1. CP-Tasks overview

Scope

CP-Tasks extend Microsoft Project capabilities allowing Project Managers with no deep MS Project skill to quickly plan, control and manage changes of complex, large-scale projects. Specially designed wizards allow to handle CP-Tasks easily. Main advantages are:

• Assigning physical volumes, measure units, performance, unit costs and others real-life characteristics to task and manage ones in natural way. Using of scalable task templates for quick planning ( see highlights …) .
• Advanced cost management in terms of task (IN) and (OUT) costs. A complete picture of the IN and OUT costs for planned, completed, approved works in different views (by Contractors, Suppliers, Contracts, etc.). Monitoring the project gross margin any time for ‘external’ projects .
• Special tasks for procurement/leasing of materials/equipment acquired from the Suppliers and used in construction tasks. Logically linked construction and procurement to optimize storage costs and avoiding overruns.
• Creating an optimal payment schedule at the planning stage. Optimal loan planning and avoiding cash gaps. Easily changing of payment schedules for Contractors/Suppliers, depending on their work progress.
• (CIS only) Loading construction works from so called ‘SMETA’ systems (Ukraine/Russia/Kazakhstan/Belarus’ specific software for construction cost management).
• On project execution time – an automatic collection of actuals using MS Excel exchange forms filled in by responsible persons assigned.
• Powerful reporting (in the Pivot tables/diagrams of MS Excel, Power BI) of project progress, status and forecast within slicing/dicing in any combinations required

Start with CP-tasks

For existing project

Simple way is to click on ‘Convert to C-Project’ in ‘CP-Construction’ tab to add necessary data and useful views. There are no existing data modifications would be done except using of some MS Project fields which would be reserved for Construction Project needs. List of reserved fields displayed by clicking on button on ‘CP-Tools’ tab. So if your project uses any in list, please transfer data to unused one (reserved fields start from higher numbers, for example text30, number20, e.t.c and rarely used in most of projects). Then:

1. Switch to ‘1 MAIN GANT’ (all views added have digit prefix) or add ‘C-type (Text29)’ column to your existing view.
2. Add new task or select existing if you like to make one CP-Task
3. Choose desirable task type by selecting C-Type in ‘C-type (Text29)’ column drop down list:
   • CON – for C-type (Construction) task. See more …
   • PRC – for P-type (Procurement) task. See more ...
   • PAY – for F-type (Payment or Financing) tasks See more …
4. That points to Construction Project to handle those tasks in specific way depending of C-type specified
5. Right click on task row and select special button to run CP-task Manager (or click button on ‘CP-Construction’ ribbon tab)

What exactly ‘Convert to C-Project’ does is the following:

1. Sets ‘Flag18’ to true for Project Summary Task activating C-type functionality for this project. Flag18 on project summary task defines project as Construction type project.
2. Fills Reserved Fields with data needed (for example – Text29 with task types (CON, PRC, PAY), Text28 with typical set of measures (item, kg, m2, m3 …) and so on,
3. Adds four views (1 Main Gantt, 2 Task Resources, 3 Resource Tasks, 4 Res Sheet) to project to ease working with project, Views have important columns shown so you do not need to add ones manually.

For new project

Create new project by clicking on ‘New C-project’ icon on ‘CP-Construction’ ribbon tab. All environment already created and you can start using CP-task as mention above.