This article details how you import resources, roles and allocations from Smartsheet project sheets with or without a resource sheet using the integration of Smartsheet and Meisterplan.
- Importing Resources and Resource Allocations from Project Sheets
- Importing Resources, Roles and Allocations Using a Resource Sheet
- Resource Field Mapping
- Importing Role Allocations
Importing Resources and Resource Allocations from Project Sheets
By default, all resources assigned to an imported Smartsheet project either as a project manager or via a task will be imported as Meisterplan resources.
For resources assigned to tasks, the associated allocations will also be imported.
Please note that this requires mapping of the fields used to assign the project manager to a project or a resource to a task in Smartsheet.
Define the required field mappings in the Field Mapping tab of the properties for a Smartsheet data source to import resources assigned in Smartsheet:
- Under Project, map the Project Manager field to import resources assigned to imported Smartsheet projects as project managers.
- Under Allocations, map the Assigned Resource field to import resources assigned to tasks belonging to imported Smartsheet projects and their allocations.
You may, but don't have to, use the same Smartsheet column for assigning project managers to projects and resources to tasks.
The following data will be imported.
- First name and last name: imported to Meisterplan as "LastName, FirstName" or as "LastName", if no first name is specified.
- For resources available as Smartsheet users, the first and last name can be entered in the user manager in Smartsheet. Please note that importing users is only possible if supported by your Smartsheet plan.
- For resources not available as Smartsheet users, the mapped assignment field will be parsed for the resource's name as "FirstName Lastname" or "LastName, FirstName".
- In the notation without a comma, everything after the first blank space will be treated as part of the last name. A comma should therefore be entered in Smartsheet for names with more than one first or last names to distinguish the first and last names (as in "van Atta, Christopher James").
- When no resource sheet is used, the e-mail address of a resource available as a Smartsheet user can also be used as assignment string instead of the name.
- Please note that using different assignment strings for the same resource ("FirstName Lastname", "LastName, FirstName" or e-mail address) will be treated as different resources by the import, such that multiple resources with the same name will be created in Meisterplan in this case.
- E-mail address (only for resources available as Smartsheet users when not using a resource sheet; when a resource sheet is used, e-mail addresses will only be imported when specified in the resource sheet).
- ID: the Smartsheet user ID will be imported for resources available as Smartsheet users when not using a resource sheet. For any resources not available as Smartsheet users as well as when using a resource sheet, the assignment string (e.g., "Last, James") will be imported as resource ID.
- A Smartsheet calendar with 40 hours per week (8 hours each work day) will be created in Meisterplan and assigned to each resource imported from Smartsheet.
Importing Resources, Roles and Allocations Using a Resource Sheet
If you map either of the Project Manager or Assigned Resource fields but don't supply a resource sheet, only the first and last name and, for resources available as Smartsheet users, the e-mail address and Smartsheet user ID of assigned resources as well as the associated allocations will be imported.
Create a resource sheet in Smartsheet to enter additional resource fields to import to Meisterplan and/or to import additional resources as well as roles and role allocations.
Regardless of whether the Project Manager or Assigned Resource fields are mapped, when a resource sheet is used, all resources listed in the resource sheet will be imported as Meisterplan resources. All entries of the optional Primary Role column will be imported as Meisterplan roles.
When a resource sheet is used and either of the Project Manager or Assigned Resource fields is mapped, assigned resources not listed in the resource sheet will also be imported as described in the previous section.
When a resource sheet is used and the Assigned Resource field is mapped, resource allocations will also be imported as described in the previous section. In this case, it is also possible to assign roles to tasks in Smartsheet and import role allocations. It is not possible to assign a role as Project Manager.
In the Smartsheet data source settings in Meisterplan, select the defined resource sheet under Resource Sheet in the General tab:
Resource Field Mapping
The field mapping for resources imported via a resource sheet is predefined as follows and cannot be configured. Mandatory fields marked with an asterisk must be available in Smartsheet.
Meisterplan Field | Smartsheet Column Name | Smartsheet Column Type | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
ResourceId | Primary Column* | Text/Number |
If you are using a resource sheet, assigned resources will be matched with resource sheet entries if the resource sheet's ID column value is equal to the value of the assignment column (e.g., if you assign resource Barry Smith as "Smith, Barry", the ID column value of the resource sheet entry for Barry Smith should also be "Smith, Barry"). |
Firstname | First Name* | Text/Number | |
Lastname | Last Name* | Text/Number | |
Text/Number |
When a resource sheet is used, e-mail addresses will only be imported if they have been specified in the resource sheet. E-mail addresses of resources available as Smartsheet users will not be automatically imported in this case. |
||
PrimaryRoleId | Primary Role | Text/Number |
For each distinct entry in the Primary Role field of imported Smartsheet resources, a role will be created in Meisterplan with the RoleId and RoleName fields equal to the value of the Primary Role field in Smartsheet. This column is required for importing role allocations. |
Availability | Availability* | Text/Number |
8 resolves to a full time resource. Each imported resource will be assigned a 40 hour a week Smartsheet calendar by default. Availability values other than 8 will result in resource capacity changes in Meisterplan (e.g., an availability of 4 will result in a 50% capacity change). The availability will also affect the import of allocations (e.g., when a 50% allocation of a resource with an availability of 4 hours a day is imported, that resource will be allocated for 2 hours a day in the given period. |
CostPerHour | Cost per hour | Text/Number | |
HireDate | Hire Date | Date | |
TerminationDate | Termination Date | Date | |
External | External | Checkbox | |
Country | Country | Text/Number | |
City | City | Text/Number | |
PostalCode | Postal Code | Text/Number | |
OBS 1 | Department | Text/Number |
Hierarchy can be created using /. Items specified here will be created in Meisterplan under the Department top level OBS unit. |
OBS 2 | Location | Text/Number | Hierarchy can be created using /.
Items specified here will be created in Meisterplan under the Location top level OBS unit. |
Importing Role Allocations
When a resource sheet is used, any role entered there in the Primary Role column of any resource will automatically be imported as a role in Meisterplan.
When the Assigned Resource field is also mapped, every role defined in the resource sheet can be directly assigned to a task in Smartsheet by entering the role name in the assignment column of any project sheet.
For example, if you have the following resources in your resource sheet, you may assign either of "Baker, Charles", "Murphy, Peter", "Smith, Adam", "Developer" or "Service" to any task in Smartsheet:
Primary Column | First Name | Last Name | Primary Role | Availability |
---|---|---|---|---|
Baker, Charles | Charles | Baker | Developer | 8 |
Murphy, Peter | Peter | Murphy | Developer | 8 |
Smith, Adam | Adam | Smith | Service | 8 |
Role allocations entered in Smartsheet this way will automatically be transferred to Meisterplan during the import.
It is not possible to assign a role in the Project Manager project field.