This article introduces you to some of the first features you will see in Meisterplan.

Meisterplan has a header bar and two expandable sidebars. These are where you can find either the different views of the software, tools for communication, tracked changes, or general information for the success of your project portfolio.

• The Header Bar
• Navigation (The Left Sidebar)
• The Information Panel (The Right Sidebar)
  
  • Project and Program Overview
  • Project Comments
  • Allocation Comments
  • Change Log
  • Task Insights
  • Color Legend

The Header Bar

The top of your view is the header bar.

Here, you can specify what date range you want to view, which portfolio you would like to work in, and choose the appropriate scenario for planning.

These settings filter all of the data you are able to see; for example, every project you now see will be within the set date range. Or, if you choose a different scenario, only the projects in this scenario will be displayed.

You can also access your profile settings in the top right corner.

Additionally, the bell icon will show you when there is a comment that is relevant for you; this can either mean you were mentioned, a comment was left on a project for which you are the project manager, or a comment was left on a resource's allocation for which you are the resource management.

The megaphone icon will tell you all about our newest releases:

Navigation (The Left Sidebar)

The left sidebar is where you can have access to all of the different views in Meisterplan. These are:

• Portfolio Designer
• Team Planner
• Portfolio Dashboard
• Goals
• My Schedule
• List
• Board
• Roadmap
• Reports
• Import & Export
• Integrations
• Resource Pool
• Manage
• Help

Beneath these views, you can expand or close this sidebar. 

As the creator of a trial, you will have access to all of these views. However, under Manage > Customizable Navigation, you can specify which of the users you invite have access to which views.

The Information Panel (The Right Sidebar)

The right sidebar is also known as the Information Panel. This panel has different information depending on what view you are in, as well as what project, program, or resource you have selected.

Project and Program Overview

This provides you with the key facts and figures of the project or program you have selected in the Portfolio Designer.

Additionally, you can configure what you see in the Project Overview based on each project type.

The project overview allows you to quickly see key facts and figures about the selected project.

Project Comments

This section displays all of the comments that have been added about the project you have selected in the Portfolio Designer.

Project comments allow you to see all of the relevant communication about a specific project so that you stay up to date and in the loop.

Allocation Comments

Allocation comments are displayed here for the relevant resource.

These are particularly helpful in sorting out staffing problems and foreseeing possible resource bottlenecks.

Change Log

In the Change Log, you can track either changes made to your projects (in project-centric views, like the Portfolio Designer and the Project List), or changes made to allocations (in resource-centric views, like the Team Planner). 

You can also filter for specific types of changes. 

Here, it's easy to see the ways in which your projects have evolved, and keep track of changes that have been made.

Task Insights

If the selected project is linked to an external tool via the Task Connector, you can see the linked tasks and their status:

Color Legend

The color legend explains what the colors in your view symbolize.