Configuring programme types

To create a programme type:

1. On the Programme Types page, click Create Programme Type. The Create Programme Type page appears.
2. Enter a descriptive name for the programme type in the Name field.
3. Enter a number to indicate the order in which programme types tend to be used - from the earliest to the latest - in the Order field. The order number is used to determine the order in which programme types are presented to you in a number of places, including the programme links at the top of the Project page, the corresponding programme tabs in the lower part of that page, and wherever a list of programme types is presented in a drop-down field.
4. Baselines of Asta Vision programmes are created each time a workflow rule that causes a baseline to be created is carried out. Specify the way in which to work with baselines of programmes of this type in the Baseline behaviour field:
   • 'Asta Powerproject Managed Baselines' mode. Using this mode, once a baseline copy of a programme is available, provided that the programme is not in progress, the baseline is checked out along with the programme automatically. Using this baseline behaviour, you can merge changes to a programme into baselines manually, using Asta Powerproject's standard baseline merge functionality, and these changes are uploaded automatically when you check in the programme.
   • 'Vision Managed Baselines' mode. Using this mode, baselines are never checked in and out along with the corresponding programme. A copy of the baseline is downloaded automatically when you check out the corresponding programme, for viewing purposes only. Using this baseline behaviour, you cannot merge changes to a programme into baselines manually and any changes you make to a baseline in Asta Powerproject are lost as they are not uploaded when you check in the programme.
5. Select the Include baseline with following programme types check box if you want a copy of the programme type's baseline to be downloaded automatically when programmes of a later type are checked out or downloaded, in addition to the later programme's baseline. This enables you to compare the baseline of an earlier programme type against a later programme. It might be useful to select this check box for a 'Contract' programme type, as this enables you to always compare later programmes against the 'Contract' programme. Only the baseline that relates to the current programme type is ever downloaded when you check out a programme to an Asta Powerproject Enterprise server, regardless of whether you select this check box.
6. Select the Check In name and description are mandatory check box to force users to enter information in the Name and Description fields when checking in a programme, or clear the check box to enable users to check in programmes without having to enter information in these fields.
7. Select the Check In can include attachments check box to enable users to attach files to programmes when checking them in, or clear the check box to prevent users from attaching files when checking in.
   
   If you allow users to attach files when checking in, a new programme comment is recorded against the programme when it is checked in, with the file attached. In addition to this, the files are attached to the emails that are sent automatically as a result of the check in, as part of your workflow. This makes it easier for reviewers to access any files relating to the checked in programme.
8. Specify when Business Intelligence data should be extracted from programmes of this type in the B. I. behaviour field:
   • Select 'Always run on latest version' to specify that Business Intelligence data should be extracted from the latest revision of a programme and baseline at the time at which they are created.
   • Select 'Run on specified workflow actions' to specify that Business Intelligence data should be extracted from the latest revision of a programme and baseline when a workflow rule for which the Run B. I. check box has been selected is performed.
   The extracted data is used for external Business Intelligence reporting and to populate programme dashboard views.
9. If you want to apply a quality check to programmes of this type:
   1. Select the appropriate quality check in the Quality check field.
   2. When you apply a quality check to a programme type, the quality check is executed automatically each time a user checks in or attempts to submit a programme of this type. Users can check in a programme regardless of whether or not it fails the quality check. In the Quality check submit behaviour field, specify what happens a user attempts to submit a programme that fails the quality check:
      • Select 'Allow submit when checks have failed' to specify that the user should be allowed to submit the programme and no warning should be given.
      • Select 'Allow submit and warn when checks have failed' to specify that the user should be allowed to submit the programme, but should be warned that the programme has failed the quality check.
      • Select 'Prevent submit when checks have failed' to specify that the user should be prevented from submitting the programme.
        
        You can configure Asta Vision to allow users with specific roles to submit programmes that have failed a quality check, even if most users are prevented from doing so.
      When you apply a quality check to a programme type, once a programme of this type has been checked in or submitted for the first time, a Quality field appears against it on the Project page, displaying the quality check result in percentage terms, and an icon to show whether the programme has passed () or failed () the quality check.
      
      If you want to delete a quality check from programmes of this type, select 'None' in the Quality check field. The quality check will be deleted from programmes of this type the next time they are downloaded or checked out.
10. If you want to configure email reminders that apply to this programme type:
    1. Click Add Reminder. The New Email Reminder popup appears.
    2. Select the type of email reminder that you want to be sent in the Type field. You can choose from the following types of reminder:
       • One that reminds users to check in programmes that have a status other than 'Editing Web Progress'.
       • One that reminds users to check in programmes that have a status of 'Editing Web Progress'.
       • One that reminds users to submit programmes that have a status of 'Editing Web Progress'.
    3. Specify when you want email reminders to be send in the Period field and in the fields that appear immediately beneath it:
       • To configure reminders to be sent every week, or every fortnight, or every three weeks, etc, select 'Weekly' in the Period field; specify the day of week on which you want reminders to be sent in the Day of week field; and specify whether you want reminders to be sent every week (1), every fortnight (2), etc, in the Repeat field.
       • To configure reminders to be sent on a certain day each month, select 'Monthly' in the Period field and specify the day of the month on which to send reminders in the Day of month field.
       • To configure reminders to be sent a certain number of days after a programme was last checked in, select 'Since Last Check-In' in the Period field and specify the number of days after which a reminder should be sent in the Duration (days) field.
    4. Email reminders are sent by default to all users who are assigned directly to a programme's project. If you want to send email reminders only to users with a specific role, who are assigned to a programme's project, select a role in the Specific role field. For example, you may want email reminders to be sent only to planners, rather than to every user who is assigned to a programme's project.
    5. If you want a reminder to be sent to other users as well, select the Remind additional users check box and use the fields that appear beneath the check box to specify the users to which the reminder should also be sent.
    6. Enter the text to include in the email in the Email text field.
    7. Click OK. You return to the Programme Types page, where a row appears for the email reminder to the right of the Email reminders field.
    8. Repeat the above five steps as many times as required to configure as many email reminders as you need for programmes of this type.
       
       Click Remove to the right of an email reminder to remove it from the list if required.
11. Click Create. You return to the Programme Types page, where the new programme type appears in the list.

To edit a programme type:

1. On the Programme Types page, click the name of the programme type that you want to edit. The Edit Programme Type page appears.
2. Edit the details of the programme type as required.
3. Click Save Changes. You return to the Programme Types page.

If you edit the Baseline behaviour field, your changes take effect the next time a baseline is to be created; if you edit the B. I. behaviour field, your changes take effect the next time Business Intelligence data is extracted.

To delete a programme type:

1. On the Programme Types page, right-click the programme type that you want to delete and select Delete. A popup appears, asking you to confirm whether you want to delete the programme type.
2. Click OK to delete the programme type and return to the Programme Types page.

You cannot delete a programme type that is currently in use.