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Capacity Planning page

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The Portfolios > Capacity Planning page enables you to analyze role allocation and cost over time for a project group. Multiple chart formats display role allocation for the projects and roles you select, enabling you to quickly identify areas of under- or over-allocation.

Using this page, you can perform what-if analysis, graphically change project forecast dates, and apply waterline analysis techniques to assist with critical, executive-level decision making. During your analysis, you can create and update scenarios that provide varying snapshots of project and role allocation data. After conducting your analysis, you can create new portfolios containing only the projects that meet your planning criteria.

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What information does the page display?

For the open project group, the Capacity Planning page displays historical data preserved in a scenario, or the latest summarized data (<Latest Data>), depending on your selection in the Scenario drop-down menu.

Regardless of your selection, the page displays project and role data in the following quadrants:

Note: You can modify the display to show only the quadrants you want to view.

Scorecard (top left quadrant) - The scorecard displays project data in spreadsheet format for each project you have access rights to view in the open project group. When you mark a project's corresponding checkbox in the scorecard, the project's role allocation is included in the Capacity Planning chart (bottom right quadrant). You can also customize the page to display allocation in the Capacity Planning chart for all projects in the database, rather than for the projects you select in the scorecard.

Note: The scorecard on this page does not display WBS rows, only project rows. On the Portfolio Analysis page and the Portfolio View portlet, scorecards display WBS rows along with project rows.

On the Customize page, you can specify the columns of information you want to display in the scorecard. For example, you can display project dates, project costs, or project score information. Customize options also let you identify additional group by levels, sorting, and waterline options.

For more information, see Customize Scorecard View.

Gantt chart (top right quadrant) - The Gantt chart displays current and forecast data according to the timescale you specify when you customize the page. Each project in the scorecard has two corresponding bars: the Current Bar (top) and Forecast Bar (bottom).

The Current Bar is based on the project start and finish dates; blue indicates current project progress, while green indicates remaining work. The orange Forecast Bar spans from the project's forecast start date to the forecast finish date. If forecast dates have not been defined, the Forecast Bar spans from the remaining start date to the remaining finish date.

Note: If the project group you are viewing is an EPS containing child EPS nodes, the Gantt chart displays a yellow Summary Bar rather than an orange Forecast Bar because forecast dates do not apply to EPS nodes.

When the page displays the latest summarized data, you can move the Forecast Bar to change the forecast dates; you cannot move the Forecast Bar when displaying scenario data, and you can never move the Current Bar. For more information, see Modify the forecast dates in the Gantt chart below.

Role selector (bottom left quadrant) - The role selector displays roles according to the Group By or Search options you specify. When the page displays the latest summarized data, you can choose to group roles by the current portfolio's roles, the role hierarchy, or role teams, or you can search for roles. When displaying scenario data, the role selector only displays the current portfolio's roles.

The allocations for the roles you select are displayed in the Capacity Planning chart (bottom right quadrant). For example, if you only choose the Project Manager role in the role selector, the Capacity Planning chart only displays the Project Manager role's allocation. You can use this information to determine which projects or time periods the Project Manager role is under- or over-allocated.

Capacity Planning chart (bottom right quadrant) - The Capacity Planning chart displays, for each role you select in the role selector, role allocation over time for the projects you select in the scorecard or for all projects in the database (depending on the Customize option you choose). The chart can display role allocation as a stacked histogram, area chart, net availability chart, or spreadsheet. You can choose to display role allocation per project, role, or project code, or you can choose to display staffed versus unstaffed units or costs. Additionally, you can compare data for the current project group's roles versus roles assigned to all other projects.

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Choose the data to display on the page

When choosing the data to display on this page, you can:

Choose to display a scenario or the latest summarized data

Use the Scenario drop-down list to display the latest summarized data for the project group, or to display a scenario, which is a snapshot of historical project data for the group.

To display the latest summarized data, select <Latest Data>.

To display historical project data, select a scenario. You can select from the list of all scenarios you have access to that are associated with a scorecard view and the currently displayed project group. When you select a scenario, the data that displays is specific to the projects included in the group at the time the scenario was created.

Note: When you choose to display a scenario, the role selector only displays role's associated with the current project group; you cannot choose to organize the role selector by role hierarchy or role team. Additionally, when displaying a scenario, you cannot move the Forecast Bar in the Gantt chart or customize the page to display data for all projects in the database.

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Choose display options

You can show, hide, and maximize the quadrants on the page. To show only the scorecard, click the scorecard icon. To show only the scorecard and Gantt chart, click the Scorecard and Gantt Chart icon. To display all four quadrants, click the Capacity Planning chart icon.

To maximize the display to fit the entire screen, click the Full Screen icon. To revert to the normal display, click Minimize.

Notes:

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Select the project data you want to view

The Capacity Planning chart displays allocation data for the selected projects in the scorecard or for all projects in the database, depending on the Customize option you choose. To choose a Customize option, click Customize, then select the Chart tab. In the Select Chart Information section, choose Display usage across selected projects if you want to select projects in the current project group to include in the Capacity Planning chart; choose Display usage across all projects (except what-if projects) if you want to ignore the current project group and show allocation for all projects (except what-if projects) in the database.

Note: If you choose to display usage across all projects (except what-if projects), you can only view the latest summarized data on the page; scenarios are not available for selection in the Scenarios drop-down list, and you cannot create new scenarios.

If you choose to display allocation for selected projects, to show or hide a project's allocation data in the chart, mark or clear the project's associated checkbox in the scorecard (top left quadrant). To include allocation data for all projects in the current project group, mark the top-level checkbox in the column heading row. When you mark or clear a checkbox, data in the Capacity Planning chart is immediately updated.

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Select the role data you want to view

Before choosing the roles to include in the Capacity Planning chart, you can group roles by current portfolio roles, role hierarchy, or role team, or you can search for roles. The icons at the top of the role selector are Group by and Search toggles.

Note: When you display a scenario on this page, the role selector only displays the current portfolio's roles; you cannot group roles by role hierarchy or role team.

To toggle the Group by field on and off, click the Group By icon.

To toggle the Search field on and off, click the Search icon.

To group roles, display the Group by field, then choose one of the following options:

To search for roles, display the Search for field (if it is not already displayed). When grouped by Current Portfolio Roles or Role Hierarchy, you can search for roles based on the Role Name. When grouped by Role Team, you can search for roles based on the Role Name or Role Team Name. As you enter search criteria, all roles that match your search criteria are displayed. To redisplay the entire list of roles after entering search criteria, you must clear the Search for field.

To select roles, after grouping or searching roles, mark or clear the checkbox to include or exclude each role's allocation data.

Tips:

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Conduct advanced analysis

After selecting the data to display on the page, you can:

Choose the type of Capacity Planning chart you want to view

Depending on your preferences and information needs, you can display any of the following Capacity Planning charts by clicking the appropriate icon in the Capacity Planning chart section of the page (bottom right quadrant):

After selecting the type of chart you want to view, you can choose to stack the chart by role, project, staffed vs. unstaffed units, project code, or current projects vs. other projects.

Analyze role allocation in the Capacity Planning chart

The Capacity Planning chart displays historical scenario data or the latest summarized data according to the type of chart you choose to view, the roles and projects you select, the customize options you choose, and global preference settings for calculating role limits. Whichever chart type you choose, when you hover over a color-coded section of the chart, the application displays the data pertaining to that section.

When you choose to display a stacked histogram Stacked Histogram, area chart Area Chart, or spreadsheet Spreadsheet, the Capacity Planning chart displays the total at completion units or costs over time for the combination of selected roles and projects. Each of these charts contains the same information in different formats.

Note: While the Current Projects vs. Other Projects option is always available, it will only provide meaningful data when you customize the page to display data for all projects in the database. When the chart is customized to display data only for selected projects in the current project group, you can still select this option; however, the chart will only display data for the current project group.

When you choose to display a net availability chart Net Availability, the chart displays each selected role's under- or over-allocated units over time for the combination of projects. Bars placed above the limit line indicate net under-allocation for the associated role during the displayed time period; bars placed below the limit line indicate net over-allocation for the associated role during the displayed time period. The limit line is always placed at zero. If the total units for a role equals the limit, no bar is displayed for that role.

Note: The net availability chart does not display a calculated limit line, allocation limit line, or cost data, regardless of the customize options you choose.

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Modify forecast dates in the Gantt chart

If you have the required security privilege, you can change the forecast dates by hovering over the Forecast Bar, then dragging it to the desired date in the timescale. When you change the forecast dates, data for the selected projects and roles are recalculated and immediately reflected in the Capacity Planning chart.

Changing the forecast dates is useful when you want to analyze how the new dates affect role allocation. You can create multiple scenarios with different project forecast dates to assist you in performing what-if role analysis.

Note: You must choose <Latest Data> from the Scenario list to move the Forecast Bar; you cannot move the Forecast Bar when the page displays scenario data.

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Display a waterline

You can display a waterline in the scorecard to help analyze a project group and model your strategy. A waterline sorts projects in the scorecard into two separate groups based on the defined sorting and constraint limit. Projects above the waterline, displayed with a white background, are those that collectively meet the constraint limit value; all other projects, displayed with a light blue background, appear below the waterline.

To display a waterline, click Customize. On the Waterline tab, set the constraint limit, then set sorting options. Click Apply. For detailed information on displaying a waterline, refer to Customize Scorecard View.

Projects are sorted according to the sort by and sort order options you specify when you define the waterline. At any time, you can click any column header to change how projects are sorted. When you change the sorting for projects, the waterline is recalculated based on the new sort selection. To save your changes, click the Save icon.

To manually include or exclude projects in the open project group, mark or clear the checkbox beside each project. As you include or exclude projects, the waterline is recalculated.

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Save or cancel your changes and create new portfolios and scenarios

When analyzing role allocation across the project group, you may modify the type or display of information on the page. Depending on the type of change you make, you can:

Save or cancel changes to the view

During your analysis, you might modify the display, change the chart type or the type of data displayed in the chart, modify scorecard and chart options, modify forecast dates, and more. If you make any changes on the page, you can update the view with your changes.

To save changes to the view, click the Save icon. When viewing the latest summarized data, the state of the page is saved per user. When viewing scenario data, the view settings are saved as part of the scenario.

To cancel your changes, click Cancel.

Tip: When you update a view associated with a scenario, you can also create a new scenario based on your changes. When the page displays the latest summarized data, you must create a new scenario if you want to save your changes.

If, after making changes to the view, you choose a different option in the Scenario list, or if you navigate to another area of the application, you are prompted to save your changes. Click Yes or No, as applicable.

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Create a new scenario

You can create a new scenario whether you're viewing existing scenario data or the latest summarized data. You do not have to make any changes to an existing scenario to create a new scenario.

To create a new scenario, click the Save As icon. For detailed instructions on creating a new scenario, refer to Create scenarios.

Note: If you customize the page to display data for all projects in the database (except what-if projects), rather than data for projects in the project group, you cannot create a new scenario when the page displays the latest summarized data (<Latest Data>).

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Create a new portfolio from selected projects

When analyzing role allocation for the project group, you may decide that some projects do not meet your criteria for further consideration. After clearing the checkbox next to projects in the scorecard you want to remove from consideration, you can quickly create a new portfolio from the projects that are still selected.

Tips:

To create a new portfolio from the selected projects, click the Add Portfolio icon above the scorecard. On the Create Portfolio page, each project selected in the scorecard is listed in the Selected Projects section. Enter a name for the portfolio and set portfolio options. When you are finished, click Save to save the portfolio. After the portfolio is saved, P6 Web Access launches the Portfolios landing page, which is specified in your view preference settings.

For detailed instructions on creating a portfolio, see Create, modify, or delete portfolios.

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Customize the Capacity Planning page

To further customize the page, click Customize at the top right of the chart. The General, Group, and Waterline tabs apply only to the scorecard. On the General tab, choose the columns you want to display; on the Group tab, select group and sort options; on the Waterline tab, specify options for sorting projects into two separate groups based on the selected criteria. For more detailed information on customizing a scorecard, see Customize Scorecard View.

On the Chart tab, you can set options for the Gantt chart and Capacity Planning chart. In the Timescale section, choose the timescale interval you want to display in both charts.

Tip: If the Financial Period timescale option is available, choose it to display the range of financial periods defined in the Project Management module.
 
Note: To display the Financial Period timescale, projects must be summarized by financial period and financial periods must be properly configured in the Project Management module. To display a calendar timescale (for example, Month/Week), projects must be summarized by calendar intervals. Summarizing project data by calendar and financial period intervals is controlled by administrative settings in the Project Management module; if either of these options are not selected, the corresponding timescale options are not available. Contact your administrator for more information.

The Chart Settings section applies only to the Capacity Planning chart. In the Display field, choose to display unit or cost data in the chart, then select from the following options:

Note: You cannot display costs for the net availability chart.
Display
Choose to display unit or cost data in the Capacity Planning chart. If you do not have the required project privilege to view costs for any project in the selected project group, the Capacity Planning chart does not display any data when you choose to view costs. This option is not available for the net availability chart because the chart displays units by default.
Display usage across:
When viewing the latest summarized data (<Latest Data>) on the page, you can choose the project data you want to include in the Capacity Planning chart. When viewing scenario data, the page displays data for selected projects by default, so these options are disabled.

Choose selected projects if you only want to display role allocation for the projects in the current project group (i.e., the projects listed in the scorecard). If you choose this option, projects outside of the current project group are ignored; only data for projects you select in the scorecard, and that you have access rights to view, are included in the Capacity Planning chart. If a what-if project is included in the current project group and selected in the scorecard, its data is included in the Capacity Planning chart.
 
Choose all projects (except what-if projects) to display role allocation across all projects in the database (except what-if projects), regardless of project group and project access settings. Select this option if you want to compare totals for the current project group versus totals for all other projects in the Capacity Planning chart.
Show Limit
Choose to show a limit line in the chart. The limit is calculated using the role's maximum availability, or the maximum availability of the role's primary resource, depending on your selection in Global Preferences. This option is not available when you choose to display costs or the net availability chart. When viewing role allocation as a spreadsheet, the limit appears as a row at the bottom of the spreadsheet.
Role limits are defined in the role dictionary in the Project Management module. The maximum availability for a resource is calculated using the resource's calendar and Max units/time setting, along with application settings for hours per time period. For more information about hours per time period settings, see Global Preferences.
Show Allocation Limit
Choose this option to show an allocation limit line in the chart. The allocation limit is the role's maximum availability based on Allocated planning values specified in the Resource Planning spreadsheet. Use this limit line to evaluate whether detailed activity assignments are in line with what was planned. This option is not available when you choose to display costs or the net availability chart. When viewing role allocation as a spreadsheet, the allocation limit appears as a row at the bottom of the spreadsheet.
Show 3-D
Choose this option to display the chart in 3-D. This option is selected by default. The net availability chart and spreadsheet cannot be displayed in 3-D.
Color Theme
Choose a pastel or primary color theme for the chart.

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