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Create Projects from Sales Documents#

Whereas previous chapters have described, one after another, how to set up a project, calculate the effort that was put into it, and create sales documents from it, the following chapter will explain how to do the reverse, that is, create a project from a sales quote or order.

Create Lines from Project Template#

This action can be run to create lines for a blank sales quote or order so that you don’t have to specify a project structure manually when you later want to set up a project from the sales document.

For this reason, the function retrieves not only the work package lines from a project template but also, for example, the Begin-Total and End-Total lines entered on it.

Whether template lines are added at the WBS or budget line level to the blank document depends on the option you selected in the Copy to Sales Doc. field on each line. Additionally, Begin-Total and End-Total blocks are set up around the budget lines assigned to the same template line, to keep them together on the new document as well.

As for the Expand Budget Lines fields on the template lines, you can use them to specify that when you run the function to set up document lines in sales and one of the Copy to Sales Doc. Field on the template is set to WBS Line, the system should also copy the associated budget lines to the new structure.

Note

Although template lines for which the No Transfer option is selected in the Copy to Sales Doc. field aren’t transferred to the sales document when you run this function, you can later add them manually to a WBS (when you’ve created a work breakdown structure from the document) or set up new templates for them (from which you can then transfer them in blocks).

Create Project and WBS#

This action, found on the ribbon of sales quotes and orders, opens a page on which you can use two functions and a toggle to create a project from a sales document, as described in the following.

Create a New Project#

Running the Create a New Project action from the page starts the project wizard. You then must specify a project template unless the sales document was created from one (see Create Lines from Project Template), in which case the Project Template Code field is filled in automatically. The template isn’t used to create a WBS, however, which is what you’ll do later with the help of another function.

You can then choose OK to go to the next page, where all customer-related fields have already been filled in (and can no longer be changed) and where the Status field has been set to Quote or Open (Order), depending on which document ribbon you ran the action from. Neither field can be changed. The other fields on the page, including the Starting Date and Person Responsible, are blank and need to be filled in manually.

When you exit the wizard, you’re asked if you want the new project number to be copied to the document lines that you’re using to create the project. Typically, the answer to that question is Yes. Afterward, the system will:

  • create the project (so that you can open the project card for it).
  • link the sales document header and lines to the new project.
  • copy the dimensions of the project to the sales document.

Note

You cannot run this function for a sales document that is already linked to a project.

Create WBS/Lines#

You can now run the Create WBS/Lines function, found on the same page as the wizard, to create a work breakdown structure for the new project by using from the sales document resource, item, or G/L account lines that aren’t already linked to a WBS or budget line. You can, however, also complete this part later if necessary.

Note

Document lines that you want recreated as service package lines on the WBS must already have a work type assigned to them, as it is the only way to ensure that the new work breakdown structure contains valid package prices and units of measure.

You can, however, change a price later if necessary. Additionally, the work type that is copied doesn’t need to match the type assigned to the WBS (considering you can also change this type on both WBS and budget lines later).

Transfer to Project / Target Project No.#

Only document lines where the Transfer to Project field is selected are included when you run the Create WBS/Lines function.

If you chose Yes when asked earlier whether to enter on all sales document lines the number of the project you’ve just created, the Target Project No. is already filled in here. If you didn’t, the number is filled in after you select the Copy to Project field.

Target WBS Level#

The target level specifies if you want a sales document line to be set up as a WBS or budget line on the new project. Budget lines that contain the same work package (and potentially the same phase, task, and step codes) are grouped on projects.

Target Work Package Code#

A work package must be filled in regardless of whether you want a document line copied at the WBS or budget line level.

Note

If the target level was set to WBS, the billing resource entered on the document line must match the resource linked to the target work package, as this resource is also required when you complete the process in reverse, that is, when you create a sales document from a work breakdown structure.

If the document line was created with the help of a project template, the target package is filled in automatically for the function (not on the sales line yet, however), as is the billing resource.

If the line includes an item and was added manually to the sales document, the work package is filled in based on the item category or the item itself, as both might have work package codes entered for them. If the item isn’t assigned to a category or no package code was linked to it, the code is retrieved from the relevant item card.

In all cases, however, the system will look for a suitable package, as you can specify in the work package master the types (items, resources or resource groups, and G/L accounts) that you want to set up budget lines for. This means, for example, that you cannot select a package of an item (category) if budget lines aren’t allowed for it.

Phase, task, and step codes#

You don’t need to but can fill in the Target Phase, Task, and Step Code fields on the page as well. You cannot, however, use the auto PTS code entered in Projects Setup here, as this code is filled in automatically during the creation of a WBS.

Target Resource Type#

If the target WBS level is Budget Line, you can choose another resource or resource group for transfer to the new project if necessary. If you leave the field blank, the system will use the resource specified on the sales document line instead.

Note

If the sales document line contains a billing resource, you need to specify another target resource here.

Target Billing Type#

This field is filled in with the type stored on a project template if you’ve used the Create Lines from Project Template action but can be changed if necessary.

For a sales document line created without a template, you can also fill in the field manually.

Project Template Code / Project Template Line No.#

These fields show the template that the lines on a sales document originate with if you’ve run the Create Lines from Project Template function to set up the document.

The information they contain is then used for the Expand Budget Line feature.

Expand Budget Lines#

This field tells the system whether to create budget lines from a project template when you run the Create WBS/Lines function.

It is selected automatically depending on how the template has been set up, although you can change the field manually if necessary. Changing the field, however, is only possible for sales document lines on which the Target WBS Level is set to WBS and is only useful for lines with project template codes.

Note

If the sales document line contains a billing resource, you need to specify another target resource for the budget lines or you won’t be able to use this feature.

Other document line fields#

All other field values, such as sales prices, line discounts, invoice quantities, and descriptions, will be copied to both WBS and budget lines automatically.

Create project prices#

When you create WBS or budget lines, you can additionally set up one sales price list per project by turning on the Create Project Prices toggle on the header of the Create Project and WBS from Sales Document page. Every price entered on the relevant sales document lines is then added to this list.

If a list already exists, it is expanded to include those values. Available prices, however, aren’t replaced. You’ll be notified if a price has already been entered for resources of a certain work type.

Note

The feature only copies prices that already exist when you turn on the toggle and run the WBS/Lines function.

Change requests#

Change requests can be copied from both quotes and orders to existing projects and their WBS lines by entering the number of an existing project on a blank document header (where only the document number is already filled in).

Afterward, all available customer data is copied from the project to the document. To prevent manual overwrites, this includes the Your Reference and External Document No. (unless they were left blank). What exactly is being transferred depends on how the relevant project has been set up.

The following will happen in any case when you run the function:

  • Lines from a sales quote are copied to the WBS as quote lines.
  • Lines from a sales order are copied to the WBS as order lines and can therefore only be transferred to projects set to Open (Order).
  • A Begin-Total and End-Total block referencing the sales document is added to the change request automatically.
  • The change request gets its own WBS lines, even if you’ve already selected a target work package from the WBS.

Note

If you create a project from a sales document and have only some of the lines copied to the new, blank WBS, the lines that remain after the initial transfer will be considered part of a change request when you have them copied later.