12 Projects and orders management
- 12 Projects and Job Orders management
- 12.1 Job Orders
- 12.2 Projects
- 12.3 Project Tasks
- 12.4 Project Milestones and Progress Chart
- 12.5 Tickets
12 Projects and Job Orders management
Project management in vtenext is organised over four modules:
- Job Orders
- Projects
- Project Tasks
- Project Milestones
- Tickets (cross-area use of the HelpDesk module)
12.1 Job Orders
From vtenext 20.04 the new module Job Orders is now available. The module is linked to the Project Plans one. In this way more than one project plan can related to the same Job Order.
![12.1 [1].png](https://usermanual.vtenext.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-06/vnu12-1-1.png)
Job Order detail
![12.1 [2].png](https://usermanual.vtenext.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-06/Bwo12-1-2.png)
Project Plan detail with related Job Order
N.B.: it is possible to link an existing Job Order from the Project Plan module but it is not possible to choose an existing Project Plan from the Job Order record.
12.2 Projects
To create a new project, access the module and press the button
Key fields:
|
Related to |
Link to the customers’ registry (Accounts/Contacts) present in vtenext, if the project relates to the customer. If it is an internal project, it can be left empty |
|
Type |
Customisable according to the types of projects in use in your company |
|
Progress |
Percentage value of project progress |
|
Status |
Important for knowing the state of progress of the project |
In the "Progress Chart" tab you can view a Gantt chart of the project (see below, when we will link Project Tasks and Project Milestones).
12.3 Project Tasks
Operations comprise the internal phases of the planning that, once completed, lead to the conclusion of the project.
![12.3 [1].png](https://usermanual.vtenext.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-06/fr312-3-1.png)
The user assignee of the operation will be able to update the state of progress of the activity through the Progress and Hours spent fields.
The report will provide an overview of the progress of the planning, both through the list of operations and the Gantt diagram. The colours of the Operations bars in the graph corresponds to the colours chosen for the "Priority" field (drop-down menu), managed directly from Settings>Colouring View by List.
Within the coloured bar, an additional darker coloured bar shows the progress status (based on the Progress field).
![12.3 [2].PNG](https://usermanual.vtenext.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-06/QMs12-3-2.PNG)
Progress detail
![12.3 [3].png](https://usermanual.vtenext.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-06/lPs12-3-3.png)
Example of a Planning Chart with multiple Operations
From vtenext 20.04 in the module Project Task we can find the new field “Budget Information” in order to split the service delivery among Project, Pack and Consumptive.
Possible configurations:
| Project | Within a project operation, vtenext, counts the foreseen hours according to the Sales Price of the Product/Service sold, dividing it by Price per day reported on the Company record. The automatic compleation of the fields: Used Hours, Used Budget and Residual Budget take place when an event is closed setting the value “Held” in the field status. Events must be linked directly to projects task as well as tickets that have been linked to projects task. |
| Pack | The Operation Pack allows to count a total of sold hours per Product/Service within the field Package Hours.The automatic reduction of Used hours and Residual Hours happen when an event is closed setting the value Held” in the field status. Events must be linked directly to projects task as well as tickets that have been linked to projects task. |
| Consumptive | Consumptive operation will count the Used Hours and the Used Budget according to the related tasks or tickets. It will automatically insert the number of hours that have to be invoiced, which will vary from the value set manually from the users in the field Invoiced Hours, when an event is closed setting the value "Held” in the field status. Events must be linked directly to projects task as well as tickets that have been linked to projects task. |
Within the new section called “ Budget information” there is an automatism which associate each selected service type ( Project,Package and Comsumptive) to an action of adding/reducing hours inside the reserved fields in the section. The necessary condition to enable the automatism, as above described, is to add a linked event to the project task or alternatively to add an event to a ticket which is linked to the project task in the following ways:
- create an event using the activity tracking tool (play button at the top right of screen);
- create an event by pressing the calendar icon at the top right of screen;
- create an event by selecting the calendar relation on the right part of the screen.
![12.3 [4].png](https://usermanual.vtenext.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-06/OAn12-3-4.png)
Daily cost field in the Account module
![12.3 [5].png](https://usermanual.vtenext.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-06/gEX12-3-5.png)
Detail Project with Project Budget
![12.3 [6].png](https://usermanual.vtenext.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-06/E1p12-3-6.png)
Detail Project with Pack Budget
![12.3 [7].png](https://usermanual.vtenext.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-06/Ia412-3-7.png)
Detail Project with Consumptive Budget
N.B. As the type of Service Delivery varies, vtenext does not recalculate the hours previously used.
12.4 Project Milestones and Progress Chart
Project Milestones represent the end points of planning steps. In the graph they are represented by a dot on the indicated day.
![12.4 [1].png](https://usermanual.vtenext.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-06/mjQ12-4-1.png)
It is also possible to change the colour of the bars in the graph in SETTINGS > LISTVIEW COLOURS.
![12.4 [2].png](https://usermanual.vtenext.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-06/ioW12-4-2.png)
By selecting the Project Tasks module, and changing the colour linked to the value in the TYPE drop-down menu, you can obtain a result as follows:
![12.4 [3].png](https://usermanual.vtenext.com/uploads/images/gallery/2022-06/osO12-4-3.png)
12.5 Tickets
A further level of detail, under Project Tasks, relates to tickets.
To use tickets as project activities, it is a good idea to categorise them in order to distinguish them from tickets relating to assistance (you just need to use the Category field).
Warning: tickets related to planning are not displayed in the Gantt chart.
An example of use:
For the customer, MARIO ROSSI, I plan a project for the "Brand – Model X" boiler. For the installation and testing of the boiler, I will have to carry out some activities that will have to be counted in a service package sold together with the product. The activities will be included in the two tickets, linked to the specific Operation and Planning of Mario Rossi's Boiler.
They will also be related to the contracted service package (in turn linked to a customer order), in order to deduct the actual hours related to the activities/tickets.
In addition to the manual creation of the ticket for a planned activity, as explained earlier in the manual, you have the option of taking advantage of the tracking of daily or extraordinary activities, further automating the process. For example: the customer sends you an email with the requests to be evaluated. You decide to work on them immediately within the project; you press the Play button on the tracking so that the system starts to count, and then you create a ticket at the end.