This function will provide a method to build Gantt chart schedule templates that can be applied to an existing job.
Add Template
Create a template and give it a name and description so users understand the template details.
Build the template either by entering tasks manually, or uploading from a CSV file (see below). When entering manually you can build out the template using the time line canvas on the right to connect the tasks together using predecessor (After ID) logic.
Set the descriptions and organize the template so it flows in the order of the job.
Setting Durations
When creating the template you can either set a fixed duration in Days for the task or a variable duration in Percent. When you apply the template to a job, the system will set the durations as follows:
- Fixed Duration - any fixed duration will be transferred directly to the job.
- Percent Duration - this will calculate the task duration = Job Duration x Percent, where Job Duration = (Finish Date - Start Date)
As a result, you will want to assign Percents to tasks that tend to vary with the length of the job, and Fixed durations where the tasks tends nnot to vary with the length of the job. Keep in mind that all these durations can be adjusted once the template is applied to the job.
Example of Fixed Duration:
If the template has a fixed duration of 10 working days for Approvals, the system will create an Approvals task for the job with duration = 10 working days.
Example of Percent Duration
If the template has a percent duration of 5% for Approvals, and the job has a duration of 400 calendar days, the system will set the Approvals task with duration of 20 working days.
When building the template, we assume a project duration of 365 days, so the percent durations will show normally.
Setting Phase Codes
You can also include a phase code in a task. This is useful if your task codes are consistent across jobs.
During import the system will look for matching phase codes and apply the template to the existing phase code on the job.
If your phase code has a digit for floor, level or area of the building, then you can enter wildcard placeholders for those phase codes.
Example:
Your phase codes for field work might be structured as follows:
Area(1 digit) - Floor(2 digits) - Task(3 digits)
An example phase code might be A01400.
Area: A
Floor: 01
Task: 400
Since this job may have multiple areas and floors, you only need to build out one master phase in the template.
So if the job has two areas, A, B and 5 levels, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, the combination of these means there will be 10 phase codes.
Set the master phase in the template as "%%%400". The "%" character is a wildcard.
Each time the template encounters a matching phase code it will apply the template.
So in this case, one phase in the template will copy to 10 phases on the job.
Upload Template
To upload a template make sure your CVS file has the following fields:
- Task ID
- Task Description
- Task Duration
- Task Percent Duration
- Predecessor IDs
- Phase Code