comment window, the final comment will not reflect the new line.
7) Click Close Window to save your comments and return to the business process form.
An icon will appear at the bottom of the form next to the General Comments link.
Add comments to a document type business process
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Note: If the document type BP has been designed to use line item status,
and a specified status has already been reached (e.g., approved), the line
item may no longer be editable, and you may not be able to add
comments to it.
View comments
If a BP form has comments added, a Comments icon will display next to the General Comments
link.
To edit a comment
From the General Comments window, select the comment to edit and click Modify from the
toolbar. The Edit General Comment window opens. Make the necessary edits. Comments are
editable until you click Send (workflow BP) or Finished Editing (non-workflow BP).
To delete a comment
From the General Comments window, select the comment to delete and click the Remove button.
Draft comments can be edited before sending a BP. You must have proper permissions to delete
final comments.
Hide comments
You can hide comments that you do not want to be generally viewed on workflow business
processes. If you have permissions, you can view previously hidden comments. Other users will
not be able to see the hidden comments unless they have the View Hidden Comments permission
set, and using that permission, can also unhide the hidden comments. As the creator of the
comment, you can view your own hidden comments, whether or not you have the View Hidden
Comments permission (until the comments are published).
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Note: Due the nature of end steps, you cannot hide or delete comments
on the end step of the workflow, even if the end step is an action (editable)
form.
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If you are uploading drawing files, see Attach drawing and reference files to a business
process (on page 218) for handling drawing file attachments.
You may also initiate a discussion group to help you draft your comments or markups. See
Participating in a Discussion Group (on page 262).
Note: You cannot upload and attach two documents with the same name
to a BP record. If you are using a Document-type BP (such as a submittal
or transmittal) and are using a folder structure, you can have two
documents with the same name in different folders, as you would on a
local machine or network drive.
Note: If you are attaching a file through General Comments, you must
also enter a text comment.
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Primavera Unifier Folder: Attach documents from the Document Manager. The window
opens displaying the project or shell documents files and folders. Select the files and
folders to attach and click OK. Folders are not attached. Instead, the contents of selected
folders are attached in a flat list. Documents with duplicate file names will not attach.
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Note: When attaching files from the Document Manager, some fields on
the line item may auto-populate with data from the document or folder
Properties window. Document-type BPs can be designed to
auto-populate certain data elements on the detail form with data from
matching data elements on the document attribute form.
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Note: If the Document-type BP has been designed to use line item status,
and the specified status has already been reached (e.g., approved), the
line item may no longer be editable.
Note: All fields that had been auto-populated when the file was originally
attached (for example, name, issue date, revision number, etc.) will be
cleared.
Since Name is a required field, you must give the line item a new name before closing the line item
detail window. If you close the line item detail window before entering a new name, the name of
the file that has been removed will remain in the field.
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Note: If the file is a drawing file with references, you can select the file in
the Attachments window and click Reference Records. The Reference
Record window opens.
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5) Add graphic markups to the drawing as necessary, using the tools on the horizontal toolbar.
6) Click the Save button or select File > Save to save your markups. Enter a name for the
markup and click OK.
Note: Markups are saved as a single layer and are no longer editable
once you close the window. Each markup is listed by name in the Markup
Tree tab as a separate layer. To add another markup layer, click the New
button.
7) When you have completed your markups, close the viewer window to return to the Edit File
Comment window.
Note: At this point, the comment is still in Draft mode. You can add
additional markups or file attachments if desired. You must enter some
text in the Text Comment box to save it.
Note: This option is available only in BPs that have been designed to
accommodate linked records. A user's ability to view a linked BP record is
based on the user's permissions. If users cannot see the record in the log,
they cannot see it in the link.
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3) From the resulting list of BP records, select the record(s) to link to the open business process
form and click Attach.
4) Click Close Window to close the Links window.
To link a line item to a business process record:
1) Open the business process that contains the line item you want to link.
2) Open the line item.
3) At the bottom of the line item detail form, click the Linked Records link. The Links window
opens.
4) Do one of the following:
If you are linking to a record from the same business process log, click the Attach button.
If you want to link to a record from another business process log, click the arrow next to the
Attach button, and then choose the log where that business process record resides.
5) From the resulting list of BP records, select the record(s) to link to the open business process
form and click Attach.
6) Click Close Window to close the Links window.
Manage linked records
To view a linked record:
1) At the bottom of the BP form, click the Linked Records link. The Links window opens.
The Links window shows all the records and line items to which or from which the record is
linked.
2) From the Links window, select the record to view and click Open. A read-only version of the
form will open.
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2) From the Links window, select the record link to remove and click Remove.
Note: From this window, you cannot delete a record with a From direction.
To delete the record, you must open that record, click the Linked
Records link and remove it from the Links window.
Note: This option is available only in BPs that have been set up to
accommodate linked uMail messages.
About permissions
The uMail messages that users have access to (whether linking a uMail message or viewing a
message linked to the business process by someone else) will depend on their uMail permissions.
By default, users can see linked uMails that reside in their personal Inbox and Sent boxes (either
they have sent the uMail or were a recipient). A user who has permission to view public items can
view uMails residing in the Public Items folder sent and received by others. For example, users
with Project uMail view permission can see all uMails generated within a project. Users with
Company uMail view permission can see all uMails generated by users in the company.
Note: There are special conditions for linking uMails in the Request for Bid
functionality. See Send and manage linked uMails from RFB forms (on
page 224) for more information.
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Note: If you create a new uMail message and save it without sending, it
will remain in your uMail Draft log in the current project or shell. You can
later access this draft uMail and send it, but it will not be automatically
linked to the BP record from which you originally created it. To link it, send
the message first, and then attach it as you normally would an existing
uMail message.
If a recipient replies to or forwards the linked uMail message, the reply or forwarded message will
also be automatically linked to the BP.
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Note: You will not be able to save a draft copy of the uMail from this
selection.
Bidders will be allowed to view and access uMails once they are signed in Unifier using a special
sign in.
Bidders can also create and add uMail messages from the RFB form. The To field is
auto-populated with the requestor name. The Cc and Bcc buttons are not available; however,
bidders can fill in external Cc and Bcc fields with external email addresses. When bidders reply or
forward uMail messages, these will be linked with the record.
Bidders will not be able to create any new uMails after the bid due date.
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2) Click the Linked Mail link at the bottom of the form. The Linked Mail window opens.
3) Click Add and choose Project/Shell Mailbox. The Project (or Shell) Mail window opens,
showing a list of the external emails that have been received for the project or shell.
4) Select the email you want to attach to the record, and click Attach.
Unifier adds the email to the Linked Mail window.
5) To close the Linked Mail window, click Close Window.
Note: You must have permissions to view, reply to, or delete external
emails.
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Text
Document
Cost (classification generic)
Maps are supported on company, project, and shell-level BPs. You can also search for a map by
an address or longitude or latitude.
Note: If multiple records are selected that have the same latitude and
longitude, the map will show only one pin marker.
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Adding an image
In many forms, you can add an image to your project or shell. For example, you can add an image
that shows progress on the project or shell information record, pictures of assets related to a
specific asset record, or a photo of an employee in the Resource Manager. You can add images to
attribute forms in shells, project or shells, companies, and business processes.
If the Image picker functionality has been added to your project or shell in uDesigner, forms with
the functionality display the image name and a virtual box that will hold the uploaded image.
Note: The image name is based on the data element name provided in
uDesigner.
To add an image
1) Click Upload Images in the toolbar at the top of the form.
2) Browse for the image to upload and click OK.
Valid image file types are:
.jpg
.jpeg
.gif
.png
.tif
You can change the image by replacing it with another uploaded image. Images appear on the
HTML or PDF formats of printed forms. They appear in print preview as well. The Image picker
can be added to all forms except for those in the Cost Manager, Generic Cost Manager,
Schedule Manager, and the Document Manager.
Note: The image appears online in Unifier, but it is not available for
printing. Also, images do not appear in UDRs or email notifications.
Adding a hyperlink
In many forms, you can add a hyperlink to your project. For example, you can add a hyperlink to
equipment documentation, details on a resource, or external websites that contain information
pertinent to a BP record. You can add hyperlinks to attribute forms in shells, projects, companies,
and BPs.
If the Hyperlink picker functionality has been added to your project in uDesigner, forms with the
functionality display a hyperlink name, such as vendor website.
To add a hyperlink
1) Click on the hyperlink area on the form.The Hyperlink window displays:
2) Enter the hyperlink name and the URL. Only the URL is mandatory. If you enter the name and
the URL, the hyperlink displays as the name you entered. If you enter the URL only, the
hyperlink displays as the URL. The protocols HTTP and HTTPS are the only protocols
allowed. FTP is not supported for hyperlink creation on forms.
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Note: The URL should not reference the same domain that Unifier is using
for operation. If you attempt to use the same domain, a warning message
will result.
3) Click OK.
To reset a hyperlink
1) Click on the hyperlink area on the form. The Hyperlink window displays.
2) In the Hyperlink window, click Clear. This will remove the existing hyperlink.
3) Enter a new hyperlink name and URL.
4) Click OK.
Viewing Referencing Records
For any business process with referencing records, Unifier can show you a Reference Records
window that displays a graph and a list of the records that the record you are viewing refers to, as
well as those records that refer to the record you are viewing. (To see the records, you must have
view permissions.)
For example, you might want to view all the change orders that refer to a particular purchase
order. For other examples, you could view:
All the invoices that a commit business process refers to so that you can reconcile all the
invoices against the purchase order
All the change order requests that are referred to by a specific change commit business
process in order to track the progress of a construction project
All the lease payment requests that refer to a Master Lease, in order to view and reconcile
all payment records for a lease
All the base commits that are referred to by a vendor record in order to review payment
progress
All the work order BPs refer to a Preventive Maintenance type BP in order to view all the
work orders for a Preventive Maintenance Book.
Business process records can reference other records and be referenced to using the following
Unifier features:
A BP picker on a business process record, including line items
A BP line item picker on a business process record
Auto-creation of a record through the workflow (S-Step)
Auto-creation of a record through meeting specific criteria set up by your administrator
A data picker
View a list of referencing records
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The Reference Records window is split into two sections, a graph and a list. The records
shown on this window include records from across shells.
The graph displays:
Records that the business process references (i.e., references to other business
processes)
Records that reference the business process (i.e., other business processes that reference
the BP you are looking at)
The list displays:
Records that the business process references (i.e., references to other business
processes)
Records that reference the business process (i.e., other business processes that reference
the BP you are looking at)
Records that have been linked to the business process via the Linked Records feature
(Linking Business Process Records (on page 220))
Line items that have been linked to the business process via the Linked Records feature.
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The graph does not indicate the direction of the up or down levels; only that the records are
connected.
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If you expand the graph using Expand, Unifier will display all records that are directly and
indirectly connected to the original record you opened. This means that all records will
be expanded through all levels. It may take a moment to gather and display all the
records.
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There are several ways to center a record or record node on the graph:
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Note:
A few things:
If you make changes to the record (including referencing links, linked
records, title, status, etc.), the graph and the reference list on the right
pane will not reflect these changes until you click the Expand,
Collapse, Reset, or Transfer Focus buttons.
The edits and actions you take on the form from the Reference Graph
window will behave in the same way they would if you opened the
record from a log; that is, roll-ups will occur, workflow actions and
auto-creations will proceed, email notifications will be sent, etc.
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Transfer the focus of the graph to another record and its references
You can change the focus of the graph to another record and display all of its referencing
records. The record you transfer to will change to blue to indicate that all referencing
records shown on the graph are now connected to the new record. In addition, the list
on the right panel will change accordingly. The new focus of the graph will display five
levels of records:
The record you transferred the focus to (shown in blue)
Two levels "up" (that is, two record levels that refer to the new record)
Two levels "down" (that is, two record levels that the new record refers to)
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You can enlarge this half of the window by placing the cursor between the two windows and
dragging the cursor left. You can also use the expand icon on the title bar:
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This
Displays this
column
Displays Ref. if the record is
Referred to by the original record you opened, or
Referring to the original record you opened
Displays Link if the record is linked to the original record via the Linked
Type
Record feature.
Displays Link to Line if the record is linked to a line item on another
business process.
Note: If the record is both a referenced record and a linked record, Unifier
will show it as a referenced ("Ref.") record, not a linked record.
Ref No. Displays the number of the record.
Title Displays the title of the record.
Business
Displays the name of the business process to which the record belongs.
Process
Displays the status of the record. Records in a terminal status will also
Status
appear on this list.
For links to line items on a record, this column displays the line number, the
Descriptio
short description of the line item, and the tab. For line items from a
n
Document type BP, the column shows the name of the line item.
Creation
Displays the date the record was created.
Date
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Note:
A few things:
If you make changes to the record (including referencing links, linked
records, title, status, etc.), the graph and the reference list will not
reflect these changes until you click the Expand, Collapse, Reset, or
Transfer Focus buttons.
The edits and actions you take on the form from the Reference and
Linked Records list will behave in the same way they would if you
opened the record from a log; that is, roll-ups will occur, workflow
actions and auto-creations will proceed, email notifications will be
sent, etc.
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Transfer the focus of the list to another record and its references
You can change the focus of the list to another record and display all of its referencing records.
In addition, the graph will change accordingly. You cannot transfer the focus to linked records;
only referenced records.
The new focus of the graph will display five levels of records:
The record you transferred the focus to (shown in blue)
Two levels "up" (that is, two record levels that refer to the new record)
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Two levels "down" (that is, two record levels that the new record refers to)
Spell-Checking a Form
The spell check feature is available for all BP forms, including cost, document, text, simple, and
line item. You can spell-check information that you have entered in text fields and any other text
areas.
To spell check a business process form in Unifier:
1) Open a business process form at the project or shell or company level.
2) Click the Spell Checker button on the toolbar of the BP form. All form fields will be checked.
3) Make spelling corrections as necessary and click OK.
The Spell Checker icon is also available if you click the Comments button of a BP form.
Participating in a Workflow
Each step in the workflow is set up individually. Step-by-step, the administrator can define
responsibilities for users and groups through task assignments, completion policies and resolving
action settings, and email notification settings. Non-administrative users can complete business
process forms, select Workflow Actions, and assign task recipients. They can track business
process routing between steps and trace a record's path through the workflow.
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Statuses
The statuses you see on this window are internal to Unifier and are used only to display the status
of the workflow step relative to the completion policy. These statuses are:
Status Description
Not
The assignee has not accepted the task.
Started
In
The assignee has accepted the task.
Progress
This status is used when the step has a single completion policy and one of
the assignees accepted the task. This status denotes those assignees who
Locked
were also assigned to the task, but because of the single completion policy,
the task was locked and these assignees no longer have access to it.
View This status indicates that this user was cc’d on the task, but is not expected to
Only take action on the task.
This status is given to an assignee’s action if the task was finished and
Complete
needed no resolving action. At any step, a task can have only one status of
d
"Completed."
This status is given to an assignee’s action if the task was finished, but
triggered a resolving action. The task will either return to a previous step,
Closed move forward to a next step, or divert to a conditional step, which will resolve
the condition and move the task forward in the workflow. The step the action
moves to for resolution will show a status of "Not Started." The number of
times the task shows a "Closed" status indicates the number of times the step
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Status Description
has been revisited.
To illustrate:
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Depending on your company Unifier email notification setup and your own user preferences, you
may receive such emails one at a time as the task is generated, or you may receive one daily
email digest summarizing all of the day’s email notifications (including non-business process
related notifications).
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What the email looks like. Email notifications for non-workflow business processes include the
fields from the business process that were chosen to appear on the email. The notification also
includes a link you can click that will open the record for you to view.
When you click the hyperlink, you will be directed to the Unifier sign in screen. Once you sign in,
Unifier will display the record, where you can complete the form and send it to the next step.
The email will display summary information, such as:
What record was created
Which upper form fields have been modified
Comments that have been added to the BP or a line item
Line items that have been added, edited, or deleted
General comments that have been added to the record (excluding any hidden comments)
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Note:
This note applies if this is an initiation step.
If this business process has been auto-created and sent to an Initiation
Step, you will usually need to select a workflow schema to launch the
business process into the workflow. When you accept the task, Unifier will
display a Select Workflow window, where you must choose the workflow
schema this business process should use.
Unifier will not display the Select Workflow window if:
This is a non-workflow business process.
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There is only one workflow schema you can choose for this business
process
Note: Finish the bulk action before you change focus. When you use this
particular bulk action, Unifier is in a waiting state, ready to open and
accept the next record you selected. Do not move to another area of
Unifier until the you have completed this bulk action. If you do, Unifier will
cease the Bulk Actions With Preview operation, and the rest of the
records you selected for this action will not be opened and accepted
2) For every task that Unifier opens, complete the form using the instructions under Completing
the form (on page 255).
Every task you complete will be deleted from the Tasks log. Those you do not complete will
remain on your Tasks log.
Note:
For Task Notifications:
If the task belongs to the Create step of a workflow, you will receive a
message confirming that the record was (or was not) created
successfully.
If you open a task from a project/shell that is on-hold, Unifier will notify you
and delete the task from the log.
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To unaccept a task
1) After accepting a task, select Actions > Undo Accept Task from the BP record. A
confirmation window will open.
2) Click OK. The BP record data will revert back to its state prior to accepting the task. Any
changes or additions you have made, with the exception of those items discussed above, will
be lost.
Note: When you unaccept a task, Unifier returns the record to its state
prior to your accepting the task, but the record remains open. However,
using the Bulk Actions > With Preview option, you can automatically
open and accept multiple records. If you use this option and then
"unaccept" one of the tasks, Unifier will close that record and continue to
the next record you selected.
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Declining a task
Sometimes you have the option of declining a task. If you are the only person assigned to a step in
the workflow, or if the creator of the workflow has not granted permission to decline a task, this is
not an option.
To decline a task
1) From your Tasks log, select the business process record and click Open. The business
process form opens in View mode.
2) Click the Decline the Task button.
If you have permission to decline the task, the task will be removed from your Tasks log and
will remain in the Task log of anyone else on the distribution list.
The "last man standing" cannot decline the task.
If you do not have permission to decline, or are the only person assigned the task, you cannot
decline the task.
Completing the form
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You may also add Task Notes for the next participants in the workflow. Task Notes apply
to the next workflow step only and are not stored with the permanent record. (See Adding
or viewing a task note (on page 259).)
3) When you have completed any necessary edits or additions, select an action or workflow
action from the Workflow Actions drop-down list. The action you take depends on the task
assigned. For example, if this is a review step, an action that you may be able to take is
"approve."
4) Click the Send button.
If the workflow is not yet complete, the form will be forwarded to the next team members in
the workflow.
If the workflow is complete (that is, your input was the last step of the workflow), the record
will appear as complete in the business process log.
Tip: You can also save your work as a draft at any point. This is
recommended if you are going to leave your desk or have a lot of work to
do on it. There is no autosave. If you change your mind after making a
selection, click the Undo Action button, and then choose another
action.After you have accepted the task or initiated an action, you can still
review what you received prior to doing so without having to undo. Click
View > Received or the Click here to view latest content. Unifier
displays another pop-up window of the original record as you received it.
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When the business process form is sent, each member will receive an email message and a
copy of the BP form in their Messages log.
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If the workflow is not yet complete, the form will be forwarded to the next team members in
the workflow.
If the workflow is complete (that is, your input was the last step of the workflow), the record
will appear as complete in the business process log.
Tip: You can also save your work as a draft at any point. This is
recommended if you are going to leave your desk or have a lot of work to
do on it. There is no autosave. If you change your mind after making a
selection, click the Undo Action button, and then choose another
action.After you have accepted the task or initiated an action, you can still
review what you received prior to doing so without having to undo. Click
View > Received or the Click here to view latest content. Unifier
displays another pop-up window of the original record as you received it.
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Note: (1) Do not change the subject line of the email. Changing the
subject line text will cause the email response to fail. (2) If you are using a
text client for your email, you can open a new email message, copy the
subject line of the notification, and paste it into the subject line of the
response email.
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3) You can add text to the body of the email. This will create a General Comment on the
business process record.
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Unifier automatically selects the Update checkbox when you type into or modify a field. You
can deselect it if you do not want to modify the field at this time.
5) Select a workflow action and click Send. The workflow tasks that you have updated are sent to
the next step in the workflow.
The Bulk Actions Status window opens when you click Send. This window allows you to
monitor the progress of the bulk workflow update.
6) Click OK after all records have processed. Click Cancel if you want to cancel the bulk update
in progress.
The task owner can select which, if any, of the comments and markups to use in creating final
comments or markups for the task. The task owner can hide or delete these comments or
consolidate them for use in creating the final comment or markup.
To consolidate comments received in a discussion group into a single, cohesive comment, see
Copying and Consolidating Comments and Markups (on page 264).
A discussion group can take place in one of two places:
The General Comments section of any cost, line item, or document BPs.
On individual documents that are part of a Document-type BP document list.
Discussion groups end at the discretion of the task owner or when the task is completed.
Note: To include users who are not part of the original business process
workflow, you must first add them to the discussion group list. The
workflow must be set up to allow this, and you must have the proper
permissions.
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4) In the Discussion Notes text field, write a description of the assistance or input you are asking
for from the participating members of the discussion group.
5) Click Send.
The receivers get a task in their Tasks log and an email message. The subject of the email will
show the record number of the business process and the phrase "is sent to you for discussion."
When the receiver opens the form, only the comments section is editable.
When users respond to a discussion group, the discussion group owner is notified by email.
Note: Pay particular attention to the Discussion Notes area of the Action
Details portion of the form. This is where the owner of the discussion
group will add information regarding what input is needed.
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Note: Pay particular attention to the Discussion Notes area of the Action
Details portion of the form. This is where the owner of the discussion
group will add information regarding what input is needed and the
documents that need review.
2) Select the document to comment on and click Comments. Add text comments and graphic
markups.
Consolidate Graphic
BP Feature Consolidate Text Comments
Markups
Can copy and consolidate Can copy and consolidate
Documents attached to
comments made directly to graphic markups on
Document-type BPs
attached documents attached documents
Can copy and consolidate
Can copy and consolidate
markups made to files
File attachments: all BP comments made to files
attached directly to BPs
types attached directly to BPs (listed
(listed in the Attachments
in the Attachments link)
link)
Cannot copy or consolidate
Can copy and consolidate
General comments markups on files attached
general comments
to a general comment.
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When used in conjunction with the discussion group function, this can be used to consolidate the
comments you receive from the group and create a single, cohesive comment. Because
discussion group comments remain draft until the BP is sent to the next workflow step, the task
owner can choose to delete or include the other draft comments.
You can also copy and consolidate comments made to documents attached directly to a BP. This
allows you to consolidate several comments made by multiple users into a single comment by
copying the existing comments into a new one and editing as necessary.
Note: At this point, you can also consolidate graphic markups before
saving the newly consolidated comment by clicking the Consolidate link
next to Graphic Markup.
6) When you are done consolidating comments and markups, click OK to save and exit the Edit
File Comment window.
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2) Click the selection box next to the text comments that you want to include in your new
comment and click OK. The text comments and any graphic markups will be copied in to your
new comment.
3) Edit as necessary and click OK.
4) You may select any of the draft comments and click Remove if you do not want to include
them in the BP record.
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The markup elements from the selected layers will be copied into the new consolidated layer.
These elements are editable. You can select, modify, or delete individual elements, or add new
markups as necessary.
11) Click the Save button or select File > Save to save the new consolidated markup layer. If you
want to add another markup layer, click the New Markup button and add markups as
necessary.
12) Close the AutoVue viewer window.
13) In the Edit File Comment window, click OK to save the consolidated markups and text
comments. Close the File Comments window.
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Unifier displays the BP Progress window, showing the step the record is currently on.
Large Workflows
If you view the workflow by clicking the View Graphic button, be aware that workflows can often
be very large. If you are viewing a large workflow, you can enlarge the canvas screen to make it
easier to see all the steps to the workflow progression.
To enlarge the canvas, you can drag the window sides until the workflow fits in the window, or you
can quickly maximize the canvas. To maximize the canvas, click the icon in the upper-right corner
of the window. To restore the canvas window to its normal size, click the Restore icon.
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Transferring Ownership
If you are a BP record owner or creator, you can transfer ownership at any time in the workflow
process, other than the creation step, or after its termination step. The new owner will have all
privileges of a BP owner, and the originator name on the BP form and the log will show the new
owner.
To transfer ownership
Open a BP record. From the Edit menu, click Transfer Ownership. Choose the user from the
User/Group picker and click OK. The selected user becomes the BP’s new owner.
Note: You must have permissions for specific business process logs to
create or view records. Contact your project or shell administrator if you
are having trouble accessing BPs or BP logs to which you need access.
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3) Add the users or groups you wish to grant permission, set the permission level, and click OK.
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Notes:
Step editors cannot edit a workflow record until the task assignee
accepts the task, and saves the draft.
Edits made and saved by assignees are not viewable until the
assignee sends the record on to the next step. However, edits made
and saved by record editors are viewable at any time.
Edits performed by editors are not audited; however, changes made
by record editors are audited.
Edits performed on the end step of a workflow business process affect
the record directly, as no draft exists.
When you open a business process record in a Master Log, the record will open in either Edit or
View mode, depending on the user permissions associated with that record in the project or shell.
There are specific conditions for editing workflow or non-workflow records in the Master Logs. For
workflow business process records:
You can Accept tasks and take Action on workflow records by opening the record from the
Master Log if you are the assignee on the current step in the business process workflow. If
not, record is opened in View mode only.
After you open a business process record in the Master Log, the project or shell
permissions are in effect
You can add general comments if you are a cc user on a particular step; you can add
general comments provided the current step has general comments option enabled
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If you are not an assignee on a particular step, you must have Bulk Edit permission on the
business process Master Log to edit data elements on the record
Conditions for editing non-workflow business process records:
If you have Edit Data permissions on a non-workflow business process record, you can
open the record and edit it in the Master Log
If you are an Editor of a non-workflow business process record, you can open the record
and edit it in the Master Log
Notes:
Bulk edit is not available for Resource Booking and Timesheet
business processes, or single-record business processes.
Fields configured for auto-sequencing are not available for bulk edit,
since the values for these fields are system-generated.
If you use bulk edit to update multiple records, and attempt to update a
field that has value uniqueness configured, only the first record will
update (and is therefore unique).
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3) Choose Edit > Bulk Edit. The Bulk Edit window opens. The fields displayed in this window
depend on what was specified for the upper form in uDesigner. The Bulk Edit form includes all
editable fields for the BP as defined in Integration.
4) Modify the Bulk Edit form as needed.
5) Select the Update checkbox for the fields that you want to update. The checkbox is
automatically selected when you type into or modify a field. You can deselect it if you do not
want to modify the field at this time.
Note: If the Update checkbox is selected for an empty field, the field will be
updated with a blank value.
6) Click Update. This launches the bulk update of the selected BP records.
7) The Bulk Actions Status window displays after you click Update. This window allows you to
monitor the progress of the bulk BP update. Click OK after all records have processed. Click
Cancel if you want to cancel the bulk update in progress.
Use bulk editing on business process records in a Master Log
If you have the Allow Bulk Edit permission, you can select one or more business process records
in a Master Log and perform bulk edits on these records. You can select records across projects or
shells to perform bulk edit.
These data definitions cannot be modified using Bulk Edit in a Master Log:
Image Picker
Program Picker
Company Picker
Group Name Picker
User Picker
Project Picker
BP Creator
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Linked records
Discussion group: start and end
Add or manage Document-type BP folders: new, remove, rename, move
Add or remove file attachments
Decline task
Transfer ownership
Add, modify, or delete a line item: detail or summary
File attachments to existing line items
Copied (cc) user views the record
Updates performed on any part of the BP using the Reverse Auto-Population feature
The BP Audit log does not support the following:
Actions undertaken at the creation step
File attachments to new line items (to audit the attachment, first add and save the line item,
and then open it to add the attachment)
Accept task
Undo accept task
Add assignees or copy users between steps
Notes:
You can print a form that is in view mode or in edit mode.
The print output is based on your permissions to certain data in
Unifier. If you cannot see the hidden comments in a particular step
within a Workflow, then the hidden details will not be printed and will
not be visible in the Custom Print.
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If custom print layouts have been created for the business process, the form will print according to
the layout that you select.
Note: For PDF and HTML layouts, the ability to print hidden comments will
respect permissions: if you can see hidden comments, you can print them.
In custom print, hidden comments are not printed.
Note: Even if you have not made any edits, you may be asked to save
changes. This can occur if the form includes fields that are auto-populated
or automatically updated, as these automatic functions are considered to
be changes.
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If the selected custom print template is of a BI Publisher type, then the “Select options for
Workflow Progress” section is disabled. This is because the custom print template designers can
always use the system provided Workflow views to include workflow-related information in the
template.
Default template and format (Workflow)
When a BI Publisher print template is selected in the "Select a custom print template" section,
the "Select a template and format to print" section is populated based on the default value
selected at the time of designing the print template.
If there is only one custom print template, and it is a BI Publisher template, then the print
template is selected in the “Select a custom print template” section, and the template and
format is populated based on the default value selected at the time of designing the print
template.
Note: Even if you have not made any edits, you may be asked to save
changes. This can occur if the form includes fields that are auto-populated
or automatically updated, as these automatic functions are considered to
be changes.
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Visited Steps will include only those steps that have been visited by users. Only the
assignees who took action on the steps will be listed. You can print the selected steps
(including the current workflow step) sorted by completion date or step name, in ascending
or descending order.
5) Click OK. The File Download window opens.
6) Choose to Open or Save the file.
7) Print the file.
To view the SOV sheet created from the cost business process
Once the BP has reached its terminal status, click the SOV button. The SOV sheet that
corresponds to this transaction opens. Close the SOV sheet to return to the BP form.
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View or edit fund transaction details from the business process form
Commit (contract) or spend (invoice) business processes can be set up to consume or appropriate
funds in the project/shell funding sheet or commitment funding sheet. These transactions can be
easily accessed directly from the BP form.
If the business process form has been set up for funding (and is in the appropriate step, and you
have funding permissions), a Funding button will appear at the top of the BP form. This allows you
to perform a fund assignment while routing and approving a BP, such as a payment. Access to this
button and fund information is dependent upon your Fund Manager permissions.
See also About business processes enabled for commitment funding (on page 407)or About
business processes enabled for funding (on page 392)
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To reassign funding
Click the Reassign Funds button. About business processes enabled for funding (on page
392).
You can use CSV import to create new payment application business processes or to add SOV
line items to an existing business process. You can export payment application CSV templates at
the log level (for header and line item templates) and at the record level (for line item templates).
You can then modify the templates and import them to create new records (at the log level) or to
add line items to an existing record (at the record level).
An Integration interface must be defined to support CSV import. If you find that you cannot perform
the file import, see your Administrator. Also, new records can be created and line items added
using Integration through Web Services. Integration through Web Services must be coordinated
with an Oracle Primavera representative.
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Note: Depending upon the design of the BPs, some fields may be
auto-populated with data from the base commit and change commit. For a
field to auto-populate, the same data element must be used on the base
commit, change commit, and payment application. Line items appear from
the base commit and any change commits based on the statuses of those
business processes, as designed in uDesigner.
2) Fill in the line item fields. You can enter values in any editable field on the grid. Editable fields
appear with a white background on the grid.
3) While viewing or editing data, you can split the grid so that the cost codes or other columns are
always in view on the left, allowing you to scroll through other columns to view or enter data on
the right. To split the grid:
a. Click the Split button. The window splits vertically, with a moveable vertical bar.
b. You can move the vertical bar as necessary. Use the horizontal scroll bars to scroll through
the columns on both sides of the vertical bars. For line item entry, both sides are editable.
c. You can click the Freeze button to make the left side of the vertical bar unmovable.
d. To unfreeze the left side, click the Freeze button again. To remove the split, click the Split
button again.
4) When you have completed editing the Line Items window, click OK.
An icon appears in the first column to indicate which rows have been modified.
To undo line item changes without closing the Line Items window
In the Line Items window, click the Cancel Row Changes button. Any line item information that
you have entered or changed will be cleared, and the fields will revert back to their original values.
Note: View mode refers to the non-editable version of the form. For
example, for workflow BPs, this is before clicking the Accept Task button
or after the form has gone through all the workflow steps and is complete.
For non-workflow BPs, this is after editing has been completed.
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c. To unfreeze the left side, click the Freeze button again. To remove the split, click the Split
button again.
4) Click the Close button to close the window.
By default, the first 100 line items are displayed on the page. If your payment application BP has
more than 100 line items, you can scroll through the other pages, or you can choose to display up
to 500 line items on the same page. Displaying more than 100 line items on the page may take
several seconds to load.
To fix payment application BPs that are affected by changes to the SOV
1) Open the draft payment application record.
2) Click the Add button and click Detail Line Item to open the line item entry grid. Line items that
are affected by SOV changes are indicated with check marks.
3) Click OK. The line items are validated against the SOV.
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Note: This assumes that a column has been added to the SOV that is
associated with the datasource "Scheduled Value." The column name
may vary. Click the link in a cell. The Cell Details window opens,
displaying the source of the line item information -- the commit record(s)
with a line item entry for that WBS code.
To view the associated SOV from within the payment application line item grid
1) Open the payment application form. Be sure the form is not in a view-only mode.
2) Click the SOV button from the record toolbar. The Schedule of Values sheet opens.
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Notes:
Data for formula-based columns is ignored.
If auto-populated data is provided, the system will import the value,
and will not override the imported values except for fields
auto-populated by Base Commit, Change Commit, or Unit Cost
Control.
Any line items with the Amount equal to zero will not be imported.
SOV locking is enforced
Use to add new business process records only; not to modify existing
business processes.
You might find that you have to change some of the cells in the CSV
file to Text type in order for data to import correctly. For example, if you
have a WBS code of 1-1, Microsoft Excel can interpret this entry as a
month-day combination and reformat it to Jan-1. In this case, your
data import will fail because this data is now an invalid WBS code.
If the Integration design for the business process includes a
Description field for line items, and the associated SOV sheet also
contains a Description field, the description from the SOV sheet is
imported, and the line item description is not imported.
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Notes:
Data for formula-based columns is ignored.
If auto-populated data is provided, the system will import the value,
and will not
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Note: Line items you import will replace any existing line items.
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You:
1) Start the bid procedure by opening the RFB, filling in the form, and sending it for internal review
(if necessary).
2) When the internal review is complete, you:
a. Assemble the bid package and prepare the bid invitation for distribution.
b. Send out the bid invitations, along with a user name and password so that the vendors can
log into Unifier and submit their bids.
Once the bid invitations have been sent, you must wait, then, for the bid due date to pass.
The vendors:
1) When the vendors receive the bid invitation, they log into Unifier and open the bid request.
2) They (optionally) can request clarification of any questions or issues before submitting the bid.
(They can use the uMail link on the bid request for this purpose.)
3) They then submit the bid.
You:
1) When the due date for all bids is reached, you tabulate the bids for comparison.
2) Optionally, open discussions about the bids, if necessary.
3) Award the bid to a vendor and automatically generate a contract copying relevant details from
bid record into the contract.
4) Select a winning bid, after discussions with the members of your team.
In Unifier, you can create a contract from the winning bid (the bid that was selected from multiple
bids) automatically, and the contract that is generated automatically will have a copy of the data
from the winning bid (terms and negotiating amounts), if any.
See Select Winning Bid and Auto-create Contract sections for details.
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3) Click Send Password. The Bidders window opens, showing a list of vendors.
4) Choose the vendor(s) you want to submit bids and click Send Password. Then click Close
Window.
5) On the Bid Invitation window, click Close Window.
Once you have sent out all the bid invitations, Unifier freezes the RFB until the bid due date
passes. After the due date passes, you can compare the bids.
To compare bids
1) Open the RFB record. The toolbar displays a Show Bids button.
2) Click Show Bids. The Show Bids window opens, listing the bids you received.
3) From the list, select the vendors you want to compare and click Compare Bids.
Unifier tabulates the bids from the vendors you selected and displays a Compare Bids sheet.
This sheet will look different, depending on whether you are using the default comparison
sheet supplied by Unifier, or a custom-designed comparison sheet created by your company.
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The default bid comparison sheet shows the bid amounts for each line item for which the
vendor submitted a bid.
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Split Split the screen so you can easily compare vendors by column.
Find specific data on the sheet. When you click Find, a window
opens where you can specify the vendor (column) and the value you
Find
want to locate. Unifier will search the line items in that column and
highlight the value, if it finds it.
In addition, some fields on the sheet may be editable, depending on how the sheet was designed.
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Assume a standard tab that has 3 line items and each line item is associated with a WBS Code.
When bids are requested, these 3 line items will be copied into the Bidder Detail tab so that the
Bidder can bid on those 3 line items. The Bidder form (Bidder Detail tab) does not allow placing
bitemID, bi_item DEs. As a result, the Bidder form line items will not display the WBS Code, or
the WBS Name.
When Bidder A adds 2 more line items to the Bidder form before submitting the bid. After all bids
have been submitted, the Bid Comparison Sheet column for Bidder A shows 5 line items (3 line
items from the Requestor standard tab, and the 2 line items that have been added by Bidder A,
manually).
If Bidder A is selected as winner, and the requestor adds more line items such as the negotiated
amount, price, quantity, and so forth, then the Bid Comparison Sheet, for the winner (Bidder A) will
have more information than originally included by Bidder A, when Bidder A submitted the bid.
Note: The additional line items that the requestor has added must be
captured in the "Bid Comparison Sheet" by the requestor by way of adding
corresponding DEs in uDesigner (uDesigner > RFB Business Process >
Bid Comparison Sheet > Detail).
All line items, within the second Detail tab (Winning Bid) must be valid before an RFB record can
be successfully routed to next step. If you change the value of a "Winning Bid" picker on the
Requestor Upper form, the existing line items in the tab (<winning bid tab name>) will be removed
and the system sends a confirmation request. If you confirm the change, the Winning Bid selector
displays the new value and all the line items from the second Detail tab (Winning Bid) will be
deleted.
If you use the Clear option in the winning bid selector window, the existing line items in the tab
(<winning bid tab name>) will be removed and the system sends a confirmation request. If you
confirm the change, the confirmation window and the winning bid selector window will close, the
winning bid selector value will be cleared, and all line items from second Detail tab (Winning Bid)
will be deleted, including line items add manually.
Unifier saves the following information to the database, each time you make a winning bid
selection:
Winning Bid picker value
Winning Bid Detail tab line items
Any DEs on Requestor Upper form which are set to auto-populate from winning bid picker
As a result, if you select a winning bid and perform an Undo Accept Task, then:
Winning bid will stay as selected
Winning bid tab Detail line items will persist and not revert back
Fields that receive AP from winning bid will be persisted and will not revert back
Other DEs will be reverted back as per existing functionality
Note: If the winning bid picker is blank, but the Winning Bid Detail tab has
line items that have been manually added, then the manually added line
item will be removed when you perform an Undo Accept Task.
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Winning bid Picker, auto-populated fields, and the winning bid Detail tab line items will still be
saved as records
Other fields will not be saved (as per existing functionality)
To clear the winning bid related information, you can do one of the following:
Clear, or reselect, the winning bid Detail tab to its previous value before performing Undo
Accept Task
or
If you performed Undo Accept Task, then click Accept Task, and reselect, or deselect the
winning bid picker.
If there are more than one assignees on a step:
When user 2 tries to select the winning bid, if user 1 has already done a selection, then user 2
will receive an alert notifying user 2 that some of the line items have already been saved to the
winning bid tab (<winning bid tab name>) and the action taken by user 2 will remove all those
lines and recreate lines as per new information in the DE (<label of DE
uuu_rfb_winning_bid>) selection.
New line items will be created in the winning bid Detail tab as per user 2’s response.
The special runtime behavior of the winning bid Detail tab is connected to the winning bid selector
DE (uuu_rfb_winning_bid). You can select not to place the winning bid selector DE
(uuu_rfb_winning_bid) on the form and still use the winning bid Detail tab by naming it
something else. The winning bid Detail tab will behave like any other non-standard detail tab in
such a scenario.
Also, similar to other Detail tabs in Business Processes, you have the ability to delete line items
from the winning bid Detail tab if it is configured so in uDesigner.
Note: The DE of DD = Bid Picker will not be available for Bulk Edit or Bulk
action.
When you copy an RFB record to create a new RFB record, note that:
Not all the line items in the winning bid Detail tab are going to be copied.
The picker "Winner Bid" will not be copied.
DEs will be copied, similar to the standard copy behavior for records in Unifier.
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Auto-create Contract
When an additional Detail tab, for the Requestor section of all RFB type Business Process forms,
is available, you can use the second Detail tab (non-standard tab) to record the lines of the
winning bid, as the user copies the data from the Bid Comparison Sheet.
The second Detail tab is similar to that of any other non-standard Detail tab on any other Cost type
BP which allows multiple tabs.
The destination record is created by auto-creation and selecting a Winning Bid is not a must for
successful auto-creation.
The BP Creator is available after all the mapping to the second Detail tab (Winning Bid) is
complete. If the BP Creator is configured to auto-create a WBS Cost type Business Process, but
the source Bidder Detail form did not contain a WBS picker (bitemid), the auto-creation will fail.
About the Bid Due Date Time: Be aware that the due date and time for the bid reflect the time of
the server on which Unifier is running. (Unifier servers operate on Pacific Standard Time.)
To sign in to Unifier
If you received a bid invitation, you should also have received an email containing a link to Unifier,
a user name, and a password.
1) Open the bid invitation and click the link provided.
2) At the login screen, enter the user name and password provided in the email.
The Primavera Unifier home screen opens.
To submit a bid
1) In the Navigator on the left, click Request for Bid/Bids (or Request for Bid Private/Bids, if
you have been invited for a private bid). A bid log appears on the right pane showing a list of
open bids you have been invited to submit.
Note: By default , Unifier displays only open bids. If you want to see all the
bids you have been invited to submit, use the View menu on the right
corner of the tool bar. Click the arrow and choose All Bids from the list.
Unifier will display all your bids, past and present.
2) On the right pane, double-click the name of the RFB you received (or click the View Bid
button). The Request for Bid form opens.
Notes:
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Got questions?
Before you submit the bid, you can communicate with the requestor
about any questions or issues that need clarification. The Request for
Bid form provides a link to Unifier uMail feature. To send a
communication:
Click the Linked Mail link in the lower-right corner of the window. A
Linked Mail window opens, showing a chronological list of any existing
communications.
Click New. An email-type form opens, where you can send a
communication to the requestor.
3) Click the Bid button in the upper-left corner of the screen. The request for bid form opens for
editing.
4) Fill in the upper form fields that are required.
5) Click the Add button in the lower-left corner and choose Detail Line Item. The Request for Bid
Line Item window opens.
6) Fill in the fields on this form and click OK.
The line item detail you entered appears on the tab at the bottom of the screen.
7) (Optional) To add an attachment to the bid, click Add Attachment in the toolbar. A file upload
window opens.
a. Click the Add button. A window opens showing the directory tree of files on your machine.
b. Navigate to the file you want to attach and select it. Then click Open. The file name
appears in the Upload List field.
c. Click the Upload button. An Upload Status window opens.
d. When the file has been uploaded, click the Close button.
On the Request for Bid form, Unifier indicates the attachment in the lower-left corner of the
window. You can click on Attachments to verify that the attachment is correct.
8) Click Submit Bid. Unifier accepts the bid.
To withdraw a bid
1) Sign in to Unifier.
2) In the Navigator on the left, click Request for Bid/Bids (or Request for Bid Private/Bids, if
you were invited for a private bid). A bid log appears on the right pane.
3) On the right pane, double-click the name of the RFB you received. The Request for Bid form
opens.
4) Click the Bid button in the upper-left corner of the window. The request for bid form opens for
editing.
5) Click the Withdraw Bid button in the upper-left corner of the window.
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3) In the log, select the bid record that you want to view or print.
4) Click the View Bid button. The bid form that you submitted opens for viewing.
5) (Optional) Print the bid form from the File menu. Choose either:
Print Preview > HTML Format: The print view of the form will open in the browser.
Landscape orientation usually provides best results for HTML format. To print the bid, click
the print icon in the upper-right corner of the window.
Print Preview > PDF Format: Opens the form in Acrobat Reader. Print the bid using the
File menu in Acrobat.
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Notes:
Data for formula-based columns is ignored.
If auto-populated data is provided, the system will import the value,
and will not override the imported values except for fields
auto-populated by Base Commit, Change Commit, or Unit Cost
Control.
Any line items with the Amount equal to zero will not be imported.
Use to add new business process records only, not to modify existing
business processes.
You might find that you have to change some of the cells in the CSV
file to Text type in order for data to import correctly. For example, if you
have a WBS code of 1-1, Microsoft Excel can interpret this entry as a
month-day combination and reformat it to Jan-1. In this case, your
data import will fail because this data is now an invalid WBS code.
If the Integration design for the business process includes a
Description field for line items, and the associated SOV sheet also
contains a Description field, the description from the SOV sheet is
imported, and the line item description is not imported.
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WBS Code
Breakdown
You can then modify the amounts on the exported template and import it to create new line items
for the business process. The exported template contains SOV record information.
Notes:
Data for formula-based columns is ignored.
If auto-populated data is provided, the system will import the value,
and will not override the imported values except for fields
auto-populated by Base Commit, Change Commit, or Unit Cost
Control.
Any line items with the Amount equal to zero will not be imported.
Use the import to add new line items only, not to modify existing line
items.
Any line items you import will be added after any existing line items.
You might find that you have to change some of the cells in the CSV
file to Text type in order for data to import correctly. For example, if you
have a WBS code of 1-1, Microsoft Excel can interpret this entry as a
month-day combination and reformat it to Jan-1. In this case, your
data import will fail because this data is now an invalid WBS code.
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Notes:
Data for formula-based columns is ignored.
If auto-populated data is provided, the system will import the value,
and will not override the imported values except for fields
auto-populated by Base Commit, Change Commit, or Unit Cost
Control.
Any line items with the Amount equal to zero will not be imported.
Use to add new business process records only; not to modify existing
business processes.
All data created through the CSV import is rolled up to the cost sheet
You might find that you have to change some of the cells in the CSV
file to Text type in order for data to import correctly. For example, if you
have a WBS code of 1-1, Microsoft Excel can interpret this entry as a
month‐day combination and reformat it to Jan-1. In this case, your
data import will fail because this data is now an invalid WBS code.
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Notes:
Data for formula-based columns is ignored.
If auto-populated data is provided, the system will import the value,
and will not override the imported values except for fields
auto-populated by Base Commit, Change Commit, or Unit Cost
Control.
Any line items with the Amount equal to zero will not be imported.
Ensure that you are importing the records you want to import. Any line
items that you import will be added after any existing line items.
Use to add new lines only, not to modify existing lines
All data created through the CSV import is rolled up to the cost sheet
You might find that you have to change some of the cells in the CSV
file to Text type in order for data to import correctly. For example, if you
have a WBS code of 1-1, Microsoft Excel can interpret this entry as a
month-day combination and reformat it to Jan-1. In this case, your
data import will fail because this data is now an invalid WBS code.
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Leases can be designed with fields that you can use in line items to perform lease data
calculations. These calculations generate lease payment schedules. For example, you could add
lines items for rent, cost of maintenance, or taxes to a lease. The data in these line items is data
that you enter, or data that is populated based on calculations.
On Leases, you can:
View expected payments for the lifetime of the lease using the Regular Payment Schedule
and Straight Line Schedule reports
Disable the auto-creation of related BPs, or re-enable these auto-created BPs as needed
Create Payment Schedules (regular and straight line)
Create snapshots of the lease for historical purposes
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2) On the toolbar, click the Payment Schedules button and choose Regular or Straight Line.
The payment schedule window opens.
The schedule shows currency amounts to two decimal places (e.g., $3120.33).
The Regular Payment Schedule lists the lease payments as calculated using Frequency, Start
Date, and End Date.
The Straight Line Schedule lists the lease payments averaged over all of the line items of the
payment terms for the lease over the life of the lease. You can specify which line items that you
want to include in the Straight Line Schedule by clicking the Straight Line radio button on the
detail form of each line item to Yes for each item you want listed in the schedule.
3) Click the Export button to save all of the schedule rows or selected rows to a PDF file. Click
Save to create the PDF file of the schedule.
4) Click the Close Window button when you are done viewing the schedule.
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When these objects (assets, shells, spaces, etc.) are designed, they can be "calendar enabled,"
which means that the business process form for these objects will show a Calendar button, and
the object will be available for reservation.
In conjunction with these calendar-enabled objects, Unifier provides a Reservation type business
process which you can use to reserve these objects. A Reservation BP is considered a type of
cost BP in that it integrates with the Cost Manager to use cost codes at the company and
project/shell level.
There are two ways to make a reservation:
1) Using a Reservation business process that has been designed and configured for your use.
On this business process, you can specify the date and time of the reservation. Depending on
its design, this business process can also:
Display availability and identify scheduling conflicts
Denote the reservation as "tentative" or "confirmed"
Gather cost information
Specify additional details, such as the number of attendees, A/V requirements, food
catering, etc.
Show the reservation as a recurring event.
Trigger another business process, such as a work order.
2) Using a Quick Calendar Entry. The Quick Calendar is available on any business process that
was designed to be "calendar-enabled." From the business process record, you can open the
calendar and enter a reservation.
Note: For an asset in the Asset Manager, the Quick Calendar is the only
way you can reserve an asset; you cannot use the Reservation business
process.
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A "recurrence" feature, where you can specify how often this reservation should be created.
Unifier will continue to automatically reserve the object according to the specifications you
select with this feature.
This example shows the room and projector you chose and the timeframe you specified in the
From Date and To Date fields on the form (green and red lines).
In the example above, the room is available, but the projector is not. The schedule shows, in blue,
that the projector has already been reserved for that time slot. However, the schedule also shows
that both the room and the projector are available at other hours on that day. By dragging the
green and red lines, you can move the reservation for both the room and projector to, say, 10:00 to
11:00. Unifier will change the Reservation From/To fields at the bottom of the window to reflect
your change. When you click the Update button at the top of the window, Unifier will reserve the
room and projector and will update the Reservation record with the new time.
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If a Reservation business process is designed to auto-create another business process, the fields
you need to fill in are as follows:
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Note: This works best if you are reserving a single object, such as a room.
If you are reserving multiple objects for the event, any time you change
the date or timeframe for any one of the objects, Unifier will reflect that
change for all the objects, and you are likely to encounter scheduling
conflicts this way. To change the dates or time frames of multiple objects
on a reservation, use the Schedules feature.
The data pickers for reservable objects show the object in a schedule-like window:
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Assets in the Asset Manager can be reserved only by using the Quick
Calendar entry method. You cannot reserve an asset with a Reservation
business process.The calendar does not show draft or terminated
records.
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2) On the toolbar, click the Calendar button. The Calendar window opens.
By default, the calendar opens in the "Month" view. You can change this to a day or week view
if you want using the tabs at the top of the calendar. If there are more resevations than are
visible on any day, click the down arrow at the bottom of the day cell to see the rest of the
reservations.
The calendar shows confirmed and tentative reservations in color. The current day is outlined
in red.
3) Click the day you want to make the reservation for. If you are using the Day view of the
calendar, click the beginning hour for the reservation.
Unifier displays a reservation window.
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Canceling a reservation
To cancel a reservation
1) Open the reservation business process you want to cancel.
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2) From the File menu, choose Cancel Reservation. Unifier displays a Cancel Reservation
window.
On this window, Unifier tells you exactly what will be removed from the calendars, and provides
an area for notes on the cancelation. It shows:
Any business processes this reservation auto-creates. These will also be canceled.
All the objects associated with this reservation that will be canceled. In the example above,
the room is being canceled as well as the projector that was reserved for the room.
3) In the Cancelation Notes area, enter any notes you wish regarding the cancelation.
4) Click OK.
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The Asset Manager uses the three most common depreciation methods:
Straight line
Double decline, or sum of year digits
Manual depreciation
Irrespective of method, asset depreciation is calculated for the entire life of the asset over
whatever period you specify. For example, if an asset is depreciating over two years and you
specify a monthly depreciation increment, then the asset’s value will be recalculated each month
for two years from the date of acquisition.
Asset Classes: Assets are grouped in classes (for example, buildings, equipment, etc.). The
detail forms that are used to enter asset information can be designed in uDesigner, per class. For
example, you can design and use different forms for entering information about your company’s
building assets and equipment assets. Each asset exists as a unique record.
Asset Codes: Asset codes are generated automatically when assets are created. The asset code
will be built using different data elements defined on the asset form as segments. At runtime, the
asset code is built automatically based on the data element values selected. A tree structure is
automatically built to access these assets based on the asset codes. Assets with the same
segment values will be grouped together to form a hierarchy.
Asset Sheets: You can track assets and depreciation on asset sheets. There is one asset sheet
per class, listing details about each asset in that class, plus an asset summary sheet, which helps
you track all of your assets in one place. User permissions are granted per asset class or sheet. If
you cannot view any part of the Asset Manager to which you require access, contact your
company administrator.
Also see the Internationalization and CSV Files section for language (Internationalization)
details.
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3) To access assets, select an asset class. The log opens for the asset class.
The center navigation pane displays the segments of the asset codes hierarchically by their
segments, as selected in the properties window for each asset. These nodes are created as
asset codes are created. The right pane lists all assets created under the selected class.
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3) Make changes as needed and click Save or Finish Editing to save the new asset. After
saving, the Depreciation Setup button becomes available.
To copy an asset
1) Select an asset from the log and click Copy > Asset. The form opens, with the information
from the original asset.
2) Make changes as needed and click Save or Finish Editing to save the new asset. After
saving, the Depreciation Setup button becomes available.
Note: You must have permissions to access any listed sheet. If you need
access to a sheet not listed in the log, contact your company
administrator.
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To save a snapshot
1) Open the asset sheet or asset summary sheet.
2) Choose File > Create Snapshot. The Create Snapshot window opens.
3) Enter a title and click OK.
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Note: Bulk edits overwrite data without stopping for you to verify the
overwrite of each record. Be sure that you have entered the data you want
to edit correctly.
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3) Select the check boxes for the information that you want to print.
4) To select all the checkboxes, click the Select All checkbox. To deselect all, uncheck the
Select All checkbox. If you deselect all checkboxes, only the header and footer will print.
5) Click OK. The preview form opens in an HTML or PDF (Adobe Acrobat or Reader) window,
from which you can print.
If you chose PDF, you can save a copy by clicking the Save a Copy button, or print. To print
from HTML format, click on the Print icon in the upper right corner.
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Lists all the custom print templates, including the custom print templates created in the Custom
Prints and Reports node and the custom print templates. For example, the list may include BI
Publisher custom print templates, Word, and PDF custom print templates.
If there are multiple custom print templates, all the published templates are listed in this section.
The "Select a template and format to print" is populated by the selection made in the "Select a
custom print template" section.
Select a template and format to print
If you select a BI Publisher custom print, then you can select the desired template and format
from the drop-down lists.
Template drop-down displays all the available templates for the selected format.
Format drop-down displays the available formats for the selected template.
If the custom print template was created using PDF or Word, then the "Select a template and
format to print" is disabled.
Default template and format
If a BI Publisher print template is selected, then the default values in the drop-down lists are set
based on the default in the custom print template.
When a BI Publisher print template is selected in the "Select a custom print template" section,
the template and format are populated based on the default value selected at the time of
designing the print template.
There are two types of Configurable Manager: code- and record-based and code-based.
Also see the Internationalization and CSV Files section for language (Internationalization)
details.
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Note: User permissions are granted per class or sheet. If you cannot view
any part of the Configurable Manager to which you require access,
contact your company administrator.
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If you are using a code-based Configurable Manager, there is just one sheet, which is listed
under the log
To access a sheet, click the Sheets node, and select a sheet from the log.
To access a class, select a class. The log for the class opens. The center navigation pane
displays the segments of the codes hierarchically as selected in the properties window for
each class. The right pane lists all the records created under the selected class.
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2) Make changes as needed in the Properties window, and click OK to create the new sheet.
3) In the Segments tab, you can define the segments of the codes that will be created on the
sheet. Click Add to add a new segment. Choose a segment source for the segment. The
segment sources are defined in uDesigner.
4) Click OK.
You can view the attributes for a code by clicking on the code.
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Specify how the column data appears for numeric columns. The
options are:
Show as Percentage: Data entered in a column is displayed
as a percentage. For example, if you enter 0.25, it displays as
25%.
Data Format
Decimal Places: Select the number of decimal places to
display (0 to 8).
Use 1000 Separator (,): If you select this option, the entered
data is formatted with a separator for numbers with more than
three digits. For example, 1,000 rather than 1000.
Negative Number Format: Specify if negative values are
displayed with a negative sign or in parentheses.
Select Hide to make the column invisible to users. Select Show
Display Mode to display it. You can show/hide any column on the sheet,
including the code name column.
Specify what the summary rows display.
Blank: Summary row remains blank.
Summary Rows Sum of All Rows: Summary row displays the sum total of all
row values for this column.
Use Formula Definition: Formula entered in the Formula
field applies to the summary row.
Specifies what displays in the bottom summary row for each
column:
Blank: Summary row remains blank.
Total Sum of All Rows: Summary row displays the sum total of all row
values for this column.
Use Formula Definition: Formula entered in the Formula field
applies to the summary row.
Column Position After Determines the position of the column on the sheet.
To copy a column
1) In the Column log, select a column and click Copy.
2) The Column Properties window opens. Make changes as necessary for the new column. You
must change at least the data source.
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Calculations based on Calendar Days: The calculation is based on calendar days and
does not take company non-working days into account.
Calculations based on Work Days: The calculation is based on the company calendar
working and non-working days.
5) Click OK.
Open a sheet
Manager sheets are listed on the Sheet log of the configurable manager.
Note: You must have permissions to access a sheet. If you need access
to a sheet not listed in the log, contact your company administrator.
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To create a filter
1) Open the sheet.
2) From the View menu, choose Filters.... The Setup Filters window opens.
3) Click the Add button. The Add Filter window opens.
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Unifier displays a filtered view of the manager sheet. While in a filtered view, you can use all
sheet functions except Export and Import.
If you want to re-display all the rows on the sheet, you can clear the filter by choosing
ClearFilters from the View menu.
To edit a filter
1) Open the sheet.
2) From the View menu, choose Filters.... The Setup Filters window opens, showing a list of the
filters that have been created for the sheet.
3) Select the filter you want to edit and click Edit.
Note: The name of the row item is always editable. The code, however, is
never editable.
To create a snapshot
1) Open the sheet.
2) Select File > Create Snapshot. The Create Snapshot window opens.
3) Enter a title and click OK.
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3) Select a snapshot from the list and click Open. A read-only view of the sheet opens, displaying
the sheet data at the time of the snapshot.
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Note: You cannot delete summary rows from the sheet using a CSV
import. You also cannot delete existing rows using CSV import if their
codes have been added to business processes.
Note: Bulk edits overwrite data without asking you to verify each change.
Be sure that you have entered the data you want to edit correctly.
4) The Bulk Edit form includes all editable fields for the detail form. Modify the Bulk Edit form as
needed.
5) Select the Update checkbox for the fields that you want to update. The checkbox is
automatically selected when you type in a field. You can deselect it if you do not want to modify
the field.
6) To start the bulk update of the selected records, click Update. The Bulk Actions Status window
displays the progress of the update.
7) Click OK after all records have processed. Click Cancel if you want to cancel the bulk update
in progress.
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The Custom Print formats include the BI Publisher custom print templates designed in the Custom
Prints and Reports node. If custom print layouts have been created for the Configurable Manager,
the form will print according to the layout that you select. See the following Custom Format Print
Options for details. See the following Custom Format Print Options for details.
To preview and print a Configurable Managers form:
1) Open a Configurable Managers record that you want to print.
2) From the File menu, choose Print Preview, then choose one of the following:
HTML to view the form in the browser which can then be printed.
PDF to open the form in Adobe Reader, which can be saved or emailed as a PDF file, or
printed process, you are asked to save the changes to the form.
Custom to select the BI Publisher, Microsoft Word, and PDF custom print templates from
the same place as the current custom prints. See the following Custom Format Print
Options for details.
The Print Options window opens. This window displays the record information that can be
printed.
3) Select the checkboxes for the information that you want to print.
4) To select all the checkboxes, click the Select All checkbox. To deselect all, uncheck the
SelectAll checkbox. If you deselect all checkboxes, only the header and footer will print.
5) Click OK. The preview form opens in an HTML or PDF (Adobe Acrobat or Reader) window,
from which you can print.
If you chose PDF, you can save a copy by clicking the Save a Copy button, or print. To print
from HTML format, click on the Print icon in the upper right corner.
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Record
Attachments > List of file attachments attached to the comment are listed and
Comments > contain the file title, issue date, revision number, and file size.
Attachments
To print a Configurable Managers form with a custom print layout:
1) Open the form that you want to print. Be sure it is in a view mode.
2) From the File menu, choose Print Preview, then choose Custom to select the BI Publisher,
Microsoft Word, or PDF custom print templates from the same place as the current custom
prints (Custom Format Print selection window).
3) Select a layout and click Ok. The File Download window opens.
Notes:
In case of the BI Publisher templates, you can select an output format
and based on that selected output format the output file is generated.
The output file appears in a new window.
In case of the PDF format, the output is a .pdf file and is displayed in a
new window and save.
In case of the RTF format, the output is a .rtf file and you can open the
.rtf file with Microsoft Word and save.
In case of the Excel format, the output is a .xls file and you can open
the .xls file with Microsoft Excel and save.
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If you select a BI Publisher custom print, then you can select the desired template and format
from the drop-down lists.
Template drop-down displays all the available templates for the selected format.
Format drop-down displays the available formats for the selected template.
If the custom print template was created using PDF or Word, then the "Select a template and
format to print" is disabled.
Default template and format (non-Workflow)
If a BI Publisher print template is selected, then the default values in the drop-down lists are set
based on the default in the custom print template.
When a BI Publisher print template is selected in the "Select a custom print template" section,
the template and format are populated based on the default value selected at the time of
designing the print template.
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Accounts Sheet
The company accounts sheet is used to track company level accounts information, such as
assets, resources, and facility maintenance. It is similar to a project or shell cost sheet, using
account codes instead of WBS codes.
Cost Sheets
Project/Shell Cost Sheet: The project or shell cost sheet is a detailed accounting of the project’s
or shell’s budget and costs. It works much like a spreadsheet within Unifier that calculates and
maintains the project or shell cost information stored in the project or shell. The project or shell
cost sheet rows contain unique WBS codes (or cost codes), which can be used to link project or
shell or program costs to the general ledger for finance. Cost information can be entered manually,
pulled from work packages or worksheets, or rolled up automatically from business processes
when transactions occur in Unifier.
Project/Shell Cost Sheet Column Properties)
The Datasource drop-down list contains a list of Single, Logical, and P6 datasources (only
Published P6 Data sources as defined in the Standards and Libraries--Administration mode).
The Element drop-down contains a list of options as defined in the Cost Sheets Templates.
The Data Format option, Decimal, is selected for all the "Unit" fields that you have selected
from the Element drop-down list.
Note: The data sources do not list the P6 Summary Sheets in a Shell.
Instead, the P6 Summary Sheets are from P6 Data Sources node, under
Standards and Libraries. Unifier identifies the P6 Summary Sheet that is
required for supplying data to the Cost Sheet by mapping the Summary
Sheet "Type" to the column data source.
Program Cost Sheet: Program cost sheets are created automatically once a project cost sheet
has been created in at least one project within the program. The columns of the program cost
sheet can be set up to allow cost sheet data to roll up automatically from individual project cost
sheets. The program cost sheet will display cost data for all projects within the program that have
a status of active or on hold. The currency used is the company base currency. Projects on the
program cost sheet are sorted automatically by ascending project number. As new projects are
added to the program, and cost sheets are created for them, the new projects will be automatically
added to the program cost sheet.
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Company Cost Sheet: The company administrator can create a company-level cost sheet to
display cost data across project or shells. Projects or shells on the company cost sheet are added
by default as project- or shell-level cost sheets are created. Only active and on-hold projects or
shells should be rolled up to a company-level cost sheet. Projects and shells are listed in order by
project or shell number in an ascending order. Data rolls up to the company cost sheet columns
from individual project or shell cost sheet columns by data source. The data displayed on the
program cost sheet is view only.
Company Workspace (Company Cost Sheet Column Properties)
The Datasource drop-down list contains a list of Single, Logical, and P6 datasources (only
Published P6 Data sources as defined in the Standards and Libraries--Administration mode).
The Element drop-down list contains a list of available options.
The Data Format option, Decimal, is selected for all the "Unit" fields that you have selected
from the Element drop-down list.
Note: If the Base Currency is different from the Shell Currency, then the
current "Active" Exchange Rate is used to display Costs in the Company
Cost Sheet.
If you add a P6 Source column to the Company Cost Sheet, the data is acquired from the
corresponding P6 Source column of the Shells in the Company.
Projects and Programs (Program Cost Sheet Column Properties)
The Datasource drop-down list contains a list of Single, Logical, and P6 datasources (only
Published P6 Data sources as defined in the Standards and Libraries--Administration mode).
The Element drop-down list contains a list of available options.
The Data Format option, Decimal, is selected for all the "Unit" fields that you have selected
from the Element drop-down list.
Work packages: In addition to a project or shell cost sheet, multiple work packages may also be
defined. A work package is a group of cost sheet rows that is a subset of the project or shell cost
sheet. Work packages provide insight into the budget without providing full access to the details of
the project or shell cost sheet.
Worksheets: Cost worksheets can be created to support the project or shell cost sheet. They can
be used as sub-cost sheets, enabling specific calculations or data entry in a separate sheet, which
can then be rolled up into a defined project or shell cost sheet column. For example, a worksheet
can be used to offload complex calculations, which can be rolled up into a single cost sheet
column. Worksheets support manual data entry and formulas. Business processes do not roll up
to worksheets. Permissions can be controlled for individual worksheets. Worksheets are not
independently reportable; however, cost sheet columns that reference worksheets can be
reported on.
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Funding
Company funding sheets: The company funding sheet tracks all sources of funding across all
projects or shells and programs. You create only one sheet per company. Funding sources that
are made available at project or shell sheet level are rolled up to the company sheet, which
maintains the overall fund information. Once created, the company funding sheet can be edited,
but not deleted. The company funding sheet must be created before creating individual project or
shell funding sheets.
Project/Shell funding sheets: The project or shell funding sheet tracks how funding is being
allocated and consumed at the project or shell level. Project or shell fund sheets work in
conjunction with the company funding sheet. Allocating funding sources at project or shell level
can be done manually or through a business process. A funding template and company funding
sheet must be complete before you can create a project or shell funding sheet.
Commitment funding sheets: You can optionally set up commitment level funding, which allows
you to allocate specific project/shell funds to individual base commit records. This works in
conjunction with the SOV sheet to track base and change commit lines and balances.
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Project Shell
Cost Manager Company Program Shell (Generic)
(Standard) (WBS)
Cost Manager (for
X X X X
WBS codes)
Generic Cost
X
Manager
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Note: Unifier does not display the rule exception warning if the cost data
comes from an email action, an integration transaction. If you have
override control, Unifier will assume that you want to override the rule and
sends information to the audit log.
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An Invoice must be less than or equal to Approved Purchase Orders and PO Amendments
— This rule validates invoices (approved invoices) vs approved purchase orders (approved
purchase orders and po amendments)
A Payment Application must be less than Approved Contracts and Change Orders —
This rule validates approved payment applications vs approved commitments (approved
contracts, change orders)
The actions that can trigger a rule are:
You attempt to "send" a business process record to the next step whose status activates the
rule.
For example, the rule may be designed to activate when a record gets to the Pending or
Approved status.
Data is loaded into a cost sheet manually.
Web services calls create records.
Records are auto-created from other records.
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If the WBS Shell instance does not have the Schedule Type Data Element on the attribute
form, the templates that have the option "Enable P6 sources" selected are not available for
use. That is to say, you are not able to add a cost sheet that has P6 Sources to the Shell.
If the WBS Shell instance does have the Schedule Type Data Element on the attribute form,
you can select the "Tree" structure cost sheet, only.
Adding a new Cost Sheet by way of copying from a Shell instance
If the WBS Shell instance does not have the Schedule Type Data Element on the attribute
form, the Shell instance that have the option "Enable P6 sources" selected are not available
for use. That is to say, you are not able to add a cost sheet that has P6 Sources to the Shell.
If the WBS Shell instance does have the Schedule Type Data Element on the attribute form,
you can select the "Tree" structure cost sheet, only.
More information about adding a new Cost Sheet
You can select any Cost Sheet with the option "Enable P6 sources" selected, or without the option
"Enable P6 sources" selected.
Once a new Cost Sheet is created within a WBS Shell instance, the option "Enable P6 sources" is
carried over from the source. The "Enable P6 sources" option is editable as long as no columns
are added to the Cost Sheet via the P6 Data sources. If a Cost Sheet contains columns that use
P6 Data Sources, you cannot edit (Select or Deselect) the "Enable P6 sources."
Note: When you first open the sheet, the opening view will depend on the
Default View option selected in the Properties window. Your cost sheet
administrator can set this default view. Cost sheets can be resized and
split/unsplit (see Resize cost sheet window (on page 354) or Split or
unsplit cost sheet window (on page 354)).
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5) You can click Freeze again to unlock the left half, or click Split again to restore the window.
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To add line items by copying existing data from one column to another
1) Open the project or shell Cost Sheet window, click the Edit menu and choose Copy > Column
Data. The Copy Column Data window opens.
2) Complete the Copy Column Data window as described in the table below.
3) Click Copy. The data in the first column will be copied into the second column.
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In this
Do this
field
Choose one of the following:
Copy Cell total only: Copies the total value displayed in the cell. The new line
type item will be labeled as "Copy of original column name," ignoring quantity
and unit cost.
Cell detail: Copies all cell detail information from the original line item.
Copy
From the drop-down list, select the column to copy. Only line item entry
from
columns will be listed.
column
You may enter a percentage value to copy. For example, if you choose 10%,
Percenta
then 10% of the value of the original column value will be copied into the new
ge
column.
Copy to From the drop-down list, select the column into which you want the line items
column copied
Choose one of the following from which you want to copy the values:
Rows All: To copy values to all of the rows.
Partial: To copy the values of selected rows only. Click the Select button
to choose the rows to copy.
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2) Click the currency drop-down list in the upper right corner of the sheet and choose the
currency from the list.
Expand or collapse WBS codes
You can expand or collapse all WBS codes in a cost sheet. If you have a large number of WBS
codes in a tree structure, you can expand that structure to view all of the WBS codes at once.
2) Click a listed line item. If the line item is a BP transaction, the BP form opens. If the line item is
a manual entry, the Line Item window opens.
3) To view the formula used for the column, click the Formula link.
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Note: Folders are not attached. The contents of selected folders are
attached in a flat list. Documents with duplicate file names will not attach.
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Cost sheet entries rolled up from transaction BPs or calculated in formula columns are not
editable. Data rolled up through business processes can only be modified by submitting business
processes such as change orders. Formula column cells will reflect changes made to other
column data used in the calculations.
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Note: If you open the CSV file, you will see that it contains notes regarding
modifying the columns and data in the exported file for re-importing into a
cost sheet. Follow the notes embedded in the CSV file for modifying
columns and data in the exported file.
You can create Cost Based Structure (CBS) Codes in Cost Sheets.
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If the Unifier Cost Sheet contains preexisting CBS Codes, or contains no Cost Codes, you can
choose to run the Synchronization to create CBS Codes in Unifier, via integration.
CBS Codes created in P6 have "imported" root to Leaf Structure and are not under any hierarchy
that has been created manually. An "imported" Leaf CBS Code in Unifier appears under an
"imported" root and non-root Summary CBS Codes; however, you can create "manual" Leaf CBS
Codes under "imported" Summary CBS Codes.
Notes:
When you are creating a Summary CBS Codes in Unifier by using a
CSV file, ensure that you select the corresponding "Exposed to P6"
correctly.
When you are creating a Summary CBS Codes in Unifier by using
Web Services, the "Exposed to P6" option remains deselected.
If you hide a parent Summary CBS Code, all the corresponding
children will be hidden.
If you do not select a Summary CBS Code, the corresponding Leaf
codes will remain unselected.
If you select one Leaf code, the corresponding parent Summary CBS
Code will be selected.
If you hide a Leaf code, the hidden Leaf code remains hidden in P6
CBS picker, but the Summary CBS Codes stay as they were.
Complete:
When Synchronization Method = Complete, P6 sends all WBS levels/codes to Unifier via
Gateway.
Unifier receives the attributes for each WBS and uses the "Default" value of each Cost Segment to
create Cost Codes within Unifier Cost Sheet.
If the number of WBS levels in P6 Schedule is fewer than the number of Cost Segments in
corresponding Unifier Cost Sheet, then Unifier creates two CBS Codes for each lowest level WBS
code sent from P6:
One Summary CBS code
One dummy Leaf CBS Code under the Summary CBS code
Levels:
When Synchronization Method = Levels, P6 sends selected WBS levels/codes to Unifier via
Gateway. The selected WBS levels/codes are the codes that are up to a defined number of levels
within the P6 Schedule. The remaining WBS codes are not sent.
Unifier receives the attributes for each WBS and uses the "Default" value of each Cost Segment to
create Cost Codes within Unifier Cost Sheet.
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If the number of WBS levels in P6 Schedule is fewer than the number of Cost Segments in
corresponding Unifier Cost Sheet, then Unifier creates two CBS Codes for each lowest level WBS
code sent from P6:
One Summary CBS code
One dummy Leaf CBS Code under the Summary CBS code
Partial:
When Synchronization Method = Partial, P6 sends selected WBS levels/codes to Unifier via
Gateway. The selected WBS levels/codes are the codes that are selected as "Integrated." The
remaining WBS codes are not sent.
Unifier receives the attributes for each WBS and uses the "Default" value of each Cost Segment to
create Cost Codes within Unifier Cost Sheet.
If the number of WBS levels in P6 Schedule is fewer than the number of Cost Segments in
corresponding Unifier Cost Sheet, then Unifier creates two CBS Codes for each lowest level WBS
code sent from P6:
One Summary CBS code
One dummy Leaf CBS Code under the Summary CBS code
Notes:
You can switch between the synchronization methods at any point.
When WBS codes are sent from P6 to Unifier, mark the codes as
Imported from P6.
Note: Users with module-level modify permission can lock and unlock the
budget distribution. An exception to this is if Assigned Budget is one of the
cost sheet columns, and the user has view restrictions on the column. If a
user cannot view the Assigned Budget column, the Budget Distribution
menu option is not available. In addition, the user cannot import a
summary budget.
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3) Use the information in the table below to enter budget information as necessary.
4) Click OK to save and exit.
Item Description
Project or Shell Capital Budget
Project or Shell Expense Budget
Scope of Budget
Comments A text field for any budget-related comments.
Undistributed Capital Amount
Undistributed Expense Amount
If the budget is currently locked, the lock date
Lock Date
displays.
Status Shows if the budget is currently locked or unlocked.
Click the View link to open an audit log that lists the
Lock/Unlock Explanation (View) dates, times, and explanations for lock and unlock
budget instances.
Displays the currency used in the project or shell. This
Project or Shell Currency
may differ from the base currency.
Base Currency Displays the base currency used for your company.
This is the calculation that is used to convert the base
Exchange Rate
currency to the project or shell currency.
Displays the number of files, if any, attached to the
No. of Attachments
budget window. Click on the link to view or download.
The lower part of the window displays each WBS code
row that appears on the cost sheet. Enter the budget
Budget Distributed Amount
amount for each one. Clicking on a WBS code link will
open the WBS Details window.
Click this button to attach files to the budget
Attach
distribution window.
This button is available if the budget is currently
unlocked. Clicking it locks and distributes the budget.
Save & Lock
You will be prompted to provide an explanation for this
action.
This button is available if the budget is currently
locked. Clicking it unlocks the budget to allow for
Unlock modification to the budget window and cost sheet
rows. You will be prompted to provide an explanation
for this action.
Audit Log This button accesses the audit log, which records
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budget activity.
Import
Assigned Budget Budget Distribution Summar
y Budget
Not
Added Lock Unlock View Edit
Added
X X Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Restrictions Restrictions
(View) (Edit)
Yes No No Yes No No
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
No No No No No No
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3) In the Select Adjustment Option window you have three options. Your selection of an option
controls how your cost sheet uses the Yet To Buy (YTB) and Allowance For Change data
sources to construct the forecast. Option behavior is as follows:
Automatically adjust YTB
The system automatically changes the line item to Accepted status, subtracts the amount
from the YTB (or adds it if designed to do so), and includes the line item amount in the
forecast, if configured to do so.
Cell Details displays a line item for System Auto Adjustment that shows the transaction in
the YTB column
Because the value of the YTB cannot become negative, each transaction will be processed
individually. This may result in only certain transactions being processed, and others
staying at Unaccepted status. If the transaction was not processed because doing so
would have yielded a negative YTB, the system will cause an alert. The unaccepted line
items will be available to view in the Forecast Adjustment window.
Manually adjust YTB and AFC
This option becomes available in the Cell Detail window when you click the Include in
Forecast button
You can add, delete, or modify line items before including commits into the forecast
The system does not validate the entry or automatically update the YTB in the cost sheet
No adjustment
The system will automatically add the commitment into the forecast, if configured, and
change the status to Accepted. It will not update the Yet To Buy or Allowance For Change
columns.
Working with Yet to Buy (YTB) and Allowance for Change (AFC) data sources
Cost sheet forecasting is designed to leverage the YTB and AFC data sources. If your company’s
forecast process uses the YTB and AFC data sources then you may configure Unifier to
automatically reduce the YTB as you accept commits into the forecast.
In the following example Total Commits is at $4,000, Yet To Buy is at $2,000, Pending Forecasts
(i.e. Forecasts (Unaccepted)) is at $2,000, and Forecasts is at $2,000.
When the $2,000 in the Pending Forecasts column is accepted into the Forecasts column, then
the Yet To Buy decreases by that amount.
Here we see the amounts in Yet To Buy and Pending Forecasts are reduced and the amount in
Forecasts is increased. The Yet To Buy value may never go below zero.
If designed to do so, the line item commitment may increase the YTB instead of reducing it. For
example, if you have a change commit that adds scope to a project, when that change commit is
approved you may want to add scope to the YTB.
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If your company’s forecast process does not use YTB or AFC, you may still use cost sheet
forecasting. When the Yet To Buy column is added to the cost sheet, column details will show any
actions previously taken with the YTB.
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Note: Like cost sheets, you can click the Split button to split the window to
scroll through the columns while maintaining the WBS code in view. A
summary of the work package data can be exported into a CSV file from
this window.
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Create a worksheet
You can create a worksheet by copying a worksheet template or copying a worksheet from
another project or shell.
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You can add manual-entry or formula columns to a worksheet. Rows are created automatically
from the WBS codes in the cost sheet.
Open a worksheet
Note: When you first open the sheet, the opening view will depend on the
Default View option selected in the Properties window. Your cost sheet
administrator can set this default view. Worksheets can be resized and
split/unsplit the same way as cost sheets (see Resize cost sheet
window (on page 354) or Split or unsplit cost sheet window (on page
354)).
To add a column
1) Open the worksheet and click the Columns button. The Columns Log opens.
2) Click New. The Column Properties window opens.
3) Complete the column properties as usual for a column.
If you are creating a formula, the data sources that are available for the formula are limited to
the other columns on the worksheet.
4) Complete the window and click OK.
View or edit worksheet properties
Worksheet properties can be viewed and edited. The ability to edit worksheet properties is
dependent on your user permission settings. Contact your project or company administrator if you
have questions regarding your user permission settings.
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4) By default, each listed user or group will be granted view permission, allowing them to open
the worksheet. To grant additional permissions, select the user or group and select the
permissions:
Modify Permission: Allows user to control the worksheet’s permission settings.
Edit: User can import worksheet information, save a snapshot, edit worksheet properties,
and add columns.
5) Click OK.
Import worksheet column details
You can only import data into columns that are defined as manual data entry.
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Note: Company cost sheets can be resized and split/unsplit the same way
as project or shell cost sheets (see Resize cost sheet window (on page
354) or Split or unsplit cost sheet window (on page 354)).
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3) You may choose to open the file in a compatible program such as Microsoft Excel to review it
before saving.
4) Click Save and specify the location in which to save the CSV file.
Import company cost sheet data
You can import manual entry columns into the cost sheet from a CSV file, such as a Microsoft
Excel spreadsheet saved in CSV format.
Note: When you first open the sheet, the opening view will depend on the
Default View option selected in the Properties window. Your accounts
sheet administrator can set this default view. Accounts sheets can be
resized and split/unsplit the same way as project or shell cost sheets (see
Resize cost sheet window (on page 354) or Split or unsplit cost sheet
window (on page 354)).
The accounts sheet works similarly to cost sheets. Like cost sheets, you can:
Enter data into manual data-entry columns.
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About Funding
The Funding manager helps you to keep track of where project or shell funding comes from and
how it is being spent. This feature is accessed via the Funding node under the Cost Manager. Use
the Funding sheet to specify the appropriation and assignment of funds from each source. You
can automate fund appropriation and assignment when used with Cost business processes.
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Create and set up Commitment Funding Template. This template is used to create a
commitment funding structures in the project or shell, which in turn is used to create the
individual commitment funding sheets for each base commit record. These procedures
assume a template has been created and set up with columns.
Define funding assignment rules. This is done in the Assignment tab of the Properties window.
Assignment rules can be defined in the commitment funding template, structure or sheets.
(This procedure assumes assignment rules have been defined in the template, and will be
copied to the structure and individual sheets.)
Create Commitment Funding Sheet Structure. Structures are created at the project level in
user mode from a commitment funding template. When commitment funding sheets are
created from base commit records, this default structure is used. Details about creating
commitment funding structures from an existing template are found later in this section.
Create individual commitment funding sheets. This is done automatically the first time you click
the Funding button on a base commit business process form (this button becomes available
on specific steps as designed in uDesigner). After creation, the commitment funding sheet is
available for viewing or modification by clicking the Funding button on the base commit or
associated change commits, or from the Commitment Funding log itself. Details about creating
commitment funding sheets is found later in this section.
Configure permissions. In addition to module level permissions that are needed to create and
modify templates, structures and sheets, record level permission must be granted to individual
commitment funding sheets. By default, the owner of the base commit will have permissions to
the sheet. Additional users must be granted view or edit permissions. This is discussed later in
this section.
Company Funding Sheet vs. Project or Shell Funding Sheets vs. Commitment Funding
Sheets
The first step to setting up funding is to create and set up a company funding sheet, where
individual funding sources are set up.
For example, a corporation's funding sources may include different types of corporate accounts.
For municipal or educational facilities, funds may come from bond measures, grants, donations or
other sources. All of these funding sources will be listed and tracked on the company funding
sheet. As funds are consumed via business processes or manually in individual project or shells,
this data is rolled up to the company funding sheet.
Project or shell funding sheets track how your company’s funding is being spent on each project or
shell. It tracks individual transactions, which are rolled up to the company funding sheet. All project
or shell funding sheets must be created based on a funding template.
If you are using commitment funding, you will create a commitment funding template, which is
used to create the commitment funding structure within a project or shell. As base commits (that
are designed for commitment funding in uDesigner) are routed and approved, a commitment
funding sheet is created, based on this structure, for each base commit record.
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Note: Like cost sheets, you can click the Split button to split the window to
scroll through the columns while maintaining the fund listing in view.
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If a Fund Attribute form has been designed in uDesigner, this window shows the fields on the
form.
If a Fund Attribute form is not being used, the default window opens, showing basic
information such as the fund code, fund name and description.
Add currency amounts to company funds
Once the company funding sheet has been set up, the funds must be "funded" -- enter the funding
amounts that will be used to fund your projects and shells. Commonly, the Company Funding data
source is used as a manual entry column to enter the starting amount of each fund, or add
additional funds to it. This column can be direct entry or line item entry.
This procedure assumes the funds have already been added to the sheet. It also assumes that a
column has been added to the sheet for manual fund entry. Commonly, this uses the Company
Funding data source. You can click a column heading to verify the data source used.
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Note: Like cost sheets, you can click the Split button to split the window to
scroll through the columns while maintaining the fund listing in view.
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The Records Funded at Project Level (or WBS Level) column(s) can be used to track the totals of
business process transactions involving fund assignment. This is used for records already
reaching terminal status. The Transient Records Funded at Project Level (or WBS Level)
column(s) works similarly, but is used for records that are currently in process, and have already
been funded before reaching terminal status. These columns can also include any credited
funding that may occur due to invoice credits or other negative amounts.
Commitment level funding can be tracked on the project/shell funding sheet using the columns
Commitment Funding (tracks funds that are allocated across base commit and change commit
business process records enabled for commitment funding), Records Funded at Commitment
Level (sum of all spends records that are funded at the commitment level), and Transient Records
Funded at Commitment Level (sum of all in-process records that are funded at the commitment
level).
A good practice is to add a fund balance formula column that tracks the difference between the
original fund value minus all funding assignments, which provides a running balance for each
fund.
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Auto Order: Funds are assigned automatically when a spends business process reaches a
specified status. Funds are assigned based on the fund order, which is defined on the funding
sheet by clicking the Fund Assignment Order button. When funds are consumed on one
fund, then the next funding source is used for funding. Once all funds are consumed,
remaining spends are collected under Unassigned.
Auto Ratio: Funds are assigned automatically when a spends business process reaches a
specified status. Funds are assigned based on the fund ratio, which is automatically calculated
based on current fund levels. Once all funds are consumed, remaining spends are collected
under Unassigned.
View funding sheet cell details
The values displayed in a cell on the funding sheet may reflect information from multiple line items,
business process transactions, or results of a calculation from other cells. The following
procedures discuss how to view the details about an entry in a funding sheet cell.
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Click a cell link (line item or project or shell allocation entry) to open the Cell Detail window.
From the View menu, click Audit Log.
The Audit log captures all of the events that took place, including what action occurred, who took
the action, and the value that was created or modified.
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To enter project level fund allocation values (on the funding sheet)
1) Open the project or shell funding sheet.
2) Locate the column that is used for adding value to funds on the sheet, commonly, the Manual
Funding by Project column.
3) Do one of the following:
If the column is direct entry, click inside the cell and enter the amount. If the cell already has
a value, you can modify it.
If the column is line item entry, click the link in the cell. The Cell Detail window opens. You
can:
Click Add Line Item to add a new line item.
Select a line item and click Copy Line Item to add a line item by copying another.
Double-click an existing line item to modify it.
Select a line item and click Remove Line Item to remove it.
Enter the line item information in the Line Item window and click OK.
This amount can be used as the starting project level amount of a fund. Other columns on the
funding sheet can be used to track transactions, and formula columns can be added to keep track
of the fund balance.
To enter WBS level fund allocation values (on the cost sheet)
1) Open the project or shell cost sheet.
2) Locate the column that is used for adding value to funds by WBS code, commonly, the Manual
Funding by WBS column.
3) Click the link in the cell. The Cell Detail window opens. You can:
Click Add Line Item to add a new line item.
Select a line item and click Copy Line Item to add a line item by copying another.
Double-click an existing line item to modify it.
Select a line item and click Remove Line Item to remove it.
4) Complete the Line Item window.
5) Select a fund from the fund picker by clicking the Select button for the Funding Source. The
fund picker lists the funds that are active at the company level. To search for a specific fund,
click Find.
6) Click OK. The new line item will be added to the Cell Detail window. If the Manual Funding by
WBS column has also been added to the project/shell funding sheet, the value will display
there.
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Commonly, columns are added to the funding sheet to capture funding allocation business
process transactions. The Project Funding column might be used (as a formula) to capture the
sum of all allocations and manual allocation for each fund.
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Note: These can also be rolled up to the cost sheet using the Unfunded
Record data source.
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Project level:
Cost type, subtype line items with fund code, classification generic, general spends or
payment application.
Workflow or non-workflow.
Each action form can be enabled with the following options: "View fund assignment" and
"Allow fund assignment." This option allows funding assignments to be viewed or performed at
any step in the workflow (or any status if non-workflow). The "Allow fund assignment" option is
applicable when the business process is set up for manual assignment in the funding
assignment levels in the funding sheet properties.
An option can be set for the business process that disallows manual fund assignment once the
record reaches end step (or terminal status for non-workflow). When this option is chosen, it
takes precedence over the "Allow fund assignment" setting, even if an action form is used on
the end step. This option does not affect automatic fund assignments. This option is found on
the Edit Studio window, Options tab.
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WBS level:
Cost type, subtype line items with WBS and fund code, classification generic, general spends
or payment application.
Other options are the same as for project level.
Manually assign or credit funds (unassigned funds)
Normally, if a spends business process record has not been set up to automatically assign funds
upon reaching a certain status, then that record total will show as Unassigned Funds in the
project/shell funding sheet.
When the funding business process reaches a specified workflow step or status, a Funding
button appears on the business process form. Clicking the Funding button opens the Funding
window, allowing manual fund assignment.
Funds can be manually assigned at the project or shell level (project or shell funding sheet), WBS
level (project or shell cost sheet), or business process level (spends business process record
designed to consume funds).
If a credit invoice (negative line item or invoice amount) has been submitted, this can be used to
credit previously consumed funds back to the source, or can be used to credit another fund. You
cannot credit an amount that is more than has been consumed.
To manually assign funds at the project or shell level from the funding sheet
1) Open the project or shell funding sheet.
2) In the upper portion of the window, click the link next to Unassigned (project or shell Level).
This link displays the amount of funds that are not currently assigned to a particular fund.
The Cell Detail window opens. The Cell Detail window displays the list of spends business
process records that have not yet been fully funded. A record can appear on this list if you do
not have enough funds available during an auto-assignment process, or if you set Manual as
the assignment rule for the business process under the funding sheet Assignment tab.
3) Select one or more records from the list and click the Assign to Funds button on toolbar. The
Manual Fund Assignment window opens
4) Enter a percent (%) amount for each record against a funding source.
5) Click OK.
To manually assign funds at the WBS level from the cost sheet
1) Open the project or shell cost sheet.
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2) In the upper portion of the window, note the amount shown in the Unassigned at WBS Level
field. This is an amount that gets rolled up from the unfunded record data source in the project
or shell cost sheet.
3) Click on a cell under the Unfunded Records column for a WBS code.
4) The Cell Detail window opens. The Cell Detail window displays the list of records that are not
funded.
5) Select one or more records from the list and click the Assign to Funds button on the toolbar.
6) Enter a percent (%) amount for each record against a funding source.
7) Click OK to close the form.
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If an attribute form is defined, the Find window can also be designed in uDesigner,
and you may have additional fields to search by.
b. Enter search criteria and click Search. This limits the number of funds that are displayed to
those that match the search criteria.
4) Click OK. The fund appears as a row on the Funding Sheet. Funds are displayed in
alphabetical order on funding sheet.
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7) If you add multiple conditions, and want the filter to be applied if any one listed condition is met,
then select the Show result matching ANY condition checkbox.
Note: By default, the conditions are additive, meaning that all conditions
must be met in order for the condition to be applicable. Select the
checkbox if any one condition will suffice.
To modify a filter
1) Open the funding sheet.
2) Click the View menu and choose Filters. The Filters window opens.
3) Choose a filter from the list and click the Edit button. The Edit Filter window opens.
4) You can edit the filter name, or add, modify or remove a condition.
To modify a condition, select the condition from the list and click the Modify button.
To remove a condition, select the condition and click the Remove button.
5) Click OK to save your changes.
To delete a filter
1) Open the funding sheet.
2) Click the View menu and choose Filters. The Filters window opens.
3) Choose a filter from the list and click the Remove button. Click Yes to confirm.
Apply a filter to limit the fund code display
By applying a filter to the funding sheet, you can temporarily reduce the number of fund codes that
are displayed on the sheet.
To apply a filter
1) Open the funding sheet.
2) Click the View menu and choose Filters. The Filters window opens. This window lists any
filters that have been created and saved.
3) Choose a filter from the list and click the Apply Filter button.
The funding sheet will display only those funds meeting the conditions of the filter selected. The
top of the sheet will display the name of the filter.
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You can also import fund details to a company funding sheet. This allows you to add fund codes to
a funding sheet directly from a CSV file, rather than add them manually.
This procedures are applicable to company, project and shell funding sheets.
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5) Browse to the CSV file and click Ok. The funds you added to the import file will be added to the
company funding sheet.
Note: If any errors occur, download and open the error file, and correct the
CSV file before reimporting. Common errors include trying to import fund
codes that already exist on the sheet, or not completing required fields.
Notes:
The terms "base commit" and "contract" may be interchanged in the
descriptions, but both refer to cost-type business processes of
sub-type "Line items with WBS Code" and classification "base
commit." Common examples are contracts and purchase orders.
If you are enabling a base commit for commitment funding, its linked
spends business process (general spends invoice or payment
application) will then consume funds at the commitment level, not the
project level. If you want to do commitment funding with some
contracts, and project level funding with other contracts, you should
use a different "set" of base commit, change commit and spends
business processes to use for each type of funding that you want to
do.
If you will be using commitment level funding, then a sheet structure must be created for the
project or shell, which consists of columns and assignment rules (in the Properties). Commitment
funding sheets are created for each base commit record, using this default structure. Funds (rows)
are added to the commitment funding sheets, and fund amounts are allocated from available
project/shell funds to each sheet.
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3) Select a template from the list and click Open. Click Yes to confirm. You can use this structure
as is or make edits as necessary.
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Commitment funding sheets can be accessed from the Commitment Funding Sheet log, or from
the base commit record with which the sheet is associated. (Accessing the sheet from the commit
record is dependent upon the business process design: for workflow business processes, funding
is enabled per step; for non-workflow business processes, funding will be enabled when the form
is editable. The funding sheet may also be available for viewing on view forms, depending on the
design. The funding sheet is available if a Funding button is present on the base commit record
toolbar.)
Note: In these column definitions, the terms All Funds and Discrete Fund
refer to the fund assignment options (from the Fund Assignment window,
accessed from the SOV sheet or commitment funding sheet). These
options determine how the SOV lines (and therefore, the commit lines) will
be funded, either automatically or manually from the entire list of funds
available to the commit, or by one specific fund.
The Funding Across All Funds column is used to enter (or calculate) the amount of each fund to
allocate for this base commit record. The rows on the sheet are the funds that will be used to fund
the commit. The value entered here will be the fund amount available for all commit lines that have
"All Funds" as assignment. This can be a manual entry column, or a formula that uses another
manual entry column as the basis of the formula.
Additional columns commonly track fund assignments (consumption) made against each fund.
These can be in the form of business process transactions or manual funding assignments.
System provided data sources that can be used for columns include the following:
Funding By Discrete Fund: This column displays the sum total of all the line items of base
and change commits that are funded by a specific (or "discrete") fund This value can be used
to determine the fund balance during consumption.
Records Funded Across All Funds: Reflects the total of funds consumed from records that
are funded based on All Funds, whether funding is done manually or automatically.
Records Funded By Discrete Fund: Displays the total of funds consumed from records that
are funded based on a discrete fund, whether funding is done manually or automatically.
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Fund Balance Across All Funds: This column tracks the fund balance across all funds. The
formula used is (Funding Across All Funds) - (Records Funded By All Funds).
Fund Balance By Discrete Fund: This column tracks the fund balance by specific fund
chosen in the Fund Assignment window. The formula used is (Funding By Discrete Fund) -
(Records Funded By Discrete Fund).
Funding Ratio Across All Funds: The value of this column is calculated automatically. It
reflects the % ratio to use when performing fund assignment ratio during consumption. The
formula is (Funding Across All Funds Per Fund) / Total of Fund Balance Across All Funds).
Assignment rules
The assignment levels and rules are defined on the Assignments tab in the Properties window of
the commitment funding sheet. This step is mandatory in order to do commitment level funding.
The Assignment tab lists the spends business processes that are linked to base commits
enabled for commitment level funding. For each listed business process, you define how fund
assignment will be done when these spends records come in against the base commit:
Commitment Level - Manual: Funds are manually assigned at runtime. As spends business
processes are routed and reach specified status, the amounts to be funded are collected
under the Unassigned total on the commitment funding sheet, similar to project/shell level
manual funding. You can then select each line of the spends BP and assign funds at runtime.
This can be done on transient records or in terminal status (depending on design). Consumed
funds roll up to the commitment funding sheet and the project funding sheet.
Commitment Level - Auto Ratio: Funds are assigned automatically when the spends
business process reaches a specified status. Funds are assigned based on the fund ratio,
which is calculated based on the current fund levels, and is managed and tracked on the
commitment funding sheet. If all funds are consumed, any remaining spends amounts are
collected under Unassigned.
You can define these assignment rules on the commitment funding template. When you create a
commitment funding structure in a project or shell, these assignment rules will be copied to it, and
when you create new sheets from the structure, they will be copied to the sheets. If you need to,
you can modify these rules on individual structures and sheets.
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There may be times when you need to specify that a specific fund must be used to fund a
specific WBS code on the base commit or a change commit. You can select a specific fund (or
"discrete fund") to fund selected SOV lines. When this is chosen, funding information is
captured on the commitment funding sheet in columns using data sources referencing "by
discrete fund."
Once the commitment funding sheet is created, you can add rows and allocate funds to it.
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Note: Once fund assignments have been made against them, you will not
be able to delete the row. Once the sheet is saved, you cannot edit the
fund; if you need to choose a different fund, first delete the row then create
a new one.
To delete rows
1) On the commitment funding sheet, select one or more rows.
2) Click the Delete Rows button.
3) Click Yes to confirm.
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If you will be doing both project/shell funding and commitment funding, then use a different set of
linked base commit / change commit / spends business processes for each.
Note: These can also be rolled up to the cost sheet using the Unfunded
Record data source.
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Cash Flow
Cash flow is the distribution of cost over time. That is to say, cash flow is the movement of money
in or out of a project (or business) during a specific time period. In the context of capital projects,
cash flow is the estimating of future spends to be incurred on a project, based on current actuals.
The term cash flow is synonymous with cash flow forecasting, spends forcasting, and
time-phasing of budget, which all refer to the availability of proper funding in each future period
(month, quarter, or year).
Cash flow management includes the following steps:
Baseline: Establishing a baseline spending plan
Actuals: Tracking actual costs
Forecast: Calculate future expenditures base on project schedules
You can create cash flow at multiple levels in a project such as:
Project/Shell: To track cash flow for the entire project or shell.
Summary WBS: To track the costs associated with summary WBS codes.
WBS: To track cash flow at the WBS code level, across all or specific WBS codes.
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Commitment: To track cash flow data for an entire commit record, including base commits,
change commits, and related invoices.
Note: Cash flow forecasting is used to ensure that cash is available when
payments are due.
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Commitment
For each detail level you can specify the following curve types:
Baseline: Depicts the project budget that is spread over the duration of the project. Users can
define multiple baselines for a project.
Actuals (spends): Depicts the expenditures (spends) that have actually incurred.
Forecast: Depicts the projection of the future costs, base on current actuals/expenditures
(spends).
Portfolio: Depicts the Baseline curve or Forecast curve used for portfolio optimization
scenarios in Unifier Portfolio Manager.
Custom: Depicts cost data other than Baseline, Actuals, etc.
Note: Custom curves can include any other cost data you want to view
graphically.
Rollup curves
A Rollup curve includes a group of curves with Active status, summarized by data source, across
Projects/Shells in a Program or across all Projects/Shells in a Company. A Cash Flow Rollup
curve facilitates the aggregation of cash flow data source (from Projects/Shells and WBS) to
Company and Program Cash Flow WorkSheets. A Cash Flow Rollup curve can only be created in
Company Workspace and Program levels.
You can compare curves side-by-side, in the cash flow worksheet, to view cash flow distribution
over time.
A Cash Flow curve requires a data source, which your administrator can create in the Standards
and Libraries node.
Cash flow curves require a data source, which your administrator can create in the Standards &
Libraries node.
Data Sources: Used to identify cash flow curves and roll up data to program and company
worksheets. Multiple data sources can be defined per curve type, depending upon business
needs. Example: “Original baseline and Current baseline” data sources can be defined for
type “Baseline”. For rollups, curves are summarized across data sources.
Curve Type: Used with pre-defined categories of cash flow curves: Baseline, Forecast,
Spends, and Custom. Each curve type has its own logic to address different business
requirements.
Distribution Profiles: Used to distribute data automatically in the cash flow worksheet.
Detail curve templates: Used to make cash flow curve worksheets.
Roll up curve templates: Used to create curves in programs that roll up cash flow data from
projects or shells.
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Note: If you are working in a Project/Shell navigation tab, the Cash Flow
log displays cash flow detail curves. If you are working in the Company
Workspace or a Program navigation tab, the log displays rollup curves.
Note: All of the Cash Flow log toolbar options are repeated on the log
menus. Two of the menus (Help and Edit) provide additional options not
available on the toolbar. The Edit menu enables you to delete curves and
to edit distribution profiles. Distribution profiles are generally managed by
an administrator.
Note: Granting cash flow User Mode permissions explained in this section
is different from permission granted in Administration Mode, which is for
general access to the module (See the Primavera Unifier Administration
Guide for details. You grant User Mode permission per detail curve in the
Project/Shell.
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Modify Permission: Allows user to modify permissions to the curve. This also automatically
selects Edit Data.
Edit Data: Allows user to enter or edit data for manual data entry curves.
View: By default, when you add a user or group to the window, they are granted View
permission, which allows them to access and view the curves and data.
5) Click Apply and then click OK.
Note: Before you can use these curves, you must add them to your
project.
A Shared Budget curve: This curve shows the portfolio planner's proposed number for the
project. You will not have access to this curve until the planner shares a scenario. You can
include this curve on the cost worksheet, along with the forecast budget, or any other budget
curve, in order to see the difference between your project's numbers and the planner's
proposed budget numbers. See example below.
An Approved Budget curve: When a scenario is approved in the Portfolio Manager, the
budgets for each project in the scenario are marked "approved." They are then locked and
stored in the Portfolio Manager. An Approved Budget curves shows the approved budget for
the project for that planning period (usually a year).
An Original Budget curve: This curve is for a project in execution. This budget is the last
approved budget for the project before it moves into its execution phase. This approved
budget becomes the project's original budget; and this original budget, plus any changes that
occur to the numbers during the life of the project, becomes the project's approved budget.
Note: You must have permission to access and configure cash flows.
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Click the Schedule tab to set the following schedule options for your curve:
Refresh Cash Flow
Frequency
Range of Recurrence
When finished, click OK to open the Cash Flow WorkSheet window for your curve.
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From Date and To Date: These fields can be set up to pull start and finish dates from the master
schedule sheet in the project or shell. These can be selected in a project or shell template. At
runtime, be sure the master schedule sheet is set up and has dates in the date element fields
chosen for the curves.
Note: In manual mode, Unifier pegs cost data distribution to the From
Date. If there are date changes, Unifier shifts the curve on the timeline
based on From Date modifications. Each time period (e.g. month or year)
on the curve retains the value of the original distribution as long as the
duration remains the same. If date changes make the cash flow curve
duration longer or shorter, Unifier will not rebalance or redistribute cost
data to match the modified curve length (the data will change.)
Note: You won't be able to double-click the WBS Summary to view the
WBS details.
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In the Base Commit Record field, you must select the record at runtime. This is not selectable in
the template, since records do not exist in templates. The list displays all records you have
permission to view. If a detail curve already exists for that record, you will not be able to choose the
same record again.
Curves tab, Include Change Commits and Spends Business Process
If you chose these options, be sure you have selected change commits that are being used in the
project or shell, and associated with the selected base commit.
Distribution Profiles
When working with templates versus detail curves in Project /Shell, distribution profiles can be:
Created in Administration Mode (in Standards & Libraries).
Used when selecting auto distribution for curves.
At runtime, you can create additional distribution profiles within the project's cash flow module.
When working with curves, you can apply the profiles created in Administration Mode, or in the
project or shell.
Note: If you are creating a new Project /Shell from a Project /Shell
template, and are copying the cash flow module, then template properties
and permissions will be copied into the new project or shell.
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5) Complete the fields in the General tab using the information in the following table and when
finished click OK to save work and open the Cash Flow WorkSheet that you added.
After the General tab is complete, you can save as is, or continue by adding the curves that will
make up the detail curve. See Cash Flow Properties Settings: Curves tab (on page 422).
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Baseline Curve
You can construct cash flow curves by Project/Shell, Summary WBS codes, by WBS, or by a
specific Commitment business process and record. The Baseline curve options reflect the detail
level selections you made on the General tab.
This section explains the following topics:
To add a Baseline curve for cash flow by Project/Shell
To add a Baseline curve for cash flow by Summary WBS or WBS
To add a Baseline curve for cash flow by Commitment
To add a Baseline curve for cash flow by Project/Shell:
1) Open Unifier.
2) Click All Projects tab (or your project tab or the tab whose cash flow you want to work with).
3) From the left Navigator pane, click Cost Manager to expand and click Cash Flow to open the
Cash Flow log window (right-hand pane). The Cash Flow log is the starting place for cash flow
operations. The log displays all existing cash flow curves and also provides options for
creating new curves, copying curves, viewing curve properties, and assigning curve usage
privileges to other users.
To create a new cash flow, click the New drop-down list (the down arrow) and select Detail
Curves. The Properties window opens and displays the General tab as default.
Note: If you have a cash flow template that you want to use, click the New drop-down list (the
down arrow) and select From Template to open the Template Log (Cash Flow Templates)
window.
4) Select a cash flow from the Cash Flow log window and click Properties to open the cash flow
Properties window.
5) In the General tab, enter Name, enter Description (optional), select Active for Rollup Status,
and select Project/Shell under Detail Level.
6) Click the Curves tab.
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7) Click Add and select the data source of type Baseline. The Cash Flow by Project/Shell -
Baseline window opens.
8) Complete the fields in this window using the information in the following table. When finished
click OK to save work and open the Cash Flow WorkSheet that you added.
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You can build one Baseline curve per Commitment record. When you build a Baseline curve for
individual line items, the Schedule of Value (SOV) type influences distribution options.
If the SOV lists individual line items by WBS you can distribute cost for each line item
individually.
If the SOV groups line items, you cannot distribute cost for each line item individually.
For costs distributed in the transaction currency, Unifier calculates and stores the distribution in
project currency using the exchange rate table.
1) Open Unifier.
2) Click All Projects tab (or your project tab or the tab whose cash flow you want to work with).
3) From the left Navigator pane, click Cost Manager to expand and click Cash Flow to open the
Cash Flow log window (right-hand pane).
The Cash Flow log is the starting place for cash flow operations. The log displays all existing
cash flow curves and also provides options for creating new curves, copying curves, viewing
curve properties, and assigning curve usage privileges to other users.
To create a new cash flow, click the New drop-down list (the down arrow) and select Detail
Curves. The Properties window opens and displays the General tab as default.
Note: If you have a cash flow template that you want to use, click the New drop-down list (the
down arrow) and select From Template to open the Template Log (Cash Flow Templates)
window.
4) Select a cash flow from the Cash Flow log window and click Properties to open the cash flow
Properties window.
5) In the General tab, enter Name, enter Description (optional), select Active for Rollup Status,
and select Commitment under Detail Level.
6) Click the Curves tab.
7) Click Add and choose a data source of type Baseline. The Cash Flow Commitment - Baseline
window opens.
8) Complete the fields in this window using the information in the following table. When finished
click OK to save work and open the Cash Flow WorkSheet that you added.
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To add Actuals (or "spends") curve for cash flow by Summary WBS or WBS
1) Open Unifier.
2) Click All Projects tab (or your project tab or the tab whose cash flow you want to work with).
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3) From the left Navigator pane, click Cost Manager to expand and click Cash Flow to open
the Cash Flow log window (right-hand pane). The Cash Flow log is the starting place for cash
flow operations. The log displays all existing cash flow curves and also provides options for
creating new curves, copying curves, viewing curve properties, and assigning curve usage
privileges to other users.
To create a new cash flow, click the New drop-down list (the down arrow) and select Detail
Curves. The Properties window opens and displays the General tab as default.
Note: If you have a cash flow template that you want to use, click the New drop-down list (the
down arrow) and select From Template to open the Template Log (Cash Flow Templates)
window.
4) Select a cash flow from the Cash Flow log window and click Properties to open the cash flow
Properties window.
5) In the General tab, enter Name, enter Description (optional), select Active for Rollup Status,
and select Summary WBS or WBS under Detail Level.
6) Click the Curves tab.
7) Click Add and choose a data source of type Actuals. The Cash Flow by Summary WBS -
Spends or Cash Flow by WBS - Spends window opens.
8) Complete the fields in this window using the information in the following table. When finished
click OK to save work and open the Cash Flow WorkSheet that you added.
Note: When you open this curve, you can view the data in two different
currencies by switching between project and transaction currencies.
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1) Open Unifier.
2) Click All Projects tab (or your project tab or the tab whose cash flow you want to work with).
3) From the left Navigator pane, click Cost Manager to expand and click Cash Flow to open the
Cash Flow log window (right-hand pane). The Cash Flow log is the starting place for cash flow
operations. The log displays all existing cash flow curves and also provides options for
creating new curves, copying curves, viewing curve properties, and assigning curve usage
privileges to other users.
To create a new cash flow, click the New drop-down list (the down arrow) and select Detail
Curves. The Properties window opens and displays the General tab as default.
Note: If you have a cash flow template that you want to use, click the New drop-down list (the
down arrow) and select From Template to open the Template Log (Cash Flow Templates)
window.
4) Click to select a cash flow from the Cash Flow log window and click Properties to open the
cash flow Properties window.
5) In the General tab, enter Name, enter Description (optional), select Active for Rollup Status,
and select Commitment under Detail Level.
6) Click the Curves tab.
7) Click Add and choose a data source of type Actuals. The Cash Flow by Commitment - Spends
window opens.
8) Complete the fields in this window using the information in the following table. When finished
click OK to save work and open the Cash Flow WorkSheet that you added.
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Actuals were received January 2012 February 2012, and March 2012.
These three periods of Forecast curve already consumed 1.67 points of period distribution.
The Forecast end date is now changed to December 2015.
The Forecast curve is now March 31 2012 to December 2015.
Unifier then distributes the remaining 18.33 points of profile over 45 periods.
If there are some WBS codes that have received Actuals (or "spends") and some WBS codes that
did not, then the WBS codes that did not receive Actuals (or "spends") will be replaced by 0 at the
end of the month, or on the cutoff date (depending on the UI settings).
If there are some WBS codes that have received future Actuals (or "spends") and some WBS
codes that did not, then the Forecast Curve will not reflect future Actuals (or "spends") until they
become current.
The following section explains the Forecast Curve.
Forecast Curve
This section explains the following topics:
General Information about Forecast Curve
To add a Forecast Curve for cash flow by Project/Shell
To add a Forecast Curve for cash flow by Summary WBS or WBS
To add a Forecast Curve for cash flow by Commitment
To add a Forecast Curve for cash flow by Project/Shell
1) Open Unifier.
2) Click All Projects tab (or your project tab or the tab whose cash flow you want to work with).
3) From the left Navigator pane, click Cost Manager to expand and click Cash Flow to open the
Cash Flow log window (right-hand pane). The Cash Flow log is the starting place for cash flow
operations.
The log displays all existing cash flow curves and also provides options for creating new
curves, copying curves, viewing curve properties, and assigning curve usage privileges to
other users.
To create a new cash flow, click the New drop-down list (the down arrow) and select Detail
Curves. The Properties window opens and displays the General tab as default.
Note: If you have a cash flow template that you want to use, click the New drop-down list (the
down arrow) and select From Template to open the Template Log (Cash Flow Templates)
window.
4) Select a cash flow from the Cash Flow log window and click Properties to open the cash flow
Properties window.
5) In the General tab, enter Name, enter Description (optional), select Active for Rollup Status,
and select Project/Shell under Detail Level.
6) Click the Curves tab.
7) Click Add and choose a data source of type Forecast. The Cash Flow by Project/Shell -
Forecast window opens.
8) Complete the fields in this window using the information in the following table. When finished
click OK to save work and open the Cash Flow WorkSheet that you added.
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3) From the left Navigator pane, click Cost Manager to expand and click Cash Flow to open the
Cash Flow log window (right-hand pane). The Cash Flow log is the starting place for cash flow
operations.
The log displays all existing cash flow curves and also provides options for creating new
curves, copying curves, viewing curve properties, and assigning curve usage privileges to
other users.
To create a new cash flow, click the New drop-down list (the down arrow) and select Detail
Curves. The Properties window opens and displays the General tab as default.
Note: If you have a cash flow template that you want to use, click the New drop-down list (the
down arrow) and select From Template to open the Template Log (Cash Flow Templates)
window.
4) Select a cash flow from the Cash Flow log window and click Properties to open the cash flow
Properties window.
5) In the General tab, enter Name, enter Description (optional), select Active for Rollup Status,
and select Summary WBS or WBS under Detail Level.
6) Click the Curves tab.
7) Click Add and choose a data source of type Forecast. The Cash Flow by Summary WBS -
Forecast or Cash Flow by WBS - Forecast window opens.
8) Complete the fields in this window using the information in the following table. When finished
click OK to save work and open the Cash Flow WorkSheet that you added.
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Portfolio Curve
1) In the Distribute amount from field drop-down list, select Original, Shared, or Approved,
then click OK. The portfolio curve opens in the Properties window. For an explanation of these
options see About Portfolio Manager Budget Curves (on page 413)
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You can add a Portfolio Curve for each cash flow detail level after you create portfolio budget data
sources. See the following instructions.
This section explains the following topics:
To add a Portfolio Curve for cash flow by Project/Shell
To add a Portfolio Curve for cash flow by WBS or Summary WBS
To add a Portfolio Curve for cash flow by Commitment
To add a Portfolio Roll Up Curve for cash flow (by Program)
To view Portfolio Curve for cash flow
To add a Portfolio Curve for cash flow by Project/Shell
1) Open Unifier
2) Click All Projects tab (or your project tab or the tab whose cash flow you want to work with).
3) From the Navigator pane, click Cost Manager to expand and click Cash Flow to open the Cash
Flow log window (right-hand pane). The Cash Flow log is the starting place for cash flow
operations. The log displays all existing cash flow curves and also provides options for
creating new curves, copying curves, viewing curve properties, and assigning curve usage
privileges to other users. To create a new cash flow, click the New drop-down list (the down
arrow) and select Detail Curves. The Properties window opens and displays the General tab
as default.
Note: If you have a cash flow template that you want to use, click the New drop-down list (the
down arrow) and select From Template to open the Template Log (Cash Flow Templates)
window.
4) Click to select a cash flow from the Cash Flow log window and click Properties to open the
cash flow Properties window.
5) In the General tab, enter Name, enter Description (optional), select Active for Rollup Status,
and select Project/Shell under Detail Level, and enter settings for Time Scale and Period
Close Settings.
6) Click the Curves tab.
7) Click Add and choose a data source based on a portfolio budget type (Original Budget -
Approved Budget - Shared Budget). The Cash flow by Project/Shell - Portfolio window opens.
8) Complete the fields in this window using the information in the following table and when
finished click OK to save work and open the Cash Flow WorkSheet that you added.
Note: If you need additional curves, repeat steps 6 to 8.
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You can add a Portfolio Curve for each cash flow detail level after you create portfolio budget data
sources. See the following instructions.
1) Open Unifier
2) Click All Projects tab (or your project tab or the tab whose cash flow you want to work with).
3) From the Navigator pane, click Cost Manager to expand and click Cash Flow to open the Cash
Flow log window (right-hand pane). The Cash Flow log is the starting place for cash flow
operations. The log displays all existing cash flow curves and also provides options for
creating new curves, copying curves, viewing curve properties, and assigning curve usage
privileges to other users. To create a new cash flow, click the New drop-down list (the down
arrow) and select Detail Curves. The Properties window opens and displays the General tab
as default.
Note: If you have a cash flow template that you want to use, click the New drop-down list (the
down arrow) and select From Template to open the Template Log (Cash Flow Templates)
window.
4) Click to select a cash flow from the Cash Flow log window and click Properties to open the
cash flow Properties window.
5) In the General tab, enter Name, enter Description (optional), select Active for Rollup Status,
and select Summary WBS or WBS under Detail Level, and enter settings for Time Scale and
Period Close Settings.
6) Click the Curves tab.
7) Click Add and choose a data source based on a portfolio budget type (Original Budget -
Approved Budget - Shared Budget). The Cash flow by Summary WBS - Portfolio Budget or
Cash flow by WBS - Portfolio Budget window opens.
8) Complete the fields in this window using the information in the following table and when
finished click OK to save work and open the Cash Flow WorkSheet that you added.
Note: If you need additional curves, repeat steps 6 to 8.
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3) From the Navigator pane, click Cost Manager to expand and click Cash Flow to open the Cash
Flow log window (right-hand pane). The Cash Flow log is the starting place for cash flow
operations. The log displays all existing cash flow curves and also provides options for
creating new curves, copying curves, viewing curve properties, and assigning curve usage
privileges to other users. To create a new cash flow, click the New drop-down list (the down
arrow) and select Detail Curves. The Properties window opens and displays the General tab
as default.
Note: If you have a cash flow template that you want to use, click the New drop-down list (the
down arrow) and select From Template to open the Template Log (Cash Flow Templates)
window.
4) Click to select a cash flow from the Cash Flow log window and click Properties to open the
cash flow Properties window.
5) In the General tab, enter Name, enter Description (optional), select Active for Rollup Status,
and select Commitment under Detail Level, and enter settings for Time Scale and Period
Close Settings.
6) Click the Curves tab.
7) Click Add and choose a data source based on a portfolio budget type (Original Budget -
Approved Budget - Shared Budget). The Cash flow by Commitment - Portfolio Budget window
opens.
8) Complete the fields in this window using the information in the following table and when
finished click OK to save work and open the Cash Flow WorkSheet that you added.
Note: If you need additional curves, repeat steps 6 to 8.
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6) In the General tab, enter Name, enter Description (optional), select Active for Rollup Status,
and select Active for Status
7) In the Data Sources box, select as many data source items as you want.
8) In the Time Scale box, enter the settings that you want and when finished click OK to save
work and open the Cash Flow WorkSheet that you added.
To view Portfolio Curve for cash flow
You can view the curves and data source based on a portfolio budget type (Original Budget -
Approved Budget - Shared Budget).
1) Open Unifier
2) Click All Projects tab (or your project tab or the tab whose cash flow you want to work with).
3) From the Navigator pane, click Cost Manager to expand and click Cash Flow to open the Cash
Flow log window (right-hand pane). The Cash Flow log is the starting place for cash flow
operations. The log displays all existing cash flow curves and also provides options for
creating new curves, copying curves, viewing curve properties, and assigning curve usage
privileges to other users. To create a new cash flow, click the New drop-down list (the down
arrow) and select Detail Curves. The Properties window opens and displays the General tab
as default.
Note: If you have a cash flow template that you want to use, click the New drop-down list (the
down arrow) and select From Template to open the Template Log (Cash Flow Templates)
window.
4) Click to select a cash flow from the Cash Flow log window and click Properties to open the
cash flow Properties window.
5) In the General tab, enter Name, enter Description (optional), select Active for Rollup Status,
and select Commitment under Detail Level, and enter settings for Time Scale and Period
Close Settings.
6) Click the Curves tab.
7) Click Add and choose a data source based on a portfolio budget type (Original Budget -
Approved Budget - Shared Budget). The Cash flow by Project/Shell - Portfolio Budget window
opens.
8) Complete the fields in this window using the information in the following table and when
finished click OK to save work and open the Cash Flow WorkSheet that you added.
Note: If you need additional curves, repeat steps 6 to 8.
Custom Curve
You can create a Custom Curve when you want to create and compare curves in a Cash Flow
WorkSheet, but you do not want to associate them with data sources of the other curve types
(Baseline, Forecast, Actuals (or "spends"), Portfolio).
Custom Curve setup is essentially the same as setting up Baseline Curves.
The following instructions assume that you have created your data sources:
Go to: Company Workspace > Administration Mode > Standards & Libraries > Cash Flow >
Data Sources
Click Data Sources > Click Open to open the Cash Flow Data Sources window > Click Add to
add new cash flow data source
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Distribution Click Auto by default profile per WBS > Details to open the Edit
Distribution Profiles (WBS Details) window.
Click to select a WBS > double-click the cell under the Default Profile
column for that WBS > Click the desired distribution profile from the list.
Note: You can use Find to search for a specific WBS code.
To set default distribution profile for multiple WBSs:
Click Auto by default profile per WBS > Details to open the Edit
Distribution Profiles (WBS Details) window.
Click to select a WBS > Hold down the Ctrl or Shift key on your
keyboard and then click each WBS that you want to select > Click Bulk
Edit to open the Select Distribution Profiles (Distribution Profiles)
window > Click the desired distribution profile from the list > Click
Select.
Note: You can use Find to search for specific WBS codes.
When the Edit Distribution Profiles (WBS Details) window appears,
ensure that the correct profiles have been selected and when finished,
click Save.
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Use dates from Schedule Sheet: This option enables you to choose a
schedule sheet and view the cost distribution information by WBS.
Note: The Cash Flow by Summary WBS – Baseline does not have this
option.
To use dates from schedule sheet, follow these instructions:
Distribution Select Use dates from Schedule Sheet > Click Select to open the
(continued) Schedule Sheets window > Select the desired schedule sheet > Click
Open. The selected schedule sheet appears in the Use dates from
Schedule Sheet field.
Note: If a schedule sheet is not selected, the distribution profile
displays zeros along the bottom of a Cash Flow Curve graph. When
you click OK in the details window, the filter will be applied against the
WBS codes coming from the schedule sheet.
Schedule Here you define the range of dates to use to plot the cash flow data. If
From Date you choose to take dates from the schedule sheet elements, the
To Date Master schedule sheet for the project/shell is used.
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In summary curves, Unifier aggregates cost data according to cash flow data sources.
Example
Baseline (see Baseline (see "Baseline Curve" on page 422))
Forecast (see Forecast (see "Forecast Curve" on page 434))
Actuals (or "spends") (see Actuals (see "Actuals (Spends) Curve" on page 430))
Portfolio (see Portfolio (see "Portfolio Curve" on page 447))
Unifier displays summarized cost data in a Cash Flow WorkSheet. The main window charts
summary data, and the curves window lists each cost data source. You can open a data source
and see the source cash flow curves.
Once you define at least one Summary Curve in your project, Unifier lists the summary curve as a
selection on the curve properties Summary tab.
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When the Summary Curve WorkSheet is open, Unifier uses the current Summary Curves default
settings:
All Curves Types are selected
No Saved Filter options are enabled by default (based on new Filter functionality).
Entire Date range of all Curves are available in the Timeline (Graph, Timeline, and Table)
Information is rolled up if Roll Up Status is set to Active on a record
Once the system defined Project/Shell Summary Curve is open, the same functionality for a
Summary Curve is available to the user, which includes the enhanced Filter functionality as
described in the following sections.
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Curves that may be filtered by the appropriate Detail Level can be filtered, only. See the
following "Showing Detailed WBS Codes in Summary Curves and Curve Combinations"
section for a list of possible combination of curves that support Summary WBS or WBS curves.
Values that match the Filter criteria appear in the worksheet (Graph and Table), only.
Only Summary WBS or WBS codes that are included in the Detail Level filter appear in Curve
Type detail window.
The Remove button in the Detail Level section enables users to remove an existing Summary
WBS or WBS code that was added.
Note: The Program and Company level Filter window contains the "Curve Types" section (similar
to the Detail Curve), but the Program and Company level Filter window does not have the
Timescale, Detail Level, and Save" options.
Save As
The Filter window enables users to save the filter through the Save As field. The saved filters are
available in a global collection and can be accessed by users at anytime.
Notes:
The Save button remains disabled until you enter a name.
If a name has already been used for a filter, using the same name for a new filter generates an
alert notifying the user that the name already exists. You cannot override an existing Filter
unless you modify the existing Filter, without changing the name.
Click OK or Save to apply the filter and close the window. Saved filters appear in the Filter
drop-down list.
To manage and access saved filters click Edit from the menu and select Manage Filters. The
Manage Filters window opens and enables you to:
Open or remove saved filters.
Change name and description of a filter.
OK and Cancel
OK: Use this option to confirm changes.
Cancel: Use this option to cancel changes in the form and exit the Filter window.
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Commitment
All Data Source Cash Flow Granularity per Data
Source
Single By Line
Curves Project/S Summary Individual
WBS Distributi Items of
On hell WBS Records
on SOV
All Data Project/S One Line One Line One Line One Line One Line One Line
Source hell per Detail per Detail per Detail per Detail per Detail per Detail
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4) Form the Detail Curves pane, select as many detail curves as you need and click New to open
the Manage Summary Curves pane.
5) Enter a name for your new Summary Curve in the field and click Add. The Detail Curves
window opens.
6) From the Detail Curves window, click to select the cash flow curves that you want to include in
the Summary Curve, and click Select.
7) In Manage Summary Curves window, click Save and close the window.
The cash flow summary curves display in the Summary Curves tab.
There are no additional permissions for summary curves; if you can see a cash flow curve, you
can add it to a Summary Curve.
After you save a Summary Curve, the users with View permission can see your summary curve.
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5) Enter a name for your new Summary Curve in the field and click Add. The Detail Curves
window opens.
6) From the Detail Curves window, click to select the cash flow curves that you want to include in
the Summary Curve, and click Select.
7) In Manage Summary Curves window, click Save and close the window.
To manage summary curve content:
1) Open the project or shell where you want to manage summary curve content.
2) Click Cost Manager > Cash Flow. The Cash Flow log opens.
3) On the Cash Flow log toolbar, click the Summary button drop-down arrow, and select
Manage Summary Curves.
4) In the Name column, select a summary curve. In the Detail Curves log you can see all source
detail curves included in the summary. Add or remove data sources for a summary curve as
needed.
5) Click Save to retain changes to summary curves, and click Close Window when finished.
To rename a summary curve:
1) Open the project or shell where you want to rename a summary curve.
2) Click Cost Manager>Cash Flow. The Cash Flow log opens.
3) On the Cash Flow log toolbar, click the Summary button drop-down arrow, and select
Manage Summary Curves.
4) Double-click the name of the curve to activate editing, and enter the new name.
5) Click the Save button to save changes, and click the Close Window button when ready.
To copy a summary curve:
1) Open the project or shell where you want to rename a summary curve.
2) Click Cost Manager > Cash Flow.. The Cash Flow log opens.
3) On the Cash Flow log toolbar, click the Summary button drop-down arrow, and select
Manage Summary Curves.
4) Select a summary curve from the list and click the Copy button.
5) Enter a name for the copied curve.
6) Click the Save button to save changes, and click the Close Window button when ready.
To delete a summary curve:
1) Open the project or shell where you want to delete a summary curve.
2) Click Cost Manager > Cash Flow.. The Cash Flow log opens.
3) On the Cash Flow log toolbar, click the Summary button drop-down arrow, and select
Manage Summary Curves.
4) Select a summary curve from the list and click the Delete button.
5) Click the Save button to save changes, and click the Close Window button when read.
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To auto-create a Commitment detail level curve from a base commit business process
record
1) Open the base commit business process record. If cash flow is set up and you have
permissions set, a Cash Flow button is available.
2) Click the Cash Flow button on the business process toolbar.
If a cash flow Commitment detail level curve exists, the cash flow worksheet opens.
If at least one curve summary exists in your project, you can add this commitment
curve to a summary curve listed on the Properties Summary tab.
From the View menu click
If the curve does not yet exist, you will be prompted to create a new curve. The Cash Flow
by Commitment window opens. Choose one of the options:
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Notes:
Selecting "Use dates from Schedule Sheet" option allows you to
access the individual Schedule Sheet.
The WBS (or Summary WBS) code shows the dates of the actual
WBS (or Summary WBS) related activities.
7) Select values for the From Date and To Date fields.
8) Click OK. The cash flow worksheet displays the cash flow worksheet with the WBS codes from
the Schedule sheet in the details level.
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In the detail window, the following information for the cash flow baseline type of curve will be
pulled from the schedule sheet:
Field Definition
Number WBS Codes taken from the Schedule Sheet
Name Name of the WBS code
Taken from the "from" date of the activity that the WBS code is
From Date
assigned to.
Taken from the "to" date of the activity that the WBS code is assigned
To Date
to.
This field is blank as the distribution is coming from the schedule
Profile
sheet.
Notes:
You can open the details sheet and view the distribution of the costs
by individual WBS code. Data in the details sheet is read-only.
It is possible for a user to create another baseline curve by selecting
Cost Sheet as the source for cost or create a Forecast, Spends, and
Custom curve. In all these cases, the list of WBS codes will be from
the cost sheet and will not be filtered by the schedule sheet.
Cash Flow will pull distribution data (Linear, S-Curve, On Start and
Finish) from a schedule sheet.
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4) Give the detail curve a unique Name. Depending on the curve type and the options chosen in
the Properties window, you may need to choose a specific business process record or cost
sheet column when creating a new curve in a project or shell.
You can make other changes as necessary to the tabs in the Properties window. If the selected
schedule sheet exists under the destination project / shell (matched by name), then the curve
will be linked to the schedule sheet under the destination project. If the schedule sheet in the
template does not exist in the destination project/shell location, then the schedule sheet name
on the curve properties will remain empty.
5) Click OK to save and close the Properties window. This also opens the Cash Flow Worksheet
window.
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When you copy data, any existing data in the destination curve will be overwritten with the data
from the source curve.
Note: Special note for Forecast curves: If the intended destination curve is
a Forecast curve and the forecast is set up to start at the end of Spends
record, this forecast curve is only available as a destination curve as long
as no spends records have yet been received. If spends data has already
hit the forecast curve, then the forecast curve will not be available in the
Destination Curve drop-down list.
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The Table view displays the names of the individual curves that you defined in the Properties
window as well as incremental data values (by default). You can split the table for easier
viewing of the information.
Incremental curve: An incremental curve displays the cash flow for a certain period.
Cumulative curve: A Cumulative curve displays the net of all cash flows over a period of time.
The other parts of the Cash Flow WorkSheet are:
The View option (on the menu bar) enables you to toggle between incremental (default) and
cumulative table values.
The sliders (located between the graph and the table views) enable you to limit the graph to
specific time periods.
Each part of the Cash Flow WorkSheet can be individually maximized. Additional options enable
you to filter the information on the Cash Flow WorkSheet to display selected curves and to print
the worksheet, or both.
Graph
The worksheet is divided into two parts: a graph view on top, and a table view below. Each part
can be individually maximized.
There can be multiple curves displayed on the graph. You can add as many curves as you need to
the worksheet. Each curve must be associated with a data source, which are created in
Administration Mode. The curves are color coded; the color is determined in the data source.
In the graph, you have the option to filter out some curves and display a subset of the available
curves; change the zoom level between monthly and yearly; or print the graph. You can switch
between incremental view or a cumulative view.
The graph section in cash flow shows both the incremental and the cumulative views. The graphs
for both incremental and cumulative views are plotted on separate Y-axes.
Note: You can use the View Finder, below the chart, to zoom and display
graphs in selected timeframes.
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Split screen
Just as you would with a spreadsheet, you can use the split screen view to make your information
much easier to read. In the Detail window, you can see two parts of a row by splitting the view so
that you can see the beginning part of a row and the middle or end of the same row.
To get the split screen, click on the Split button and the bottom of the Detail window displays two
columns. The same row is highlighted across both columns. You can drag the vertical column
separator to suit, and use the horizontal scroll bars to view different parts of the row.
Zoom level
You can switch the display of the curve and worksheet data between a monthly view or yearly view
by changing the zoom level. This will not affect the time scale itself, just the data and curve display.
The Year zoom level is only applicable if you have data that spans over multiple years.
The Zoom buttons are in the top right portion of the Cash Flow Worksheet.
Month (M): This changes the time line focus of the curve and table to show months and
year in the cash flow time period.
Year (Y): The displays time period increments in years, and is useful for multi-year projects
or contracts.
Changing the zoom setting will adjust the zoom for both the graph and the table.
Curve Columns
The table underneath the graph shows the data for the curves. Each row corresponds to one of the
curves on the graph, and displays the curve data in columns. The view is incremental; you can
click the drop-down on the right to change the view to cumulative, which is view-only. The columns
are:
Color: The color of the graph displays in the first column
Name: This is the name of curve, taken from the Data Source
From Date: The starting point of the curve. This can be entered manually or taken from a date field
on the project/shell master schedule sheet, as defined in the curve properties.
To Date: The ending point of the curve, also manually entered or pulled from the schedule sheet.
This can be entered manually or taken from the schedule sheet.
Total: This amount is the cost portion of the curve. It can be pulled from a specified cost sheet
column or business process. This total amount will then be distributed over the time period (From
Date to To Date) to generate the cash flow curve. This is defined in the curve properties.
Unassigned: Any amount left over from the Total amount that has not yet been distributed.
Time Period Columns: These are the incremental time periods for the duration of the cash flow
time period. That is, the From Date to the To Date, entered above. For monthly distribution, these
will display each month and year from the From Date to the To Date. If shown Yearly, then each
period is one year.
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Curve replication
You can select a curve from main window and copy the data (time and amount) to another curve,
with manual entry as distribution. Additionally, process data (time, amount and distribution)
associated with WBS Codes (from schedule sheet) will be copied over to destination curve. See
Copy Cash flow curves and curve data (on page 472)
Note: For cash flow by WBS in a baseline curve, the list of WBS codes
displayed in the details window are from the schedule sheet and are
read-only.
For cash flow by commitment, all associated records (the base commit, any change orders,
etc.) display.
If the curve has been designed for manual entry rather than in auto-mode, you can enter
values in the Details window.
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Depending upon the commitment business process design, during record creation you can select
a transaction currency from the list of available currencies in the project or shell. Unifier stores
costs in the project currency and uses the active company-level exchange rate table for currency
conversion.
To switch between transaction and project currency in the cash flow worksheet
1) Open the project or shell, or go to the Company Workspace tab and click Cost Manager >
Cash Flow in the left Navigator.
2) Select a cash flow worksheet from the log.
3) Open the cash flow worksheet. By default the worksheet opens in the transaction currency if
different from project currency.
4) Use the drop-down currency menu located at the top-center of the worksheet to change
currency views. If the transaction currency and the project currency are the same, you will not
see the drop-down field. The numbers and curve refresh to display the new currency values.
5) In the cash flow window curves list, located on the bottom portion of the window, select a curve
and open the curve details window. If you selected the project currency view before opening
the curve details window, and the curve is in transaction currency, the data will be read only.
6) In the Details window use the currency menu to switch to the transaction currency. Depending
upon the curve set up, you can manually enter data or change the automatically distribution
profile.
7) When finished, click Save. The cash flow window will refresh with changes.
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In commitment-based curves, Unifier shows cash flow in the transaction currency of record
creation. Unifier stores the data in project currency. If the project currency is different from the
transaction currency, both the main and detail windows contain a currency drop-down list,
which you can use to show costs in the project currency; however, you can only edit data in the
transaction currency mode. Currency conversion is based on the active company-level
Exchange Rates table. Bulk edit is unavailable if the detail window is in project currency mode.
In commitment-based curves the detail window shows columns from the business process:
e.g., Number, Name, Line No, WBS Code, Description (Short Description)
Spends curves: These curves display actual spent amounts per time period, and are not editable
or distributed.
WBS curves: WBS codes in the worksheet appear in the order as listed in the cost sheet. The
following procedure describes how to enter data on worksheet fields that have been set up to be
editable. Data can be entered by manual entry or by importing.
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Manual entry generally allows data import, but depends upon the curve set up.
Auto-distribution precludes data import.
Fields that display data from other sources (schedule sheet, cost column, business
process record), cannot be edited via CSV import.
You can change curve distribution settings; however, Unifier will replace your data with data
collected by the new distribution method. For example, if you change a manual entry field to auto,
all manually entered data will be lost and replaced with the auto-generated data.
To import curve setup data into the Cash Flow Worksheet by CSV import
1) Open the Cash Flow Worksheet. Select a row and click Open to open the Details window.
If you are importing both setup and distribution data, then import the setup data first to
establish the distribution time period.
2) Click Export to export the CSV template. The CSV opens in Microsoft Excel®. You can Save
the CSV file to your desktop first, or Open it directly.
Note: Cash flow data exports the currency and the values to the CSV
template.
To import curve distribution data into the Cash Flow Worksheet by CSV import
1) Open the Cash Flow Worksheet. Select a row and click Open to open the Details window.
If you are importing both setup and distribution data, then import the setup data first to
establish the distribution time period.
2) Click Export to export the CSV template. You can Save the CSV file to your desktop first, or
Open it directly.
3) Add the Curve Distribution data to the CSV file.
Enter values in the time period distribution fields. Do not exceed the amount for
Unassigned.
The Currency field must have the currency listed.
Save the CSV file.
4) Import the CSV file.
In the Details sheet, click Import > Curve Distribution. The File Upload window opens.
Locate the CSV file and click OK. The data will populate edited fields on the Details sheet.
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Note: You can import data into cash flow by commitment curves in either
transaction or project currencies. If you try to import data in an incorrect
currency, you will be notified. For example, if the transaction currency is in
Yen and the project currency is in USD, and you try to import in Euro, you
will get an error message in the CSV file. You will need to correct the
errors in the CSV before re-importing.
Use Bulk Edit to Edit Cash Flow Data for Multiple Rows in Details Window
Bulk Edit is available on the Details window for the Cash Flow Worksheet. This is useful when
there are multiple items to be edited that are associated with the curve data.
For example, if you are doing cash flow by WBS, the data in the Details window displays the WBS
codes in use. You can enter curve data for one or multiple WBS codes using Bulk Edit.
If you are doing cash flow by commitment, and are including change orders in the curves (for cost
information and auto distribution), then you will see all commitment records in the Details window
-- the base commit and any change commits. You can enter curve data for one or multiple records
using Bulk Edit.
Note: If you are editing a Contract-type BP, the total in the Bulk Edit will be
highlighted in the details screen of the cash flow by contract curve.
Note: You can use the Bulk Edit button to edit multiple items in the chosen
currency. The total in the Bulk edit window will be interpreted in the
currency selected in the details screen (lower part of the worksheet
window.)
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2) Click the View menu and choose Properties. The Properties window opens, but is not
editable in this view.
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To delete a baseline, spends, forecast, portfolio, or custom curve from a detail curve
1) Open the project or shell and click Cost Manager > Cash Flow in the left Navigator. The Cash
Flow log opens.
2) Open the Cash Flow Worksheet.
3) Select a row from the table.
4) Click the Edit menu and choose Delete.
5) Click Yes at the confirmation window.
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Note: For improved print output, you can try a few things, such as: adjust
the curve zoom level; print the worksheet in Landscape mode (choose this
in your printer settings); adjust the worksheet window size (for example,
drag the side or bottom of the window to expand the height or width to see
more rows or columns); you can also maximize the window (click the
Maximize button in the upper right corner of the window).
Unassigned field
If there is a value in the Unassigned field, hover over or click the field. The reasons for the value is
displayed. For example,
Excess or deficit because of Spends (invoice) records
Incoming Change Orders
For Forecast curves with option to start at the end of Actuals (Spends amount), the amount is
put in the Unassigned field if the To Date of the forecast curve is less than effective date of a
Spends value.
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You can refresh one or more curves from the cash flow log. Open the project or shell and click
Cost Manager > Cash Flow in the left Navigator. The Cash Flow log opens. Select one or more
curves from the log and click the Refresh button.
You can also refresh a curve directly from the Cash Flow Worksheet window. Click the Refresh
button.
In this DO This:
Field:
Enable If you select this checkbox, you can then define the refresh schedule.
Refres The cash flow sheet will refresh automatically to reflect the most recent cost or
h schedule data, or any changes that may have been made to the distribution
profile or other properties. If you do not select this checkbox, the curve can still
be manually refreshed at runtime.
Freque Choose when the refresh will be run.
ncy Daily. At the end of every day.
Weekly. Select the day of the week to run the refresh.
Monthly. Refresh will run on the last day of the month.
Quarterly. Refresh will run on the last day of the calendar quarter.
Range You can define when the refresh schedule will begin and end.
of Start On. Enter a date to begin the refresh schedule.
recurre
To define when the scheduled refresh ends, select either No end date (the
nce
refresh will run at the scheduled intervals until it is turned off or as long as the
project/shell is active, or select End by and choose an end date to stop the
automatic refresh.
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To view a snapshot
1) Open the Cash Flow worksheet.
2) Click View and choose Snapshot Log. The Snapshots opens.
3) Choose a snapshot to view and click Open. The Cash Flow Worksheet opens. You can view
the Details window, cumulative view, and most other interactive elements, but the snapshot
data is not editable.
To delete a snapshot
1) Open the Cash Flow worksheet.
2) Click View and choose Snapshot Log. The Snapshots opens.
3) Select the snapshot and click Delete. At the confirmation, click Yes. The snapshot is deleted.
Note: To use a template for the roll up curve, there must already be a cash
flow curve roll up template created in Standards & Libraries.
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Earned value analysis is an industry standard designed to help project managers quantify project
performance through:
Measuring project performance and progress
Analyzing schedule and budget variances
Forecasting schedule and cost overruns
In Unifier, the earned value sheet always represents data by WBS code. Earned value
calculations depend on the Company Cash Flow, and can optionally include activities on the
Schedule Sheet. Users can also view a graphical representation of Earned Value, Budget at
Completion (BAC) and Actual Cost.
Available in Unifier standard projects and WBS-based shells, you can create any number of
earned value sheets. Data collection source have different settings and prerequisites.
When the source is the schedule manager:
The detail-level selection display schedule sheet activity progress.
The summary-level selection compares rows from other earned value sheets.
Unifier users progress dates to calculate BCWS, BCWP, ACWP, and EAC.
Progress dates are calculated as of the current date. In a schedule imported from Primavera,
Unifier honors the Current Data Date entry as the latest progress date. This date may be a
future date that you might use in project modeling. Unifier will calculate curves up to the
entered date.
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Work package names appear on the sheet if the source is schedule manager, and one or more
schedule sheets associated with EV curves are linked to a work package.
Note: The Source = Cost Sheet option is available for Unifier Shells that
are integrated with P6. The option Source = Cost Sheet is not available for
other Shell instances.
Display options
You can select display options, to display the curves in terms of cost or unit of measure (such as
hours, linear feet, etc., as defined in schedule activity properties). See Change the sheet display
options (on page 494).
Views
You can also generate earned value data in different views, for example, grouped by work
package. Access these views using the More Sheets option. You also view the worksheets used
for the individual components and curves used in each earned value sheet (More Worksheets).
See Open additional sheet views (on page 492) and View and work with worksheets (on page
492).
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BCWS, BCWP and EAC worksheets are read-only. Custom curve worksheets allow manual
distribution of cost data in the Incremental view.
You can export data from worksheets. A graphical view is available for the BCWP worksheet. In
addition, you can add notes to worksheets.
The More Worksheets option is available from the default WBS Codes view of the earned value
sheet, and also the Schedule Sheet-Activities view available from the More Sheets option.
To open a worksheet
1) Open the earned value sheet.
2) Click the View button and choose More Worksheets. The More Worksheets window opens,
listing BCWS, BCWP, EAC (if defined) and any custom curves.
3) Select a worksheet and click OK. The worksheet opens. The default view is incremental.
In incremental view, the columns are time based. The range is determined by the Start and
Finish dates in the Source Details. Manual entry of cost data, if applicable, can be done in this
view.
4) To view the cumulative view of the data, click the Cumulative button. (A graphical view of the
Cumulative curve is available; click the Graph button from the Cumulative view.)
5) For BCWP, to view the graphical view, click the Graph button, then choose All Rows or
Selected Row. For more information about displaying graphs, see the example below.
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For example, if the original value is $12,000 in the last column (either added manually in the
Source Details window or rolled up from a cost column), and the distribution should be $1,000
per month over a 12 month period, then enter $1000 in the last column. The remaining $11,000
will display in the Undistributed Amount field. As you enter $1000 in each of the other month
columns, this Undistributed Amount will decrease.
After distribution, if the amount in the cost sheet column or the Cost field in the Source Details
(depending on the source) either increases or decreases in amount, then when the earned
value sheet is refreshed again, this difference will be reflected automatically in the last column
of the worksheet. If there is a decrease that takes the last column to a value of zero, then the
difference will be reflected in the next-to-last column.
5) Click Save to save the worksheet.
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UOM: this will display EV data by unit of measure, such as hours. This list is in the Unit of
Measure data definition, such as hours, feet, etc.
4) In the Display as of field, click the data picker and choose a date. This setting is optional. If
you choose a date, the system will use the date as a cut off date and will show earned value
data as of that date. If you do not select a date, then the display will default to the Last Update
Date of the EV sheet.
Choose a date that is no later than today's date, as you cannot choose a date in the future, and
no earlier than the earliest date for which data is available across the curves.
5) Click the Refresh button. This will refresh the sheet to reflect the new display options.
Add a column to the earned value sheet
In addition to the system defined columns that are added to the earned value sheet automatically
(BAC, BCWS, BCWP, ACWP, EAC), you can create columns for your own formulas.
You can define additional columns on a sheet the EV sheet source is Schedule Manager, and the
display option is set to Show By: Cost.
Note: You can create formulas based on any of the columns on the
earned value sheet.
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The sheet accepts formulas only. Your options depend upon the
level of the earned value sheet.
Entry Method Summary Level: The entry level is unavailable.
Detail Level: Requires a formula. Click Create to create a formula.
Scheduled Variance
Scheduled Variance (SV) is the difference between the current progress and the scheduled
progress of a task, in terms of cost. It is a comparison of the amount of work performed during a
given period to what was scheduled to be performed. A negative variance means the project or
shell is behind schedule.
SV = BCWP – BCWS
Example: $400 – $600 = –$200
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If your administrator included an "Activity Earned Value Filter" field on the schedule sheet attribute
form, you can further refine earned value filters by activity criteria, such as progress. If this field is
on the form, you can include or exclude specific activities from the Master Schedule Sheet.
To create a filter
1) From the Edit menu, choose Filters. The Setup Filters window opens.
2) Click Add. The Add filter window opens.
3) Name the filter.
4) Select one or more segments of a WBS code to create the filter.
5) Click OK to save the filter.
To change a filter
1) From the Edit menu, choose Filters. The Setup Filters window opens.
2) Click Edit. The Modify Filter window opens. You can rename the filter, or change the WBS
segments.
To remove a filter
1) From the Edit menu, choose Filters. The Setup Filters window opens.
2) In the Setup Filters window, highlight the filter and click Remove.
3) Click Yes in the confirmation window.
This action cannot be undone.
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Note: The graph displays the names of the curves as they appear as
column names on the sheet. If you change the name of a custom curve,
you must also change the column name in order for the name change to
display on the graph. The graphical display will also automatically include
any custom curves you have added, even if you have not added them as
columns on the sheet. You can filter which curves to display.
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The zoom level that you choose works with the time period by which data is captured. For
example, if you are capturing data by the month, and select the zoom level Quarter (Q), the graph
will display three months of data. If you select the zoom level Year (y), the graph will show 12
months of data.
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For example:
You can create your own time scale by using the scale slider bar at the bottom of the graph. Drag
to the right or left to experiment with the time scale.
Note: Custom unit of measure (UOM) - based curves are not shown on
earned value graphs.
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Note: The Source = Cost Sheet option is available for Unifier Shells that
are integrated with P6. The option Source = Cost Sheet is not available for
other Shell instances.
Creating an EV Sheet
You can create an Earned Value (EV) sheet individually, or by copying an existing EV sheet, and
as many as you need.
In this
Do this
field
Name Name the earned value sheet.
Descriptio Enter an optional description. This description is searchable from the earned
n value sheet log.
Level This option defines the level of the EV sheet as either "detail" or "summary."
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Defining EV Settings
Depending on the level you have selected, the Settings tab displays different options:
If you selected Detail level, you can add the components (such as BCWP, BCWS, ACWP,
Custom, and EAC curves) that will be used to calculate earned value from a schedule sheet.
If you selected Summary level, you can choose the schedule sheets for the EV sheet from a
schedule sheet.
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If you choose this option, you will have to specify curve parameters in a Properties window.
See the next section, Creating Custom EV Curves for details.
EAC: Estimate at Completion. (Available when the source is the Schedule Manager)
If you choose this option, you must include cost and start/finish information from the
schedule manager.
3) Click OK. The entry will be added to the Settings tab of the earned value Properties window.
Note: Adding settings updates the earned value (EV) sheet. This can take
a few moments. The Last Update column on the earned value log displays
an "In Progress" message while the sheet is being updated. The EV sheet
will not be accessible until the update is complete.
Note: If you want to retain the data from previous curve, retain the values
of Spread, Budge, and Apply Form.
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Custom
See the next section, Creating Custom EV Curves for details.
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Note: You can use At Completion data from P6 Summary sheets to draw
EAC curves.
Note: You can use At Completion data from P6 Summary sheets to draw
EAC curves.
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Properties window.
See the following section for more information about the Source
Details.
Note: When you click Details, on the Properties window, the system
saves the curve even if you click Cancel to exit the Properties window.
Column Description
All WBS codes on the project/shell cost sheet are displayed, with
one exception:
If the schedule sheet(s) in the BCWS entry are associated with work
WBS Code packages, rather than the cost sheet, then only those WBS codes
within those work packages will be displayed here.
If at least one schedule sheet in the BCWS entry is associated with
the cost sheet, then this window displays all cost sheet WBS codes.
WBS Item The item, as defined on the cost sheet, displays for each code.
The details presented in this column depends on what you select in
Cost the Properties window for End Point, on the Custom Curves Details
window:
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Data
If you chose Manual, then you can enter cost data manually
here. You can also import this cost data (see the following
procedure). You can later distribute this amount across the
Custom Curve worksheet.
If you chose a Cost Sheet Column, then the data that is in the
column for each WBS code will display here.
Cost Sheet
The data that is in the column for each WBS code displays here.
Schedule
Each activity on the schedule sheet can be associated with one
or more WBS codes, and distributed based on % entered there.
The details presented in this column depends on what you select in
the Properties window for Start Point, on the Custom Curves Details
window:
If you chose Zero (Data), and Manual Start Date (Schedule),
then you can enter date manually.
Start
If you chose Zero (Data), and selected a Schedule Manager start
date (Schedule), then the column displays the earliest date
across all activities for that WBS code.
If you chose begin calculation at end of ACWP, then the date is
automatically calculated based on ACWP end period.
The details presented in this column depends on what you select in
the Properties window for the End Point Schedule, on the Custom
Curves Details window:
Finish If you chose Manual finish date, then you can manually enter a
finish date for the custom curve.
If you chose Schedule Manager finish date, this date is taken
from the schedule sheet finish date you chose in the Properties
window.
To enter data in the Source Details window:
1) Open the custom curve Source Details window:
For the earned value sheet, open the EV Properties window, Settings tab. Select a custom
curve and click Modify, or create a new custom curve. In the custom curve Properties window,
click the Details button.
2) Depending on the options defined in the custom curve Properties window, the Cost, Start
and/or Finish Date fields may be editable across the WBS codes. Add this information as
needed.
Start is the starting date of the curve.
End is the end date of the curve.
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If you enter a value in the Cost column, the value automatically appears in the last column
of the incremental view of the worksheet for the custom curve. You can then open the
worksheet and distribute this cost amount across the other columns (and the other time
periods) in the worksheet. (See View and work with worksheets (on page 492).)
To import cost data into the Source Details window:
1) Open the custom curve Source Details window:
For the earned value sheet, open the Properties window, Settings tab. Select a custom curve
and click Modify, or create a new custom curve. In the custom curve Properties window, click
the Details button.
2) Click the Export button and download the CSV file. Save the file to your local drive or open the
file directly.
3) Enter the cost or date information in editable Start, End and/or Cost fields as applicable,
depending on the entry settings you specified in the custom curve Properties window.
4) Save the CSV file.
5) In the Source Details window, click Import, and import the CSV file.
Note: If you rename a custom curve (in the Settings tab), the new name
may not be reflected in the graphical display. The graph displays the curve
names as they appear in the sheet as column names. If you rename a
custom curve, be sure to rename the corresponding column name on the
sheet (you may need to add the curve as a column in order for the new
name to be reflected on the graph).
Deleting EV Sheet
You can delete any earned value sheet.
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Types of SOVs
There are two types of SOV sheets:
General SOV: This can be used for any commit business processes, and associated change
commits and spends (or invoices).
SOV for payment applications: This is associated with commit and spends business
processes designed for payment applications. This allows direct entry of values in an SOV
sheet, which are automatically added to a payment application. Breakdown for these SOVs is
similar to the general SOV.
Both SOV types can show WBS information either by grouping WBS codes (WBS mode) or as
individual line items from commits (base commit and change commit together). The information
that SOVs display is dependent upon the design of the base commit.
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Note: If an SOV structure does not exist when you auto-create an SOV
sheet with a cost business process, one will be created automatically with
the default columns WBS Code, WBS Item, and Breakdown. You can edit
this structure as needed. The default columns are not editable.
Any modifications done to an SOV structure will be reflected on all SOV sheets using that
structure, that is, all SOV sheets for that project.
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Note: While setting up the SOV structure, you may click the Split button to
divide the window in half. This allows you to scroll through columns and
rows on the right while maintaining a view of the activity column on the left.
Clicking the Split button again restores the whole window. While the
window is split, you may click the Freeze button to lock the left half of the
window in place. Click Freeze again to unfreeze.
The structure may contain hidden columns. For example, one or more columns used in the
formulas for other columns where the information in the hidden columns is not important to be
viewed may have been hidden, leaving more room in the display for the formula column. Hidden
columns otherwise behave normally.
Note: You can modify the WBS Code and WBS Item labels in the cost
sheet.
Note: If you manually create an SOV sheet, you can only create one
based on an approved commit BP record.
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Editing SOVs
The following sections cover steps that apply to both general and payment application SOVs.
To edit an SOV
1) Click the Structure button on the toolbar.
2) Click File > Properties.
3) Click the Options tab to modify information.
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4) You can enter a custom label for the Ref, Breakdown, and Description fields. These are the
labels that will appear as column names on the SOV sheet. You cannot modify WBS Code and
WBS Item. These labels can be modified only on the cost sheet.
To view properties
Select the sheet from the log window and click File > Properties.
Note: If the column is being used in a formula in another column, you must
remove the column from the formula before you can delete it. If the
column contains a cell with line item data, you must first remove each line
item before it can be deleted.
To edit a column
Select a column from the Columns log and click Open to open the Column Properties window.
Although it is possible to change the entry method for a column (for example, from line item
content to direct entry into a cell, use caution when doing so if you have already entered values in
the column cells. For example, if you change from line item entry to direct cell entry, the amount
value shown in the cell will display correctly, but will be an editable direct entry amount, and
detailed line item information will be lost.
Some fields may not be editable. It may be necessary to delete the column and create a new one.
To move a column
From the Columns log, select a column to move, and then click Move Up (Left) or Move Down
(Right). The order that the columns appear in the log window is the order (from left to right) that
they appear on the sheet.
To delete a sheet
Select the sheet from the log window and click Delete. If you delete an automatically created SOV
sheet, you will have to recreate it manually.
You cannot delete an SOV for Payment Applications.
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Note: You cannot modify the WBS Code and WBS Item labels here.
These labels can only be modified in the cost sheet.
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Note: By default, the Scheduled Value column will validate that the sum of
all breakdowns added to an SOV line will not exceed the scheduled value
for summary line. That is, if the scheduled value for a line is $1000 from
the base commit record, and you add breakdowns, the amounts that you
enter for the breakdown amounts for that line cannot add up to more than
$1000. (It can, however, add up to less than $1000.)
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Note: The names of the Generic Cost Manager, the various shells and
subshells, and the generic cost sheet you will work with are determined by
the names defined in uDesigner. For documentation purposes, in these
instructions, this manager is referred to as the Generic Cost Manager.
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2) Select the cost sheet from the log and click Open. The generic cost sheet opens.
You work with a generic cost sheet in the same way as a standard cost sheet. The difference is
that the data in the generic cost sheet comes from shells and subshells rather than from
projects. The first two columns are displayed by default. The view is fixed, and there is no split
screen capability.
Viewing data for shells and subshells in a generic cost sheet
The generic cost sheet displays transactional data by period and shell level. In the context of
working with the generic cost sheet, you can filter the cost data you are viewing by shells or
subshells. The generic cost sheet is accessed from the Shell > Configurable Managers >
Generic Cost Manager > Generic Cost Sheet log. You can use the shell or subshell filter in
combination with the timescale selector documented in the next section to create various views in
your spreadsheet based on shell or subshell and time period.
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Current Shell only: Data from the current shell you have selected. Manual column data is
editable in the Current Shell only view.
Current Shell and Subshells only: Data from both the current shell and its subshells.
Subshells only: Data from the subshells of the current shell.
In Generic Cost Sheet views, data is rolled up from the current shell and subshells. When data is
rolled up from subshells, the generic cost sheet under a shell can roll up data from other shells that
are created as subshells and their subshells. The Current Shell and subshells only and Subshells
only views support this rollup. For example:
North Region (shell)
Property A (subshell)
Building 101 (subshell)
Building 102 (subshell)
Property B
Building 201
Building 202
In this example, the North Region Generic Cost Sheet will have data from Property A, Property B,
Building 101, Building 102, Building 201, and Building 202. Property A has data from Building 101
and Building 102. Property B has data from Building 201 and Building 202.
Also, data from a subshell to its parent shell can only roll up if the codes match. For example,
North Region (Shell)
Property A (1000–1001: $500)
Building 101 (1000–1001: $500)
Building 102 (1000–1002:$200)
In this example, Building 101 will roll up to Property A as the codes match (1000–1001). Building
102 will not roll up because the codes are different (1000–1002). Parent and child shell cost codes
must match for roll up to occur. Timescale and column definition must also match across the shells
and subshells.
Also, all subshells that will roll up must have the same currency as the parent shell. If all of the
subshells and the current parent shell have the same currency, the data displays in that currency.
If at least on subshell has a different currency, the data displays in the Base Currency. A
confirmation message alerts you to this currency display.
While rolling up, only parent shell generic cost sheet codes should be considered. This is
applicable under all views.
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To change the exchange rates on a Generic Cost Sheet for manual data entry
1) Open the shell and click Configurable Managers > Generic Cost Manager > Generic Cost
Sheet in the left Navigator. The Generic Cost Sheet log opens.
2) Open the cost sheet you want to work with by double-clicking the cost sheet name, or by
selecting the cost sheet name in the log and then choosing File > Open.
3) Choose Edit > Exchange Rate. The Exchange Rate for manual data entry window opens.
4) Choose the rate you want to change and enter the rate. Click Refresh to revert to the shell
property exchange rate as needed. The original exchange rates were set up by the Company
Administrator.
5) Click OK.
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Note: If you open the CSV file, you will see that it contains notes regarding
modifying the columns and data in the exported file for reimporting into a
cost sheet. Follow the notes embedded in the CSV file for modifying
columns and data in the exported file.
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Also see the Internationalization and CSV Files section for language (Internationalization)
details.
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Note: Folder and document permissions are set at the folder level and can
be changed independently or inherited by subfolders and documents.
Unlike module-level permissions, permissions set at the folder level can
differ from project or shell to project or shell.
The creator of a folder, document or shortcut is, by default, its owner, and has full access
(privileges to view, manage, grant permissions, delete, transfer ownership, etc.). The owner must
grant other users or groups permission to view and manage these documents, folders, or
shortcuts. Otherwise, other users will not have access to them. (Exception: some administrators
will have access permissions and will be able to view all items in the document manager.)
For this reason, it is also important to verify the permission settings for all files and folders that you
upload, create, revise, check in, copy, or modify to make sure that it is accessible by the people
who need them. For example, if one user creates folders, and then another user attempts to move
documents among those folders, the move will not be permitted by the system unless that user
attempting that move has specific permissions granted (in this case, Copy and Delete to achieve
the document move).
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For more information about permission settings, see Modify folder permissions (on page 546),
Modify document permissions (on page 552), and Modify shortcut permissions (on page
556).
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Project, shell, or company documents log (or document view): Displays the contents
(subfolders, documents, empty documents, shortcuts) of the folder selected in the Folders view, in
alphabetical order. The pane also displays the Recycle Bin, which contains files to be deleted from
the system.
At the project or shell level, a Phase drop-down list at the top of the pane allows users to display
documents and folders applicable to the current phase or all phases (referring to the project or
shell phase as maintained by the project or shell administrator; your project or shell may or may
not contain phase-specific documents).
Tip: You can expand the project or shell Documents or Company Documents log and workspace
by contracting the Unifier Navigator.
Icon/Column
Description
Heading
Ref (check or A checkmark indicates that reference files exist and are resolved; an X
X) indicates that there are missing reference files.
An icon indicates that the document is attached to one or more BP
BP
records.
Name The file name of the document and its extension (file type).
Size The size of the file.
Upload Date The date the file was uploaded into project or shell Documents.
Owner Owner of the document, folder, or shortcut.
The identifier given to the document upon uploading, which may differ
Title
from the file name.
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Menu bar
The following describes the functions available from the project or shell Documents or Company
Documents menu bar.
File Menu
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Edit Menu
View Menu
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Toolbar
You can perform the following functions from the toolbar. Click the down arrow next to a button to
view the options.
Button Action
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Uploads files and folders from your local machine into the Document
Upload
Manager.
Download Downloads files and folders to the local machine.
Delete Deletes the selected file or folder (moves it to Recycle Bin).
Allows you to check out documents for editing or markup.
Check In: Check in documents (with changes). This automatically updates
Check Out the documents Pub. No.
Cancel Check Out: Cancel the check-out status without saving changes.
Opens the File Comments window for the selected document. Add or view
Comments
comments, markups, or attach another file to a document.
Permissio
Configure user permissions for the selected document, folder or shortcut.
ns
Properties View or add properties to the selected document, folder, or shortcut.
Search by Content: This allows you to search for a document by specific content, or
keywords, within the document. This option works on most file types other than drawing files.
You can search by single word or exact phrase in quotes (for example, "training document").
The supported file types for content search are listed below:
doc, pdf, txt, xls, htm, rtf, html, csv, xml, xsd, java, c, cpp, vm, bat, bak, css, log, sql, ncs, sh,
properties, vpp, wtx, xhtml, xslt, ppt, mpp, vsd
The Find function works on the latest revisions of documents only. It does not search on older
revisions.
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2) Click the Find button and choose Search By Properties, or click the View menu and choose
Find > Search By Properties. The upper portion of the log expands to display the Find fields.
3) Enter search criteria in one or more of the Find fields, for example, the full or partial name of a
file. You can use the wildcard % when searching for names.
4) Click the Search button. The log will display the search results.
5) To search the contents of another folder, select it in the folder view. The search results will
automatically display the search results of the new selected folder.
6) To close the Search fields, click the X in the upper right corner.
Tip: For best results, use only alpha-numeric characters in your search criteria. If you are not
receiving the search results you are expecting, try placing your criteria in quotes.
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The folder’s phase is designated in the Phase selection box in the folder’s Properties window. The
project or shell phase is maintained in the project or shell Properties window by a project or shell
administrator.
You have the option to view folders for the current project or shell phase, or you can choose to
view all folders regardless of project or shell phase.
Note: You must have permission to create or modify folders to perform the
following procedures.
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Locking the first level folder structure prevents other users from adding, modifying, or deleting
folders and documents on the first level, or changing the document or folder properties. Users can
modify permissions on first-level folders and documents.
This ability allows the administrator to establish and maintain a consistent main folder structure
within and across project or shells.
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4) Give a new name to the second folder and verify the other information in the General and
Options tabs. (By default, the same as the first folder, but can be modified.) Click Create to
create the second folder.
5) Continue to create folders as needed.
6) Close the Create Folder window when you are done creating folders.
Folder Properties window
The following section describes the default fields in the Folder Properties window (also called the
Create Folders window). There are two tabs:
General: If your company has designed and imported a folder attributes form, it will be used for the
General tab. The example below shows the default General tab. All property fields are data
elements, and therefore are reportable in user-defined reports.
Options: This tab contains options for uploading and downloading folders and drawing reference
files. The Options tab is not customizable in uDesigner.
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The name of the folder creator or current owner. Click to view the
Owner
user profile.
Creation Date The date that the folder was created.
This is a calculated field derived from the overall percent complete of
% Complete all documents within the folder. The % Complete for documents is
maintained manually in the Document Properties window.
Description You can enter an optional description for the folder.
Categories
Project administrators can group folders into customized categories.
(applicable to Category designations are not searchable using Find, but they are
project-level reportable in user-defined reports. This field is not present at the
Document company level.
Manager only)
In the project or shell level Document Manager, a folder can be
associated with one or more project or shell phases, making it
accessible only during those phases of the project or shell. This
helps insure that important, phase-specific documents are visible at
Phases
the appropriate times during the life cycle of the project or shell. Click
(applicable to the Select button and select one or more phases.
project or shell
Caution: The Phase setting controls the visibility of folders. For
level Document
example, if the project or shell administrator sets the project or shell
Manager only)
phase to conceptual design, then only those folders tagged with the
phase conceptual design, as well as those without a phase tag, will
be visible during that phase. If you do not specify a phase, the folder
will display during all project or shell phases.
Apply these
For categories and phases. If you select this option for the current
options to all
folder, then all new and existing subfolders and documents within
subfolders and
the folder will be modified when the window is saved.
documents
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Notes:
You many want to add yourself to the permissions list. Though not
necessary as long as you remain the owner, if you decide later to
transfer ownership of the folder, you will no longer have owner
permissions. However, you will retain the permissions, if any, that you
specify in the permission window.
The project or shell Documents root folder is selectable for modifying
permissions.
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If this is a subfolder, you can leave this deselected if you want the parent folder permissions to
apply. If you select this box, these permissions will take precedent.
6) Click OK.
Copy a folder
You can copy a folder from one location to another. When you copy a folder, you become the
owner with ownership permissions of the copied folder and its contents. The owner of the original
folder and other users with permissions to the original folder retain their permissions on the
original and the copied folder. You can copy more than one folder at a time.
To copy a folder
1) Select one or more folders in the project or shell Documents log.
2) Click the Edit menu and choose Copy. The Copy Files/Folders window opens.
3) Select the target location from the folders shown.
4) Select the Include Comments checkbox if you want to copy any comments or markups that
may be on documents within the copied folder.
5) Click OK. The folder and all contents (subfolders, documents, shortcuts) are copied to the
target location.
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Move a folder
If you are the owner of the folder (or otherwise have proper permissions), you can move a folder to
a new location. When you move a folder from one location to another, all subfolders, documents,
and any comments or markups on the documents are moved to the new location. Original
ownership and user permissions are maintained. You can move more than one folder at a time.
To move a folder
1) Select one or more folders in the project or shell Documents log.
2) Click the Edit menu and choose Move. The Move Files/Folders window opens.
3) Select the target location from the folders shown.
4) Click OK. The folder and its contents are moved to the target location.
Organize folders
If you have the permission settings, you can quickly move folders up and down the folder tree
using the organize folders feature. This only reorganizes the folder order on the folder tree (left
pane). The documents view (the right pane) always lists folders alphanumerically.
Note: Unless you have module-level organize permission, you will not be
able to move first-level folders if the first-level structure is locked.
To organize folders
1) In project or shell Documents, click Edit > Organize Folders. The Organize Folders window
opens, displaying the project or shell documents folder structure.
2) You can expand folders to display subfolders by clicking the + next to the folder name.
3) Select a folder and click Move Up or Move Down as needed. Any subfolders will move with
the selected folder.
4) Click OK.
Rename a folder
To rename a folder:
1) Select the folder in the project or shell Documents log.
2) Click the Edit menu and choose Rename. The Rename Folder window opens.
3) Enter the new folder name in the To field and click OK.
Delete a folder
When you delete a folder, it is moved to the Recycle Bin. Items in the Recycle Bin can be restored
back to their original location or permanently deleted. See The Recycle Bin (on page 580). You
can delete more than one folder at a time.
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To delete a folder
1) Select one or more folders in the project or shell Documents log.
2) Click the Edit menu and choose Delete, or click the Delete button on the toolbar.
3) Click Yes to confirm. The folder and contents are moved to the Recycle Bin.
To view a document
1) Select a folder or subfolder (or the project or shell Documents root folder) in the folders view.
The contents of the folder, including any documents, display in the project or shell Documents
log.
2) In the log, select a document and click Open on the button bar, or double-click the document.
The document opens in the AutoVue viewer or native software application, depending on the
File Viewer option selected in User Preferences.
Create an empty document
Empty documents are used as placeholders for documents that have yet to be uploaded into
Document Manager. For example, a project or shell manager might create an empty document in
a folder and then send an action item to a team member to upload the file into it.
You can also import empty documents. See Import and export folders, properties, and empty
documents (on page 566).
Empty documents can be populated with files by revising them (replacing the empty document
with the completed document. See Revising Documents (on page 576).
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2) Enter a name for the empty document. The other fields in the General tab and the Options tab
are optional.
3) Click Add. The empty document is created.
Note: To upload a file into the empty document, see Uploading Files (on
page 558).
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same file When a file is dynamically linked as a reference file to a base drawing
name file, this checkbox is selected by default for the reference file and cannot
be deselected.
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To add a new user, click Add and add users or groups to grant permission. Select the user
from the list and grant or remove individual permission.
To remove a user’s permissions, select the user from the list and click Remove.
To modify a user’s permissions, select the user from the list and grant or remove individual
permissions.
4) Select the permissions settings for the document and click OK.
Copy a document
A document can be copied from one location to another, with the option to include any comments
or markups associated with it. You can select and copy multiple documents or folders at once. If
you copy a document owned by another user, you become the owner of the copy, and the original
owner maintains original permissions on the original and copied versions.
Note: You must select a destination folder that is different from the source
folder. You cannot copy a document into the same location you are
copying it from.
To copy a document
1) Select the document in the project or shell Documents log.
2) On the Edit menu, click Copy. The Copy Files/Folders window opens.
3) Select the destination folder into which you want to place the document copy.
4) To copy with comments or markups attached to the document, select the Include
Comments/Markups checkbox.
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5) Click OK.
Move a document
When a file is moved, any comments or markups are moved with it automatically. You can select
and move multiple documents or folders at once.
To move a document
1) Select the document in the project or shell Documents log.
2) On the Edit menu, click Move. The Move Files/Folders window opens.
3) Select the target folder into which you want to move the document.
4) Click OK.
Rename a document
Documents cannot be renamed from within Unifier. You can change the title of a document
through the Properties window, but not the file name.
Delete a document
When you delete a document, it is moved to the Recycle Bin. Items in the Recycle Bin can be
restored to their original location or permanently deleted. You can select and delete more than one
document at once.
A document that is attached to a business process record is linked to it and cannot be deleted from
the Document Manager. The document will show a linked records icon next to the document in the
BP column of the document log. However, if the latest version of the document is not linked to a
business process, the icon will not display in the log. You can select the document and click View
> Revisions to check if an older revision has linked records. In addition, a document may also
contain links to business processes that are still in draft, and which will not display as a link to the
document until the BP record is sent.
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Tip: If you need to remove a document that cannot be deleted, move it from its original location
into another folder with limited user access.
To delete a document
1) Select the document in the project or shell Documents log.
2) Click the Edit menu and choose Delete, or click the Delete button.
3) Click Yes to confirm. The document is moved to the Recycle Bin.
Use shortcuts
Shortcuts are a convenient way to quickly navigate to important or frequently used documents and
folders. They can be used to quickly access and view a document or folder. Shortcuts cannot be
downloaded.
To use a shortcut
Do one of the following:
Select the shortcut in the project or shell Documents log and click Open.
Double-click the shortcut.
If the shortcut is to a folder, the folder opens in the folders view, displaying the contents. If the
shortcut is to a document, the document opens.
Create a shortcut
You may create a shortcut to a document or a folder. Clicking a shortcut to a folder displays the
folder contents. Clicking a shortcut to a document opens the document for viewing.
Tip: For ease of use, create shortcuts to commonly used documents and
folders and store them in a central folder.
To create a shortcut
1) In the folders view, navigate to the folder in which you want the shortcut to reside.
2) Select New > Shortcut. The Create Shortcut window opens.
3) In the Source field, click the Browse button. The Select Files window opens.
4) Browse to the document or folder for which you want to create the shortcut.
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If you have left the Name field blank, the shortcut name defaults to "Shortcut to
document/folder name" and can be changed.
5) Click OK. The shortcut is created in the selected folder.
Shortcut Properties window
The Shortcut Properties window consists of the name of the shortcut as it appears in the project or
shell Documents log and the path of the document or folder to which it points. It is not
customizable in uDesigner. This window is also called the Create Shortcut window.
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To add a new user, click Add and add users or groups to grant permission. Select the user
from the list and grant or remove individual permission.
To remove a user’s permissions, select the user from the list and click Remove.
To modify a user’s permissions, select the user from the list and grant or remove individual
permissions.
4) Select the permissions settings for the document and click OK.
Copy a shortcut
To copy a shortcut:
1) Select the shortcut in the project or shell Documents log.
2) On the Edit menu, click Copy. The Browse to Copy window opens.
3) If the target folder is phase-specific (only appears during specified project or shell phases),
click the Current Phase drop-down list and choose the project or shell phase.
4) Select the target folder into which you want to place the shortcut copy.
5) Click OK.
Move a shortcut
To move a shortcut:
1) Select the shortcut in the project or shell Documents log.
2) On the Edit menu, click Move. The Move Files/Folders window opens.
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3) Select the target folder into which you want to move the shortcut.
4) Click OK.
Rename a shortcut
To rename a shortcut:
1) Select the shortcut in the project or shell Document log.
2) From the Edit menu, click Rename.
3) Enter the new name and click OK.
Delete a shortcut
When you delete a shortcut, it is moved to the Recycle Bin. Items in the Recycle Bin can be
restored back to their original location or permanently deleted. Deleting a shortcut does not delete
the folder or document to which it points.
To delete a shortcut
1) Select the shortcut in the project or shell Document log.
2) From the Edit menu, click Delete, or click the Delete button.
3) Click Yes to confirm. The shortcut is moved to the Recycle Bin.
Change the shortcut source
You can change the file or folder to which the shortcut points by choosing a different source in the
Shortcut Properties window.
Uploading Files
You can upload files directly from your local system into project or shell or company documents.
The method for uploading files is based on the File Transfer option you chose in your user
preferences: Basic (HTML-based), Intermediate (Java), or Advanced Java plus the Primavera
Unifier File Transfer Utility).
The general upload procedures are the same whether you are uploading files to the Document
Manager or attaching files from your local system to a business process record, cost sheet cell,
etc.
Tip: You can modify your File Transfer selection at any time. You must
refresh the project or shell Documents node for the change to take affect.
To do this, click the project or shell Documents node in the Navigator.
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Note: The file size for file uploads must be more than 0 bytes and less
than 2 GB. Unifier cannot upload empty files from a local computer using
any of the upload methods.
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Note: If you have uploaded drawing and reference files marked as missing, see Resolving
Missing Reference Files (see "Resolving Missing Reference Files (Reference Manager)"
on page 564)
Upload files and folders using the advanced file transfer method
This method uses Java in addition to the Primavera Unifier File Transfer Utility to provide the
greatest flexibility and scalability for uploading and downloading files. This option supports
drag-and-drop uploading and downloading of multiple files and folders. The file transfer process
runs locally on your machine and will search for and retrieve drawing files from your system. You
can choose to upload a drawing base file only, or base file and references at the same time. It
allows association of base files to reference files already stored in the Document Manager. See
Choosing a File Transfer Option (on page 44) for details on the Java version and download.
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c. To manually locate and resolve missing reference files, select a file marked missing and
click the Resolve Missing button. Browse to the location of the missing reference file. The
reference file must be the same name as shown in the window (from the information in the
drawing base file). You cannot choose a file with a different file name. Resolving a missing
file will automatically resolve other missing reference files that have the same name and
logical source path, so you do not need to resolve the same reference file on multiple base
files.
a) If the wrong reference has been linked, select one or more files and click the Unresolve button
to prevent uploading the reference. The file will remain on the list and be flagged as missing. If
the file had other child references, the children will be removed.
Note: You can also skip this step now and resolve the missing reference
files at a later time.
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File Upload
Description
Options
Select this checkbox if you are uploading drawing files (DWG or
DGN) that have associated reference files. The Upload Reference
Upload Reference
Files options are:
Files
Upload reference files from my computer: The system
locates the reference files on your local system based on the
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Note: Links can be switched between dynamic and static at any time.
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Note: Nested reference files are not supported. For example, a base file
references a reference file, which in turn references another reference file
(that is, the first reference file is a base file for the second). Primavera
Unifier does not try to resolve missing nested reference files.
You can resolve missing reference files during or after uploading into Primavera Unifier. You can
resolve missing references within the Document Manager in several ways: manually upload a
missing file from your computer; link to a reference file that is already in project or shell or
company documents; or let Primavera Unifier attempt to auto-resolve it by searching for the
missing reference.
Note: The auto-resolve process will search for the missing attachment in
the Primavera Unifier folder path as defined in the base file header and in
the same folder as the base file.
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Step 1: Export structure and properties to a CSV file. Exporting the existing structure and
properties creates the CSV structure (rows and columns). The CSV template will contain a list of
documents and folders with their full paths and all attributes displayed on the General tab of folder
and document properties (either default or uDesigner created).
Documents and folder rows are identified by the first column (type). The location of the folder or
document is identified in the second column. The order in which the columns appear is the same
as they appear in the folder and document properties forms.
Step 2: Modify the CSV file. Add new folders, folder, document properties, or empty documents
to the CSV files, being careful not to change the structure. Only the columns that are modifiable in
project or shell documents can be modified in the CSV file. Read-only fields cannot be modified by
importing. Folder and document names are case sensitive.
Step 3: Import the modified CSV file. The imported file can include new folders and documents
(empty documents), as well as modified or additional properties to existing folders and documents.
You can upload files into empty documents later by using Revise.
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Note: The file size for file downloads must be more than 0 bytes and less
than 2 GB.
As with uploading documents and folders, the procedure will depend on the File Transfer option
you have chosen. By default, the latest version of a document will be downloaded.
Shortcuts cannot be downloaded.
Note: If the download window (Java console plug-in) is still open on your
machine, you may not be able to delete, move, or modify the downloaded
file as it will appear to be in use. If this is the case, close the plug-in
window.
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Note: You also have the option of adding graphic markups and attaching
a file to the comment. See the following sections for details. You must add
some text in order to save the View Comments window, even if you are
adding graphical markups or attaching a file.
5) Click OK to save your changes and exit the File Comments window.
Note: Until you click OK in the File Comments window, the comments,
including any attachments and markups, are still in Draft mode. At this
time, you can add or edit comments or markups to any file attachments, or
add or remove file attachments from the comment.
Note: Each markup is a separate entity. The navigation pane on the left
shows the Bookmarks tab and Markup Tree tab. The Markup Tree tab
shows the markups. Click an entity to select it and delete, modify, etc.
6) Click the Save button or File > Save to save your markups. Enter a name for the markup and
click OK.
Note: Markups are saved as a single layer and are no longer editable
once you close the window. Each markup is listed by name in the Markup
Tree tab (in the viewer window) as a separate layer. To add another
markup layer, click the New button.
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7) When you have completed your markups, close the viewer window to return to the File
Comments window.
Note: At this point, the comment is still in Draft mode. You can add
additional markups or file attachments if desired. You must enter some
text in the Text Comment box in order to save.
Note: Until you click OK in the View Comments window, the comment,
including any attachments and markups, are still in Draft mode. At this
time, you can add or edit comments or markups to any file attachments, or
add or remove file attachments from the comment. You must add text in
the Text Comments area to save the View Comments window, even if you
are adding markups or attaching a file.
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2) Select the file and click Markup. Follow the procedures for marking up a document.
View comments, markups, and file attachments on comments
Documents with comments or markups are displayed in the documents log with an icon in the
Comments column.
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View comments
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Revising Documents
To revise a document, you replace the current version with a new one that you upload from your
local machine. The new file does not necessarily have to have the same file name as the original.
This is also how you populate an empty document in Unifier with the completed document from
your local machine.
The newest version of a document is available in the project or shell Documents log. Earlier
versions can still be accessible in the View Revisions window. When a document is revised, the
file itself is never changed. It remains untouched. Each version is maintained separately.
The procedures for uploading the revisions depend on the file transfer method you have chosen.
The procedures for uploading revisions are the same as for uploading files.
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Note: You can click the Advanced Options button to expand the window.
The options are the same as when uploading files into the Document
Manager.
5) Click Upload to upload the revised file into the Document Manager.
The publication number (Pub. No.) of the file increases by one for each revision uploaded. For
example, the first time you upload a document, the publication number is 1. If you revise it, the
publication number becomes 2, and so on.
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Note: If you cancel the download procedure, the document will still be
checked out to you.
The Check Out icon appears next to the document in the log. You can upload a new revision
and check the document back in, or you can cancel the check out without revising the
document.
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Note: You can click the Advanced Options button to expand the window.
The options are the same when uploading files into the Document
Manager.
4) Click Upload to upload and check in the revised file into the Document Manager.
The publication number (Pub. No.) of the file increases by one for each revision uploaded.
Note: Only the document owner or an administrator with full access can
lock or unlock a document.
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Note: If you restore a folder whose parent folder has been deleted, the
folder structure will be recreated. However, the other contents of the
parent folder will not automatically be restored.
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Notes:
Text-type BPs such as action Items cannot be launched directly from
the Document Manager. This is because text-type BPs, by design, can
have file attachments only to the comments section, not the form itself.
Only Document-type BPs can support folders. If you are trying to
attach one or more folders to a non-Document-type BP, the files within
the folders will be attached, but the folder structures will be flattened.
You cannot attach multiple files with the same name to the same
folder. If you select multiple files and there are two or more with the
same name, none of those files will be attached. After the form is
created, you can attach the correct files using the Add Attachment
button.
You cannot attach shortcuts or empty documents for launching a new
BP. If you select a folder containing empty documents or shortcuts,
these will be ignored.
The BP list that you see in the drop-down list is the list of all available
active business processes in the project or shell. Once you select a
BP, a permission check will be run. You must have at least create
permission on that BP to launch a BP from the Document Manager.
Note: Unifier will not display the Select Workflow window if this is a
non-workflow process, or there is only one workflow schema you can
choose for this business process.
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Note: You may receive alert messages. For example, if you are trying to
attach folders to a non-Document-type BP (the documents will attach, but
the folders will be flattened), or if a selected file cannot be attached. Read
any alert message carefully. Click OK to close the window.
4) You can add additional documents to the business process record as you normally would. See
Attach files to business process forms (on page 215) for more information.
5) Complete the business process form and send as usual. The attached documents are linked
to the business process record.
View linked business process records
If a document in project or shell Documents or Company Documents has been attached to one or
more business process records, an icon will appear in the BP column next to the document in the
log. You can view the records to which the document is attached as long as you have view
permissions for that BP.
Index Reports
The index report utilizes the Primavera Unifier user-defined report engine. It lists content
(documents, subfolders, shortcuts) within a selected folder, properties, and phase (contents may
be associated with more than one phase). The index report can be generated in HTML, PDF, or
CSV format.
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Unpublished Documents
The Unpublished Documents node is an automatic repository for files that have been attached to
business processes and which have not yet been published in project or shell Documents or
Company Documents. That is, when a user uploads a file from a local machine and attaches it to a
business process, the document is automatically stored in the Unpublished Documents log as
soon as the business process is sent. The link to the business process is also listed in the log.
The link to the BP allows the BP record to be reviewed, allowing the administrator to review where
the document originated from. This provides a means to control the documents that are accessible
in the Document Manager. For example, a subcontractor submits a Request for Information (RFI)
with attached documents requesting input from the architect. These attached documents can be
traced back to the original BP through the link, and the documents become available in the
unpublished area of the Document Manager. The administrator can then review the documents
and make the decision to publish them into the project or shell or Company Documents node and
where to store them, or not to publish them at all.
Note the following:
This process applies only to business processes that support form attachments.
Text-type BPs, such as action items or RFIs, are excluded. This is because text-type BPs, by
design, can have file attachments only in comments, not to the form itself.
Files cannot be directly uploaded to or deleted from the Unpublished Documents folder.
Permissions for unpublished documents are at the node-level only. You can either see all the
documents or you cannot see any. There are no document-level permissions. Folder-level
permissions are not applicable, as there are no folders in Unpublished Documents.
Drawing files are handled with the base file listed and the associated reference files bundled
with it, similar to a zip file.
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If a document is linked to more than one record, each instance will be listed in the log, each with a
link to the corresponding business process.
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The publication path displays in the Publish Path data element on the business process form.
If the path is shown as /, the documents will publish to the Documents folder. Usually, when the
/ to shows in the Publish Path field, this indicates that you have no values in the fields for the
data elements configured as the publication path. Be sure that you have values in the fields
that are part of the publication path.
If a business process has a publication path configured on the upper form, and another on a
line item, and the path on the line item is invalid, the attachment will be published to the path
designated on the upper form. If the paths on the line item and the upper form are both invalid,
the attachment is published to the Unpublished Documents folder. The exception is that in a
non-workflow business process, if the publication path configured on the line item is invalid,
the attached document is not published in any folder.
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Search by Content: This allows you to search for a document by specific content or keywords
within the document. This option works on most file types other than drawing files. You can
search by single word or exact phrase in quotes ("training document").
The supported file types for content search are listed below:
doc, pdf, txt, xls, htm, rtf, html, csv, xml, xsd, java, c, cpp, vm, bat, bak, css, log, sql, ncs, sh,
properties, vpp, wtx, xhtml, xslt, ppt, mpp, vsd
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4) To close the Search fields, click the X in the upper right corner.
Note: The user who publishes the document becomes the owner. In the
project or shell Documents or Company Documents node, select the
document and click Permissions to grant the proper permissions to the
team members who need it. You may want to click Properties to review
properties and update if necessary.
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With this data, you can forecast costs over a specific time period (called a "period structure"). You
can then manipulate scenarios by:
Including or excluding projects
Pushing start dates for planned projects into the future
Modifying project end dates to change the project’s duration
Proposing different cash flow distribution numbers by manually editing the cash flow
columns
Negotiating proposed budgets with project managers
Once these scenario analyses have been completed, the best (or several best) scenario(s) can be
sent to the executive decision makers for approval.
Once a scenario has been approved, Unifier:
Marks the approved scenario "shared" so that project managers can see the approved
dates and numbers. The scenario is set to read-only mode and can no longer be modified
or deleted.
Updates each projects’ original budget numbers with the proposed numbers on the
approved scenario.
Updates each projects’ monthly or yearly cash flow numbers with the proposed numbers
on the approved scenario.
Updates the project start date (if it was changed) for any planned projects that will begin
during the portfolio’s planning period.
Locks the budget and cash flow numbers to prevent any further changes.
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For example, an approved budget for the year 2015 might include a planned project for road
construction that is scheduled to begin in 2017 with a budget of $100,000. The approved budget
for the year 2016 will continue to include the planned road construction budget, with an addition of
$15,000 to the forecasted budget. In the year 2017, the road construction project goes into
execution, and the approved budget is $115,000. This figure becomes the original budget for the
road construction project. From then on, as budget forecasting continues, the approved budget for
the road construction will be the original budget, plus any changes that occur to the numbers
during the life of that project.
To view portfolios
1) In User Mode, open the shell where the Portfolio Manager resides.
2) In the Navigator, click Portfolio Manager. Unifier expands the navigator to show the portfolio
types currently loaded into Unifier.
3) In the Navigator, click the portfolio type that contains the portfolio you want to view. Unifier
displays the portfolios for this type in the right pane.
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To open a portfolio
1) In User Mode, open the shell where the Portfolio Manager resides.
2) In the Navigator, click Portfolio Manager. Unifier expands the navigator to show the portfolio
types currently loaded into Unifier.
3) In the Navigator, click the portfolio type that contains the portfolio you want to open. Unifier
displays the portfolios for this type in the right pane.
4) Double-click the name of the portfolio you want to open.
5) Unifier opens the portfolio to either:
The scenario that has been marked for sharing
The most recently updated scenario
To create a portfolio
1) Open the shell where the Portfolio Manager resides and click PortfolioManager in the left
Navigator. Unifier expands the navigator to show the portfolio types that reside in the shell.
2) In the Navigator, select the portfolio type under which you want to create a new portfolio.
3) In the right pane, click New > Portfolio. The Portfolio form opens.
4) Complete the form fields on the General tab. The form fields will vary, depending on the
design of the form for this portfolio type; however, there are three mandatory fields on the form.
Fill them in using the first table below.
5) Click the Options tab.
The Options tab is where you specify the format you want to see for the numeric values on the
scenario sheet. Use the information in the second table below.
6) Click OK.
Unifier displays the portfolio name in the right pane and automatically creates an initial
scenario sheet called Scenario 1. On this sheet, Unifier displays the projects that:
Are included in the scenario, if the projects are configured to be automatically added
Can be included on the scenario, if the project are configured to be manually added.
The project records for the scenario sheet are extracted from the database using a query that
your Administrator created when the portfolio was configured. Whenever you open a portfolio,
Unifier re-runs the query and adds or removes projects from the scenario depending on
whether or not the project matches the query criteria. For example, a project that was
previously on the sheet may be dropped from the sheet if it no longer meets the query criteria.
Another project may be added to the sheet because it now meets the query criteria.
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Period Picker Select the year for which you want to analyze the data in this scenario.
Creation Date This field shows the current date.
Note: The combination of the portfolio name and the planning period must
be unique.
5) If necessary, you can change the numeric format on the Options tab.
6) Click OK.
Unifier displays the portfolio name in the right pane and automatically creates an initial
scenario sheet called Scenario 1. This scenario sheet will contain all the projects that were
present in the portfolio you copied. These projects will show the data that was current for each
project at the time the portfolio was copied, based on the matching monthly and yearly cash
flow columns. For the new scenarios, Unifier will calculate the new totals and then calculate the
variances to show the differences.
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Note: If the original portfolio contained monthly numbers, and the new
portfolio contains only a year column, the monthly numbers will be
consolidated for the year. Conversely, if a year column is being copied
into a portfolio with monthly columns, the number will be divided into
monthly columns.
Find a Portfolio
For information on searching for a portfolio, see the instructions under Using Find Feature in
Unifier (on page 73)
Sort a Portfolio
You can sort the portfolio log by portfolio name into ascending or descending alphanumeric order.
To do so, click the triangle icon on the right side of the Portfolio Name column.
Delete a Portfolio
1) Open the Portfolio Manager log.
2) Select the portfolio(s) you want to delete.
3) On the toolbar, click the Delete button.
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Note: The numbers you propose in a scenario will NOT affect a project’s
live data. Your proposed numbers are stored only in the Portfolio Manager
and will not affect live project data until a scenario has been approved by
your company management.
During this analysis, you will likely be in touch with project managers to negotiate these numbers
and dates until you reach agreement.
Project managers will not see the changes you make on the scenario sheet. Instead, the project
managers must create a "shared" type of portfolio budget curve. This curve shows your proposed
numbers for the project. The project manager can include this curve on the cost worksheet, along
with the forecast budget, or any other budget curve, in order to see the difference between the
project’s numbers and your proposed budget numbers.
In order for them to see the curve, you must share the scenario (see Share a Scenario (on page
610)).
For information about the portfolio budget curve, see Creating Cash Flow Detail Curves in Projects
and Shells.
Once you have completed a budget forecast analysis using these scenarios, you can send the
best (or several best) scenario(s) to the executive decision makers for approval by "sharing" the
scenario.
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If an unlinked project shows a discrepancy between the actual project data and the data you
entered on the sheet, Unifier will display the numbers in italics and flag the actual cell data that
differs with a dark bar.
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To add a project
1) Select the project in the candidate list at the bottom of the window.
To select multiple projects, hold down the CTRL key on your keyboard and click on the
projects. To select all the projects, highlight the first project, then hold down the SHIFT key and
select the last project.
2) Click the Add arrow. Unifier adds the project(s) to the scenario and recalculates the numbers.
If the scenario sheet has been sorted, the project(s) will be added to the scenario
according to the sort specification.
If the scenario sheet has been grouped, the project(s) will be added to the correct
group on the scenario according to the grouping specification. Unifier will
recalculate sub-totals and group counts.
If the scenario sheet has been filtered and sorted, the project(s) will be inserted at
the top of the list. Unifier will not re-filter or re-sort the data.
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To remove a project
1) Select the project in the scenario.
To select multiple projects, hold down the CTRL key on your keyboard and click on the
projects. To select all the projects, highlight the first project, then hold down the SHIFT key and
select the last project.
2) Click the Remove arrow. Unifier removes the project(s) from the scenario and recalculates the
numbers.
When you edit any of these numbers, Unifier dynamically updates totals and calculates the
differences between target numbers and those totals; however, it does NOT change a project’s
live data. Your proposed numbers are stored only in the Portfolio Manager and will not affect live
project data until a scenario has been approved by your company management.
Note: When you edit numbers in any project row, Unifier automatically
unlinks that project row from the project data.
Note: If any yearly projections have been broken down into months, you
must make your edits in the month cells, not the yearly total.
Note: To leave a cell without saving your changes, press the ESC key on
your keyboard. Unifier restores the original numbers to the cell.
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If you move a start date forward by three months, Unifier will move all the cash flow amounts
(excluding the pre-actuals column) right by three months and display a zero dollar amount in
the first three month columns. The cash flow amounts will continue to move forward in time,
replacing the values of the next three months with the values of the past three months. If the
cash flows through multiple years, the total for the next year will increase by the three months’
amount, and the monthly cash flow for the last three months of the previous year will replace
the new year’s first three months. The rest of the new year’s monthly values will move forward
three columns.
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After change:
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Unifier updates the information in this column, and flags the cell to indicate that there is a
discrepancy between the data you entered and the project's data.
Note: To leave a cell without saving your changes, press the ESC key on
your keyboard. Unifier restores the original numbers to the cell.
To hide a column
1) Click the arrow beside the column name and choose Columns.
2) On the list that appears, select the check box beside the columns you want to hide. Unifier
removes those columns from view.
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Choose On to specify a specific date. Click the date on the calendar that appears. Unifier
displays all the projects with a date value that matches the date you specified on the
calendar.
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Once you have grouped the data, you can further refine the view by sorting and filtering the
data within each group.
3) If you want to maintain the data in this grouping, click the Save icon. Whenever you open the
sheet, it will display the data in this grouping.
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To ungroup data
1) Click the down arrow beside the column heading.
2) Select Clear Grouping.
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Copy a Scenario
1) At the bottom of the scenario sheet window, select the tab containing the scenario you want to
copy.
2) Click the manage scenarios icon and choose Duplicate Selected Tab.
3) Click Save.
Unifier copies the scenario into a new tab, which you can rename. All the projects in the
original scenario will be copied to the new scenario, including their linked or unlinked state, and
current column widths, targets, sorting, etc. For the new scenario, Unifier will calculate the new
totals and then calculate the variance to show the difference.
Share a Scenario
Sharing a scenario makes the budget numbers you propose available to project managers for
viewing. Project managers will not see the changes you make on the scenario sheet itself. Instead,
the project managers will use a read-only portfolio budget curve in their Cost Manager Cash Flow
node to view both their original budget curve and a parallel scenario curve that shows the
differences between their initial forecast projections and your proposed numbers.
In order for project managers to see the portfolio budge curve, you must share the scenario. For
information about the portfolio budget curve, see Creating Cash Flow Detail Curves in Projects
and Shells.
You must have "full access" permission to share a scenario. You can share only one scenario at a
time.
To share a scenario
1) At the bottom of the scenario sheet window, select the tab containing the scenario you want to
share.
2) Click the manage scenarios icon and choose Share Selected Tab.
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Unifier visually marks the scenario tab with a "shared" icon and makes the scenario numbers
visible on the portfolio budget cash flow curve for the project manager to see.
Delete a Scenario
1) At the bottom of the scenario sheet window, select the tab containing the scenario you want to
delete.
2) Click the manage scenarios icon and choose Delete Selected Tab.
Approve a Scenario
After management has approved a scenario for the portfolio, you can mark the scenario as
"approved." You must have "full access" permission to approve a scenario.
Once you approve a scenario, Unifier:
Marks the approved scenario "shared" so that project managers can see the approved dates
and numbers. The scenario is set to read-only mode and can no longer be modified or deleted.
Updates each projects’ original budget numbers with the proposed numbers on the approved
scenario.
Updates each projects’ monthly or yearly cash flow numbers with the proposed numbers on
the approved scenario.
Updates the project start date (if it was changed) for any planned projects that will begin during
the portfolio’s planning period.
Updates the project/shell data with any project/shell information that was changed on the
scenario sheet, and sends you an email notification of the updates
Locks the budget and cash flow numbers to prevent any further changes.
To approve a scenario
1) At the bottom of the scenario sheet window, select the tab containing the scenario you want to
approve.
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2) Click the Manage Scenarios icon and choose Approve Selected Tab.
To "un-approve" a scenario
1) At the bottom of the scenario sheet window, select the tab containing the scenario you want to
un-approve.
2) Click the manage scenarios icon and choose Un-Approve Selected Tab.
The Portfolio Manager deletes the approval icon from the tab, but does not delete the shared
icon. If you want to stop sharing the scenario as well, you must click the manage scenarios
icon and choose Unshare Selected Tab.
3) Click Save All.
To export scenarios
Click the Export button at the top of the window. The Portfolio Manager will export all of your
scenario sheets to Excel.
You will see a prompt at the bottom of the window, asking you to open or save the Excel sheets.
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When you open the Excel sheet, it displays the data from each scenario sheet, arrayed in tabs and
columns identical to the Portfolio Manager scenarios. The Excel sheet will include any formulas
that were created in the Portfolio Manager for calculating values. The Excel sheet also honors the
frozen columns, as well as the scrolling ability so that you can scroll through the cash flow
columns.
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(For a Planning Manager at the company level) Go to the Company Workspace tab and
click Planning Manager in the left Navigator.
(For a Planning Manager at the project/shell level) Open the shell or sub-shell where the
Planning Manager resides. In the Navigator, click Planning Manager.
Unifier expands the navigator to show the planning types and their corresponding items and
sheets.
2) To view:
Planning items, choose a <planning type> - Items
Planning sheets, choose a <planning type> - Sheets
Unifier displays the items or sheets in the right pane.
Note: If an advanced log has been designed for the Planning Manager,
the log will display a tree structure with a middle column that narrows the
navigation to help you locate and select the correct item or sheet.
3) To open the item or sheet, double-click the name of it in the right pane.
Note: If you do not have permissions to view any of the planning item
types listed under the Master Logs node, then you will not see the Master
Logs node listed under the Home tab.
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Note: If the planning item form has a Project or Shell Picker, you can use
it to link the planning item directly to a project/shell. Business processes in
the project or shell with fields that match those on the planning item form
will roll up values to the Planning Sheet.
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Update Planning Items: Select this checkbox if you want planning sheet users to be able
to manually edit planned item data. This helps prevent conflicting data from multiple
planning items. This box can be checked on only one sheet per planning type. When you
select this box, the sheet is moved to the top of the log and displayed in bold font, thereby
acting as a master planning sheet.
6) Click OK. The planning sheet opens. The columns are those defined in the default structure.
You can add additional columns as needed. Rows correspond to planning items. See Add
and manage planning sheet rows (on page 619).
Columns displayed initially are based on the planning sheet default structure defined in
Administration Mode (Configuration node).
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Once the Refresh button is clicked, the Last Update column (if the log window was designed to
show this column) will display In Progress to indicate that the planning sheet is getting
refreshed. When the refresh is complete, the Last Update column will show the date on which
the sheet was updated. Do not open the sheet while refresh is in progress.
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Changes to the detail form in a BP can result in changes to the upper form and detail form of
another BP.
Changes to the upper form or detail form of a BP can result in changes in the Asset, Resource,
or Planning Manager forms.
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When a BI Publisher print template is selected in the "Select a custom print template" section,
the template and format are populated based on the default value selected at the time of
designing the print template.
Sheet Description
Allocations Master allocation sheet that shows role allocations at the company
Summary and project/shell level in both hourly and currency views. Read-only.
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View roles
Roles are defined and maintained in Administration Mode at the company level. At the company
level, you can view role details, which includes resources and rates.
View resources
Resources are defined and maintained in Administration Mode at the company level. You can
view resources that are hard-booked for a project or across multiple projects.
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2) Select a resource and click Open. The Resource Properties window opens. The window has
five tabs:
Resource Code: Automatically generated, manually entered, based on the
configuration.
Resource Name: This is the name of the resource.
Description: Description of the resource.
Resource Capacity (Hrs): Default value is 8. This defines the number of hours a
person can work in a day.
Sunday (Hrs.).....Saturday (Hrs.): Depending on the design of the Resource
Attribute form, these fields may or may not appear on the General tab. If they do,
they will show the number of hours the resource can work on each of these days.
Unifier will use these values to calculate the resource’s Capacity per week.
General: This tab may vary greatly with the design of the resource attribute form you
imported. Fields may include:
Roles: Displays any roles that have been associated with the resource.
Skills: Displays any skills associated with the resource.
Calendar: The calendar displays bookings, vacation days, etc. for the resource.
Projects: Displays the projects in which the resource is booked and booking specifics.
General Tab
This tab may vary according to the design of the resource attribute form. Fields may include:
Resource Code: Automatically generated, manually entered, based on the configuration.
Resource Name: Edit your name, if necessary.
Description: Edit your description.
Resource Status: Edit your status. The default is active.
Capacity per week (Hrs): Edit the number of hours you can work in a day. Default value is 8.
Sunday (Hrs.).....Saturday (Hrs.): These fields may or may not appear. If they do, you can edit
the number of hours you can work on each of these days. Unifier will use these values to calculate
your Capacity per week.
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Roles Tab
To add a role to your profile:
a) Click Add.
b) Select a role from the Role picker and click Open.
Unifier adds the role to your profile.
To remove a role from your profile, select the role and click Remove.
Skills Tab
To add a skill to your profile:
a) Click Add.
b) Select the skill from the drop-down list.
c) Specify your proficiency in this skill.
d) Specify your interest in this skill.
To remove a skill from your profile, select the skill and click Remove.
Calendar Tab
You can view and manage booking dates as well as unavailable dates (non-project time, such as
vacation days). The calendar shows both your soft and hard bookings.
Projects/Shells Tab
The Projects/Shells tab is read-only. You cannot edit the information on this tab.
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Allocations Summary Sheet: This is the master allocation sheet, which shows role
allocations entered at the company and project level. This is a read-only sheet.
Resource Allocation Sheet: The company-level resource allocation sheet allows role
allocations against projects from the company level. The project-level resource allocation
sheet allows role allocations for the project.
Booking Summary Sheet: The booking summary sheet shows resource bookings for a
project or across projects in the company. This sheet can be populated by the Resource
Booking business process, or by resources directly added to the sheet.
Actuals Summary Sheet: The actuals summary sheet is a read-only sheet that shows
resource actuals (time sheet data) for a project or across projects in the company. This sheet
is populated by the Timesheet business process.
Utilization Summary Sheet: The utilization summary sheet is a read-only sheet that shows
total utilization of resources for a project or across projects.
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Month: The column header will show the actual date of the start of the month from the
company calendar.
In the upper right corner of each sheet is a time line slider:
Start of the time line: The earliest date that can be displayed on the time line will be the
minimum of the default start date specified in the Resource Manager configuration and the
earliest transaction date.
End of the time line: The latest date displayed on the time line will be the maximum of the
default date specified in the Resource Manager configuration and the latest transaction
date.
To quickly scroll through the date columns, you can click the slider in the top right corner of
the sheet and slide it to the time period you wish to view.
Default view: By default, when the sheet is opened, the time line will always center on the
current period (day, week, month). Scroll left or right to see other periods.
Note: If the sheet is currently being edited, you will not be able to change
the Display By field or the time line slider. To change the sheet display,
first save any edits by clicking the Save button.
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Column Description
Allocations are shown for each role against one or more projects.
The combination of role and project is always unique. The Role
Role Name
Name column is sorted alphabetically. Clicking on the role name will
open the Role properties window in view-only mode.
The project number is shown hyperlinked. Clicking on the Project
Project Number Number will open the corresponding project allocation summary
sheet. This is shown in the company-level sheet only.
Project Name The name of the project. This is in the company-level sheet only.
Date From Displays the earliest date that has a non-zero allocation for the role.
Date To Displays the latest date that has a non-zero allocation for the role.
Displays the sum of hours allocated to the role. This field is displayed
Total Hours
only in hours view.
Displays the total amount allocated to the role. This field is displayed
Total Cost
only in cost view.
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Column Description
Allocations are shown for each role against one or more
projects. The combination of role and project is always unique.
Role Name The Role Name column is sorted alphabetically. Clicking on the
role name will open the Role properties window in view-only
mode.
The project number of the allocation. This is displayed in the
Project Number
company-level sheet only.
The name of the project. This is displayed in the company-level
Project Name
sheet only.
Displays the earliest date that has a non-zero allocation for the
Date From
role.
Displays the latest date that has a non-zero allocation for the
Date To
role.
Displays the sum of hours allocated to the role, This field is
Total Hours
displayed only in hours view.
To allocate a resource
1) Open the Resource Allocation sheet.
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2) Click the Add button. The Resource Allocation window opens (see below.)
Note: If the sheet is currently being edited, you will not be able to change
the Display By field or the time line slider. To change the sheet display,
first save any edits by clicking the Save button.
To delete an allocation
Select a row and click Delete.
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Hardbooked resources are labor resources that are firmly committed to a project and not
available for other work.
Non-hardbooked resources can include things like labor, equipment, or materials
Non-hardbooked resource leverage roles and are added to a project through the Resource
Assignment form in the schedule sheet activity attribute form. See Resources tab of the
Activity properties (on page 671)
Resource booking rows can be added to the sheet using the Resource Booking business
process, or you can manually add them directly to the sheet. You can also modify data manually
on the sheet. Data is rolled up from the project/shell Resource Booking Summary sheet. You
can also view rates for each resource booking.
Column Description
Allocations are shown for each role. The role is always unique.
The Role Name column is sorted alphabetically. The role name is
Role Name
hyperlinked. Clicking on the role name will open the Role
properties window in view-only mode.
Bookings are shown for each resource against a role allocation.
Resources are sorted alphabetically within a role. The resource
Resource Name
name is hyperlinked. Clicking on the resource name will open the
Resource properties window in view-only mode.
Displays the project name for the booking row. The project name
Project Name is hyperlinked and will open the project-level booking sheet. This
column is displayed in the company-level sheet only.
This column only appears on the company-level Booking
Non-Project Time Summary. Displays a resource’s time that has been charged
against non-project hours, such as PTO or vacation.
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Date From Earliest date that a non-zero booking exists for the resource.
Date To Latest date that a non-zero booking exists for the resource.
Total Hours Total hours (shown in the hours view only).
Total Cost Total cost in base currency (shown in the cost view only).
Average resource rate per hour in company currency (shown in
Average Rate
the cost view only).
Field Description
Resource Code The resource code assigned to the resource.
Resource Name The resource name.
Role Name The role name assigned to the resource.
Project Name The name of the project associated with the resource.
The current time based on the timescale represented in the
Booked Week
Booking Summary Sheet.
The total hours booked through the Resource Booking business
process transactions combined with manual booking transactions.
Total Booked Hrs.
All transactions are listed under Booking Transactions on the
lower part of the Cell Details window.
Booking The total hours booked through the Resource Booking business
Transactions process.
Manual Booking Hrs. The total hours booked through manual booking changes.
Average Rate (per This can be the Role rate, or the rate specified when the booking
Hour) was added.
Cost The total of the rate multiplied by the hours.
Currency The Company or project currency.
The various transactions that affect the booking hours. These
transactions can occur through manual changes to the booking, or
through the Resource Booking business process. Booking
Booking
transactions that occur through the manual changes are specified
Transactions
as Manual Entry; transactions that occur through the Resource
Booking business process are designated with the title of the
business process.
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1) In the company-level or project-level Resource Sheets log, select Booking Summary Sheet
and click Open.
2) Click Edit to enter Edit Mode.
Note: If you are in these modes: Mode > Currency Amount, Group By >
Role, or Group By > Resource, you must choose the Mode > Hours to be
able to access Edit Mode.
3) Increase or decrease the booking hours on the sheet as needed. You can select a row and
click Clear to clear any row of values, and then enter new values.
All cells that contain hours values on the Booking Summary Sheet are editable. Hyperlinks to
the Cell Details are not displayed in Edit Mode. You can edit hours in any display mode (Day,
Week, Month). You can increase or decrease hours to any value greater than or equal to zero
(0). Hours cannot exceed 24 hours for any day.
4) Click Save, or click View to return to View Mode without saving the changes. The cost or hours
values are then displayed as hyperlinks. You can click these hyperlinks to view the Cell Details
for the values.
All values that you change directly in the Booking Summary Sheet are reflected in the Cell
Details for the resource booking. Each change to the resource bookings is listed in the Booking
Transactions list, whether the change was made through the Resource Booking business
process, or was made directly on the Booking Summary Sheet.
Note: The resource bookings that you add directly into the sheet have not
been through the approval process inherent in the Resource Booking
business process. Keep this in mind when you are using this method to
add bookings to the sheet.
You must have Modify permission to be able add a resource booking to the Booking Summary
Sheet.
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1) In the company-level or project-level Resource Sheets log, select Booking Summary Sheet
and click Open.
2) Click Add to enter Edit Mode. The Resource Booking window opens.Complete the form using
the table below these directions as a reference.
Note: If you are in these modes: Mode > Currency Amount, Group By >
Role, or Group By > Resource, you must choose the Mode > Hours to be
able to access Edit Mode.
3) Click OK.
A new row is created in the Booking Summary Sheet. Enter values in the new row as needed.
If the booking type is non-project time, Unifier will create a new row and populate the
Non-Project time column with the type of time, such as "PTO" or "vacation," or "administration."
All values for the row will be zero, which you can change manually where necessary.
4) Click Save, or click View to return to View Mode without saving the changes. The hours values
are then displayed as hyperlinks. You can click these hyperlinks to view the Cell Detail values.
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Column Description
This sheet displays hour and cost information for each resource that
Resource Name
has submitted time sheet business processes.
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Unifier uses the values on the time sheet business process you specified to calculate the data
on the Booking vs. Actuals summary.
The sheet shows all booked resources, along with their roles and the projects/shells they are
booked in. It shows both the booked hours and the actual hours the resources worked on the
project/shell. The sheet does not show non-project hours.
To see details
To see a resource’s booking details, click the hyperlinked hours in the Booked column. Unifier
opens a Cell Detail window showing the booking details for the resource. To see details on a
resource’s actual hours worked, click the hyperlinked hours in the Actuals column. Unifier opens
a Cell Detail window showing the actuals for the resource.
Project level
The sheet displays utilization of resources as a percentage at the project level and is shown for
each resource-role combination.
Utilization% = (Total Assigned Hours / Hard-booked Hours) *100
Rolling over the cell value shows a break up of hard-booked hours and assigned hours.
Utilization over 100% (over-utilization) is displayed in red.
This sheet cannot be opened unless the Schedule Manager is loaded or a master schedule sheet
is created.
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Company level
The information is displayed across projects.
Column Description
Resource Name Displays resources by name.
Role Displays the role, per resource.
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Resource
The code assigned to the resource
Code
Resource
The name of the resource.
Name
Period The period of availability being displayed. (This reflects what the Display By
Type choice was.)
The time the data on this window covers (day, week ending date, month
Period
ending date).
Capacity The hours the resource is available during the period.
Booked
The number of hours the resource is booked during this period.
Hours
Available The number of available hours the resource has left for booking during this
Hours period.
The booking transactions that are reflected in the data in this window.
Project/Shell No. shows the number of the project/shell for which the
resource is booked.
Transactio Record Number shows the number of the business process record (unless
ns the entry was manual).
Title shows the title of the business process. This column will show "Manual
Entry" for any hours that were manually entered on the sheet.
From Date shows the beginning date of the resource’s period of availability.
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The left pane of the sheet displays default columns, which depend on the sheet. For example,
resource name, role name, etc.
The right pane displays the time line columns. Depending upon the display (day, week,
month), the time line will show a column for each period with the actual allocation in hours
(hours view) or in currency (cost view).
To change the timescale, click the Display by field at the top of the sheet and choose one of
the following:
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Day: The column header will show the actual date of the allocation.
Week: The column header will show the actual date of the start of the week (Monday) from
the company calendar.
Month: The column header will show the actual date of the start of the month from the
company calendar.
In the upper right corner of each sheet is a time line slider:
To quickly scroll through the date columns, you can click the slider in the top right corner of
the sheet and slide it to the time period you wish to view.
Start of the time line: The earliest date that can be displayed on the time line will be the
minimum of the default start date specified in the Resource Manager configuration and the
earliest transaction date.
End of the time line: The latest date displayed on the time line will be the maximum of the
default date specified in the Resource Manager configuration and the latest transaction
date.
Default view: By default, when the sheet is opened, the time line will always center on the
current period (day, week, month). Scroll left or right to see other periods.
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To edit a filter
1) Open the sheet.
2) From the View menu, choose Filters. The Setup Filters window opens, showing a list of the
filters that have been created for the sheet.
3) Select the filter you want to edit and click Edit.
To view a snapshot
1) From the sheet, click the File menu and choose Open Snapshot.
2) Select a snapshot from the log and click Open.
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You can configure the dashboard to display charts in two-column layout. Configuring the
Resource Dashboard is similar to setting up the project or company summary, except that the
available charts are system-based and not based on user-defined reports.
You can choose to display system-defined charts in resource management key performance
areas.
These charts are used to display the existing demand (allocation) versus available capacity in the
company. You can use these reports to verify that sufficient manpower is available in the company
to satisfy this demand. The supply (or capacity) in this case is unconstrained and unnetted. This
means that the capacity does not consider existing bookings (soft or hard).
Calculating values on the demand vs. supply charts:
Allocation % = Total Allocation / Total Capacity * 100
Allocation is obtained from the company allocation summary sheet for the specified range of
dates. Total capacity will add capacity hours of all resources at the company level that can play the
role (not limited to default roles) for the range of dates. Allocation cost is obtained from the
company allocation summary sheet. The charts include active roles and active resources only.
Capacity is based on the company calendar (working days only).
Actuals charts
These charts:
Show actuals by role and corresponding bookings against the role. Non-project time can
be included on the charts.
Highlight issues with costs going over budget.
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Booking charts
These charts are used to plot resource booking (soft and hard) against demand (allocation) and
capacity:
Show allocations by role and corresponding bookings against the role.
Highlight issues with underbooking or overbooking.
Show hard- and soft-booking. Non-project time can also be shown.
Successful satisfaction of resource demand via resource commitments (booking).
Utilization charts
These charts:
Show utilization of resources against budgeted project work.
Resource Manager can see that all resources are adequately occupied with billable project
work. Administrative work at the company level does not count.
Calculating values on the utilization charts (company level):
Utilization % obtained from the company utilization summary sheet for the specified range
of dates.
Booking is obtained from the company booking summary sheet.
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Assigned hours is obtained by adding assigned hours on project schedule sheets across
all projects.
Utilization % = (Total Assigned Hours / Hard-booked Hours) * 100 (shows two decimal
places).
Calculating values on the utilization charts (project level):
Utilization % obtained from the project utilization summary sheet for the specified range of
dates.
Booking is obtained from the project booking summary sheet.
Assigned hours is obtained by adding assigned hours from the project schedule sheets.
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Allocation is obtained from the company allocation summary sheet for the specified range of
dates. Total capacity will add capacity hours of all resources at the company level that can play the
role (not limited to default roles) for the range of dates. Allocation cost is obtained from the
company allocation summary sheet. The charts include active roles and active resources only.
Capacity is based on the company calendar (working days only).
Actuals charts
These charts:
Show actuals by role and corresponding bookings against the role. Non-project time can be
included on the charts.
Highlight issues with costs going over budget.
Calculations on actuals charts (company level):
Data obtained from the company-level summary sheets based on the current configuration of
the time sheet e sheet.
Booking used is hard-booking.
Booking is obtained from company booking summary sheet.
Calculations on actuals charts (project level):
Data obtained from the project-level summary sheet based on the current configuration of the
time sheet BP on the sheet.
Booking used is hard-booking.
Booking is obtained from the project booking summary sheet.
Booking charts
These charts are used to plot resource booking (soft and hard) against demand (allocation) and
capacity:
Show allocations by role and corresponding bookings against the role.
Highlight issues with underbooking or overbooking.
Show hard- and soft-booking. Non-project time can also be shown.
Successful satisfaction of resource demand via resource commitments (booking).
Calculations on the booking charts (company level):
Booking obtained from company booking summary sheet for the specified range of dates.
Allocation obtained from the company allocation summary sheet for the specified range of
dates.
Overbooking % = [(Total Booking – Capacity)/Capacity] * 100 (0% if negative).
Total capacity will add capacity hours of all resources at the company level that can play
the role (not limited to default roles).
Booking cost is obtained from the company allocation summary sheet.
Total Booking = Soft + Hard booking.
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Allocation obtained from the project allocation summary sheet for the specified range of
dates.
Booking cost is obtained from the project allocation summary sheet.
Capacity, Overbooking and Unmatched Supply column to show only at company level.
Total Booking = Soft + Hard booking.
Utilization charts
These charts:
Show utilization of resources against budgeted project work.
Resource Manager can see that all resources are adequately occupied with billable project
work. Administrative work at the company level does not count.
Calculating values on the utilization charts (company level):
Utilization % obtained from the company utilization summary sheet for the specified range
of dates.
Booking is obtained from the company booking summary sheet.
Assigned hours is obtained by adding assigned hours on project schedule sheets across
all projects.
Utilization % = (Total Assigned Hours / Hard-booked Hours) * 100 (shows two decimal
places).
Calculating values on the utilization charts (project level):
Utilization % obtained from the project utilization summary sheet for the specified range of
dates.
Booking is obtained from the project booking summary sheet.
Assigned hours is obtained by adding assigned hours from the project schedule sheets.
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Notes:
The Resource Booking business process is used only to add
bookings, not to modify existing bookings.
The Resource Booking business process is not available in generic
shells. However, you can book resources via manual entry on the
Resource Booking Sheet.
When a record reaches a defined terminal status, the resource is
hard-booked.
While the record is in a non-terminal status, the resource is considered
soft-booked.
Resource Manager configuration determines if overbooking is
allowed.
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Integration of Schedule Manager with the Resource Manager, enabling resource loading of
schedule activities
Multiple WBS codes for each activity to capture activity costs, such as labor, non-labor, and
fixed costs. If designed in uDesigner, you can add a column to the schedule sheet to display
the WBS codes associated with each activity.
View the cost distribution information by WBS codes from a schedule sheet
Cut and paste and copy and paste of rows in a sheet
Update of schedule sheets from linked templates
Critical path calculation and display
Streamlined and enhanced integration and interaction between Unifier Schedule Manager,
Primavera, and Microsoft® Project
Activity progress tracking and percentage of work completed per assigned resource
Works with shells that have the WBS cost type
Scope Management, with the ability to launch business processes from activities and
automate schedule management.
Budget and progress settings, and the ability to work with progress and earned progress data
Also see the Internationalization and CSV Files section for language (Internationalization)
details.
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You can have any number of schedule sheets in a project or shell. You can designate one sheet
as a master schedule sheet, which appears in bold in the log. The master schedule sheet drives
the activity start and finish dates, and allows you to assign resources to activities. You can use it to
track progress and resource assignment information to other modules in Unifier.
Note: You may want to set up the schedule sheet before selecting it as the
master sheet. Once you select the sheet as the master sheet, it cannot be
deselected.
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3) Complete the Schedule Properties tabs. See Schedule Sheet Properties General Tab (on
page 662).
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use.
Select Consider Activity Calendar.
This requires an existing calendar in Unifier with the same
name.
MPP activity calendar
If an activity calendar is not imported and considered, the
activity will use the existing calendar defined in the
schedule sheet properties.
Data mapping is not required; leave the Data Mapping
field empty. This requires a data set for the SYS Resource
Type data element.
MPP Resource assignments
Use MPP standard resource types: Work, Material, and
Cost. Upon import, Unifier will soft-book these resource
types.
Before you begin:
You must have permission to import files. See Schedule Sheet permissions (on page
659).
For CSV or XML files, your administrator must first define the data mapping.
To use the Activity Calendar from Microsoft Project, first create a calendar in Unifier with
the same name as the external calendar.
To import Resource Assignments from Microsoft Project, first add the same MPP resource
types to the SYS Resource Type data set in Unifier. We recommend using MPP standard
resource types: Work, Material, and Cost.
Master Schedule When you create a new schedule sheet in a project or shell or
project or shell template, you can select this checkbox to make
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Note: If you are selecting specific calendars for your project/shell and
schedule sheet, the Gantt chart uses the project-level or shell-level
calendar, not the calendar selected for the schedule sheet.
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You can define the display of data elements on the activity bars on the Tracking Gantt chart. You
can add up to three labels: to the left, on top, and to the right of each activity bar. The labels
correspond with the data element fields that are available on the Properties window (activity
attribute form) for each activity.
To specify that activity status auto updates based on actual start and finish dates
By default, the Activity Status controls Actual Start and Finish of an activity. If you select the Auto
update activity based on Actual Start/Finish Dates, the Actual Start date and Actual Finish date
control the Activity Status. Selecting this box, makes the Activity Status field read-only on the
Activity Properties. When this checkbox is deselected, you can change the Activity Status.
The following table describes the interactivity of the Actual Start, Actual Finish, and Activity Status
fields when the Auto update activity status based on Actual Start/Finish Dates checkbox is
selected:
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Note: You cannot select the Activity Progress requires an Actual Start
date checkbox if the activity has recorded progress. If there are any
progress entries, Unifier will not allow you to select this checkbox until a
start date is provided or the existing progress data is deleted.
To enforce dependency between Activity % Complete and Actual Finish Date for an activity
You can enforce a dependency between the Activity % Complete and the Actual Finish Date of an
activity. When you select Enforce Activity 100% Complete again Actual Finish, Unifier will require
the user to enter the percentage for Activity % Complete as 100%. Conversely, when the user
specifies that Activity % Complete is 100%, Unifier will require the user to enter a value for the
Actual Finish Date. Also, you can enforce that Activity % Complete is changed to 100% if an Actual
Finish Date is entered.
Note: If data has been entered (Activity Finish Data is entered or the
Activity % Complete is less than 100%, or vice versa), and then you
attempt to select the Enforce Activity 100% Complete against Actual
Finish checkbox, the system will prevent you from selecting the checkbox
for this option. In this case, you must clear the existing data to be able to
select the Enforce Activity 100% Complete against Actual Finish
checkbox.
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You can mark one schedule sheet in a project/shell as the master schedule sheet.
Once you save a schedule sheet as the master, there is no un-do to non-master status.
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If you perform any other actions before clicking Paste then the contents of the buffer are lost. A
subsequent paste will not result in any action. Actions that empty the buffer are:
All actions on the toolbar (Save, Add, Delete, Indent/Outdent, Gantt, Progress, Close
Window.)
All actions under the File menu
All actions under the Edit menu (Except Paste)
All actions under the View menu except Find
Clicking into any editable cell or modifying dates via Gantt or the Activity Attribute form.
Add activities
You can add activities to a schedule sheet in the Activity Properties window.
Click the topic links for information and directions on completing:
The General tab of the Activity properties (on page 670)
The WBS tab of the Activity properties (on page 671)
The Resources tab of the Activity properties (on page 671), and Role-related
Calculations (on page 674)
The Dependencies tab of the Activity properties (on page 677)
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The default order for a new row is at the end of the activities list. You can insert a row where
you want it by selecting a row on the sheet. Unifier adds the new row above the selected row.
4) From the Edit menu, or from the toolbar, click Add and select Copy Activity From. The
Schedule Manager Picker window opens.
5) Select a schedule sheet from the Schedule Sheet drop-down list, which lists all the active
schedule sheets in the current project.
6) Select an activity from that sheet and click Copy.
Non-hardbooked roles are copied into the destination schedule sheet.
The role amount is recalculated for the added activity and for any activity that has its start or
finish dates changed as a result of the addition.
7) If you want to make changes to the activity properties, click the activity to open it.
General tab
The General tab shows fields from the schedule sheet. The fields may vary depending upon how
the designer created the schedule sheet attribute form. The table below shows mandatory fields.
Activity ID The Activity ID reflects the list order of activities on the schedule sheet.
This field is automatically populated and can change if activities are
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added or removed.
The activity name reflects the activity on the schedule sheet. This is an
Activity name editable field; any changes in the attribute form will show up on the
schedule sheet.
Enter or edit the date an activity will start.
Start Date
role-related calculation
Enter or edit the date an activity will end.
Any changes to the finish date, either in Activity Properties or directly in a
Finish Date schedule sheet column, will trigger Unifier to recalculate the role amount
of the role assigned to the activity. This helps you understand the cost
impact of a schedule change.
The task duration is automatically calculated from the start and finish
Task dates. If you enter a value that is larger than the difference between the
Duration start and finish dates, then the duration is re-calculated from the start
date.
Resource tab
Here you can assign resources and roles to an activity using the Schedule Sheet Resource
Assignment form, which can be different than the one shown here. Fields can be in a different
order on the form, the form can include additional fields than this form, and the form can
dynamically change, depending on field selections.
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Before you begin, be sure your administrator defined resources and roles in the company-level
Resource Manager.
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Role-related Calculations
When you use a role data picker to assign a role to an activity, Unifier can use the role information
to calculate role costs.
Role-related calculations
Activity role rate: For the activity role rate calculation, Unifier takes into account the effective date
of the current role rate and the active currency exchange rate. Unifier recalculates the role amount
under these circumstances:
The activity role rate changes, or any other activity dates change, for example, finish date or
duration.
The role changes.
An activity is copied in the sheet.
An activity is copied from another sheet.
Activity role amount: Unifier calculates the activity role amount on a daily basis. It considers:
Value of the role rate, as of the effective date (this can differ by effective date)
Activity duration (this is the length of time the role rate was applicable before another rate
became effective)
Active currency exchange rate (this can change due to currency fluctuations)
Percentage of a role’s assignment to the activity (% Unit) (this can differ during the activity)
Unifier uses active currency exchange rates for transaction-to-project currency conversions.
Exchange rate changes will flag the schedule sheet for refresh.
Role amount recalculation: Any changes to start and finish dates, duration, predecessor activities,
constraints, available days (via the calendar), activity levels (indent or out-dent) can trigger Unifier
to recalculate the activity role amount. You can see the effect of activity role rate changes in cash
flow distribution. Unifier calculates all values on a daily basis and adds up all amounts.
Activity amount: An activity can have more than one role, each with its own costs. If the activity is
associated with at least one WBS code, Unifier tallies the role amounts for an activity, rolls up
costs to non-labor costs, and displays the sum of WBS code in cash flow.
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If you want to override the role rate, go to the next procedure to override the role rate, below. If not,
click OK to save and close the form.
The Current Effective Rate window opens, which shows the Effective Date, Standard Rate,
and Custom Rate for the role selected.
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2) In the Current Effective Rates window select the Custom Rate field and enter the new rate for
the role. You cannot change the Standard Rate from this window.
3) If you want to add another rate that will take effect at a later date, click the Add button. Unifier
adds a line to the form.
4) In the Effective Date field, specify when this rate should take effect. Dates must be unique
and fall within Start / Finish dates.
5) In the Custom Rate field, specify the rate you want for the role.
6) Click OK. Role rates recalculate upon schedule sheet refresh.
Dependencies tab
Here you can add dependencies between the current activity and other activities from the
schedule sheet. You can select another activity on the schedule sheet, determine the relationship,
(e.g. Finish to Start, Start to Finish, Start to Start, or Finish to Finish), and add a Lag.
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4) In the Lag field, enter the number of days for a gap or overlap between the selected activity
and the current activity. A positive lag indicates a gap. A negative number indicates an
overlap.
To remove a dependency
1) Select the dependency to remove.
2) Click the Remove button located on the bottom left of the window.
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5) Click OK.
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with the data element based on the data definition Sys Project
Cost Data Source. This pull-down menu lists all of the columns
defined on the Cost Sheet. The cost data is refreshed when you
or a user choose File > Refresh in a Schedule Sheet and
refresh immediately or set up a refresh frequency. The Cost
Sheet Column selector is available on schedule sheets in
projects or shells and in project or shell templates.
The Cost Sheet Column definition must be reselected in a new
schedule sheet that you create by copying a sheet or template,
or by copying a project or shell. Definition must also be
reselected if you link the schedule sheet.
This controls how data is displayed on the schedule sheet. Options
are:
Show as percentage. Data is displayed as %
Data Format Decimal places. Choose 1 to 8
Use 1000 Separator. Select checkbox to include a comma (,)
separator
Negative Number Format. Choose parentheses or minus sign
This controls the display of numeric and date column data on
summary rows.
Display: Select the checkbox to display summary data for the
column
Date Rollup: Available only for Date data types. Select Earliest
Date or Latest Date.
Earliest Date: To summarize columns that represent activity
start dates (e.g. start, planned start, actual start, etc.). The cell
on the summary activity will show the earliest date from all child
activities.
Latest Date: Tto summarize columns that represent activity
finish dates (e.g. finish, planned finish, actual finish, etc.). The
Summary cell on the summary activity will show the latest date from all
child activities.
Number Rollup: Available for numeric columns. Choose Total
(displays sum total of the rows), Average (displays average
value of the rows), or Weighted Average based on and select a
field from the Activity Attributes form. For example, you might
choose Total for currency or other numeric types; for percentage
columns, you might want to choose Average.
Weighted Average Based On: The drop-down list for this
option lists the data elements available on the Activity Attribute
form. Only data elements of the type Numeric are available for
selection. Selecting this option and a data element allows Unifier
to calculate the weighted average of summary rows. For
example:
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Choose to Show or Hide the column from user view. Users with
Display Mode
Create permissions can see hidden column in the Columns Log.
Column Position
The new column will be inserted after the column selected.
After
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In the open schedule sheet you can view activities and columns in the left pane and view the Gantt
chart in the right pane. You can move the split screen bar to the left or right as needed. Scroll bars
are available on the bottom of the sheet.
The Refresh icon indicates whether you must refresh a schedule sheet to display the
latest data. The refresh icon is not displayed for schedule sheets that are Inactive, or are in
a view-only project or shell.
2) Double-click a schedule sheet in the log to open the sheet.
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If the sheet requires a refresh of the data, you will be asked if you want to refresh the sheet.
Click OK to refresh the sheet, or No to close the sheet with out refreshing the data.
3) Select the sheet in the log and click Open, or double-click the sheet. The schedule sheet
opens.
Button Action
Save Saves changes made to the schedule sheet.
Click the arrow next to the button and choose one of the options:
Manual: Add a row (activity) manually.
Add
Copy Activity From: Add a row by copying a row in a selected
sheet.
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Find an activity
You can search for a specific activity by the values of any column on the schedule sheet.
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The following image shows an example of the impact on dates in a schedule sheet with
activity-level editing configured, and with activities and group-specific date columns. In this
example, the groups Const, IT, and ATM all have group-specific start and finish dates for activities:
As shown in the example, the date cells in the schedule sheet that are specific to a certain group
can be edited only by that group.
After a field or column is marked with restricted access for selected users or groups, those users
or group members cannot modify those data elements (fields). For Start Data, Finish Date and
Duration data elements, users that are restricted cannot modify this group data elements, even if
they have restriction on any one of the data elements in the group. Also, the Gantt Chart will be
disabled for a user if the Start, Finish, and Duration data elements are restricted for that user.
If a data element cannot be modified by a user or group then data imported through CSV / XML for
that data element is ignored. If there is any failure in validation (both user and system defined),
Unifier will stop data import.
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Resource Utilization and Cost Manager: This updates resource rates on the schedule sheet
and posts costs to the cost manager. This option is only enabled on the master schedule
sheet.
Note: If the schedule sheet displays the Activity Constraint column, you
can assign the constraint without opening the Activity form window.
3) For each activity you want to constrain, select the activity constraint you want, either As soon
as possible or None.
As soon as possible: If the start date of a predecessor activity changes, either pulls in or
pushes out, the start date of an ASAP-constrained successor activity changes accordingly. If
an ASAP-constrained activity does not have a predecessor, the schedule sheet start date
determines the activity start date; unstarted ASAP-constrained successor activities align
accordingly.
None: The start date of a None-constrained activity does not change if the start date of a
predecessor activity changes. The schedule sheet start date does not determine the start date
of None-constrained activities that do not have predecessor activities. The only in-built rule is
that the start date of the None-constrained activity should not be earlier than the schedule
sheet start date.
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Integration: When activities are created through CSV, MPP, MPP XML, or P6, the default
value will be None. Upon modification of the activity constraint type, Unifier scheduler will
readjust the schedule sheet accordingly.
4) Click OK to close the Activity form window and save the schedule sheet.
Note: Once you add a general comment to a schedule sheet, you cannot
edit or delete it.
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Note: The baseline columns are not required, but you must use all three of
them, if you use them at all. You must use the complete baseline set of
columns (start, finish, and duration) in your sheet. You cannot use one
baseline column alone.
All baseline attributes are read only in the schedule sheet. They can be modified only via the
set/clear schedule sheet baseline actions. Users with the Edit Data and Structure permission on
the schedule sheet can set or clear baselines.
All baseline attributes are read-only on the schedule sheet. They can be modified only via the
set/clear schedule sheet baseline actions. Users with the Edit Data and Structure permission on
the schedule sheet can set or clear baselines..
You can also set baselines on projects or shells listed on an Activity Sheet. See Set Up Activity
Sheet Baselines (on page 711) for details.
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A linked schedule sheet template update to a linked schedule sheet can push:
Changes to Activity Name
Changes to Activity Codes
Changes Activity Id (caused by re-ordering of activities)
Addition of new activities or deletion of activities
New or changed predecessor relationships
Addition, deletion, or modification of column definitions
Ordering of activities in sheet
Changes to the indentation of activities
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3) Choose View > Linked Template. The Linked Template window opens.
4) Click Add. The Schedule Sheet Templates window opens.
5) Select a template and click Select.
6) Click OK on the confirmation message that data in the newly-linked sheet will be modified
when the update is completed using the link between the template and the sheet.
7) Click OK.
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5) When you assign this tag to the activity, any form associated with this schedule that contains a
linked element with a matching tag will now show the current value of that activity.
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comes from the top-level summary row for the schedule sheet. If
you do not have a top-level summary row, do not select Enable
rollup from project schedule. Instead, select from these options:
Date rollup: Choose to roll up the Earliest Date or the Latest
Date across all projects for Date type data.
Number rollup: Choose roll up Total or Average values for
Numeric type data, or Weighted Average based on and select a
data element from the Activity Attributes form.
Choose one (the options that are available are dependent on the
data source chosen):
Manual Entry: Users enter values directly on the schedule
sheet
Entry Method Formula: Value is calculated using the entered formula.
Formulas can include calculating differences between date
columns, or adding/subtracting numeric columns/values from
dates. This is useful to calculate durations or to calculate one
date from another date by adding/subtracting days.
This controls how data is displayed on the schedule sheet. Options
are:
Show as percentage. Data is displayed as %
Decimal places. Choose 1 to 8. If the data element was defined
Data Format in uDesigner with a specific number of decimal amount, it will
override any decimal places you specify here.
Use 1000 Separator. Select checkbox to include a comma (,)
separator
Negative Number Format. Choose parentheses or minus sign
This controls the display of numeric and date column data on
summary rows.
Display: Select the checkbox to display summary data for the
column
Date Rollup: Available only for Date data types. Select Earliest
Date or Latest Date.
Earliest Date: To summarize columns that represent activity
start dates (e.g. start, planned start, actual start, etc.). The cell
on the summary activity will show the earliest date from all child
Summary activities.
Latest Date. To summarize columns that represent activity
finish dates (e.g. finish, planned finish, actual finish, etc.). The
cell on the summary activity will show the latest date from all
child activities.
Number Rollup: Available for numeric columns. Choose Total
(displays sum total of the rows) or Average (displays average
value of the rows). For example, you might Total for currency or
other numeric types; for percentage columns, you might want to
choose Average.
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Choose to Show or Hide the column from user view. Users with
Display Mode
Create permissions can see hidden column in the Columns Log.
Column Position
The new column will be inserted after the column selected.
After
Activity Sheets
Activity sheets exist in the Schedule Manager at the Program level. An activity sheet allows you to
view, edit, and update activity dates across project and shells. The activity data is from the Master
Schedule Sheets only.
For example, uParks Company has 1000 projects that fall within four categories. Four programs
are created to manage the Schedule Sheet activities. Each program has its own Program
Manager, controlling 250 projects. uParks has a finite number of resources and needs to stagger
the work so resources can be used evenly over time. The Program Managers want to adjust their
project forecast dates so that 20 projects will complete each month for the next 12 months (with 30
completing in month 12, so that all 250 are completed in a year). Using activity sheets, you can
manage your project and shell data in this way.
Project or shell names form the rows of the activity sheet; the activity codes and activity data
elements form the columns and sub-columns in the sheet. The activity sheet also allows you to
update multiple activities after modifying and saving the activity sheet. This update automatically
updates the downstream dates of linked activities, such as Start Date, Finish Date, Duration,
Estimated Start Date, Estimated Finish Date, or other dates.
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5) Click the Move Up (Left) or Move Down (Right) buttons to change the sorting order of the
activity codes.
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9) Select the Allow negative lag to accommodate specified Start/Finish Dates checkbox to
specify that the activity update process adjusts lag automatically to accommodate
user-specified values (for Start Date, Finish Date, and Duration only). The default is
unchecked.
10) Click the Move Up (Left) or Move Down (Right) buttons to change the sorting order of the
data elements.
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11) Click OK. The new Activity Sheet is available in the log.
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4) Select the baseline to set. The Set baseline radio button is selected by default. Only baselines
that have been designed in uDesigner are available.
5) Click OK. The values from the start, finish, and duration elements are copied into the
corresponding baseline elements. If the baseline elements contain data, you will receive a
warning that the baseline will be overwritten You can choose whether to override the data.The
Confirmation window opens.
6) Click Yes to confirm the baseline settings. The Processing Status window opens. After the
system processes the baselines, you will see a check mark next to the rows in the Activity
Sheet that indicate the baseline was set successfully. If the baseline was not set, failed rows in
the sheet are marked with an X.
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To capture Activity data from a P6 Schedule, use the Activity Sheet node (Shell > User mode >
Schedule Manager > Activity Sheet).
When you click and open the Activity Sheet node, the Activity Sheet log window opens. The
following is a detailed explanation of the various elements in the Activity Sheet log window.
Activity Sheet log window menu bar:
File
Allows you to open, an Activity Sheet.
Edit
Allows you to delete a draft. Once an Activity Sheet is created, you cannot delete that Activity
Sheet and the Delete option is unavailable.
View
Allows you to find an Activity Sheet or view the history.
Help
Provides the Unifier standard help options.
Activity Sheet log window toolbar:
Open
Allows you to open an Activity Sheet. The Activity Sheet window contains fields that show
various information about the Activity Sheet such as Activity ID, Activity Name, and so forth.
The menu bar of the Activity Sheet window allows you to close the window, edit the columns,
and view the Audit Log.
Get Data
Allows you to create an Activity Sheet for the first time or to update an existing Activity Sheet
with the most recent data from P6.
The Get Data option has a submenu: History. The History option opens the History window of
a selected Activity Sheet and displays information about the Requestor, Start Date, End Date,
and Status of the selected Activity Sheet.
Send Data
Allows you to send, or push, the updates to an existing Activity Sheet to P6.
Note: These updates are as a result of a Reverse Auto-Population into the Activity Sheet).
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The Send Data option has a submenu: History. The History option opens the History window of
a selected Activity Sheet and displays information about the Requestor, Start Date, End Date,
and Status of the selected Activity Sheet.
Note: You cannot remove the two required fields from an Activity Sheet.
When an Activity Sheet attribute form is deployed to Unifier for the first time, all fields present
in the Activity Sheet attribute form are saved and displayed as columns in the Activity Sheet
following the same order.
If you remove a field from an Activity Sheet attribute form and the Activity Sheet attribute form
is deployed to Unifier, then the deployment does not go through if the field that you had
removed from the Activity Sheet attribute form is present as a column in the Activity Sheet in
Unifier; otherwise, the deployment goes through if the field that you had removed from the
Activity Sheet attribute form is not present as a column in the Activity Sheet.
If you add a new field to an existing Activity Sheet attribute form and the Activity Sheet attribute
form is deployed to Unifier, then the columns in the Activity Sheet do not reflect this change
and you need to add the field to the columns in the Activity Sheet manually.
You can add columns to or remove columns from an Activity Sheet view.
You can arrange the columns order in an Activity Sheet.
You can find, sort, group, and filter Activity Sheets.
The data within and Activity Sheet is synchronized with P6 by way of Gateway (Import/Export
Synchronization) daily.
Note: Exchange of data with inactive Unifier WBS type Shells is not
permitted whether initiated manually or by Gateway.
To synchronize data between a P6 Activity object and a Unifier Activity Sheet object, data
mapping must take place. The following sections explain data mapping in detail.
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Actual Start
Actual Finish
You can deploy custom activity attributes to Gateway and then add those attributes to this
template.
Note: The fields in this template must be maintained exclusive of the fields
in the "Update Activity Sheet from P6" template. There are no common
fields between the "Send Activity Data to P6" template and the "Update
Activity Sheet from P6" template. If you add the common fields to the two
templates, inaccurate information can be generated in either application
(Unifier or P6).
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Business Flows
The Unifier Provider allows you to filter Unifier Shells using "Project IDs." You can do this filtering
in two ways:
By entering a fixed list of comma-separated Project IDs values (corresponding to each Unifier
Shell), and when you synchronize, all the Projects in Unifier that match those Project IDs are
pulled.
By using any Shell attribute (custom or system defined). When Object = Project, you can go to
the "Source App Parameters" window and add filter conditions to a synchronization, using any
data element of "Data Type = String" or "Data Type = Integer’" from a Shell attribute form. The
"Field" drop-down lists in the Edit Business Flow window has an option called, "Shell Attribute."
You can:
1. Select Shell Attribute.
2. Use the information presented (in the Value box) to enter any Shell attribute DE name of
Data Type = "String" or "Integer."
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3. Click Add Row and set the item as a condition to filter the Unifier Shell.
Notes:
You can set only one value for a Shell attribute within a given
condition; however, you can add more than one condition for a Shell
attribute.
If you set conditions for a DE which is neither "Text" nor "Integer," the
synchronization will fail and you will receive an error-message.
The "Import Project data" flow ("Send Activity Data to P6" flow) has the Data Mapping template the
"Send Activity Data to P6" set a "Update" only to prevent the accidental creation of activities in P6
from Unifier. P6 is the source for all activities.
Synchronization
The synchronization of the following two commands (on the OOTB Data Mapping templates) is
scheduled to run daily:
Get Activity Data from P6
Send Activity Data to P6
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Note: If the attribute was missing, after this setup the integration will take
place.
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Connectivity issues with Gateway or incorrect Gateway parameters will cause synchronization to
fail. Use History, Admin mode, to see the list of failed synchronizations, if any.
Note: The OOTB Data Mapping templates are designed in a way that the
fields are exclusive; therefore, when you edit a Data Mapping template,
ensure that you keep the fields that are exclusive intact.
If you use DE = uuu_int_p6_project_id for linking P6 and Unifier projects, when the "Project ID"
field in P6 is updated, then the "P6 Project ID" (uuu_p6_project_id), field in corresponding Unifier
Shell, must be updated manually.
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Each project can have multiple schedule sheets, and one Master Schedule Sheet. The master
schedule sheet drives project start and end dates, tracks the project’s progress, and serves as the
interface between the Schedule Manager and other Primavera Unifier modules. The master
schedule integrates cost items on the schedule with the Cost Manager. Primavera Unifier users
can refresh resource rates on the schedule sheet and post the new rates to the Cost Manager,
update the cost sheet with assignment costs, and refresh costs on the sheet to recalculate labor
costs and post them to the cost sheet.
Features include the following:
Fully configurable activity attributes form
Activities and Gantt chart on the same schedule sheet
Interactive Gantt chart with ability to drag activity end dates and link activities
Tracking Gantt chart
Filters for activities
Baselines for schedule sheets and activity sheets
Activity update
Ability to create one or multiple interactive schedule sheets for the same project or shell
Integration of Schedule Manager with the Resource Manager, enabling resource loading of
schedule activities
Multiple WBS codes for each activity to capture activity costs, such as labor, non-labor, and
fixed costs. If designed in Primavera uDesigner, you can add a column to the schedule sheet
to display the WBS codes associated with each activity.
View the cost distribution information by WBS codes from a schedule sheet
Cut and paste and copy and paste of rows in a sheet
Update of schedule sheets from linked templates
Critical path calculation and display
Streamlined and enhanced integration and interaction between Primavera Unifier’s Schedule
Manager and Primavera and Microsoft Project
Activity progress tracking and percentage of work completed per assigned resource
Works with shells that have the WBS cost type
Scope Management, with the ability to launch business processes from activities and
automate schedule management.
Budget and progress settings, and the ability to work with progress and earned progress data
You will need to add activity rows to the schedule sheet before you can enter your company data
to the schedule sheet.
Scope Management
The Scope Management defines deliverables, responsible roles, actual assignees and their
schedules, and drives coordinated production of these deliverables. The Scope Management
initiates actions for producing deliverables based on the completion of dependencies. It routes
them to the responsible person or group, monitors their completion, and updates deliverable
statuses automatically. It manages different activities across schedules for different team
members simultaneously.
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Team members work on BPs that are linked to activities in a schedule sheet. The Scope
Management allows you to use existing schedule management functionality with added data
elements to automate the management of a project’s scope and schedule with all associated
activities, tasks, and deliverables. This feature provides project managers with the ability to
manage each scope item’s task assignments, ownerships, and durations.
Project managers can use scope management to manage high-volume, quick turnaround projects
that have standardized scope and scheduled activities. Examples of projects that would benefit
from the use of scope management functionality are retail construction projects such as bank
branches or chain fast food restaurants. Unifier scope management capabilities are also useful for
large capital projects with complex scope and schedules, and that have numerous dependent
activities and milestones with associated tasks and deadlines.
Scope management:
Coordinates the creation of the defined deliverables using the schedules of the various
assignees
Automatically moves tasks to the next assignee.
Routes tasks related to the deliverables to the next responsible assignee (person or group),
monitors the state of the tasks, and updates deliverable status automatically. Actions for the
creation of deliverables are based on fixed-time durations and the completion of
dependencies.
Launches business processes that are linked to activities
This functionality can be enabled on any schedule sheet, including a master schedule sheet.
Scope management enables you to link BPs with schedule sheet task activities and route those
BPs with an automatic update of status as they are routed and worked on. The BPs represent the
work that needs to be done to complete the task. You can override automatic routing at any time
and launch the BPs manually. The BP-related task is completed when specified conditions are
met.
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Data Element
Description
Name
Actual Start
Actual start date of the activity.
Date
Actual Finish
Actual finish date of the activity.
Date
Actual Actual duration of the activity. This is calculated from the Actual Start
Duration Date and Actual Finish Date.
Status Activity status. The default is Not Started.
A list of the predecessor activities.
Predecessors Note: Activities that have no predecessors are known as floating
activities.
Record
Hyperlink to the linked business process record.
Number
Record Status Hyperlink to the linked business process record.
Estimated
Calculated date.
Start Date
Estimated
Calculated date.
Finish Date
Estimated Calculated duration.
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Duration
Enables the automatic update of activity data. The default is unchecked.
If this checkbox is not selected, the activity must be completed
Auto-update
manually, and automatic completion will be turned off. This means you
Activity Data
must change the activity status to compete and enter an actual finish
date.
Linked BP
Name of the linked business process.
Name
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Note: You can return to the Gantt chart view by clicking the Gantt button.
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Completion Conditions
You can set up completion conditions for a string or a date.
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3) Click the link for an activity. The Activity Properties window displays.
4) Modify the activity properties as needed. The properties shown in the Activity Properties
window depend on the design configured in uDesigner. Activity properties associated with
scope management can include what is shown in the table below.
5) Click OK.
Property
Definition
Name
Read-only for automatically controlled activities. Editable for manually
controlled activities. The statuses are:
Not Started: All activities have this as the initial status by default. Indicates
that the BP linked to the activity has not yet been launched.
In Progress: Indicates that predecessor activities are complete and that
Activity
the current activity is not started. A new BP record is created and linked to
Statuses
the activity.
Note: You cannot modify certain activity attributes while an activity is In
progress.
Complete: Indicates that an activity is complete based on the completion
conditions set up for the activity.
Linked BP
Read-only; displays the BP linked to the activity.
Name
Record Read-only; displays the current record number that is linked with the
Number activity.
Record
Read-only; displays the current status of the BP record linked to the activity.
Status
Actual Start Read-only or editable, depending on the setting for the Auto-update activity
Date data box. This value is set when the linked BP is launched for the activity.
Read-only or editable, depending on the setting for the Auto-update activity
Actual
data box. This value is set when the linked BP is completed based on the
Finish Date
completion conditions.
Estimated
Read-only; indicates the estimated start date for the activity.
Start Date
Estimated
Read-only, indicates the estimated finish date for the activity.
Finish Date
Auto-updat
The default is not selected. Indicates if the current activity is automatically
e activity
controlled or manually controlled.
status
Read-only; lists the predecessor activities for the current activity using a
Dependenc coding format indicating lag and lead time: Finish to Start (FS), Start to Start
ies (SS), Finish to Finish (FF), and Start to Finish (SF). For example:
3FS + 3d (Activity 3 is a predecessor with FS relationship with 3 days lag)
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Unifier User Mode
Auto-control on
Auto-update Activity Status on
Schedule Sheet System Behavior
Activity
Properties
Manually launched BP is
tracked by the system, and
On/Off Checked actuals will be
auto-populated on launch
and completion.
Scope Management will not
keep track of BP completion
On/Off Unchecked and auto-population of actual
start and finish dates of
manually launched BP.
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Note: Setting the status to Not Started or Not Applicable in manual control
mode does not clear the BP record link. The actual start cannot be a future
date when entered manually, and the actual finish cannot be a future date
when entered manually.
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Finish-to-start (FS)
The successor activity is launched when the activity completes or the Calculated Date =
Predecessor Actual Finish + Lag (if not already past).
In case of a lead, the successor activity is launched on the forecast start date (similar to a floating
activity.
Finish-to-start
Start-to-start (SS)
When an activity’s predecessor is started (for example, status = in-progress), it is also placed into
an in-progress status (assuming zero lag).
Lag: Success, or activity will be started on forecast date
Lead: Success, or activity will be started on forecast date
Start-to-start
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Unifier User's Guide
Finish-to-finish, start-to-finish
Note: Unifier refreshes the cost data when you choose File > Refresh in a
Schedule Sheet and refresh immediately or set up a refresh frequency.
See Refreshing Schedule Sheet data (on page 691) for details.
In the activity setup performed by the Administrator, one of more WBS Codes can be associated
with an activity. The value carried by the Total Cost data element on add to a Schedule Activity
Attribute form gets passed onto these WBS codes as the result of calculations such as data roll up
to a Cost Sheet, or earned value calculations. The logic used by the Activity Cost 1 and Activity
Cost 2 and the associated Activity Total Cost 1 Per WBS and Activity Total Cost 2 Per WBS data
elements is based on the association of an activity to a WBS code.
The values for Activity Total Cost 1 Per WBS and Activity Total Cost 2 Per WBS data elements are
calculated by the system based on the corresponding Activity Cost 1 or Activity Cost 2 data
element values.
These are the steps the system follows to calculate values for Activity Total Cost 1 Per WBS and
Activity Total Cost 2 Per WBS data elements:
1) If the combination of Cost and Per WBS data elements are used on an Schedule Activity
Attribute form, the system will scan through all of the activities and associated WBS codes.
2) The system will accumulate all of the values in the Activity Cost 1 or Activity Cost 2 data
elements for all activities per WBS code associated with each activity.
3) Use the total value calculated in step 2 per WBS code as the value for each Activity Total Cost
1 Per WBS and Activity Total Cost 2 Per WBS data element specified for each activity.
4) Each activity gets a total value calculated in step 2 based on the WBS code associated with it.
The following example explains these calculations. For this example, the data elements Activity
Cost 1 and Activity Total Cost 1 Per WBS have been added to the attribute form:
Activity
Activity Cost 1 Activity Total Cost 1 Per WBS
Name
Control
$28,000.00
Account 1
Control
$19,000.00
Activity 1.1
Control
$10,000.00 $28,000.00
Point 1.1.1
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WBS - 1 $10,000.00
Control
$9,000.00 $28,000.00
Point 1.1.2
WBS - 1 $9,000.00
Control
$9,000.00
Activity 1.2
Control
$5,000.00 $28,000.00
Point 1.2.1
WBS - 1 $5,000.00
Control
$4,000.00 $28,000.00
Point 1.2.2
WBS - 1 $4,000.00
Control
$20,000.00
Account 2
Control
$20,000.00
Activity 2.1
Control
$8,000.00 $20,000.00
Point 2.1.1
WBS - 2 $8,000.00
Control
$12,000.00 $20,000.00
Point 2.1.2
WBS - 2 $12,000.00
In the above example, Control Point 1.1.1 has a value $28000.00, which was arrived at by adding
the value of WBS - 1 across all activities.
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Unifier User's Guide
When activities are updated through the Activity Sheet, they consider the calendar in use for the
activity. The Start Dates, Finish Dates and Durations can be affected by the calendar used for an
activity. Double-click on the Calendar cell to see a list of Company level calendars and
project/shell calendars (not the custom calendar). You can select another calendar for the activity.
The selected Start Date or Finish Date for an activity can be a non-working calendar day, however
the duration of the activity will only account for working calendar days.
Note: When you select the alternate calendar and click Save, the
schedule sheet associated with the activity is marked for refresh with the
refresh icon (rotating arrows).
Terminology
Progress: A percentage that indicates how much of an activity has been accomplished.
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Earned Progress: This quantity represents the progress earned for a given activity over a time
period. Depending on type of activity, earned progress can be tied directly to activity progress.
Also, earned progress can be set up to be given at activity finish. For example, earned progress
might not be awarded for incremental percentages of progress, and not be counted until 100% of
an activity is complete.
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See Entering Progress Data on the General and Resource Tabs of Activity Properties
(on page 752) for details.
3) Activity Progress window: View activity and resource progress; depending on settings on
the Budget and Progress Setup window, you can enter progress data in this window. This
window is available only if you have imported the Resource Assignment Attribute form. See
Entering Progress in the Activity Progress Window (on page 753) for details.
4) Check activity and resource progress in the logs: View and enter progress data as
needed:
Activity Progress log
Resource Progress log
See Using the Activity Progress and Resource Progress Logs (on page 758) for details.
5) Options tab of the Schedule Sheet Properties: The options on this tab allow you to control
the automatic update of activity status based on Actual Start and Actual Finish dates, and to
specify that activity progress requires an Actual Start Date.
Note: The Budget and Progress Method setup options for an activity
cannot be modified after a user begins to enter progress for that activity.
This includes activity progress or progress of the resource assigned to
that activity.
The calculations used to derive progress and earned progress are explained in Progress and
Earned Progress Calculations (on page 758).
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3) Choose File > Budget and Progress Setup > Schedule Sheet or File > Budget and
Progress Setup > Activity. A the activity level, the Budget and Progress Method Setup
window opens in the right side of the schedule sheet window, and replaces the Gantt chart.
When you are done working with the activity-level Budget and Progress Method Setup
window, you can choose View > Gantt Chart.
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4) Select the Budget and Progress settings. The Budget and Progress Method Setup window has
several sections where you can choose settings.
Activity Budget Distribution Profile: See Select the activity budget distribution
profile (on page 743) for details on the profile setting choices.
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% Complete and Earned Progress: See Select the entry method for the % complete
and earned progress (on page 745) for details on the entry methods.
% Complete Calculation Method: See Select the calculation method for % complete
(on page 746) for details on these calculation methods.
% Earned Calculation Method: See Select the calculation method for % earned (on
page 749) for details on these calculation methods.
Additional Options (schedule sheet level only): See Select WBS codes filtered by
workpackage (schedule sheet level only) (on page 751) and Lock the reporting and
progress entry period (schedule sheet level only) (on page 751) for details.
5) Click OK.
Select the activity budget distribution profile
You can choose the option that determine how the budget of an activity is distributed.
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The tables below show incremental and cumulative examples of how these three options work,
and the differences between them. This data is assumed for these examples:
Start Date: 01/1/2009
Finish Date: 12/1/2009
Total Cost: $12000.00
For S-Curve: Sigma = 2 and Mu = 50%
For Start and Finish: % budget distribution on start = 5%, % budget distribution on finish =
95%
Incremental
111
012
Option 01-09 02-09 03-09 04-09 05-09 06-09 07-09 08-09 09-09 ---
000
999
111
000
Linear 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000
000
000
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720
S-Curv 1462.1 2120.9 2401.4 2120.9 1447.8 4 3 4
26.52 104.88 323.06 789.30
e 7 3 3 3 5 ...
908
868
On 1
Start 1
and 600 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 004
0
Finish 0
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Unifier User Mode
Cumulative
111
012
Option 01-09 02-09 03-09 04-09 05-09 06-09 07-09 08-09 09-09 ---
000
999
111
012
Linear 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 000
000
000
111
111
589
S-Curv 1243.7 2705.9 4826.8 7228.2 9349.2 10797. 7 9 9
26.52 131.40 454.46
e 6 3 6 9 2 07 259
...
119
009
On 1
Start 662
and 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 000
000
Finish 0
To select the entry method for the % complete and earned progress for activities at the
schedule sheet level
1) Open a schedule sheet.
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Unifier User's Guide
2) Choose File > Budget and Progress Setup > Schedule Sheet.
3) In the Default % Complete and Earned Progress section, choose a default entry method.
This entry method will apply to all activities in the schedule sheet, unless it is overridden by the
selection of a different entry method for an individual activity.
To select the entry method for the % complete and earned progress for activities at the
activity level
1) Open a schedule sheet.
2) Highlight an activity row in the sheet.
3) Choose File > Budget and Progress Setup > Activity.
4) Under the % Complete and Earned Progress section, choose an entry method. This option
will apply specifically to the selected activity, and will override any default entry method set up
at the schedule sheet level. The behavior of these % Complete and Earned Progress Entry
Method options at the activity level is the same as the default options at the schedule sheet
level.
Select the calculation method for % complete
You can select an option that allows you to enter progress information for a key quantity (referred
to as the Leader) of an activity which will determine the overall progress of other resources and the
activity itself. For example:
Example 1: Assume that there are two resources on an activity, called Resource 1 and
Resource 2. If the key quantity is Resource 1 and you enter progress (say 30%) on Resource
1, then Resource 2 should also progress with same 30%. Also, overall activity progress should
progress by 30%.
Example 2: Assume that the key quantity (Leader) in this example is Activity % Complete. If
you enter progress of 50% on the activity, Resource 1 and Resource 2 are updated with the
same progress of 50%.
The key quantity is referred to as the Leader in Unifier.
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Unifier User Mode
To select the % complete calculation method for activities at the schedule sheet level
1) Open a schedule sheet.
2) Choose File > Budget and Progress Setup > Schedule Sheet.
3) Under the Default % Complete Calculation Method section, choose an option. This option
will apply to all activities in the schedule sheet, unless it is overridden by the selection of a
different option for an individual activity.
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Note: Progress entry for Resource and Activity before importing Resource
Assignment Attribute form is based on Activity % Complete and Resource
% Complete. After the Resource Assignment Attribute form is imported,
progress on activity will be Activity % Complete, but for Resource it is
Progress Quantity the data element. Resource % Complete is then
read-only and always calculated.
To select the % complete calculation method for activities at the activity level
1) Open a schedule sheet.
2) Choose File > Budget and Progress Setup > Activity.
3) Under the % Complete Calculation Method section, choose an option. This option will apply
specifically to the selected activity, and will override any default entry method set up at the
schedule sheet level. The behavior of these % Complete Calculation Method options at the
activity level is the same as the default options at the schedule sheet level. The exception is
Lead resource updates Activity and other resources, described in the next step.
4) Under the activity level, you can select Lead resource updates Activity and other
resources, and choose resources (including hard booked) that are assigned to the activity on
the Resource tab. This option allows you to select a resource as a key quantity or a Leader. If
you select this option and a resource from the drop down menu, then you can enter progress
on only that resource. Activity % Complete and Resource % Complete on all other resources
are read-only and will be automatically calculated based on the progress entered on key
quantity or leader resource.
For example:
Assume that there is an activity with Resource 1 and Resource 2, with the Activity % Complete
at 0%:
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Unifier User Mode
To select the % earned calculation method for activities at the schedule sheet level
1) Open a schedule sheet.
2) Choose File > Budget and Progress Setup > Schedule Sheet.
3) Under the Default % Earned Calculation Method section, choose an option. This option will
apply to all activities in the schedule sheet, unless it is overridden by the selection of a different
option for an individual activity.
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To select the % earned calculation method for activities at the activity level
1) Open a schedule sheet.
2) Choose File > Budget and Progress Setup > Activity.
3) Under the % Earned Calculation Method section, choose an option. This option will apply
specifically to the selected activity, and will override any default entry method set up at the
schedule sheet level. The behavior of these % Earned Calculation Method options at the
activity level is the same as the default options at the schedule sheet level. The exception is
Lead resource updates Activity and other resources, described in the next step.
4) Under the activity level, you can select Lead resource updates Activity and other
resources, and choose resources (including hard booked) that are assigned to the activity on
the Resource tab. This option allows you to select a resource as a key quantity or a Leader. If
you select this option and a resource from the drop down menu, then you can enter progress
on only that resource.
For example:
Assume that there is an activity with Resource 1 and Resource 2, with the Earned Progress at
0%:
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Unifier User Mode
Note: The Workpackage must be active and contain WBS codes, and
also transactions must have occurred using the pertinent WBS codes, or
the WBS codes tab will not contain codes for you to select.
Workpackage selection
Lock the reporting and progress entry period (schedule sheet level only)
You can prevent users from entering or modifying progress data entries made prior to the current
week or the current month. These selections allow you to control the activity and resource data
entered on the Activity Progress window. See Entering Progress in the Activity Progress
Window (on page 753) for details.
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Entering Progress Data on the General and Resource Tabs of Activity Properties
The Resource Assignment Attribute form (when imported, replaces the Resources tab of the
Activity Properties and provides data elements to other areas) contains fields related to resources
assigned to an activity to that allow you to enter effort and expense information related to that
effort. The Resource Assignment Attribute form allows you to assign a resource to a Resource
Type, rather than to a hard booked resource. Also, it allows the capture of progress with respect to
effort, and the base lining of resource assignment.
The Schedule Attribute form is used as the General tab of the Activity Properties can also include
fields that allow you to enter progress and earned progress data.
The ability to enter progress and earned progress on the Schedule Attribute and the Resource
Assignment Attribute forms is based on the options selected on the Budget and Progress Setup
for a given activity. See Setting Up the Budget and Progress Method (on page 740). Fields on
the forms are editable or read-only and calculated based on the option settings.
This progress or earned progress is time stamped when entered:
For an activity:
Date on which the progress or earned progress is entered or calculated.
Activity % Complete value
Earned Progress value
For a resource:
Date on which the progress quantity and or earned progress is entered or calculated
Progress Quantity value
Earned Progress value
You can access time stamped information through the Activity Progress Log or the Resource
Progress Log. See Using the Activity Progress and Resource Progress Logs (on page 758)
for details on the logs.
The calculations used to derive progress and earned progress are explained in Progress and
Earned Progress Calculations (on page 758).
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Unifier User Mode
Note: You can double-click the resource name to view the Resource
Assignment Attribute form in view-only mode.
5) Click Add.
6) Enter resource data as needed.
7) Click OK.
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Unifier User's Guide
You can access the Activity Progress Log and the Resource Progress Log from the Activity
Progress window. The logs display the progress data that is entered over time, and allow the user
to view and modify the progress data for activities and resources. See Using the Activity
Progress and Resource Progress Logs (on page 758) for details.
Note: If you enter partial activity progress data, for example enter Activity
Progress for a day, but do not enter the Resource Progress (or enter
Resource Progress and do not enter Activity Progress at that time), and
then save the data, you cannot enter the Resource Progress later that
day. You can however, enter the progress the next day.
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Unifier User Mode
The Activity Progress and Resource Progress fields are editable or read-only depending on
settings on the Budget and Progress Method setup window.
4) Click Save.
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Unifier User's Guide
To view or enter activity progress on the Activity Progress window for a summary activity
1) Navigate to a schedule sheet.
2) Highlight a summary activity name.
3) Click the Progress button. The Activity Progress window opens on the right side. For an
explanation of the fields on this window, see the table below.
4) Click Save.
Activity Progress window fields:
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Unifier User's Guide
3) Click OK.
Note: Modifying log information will not change the current information on
Schedule Attribute form and Resource Assignment Attribute form unless
data related to today is modified.
To view or modify progress data from the Activity Progress or Resource Progress logs
1) Navigate to a schedule sheet.
2) Highlight a summary activity name.
3) Click the Progress button. The Activity Progress window opens on the right side.
4) Click the Activity Progress Log button or Resource Progress Log button.
5) Modify progress data as needed. Select the row you want to modify and double click the cell
that needs to modify. The Progress Quantity or Earned Progress columns can be editable
depending on settings on Budget and Progress Method Setup window for the activity.
6) Click Save.
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Unifier User Mode
Resource
Role
Quantity
Rate
Amount
Resource % Complete (Value of this data element is calculated as (Progress Quantity /
Quantity) %
Progress Quantity
Earned Quantity
Earned Amount (Value of this data element is always based on uDesigner design)
The calculations are described in terms of the calculation options in relation to the % Complete
and Earned Progress entry method selected:
Independently Control % complete and Earned quantity (on page 759)
Activity and resource % complete updates % earned (on page 772)
Activity and resource % earned updates % complete (on page 776)
Do not allow update of % complete and % earned (on page 782)
See Select the entry method for the % complete and earned progress (on page 745) for
details on these methods.
% Earned Calculation Method option is Manual activity % earned and resource % earned
If the entry method and option settings on the Budget and Progress Method Setup window are:
% Complete and Earned Progress entry method = Independently Control % complete and
earned quantity
% Complete Calculation Method option = Manual activity % complete and resource %
complete
% Earned Calculation Method option = Manual activity % earned and resource % earned
then this data entry method scenario results:
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Unifier User's Guide
Activity or
Data Element Data Entry Method
Resource
Activity
Activity % Complete Manual entry
Earned Progress Manual entry
Resource
Progress Quantity Manual entry
Earned Progress Manual entry
Activity or
Data Element Data Entry Method
Resource
Activity
Activity %
Manual entry
Complete
Earned Progress Manual entry
Resource
Progress Quantity Manual entry
Calculated (read-only)
Earned Progress
(Activity-level Earned Progress * Quantity)
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Unifier User Mode
Activity or
Data Element Data Entry Method
Resource
Activity
Activity % Complete Manual entry
Calculated (Weighted Cost) and read-only.
Earned Progress {Sum of [ (Resource Earned Progress /
Resource Quantity) * (Resource Amount)] /
Sum of (Resource Amount) } * 100
Resource
Progress Quantity Manual entry
Earned Progress Manual entry
% Earned Calculation Method option is Lead resource updates Activity and other
resources
This combination of settings is not available.
% Earned Calculation Method option is Update Activity and all resources on activity start
and finish
If the entry method and option settings on the Budget and Progress Method Setup window are:
% Complete and Earned Progress entry method = Independently Control % complete and
earned quantity
% Complete Calculation Method option = Manual activity % complete and resource %
complete
% Earned Calculation Method option = Update Activity and all resources on activity start and
finish
then this data entry method scenario results:
Activity or
Data Element Data Entry Method
Resource
Activity
Activity %
Manual entry
Complete
Earned Progress Calculated (Weighted Cost) and read-only.
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Unifier User's Guide
% Earned Calculation Method option is Manual activity % earned and resource % earned
If the entry method and option settings on the Budget and Progress Method Setup window are:
% Complete and Earned Progress entry method = Independently Control % complete and
earned quantity
% Complete Calculation Method option = Manual activity % complete - updates resource %
complete
% Earned Calculation Method option = Manual activity % earned and resource % earned
then this data entry method scenario results:
Activity or
Data Element Data Entry Method
Resource
Activity
Activity % Complete Manual entry
Earned Progress Manual entry
Resource
Calculated (read-only).
Progress Quantity
(Activity-level Activity % Complete * Quantity)
Earned Progress Manual entry
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Unifier User Mode
Activity or
Data Element Data Entry Method
Resource
Activity
Activity %
Manual entry
Complete
Earned Progress Manual entry
Resource
Calculated (read-only).
Progress Quantity
(Activity-level Activity % Complete * Quantity)
Calculated (read-only).
Earned Progress
(Activity-level Earned Progress * Quantity)
Activity or
Data Element Data Entry Method
Resource
Activity
Activity % Complete Manual entry
Earned Progress Calculated (Weighted Cost)
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Unifier User's Guide
% Earned Calculation Method option is Lead resource updates Activity and other
resources
This combination of settings is not available.
% Earned Calculation Method option is Update Activity and all resources on activity start
and finish
If the entry method and option settings on the Budget and Progress Method Setup window are:
% Complete and Earned Progress entry method = Independently Control % complete and
earned quantity
% Complete Calculation Method option = Manual activity % complete - updates resource %
complete
% Earned Calculation Method option = Update Activity and all resources on activity start and
finish
then this data entry method scenario results:
Activity or
Data Element Data Entry Method
Resource
Activity
Activity % Complete Manual entry
Calculated (Weighted Cost)
Earned Progress {Sum of [ (Resource Earned Progress /
Resource Quantity) * (Resource Amount)] /
Sum of (Resource Amount) } * 100
Resource
Calculated (read-only).
Progress Quantity
(Activity-level Activity % Complete * Quantity)
Calculated based Update Activity and all
resources on activity start and finish.
Earned Progress For example: If % earned on Actual Start = 5%
and % earned on Actual Finish = 95 % then,
when Actual Start is entered, Earned Progress
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Unifier User Mode
= 5% * Quantity
When Actual Finish is entered, Earned
Progress = 100% * Quantity.
% Earned Calculation Method option is Manual activity % earned and resource % earned
If the entry method and option settings on the Budget and Progress Method Setup window are:
% Complete and Earned Progress entry method = Independently Control % complete and
earned quantity
% Complete Calculation Method option = Resource updates Activity - weighted avg. of
resource hours
% Earned Calculation Method option = Manual activity % earned and resource % earned
then this data entry method scenario results:
Activity or
Data Element Data Entry Method
Resource
Activity
Calculated (Weighted Hours) and (read-only).
{Sum of [ (Resource Progress Quantity /
Resource Quantity) * (Resource Quantity)] /
Activity % Complete
Sum of (Resource Quantity) } * 100
Only hard booked resources will be
considered.
Earned Progress Manual entry
Resource
Progress Quantity Manual entry
Earned Progress Manual entry
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Unifier User's Guide
Activity or
Data Element Data Entry Method
Resource
Activity
Calculated (Weighted Hours) and (read-only).
{Sum of [ (Resource Progress Quantity /
Activity % Complete Resource Quantity) * (Resource Quantity)] /
Sum of (Resource Quantity) } * 100
Only hard booked resources will be considered.
Earned Progress Manual entry
Resource
Progress Quantity Manual entry
Calculated
Earned Progress
(Activity-level Earned Progress * Quantity)
Activity or
Data Element Data Entry Method
Resource
Activity
Calculated (Weighted Hours) and (read-only).
{Sum of [ (Resource Progress Quantity /
Activity %
Resource Quantity) * (Resource Quantity)] /
Complete
Sum of (Resource Quantity) } * 100
Only hard booked resources will be considered.
Calculated (Weighted Cost)
Earned Progress {Sum of [ (Resource Earned Progress /
Resource Quantity) * (Resource Amount)] /
Sum of (Resource Amount) } * 100
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Unifier User Mode
Resource
Progress Quantity Manual entry
Earned Progress Manual entry
% Earned Calculation Method option is Lead resource updates Activity and other
resources
This combination of settings is not available.
% Earned Calculation Method option is Update Activity and all resources on activity start
and finish
If the entry method and option settings on the Budget and Progress Method Setup window are:
% Complete and Earned Progress entry method = Independently Control % complete and
earned quantity
% Complete Calculation Method option = Resource updates Activity - weighted avg. of
resource hours
% Earned Calculation Method option = Update Activity and all resources on activity start and
finish
then this data entry method scenario results:
Activity or
Data Element Data Entry Method
Resource
Activity
Calculated (Weighted Hours) and (read-only).
{Sum of [ (Resource Progress Quantity /
Resource Quantity) * (Resource Quantity)] /
Activity % Complete
Sum of (Resource Quantity) } * 100
Only hard booked resources will be
considered.
Calculated (Weighted Cost)
Earned Progress {Sum of [ (Resource Earned Progress /
Resource Quantity) * (Resource Amount)] /
Sum of (Resource Amount) } * 100
Resource
Progress Quantity Manual entry
Calculated based Update Activity and all
resources on activity start and finish.
For example: If % earned on Actual Start = 5%
Earned Progress
and % earned on Actual Finish = 95 % then,
When Actual Start is entered, Earned Progress
= 5% * Quantity
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% Earned Calculation Method option is Manual activity % earned and resource % earned
If the entry method and option settings on the Budget and Progress Method Setup window are:
% Complete and Earned Progress entry method = Independently Control % complete and
earned quantity
% Complete Calculation Method option = Resource updates Activity - weighted avg. of
resource costs
% Earned Calculation Method option = Manual activity % earned and resource % earned
then this data entry method scenario results:
Activity or
Data Element Data Entry Method
Resource
Activity
Calculated (Weighted Hours) and read-only.
{Sum of [ (Resource Progress Quantity /
Activity % Complete Resource Quantity) * (Resource Amount)] /
Sum of (Resource Amount) } * 100
All resources will be considered.
Earned Progress Manual entry
Resource
Progress Quantity Manual entry
Earned Progress Manual entry
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Activity or
Data Element Data Entry Method
Resource
Activity
Calculated (Weighted Hours) and read-only.
{Sum of [ (Resource Progress Quantity /
Activity % Complete Resource Quantity) * (Resource Amount)] /
Sum of (Resource Amount) } * 100
All booked resources will be considered.
Earned Progress Manual entry
Resource
Progress Quantity Manual entry
Calculated
Earned Progress
(Activity-level Earned Progress * Quantity)
Activity or
Data Element Data Entry Method
Resource
Activity
Calculated (Weighted Hours) and read-only.
{Sum of [ (Resource Progress Quantity /
Activity %
Resource Quantity) * (Resource Amount)] /
Complete
Sum of (Resource Amount) } * 100
All resources will be considered.
Calculated (Weighted Cost).
Earned Progress {Sum of [ (Resource Earned Progress /
Resource Quantity) * (Resource Amount)] /
Sum of (Resource Amount) } * 100
Resource
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% Earned Calculation Method option is Lead resource updates Activity and other
resources
This combination of settings is not available.
% Earned Calculation Method option is Update Activity and all resources on activity start
and finish
If the entry method and option settings on the Budget and Progress Method Setup window are:
% Complete and Earned Progress entry method = Independently Control % complete and
earned quantity
% Complete Calculation Method option = Resource updates Activity - weighted avg. of
resource costs
% Earned Calculation Method option = Update Activity and all resource on activity start and
finish
then this data entry method scenario results:
Activity or
Data Element Data Entry Method
Resource
Activity
Calculated (Weighted Hours) and read-only.
{Sum of [ (Resource Progress Quantity /
Activity % Complete Resource Quantity) * (Resource Amount)] /
Sum of (Resource Amount) } * 100
All resources will be considered.
Calculated (read-only) based Update Activity
and all resources on activity start and finish.
For example: If % earned on Actual Start = 5%
and % earned on Actual Finish = 95 % then,
Earned Progress
When Actual Start is entered, Earned Progress
= 5%
When Actual Finish is entered, Earned
Progress = 100%
Resource
Progress Quantity Manual entry
Calculated (read-only) based Update Activity
and all resources on activity start and finish.
Earned Progress
For example: If % earned on Actual Start = 5%
and % earned on Actual Finish = 95 % then,
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% Earned Calculation Method option is Lead resource updates Activity and other
resources
If the entry method and option settings on the Budget and Progress Method Setup window are:
% Complete and Earned Progress entry method = Independently Control % complete and
earned quantity
% Complete Calculation Method option = Lead resources updates Activity and other
resources.
% Earned Calculation Method option = Lead resource updates Activity and other resources
then this data entry method scenario results:
Activity or
Data Element Data Entry Method
Resource
Activity
Calculated (Weighted Hours) and read-only.
{Sum of [ (Resource Progress Quantity /
Activity % Complete Resource Quantity) * (Resource Amount)] /
Sum of (Resource Amount) } * 100
All resources will be considered.
Calculated (Weighted Cost) and read-only.
Earned Progress {Sum of [ (Resource Earned Progress /
Resource Quantity) * (Resource Amount)] /
Sum of (Resource Amount) } * 100
Resource
Manual Entry (Only resource that is selected
under drop-down). For all other resources,
Progress Quantity Progress Quantity will be calculated based on
(Leader Progress Quantity / Leader Quantity) *
Resource Quantity
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Unifier User's Guide
Activity or
Data Element Data Entry Method
Resource
Activity
Activity % Complete Manual entry
Calculated (read-only)
Earned Progress
Same as Activity % Complete
Resource
Progress Quantity Manual entry
Calculated (read-only)
Earned Progress
Same as Progress Quantity
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Activity or
Data Element Data Entry Method
Resource
Activity
Activity %
Manual entry
Complete
Calculated (read-only)
Earned Progress
Same as Activity % Complete
Resource
Calculated (read-only)
Progress Quantity
(Activity-level Activity % Complete * Quantity)
Calculated (read-only)
Earned Progress
Same as Progress Quantity
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Activity or
Data Element Data Entry Method
Resource
Activity
Calculated (Weighted Hours) and read-only.
{Sum of [ (Resource Progress Quantity /
Activity %
Resource Quantity) * (Resource Amount)] /
Complete
Sum of (Resource Amount) } * 100
Only hard booked resources will be considered
Calculated (read-only)
Earned Progress
Same as Activity % Complete
Resource
Progress Quantity Manual entry
Calculated (read-only)
Earned Progress
Same as Progress Quantity
Activity or
Data Element Data Entry Method
Resource
Activity
Calculated (Weighted Hours) and read-only.
{Sum of [ (Resource Progress Quantity /
Activity %
Resource Quantity) * (Resource Amount)] /
Complete
Sum of (Resource Amount) } * 100
Only hard booked resources will be considered
Earned Progress Calculated (read-only)
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Unifier User Mode
% Earned Calculation Method option is Lead resource updates Activity and other
resources
If the entry method and option settings on the Budget and Progress Method Setup window are:
% Complete and Earned Progress entry method = Activity and resource % complete updates
% earned
% Complete Calculation Method option = Lead resource updates Activity and other resources
% Earned Calculation Method option = Lead resource updates Activity and other resources
then this data entry method scenario results:
Activity or
Data Element Data Entry Method
Resource
Activity
Calculated (Weighted Hours) and read-only.
{Sum of [ (Resource Progress Quantity /
Activity % Complete Resource Quantity) * (Resource Amount)] /
Sum of (Resource Amount) } * 100
All resources will be considered
Calculated (read-only)
Earned Progress
Same as Activity % Complete
Resource
Manual entry. (Only resource that is selected
under drop-down). For all other resources,
Progress Quantity Progress Quantity will be calculated based on
(Leader Progress Quantity / Leader Quantity) *
Resource Quantity
Calculated (read-only)
Earned Progress
Same as Progress Quantity
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Activity or
Data Element Data Entry Method
Resource
Activity
Activity % Calculated (read-only)
Complete Same as Earned Progress
Earned Progress Manual entry
Resource
Calculated (read-only)
Progress Quantity
Same as Earned Progress
Earned Progress Manual entry
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% Complete and Earned Progress entry method = Activity and resource % earned updates %
complete
% Complete Calculation Method option = Not available
% Earned Calculation Method option = Manual activity % earned - updates resource % earned
then this data entry method scenario results:
Activity or
Data Element Data Entry Method
Resource
Activity
Calculated (read-only)
Activity % Complete
Same as Earned Progress
Earned Progress Manual entry
Resource
Calculated (read-only)
Progress Quantity
Same as Earned Progress
Calculated (read-only)
Earned Progress
(Activity-level Earned Progress * Quantity)
Activity or
Data Element Data Entry Method
Resource
Activity
Activity % Calculated (read-only)
Complete Same as Earned Progress
Earned Progress Calculated (Weighted Hours) and read-only.
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Activity or
Data Element Data Entry Method
Resource
Activity % Calculated (read-only)
Complete Same as Earned Progress
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Activity or
Data Element Data Entry Method
Resource
Activity
Calculated (read-only)
Activity % Complete
Same as Earned Progress
Calculated (read-Only) based Update Activity
and all resources on activity start and finish.
For example: If % earned on Actual Start = 5%
and % earned on Actual Finish = 95 % then,
Earned Progress
When Actual Start is entered, Earned Progress
= 5%
When Actual Finish is entered, Earned
Progress = 100%
Resource
Calculated (read-only)
Progress Quantity
Same as Earned Progress
Calculated (read Only) based Update Activity
and all resources on activity start and finish.
Earned Progress For example: If % earned on Actual Start = 5%
and % earned on Actual Finish = 95 % then,
When Actual Start is entered, Earned Progress
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= 5% * Quantity
When Actual Finish is entered, Earned
Progress = 100% * Quantity.
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Unifier User Mode
Activity (not started): If the Start Date is affected by a new activity calendar, the Start Date and
Finish Date will change to keep the Duration as specified. The system will use the next day on
the calendar.
Activity (not started): If the Finish Date is affected by a new activity calendar, the system will
select either a previous or next working day on the calendar.
Activity (in progress): If the Finish Date is affected by a new activity calendar, the system will
select either a previous or next working day on the calendar. The Start Date is not affected in
this case.
Activity (completed): No impact on Start Date or Finish Date for the activity.
Note: If you have marked the day of the week as a non-working day
throughout the calendar by selecting the day at the top of the calendar (for
example "Sat"), then you will not be able to mark individual days (that is,
individual Saturdays in this example) as working days. To be able to
include both working and non-working instances of a day of the week on
the calendar, you must select them individually.
5) Click OK.
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Unifier User's Guide
P6 Summary Sheets
Unifier allows you to store summarized data from P6 in the P6 Summary Sheets node.
To view the P6 Summary Sheets node in a Project or Shell, User mode, the Project or Shell
attribute form must have the Data Element (DE) uuu_int_schedule_type, and you (User) must
have the appropriate permissions for accessing the node.
The placement of P6 Summary Sheet node under the Schedule Manager is by default. A User can
move P6 Summary Sheet node under other Summary nodes (Example: Cost Manager) if needed.
The P6 Summary Sheets node contains one sheet, or more, that contains “summarized” P6 data:
Master Summary Sheet
Contains summarized data from the P6 Project and the sheet is linked to the current Project or
Shell.
Note: the Master Summary Sheet is not displayed as "Master" in the Master Summary Sheet
properties.
Baseline Summary Sheet
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A P6 Project can contain any number of baselines, or not baselines at all. A baseline is a copy
of the P6 Project that contains frozen data per Data Date. You can select to bring summarized
baseline data from a P6 Project to Unifier, via Gateway. The Baseline Summary Sheets that
you bring to Unifier, from a P6 Project, reside in the Master sheet below the P6 Summary
Sheets node, in Unifier.
Note: The Baseline Summary Sheet appears as an additional Schedule Sheets node under
the Schedule Manager.
Notes:
When a P6 User enters the actual and progress data in P6 Schedule,
the date is displayed as "Progress as of" date in P6 Schedule.
You cannot create a new P6 Summary Sheet in Unifier, manually.
Unifier allows a total of 12 summary sheets to be integrated: 1 current
Schedule Summary sheet and 11 Baseline Summary Sheets, or 12
Baseline Summary Sheets.
Notes:
The Space Manager is only available to shells; it cannot be used in the
Projects (Standard) node.
You cannot view .DWF files in Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox
browsers. To view .DWF files, use Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Using the Space Manager, you can gather data about the levels in your facility (such as floors and
parking lots) and the spaces that exist on each level (cubicles, offices, conference rooms, etc.).
Each level is supported by an AutoCAD® drawing. You can enter individual spaces into Unifier, or
directly onto an AutoCAD® drawing and classify them into categories (such as common areas, or
usable space) to make managing them more efficient. Similar to the Asset Manager, categories
(called types) of spaces can be designed in uDesigner, and you can then add records of individual
spaces to these types and manage them on an electronic sheet.
The Space Manager is a means of organizing all the square footage in your facility to make
monitoring, maintaining, and revising your facility more efficient. The Space Manager can be
integrated with other managers or business processes to give you a broader view of your
company’s physical capital and resources. For example, the Space Manager can be integrated
with the Asset Manager to include the computers that reside in each cubicle on a level; or
integrated with the Resource Manager to include the employees who occupy each space on a
level.
In uDesigner, one attribute form is designed for a “level” type in your facility and multiple attribute
forms for “spaces” types. With these attribute forms, you can create a hierarchy of levels and
spaces within levels to store the facilities data you choose to collect.
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Unifier User's Guide
In Unifier, the Sheets node in the Space Manager stores the manager sheet on which all the levels
in your facility are shown. Unifier automatically creates a level sheet for every level type that is
created. On these sheets, you can import and export drawing files to and from AutoCAD®, and
also import and export column data. From the level sheet, you can also automatically update
individual level records with data added to the sheet, either manually or via a formula created for a
column.
The Stack Plans node is where you can create stack plans to show the actual usage of the levels
in the company’s building(s). You can choose the information (data elements or specific spaces)
you want to see on the stack plan and update the plan periodically to keep abreast of changes in
the levels’ space usage. For example, you might want to know the square footage used by each
department on each floor (level); or how many square feet of a floor are vacant versus leased.
The Levels node lists all the levels that exist in your facility. Each level is supported by an
AutoCAD® drawing. This node is where you can create new levels or update existing ones,
download drawing files, add spaces to the level, attach a drawing to the level, and print the
drawing. This is where you can create new levels or update existing ones, import data from CSV
files, export templates to CSV.
The Spaces node shows a list of all the space types, and under the space type sub-node, all the
spaces that exist in your facility. This is where you can create new spaces or update existing ones,
import data from CSV files, export templates to CSV, and select spaces to view on the level
drawing.
The Space Manager allows you to identify floors and each space by type and associate attributes
to the particular spaces. For example, a multi-floor building could have many types of spaces,
such as offices, cubicles, restrooms, conferences room, laboratories, and eating areas.
You manage spaces according to space type. Examples of space types are:
Gross measured area, which is the entire square footage of a floor, from wall to wall
Common area, such as hallways, lobbies, and entrances.
Usable space, such as cubicles, offices, and conference rooms.
Vertical penetration, which includes elevators, stairwells, and columns.
The Space Manager is available within a shell. Each shell can have only one Space Manager. A
building is at the shell level. An example hierarchical arrangement of objects in the Space
Manager is as follows:
Buildings (shell level)
Levels (Floors) of the building or other similar structures (in this case, Floor is an example
of a level record)
Spaces in the building. These are the various spaces in the structure, such as
storage rooms, offices, and other interior spaces (space records). Spaces is a fixed
node designed in uDesigner.
The Space Manager includes a sheet to help you manage levels and spaces. The sheet will allow
you to create formulas to calculate total leasable and rentable space for a facility or building.
uCAD Plug-In
Users can integrate the Unifier Space Manager with AutoCAD® using the uCAD plug-in
application, which can be downloaded from Unifier. uCAD enables:
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Note: Excel 2003 cannot handle CSV files with 15 or more rows. In CSV
files, columns are separated with commas. When you open a CSV file
with Excel that has empty columns at the end of the file, Excel drops the
additional commas from the 15th row onward, resulting in an error when
you try to import the file. To work around this problem, do one of the
following:
Add your data to the CSV file in Excel and save the file. Then reopen
the file in a text editor such as Notepad, find the rows that have the
missing commas, and add the additional commas to these rows.
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Unifier User Mode
Use the text editor instead of Excel to modify column values in the
CSV file.
Note: You must use the Advanced File Transfer option to be able to
upload drawing files to use with the Space Manager.
2) Click Import.
3) In the File Upload window, browse for the file and click OK.
Unifier checks the file for the following items to make sure that valid records are created:
The file format of the imported file matches the interface design created in uDesigner.
Make sure that you are importing into the same log from which you exported the CSV
template file.
The required fields contain data in the correct format.
If an error occurs, an error message gives you the option to save a text file that lists the errors.
Opening Levels
You can view any of the level or space records in the logs. If there are many records listed in a
level or space log, you can use search criteria to narrow the options.
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Note: This is only available if there is a drawing file associated with level
record and user used uCAD to author space objects in AutoCAD®.
Note: This is only available if there is a drawing file associated with level
record and the user used uCAD to author space objects in AutoCAD®.
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Note: Space records and logs can include the field Polyline Deleted (or a
similarly named field) that indicates whether a polyline that was linked to a
space record has been deleted in uCAD. The field is blank if there is no
linked polyline provided in uCAD, or if the polyline exists and is not
deleted. If there was a linked polyline, and it has been deleted, this field
will contain the value “Deleted”. This indicates that the space record can
be linked to another polyline. This field is always read-only. The space
record in Unifier is not deleted.
If an error occurs, an error message gives you the option to save a text file that lists the errors. For
information on viewing the error file, see Exporting and Importing CSV Level Templates and
Records (on page 786).
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Unifier User Mode
2) Click Export Template. This will export a CSV file based on the integration design of space
type defined in uDesigner. This can be used to create space records through CSV instead of
manually creating by clicking New.
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The Space Content window works the same as the Reference Records window described
under Business Processes, except that the Transfer and Reset buttons are not available for
space records. Information on how you can use the graph and list is documented under
Business Processes. See What you can do on the Reference Graph window (see "What
you can do on the Reference Graph window:" on page 229) and What you can do on the
Reference and Linked Records window (on page 242).
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6) Click OK.
To export a sheet
1) In User Mode, in the shell, select Space Manager > Levels Sheet.
2) Select a sheet, and click Export. See Exporting and Importing CSV Level Templates and
Records (on page 786) to export and modify the template.
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Ability to keep uCAD's Space and Level attribute form designs in synchronize with Unifier via
an Auto Synchronize feature.
In addition, your desktop system must have one of the following supported AutoCAD® versions:
AutoCAD® 2007, AutoCAD® 2008, and AutoCAD® 2010.
To upload drawing files for use with Space Manager, you must also install the Unifier File Transfer
Application, and choose Advanced as your File Transfer option. (The File Transfer options are in
the Unifier User Preferences window. The File Transfer Application plug-in and installation
instructions are in the Unifier Support window, Download tab.)
Note: The uCAD Application and uClient Configurator are installed locally
and run as client-side applications on your local system. If you access
Unifier from a different computer where you have not installed these
applications, and attempt to upload, download or attach files, you will be
presented with an error. You must install uCAD and uClient Configurator
on each computer on which you intend to use the functionality.
Configuring uCAD
After installing uCAD, you can configure it. This consists of the following:
View uCAD connections. These connections are maintained in the uClient Configurator.
You can optionally configure uCAD to automatically synchronize with your AutoCAD®
designs.
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Unifier User Mode
Enabling Auto-Synchronization
uCAD enables you to integrate your AutoCAD® drawings with Unifier's Space Manager. In order
to do this, you must first import Space Manager designs into uCAD. These designs include level
type, space types, and the data elements on the Space Manager attribute forms that have been
enabled for uCAD Integration in uDesigner.
This import process can be done manually, or you can choose the uCAD Auto Synchronization
option. When this option is enabled, uCAD will check for any new space types that have been
imported into Unifier from uDesigner, or any changes to the data elements enabled for uCAD
Integration in existing level or space types.
With Auto Synchronization is enabled, uCAD tries to connect to Unifier when you open a drawing
file that was previously set up with a connection to check if there have been any changes to the
design. This is done in the background. If the application detects changes, you are asked if you
want to import them into Unifier. If you ignore the message, you can continue working with the
drawing file. If you accept the changes, close the drawing file so that uCAD can rebuild the menu
structure and map data to the new imported design.
If you choose not to enable Auto Synchronization, you must manually import any new designs.
To enable auto synchronization of drawing file changes between AutoCAD® and Unifier
1) Open the uCAD Configurator window, and select the Connections node.
2) Click the Edit button.
3) Select Auto Synchronize Design and click OK.
To manually import Space Manager design for the Levels and Space types
1) Open the uCAD Configurator window.
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To manually import Space Manager designs for the Levels and Space types
1) Open the uCAD Configurator window.
2) Click on a connection listed in the Connections node.
3) Click the Import button.
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Note: If a picker data element has been added to uCAD integration, it will
display on the form as a text entry field. You must enter a valid value. For
example, if you have a Level Picker field, you must type the level name
exactly as it appears in the space record form.
3) After completing the form, click OK. The drawing file is now ready to be associated with a level
record. This level record will either be created new, if never created before, or updated with
new data if this level and associated drawing has not yet been imported into the Space
Manager in Unifier.
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Unifier User Mode
The data elements displayed on this space form are those that were added to the uCAD
integration design in uDesigner. This form and its content is based on the selected connection
(that is, the Unifier environment from which the designs were imported) while setting up this
drawing file.
Note: If a picker data element has been added to uCAD integration, it will
display on the form as a text entry field. You must enter a valid value. For
example, if you have a Level Picker field, you must type the level name
exactly as it appears in the space record form.
6) Click OK.
The space polyline is now created and linked to the uCAD space object. Notice the space tag
that has been placed in the middle of the space on the drawing reflecting the space Name,
Type, and Area. These data elements are defined for the space type (Edit Studio window,
Options tab; refer to the Primavera uDesigner User's Guide).
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Unifier User Mode
Note: Space records and logs can include the field Polyline Deleted (or a
similarly named field) that indicates whether a polyline that was linked to a
space record has been deleted in uCAD. The field is blank if there is no
linked polyline provided in uCAD, or if the polyline exists and is not
deleted. If there was a linked polyline, and it has been deleted, this field
will contain the value “Deleted”. This indicates that the space record can
be linked to another polyline. This field is always read-only. The space
record in Unifier is not deleted.
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3) Select All to view all outlines around all spaces in the drawing, or select space types to view
outlines around specific space types.
4) Click OK.
Note: Ensure that you save your drawing file in AutoCAD prior to using
the Generate uCAD Files option. This is to ensure that the drawing file and
the published file are in synch.
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Unifier User Mode
The uCAD plug-in must be installed on the machine from which you import the drawing files. If
uCAD is not installed, you receive a message to install it.
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Unifier User's Guide
Note: Anytime the administrator changes the fill space colors, you will
have to send the drawing back to AutoCAD and re-import it into Unifier in
order to acquire the new colors.
1) In Unifier, open the drawing. Unifier displays the drawing and a mini-log of spaces below the
drawing.
2) On the toolbar above the mini-log, click the Fill By button (or choose Fill By from the View
menu).
3) From the list that appears, choose the fill you want to see on the drawing.
The drawing will change to show the color you selected.
Note: When you save the drawing, Unifier will save it with the current fill
settings. These are the settings you will see the next time you open the
drawing.
Note: Anytime the administrator changes the display text, you will have to
send the drawing back to AutoCAD and re-import it into Unifier in order to
acquire the new text.
Note: When you save the drawing, Unifier will save it with the current text
settings. These are the settings you will see the next time you open the
drawing.
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Record
Prints comments associated with file attachments to the record.
Attachments >
"Record Attachments" must also be selected to select this option.
Comments
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Unifier User Mode
Unifier Reports
The following sections provide details about the User Defined Report (UDRs) in Unifier.
Also see the Internationalization and CSV Files section for language (Internationalization)
details.
Report Types
You can create and run user-defined reports of the following types:
Tabular: This is the basic report format, arranging information vertically in columns. Tabular
reports are a way to present related information for multiple records on the same page.
Cross tab: Cross tab reports allow the display of data on two axes and enable users to run
time-series reports defined by two data sources, for example, payments made per quarter per
vendor.
Summary: Summary reports can be run to display summary data. Project-level summary reports
can also be used to customize the project summary page and include the information that is most
useful for you.
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Alert: Project- or shell-level alert reports are used to set up and customize system alerts based on
project- or shell-level triggers that you specify. For example, you have an alert let you know when
your remaining budget is getting low. Alerts are set up and customized by users for their own use
using alert reports.
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Unifier User Mode
Use for
Maintenan
Project Shell Program Company UDR
Data Type ce
UDR UDR UDR UDR Template
Managem
ent Only
Accounts Sheet x
Active Task
x x x x
Information
Asset Summary Sheet x
Audit x x
Commitment
x x x
Summary
Company Cash Flow x
Company Cost x
Company User
x
Information
Cost Sheet - WBS x x x x
Cost Transactions
x x x x
-WBS
Cost Transactions MC
x x
- WBS
Data Views x x x x x
Document Manager x x x x x
Document
x
Manager—Company
Equipment x x
Funding x x x x
Gates x x x x
Inventory x x
Inventory On-hand
x x
Detail
Item Master x x
Job Plan x x
Master PM Book x x
Master PM Meter
x x
Schedule
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Unifier User's Guide
Master PM Time
x x
Schedule
Material Transaction x x
Partner User
x
Information
PM Book x x
PM Meter Schedule x x
PM Time Schedule x x
Program Cash flow x
Program Cost x
Program Schedule x
Resource Booking x x
Resource
x
Manager—All Actuals
Resource
Manager—Allocated x x x
Roles
Resource
Manager—Booked x x x
Resources
Resource
Manager—Project x x x
Actuals
Resource Manager -
Resources x
(Company)
Resource
x
Manager—Roles
Resource
x x x
Manager—Sheets
Service Center x x
Service Request x x
Schedule of Values x x x x x
Shell or Project Cash
x x x x x
Flow
Shell or Project Cost x x x x
Shell or Project x x x x
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Unifier User Mode
Groups
Shell or Project
x x x
Information
Shell or Project Users x x x
Workflow Information x x x x x
Work Order x x
Work Order Items x x
Work Order Role x x
(Asset class name) x
(Business process
x x x
name)
(Planning type name) x
Note: User-defined reports created with data view data types require the
data view to be in "published" status. If the data view was changed to
"draft" status, the report will not run, and you will see an alert.
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Notes tab: You can enter report notes that will be included only on the current report
results to be generated, and will not be saved or generated in any subsequent report
results. To enter notes, the data element runtime notes must be present in the report layout
(Edit Report window, Layout tab).
Shells tab: The Shells tab appears for shell-level reports only. On this tab, you can choose
to exclude inactive shells in the report run.
5) Click Run to generate the user-defined report.
When the report is generated, you will be prompted to open or save the file. Click Open to view
the file. PDF files will open in Acrobat Reader, from which you can save the file to your local
drive by clicking File > Save. XML files will open in a pop-up browser window. Or click Save to
save the file to your local drive.
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Microsoft Excel or another software application you have set up for this
format. You will be prompted to save the file or open it.
Excel Displays the report in Microsoft Excel format in the browser
window. You can save an Excel formatted copy of the report or print
from the window. (Click the File menu and select SaveAs or Print.)
PDF Opens Adobe Acrobat Reader and displays the report in PDF
format. You can save a copy of the report and/or print it from the PDF
window. (Click the File menu and select Save or Print.)
XML Generates the output in XML format. Before the results are
generated, a confirmation window will open, giving you the option to
save the XML file to your local machine (click Save), or display the
results in a pop-up browser window (click Open).
If you want to save the report, choose the location it should be saved in.
Save results in Unifier This checkbox becomes active if you select PDF
or XML. Selecting this checkbox will save a copy of the PDF or XML
report within Unifier and make it available for retrieval.
Note: Scheduled report runs can be saved and retrieved in PDF or XML
Save Report formats and sent to the report owner or to the owner and other users
Location and groups. These are chosen in the Schedule tab of the Edit Report
window.
Document Manager saves the report in the Document Manager of
Unifier. If you choose this option, you need to specify a name for the
report (Save As) and which folder of the Document Manager it should
be saved in (Location).
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Example
Depending on how the report was set up (specifically, if "Allow users to modify value(s) during
execution" was enabled in the creation step), you may add or remove projects or shells from the
list as needed. You also have the option of selecting to display the list in the report.
Note: For information on the Report Format section of the window, see
the instructions under "Add query parameters (Query tab).
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Unifier User Mode
Example
Note: For information on the Report Format section of the window, see
the instructions under "Add query parameters (Query tab).
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Example
Note: For information on the Report Format section of the window, see
the instructions under "Add query parameters (Query tab).
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Unifier User Mode
2) Select a report from the log and click the Saved Results button. The Saved Results window
opens.
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Note: Scheduled report runs can be saved and retrieved in PDF or XML
formats and sent to the report owner or to the owner and other users and
groups. These are chosen in the Schedule tab of the Edit Report window.
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Unifier User Mode
Note: The default time zone for a report is set up when the report is
designed. It can reflect the time zone of the person running the report, as
defined in user preferences, or it can be fixed to a particular time zone,
such as the project location or company headquarters. If the "user’s time
zone" option was selected in the set up of this report, the time zone
reflected on the scheduled report results will that of the report owner.
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4) You will be prompted to open or save the results file. Click Open to view the file. PDF files will
open in Acrobat Reader, from which you can save the file to your local drive by clicking File >
Save. XML files will open in a pop-up browser window. Or click Save to save the file to your
local drive.
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Note: The following instructions assume that you know how to access
Unifier using an internet browser. If you need further information about
any of the features (e.g., working with business processes, assets, shells,
uMail, etc.) described here, see the appropriate sections in the online
help.
Requirements
The following lists the general requirements:
Smart mobile phone, or similar mobile device, capable of accessing the web using the mobile
browser.
Note: Plain text is not supported. No special application needs to be installed for this solution.
A mobile browser that accepts cookies.
Note: If you experience problem signing in to Unifier for Mobile, enable your mobile device to
accept cookies. Refer to the mobile device owner's manual for instruction.
The following lists the specific requirements:
To view business process records, assets and shells on a mobile device, they must first be
enabled and set up for mobile use in uDesigner. See the Primavera uDesigner User's Guide
for details. No other special setup is required.
You can view Tasks and Messages logs, but the records will not be accessible without first
enabling the business processes in uDesigner.
By default, uMail, standard project details, and the standard project user directory are
accessible on Unifier for Mobile without special setup.
Features
With Unifier for mobile, you can perform many common Unifier tasks. The following features are
supported on Unifier for mobile:
Bookmarks
Add bookmarks to your mobile version of Unifier, for easier navigation.
These bookmarks are separate from the bookmarks you may have in standard Unifier.
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uMail
Create new uMail messages
View or reply to uMail that you receive
Access your uMail at the company, project or shell level
Asset Manager
View asset logs and records
Create new asset records, or edit existing records
Assets are displayed in a flat navigation
Asset sheets are not available on a mobile device
Note: See Supported Features (on page 825) for details about what is
supported for the features listed above.
Supported Features
All supported features are in User Mode; Administration Mode features are not available.
Only those business processes, assets or shells enabled for mobile access will appear in the
logs when accessed through Unifier for mobile.
In order to view business process records, assets or shells on your mobile device, the
business process, asset class, or shell type must first be enabled and set up for mobile access.
This is done in uDesigner. See the Primavera uDesigner User's Guide for details.
If you are completing a form with a BP Picker, Asset Picker or Shell Picker, all business
processes, assets and shells will be selectable on that picker, regardless of whether they are
mobile enabled - you just won't be able to view the records themselves through Unifier for
mobile. In shell pickers, shells are grouped by each main shell tab (single-instance shell), with
all of its child shells displayed in a flat list.
Most business process types are supported, with the following exceptions:
Lease
Resource booking
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Unifier User's Guide
Timesheets
Document type
RFB
Project/Shell Creator
Payment applications are supported, although the default line item grid view is not
available. Payment application information must be entered one line item at a time.
Some picker elements are not currently supported for mobile use. If they are present on a
form, they will be read-only when the form is viewed on a mobile device. These elements are:
Activity picker
Image picker (displays the image file name)
Level picker
Location picker
Planning item picker
Program picker
Resource picker
Role picker
Sys Date Datasource picker
Sys Date Logical Datasource picker
Week picker
User-defined Reports (UDRs) are not available through the mobile interface.
Signing In
Your Unifier environment is available for your mobile device as long as you have access to the
internet and a web-enabled mobile browser. To use Unifier for mobile, sign in to mobile version of
Unifier. To do this, simply add a "/m" at the end of your normal Unifier web address.
For example: https://your-web-address.com/m
To sign in to Unifier for mobile:
1) Be sure your mobile device has web access.
2) In your mobile web browser, enter the URL you normally use to access Unifier, followed by /m
(for example: https: https://your-web-address.com/m). The mobile sign in screen opens.
3) Sign in to Unifier as your normally would: enter your Unifier user name and password, choose
your company from the pull-down if applicable, and click the Sign In button. The Home page
opens. Depending on your mobile device, you may also be able to select a checkbox to
remember your user name and password on the device (see example below.)
Note: If you are having trouble signing in to Unifier for mobile, you can try
enabling cookies on your mobile browser. Requirements (on page 824)
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Unifier User Mode
Navigating
Unifier for mobile devices provides a simplified Unifier user interface to help you quickly perform
common tasks or access the information you need.
The mobile version of Unifier is a simplified version of the Unifier interface. There is no left
navigator, and no pop-up windows. A limited number of User Mode features are accessible
through the mobile device. Administration Mode features are not available.
Home page
Listed below is a summary of the Unifier User Mode features that you might access on your mobile
device. This list shows the default names of supported nodes; depending on your company's
Unifier configuration, naming conventions, and your permission levels, the links you see may
differ, and will reflect the labels you normally see on your Unifier navigation nodes.
Tasks: all tasks are listed; if the business process has been enabled for mobile use, the task
will display as a clickable link
Messages: displays the contents of your Messages log
uMail Inbox: corresponds to your uMail inbox
Company Workspace: corresponds to the user mode Company Workspace
Projects: this will display the name used for standard projects
Shell(s): any tab or tabs used for configurable shells will be listed
Bookmarks: if you have created bookmarks on your mobile device, they will be listed here; any
bookmarks you may have created in standard Unifier do not automatically display here
Links
At the bottom of each page are easy-to-navigate links.
If you are at your home page, the links are:
Manage Bookmarks: allows you to reorder, remove or change the name of your bookmarks
(you can add bookmarks from any open log or navigation page)
Sign Out: click this link to sign out of Unifier mobile
If you are at any page other than your home page, the links are:
Back: this link will return you to the last page that you visited. Use this link, rather than any
Back button or link that your device may have.
Home: click this link to return to your home page
Sign Out: click this link to sign out of Unifier mobile
Buttons
Most allowable functions for a feature are available by buttons that usually appear at the bottom of
the screen. For example, on log screens, the Add Bookmark button is available, which you can
click to bookmark the page.
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Opening Forms
When you open a business process form, asset form, or the shell details on a mobile device, the
fields will display in a flat list. The form fields function much the same way as they do in the
standard Unifier interface. For example, you can select or deselect checkboxes and radio buttons,
click a pull-down menu to choose an option, and type information directly into text fields.
As in standard Unifier, some fields such as pickers and multi-select fields have a Select button.
For pickers, when you click Select, a picker window opens. Each option includes a link; click the
link to select the entry. For multi-select entries, click the Select button, then select the checkboxes
next to your entry choices and click OK. The choices that you are presented with in these pickers
are the same as when accessed through standard Unifier.
Because Unifier for mobile devices uses plain HTML that allows it to display on virtually any mobile
browser, there are some dynamic features that will not work the same way as they do in standard
Unifier. If you have a dynamic data set on a business process, the pull-down menus associated
with it will not dynamically filter the display lists. This means that fields that are part of dynamic
data sets will display all options on all fields. Upon saving or submitting a form, validation is run to
ensure that the combination you choose is valid. If not, an error will display, and you can choose
different values for the fields. (For example, if your dynamic data set filters out cities based on a
previously selected state, then even after selecting the state, the city list will include all cities in the
system, regardless of state. Upon saving or sending the form, the system will validate your
selections to make sure that the city and state combination you chose is valid.)
Formula fields will not refresh automatically. When formula fields are present on a form, a Refresh
button is available. Click the Refresh button to refresh the field if you have changed other fields
that may affect its value.
Some pickers are not mobile-supported and will display as read-only.
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Unifier User Mode
Open a project, shell or the company workspace to access their respective business process
logs, uMail, Tasks and Messages, the company Asset Manager, and other mobile-supported
information
View project/shell details
Access the project/ shell user directory
Shells are displayed in a flat navigation
Note: Refer to Supported Features (on page 825) for details about what
is supported for the features listed above.
To open a project
1) Sign in to Unifier for mobile and navigate to the Home page.
2) Click the Projects link. The Projects log lists all projects you have permission to view. The
project numbers are clickable links.
3) Click a project number link. The project opens. The default links are:
Tasks
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Messages
uMail Inbox
Information
Details: Displays information about the project from the project details
Directory: Displays the project team members
General (BP log)
Data Manager (BP logs)
Business Processes (BP logs)
To open a shell
1) Sign in to Unifier for mobile and navigate to the Home page.
On the Home page, shells are listed by the root shell. (In standard Unifier, these root shells
appear as tabs at the top of the window.) Only shell types that have been enabled for mobile
access (on the shell attribute form in uDesigner) will be listed. This is true of the root shells and
their child shells.
2) Click the link of a root shell. The shell log opens. All child shells are listed in the log, in a flat list.
The hierarchy of the shells is not displayed. The shell numbers are clickable links.
3) Click a shell number link. The shell opens. The default links are:
Tasks
Messages
uMail Inbox
Information
Details: Displays information about the shell from the shell details, and includes the
fields that have been mobile-enabled for the shell attribute form
Directory: Displays the shell team members
General (BP log)
Data Manager (BP logs)
Business Processes (BP logs)
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Unifier User Mode
Business Processes
The forms you see on a mobile device are a simplified version of the business process records you
work with when accessing Unifier through an Internet Explorer browser. The mobile version of the
form may contain all of the fields that you would see on the form when accessed through a regular
browser, or, for ease of use, it may be designed to display a subset of the original fields.
Most business process types can be used on a mobile device, with some exceptions. Some picker
elements are not currently supported for use on a mobile device, and display as read-only. For
supported business process types and pickers, see Supported Features (on page 825).
If you are used to working with standard Unifier through an Internet Explorer browser, you will
notice that the mobile version of Unifier does not use pop-up windows. Each screen opens in the
main window, so you will move back and forth between screens when entering information such
as line items or general comments. The simplified interface makes this easy to get used to.
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Unifier User Mode
To view tasks at the company level or for a specific project or shell, click the
CompanyWorkspace link, or open a project or shell, then click the Tasks link.
You can also open a task from the log for the business process.
2) Click a record number link. The business process view form opens.
3) Scroll down to the bottom of the form and click the Accept Task button. The form now
becomes editable, and you can
Add or edit information to the upper form
Add or manage line items
Add a general comment
Text type business processes may require input from you or a response. Click the Edit or
Response button as needed.
4) When the form is complete, click the Workflow Action drop-down list and select an action.
5) Click Send.
6) If prompted to select users or groups, select the checkbox next to the user or group, and click
Send.
7) At the conformation message, click Ok.
Declining a Task
The same restrictions apply regarding declining tasks in Unifier for mobile as in standard Unifier.
To decline a task
1) From the Tasks log, click the business process record link. The form opens.
2) Scroll down to the bottom of the form and click the Decline Task button.
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Payment application business processes are supported; however, the default line item grid view is
not available. Payment application line items can be viewed one at a time from the line item list,
like other line item business processes accessed on a mobile device (new line items cannot be
added, since payment application line items are generated automatically from the referenced
commit and change commits). Information can be added or edited in editable fields.
Note: The name of this button will reflect the name of the line item tab on
the business process form, which is part of the form design in uDesigner.
If this is a multi-tab business process, there may be additional buttons,
each representing a line item tab.
4) Scroll down and click the New button. The detail form opens.
5) Complete the detail form and click OK. You can click Cancel to return to the line item list.
The buttons in the Line Items section of a form correspond to line item tabs. Click a button to
add a line item in that tab.
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Unifier User Mode
Workflow Action
This procedure is applicable to workflow business processes.
Using Mobile Device to Upload Photos into a Business Process (BP) Record
You can use your mobile device to attach new and existing photos to a business process (BP)
record that has been enabled for mobile access.
Several types, sub-types, and other classifications of BPs support photo attachments. Business
processes that support photo attachments are:
Cost-type (Exceptions: Lease BP and Reservation BP)
Line item-type (Exceptions: Preventive Maintenance BPs)
Simple-type
Business processes that do not support photo attachments are:
Text-type (although enabled for mobile access, this BP does not support photo attachments
because attachments are associated with comments).
Document-type (with folder structure and without folder structure)
RFB
Resource (Resource Booking and Timesheet)
Project/Shell Creator (Simple and Line Item)
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Note: Unifier Mobile does not support adding other forms of attachments.
You can monitor the upload process in the lower portion of the Attachment screen (at the end of
the record).
To attach photos from your mobile phone to an existing, or new, Workflow BP record:
1) Use your mobile phone to sign in to Unifier and go to the desired BP record.
2) Ensure that the BP record is in Edit mode.
3) Click Add Attachments (appearing at the end of the record) to display your mobile phone
directory.
4) Go to your mobile phone images, or photos, folder.
Note: Each type of mobile phone has a distinctive directory and folder
structure. For details about accessing a folder on your mobile phone
that contains images, or photos, refer to the manufacturer user
manual.
5) Proceed to select photos, one photo at a time.
6) When finished, click Done and wait until the attachments are uploaded and you see the Unifier
Mobile page.
During the upload, a processing icon indicates activity in progress. Ensure that you wait until
the processing icon disappears and a thumbnail of your photo appears on your screen. At this
point, the system places the attached photo in the Unifier server.
7) (Optional) Click Add Attachments to attach more photos.
Note: When you select a photo, the Cancel option on the screen
changes to Done. The Cancel option allows you to exit without
attaching photos.
When you attach a photo for the first time, a thumbnail of the photo appears in front of the
photo file name. This is a single incident. The thumbnail disappears after you open the file or
when you navigate to another area.
8) Ensure that the attachments are uploaded by following these steps:
1. Check the screen and ensure that the correct number of attachments is shown in the
parenthesis. Example: Attachments (2)
2. Check the screen and ensure that you see the name of the files and a thumbnail for each
file, next to the file name.
3. Click a file name, which is a hyperlink for JPEG file types only, to open the photo in full-view
mode and ensure that the photo is uploaded into the record correctly.
4. Repeat the preceding step, if you attached more than one photo.
Note: If the existing attachments on the screen are non-JPEG file
types, then only the file names are displayed, without any hyperlinks.
You cannot open any other file types via this portal.
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Unifier User's Guide
Adding Bookmarks
To add a bookmark
1) Log into Unifier for mobile and navigate to the appropriate log.
2) Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Add Bookmark link. The Bookmark window
opens.
3) In the Bookmark Name field, you can accept the default name, or enter a new name.
4) Click OK. You are returned to the log.
You can add bookmarks to your mobile version of Unifier, for easier navigation. These bookmarks
are separate from the bookmarks you may have in standard Unifier.
Managing Bookmarks
To reorder, rename or remove a bookmark:
1) Navigate to the Home page. (From any Unifier for mobile window, scroll down to the bottom of
the screen and click the Home link.)
2) Click the Manage Bookmarks link at the bottom of the screen. The Manage Bookmarks
window opens.
3) Do one of the following:
To change the order, select one or more bookmarks, then click the Move Up or
MoveDown button to move up or down the list. This is the display order that appears on
the Home page.
To rename a bookmark, select it from the list and click the Edit button. Enter the new name
and click Ok.
To remove a bookmark, select it from the list and click Remove. The bookmark is removed
and you are returned to the Home page.
Using Bookmarks
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Unifier User Mode
Note: The Assets are displayed in a flat navigation and the Asset sheets
are not available on a mobile device.
Note: If no asset classes have been mobile-enabled (or if you do not have
permission to view assets), then the Asset Manager section will not
display.
4) Click the link for the asset class you want to access. The log for that asset class opens, listing
all of the available asset records. Assets are listed in a flat list. The asset codes are clickable
links.
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Note: If this is a new asset, the record needs to be saved at least once (to
create the record in the system) before adding a general comment. Click
the Save button to save the record. At the confirmation, click OK. You will
be returned to the record, and the General Comment button becomes
available.
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Unifier User Mode
To view all of your uMail messages, click the uMails Inbox link from the Home page.
To view uMail messages in a specific project or shell, open the project or shell and then
click uMails Inbox.
The uMails Inbox log opens. Unread messages are shown in bold.
3) Click a message to open it.
Accessing Reports
2) Select a report.
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3) Click Open > Details from the menu. A screen displays where you can see additional
information regarding the report. Only the first two columns of the report are displayed.
3) The name of the report displays at the top. You can scroll down and see the complete list of
details of the record.
4) Return to the report project or shell list by clicking esc or an equivalent control on the mobile
device.
Column detail
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Unifier User Mode
2) Click Search.
6) To cancel the search option, select Cancel from the menu. You can clear fields by clicking on
Clear Fields or enter special characters by selecting Show Symbol option.
To change options
1) From the Search screen, click -Sel- next to the option to change. You can change values such
as status, quantity, amount, etc. For example if you want to change the status of a report to
pending, select -Sel- next to Status.
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2) Select Change Option from the menu. The options display. In the example below, the Status
options are displayed.
3) You can also change criteria for numeric information in the search screen, such as for quantity,
unit cost, or amount. For example, to change quantity, click -Sel- next to Quantity in the Search
by column.
4) Click Change Option, and then select an option (in this example, select "less than or equal
to").
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Sync reports
You can sync existing reports on your mobile device with your latest Unifier reports and then
download new reports.
To sync reports
1) Select the Show Mobile List option from the menu on the main screen. The list of available
reports (marked Mobile) is displayed.
2) Select one or more reports to synchronize by highlighting and pushing the wheel.
3) Select the -Sync- label and push the wheel to download the latest reports from Unifier. The
device connects to Unifier to download the latest information from the reports.
The connecting screen displays a please wait message. Once reports are synced up, a
confirmation message displays.
Once sync is done, the main screen displays where you can access the latest information from
the reports. The Last Sync column displays when a report is synced up and reflects the latest
information.
The following screen shows the synchronized report with the last sync date.
Note: If you select a report that already exists on the device, it will be
updated with the latest information. If you select a report that already
exists on the device but the name of the report is modified on the Unifier
side, the current report details will be downloaded to the device and the
report on the device will be updated with the current name. If you select a
report that does not exist on the device, the report details will be
downloaded to the device.
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Note: You cannot set the User's Preferences when accessing Unifier by
way of your mobile phone.
The contents that appear in the Unifier application UI (also known as System Strings) cannot be
modified by the Users. The System Strings are available in different languages, per user
preferences.
Example
Sign In and Terms and Condition pages, Menus, Alerts, and Errors
In contrast, the content of the material created by the Users (also known as Custom Strings) can
be translated into different languages.
Example
Business Process (BP) name, Data Element (DE) label, pull-down values, radio button, text in
lines, navigation log names, and multi select values
The number formatting is displayed in the View mode of the forms and according to the User's
Preferences and includes currency symbols and digit grouping symbols.
Note: When the form is in Edit mode, the application displays the numeric
data as it was entered originally, and the number formatting does not take
place.
You can enter comma as a decimal symbol and if you enter digit grouping symbol, or currency
symbol, then the application displays the value in the field as 0 (zero) upon form submission.
You can enter parenthesis for a negative number. The value of the field is displayed as 0 (zero)
upon form submission. Negative numbers must be entered with a dash sign (-) before the number,
for example, a valid negative numeric data can be -123,99 or -123.99.
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For More Information
Note: The Company Administrators for Unifier Cloud must use the
Primavera Unifier Cloud Service Administrators Setup Guide instead of all
the other installation and configuration guides in the Primavera Unifier
Online Documentation Library.
Online Help
If you have a question or need further assistance regarding a specific feature, review the online
help.
Click the Help menu from any Primavera Unifier window, and choose:
Unifier Help: This link goes to the Oracle Technical Network (OTN) Primavera Unifier Online
Document Library. From here you can access:
Primavera Unifier Online Help
Primavera Unifier Administration Guide
Primavera Unifier User's Guide
Primavera uDesigner User's Guide
Primavera Unifier Reference Guide
You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed (available free at www.adobe.com).
BP-specific Help: If your company has provided customized Help files for individual business
processes, you can access them through the business process log or the Help menu.
Note: For the full list of system requirements, supported software, and
versions, see the Tested Configurations document under “Installation and
Configuration Documentation” in the Primavera Unifier Online
Documentation Library.
Documentation
Complete documentation libraries for Primavera Unifier releases are available on the Oracle
Technology Network (OTN) at:
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/documentation/default-1870233.html
From this location you can either view libraries online or download them to have local copies. We
recommend viewing them from OTN to ensure you always access the latest versions, including
critical corrections and enhancements.
Primavera Unifier is configured to access its help system directly on OTN. However, a
downloadable version of the help system is also available on OTN if you need to download,
deploy, and access a local copy.
The documentation assumes a standard setup of the product, with full access rights to all features
and functions.
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The following table describes the core documents available for Primavera Unifier.
Supplementary Documentation
Title Description
What's New Contains key enhancements in the current
release of Primavera Unifier.
All users should read this guide.
Cumulative Features Overview Tool Provides an overview of features and
enhancements included in Oracle
Primavera products. It is intended solely to
help you assess the business benefits of
upgrading and to plan your I.T. projects.
All users should read this guide.
Readme for Media Pack Contains a table that can help you
determine what downloads are required to
run your licenses.
All users should read this guide.
Licensing Information User Manual Contains information about the third-party
proprietary and open source software used
in Oracle Primavera Unifier.
All users should read this guide.
Where to Get Documentation, Training, and Contains information about resources to
Support help you with the operation of Oracle
Primavera Unifier.
All users should read this guide.
Installation Documentation
Title Description
Primavera Unifier Installation and Setup Describes how to:
Guide For WebLogic Application Server Set up Primavera Unifier servers and
third party services
Install and configure Primavera Unifier
components
IT professionals who are installing and
configuring the server environment, and the
Primavera Unifier network
administrator/database administrator and
Primavera Unifier administrator should read
this guide.
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For More Information
Title Description
Primavera Unifier Installation and Setup Describes how to:
Guide for WebSphere Application Server Set up the Primavera Unifier servers
and third party services on Linux
(64-bit)
Install and configure Primavera Unifier
components
IT professionals who are installing and
configuring the server environment, and the
Primavera Unifier network
administrator/database administrator and
Primavera Unifier administrator should read
this guide.
Unifier Performance and Sizing Guide Provides guidance for planning product
deployment with:
Estimates of hardware and software
requirements for Primavera Unifier
Recommendations for deploying
small-scale to large-scale
configurations
The Unifier network administrator/database
administrator and Unifier administrator
should read this guide.
Unifier Upgrade Guide Provides information on how to upgrade to
the latest version of with Oracle Primavera
Unifier.
The Unifier network administrator/database
administrator and Unifier administrator
should read this guide.
Tested Configurations Provides the tested configurations for
Previously: System Configuration Oracle Primavera Unifier and includes list
Information of applications and supported version
levels.
All users should read this guide.
The Unifier network administrator/database
administrator and Unifier administrator
should read this guide.
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Title Description
Primavera Unifier Security Guide Provides guidelines on how to plan your
security strategy for Oracle Primavera
Unifier.
All users should read this guide.
The Unifier network administrator/database
administrator and Unifier administrator
should read this guide.
Configuration Documentation
Title Description
Primavera uClient Configurator Setup Describes how to set up the Primavera
Guide uClient Configurator.
All users should read this guide.
Primavera Unifier File Transfer Utility Describes how to download and install the
Instructions Primavera Unifier File Transfer Utility.
All users should read this guide.
uCAD Installation and User's Guide Provides instructions on how to download
and install the Primavera Unifier uCAD
Application on your desktop and configure it
to work with your AutoCAD® application. It
also includes details on how to use uCAD
with AutoCAD and Primavera Unifier.
All users should read this guide.
Configuring BI Publisher for Unifier Provides instructions on how to:
Download BI Publisher.
Configure BI Publisher settings.
Configure BI Publisher in Primavera
Unifier.
Create BI Publisher reports.
Run BI Publisher reports.
The Primavera Unifier network
administrator/database administrator and
Primavera Unifier administrator should read
this guide.
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For More Information
Title Description
Configuring Unifier for Single Sign On Provides procedures to configure
Primavera Unifier that is running on
Windows (64-bit) or on Linux operating
systems for Single Sign On (SSO).
The Primavera Unifier network
administrator/database administrator and
Primavera Unifier administrator should read
this guide.
Connecting Oracle Enterprise Manager to Provides instructions on how to enable
Primavera Unifier Metrics Enterprise Manager to display certain
Primavera Unifier metrics.
The Primavera Unifier network
administrator/database administrator and
Primavera Unifier administrator should read
this guide.
Connecting Oracle Identity Manager 11g to Guides administrators in configuring Oracle
Primavera Unifier Identity Manager (OIM) to be used with
Primavera Unifier.
The Primavera Unifier network
administrator/database administrator and
Primavera Unifier administrator should read
this guide.
Connecting the Content Repository to Provides instructions on how to:
Primavera Unifier Configure Oracle WebCenter Content
Core Capabilities after you install it.
Configure Microsoft SharePoint after
you install it.
Configure CMIS-compliant repositories
after you install one.
Configure the Primavera Unifier File
Repository.
Set your content repository settings in
Primavera Unifier to connect to your
content repository.
The Primavera Unifier network
administrator/database administrator and
Primavera Unifier administrator should read
this guide.
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Unifier User's Guide
User Documentation
Title Description
Primavera Unifier Help Provides topic-oriented information about
Primavera Unifier to assist users with
features and procedures.
All users should read this guide.
Primavera Unifier User's Guide Guides users on how to use Primavera
Unifier application.
All users should read this guide.
Primavera uDesigner User's Guide Guides users on how to use the uDesigner
feature of Primavera Unifier application.
All users should read this guide.
Primavera Unifier Administration Guide Provides details about the Administration
Mode of Primavera Unifier, which covers
access to Primavera Unifier functionality
that is granted through permissions.
All users should read this guide.
Primavera Unifier Project Controls User's Explains Oracle Primavera:
Guide Capital Planning which is used for
managing budget forecasts (both
planned and in execution) for the user
company.
Cost Controls which supports project
tracking and project cost management.
Project Delivery Management which is
designed to optimize project results.
Anyone who wants to use the Unifier
Project Controls base product should read
this guide.
Database Documentation
Title Description
Primavera Unifier Reference Guide Provides details about data definitions, data
elements, permission settings, import
codes, and pickers with Primavera Unifier.
All users should read this guide.
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For More Information
Integration Documentation
Title Description
Primavera Unifier Integration Interface Describes the methods required for the
Guide integration, and the data being passed,
between Primavera Unifier and an external
system.
Anyone who wants to develop applications
which interact with Primavera Unifier
should read this guide.
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Unifier User's Guide
Additional Support
The following is a list of additional support that are available in Unifier:
Unifier Help
Unifier Library
Contact Support
Download Plugins
About Unifier
Note: The Contact Support and Download Plugins options both open a
single window, Support. The only difference is as follows:
- Contact Support opens the Contact tab of the Support window by default
- Download Plugins opens the Download tab of the Support window by
default
Unifier Help
Click Help from the upper right-hand section of the Unifier window to open a contextual menu and
click Unifier Help to open the Unifier and uDesigner Help.
Unifier Library
Click Help from the upper right-hand section of the Unifier window to open a contextual menu and
click Unifier Library to open the Unifier documentation library.
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For More Information
Contact Support
Click Help from the upper right-hand section of the Unifier window to open a contextual menu and
click Contact Support to open the Support window.
The Support window has two tabs:
Contact, which opens by default
Download
In the Contact tab, Contact Information section, you can see the name, phone, and contact
instructions of someone at your company that you can contact when you need help with Primavera
Unifier. For assistance, try this person, first.
In the Contact tab, eLearning section, you see the location (Access), name of the contact
(Contact), and any instructions that you might need in order to access the eLearning materials.
Note: Your company may elect to provide access to the eLearning suite,
where you can access interactive Primavera Unifier learning materials.
Alternatively, your company may have its own customized support or
training materials that can be accessed on an internal site/location. If your
company administrator provides this contact information, it will be listed at
the bottom of the window.
In the Download tab, Download section, you can see a list of the following application and plug-ins
available to download, with installation instructions.
File Transfer Application
Unifier uCAD Plug-in
Each application and plug-in has two options:
Download
Installation instructions
Follow the links within each option to proceed.
Download Plugins
Click Help from the upper right-hand section of the Unifier window to open a contextual menu and
click Download Plugins to open the Support window.
The Support window has two tabs:
Contact
Download, which opens by default
In the Download tab, Download section, you can see a list of the following application and plug-ins
available to download, with installation instructions.
File Transfer Application
Unifier uCAD Plug-in
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Unifier User's Guide
In the Contact tab, eLearning section, you see the location (Access), name of the contact
(Contact), and any instructions that you might need in order to access the eLearning materials.
Note: Your company may elect to provide access to the eLearning suite,
where you can access interactive Primavera Unifier learning materials.
Alternatively, your company may have its own customized support or
training materials that can be accessed on an internal site/location. If your
company administrator provides this contact information, it will be listed at
the bottom of the window.
About Unifier
Click Help from the upper right-hand section of the Unifier window to open a contextual menu and
click About Unifier to access version number, copyright information, and software agreement
details for the Oracle Primavera Unifier.
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Legal Notices
Oracle Primavera Prime Unifier User's Guide
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trademarks of their respective owners.
This software and related documentation are provided under a license agreement containing
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The information contained herein is subject to change without notice and is not warranted to be
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