Configure Field Mappings for the OnePlan Project Integration

Purpose

How to configure field mappings between OnePlan and Microsoft Project when the app and Office add-in are installed.

When users publish their Microsoft Project schedules to OnePlan, data is mapped between the two tools according the the Field Mappings you configure in OnePlan.

What you will accomplish
After reading this article you will be able to configure field mappings between OnePlan and Microsoft Project.

Requirements

You are a OnePlan Administrator / Owner
The Microsoft Project app is installed in OnePlan
The Office add-in is installed in your Microsoft Project program. 

Instructions

Access the Microsoft Project configuration in OnePlan

1. In OnePlan, select a plan that has the Work Plan - List enabled.
2. Go into the plan's Work Plan > List. Because the Project connection is tied to individual projects, you must open a plan access its configuration.
3. In the toolbar, click the ellipsis (...) > Configure to open the Work Plan configuration.
4. Locate the Microsoft Project section of the configuration. Here you will see all of the configured field mappings between Microsoft Project and OnePlan. From this interface, you can:
   • Create New Field Mappings
   • Edit Existing Field Mappings
   • Delete Field Mappings

Create New Field Mappings

1. Click Add New Item (+) to open the New Mapping panel.
2. Complete the New Mapping form.
   1. Microsoft Project Field: Select the Microsoft Project field you would like mapped to the selected OnePlan field.
   2. OnePlan Field: Select the OnePlan field you would like mapped to the selected Microsoft Project field.
   3. Direction: Select the direction you would like data to flow in the field mapping. Options include MS Project to OnePlan, OnePlan to MS Project, and Both.
3. Click Add to create the new field mapping.
4. Open Microsoft Project.
5. Open the OnePlan tab, select the Settings button.
6. Within Synch Custom Fields section, click on Sync Fields to sync the field mappings configured in OnePlan.

Edit Existing Field Mappings

1. Click Edit (🖉) to open the Edit Mapping form.
2. Update the mapping's attributes as needed.
3. Click Update to save your changes.

Delete Field Mappings

1. Click Delete (x) next to the mapping you want to remove.
2. In the Confirm Deletion dialog, click Yes to delete the mapping.

How Work Plan Mapped Fields Behave

When a field is mapped between OnePlan and Microsoft Project, it becomes read-only within the OnePlan Work Plan. This ensures that data stays consistent and is not accidentally overwritten. 

Bi-Directional Fields (What to Expect)

Some fields can be set up to update between OnePlan and Microsoft Project (bi-directional mapping), but they work a specific process:

• These fields are not editable in the OnePlan Work Plan.
• Updates are made by the assigned user in My Work (OnePlan).
• The field must be configured as a Status Field in OnePlan. 

Important: If a field is not set as a Status Field, it cannot be updated in OnePlan. 

How Updates Flow Between OnePlan and Microsoft Project

Bi-directional updates follow this process:

1. The assigned user updates the field in My Work
2. The update is sent as a proposed change
3. The Project Manager opens the MPP file and clicks Update to retrieve the proposed changes
4. The Project Manager reviews and approves or rejects the updates
5. If approved, the changes are applied in Microsoft Project
6. The Project Manager then publishes the project back to OnePlan
7. The approved changes are reflected in OnePlan.

This process ensures that updates are reviewed before being applied, helping maintain control over project data. 

Progress Field Mapping (Best Practice)

When tracking progress, you have two main options - but only one can be used at a time.

Default Setup 

• % Done (OnePlan) - % Complete (Microsoft Project)
  • Keeps progress simple and easy to track

Why?

Microsoft Project only supports mapping either % Complete, or Actual Hours, not both at the same time. 

Timesheet Hours

If you want to track time worked (Timesheet Hours), there are two options:

1. Map Timesheet Hours (OnePlan) to a custom field in Microsoft Project
   1. Keeps % Complete for progress tracking
   2. Allows you to still view timesheet data
2. Use Actual Hours instead of % Complete
   1. Remove % Complete from Microsoft Project field mappings
   2. Map Timesheet Hours to Actual Hours (Microsoft Project)
      1. This replaces percentage based progress with time-based tracking.

Other Data You May See in Microsoft Project

Some information from OnePlan can appear in your project file even if it is not directly mapped:

• Global Calendars from OnePlan can be imported
• When using Sync Resources, the OnePlan Resource's Cost is imported into Microsoft Project as the Resource Std. Rate.