Availability All Editions
Project keys allow you to easily identify the right projects in Meisterplan across different tools and when updating projects through import.
General
The Project Key field is used to uniquely identify a project, even if its name is identical with another project name:
The field is not listed under Manage > Project Fields and cannot be deleted from a system.
Required User Rights
To access the Project Key field, you need to be in a user group with the following rights:
- To see the field in any view (e.g., project's details, Change Log, Project list), you need to have at least Read Only rights in the Project Field Rights section.
- To edit the field in a project’s details, in the Project list or via REST API, you need to have Edit rights in the Project Field Rights section.
- To use the Quick Import for Projects, you need to have Edit rights in the Project Field Rights section.
- To use the Quick Import for the Allocation List, the Allocation Matrix, Actual Time Worked, Milestones and Financial Rights, you need to have at least Read Only rights in the Project Field Rights section.
- To add the field to the project details or the project overview configuration, you need to have the Manage Project Fields, Project Settings, Project Overview and Advanced right in the Administrative Rights section.
How to Display the Project Key Field
You can configure several views in Meisterplan to display the Project Key field. To change a system-wide configuration, you need to have the respective user right.
System-wide configuration:
- Project Settings: via Manage > Project Types > Project Settings > Add Project Field
- Project Overview: via Manage > Project Types> Project Overview > Add Field
- "Add Project" Form:via Manage > Project Types> "Add Project" Form > Add Field
User-specific configuration:
- Project List: via Project List > Configure Columns
- Board ViewPro Premium: via Board > Configure Cards
How Project Keys Work
The Project Key is a mandatory field and cannot be left empty. Meisterplan automatically generates Project Keys so you do not need to fill them in. If you prefer to use your own keys or project IDs, learn below how to easily change auto-generated keys.
Auto-Generation of Project Keys
For every new project that is added to the system, Meisterplan will automatically generate a new Project Key. Auto-generated Project Keys begin with “MPP-“, followed by consecutive numbering (e.g., MPP-23, MPP-24). When you delete a project key in all scenarios, this project key can then be used for new projects, but only manually. Auto-generated keys will always count upwards from the last generated number.
Project Key Field Properties
The Project Key is a system field and must be unique across all scenarios and the Plan of Record.
Project Keys can contain numbers, letters or symbols in any combination as long as the key is unique for each Meisterplan project. The field is not case-sensitive, so you cannot have two Project Keys with "MPP-1" and "mpp-1" respectively.
Using Your Own Project Keys
To use your own internal project keys or IDs from other tools, you can change existing Project Keys or import the keys along with new projects.
You can change an existing Project Key in the project's details or in the Project List. Simply click into the field and type or paste the correct key.
If you configure the "Add Project" form to contain the project key as a required field, you can make sure that the field is filled when manually adding projects.
It is also possible to change Project Keys using the REST API. You cannot change existing Project Keys with the Quick Import for Projects, because this would create new projects instead of updating existing projects.
To add new projects with the desired Project Key, import the projects along with their key using the Quick Import: Projects or the REST API. When you add a project manually in the Portfolio Designer or the Project List, check the Add more project details box to change the auto-generated project key right away.
How Project Keys and Imports Work Together
To update project data using Quick Imports, you need to identify the right project in Meisterplan using their Project Key. A project's name does not have to be unique and cannot be used for identifying a project. To ensure you have the right Project Key per project, simply export the data you want to update using the new Export to Excel. All current Project Keys will be included.
The Project Key is relevant for the following Quick Imports:
- Projects
- Allocation List
- Allocation Matrix
- Actual Time WorkedPro Premium
- Milestones
- Financial EventsPro Premium
When adding new projects using the Quick Import for Projects, you can either add your desired Project Key in the import spreadsheet or leave the column empty. Meisterplan will automatically generate new Project Keys for projects that are imported without keys.