Transferring project data to and from Microsoft Project
The Replicon add-in for Microsoft Project allows you to transfer projects and time between Microsoft Project and Polaris. Once installed, the add-in is available directly within Microsoft Project.
You can download the lastest version of the add-in from here:
About the transfer workflow
The overall process for transferring data is as follows:
- The project manager creates a project in Microsoft Project, defining tasks and assigning resources.
- The project manager syncs the project with Polaris. During the first sync, the project is automatically created in Polaris and the following is transferred:
-
- Project details, including start/end dates and estimates
- Tasks and their details
- Resource task assignments
Allocations are not transferred when syncing.
- The project manager continues to manage the project in Microsoft Project.
Changes to the project, tasks, and assignments should only be made in Microsoft Project. Any changes made in Polaris will be overwritten during subsequent syncs.
- Project resources enter time against the project in Replicon and their time is approved.
- On a regular basis, the project manager re-syncs the project. During each sync:
-
- The approved time is transferred to Microsoft Project as actuals
- Any changes to the project, tasks, or assignments are transferred to Polaris
- The project manager views the actuals in Microsoft Project to track project progress.
What data is transferred? What fields will data display in?
When syncing your projects, data from Microsoft Project fields is transferred to fields in Polaris. The default field mappings are listed below. Each Polaris field can only be mapped to one Microsoft Project field.
Additional field mappings can be created to meet your custom requirements. Ask your administrator to contact Replicon for additional mappings.
Transferring projects from Microsoft Project to Polaris
The following fields are copied when transferring a project to Polaris. The person doing the transfer will be set as the Project Manager.
|
Microsoft Project field |
Polaris field |
|---|---|
|
File name (eg Office Move.mpp) |
Name |
|
Description |
|
|
Start |
Start Date |
|
Finish |
End Date |
|
Duration |
Estimated Hours |
Transferring tasks from Microsoft Project to Polaris
The following fields are copied for the tasks included in the project. All tasks are set to allow time entry in Polaris.
|
Microsoft Project field |
Replicon field |
|---|---|
|
Name |
Name |
|
Start |
Start Date |
|
Finish |
End Date |
|
Notes |
Description |
|
Duration |
Estimated Hours |
|
Inactive |
Closed |
Transferring assignments from Microsoft Project to Polaris
When a resource is assigned to the project in Microsoft Project, they are added to Polaris as a resource with timesheet access, and task assignments are copied to Polaris.
Resources are only transferred if there is a matching user in Polaris; be sure that corresponding user names are spelled the same in both systems.
Transferring time from Polaris to Microsoft Project
Only approved time is transferred from Polaris to Microsoft Project. The following fields are set when the time is transferred.
|
Polaris field |
Microsoft Project field |
|---|---|
|
Sum of approved hours for each task |
Actual Work |
|
Actual Time Entry Start Date1 |
Actual Start |
|
Actual Time Entry End Date1 |
Actual Finish |
1 These fields are available in Polaris’s project-related reports. They indicate the date of the first and last time entry against the project/task.
FAQs
What versions of Microsoft Project are supported?
The Replicon add-in works with the following versions of Microsoft Project:
- Microsoft Project Pro for Office 365
- Microsoft Project Standard 2013 and 2010
- Microsoft Project Professional 2013 and 2010
- Microsoft Project Server 2016, 2013, and 2010
The add-in is compatible with both 32- and 64-bit versions of the above.
How does the add-in work with Project Server?
The add-in will only sync the local data; it does not transfer any data directly to or from the Project server. To use the add-in with Microsoft Project Server, open your project and sync it with the server as needed. Then launch the add-in and sync to Replicon.
Do I have to enter durations in hours in Microsoft Project?
You can enter the Duration in days and it will automatically be converted to hours when transferred to Estimated Hours fields in Polaris. The conversion assumes 8 hours per day. For example, 2 days in Microsoft Project is converted to 16 hours in Polaris.
How can I view the time in Microsoft Project?
If you have entered time in Polaris and synced the project, add the Actual Work column in Microsoft Project to see the total time entered for each task.
Where do I enter Comments for the project?
The Comments field in Microsoft Project is transferred to the project’s Description field in Polaris. To set the Comments field for the project:
- Open the project and click the File tab in the toolbar.
- On the right-hand side, click the Project Information drop-down and select Advanced Properties.
- Enter the Comments in the dialog that opens.
Will new resources be automatically created in Polaris?
The add-in will only transfer resource assignments if those resources already exist as users in Polaris. If you've added new resources in Microsoft Project, you must create them as users in Polaris before syncing your project. Otherwise, the sync will complete with errors.
Who can use the add-in? How do my permissions impact the sync process?
If you are set up as a Project Manager in Polaris, you can use the add-in. However, in order to transfer data to or from Polaris, you must have access to add or edit that type of data directly in Polaris. For example, to transfer Duration as the task estimate, you must have permission to set estimates when manually creating projects in Polaris. If you don’t have access to one of the fields that is transferred, an error will be logged during the sync.