3f Software Planner Introduction
This Getting Started document will guide
you through the
basic working process of 3f Software Planner. Once you have
gone through this
paper, you will have a good foundation for
working with the system.
It is assumed that (1) you have had the system set up and configured,
(2) that you have
either a Project Manager or Project Member
user account and (3) that you have
successfully logged in to the system.
WORKING WITH THE 3F SOFTWARE PLANNER
Step 1. Start daily check-in
time tracking (First Level Time Tracking)
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Click |
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to start First Level Time Tracking. |
Note: Always stop First Level Time
Tracking at the end of the day. Please
refer to Step 11 to see how.
Step 2. Start time tracking on a Project
Task (Second Level Time Tracking)
Click the
Tree View > Name of Client > Project Name >
Project Time Tracking
Click the task you wish to track time and
work on.
Step 3. Start time tracking on a non
project task (Second Level Time Tracking)
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Click |
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to go to the Non Project Task page.
Click the task you wish to track time
and work on. |
Note: Non project tasks are not
related to client projects. Use non
project tasks to track time for
accounting, sales, etc. Create a new non
project task by clicking Administration >
Non Project Tasks.
Step 4. Stop or cancel time tracking
on a task or non project task (Second level Time tracking)
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in the tree view to go to the “Today” page. A directory
of today’s time tracked is
listed. |
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To stop time tracking, simply click |
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which is found towards the right of the
active task. |
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To cancel time tracking, simply click |
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which is found towards the right of the
active task. |
Step 5. Take a break (Second Level
Time Tracking)
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to pause time tracking
on a task. |
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Click |
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to restart time
tracking after a break. Time
tracking will continue on the task you
were working on prior to the break. |
Note: If your company policy dictates you
stop all time tracking during breaks,
please proceed to Step 11.
Step 6. Stop daily time tracking
(First and Second Level Time Tracking)
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Click |
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to stop all time tracking. |
Step 7. Submit timesheet
Click the
Tree View > My Workspace > My Timesheet
> Today's Date
Recommendation: We suggest you
submit Timesheets on a daily basis at the
end of your working day. During the day,
you can add comments to a
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task being time-tracked by clicking
this icon |
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Take note that to be able to add comments
to a task, time
tracking must be running on a task.
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Note: To allow time \sheet
submission, Second Level Time Tracking
must be stopped.
If the task is finished, enter 0 in the
"Rem. Hrs." (Remaining Hours) field.
If the task is not finished, enter an
estimate of remaining working hours in the
"Rem. Hrs." (Remaining Hours) field.
Note: You should only enter the
remaining hours for yourself. Do not
estimate remaining hours for other team
members.
Enter your written report in the yellow
field using the “Reporting” function.
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to submit your timesheet. |
Step 8. Tasks Remaining Hours
(applies to you only if you have the
Approval Management module and you are the
Project Manager)
Click the
Tree View > Projects > Name of Client >
Project Name >
Project Management > Tasks Remaining Hours
The person in charge of the project
accepts or corrects the remaining working
hours for each individual task as
submitted by the resources.
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Planned Hrs: |
Original planned hours |
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Rem. Hrs: |
Corrected remaining hours |
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Res. Rem. Hrs: |
Estimated remaining hours as projected
by team members |
Recommendation: We suggest you
review your projects on a daily basis, as
the remaining hours are the foundation for
the Project Overview report.
Note: To set a task to "Finished",
enter 0 in the "Rem. Hrs." (Remaining
Hours) field across the task.
3F SOFTWARE PLANNER REPORTS
Note: All reports
are based on submitted timesheets only.
1. Time Report
Click the
Tree View > Projects > Name of Client > Project Name >
Project Reports > Time Report
This report shows total hours worked on
the active project shown in the status bar at
the bottom of the screen.
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Set the date range by clicking |
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“Date from” and |
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“Date to” then press the |
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button. |
You may filter results by “Department”
and/or “Resource” and you may use the
“Group by” option.
2. Project Overview (Applies only to
you if you have the Approval Management
Module and you are the Project Manager)
Click the
Tree View > Projects > Name of Client > Project Name >
Project Reports > Project Overview
This report lists all the tasks setup
within an active project.
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Hours Planned: |
Originally planned hours. |
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Hours Actual: |
Realized working hours |
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Hours Remaining: |
Remaining hours of a task as set by
the person in charge of the project.
(See step 13) |
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Deviation Planned/Actual: |
Difference between planned and
realized hours
Formula: Planned - Actual |
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Deviation Planned/Current: |
Number of hours ahead or behind
originally schedule.
Formula: Planned - (Actual +
Rem. Hrs) |
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% Finished: |
The percentage finished for a task
Formula: 100 * (Actual /
(Actual + Rem. Hrs)) |
3. Project Home (Applies only to you if
you have the Approval Management Module
and you are the Project Manager)
Click the
Tree View > Projects > Name of Client > Project Name >
Project Management > Project Home
This is the Project Summary.
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Plan
Hrs.: |
Original planned
hours per project phase |
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Act.
Hrs.: |
Total realized working hours per
project phase |
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Rem.
Hrs.: |
Best possible
estimation for remaining hours as made
by the person in charge of the project
per project phase. (See step 13) |
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Percentage
(%): |
Percent completed
Formula: Act. Hrs / (Rem. Hrs. + Act.
Hrs.) |
3F SOFTWARE PLANNER
ADVANCED
FEATURES
1. Quick Time
Using “Quick Time” is handy when a
telephone call or unexpected visitors
suddenly interrupt.
Starting “Quick Time,” stops ongoing time
tracking (if any) and starts a new
time tracking instance without
specifying which task, the time for which is being
tracked. Upon stopping “Quick Time” you
will be asked to assign a task to the
accumulated time. Once time has been
allocated, the 3f Software Planner can
automatically resume time tracking on the
task that you were working on when you
were interrupted.
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to start Quick Time. |
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Click |
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to stop Quick Time. |
Note: You can choose to assign the
accumulated time either when quick time is
stopped, or at a later point in time.
To assign the tracked time later, click
Tree View > My Workspace > My Quick
Time
Click “Assign Task”. In the “Unassigned
quick time block” page, select the project
and task to which you wish to assign the
tracked time.
2. Client Requests
"Client Request" is used to record
and manage requests made by the client in
one place. Client requests are usually
tasks or additions which are not part
of the original project. Optionally, a
client request can be converted into a task.
To add a Client Request
Click the
Tree View > Projects > Name of Client >
Project Name > Client Request
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On the “Client Request Details” page,
click the Add New icon |
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fill out the subsequent page; then click
Save. |
Note: It is important to enter the
client request in the right project. To
activate a project, click Project List >
Choose Client > Choose Project.
Convert a client request to a task
Click the
Tree View > Projects > Name of Client >
Project Name > Client Request
Click on the request that you want to convert
to a task.
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On the “Client Request Details” page,
click the “Convert to Task” icon |
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The request is converted to a task. To
view the new task and add planned hours,
click Project > Task, then locate and click
the name of the converted task.
3. Project Templates (applies to
you only if you have the Approval Management
Module and you are the Project Manager)
To save time and avoid omitting
standard project tasks, a template can be
imported into any project. During the
import process you can choose which tasks
to import.
Templates are created from existing
projects by exporting the tasks to be
included in the template. You can create
different project templates for each type
of project you do.
Create a Template
File > Export > XML - Task List
Import a Template
File > Import > XML - Task List
4. Errors and Changes
The
Errors and Changes page is where you track all
issues within a project. Issues refer to
problems, questions or corrections in a
project that must be resolved.
To enter a new Error and Change item
Click the
Tree View > Projects > Name of Client >
Project Name > Errors and Changes
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On the “Errors and Changes” page, click
the “Add New” icon |
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and fill out the form. |
Note: An Errors and Changes item
can be converted to a task.
5. Group, Copy and Rearrange Tasks in the
Task List
You can group, copy and rearrange tasks in
the task list. To learn more about
grouping, copying and rearranging of
tasks, we suggest that you view our
video tutorial:
http://www.3f-project-management.com/kb/video-tutorial/f2005/ENT_9-1_Grouprearrangeandcopytasks.html
Note: The tutorial is from a
previous version of 3f Project 2006,
thus, the look and feel is different
from the current version's look and feel.
However, the
general principles are the same.
6. Version History
Click the
Tree View > Projects > Name of Client >
Project Name > Project Reports > Version
History
Software companies commonly use Version
History. It tracks which tasks have been
finished and which issues have been
resolved in a particular version. To learn
more about Version History, we suggest
that you view our video tutorial:
http://www.3f-project-management.com/kb/video-tutorial/f2005/ADVFEA_25_UsingVersionHistory.html