Work Fields - Configure Field Calculations

Direct Answer: Configure Field Calculations for a Work Field in OnePlan

To configure a field calculation for a Work Field in OnePlan, go to a plan of the desired Plan Type and open Work Plan > List, select the ellipsis (…) menu, then select Configure. Select the Form Editor tab and choose the Work Type from the Work Type menu, open the Content panel’s Elements tab to locate the field, and select the pencil icon next to it. In the Edit Field form, select the Calculation tab, select Calculated as the Calculation Type, complete the Edit Calculation form, and select Save. Work Fields support only the Calculated calculation type — Rollup and Trend are available for Plan Fields only.

What This Article Covers: Work Field Calculations

This article explains how to access the Calculation tab for a Work Field and configure a Calculated field calculation — the only calculation type available to Work Fields.

What you will accomplish By the end of this article, you will be able to access the Calculation tab for a Work Field and add a Calculated field calculation to it in OnePlan.

Note: This article covers Work Field calculations. For Plan Field calculations — including Rollup and Trend — see Plan Fields - Configure Field Calculations.

Before You Begin: Work Field Calculations

Before you begin, make sure you have:

A OnePlan account with Owner (administrator) permissions (Needs SME confirmation: exact required permission/role name)
The Work Plan app installed
Access to the Work Type Form Editor — see Work Fields - Access Work Fields Configuration
A Work Field created or in progress — see Work Fields - Create a New Work Field

Note: Field calculations are only available for Plan Fields and Work Fields. Resource Fields do not have a Calculation tab and cannot be configured to calculate.

Why This Matters: Work Field Calculations

Context: How Work Field Calculations Work

Work Field calculations automatically update a field’s value based on formulas or business rules, instead of requiring users to update those values manually. Many calculations are already configured in OnePlan by default — for example, when the task % Complete field reaches 100% or the Complete flag is checked, the Status field updates to Completed, and the reverse logic also applies.

Context: Work Field Calculations Are Configured from the Front End

Work Field calculations are configured directly from the Work Type Form Editor — the same drag-and-drop editor used to build the rest of the Work Type form — rather than from a separate backend administration page. See How to Configure Work Type Forms in OnePlan.

Context: Why You Cannot Calculate from Other Calculated Fields

You cannot build a calculation using another calculated field as an input. Because calculated fields depend on their own calculation logic to update, chaining calculations off of them will not update correctly and will produce incorrect information. Always use initial (non-calculated) field values when building a calculation.

Context: Why Work Fields Don’t Support Rollup or Trend

Rollup and Trend are Plan Field-only calculation types — a Work Field’s Calculation Type dropdown only offers Calculated. If you need a rolled-up or trended metric for work-level data, build it on a Plan Field instead — for example, a Plan Field Rollup calculation with its Work Type set to the relevant work item type. See Plan Fields - Configure Field Calculations.

Step-by-Step: Configuring Work Field Calculations

Task: Access the Calculation Tab for a Work Field

Go to a plan of the desired Plan Type, then open Work Plan > List.
In the toolbar, select the ellipsis (…) menu, then select Configure.
Select the Form Editor tab, then choose the Work Type you want to configure from the Work Type menu.
Select the Content button to open the Content panel, then go to the Elements tab to locate the field, or select Create New to build a new field first.
Click (⋮) field you want to update and click Edit. The Edit Field form opens.
Select the Calculation tab in the Edit Field form.

Note: You don’t have to configure a calculation after the fact — you can also add one while creating the field for the first time. See Work Fields - Create a New Work Field.

Calculation Tab.png

See How to Configure Work Type Forms in OnePlan for more detail on this interface.

Task: Add a Calculation

From the Calculation tab in the Edit Field form:

Select Calculated in the Calculation Type dropdown. This is the only option available for Work Fields.
Select Add Calculation. The Edit Calculation form opens.
Complete the Edit Calculation form:
- Select Field To Add: Select the field you want to use in your calculation. Do not select a calculated field — the calculation will not update correctly. The selected field populates the Calculation field below.
- Calculation: Build your calculation using selected fields or entered values. Available calculations include basic math (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division), DATEDIFF([field 1], [field 2]) (calculates the difference between two date fields), [AssignmentCost] (multiplies effort by cost using your organization’s rate tables), and [AssignmentRevenue] (multiplies effort by revenue using your organization’s rate tables).
- Always Calculate: Select the check box if you want the calculation to run even when the conditional fields do not change.
- Calculate When (And): Add one or more rules/logic for the calculation.
Select Save.

Edit Calculation.png

Example: For the task State field, three calculations set the value based on the Status field: Proposed when Status is Not Started, Active when Status is In Progress, Deferred, or Waiting for someone else, and Closed when Status is Completed. When a task’s Status changes to In Progress, the State field updates to Active based on this calculation.

Frequently Asked Questions: Work Field Calculations

Q: Where do I configure calculations for a Work Field in OnePlan? A: In OnePlan, Work Field calculations are configured on the Calculation tab of the Edit Field form, accessed from the Work Type Form Editor (Work Plan > List > … > Configure > Form Editor).

Q: What calculation types are available for Work Fields in OnePlan? A: In OnePlan, Work Fields support only the Calculated calculation type. Rollup and Trend are Plan Field-only.

Q: Can I add a Rollup or Trend calculation to a Work Field? A: No. In OnePlan, the Calculation Type dropdown for a Work Field only offers Calculated. For a rolled-up or trended metric, configure it on a Plan Field instead. See Plan Fields - Configure Field Calculations.

Q: Why can’t I use a calculated field inside another calculation in OnePlan? A: OnePlan does not support building a calculation from another calculated field, because the source field depends on its own calculation to update. This produces incorrect results, so you must use initial (non-calculated) field values instead.

Q: Can I configure calculations for Resource Fields in OnePlan? A: No. In OnePlan, calculations are only available for Plan Fields and Work Fields. The Edit Field form for Resource Fields does not include a Calculation tab.

What to Do Next: Work Field Calculations

Get started with related tasks: - Work Fields - Access Work Fields Configuration - Work Fields - Create a New Work Field - How to Configure Work Type Forms in OnePlan