Project programs

A program groups several projects so you can view and recalculate them as one whole. It shows a combined schedule of all projects in the program and lets you recalculate dependencies between tasks from different projects. Programs are in the main menu, under Programs. The list shows program names and their projects.

Access to programs depends on the Programs permission set in the user permissions (see Users): a Member sees only the programs they are assigned to, a Creator can also create new programs, and an Administrator sees and changes all programs. Programs do not depend on workspaces.

Creating and editing a program

Adding a program

1. Go to Programs in the main menu. The add button is visible to users who may create programs.
2. Click Add (New program).
3. Enter the Name and click Add.

After the program is created, its view opens together with the window for adding projects (see Projects in a program). A user who is not a program administrator automatically gets the right to edit the new program.

Renaming and deleting

The cogwheel next to the program name opens a menu with Rename, Permissions and Delete. The menu is available to users who may edit the program. Deleting a program requires confirmation. It removes only the program and its notifications; the projects and their schedules stay unchanged.

Projects in a program

Program projects are set in the List of projects window, which opens with the Project management button in the program view.

• Adding. The Add project button opens a list of projects to choose from. You can add to a program only projects in which you have the right to change project settings (usually as project manager or administrator). A project can appear in a program only once.
• Removing. The delete icon in a project row removes the project from the program. The project stays in the system.
• Order. Set the order of projects by dragging rows. The order decides how projects are arranged in the program schedule.

For every project the list shows the Name, Project status and Project manager. Confirm changes with Save. Closing the window with unsaved changes requires confirmation. An empty program shows the message No projects available. To add them click with the Project management button. A user without edit rights sees the message There are no projects assigned to the program.

Program schedule

The program view shows a combined schedule of all projects in the program. It has two tabs: List and Gantt. Each project is a top-level row, with its tasks and milestones below.

• The view is read-only. You do not edit tasks in the program.
• Clicking a project name opens that project schedule, and clicking a task name opens it in the project it belongs to.
• Row numbering and the WBS structure are separate for each project.
• The Filter button narrows the view by status, item type, owner and dates. The filter is not remembered.
• On the list, the Columns button switches on the row number, WBS and columns (for example Owner, Start, End, Duration, Progress, Last edited), and in the Gantt view the Chart button switches on the number, WBS, dates, owners and the today line. The slider sets the zoom.
• Column and chart settings are saved in the program by a person with edit rights and apply to everyone who opens the program. A user without edit rights can change them only for the time the view is open.

Project schedules are edited in the projects themselves (see Project schedule).

Recalculating dependencies in a program

Dependencies between tasks from different projects are not recalculated immediately after dates change (see Dependencies between schedule items). You start the recalculation in the program. The recalculation buttons are available to people who may edit the program.

1. Click Recalculate dependencies in the program schedule view. The application runs a simulation for all projects of the program. The view switches to a preview in which the date columns show the current and the new dates.
2. Review the results. The Show changes only button leaves on the list the items whose dates will change, and Show all restores the full view.
3. Click Save to apply the changes, or Cancel to give up.

Note: after saving, the dates change permanently in all projects affected by the recalculation. A schedule history entry about the update after recalculating dependencies in the program appears in each of them (see Schedule history).

If dependencies form a loop, the message The schedule contains a loop. Dates cannot be recalculated appears. Leaving the view with an unsaved preview requires confirming that you abandon the changes.

Program permissions

The cogwheel menu next to the program name has the Permissions item. It opens the Permissions window with a list of users and their level of access to the program: View or Edit.

1. Click Add. The Add user window opens.
2. Choose a user and an access level, then click Add.
3. Save the changes in the Permissions window. Removing a user from the list takes away their access to the program.

People with the Administrator permission for programs are on the list permanently and always have the right to edit (the tooltip The permissions come from the program administrator functions). A user who is added to a program or loses access gets a notification. The Edit level allows changing the name, projects, permissions and view settings and recalculating dependencies, while the View level only allows viewing the schedule.