PPM Express continues evolving, adding powerful features to simplify project and portfolio management. Here’s a round-up of the latest updates that can help you streamline your workflows and boost your productivity.
New Baseline Variance Fields for Key Dates and Tasks
Tracking project progress just got easier! Adding Baseline Variance fields lets you quickly compare the baseline and current values for key dates and tasks. Whether you’re managing projects, portfolios, or programs, this new feature helps you instantly identify any deviations, saving you time and reducing manual calculations. These fields are available for manually created and imported key dates and tasks.
Choose Your Primary Schedule in PPM Express Projects
Another major update is the ability to select the primary schedule for your projects. By default, PPM Express is the primary schedule system. However, you can switch to another connected system’s schedule directly from the project settings page.
This feature allows rolled-up values, such as start dates and progress percentages, to reflect the selected schedule system. If you're linking to an external system for the first time, PPM Express will suggest switching to the external system’s schedule.
Improved Navigation Panel Customization
PPM Express has revamped the navigation panel for a cleaner, more user-friendly experience.
Administrators can now upload a custom company logo and choose from different style types for the navigation panel:
- New options to expand or collapse the navigation panel for ease of use.
- The "Invite People" button has been redesigned.
- The global search is now placed on the right side of the top panel for better accessibility.
Deliverables Section Added to Project Dashboard
Managing project deliverables just became more efficient. A new "Deliverables" section has been added to the project dashboard, where you can easily create, manage, and track deliverables.
Two views are available: Table and Timeline. You can import deliverables from external systems or CSV files and export them as PNG images.
This update ensures better control over your project outcomes by providing a centralized place to manage deliverables.
Regional Format Settings for International Users
PPM Express has added a "Regional Format" setting under Global Settings, making it easier for users from different regions to customize date formats according to their local preferences.
The default format is set to English (US), but users outside the US can now select their preferred date format. This setting also applies to CSV exports and Calendar Exception imports, which can now use regional language settings.
Resource Plan Work via API
The Resource Plan section now supports API integration for Projects, Programs, and Portfolios. By working with Swagger, you can configure and manage resource plans directly through the API, making integrating with other systems and automating resource management tasks easier.
Project Progress Calculation in Tenant Settings
A new "Project Progress Calculation" setting has been added to Tenant Settings. It allows administrators to define the default progress calculation formula for new projects. This formula uses Completed Work and Effort by default, but project managers can adjust it as needed. Existing projects will not be affected by this setting.
Flexible Task Hierarchy Filters for Jira
Managing tasks with hierarchical structures has been improved. With the new Jira connection, you can filter tasks without duplicates, making navigating and managing parent-child task relationships easier.
The view for tasks is more flexible, allowing users to expand or collapse task hierarchies. This feature ensures that your task lists are cleaner and more organized.
Redesigned Calendar Settings for Better Resource Management
The Calendar settings page has undergone a significant redesign. This page now includes four sections: Global Work Week, Global Calendar Exception, My Work Week, and My Calendar Exception.
The Global Work Week and Calendar Exception sections are now visible to all users, but only editable by admins and resource managers. Users can now manage their individual work weeks and calendar exceptions more efficiently, improving resource planning across the organization.
MS Planner Connection Enhancements
For users who rely on MS Planner, a new feature allows you to add a new Planner Plan to an existing Office 365 group. You can now seamlessly select from a list of available groups and link them to your PPM Express projects.
Improved Integration with Project Desktop and MPP
PPM Express has enhanced its integration with Project Desktop, enabling the import of baseline fields and "Notes" from Project Desktop to PPM Express. These can now be mapped to the appropriate fields within PPM Express, improving data consistency and integration across platforms.
Enhanced User Interface for Actions and Entity Views
PPM Express has refined the user interface by making actions more context-sensitive. Only the relevant actions for selected items will be shown, improving navigation and usability.
This update applies across all views, including List, Timeline, and Card views, ensuring a more streamlined and intuitive user experience.
Add Restricted Connection in Jira Connection
The "Add restricted connection" option has been introduced for Jira connections. This allows non-admin users to add a Jira connection to PPM Express. However, restricted connections do not support cross-project linking, and field mapping settings must be configured individually for each project. The connection process remains the same as with a regular connection.
Other Fixes
PPM Express team has also made some fixes to the product’s functionalities:
- Resolved an issue where total values were not shown in the Budget and Benefits sections.
- Fixed a bug causing tasks to not appear in archived projects.
- Enhanced the confirmation message for project archiving.
- Addressed an issue where AD synchronization failed due to duplicate user emails.
- Corrected the problem with budget totals being misaligned in the Budget section.
- Fixed the incorrect link in daily and weekly summary notification emails.
- Resolved an issue where the Last Modified date wasn’t updated when a status value was changed to the same value.
- Addressed an issue with handling encoded URLs.
- Fixed the issue where the 'Proposed' booking type wasn’t visible in the Resource Plan section and on the Resource Planning and Utilization page.
- Corrected a bug causing duplicated values in the multi-select field.
- Fixed the issue where the ‘Cost Details’ view was accessible to Team Members and Users without Manage financial details permission on the Programs page.
- Azure DevOps connection: Fixed an issue with incorrect hyperlink links during field mapping imports.
- The generation of ‘AI Project Digest’ is now restricted to users with Edit permissions or Managers.
Final Thoughts
PPM Express continues to add robust features designed to simplify project management, enhance integration, and improve user experience. These updates will help you stay on top of your projects and portfolios with less effort, ensuring greater efficiency and more informed decision-making.
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