This article describes working with programs in Meisterplan.
- General
- Visualization of Programs
- Program Overview
- Editing Programs
- Adding Programs by Import
- Adding Programs Manually
- Adding, Reprioritizing and Removing Projects
- Selecting a Program and Associated Projects
- Reprioritizing or Moving a Program
- Renaming a Program
- Program Context Menu
- Programs and Portfolios
- The Change Log for Program Changes
General
- Create programs to group projects.
- Add, reprioritize or remove projects via drag and drop.
- Reprioritize or move projects in a program individually or together.
Visualization of Programs
In the list, programs have a distinct double arrow icon. Click the double arrow icon before the program's name to expand or reduce the program, displaying or hiding the associated projects. When the program is expanded, these projects will be displayed indented below it:
In the interactive Gantt chart, a program is displayed as a continuous bar running over the total duration of all projects it contains. When a program is expanded, the associated projects will be displayed below the program bar in a box. Please note that only the associated projects in the selected Date Range are displayed.
Program Overview
In the Portfolio Designer, select a program, open the Information Panel on right side and click Overview to get more information on the program:
See the Project Overview & Program Overview article for details.
Editing Programs
Adding Programs by Import
There are several options for importing projects collectively:
- REST API
- Import with the Excel Template
- Quick Import for Projects (programs can only be added with an associated project)
Adding Programs Manually
Add a program in the Portfolio Designer as follows:
- Select the project or program after which the new program should be inserted. If you don't select a project or program, the new program will be inserted directly above the cut-off line.
- Click the add button in the toolbar and select Program.
- Enter a Name and click Add:
Adding, Reprioritizing and Removing Projects
To add a project to a program, click the project's name, hold the mouse button and drag the project over the program in the project list.
When the arrow icon in the project header indents to the right, release the mouse button.
Reprioritize projects in the program by changing their order in the list via drag and drop.
To remove a project from a program, simply drag it out of the program in the list.
With the quick import for projects, you can add projects to programs, remove projects from programs and move them from one one program to another. This is also possible for several projects at a time.
Selecting a Program and Associated Projects
Selecting a program will also select all associated projects.
Select a single project in a program to move it independently from the other associated projects.
Reprioritizing or Moving a Program
When you reprioritize a program by dragging and dropping the associated row header in the list, all associated projects will be reprioritized accordingly.
When you move a program by dragging and dropping the associated program bar in the interactive Gantt chart, all associated projects will be moved accordingly.
Renaming a Program
Rename a program as follows:
- Click the pencil icon in the row header of a program to rename it.
- Rename the program. Click the X or click outside the Edit Program window to close it.
Program Context Menu
Right-click a program in the list or Gantt chart to open a context menu offering the following options:
- Move Above Must-Have Line and Move Below Cut-Off Line reprioritize the program and all projects associated with it.
- Sort by Project Score will assign the program its rank according to its project score. This is the highest project score among the projects it contains. See the Rank and Project Score article for details. This option is only available in the Portfolio Designer.
- Delete Program... will delete the program but not the associated projects. When the program is deleted, it will be replaced by the projects it contained.
- Duplicate will duplicate the program including all associated projects (also non-portfolio projects), their allocations, milestones, financials and other data. Milestone dependencies to other projects are not copied with the project.
The new program created will initially adopt the name of the original program, followed by "(duplicated)". You will be prompted to rename the new program. The duplicated projects in the new program won't be renamed automatically.
Programs and Portfolios
Programs are always displayed in the active portfolio if at least one of the projects contained in the program matches the project filter of the portfolio. You can learn more about the project filter in the Edit Portfolio article.
The Change Log for Program Changes
The Change Log allows you to keep track of all changes made to a program by your colleagues. You need the Access Change Log right to view the changes.
Select a program in the Portfolio Designer and click the round blue button in the top right of your screen to show the Change Log:
How the Change Log Works
The Change Log only displays changes to the selected program, and does not include changes made to all programs in a portfolio or scenario. Changes made to projects within a program are logged in the Change Log for Projects.
All logged program changes will be visible independent of date range settings.
Which Changes Are Logged?
- Adding a program (either a new one or by duplicating an existing one)
- Changing a program name
Which Changes Are Not Logged?
- Rank Changes
- Adding or Removing a Project from a Program
- Apply from/Submit to Plan of Record: Submitting a single program or a complete scenario to the Plan of Record is not logged. Neither is applying a single program change from the plan of Record to a scenario.
- Auto-Schedule: Changes made to the start and finish date by using the Auto-Schedule feature
- Changes made via the Excel Template
Find more details on the Change Log in The Change Log for Projects article.