Managing Project Tasks from Gantt on a Project Record

You can do the following in Gantt on a project record without opening Gantt and leaving the record:

• Create, modify and delete project tasks and their dependencies.
• Create a project task hierarchy.
• View which work calendar is associated with a project task.

• View project task assignments and the resources or resource roles assigned, including external resources. Avatars enable you to see at a glance who is assigned to a task:

  • Avatars show the profile image of the user referenced in the Salesforce User field of the resource's contact record, provided you have the required permissions.
  • A is shown if there are more assigned resources than can be displayed.
  • If an avatar is not available for an assigned resource or if the resource is an external resource, the resource's initials are displayed.
  • If there is no resource assigned but there is a role assignment, the initials of the role are displayed. For example, if the role is project manager, PM is displayed.
  • If you hover over an avatar or any initials, the relevant resource names or roles are displayed.

If editing has not been disabled by an administrator and you have the relevant field permissions, you can update any supported field types on project tasks. For more information, see Editing Text on Project Tasks and Changing Start and End Dates on Project Tasks.

Tip:

To reload the data displayed, click . This is useful if, for example, project tasks or project task assignments were created or updated after you loaded the project record page, or if you have made a change in a different tab. If there are changes made to the project tasks or any other records on Gantt, you receive a message to reload the chart.

Viewing Project Tasks

To bring a project task into view on the Gantt chart, click the project task name on the relevant row. If you hover over a project task, a tooltip is displayed containing the task name and the start and end dates.

Child tasks are displayed underneath their parent tasks on the Gantt chart. The start and end dates of parent tasks reflect the details within the child tasks. For more information on how the tasks are displayed, including the color-coding, see Gantt Chart Controls.

If a work calendar A calendar that defines the working days, hours and public holidays for a resource, region, practice or group. is associated with the project or a project task, any non-working time is shaded gray on the Gantt chart. The work calendar associated with a task is displayed in the Work Calendar column in the Gantt grid and can be edited from there if required. If the work calendar column is not visible, contact your administrator. For more information about work calendars and holidays, see About Time Periods, Work Calendars, and Holidays and Using Work Calendars in Gantt.

If is selected in the toolbar, days or date ranges when resources are over allocated are shaded in gray with a red outline on the Gantt timeline. For more information, see Identifying Over Allocated Resources.

Warning:

If the time zone used by your operating system is different from your Salesforce user time zone, the dates and times on the project tasks might be inaccurate.

Managing Columns in the Gantt Grid

To reorder columns in the Gantt grid, drag them into the required position.

To hide columns that contain information you don't need, right-click the column heading and select Hide column. To show a hidden column, right-click any column heading and select the column you want to show from the Columns sub-menu.

To ensure that key columns in the grid always remain in view while you are reviewing or editing information in other columns, you can move columns to a locked position in the left part of the grid. To do this, right-click the column heading and select Move column to locked. To unlock a previously locked column, right-click the column heading and select Move column to unlocked. The column containing error and warning icons is always locked in the left part of the grid and cannot be moved. The Name column is locked in the left part of the grid by default but can be unlocked and moved if required.

Notes:

Any changes you make to columns are retained whenever you use the same browser on the same device.

If required, an administrator can use a field set to add custom columns containing useful details, in addition to the Name and Assigned Resources columns that are displayed by default. For more information, see Project Gantt Lightning Component Properties.

A WBS Work Breakdown Structure column contains data generated by PSA that is based on the hierarchy of project tasks displayed in the Gantt chart. The WBS Element Number field on a project task record is not linked to this column.

Predecessor and Successor columns are displayed by default but you can hide them if required. For more information, see Managing Dependencies Between Project Tasks.

Viewing Record Details

To view more information about a project task from the Gantt chart on a project record, do one of the following:

• Select the task and click .
• Double-click the project task's bar on the Gantt chart.

The information is displayed on the Task tab in a Record Details panel. The fields on the Task tab are controlled by your administrator. Any details you don't have permission to view are omitted.

To view details of resources that are related to the currently selected task, you can switch from the Task tab to the Resources tab in the Record Details panel. Alternatively, you can double-click a resource's avatar or initials that are displayed in the Assigned Resources column to open the Resources tab in the Record Details panel. You cannot view details of external resources or a resource's role.

You can also view the information associated with the assigned milestone in the Milestone tab.

The following fields are displayed by default in the Milestone tab:

• Name
• Status
• Target Date

Tip:

If there are multiple resources assigned to a task, you can delete the currently selected resource from the Search Contacts field on the Resources tab, click the Search Contacts field, and select another resource from the list to view their details.

For information on permissions, see Permissions for the Project Gantt Lightning Component.

For more information about the Record Details panel, see Viewing Record Details.

Changing the Gantt Chart Calendar View

The default view available is Months but you can change it to Days, Weeks, Quarters, or Years. The option you select is retained between browser sessions.

To center the view on the current date, click Today.

Expanding or Contracting the Gantt Chart

To expand or contract the Gantt chart:

• Click to expand the Gantt chart to full view.
• Click to return it to its original size.

Expanding or Collapsing All Project Tasks

To expand or collapse all the project tasks displayed on the Gantt chart:

• Click to expand all the project tasks.
• Click to collapse all the project tasks.

Searching for a Project Task

To search for a project task using the Search field in the toolbar, start typing characters from anywhere in the project task name. PSA searches the tasks on the current project and narrows down the search results as you type. If you can't find a project task, check your filters as they might be filtering out the task you are looking for.

Notes:

If you click Export after searching, only the tasks returned in the search results are exported.

Lines indicating dependencies between project tasks are only displayed if both project tasks are returned in the search results. For more information on dependencies, see Managing Dependencies Between Project Tasks.

Parent tasks are always displayed to provide context for child tasks returned in a search.

Filtering Project Tasks

You can use the filter panel to focus on the project tasks you want to view:

1. Click to open the filter panel.
2. Specify the filters you want to apply to the project tasks displayed in Gantt on a project record.
3. Click Apply.
4. [Optional] Click Reset to revert to the default filter values.
5. [Optional] Click to close the filter panel.

Notes:

• You must be assigned Read permission for all project task assignment fields on the filter panel. The default project task assignment fields are hidden if permission is not assigned.
• Times are not taken into account by the filter, only dates are filtered for all date time fields.
• You cannot filter the Work Calendar column in Gantt on a project record.
• To filter project tasks based on the Record Type field, ensure that the record type is created for the Project Task object. Additionally, you need to create a field set and add record type field to it. After this, the record type is visible on the filter panel.

The Resource Role and External Resource fields are available for multi-selection. In the Resource Role field, you can select multiple resource roles to filter by. In the External Resource Field, you can select multiple external resources attached to the current project's Project Task Assignments when filtering.

Saving Filter Sets

To save your filter selections in a new filter set:

1. Select the required filters.
2. Click Save As in the filter panel menu.
3. Enter a name for your filter set.
4. Select the required sharing settings for your filter set.
5. Click Save.

You can also click Save in the filter panel menu to save filter selections to an existing filter set.

Your filter set is saved and displayed in the Saved Filters drop-down list in the filter panel. To set the default of your saved filter, click and select Set as Default.

Sharing settings can be set individually for each saved filter set. When saving or editing, select one of the following options:

• Only I can see this filter, making it a private filter set.
• All users can see this filter, making it a public filter set.

When you open the Saved Filters option, all filter sets are displayed under the Public or Private category, based on their sharing settings. When filter sets are set to Only I can see this filter, other users cannot edit, delete, share, or save your filter sets. These options are hidden from other users.

To remove the default state from your filter set, click and select Remove Default.

Editing Filter Sets

To edit your filter sets in the filter panel:

1. Select your required filter set from the Saved Filters drop-down list.
2. Click , and then click Edit.
3. [Optional] Rename your filter set and click Save.
4. Edit the selected filters in the filter panel, as required.
5. Click , and then click Save.

Your filter set is updated.

Deleting Filter Sets

To delete a saved filter in the filter panel:

1. Select your required filter selection from the Saved Filters drop-down list.
2. Click , and then click Delete.
3. Click Delete to confirm.

The visibility of the Apply, Clear, and Reset filter buttons changes, based on the actions performed in the filter panel:

• When the filter panel is empty, no header buttons are displayed.
• When you edit filter values, the Apply and Clear buttons display.
• After you apply changes to the filters, only the Clear button display.
• The Apply and Clear buttons display when a non-default filter set is selected under saved filters.
• When a default filter set is selected under saved filters, only the Clear button display.
• When you select a default filter set and edit more filter values, the Apply, Clear, and Reset buttons display.

The subtitle text for Gantt on a project record also updates according to the filters applied.

Managing Resources on Project Tasks

To add, update, or delete resources assigned to project tasks, do one of the following:

• Right-click anywhere in the relevant project task row in the Gantt grid or Gantt chart and select Manage Resources.
• Select the project task in the Gantt grid or Gantt chart, and then click Manage Resources.

The Manage Resources on a Project Task window opens, which displays the resources that are already assigned to the project task. You can:

• Update the Allocation Hours field for the hours that the resource has been allocated to the project task. When you update this field, the total allocation hours for the resources are updated in the Updated Estimate Hours summary card. when you click outside the field or press Enter. When you click Apply, the Estimated Hours summary card is updated to equal the value in the Updated Estimated Hours card.
• Delete a resource's assignment to the project task by selecting the resource and clicking .
• Assign other resources that are active and have an assignment on the project.

Assigning Resources to a Project Task

To assign resources that are active and have an assignment on the project to a project task:

1. Click . The Assign Resources to Project Task window opens.
2. [Optional] Use the Search field to search for resources in the list. Enter a minimum of three characters, and then press Enter.
3. Select resources, and then click Assign. The resources are displayed in the Manage Resources on a Project Task window.
4. Click Apply. You return to the project record.
5. In Gantt on the project record, click Save.

Identifying Over Allocated Resources

From Gantt on a project record, you can see immediately when a project task has over allocated resources so that you can take action to reduce potential delivery risks on the current project. To show or hide details of over allocation, click in the toolbar. If is not available, contact your administrator.

Warning:

If there are too many schedules and schedule exceptions for Gantt to load for the current project, a message is displayed and you cannot use the over allocation feature. In these circumstances, click to hide over allocation on this project. You might still be able to view over allocation details on other projects that include fewer schedules and schedule exceptions.

Over allocation is indicated in the following ways:

• Days or date ranges when resources are over allocated are shaded in gray with a red outline on the Gantt timeline. If you hover over the header at the top of the shading, a tooltip lists the resources who are over allocated during that day or date range.
• is displayed in a row containing a project task with resources assigned who are over allocated during that task. If you click , a list of the over allocated resources is displayed.

Note:

If any errors occur when saving changes, is displayed on the affected rows. To view details of the errors, click . Errors take precedence over any over allocation warnings, therefore if is displayed, there might still be over allocated resources on that same row. If this is the case, the icon becomes visible when you resolve the error.

For additional information on how tasks are displayed in Gantt on a project record, including color-coding, see Gantt Chart Controls.

Project Task Issues and Risks

Risks

The Risks section is accessible in the Record Details panel by double-clicking a project task. This enables you to view all of the information associated with a project task without navigating away.

You can also add new risks in the Record Details panel by clicking and then New. This opens the Risks window, enabling you to create new risks. You can also link issues to risks and link risks to issues in these windows.

Click and View All to view all of the risks associated with your project tasks.

Issues

The Issues section is accessible in the Record Details panel by double-clicking a project task. This enables you to view all of the information associated with a project task without navigating away.

You can also add new issues in the Record Details panel by clicking and then New. This opens the Issues window, enabling you to create new issues. You can also link issues to risks and link risks to issues in these windows.

Click and View All to view all of the issues associated with your project tasks.

Adding and Deleting Project Tasks

You can add and delete project tasks using a toolbar button or the contextual menu.

Adding Project Tasks

To add project tasks or subtasks, do one of the following:

• Select a task, then click on the toolbar or use the keyboard shortcut. A task is added at the next lowest point at the same level. If you haven't selected a task, the new task is added at the bottom of the hierarchy.

• Right-click a task or subtask, select Add Task from the contextual menu, then select one of the following options:

  • Above: adds a task at the same level above the selected task.
  • Below: adds a task at the same level below the selected task.
  • Subtask: add a task at an indented level below the selected task.
  • Successor: adds a task at the same level above the selected task with a dependency.
  • Predecessor: adds a task at the same level below the selected task with a dependency.

By default, project tasks use the project's work calendar, but if the project has no work calendar, project tasks use the 24/7 work calendar.

If you select a different work calendar, the project task's duration and details are displayed when you hover over the task in the Gantt chart view. Example: The project tasks start and end date would include a start time of 9 AM and an end time of 5 PM in its hover details on the Gantt chart.

The first project task is created on the project start date unless the project start date is in the past, then the first project task starts on the current date. Other project tasks are created on the start date of the project task immediately above them, unless that date is in the past, when the new project task is created on the current date.

All new project tasks have an initial duration of one day.

Deleting Project Tasks

To delete project tasks or subtasks, do one of the following:

• Select one or more tasks, then click on the toolbar.
• Select one or more tasks, then right-click and click Delete from the contextual menu.

Editing Project Tasks

Editing the Work Calendar on a Project Task

To edit the work calendar associated with a project task:

1. Click the relevant cell in the Work Calendar column of the Gantt grid.
2. Select the relevant work calendar from the drop-down list. Only the work calendars associated with this project are available for selection.
3. Click Save. Your changes are displayed in the Gantt grid and the corresponding project task record is updated.

Notes:

If the Work Calendar column is not displayed in the Gantt grid, contact your administrator.

If a project task does not have an associated work calendar, the 24/7 work calendar is displayed by default.

Editing Text on Project Tasks

To add or edit text on a project task:

1. Double-click the relevant cell in the Gantt grid. When you hover over a cell, indicates it is editable and indicates it is not editable.
2. Type in your text or overtype existing text. The edited cell is highlighted when you click away from it in the grid.
3. [Optional] Update text on other project tasks.
4. Review your changes.
5. [Optional] Click in the toolbar to revert the data to the last saved state and discard all of the changes indicated by the highlighted cells.
6. Click Save. Your changes are displayed on the Gantt chart and the corresponding project task records are updated.

Notes:

Provided an administrator has not disabled editing, you can edit a project task if you have Edit permission for the field you are editing and sharing access for the corresponding project task record. To obtain permissions and sharing access, contact your administrator.

Although you can edit custom text fields and simple text fields like the Task Name, Description, and Notes fields, you cannot edit fields that are populated by PSA, for example the Assigned Resources field.

Changing Start and End Dates on Project Tasks

The following rules apply when changing project task start and end dates:

• You cannot move any tasks if editing has been disabled by an administrator.
• You cannot move parent tasks, only child tasks.
• A parent task must encompass the start date of its earliest child task and the end date of its latest child task. This means if you move a child task to a date that is earlier than the parent task's start date or later than the parent task's end date, the parent task automatically extends to cover the child's new date.
• Dependencies between tasks are taken into account. You cannot move a task to start before the end date of the task it is dependent on. Any lag set on a dependency is observed where possible. For more information on dependencies between tasks, see Managing Dependencies Between Project Tasks.

You can change project task start and end dates from Gantt on a project record in the following ways:

• By dragging and dropping a child task bar horizontally on the Gantt chart, keeping the length of the task the same.
• By dragging the right edge of a child task bar horizontally to a different end date on the Gantt chart, extending or contracting its length. To change the start date of a child task, drag it to your chosen start date first, then drag the right edge of the task horizontally and release it when it reaches the required end date.
• By changing the dates displayed in the Start Date and End Date columns on the corresponding child task's row in the Gantt grid.

Notes:

If the Start Date and End Date columns are not displayed in the Gantt grid, contact your administrator.

If is displayed in the Start Date and End Date columns in the Gantt grid and you cannot drag project tasks on the Gantt chart, it means you do not have the required permissions to change task start and end dates.

If a project task has an associated work calendar that contains non-working days and you try to move a task to a non-working day, the task will automatically jump to the next available working day. You can change the work calendar associated with a task by selecting an alternative work calendar from the Work Calendar column in the Gantt grid. For tasks without an associated work calendar, the 24/7 work calendar is displayed by default. For more information, see Editing the Work Calendar on a Project Task.

If you change the Start Date & Time or End Date & Time fields on a project task record and save, the update is reflected in the Gantt chart on a project record on reload.

If you extend the end date of a child project task beyond the end date of the project, the project end date is not automatically extended. You must update and save the project end date manually on the project record.

If any errors occur when saving changes, is displayed on the affected rows. To view details of the errors, click . Errors take precedence over any over allocation warnings, therefore if is displayed, there might still be over allocated resources on that same row. If this is the case, the icon becomes visible when you resolve the error.

Using Start No Earlier Than Markers

Bars representing project tasks in the Gantt chart have small, gray Start No Earlier Than markers on the lower left corner. If you try to move a task to a date that is not possible because of the Changing Start and End Dates on Project Tasks, the Start No Earlier Than marker moves to that position on the Gantt chart but the task itself doesn't move. The marker acts as a reminder that you would like the task to start then.

These markers are useful because they allow you to map potential dates for tasks on the Gantt chart, even if you cannot move the tasks yet. If you hover over a marker, a tooltip is displayed with details of the corresponding Start No Earlier Than date.

If a move is not allowed because the task you want to move is a dependent task, move the task that is blocking the move to an earlier date and then try moving the dependent task again. For more information on dependent tasks, see Managing Dependencies Between Project Tasks.

Updating Start and End Dates by Dragging Tasks on the Gantt Chart

To change the start or end date of a task by dragging it on the Gantt chart:

1. Drag the task horizontally on the chart to your chosen start date without changing its length. You cannot drag parent tasks.
2. [Optional] Increase or decrease the length of the task by dragging the right edge of the task horizontally and releasing it when it reaches the required end date.
3. [Optional] Drag other child tasks to change their start and end dates.
4. Review your changes.
5. [Optional] Click to return the Gantt chart to its last saved state and discard all of the changes you have made. Changes are indicated by highlighted cells in the Start Date and End Date columns in the Gantt grid.
6. Click Save.

Updating Start and End Dates by Changing Task Dates in the Gantt Grid

To change the start date or end date of a task by amending the dates in the Start Date and End Date columns in the Gantt grid:

1. Double-click the cell in the grid you want to update and select a date from the calendar. Updated cells are highlighted to indicate unsaved changes.
2. [Optional] Update other cells in the Start Date and End Date columns, as required.
3. Review your changes. You can view the bars representing the tasks in the Gantt chart to see the effect.
4. [Optional] Click to return the Gantt chart to its last saved state and discard all of the changes you have made.
5. Click Save.

Viewing Project Status and Performance

You can view a project's status and performance on the Gantt chart by comparing the start and end dates of the project tasks in the baseline version with those of the project task:

1. Click and select Baseline.
2. The baseline bar appears on the Gantt chart. You can compare the project task dates in the baseline with that of the existing project task from the tooltip details displayed when you hover over the bars.

The following details are displayed in the baseline bar tooltip:

• Baseline (Version Name)
• Project Task Name
• Start Date
• End Date
• A warning if the project task has a delayed start or has overrun

The following color-coding is used on the baseline bar:

• Blue: the project task is in the neutral status and running on time.
• Green: the project task is running ahead of time.
• Orange: the project task is delayed or has overrun.

You can also compare the actual dates of the project tasks with their planned dates and analyze the status of the project task:

1. Click and select Actual Dates.
2. The actual dates bar displays on the Gantt chart. You can compare the actual dates of the project task with its planned dates from the tooltip details displayed when you hover over the bars.

The following details are displayed in the actual dates bar tooltip:

• Actual Dates
• Project Task Name
• Start Date
• End Date
• A warning if the project task has a delayed start or has overrun

The following color-coding is used on the actual dates bar:

• Blue: the project task is in the neutral status and running on time.
• Green: the project task is running ahead of time.
• Orange: the project task is delayed or has overrun.

You can also select both the Baseline and Actual Dates options together to compare them with the project task.

Notes:

• If the button or the Baseline, or Actual Dates options are not visible in the Gantt toolbar, contact your administrator.
• If there is no baseline data or no actual dates available for the tasks and you select that option, the option's bar is not displayed and you get an information message.
• If the project task has an actual start date but no actual end date, then the task is in progress. You can hover over the actual dates bar to view the task status.

Viewing the Critical Path

To show or hide the critical path The longest path of planned activities to the end of the project. This shows the earliest and latest each task can start and finish without making the project longer. This is the shortest time in which the project can be completed. of the current project in Gantt, click . If the button is not available, contact your administrator.

When the critical path is displayed, tasks that end on or after the project end date and any dependent tasks are highlighted.

Notes:

• Changing the end date or duration of any task in the critical path might affect the end date of the project.
• When using the critical path, we recommend that you select Adjust This Project's End Date in Gantt Preferences.
• For more information, see Gantt Preferences and Using Critical Path in Gantt.

For more information on the critical path and dependencies, see Using Critical Path in Gantt and Managing Dependencies Between Project Tasks.

Exporting Data to Microsoft Project

To export the data to a file in XML format, click Export. You can then open the XML file in Microsoft Project 2013 or later. The following data is exported:

• Project details
• Project tasks
• Project task assignments and the resources or resource roles assigned, including external resources
• Project task dependencies
• Project work calendar
• Data in custom columns

Notes:

If you have used the Search field to narrow down the tasks displayed, only the tasks returned in the search results are exported.

Project tasks are exported with a 24/7 work calendar.

If Export is not visible, contact your administrator.

Exporting Data in Custom Columns

Data in custom columns is mapped from Salesforce data types to Microsoft Project custom field types as shown in the table below.

Mappings Used for Custom Columns

Salesforce Data Type	Microsoft Project Custom Field Type	Notes
Address	Text
Boolean	Flag
Date	Date
Datetime	Date
Double	Number
Email	Text
Integer	Number
Location	Text
Long	Number
Lookup	Text	Lookup fields are exported using the lookup record's name. For example, a lookup to a milestone called 50% Complete would export with the value 50% Complete.
Phone	Text
Picklist	Text	Picklists are exported using the label of the picklist value. This means the same value might be exported differently depending on the label translation. Multi picklists are not currently supported.
String	Text
Textarea	Text
Time	Text
URL	Text

There is a limit to the number of custom columns you can export for each Microsoft Project custom field type.

Warning:

Any custom columns that exceed the maximum limit for each custom field type are excluded from the export. Columns that are within the limits are still exported.

Maximum Number of Fields Available Per Custom Field Type

Microsoft Project Custom Field Type	Maximum Number of Fields Available
Date	10
Flag	20
Number	20
Text	30

To view the data in an exported custom column in Microsoft Project, click the Add New Column column heading when viewing the exported data and select the relevant entry from the column selection list displayed.

Notes:

If the time zone used by your operating system is different from your Salesforce user time zone, the dates and times on the project tasks might be inaccurate.

The character limit on fields exported as text is 255.

Microsoft Project does not support exported numbers with more than 14 digits.

You can't currently export Currency and Percent data types.

Data is exported in the order shown on the grid. If you exceed the maximum number of custom columns for a Microsoft Project custom field type, you can hide any columns you don't need as hidden columns are excluded from the export. To prioritize columns, drag and drop them toward the left of the grid so they appear earlier in the export.

Custom fields are aliased in the Microsoft Project export and appear twice in the column selection list in the following formats:

• Type: Column Name (Aliased Field)
• Aliased Field: (Type: Column Name)