Blueprint: Project Templates

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1. Lab Objectives

After completing this lab, you will be able to:

Create the WBS structure of a project and attach a task at the item level.

Use the Filter function to display a specific project template at the item level.

Validate if a template has been assigned to a project.

2. Lab Scenario

Your organization manages 3 different types of projects. You need to create a WBS structure for each one
of them (see below).

Once you have completed the creation of the 3 WBS structures (project templates), use the Filter function
to only display the template Implementation in the project template item list.

Open the project template Implementation and go to the section where you can validate if the template
has been assigned to a project.

Project template A: Implementation

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 Project template B: Consultancy

Project template C: Sure Step Elements

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3. Lab Detailed Steps:

This section will provide you with the detailed steps required to execute the Lab. It has been divided into 3
exercises:

Exercise 1: Create the WBS structure of a project and attach a task at the item level.

Exercise 2: Use the Filter function to display a specific project template at the item level.

Exercise 3: Validate if a template has been assigned to a project.

PRE-REQUISITE: In order to complete the exercises defined in this lab document, you must have
defined the settings of your organization.

EXERCISE 1: Create the WBS structure of a project and attach a task at

the item level.

STEP 1: Create the component Project Template of your WBS structure

Within the Dynamics CRM Web client,

select Settings

Click New

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In the next screen:

Enter the name of

your 1st project template
in the Name field
(ex: Implementation)

Click Save and New to create

your 2nd project template.
Once you have defined all
your project templates,
click Save and Close

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STEP 2: Create the component Project Item Groups of your WBS structure

On the left hand side menu,

click Project Item Groups

Click New and in the next screen:

Enter the name of

your 1st project group
In the Name field
(ex: Hours, Expenses, etc)
Click Save and New to
create your 2nd project
item group.
Once you have defined all
your project templates,
click Save and Close

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STEP 3: Create the component Project Template Items of your WBS structure and attach a task to the item.

On the left hand side menu,

click Project Template Items

Click New and in the next screen, fill out the fields according to your item up to the Active field

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1. Project Template: Select the Project template to which this item should be linked.
2. Item: Enter the item digit code (ex: 001, 1.0, etc)
3. Item Group: Select the Item group to which this item should be linked.

4. Name: Enter the name of your item (ex: Analysis, Deployment, etc).
5. Active: Select Yes to allow posting on that item.

The next field Item Type will define the contract type of your item.

Click the dropdown menu

PSA will support 7 contract types

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 If you select:

T&M (Hourly Rate): PSA will calculate for each entry booked the number of hours spent times the
hourly rate.

T&M (Day Rate): PSA will then calculate a full day rate regardless of the actual number of hours
booked on that specific day.

Fixed Fee: PSA will invoice the amount specified in the Amount field (that is now displayed)
regardless of the actual number of hours booked towards the project.

You can choose to enter a value in the Amount field; it will then be copied to every project you
create with this template. Note that this value can be overwritten at the project level. If you do not
want to enter a value here, simply leave the field blank.

Expenses: As its name implies, this contract type will identify an expense item.

Notice the Expense Mark-up field now displayed; the value entered here will represent the % of
mark-up to be applied on any expense booked towards this item.

You can choose to enter a value in this field; it will be copied to every project you create with this
template. You will also be able to overwrite it at the project level. If you do not want to specify a
value here, simply leave the field blank.

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 Expenses Fixed Fee: PSA will invoice the amount specified in the Amount field (now displayed)
regardless of the actual expense booked towards the project.

You can choose to enter a value in the Amount field; it will then be copied to every project you
create with this template. Note that this value can be overwritten at the project level. If you do not
want to enter a value here, simply leave the field blank.

Products: With this contract type, PSA will let you add products from the standard CRM product
catalogue to the project.

Recurring: PSA will allow you to create a fixed fee to be invoiced on a recurring basis.

You can decide to enter a value as well as a billing frequency at the table level; they will both copied
to every project that you create with this template.

For your first project item, select T&M (Hourly Rate)

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 Now select a tax group

For the purpose of this lab, select the group Z_No tax.

And select, if applicable, a Ledger account. For the purpose of this lab leave the field blank.

Now save your data but remain in the same screen

You will attach a task to your project template: On the left hand side menu
click Activities

In the next screen, click New Activity

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 Select Task

And click OK

In the Subject field enter the description of your task according to the Lab scenario and the project
template (ex: Business process worksheet, Scope document, etc).

In the Owner field, select Administrator CRM this will prevent the task to appear into your own
calendar. The real assignment will be done at the project level.
Leave the Duration field as is; it will be redefined at the project level.
Leave the Due field empty; it will be defined at the project level.

Click Save & New if you need to enter

more than one task, if not click Save and Close.

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 You are now back in the Activity screen,
click General to go change the top bar
ribbon.

In the Project Template item screen, click Save & New to enter your next project template item.
You need to create the project items of your 3 project templates; follow the table below to define their
respective contract types.

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 *Software & Training material: you need to add these 2 project items under the item group
Operation phase.

Once you have created all you project template items, click Save & Close

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EXERCISE 2: Use the Filter function to display a specific project template
at the item level

STEP 1: Go to the Project Template Items list

Under the PSA Tables menu, click Project Template Items

STEP 2: Use the Filter function to display the Project Template Implementation

Click Filter

Click the Filter arrow of the

column Project Template
and select
Filter by specific Project Template

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 In the Look up Records window, select Implementation and click Ok to go back to the Project Template
Items list.

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EXERCISE 3: Validate if a template has been assigned to a project

STEP 1: Select a Project template

Under the PSA Tables menu,

go to Project Template Items

In the column Project template,

click on any line item of the
template Implementation to
open a template

Note: You could also go to under PSA Tables. When in the list display of the table, simply
select a template and follow the same steps as below.

STEP 2: Go to the Project section of the project template

Click Projects

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 In the next screen, you will find a section where PSA will display all projects to which this template will
have been assigned. Since no projects have been created yet, the section will be empty.

Note: For the purpose of this exercise, we have displayed below an example of a template used in 2 projects.
When clicking on either one of the projects, you will be able to drilldown and access all the information and
functionalities of the project.

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4. Glossary

Project Template:

In Assistance PSA, a Project template must be assigned to each project as it represents its work
breakdown structure.

A template will consist of Project Item Groups and, at the sub-level, of Project Template Items to
which you can also attach tasks.

Project Template Item:

All your transactions are realized at the Project Template item level. Hours, costs and invoices are
booked here as well as your budget.

Project Template Item - Item field:

This represents the items digit code (ex: 001, 1.0 etc).

Project Template Item Item Name field:

This represents the name/description of the item (ex: Analysis, deployment, etc).

Project Template Item Active field:

The Active field sets up the default value of the item when a project is created. If an item is set as
inactive, no hours or expenses can be booked on the item in question.

Project Template Item Item Type field:

This field represents the contract type of your project item. PSA will support 7 contract types:

T&M (Hourly Rate): PSA will calculate for each entry booked the number of hours spent
times the hourly rate.

T&M (Day Rate): PSA will calculate a full day rate regardless of the actual number of hours
booked on that specific day.

Fixed Fee: PSA will invoice the amount specified in the Amount field (that will be now
displayed in the screen) regardless of the actual number of hours booked towards the
project.

You can choose to enter a value in the Amount field; it will then be copied to every project
you create with this template. Note that this value can be overwritten at the project level. If
you do not want to enter a value here, simply leave the field blank.

Expenses: As its name implies, this contract type will identify an expense item.
An Expense Mark-up field will now be displayed in the screen; the value entered here will
represent the % of mark-up to be applied on any expense booked towards this item.

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 You can choose to enter a value in this field; it will be copied to every project you create
with this template. You will also be able to overwrite it at the project level. If you do not
want to specify a value here, simply leave the field blank.

Expenses Fixed Fee: PSA will invoice the amount specified in the Amount field (that will now
be displayed in the screen) regardless of the actual expense booked towards the project.

You can choose to enter a value in the Amount field; it will then be copied to every project
you create with this template. Note that this value can be overwritten at the project level. If
you do not want to enter a value here, simply leave the field blank.

Products: With this contract type, PSA will let you add products from the standard CRM
product catalogue to the project.

Recurring: PSA will allow you to create a fixed fee to be invoiced on a recurring basis.
You can decide to enter a value as well as a billing frequency at the table level; they will
both copied to every project that you create with this template.

Project Template Item Tax Group field:

A tax group must be selected for each item. For a detailed explanation of the tax groups in
Assistance PSA, please refer to the Setting tutorial of The Fundamentals Series.

Project Template Item Ledger field:

If you have connected Assistance PSA to your financial management solution, you will need to
define a ledger account for your item. For a detailed explanation of the Ledger accounts in
Assistance PSA, please refer to the tutorial Settings Organisation of The Fundamentals Series.

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