Seamlessly import projects from Asana into Meisterplan, keep them up to date, and view task level insights directly in the Information Panel. This article explains how to connect Asana, import and link projects, and understand what data is imported.

• General
  • Prerequisites
  • Required User Rights
• Importing Projects from Asana
  • Result
• Linking Meisterplan Projects with Asana Projects
  • Result
• Asana Link Settings
  • Importing Milestones from Asana
• Viewing Asana Data in Meisterplan
  • Visualizing Tasks in Meisterplan
  • Comparing Data on the Project Level
  • Comparing Data Across the Portfolio

General

The first time you import projects from Asana, a link is automatically created with the Asana workspace you selected. The next time you import projects from Asana, you can either select an existing link or create a new link with a different workspace.

Prerequisites

• The Extended Integration Hub in the left sidebar under Integrations > Connected Tools > General Settings is enabled.
• There is an Automation User with the necessary user rights.

Required User Rights

Your user group must have the following rights:

• Under Manage > User Groups > Integrations > Connected Tools > Project & Task Management Tools at least 
  • the option Use to import projects from tools already connected and see task details.
  • the option Configure to connect further tools.
• Under Manage > User Groups > Integrations > Import & Export the Import Data right.

Importing Projects from Asana

1. In the Portfolio Designer, the List view, or the Board view, click Add in the toolbar and select Import Projects > Asana.
2. Select Link Details:
   1. If this is the first time connecting Asana to your Meisterplan system, you need to: 
      1. Fill out and confirm the authentication query that pops up automatically.
      2. Select the Asana workspace:
         
   2. If there already is an Asana link, you must:
      1. Select the link you want to use:
         
      2. Or, add a new link and select the workspace and name:
         
3. Click Continue in the top right.
4. Select the projects you want to import:
   
5. If there is still sample data in your Meisterplan, you can decide whether to delete or keep it.
6. Click Import.

Result

• The selected projects will be imported as Meisterplan projects. If there is no start and end date in Asana, the Meisterplan project starts on the day of the import and ends one month later. If start and end dates exist, they are applied during the import.
• A link to Asana is created (unless the link already exists).
• Assignees in Asana will be matched to existing Meisterplan resources or, if no match is found, imported as new resources and allocated to the new Meisterplan projects.
• Task efforts will be summed per assignee and added as resource allocations.
• The new Meisterplan projects will be linked to their Asana counterparts.

Linking Meisterplan Projects with Asana Projects

To link an existing project in Meisterplan with its Asana counterpart, select the project in a view such as the Portfolio Designer or List, and open the Task Insights in the Information Panel:

Select Asana and follow the steps described under Importing Projects above.

Result

The Meisterplan project will be linked to its Asana counterparts.

Asana Link Settings

In the left sidebar under Integrations > Connected Tools > Project & Task Management Tools, you can find a list of all tools connected via the Extended Integration Hub, Jira, or the Task API. Select an Asana link to edit its name and view the workspace that is configured in the link.

Importing Milestones from Asana

In the settings under Milestones, you can define if you want to import and link milestones from Asana together with the project. To do so, check the box for Import Milestones from Asana.

This activates the automatic import of Asana milestones to Meisterplan. All milestones of the linked projects will be imported into the Plan of Record. They can be viewed where milestones are displayed, e.g., in the Portfolio Designer or the Roadmap.

What Will Be Imported

Meisterplan automatically imports all milestones that belong to the project. or the tasks linked to the Meisterplan project. The following information is imported from Asana and updated along with the milestones:

• Name
• Date
  • If the milestone date is after the project finish date, the project in Meisterplan will be extended
  • If the milestone date is before the project’s start date, the milestone will be set to the start date in Meisterplan
• Status: When the milestone in Asana is marked as Closed, the corresponding milestone in Meisterplan is marked as Done.

In the Change Log, an entry will be created for each imported or updated milestone under the name of the Automation User.

Naming

Milestones imported from Asana are named after the Asana link combined with the name of the Asana milestone, e.g., “Asana Marketing – Go Live.”

When Will Milestones Be Imported

By default, milestones from Asana will be imported and updated every night. Additionally, they are imported and updated when you select the project in Meisterplan or click Refresh Data in the toolbar of the Information Panel.

Updating Milestones

You can edit imported milestones in Meisterplan and further configure them, e.g., assign a phase and status. However, details such as the name and date will be overwritten with the next import from Asana. The status will only be overwritten once the milestone has reached the Done status in Asana.

If a milestone is changed in Asana, the corresponding milestone in Meisterplan will be updated with the next import.

When you deactivate the checkbox for Import Milestones from Asana, or unlink the project, the imported milestones will remain unchanged in Meisterplan.

Only milestones in Meisterplan that were previously imported from Asana are updated. Milestones which have been manually created in Meisterplan cannot be linked or updated.

Deleting a Milestone

If you delete one of the imported milestones in Meisterplan, it will be restored with the next update. If you delete the milestone in Asana, the corresponding milestone in Meisterplan will also be deleted.

Viewing Asana Data in Meisterplan

When a Meisterplan project is linked to its Asana counterpart, you can view and compare task effort from Asana with planned allocations in Meisterplan.

Visualizing Tasks in Meisterplan

In the project details of a connected project, you can see the tasks from Asana on a timeline, grouped by task date. This helps you stay up to date on what is planned in Asanaand keep an eye on dependencies within the project. Learn more in the article Project Details - Task Timeline.

Comparing Data on the Project Level

You can find a detailed comparison of allocations and effort in the Information Panel of each connected project. In addition, you can see which tasks have been completed and which are still open. Learn more in the article Comparing Asana Effort in the Information Panel.

Comparing Data Across the Portfolio

You can compare Asana data across all projects by using specific fields, colors or filters in views such as the List or the Portfolio Designer. Find out more about this in the article Comparing Asana Effort in Different Views.

Learn how to configure the threshold for the allocation deviation in the article Connect Tools via the Extended Integration Hub.