Deskera Project Management User Manual

8/12/2019 Deskera Project Management User Manual

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KWL/User Manual/2011/DeskeraProject Management

Date: April 8, 2011Confidential Internal Use Only Page | 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Getting Started with Deskera Project Management .............................................................6

1.1. Basic Settings Deskera Applications ....................................................................................... 6

1.2. Deskera Project Management Settings ........................... ......................... .......................... ....... 9

1.2.1. Add a New Project ........................ ......................... .......................... .......................... ....... 9

1.2.2. Add Resources to Project ........................... .......................... ......................... .................. 10

1.2.3. Import Project Details ........................... .......................... .......................... ...................... 10

2. Project Management Dashboard........................................................................................10

2.1. Dashboard Widgets .......................... ......................... .......................... .......................... ......... 11

2.1.1. Personal Messages ....................... ......................... .......................... .......................... ..... 11

2.1.2. Quick Links .......................... .......................... .......................... ......................... .............. 11

2.1.3. Add / Remove Project Widget........................ .......................... ......................... .............. 12

2.1.4. Requests ......................... .......................... ......................... .......................... .................. 13

2.1.5. Announcements ........................... ......................... .......................... .......................... ..... 13

2.1.6. My Documents ......................... ......................... .......................... .......................... ......... 14

2.1.7. Project Widget ......................... ......................... .......................... .......................... ......... 15

2.1.8. Project Charts ........................... ......................... .......................... .......................... ......... 18

2.2. Audit Trail .......................... .......................... .......................... ......................... ....................... 19

2.3. Deskera One Search ......................... ......................... .......................... .......................... ......... 20

2.4. Personal Messages ........................... ......................... .......................... .......................... ......... 21

2.4.1. View Personal Messages, Sent Mails, Drafts ........................ ......................... .................. 22

2.4.2. Compose Email ......................... ......................... .......................... .......................... ......... 23

2.4.3. Move to...................... .......................... .......................... ......................... ....................... 25

2.4.4. More Actions ....................... .......................... .......................... ......................... .............. 25


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2.5. Change Password ........................ .......................... .......................... ......................... .............. 26

2.6. Contacts ......................... .......................... .......................... ......................... .......................... . 28

2.6.1. Add Contact ........................ .......................... .......................... ......................... .............. 28

2.6.2. View Profile ......................... .......................... .......................... ......................... .............. 30

2.6.3. Edit Contact ......................... .......................... .......................... ......................... .............. 32

2.6.4. Export CSV ........................... .......................... .......................... ......................... .............. 33

2.6.5. Import CSV .......................... .......................... .......................... ......................... .............. 35

2.7. Administration ........................ .......................... ......................... .......................... .................. 37

2.7.1. Add Project Resources .......................... .......................... ......................... ....................... 38

2.7.2. Assign Permissions ....................... ......................... .......................... .......................... ..... 39

2.7.3. Make Announcements............................... .......................... ......................... .................. 40

2.7.4. View User Profile .......................... ......................... .......................... .......................... ..... 41

3. Project Administration .......................................................................................................45

3.1. Import from Basecamp......................... ......................... .......................... .......................... ..... 46

3.2. Project Management........................ ......................... .......................... ......................... .......... 47

3.2.1. Create Project .......................... ......................... .......................... .......................... ......... 48

3.2.2. Edit Project .......................... .......................... .......................... ......................... .............. 49

3.2.3. Delete Project...................... ......................... ........................... ......................... .............. 50

3.2.4. Manage Members ........................ ......................... .......................... .......................... ..... 51

3.3. Archive / Set Active .......................... ......................... .......................... .......................... ......... 52

3.4. Make Announcements ......................... ......................... .......................... .......................... ..... 53

3.5. View Project Details ......................... ......................... .......................... .......................... ......... 54

3.5.1. Project Plan ......................... .......................... .......................... ......................... .............. 55

3.5.2. Discussion ........................... .......................... .......................... ......................... .............. 62

3.5.3. To - Do List .......................... .......................... .......................... ......................... .............. 63


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10.3.2. Tasks Ending Soon ........................ ......................... .......................... .......................... ..... 93

10.3.3. Un-started Tasks ........................... ......................... .......................... .......................... ..... 93

10.3.4. Task In Progress ........................ ......................... .......................... ......................... .......... 93

10.3.5. Tasks Starting Soon....................... ......................... .......................... .......................... ..... 93

10.4. Workload Reports ........................ ......................... .......................... ......................... .......... 93

10.4.1. Resource Usage ........................ ......................... .......................... ......................... .......... 93

10.4.2. Resource Analysis ......................... ......................... .......................... .......................... ..... 93

10.4.3. Task Usage .......................... .......................... .......................... ......................... .............. 94

10.5. Baseline Reports.................................. ........................... .......................... .......................... 94

10.5.1. Project Summary .......................... ......................... .......................... .......................... ..... 94

10.5.2. Duration Compare ........................ ......................... .......................... .......................... ..... 94

10.5.3. Resource Compare ....................... ......................... .......................... .......................... ..... 94

10.5.4. Date Compare .......................... ......................... .......................... .......................... ......... 94

10.5.5. Cost Compare ........................... ......................... .......................... .......................... ......... 94

10.5.6. Resourcewise Tasks Compare ........................ .......................... ......................... .............. 94

11. Discussion.......................................................................................................................94

12. Other Features ...............................................................................................................95


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1. Getting Started with Deskera Project Management

1.1. Basic Settings Deskera Applications

Login to your Deskera account apps.deskera.com/a/ - with theusername and password configured by you during sign up.

The first screen you would view is the Deskera Dashboard. (Refer Figure 1)

Figure 1 - Deskera Account Dashboard

Deskera Dashboard gives access to the user for the subscribed Deskera Applications, User and CompanySettings, Issue Tracker as well as Subscription Details. For more details, log on to -

www.deskera.com/faqs . 1.1.1. Create Users

Follow the steps given below to create users in Deskera:

1. Click on Administration under Quick Links from Deskera Dashboard. 2. A new screen with 2 tabs for User and Company Administration are displayed.
http://www.deskera.com/faqshttp://www.deskera.com/faqshttp://www.deskera.com/faqs


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3. Click on User Administration tab to access the details related to the new andexisting users. (Refer Figure 2)

4. Click on User Management and create new users and assign roles andpermissions for different Deskera Applications by clicking on Create User. (Refer

Figure 2)

Figure 2 - Create Users in Deskera

1.1.2. Manage User Access You can assign/un-assign access to Deskera Applications to users, and also assigncorresponding roles for the selected Deskera Application. This can be done by followingthe steps listed below:

1. Click on Administration under Quick Links from Deskera Dashboard. 2. A new screen with 2 tabs for User and Company Administration are displayed.3. Click on User Administration tab to access the details related to the new and

existing users. (Refer Figure 3)4. Click on Manage Application Access' to grant accessibility permissions to the users.

(Refer Figure 3)


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Figure 3 - Manage User Access

1.1.3. Configure Company Settings

This feature allows you to configure your Company Settings such as uploading Companylogo, Contact Address, and Country Time zone, among others. The Company Settings canbe configured by following the steps listed below:

1. Click on Administration under Quick Links from Deskera Dashboard. 2. A new screen with 2 tabs for User and Company Administration are displayed.3. Click on Company Administration tab to configu re settings for your Company.

(Refer Figure 4)4. Upload a logo for your Company, enter the Company details as well as contact

information.5. You can also select a Timezone and Base Currency to be used as the default settings

in all Deskera Applications.


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Figure 4 - Configure Company Settings

1.2. Deskera Project Management Settings

Click on Deskera Project Management to access the application from the Deskera Dashboard.Alternatively, you can login directly in Deskera Project Management through

project.deskera.com/a/ - using your username and password.

1.2.1. Add a New Project

Adding a new project to the existing library of projects in Deskera PM is quite an easytask. You can instantly create a new project directly from the Dashboard by clicking thelink Create New Project on the right top corner of the Quick Links widget. Alternatively, you can create a new project by clicking on 'Project Administration' on the Dashboardand then 'Project Management' tab at the bottom of the page. Just give a specific nameto your project, a brief description, upload a project image and a new project is createdinstantly. For further details, refer Section 3.2.1.


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1.2.2. Add Resources to Project

You can add new resource(s) or drop the existing resource(s) from a particular projectby simply clicking on 'Project Administration' tab and then selecting 'Manage members'from 'Project Management' tab at the bottom of the page. View the list of available andallocated members and add or drop them from the project as and when required. Forfurther details, refer Section 2.7.1.

1.2.3. Import Project Details

Import all project details from Basecamp, Microsoft Project or any other Projectmanagement software to get started with Deskera Project Management instantly. Forfurther details, refer Section 3.1.

2. Project Management Dashboard

Deskera Project Management provides you a real time customizable dashboard. Get updates onvarious projects, access documents and messages, view project completion charts and more on thedashboard itself. Personalize your dashboard by adding and removing project widgets - for bettervisibility of all important projects. The Dashboard widgets can be easily dragged and dropped as peryour convenience.

Figure 5 Project Management Dashboard


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2.1. Dashboard Widgets

2.1.1. Personal Messages

The personal messages widget enables you to view all the personal messages receivedin your inbox, on the Dashboard itself. Here you can view the content of any message byclicking on the subject of the message. You can also flag all important messages in thiswidget itself.

2.1.2. Quick Links

Quick Links widget enables you to access various links so as to view all your projectdetails as well as manage users, projects and company details. You can instantly create anew project and also add/remove the project widget and project quick link by accessinglinks on the top right side of the widget.


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2.1.3. Add / Remove Project Widget


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Clicking on Add/Remove Project Widget [ ] icon, a new window appears where in you canselect any project - to add or remove its corresponding widget and quick link from theDashboard.

2.1.4. Requests

It shows you all pending requests including connections and administration requests.

2.1.5. AnnouncementsThis widget displays all the announcements which can be directed at specific users,members in a particular project or the entire organization.


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2.1.6. My Documents

My Documents widget allows you to access all your documents instantly. You canupload any document and download them in a single click from the Dashboard .

Upload a Document

Upload a document by browsing it from an external location; adding a comment to itand clicking on upload.


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2.1.7. Project Widget

Project widget displays all the project plan updates, to - do lists, calendar updates,documents and reports on the Dashboard itself.

Project Plan Updates

Click on Project Plan Update icon [ ] on the top right corner of the project widget toget instant access to project updates. Each update also displays the concerned Project,Task Name, current progress (% Complete) and resource assigned. Task Updates helpyou allocate your time and attention to achieve your goals which add up to increasingoverall project execution efficiency.


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To-Do Updates

Click on To -do updates icon on the top right corner of the project widget to viewupdates and add new task to the to-do list.

View Calendar Update

Click on View Calendar U pdate icon on the top right corner of the project widget toview the updates related to all calendar events. You can also add new activity tocalendar.


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View Project Administration Details

Click on View Project Administration U pdate icon on the top right corner of the projectwidget to view the administration updates related to the project.


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View Reports

Click on View report icon on the top right corner of the project widget to view all thereports related to that particular project.

2.1.8. Project Charts

The Project Chart widget displays a project completion graph depicting status of allprojects graphically.


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2.2. Audit Trail

Audit trail enables you to keep a track of all the user activities related to all transactions takingplace in the application through comprehensive Project Management system records. Theaction is displayed along with the date when the action took place. The IP address helps you tomonitor the location from where the action has been performed.

The audit trail can be accessed in the following manner:

1. Click 'Audit Trail' on the upper right side of the Dashboard.2. A new window for audit log appears.3. Select a filter for which you want to track the activities taken place in the system.4. All the actions performed on the system are listed with their date and IP address.5. Search allows you to locate the record which you want easily.


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2.3. Deskera One Search

Deskera One Search allows you search all entries in Deskera or choose a specific list to search.Follow the simple steps listed below to use this tab:

1. Specify the item which you want to search in Search One box present on the right sideof the Dashboard.

2. Click on Search button. 3. If you want to choose any entry from specific list to search, click on down arrow button

present near search one box.4. Select entry (people/project/documents/all) from the drop down which you want to

search.


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2.4. Personal Messages

Personal Messages allows you to get instant access to your Inbox. Messages enable you to sendand receive messages, store them, flag / unflag them, arrange them in specific folders and alsoedit, delete them at any point of time. Follow the steps given below to access messages:

1. Click on the Personal Messages option on the upper left side of the Dashboard.2. A new window for Personal Messages opens.


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2.4.1. View Personal Messages, Sent Mails, Drafts

This tab allows you to get instant access to your Inbox, Sent mail, Deleted Items, Draftsand many more. You can view all the messages you receive at one place, flag, unflagthem or move them to your preferred folder effectively. Follow the simple steps listedbelow to access personal messages:

1. Click on the Personal Messages option on the upper left side of the Dashboard.2. A new window for Personal Messages opens.3. Click on Personal Messages and select Inbox, Drafts, Personal Messages,

Deleted items and more according to your requirements.4. Click on a particular message to view all its content on the same page.5. You can reply to the received messages and also flag/unflag them.6. Quick search the mail by typing in the keywords for easily locating the mail from

the list.


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2.4.2. Compose Email

Compose Mail allows you to create a new mail and send it or save it as draft. Follow thesimple steps listed below to compose new email.

1. Click on Personal Messages option on the upper left side of the Dashboard.2. A new window for Personal Messages opens.3. Click on Compose Mail to compose a new mail. 4. A new window will appear.5. Draft a mail and enter the email address of the recipient.6. Click 'Send' to send the message or else click 'Save' to send the message later

from drafts.


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2.4.3. Move to

This feature enables you to move your mails into any desired folder. Follow the stepsmentioned below to move the message(s):

1. Click on the Personal Messages option on the upper left side of the Dashboard.2. A new window for Personal Messages opens.3. Select 'Inbox' and all your received messages are displayed.4. Select the message which you want to move.5. Click on 'Move' and select the desired folder - Inbox, Draft or any other specific

folder.

2.4.4. More Actions

Under 'More Actions', you can add flag to all important items and also remove flag frommails as and when required. Follow the simple steps to flag/unflag it:

1. Click on the Personal Messages op tion on the upper left side of the Dashboard.2. A new window for Personal Messages opens.3. Select 'Inbox' to view all the received messages.4. Click on the flag icon to distinguish it from other mails.


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5. You can unflag the mail anytime simply by clicking on the flag icon against theflagged mail.

2.5. Change Password

Deskera Project Management allows you to maintain privacy by regularly changing yourpassword so that unauthorized persons do not gain access to your Deskera PM account. Followthe simple steps listed below to change your password :

1. Click on Change Password option on the upper left side o f the Dashboard.2. A new window will open asking you for password details.3. Enter your current password and a new password. Confirm your new password by re-

entering it.4. Click on Set to change password or else click on Cancel.


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2.6. Contacts

Contact Management enables you to maintain complete information about individuals youknow and interact with, through contact details. Users can mass import contact informationfrom external sources in CSV format. Follow simple steps listed below to use this tab.

1. Click 'Contacts' on the upper right side of dashboard.2. A new window for contacts appears.

2.6.1. Add Contact

Follow the simple steps listed below to add contacts:

1. Select 'Contact' link from the Dashboard. You will be taken to 'Contacts' page.2. Click on Add Contact to add a new contact. A new window will open. 3. Enter contact related information in the new window such as name, email id,

phone and address.4. Click on Add to add a new contact or else click on Cancel .


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2.6.2. View Profile

It shows you complete profile of the selected contact person. Follow simple steps listedbelow to use this tab.

1. Select 'Contact' link from the Dashboard. You will be taken to 'Contacts' page.2. Click on View Profile to view profile of a selected contact.3. A new window will open showing you profile of the selected contact.


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2.6.3. Edit Contact

Select a contact and edit its details. Follow the simple steps listed below to edit acontact:

1. Select 'Contacts' link from the Dashboard. You will be taken to 'Contacts' page.2. Click on Edit contact to edit contact details of a selected contact.3. A new window of Edit Contact will open.4. Edit existing contact details and click on Edit to edit contact details or else click

on Cancel.


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2.6.4. Export CSV

Follow simple steps listed below to export your contact in CSV format.

1. Select 'Contact' link from the Dashboard. You will be taken to 'Contacts' page.2. Click on Export CSV to export contacts in CSV file. 3. A new window will open asking you to export contact in CSV format.4. Click on OK to export contact in CSV file or else click on Cancel.


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2.6.5. Import CSV

Follow simple steps listed below to import your contact in CSV format.

1. Select 'Contacts' link from the Dashboard. You will be taken to 'Contacts' page.2. Click on Export CSV to export cont acts in CSV file.3. A new window will open asking you to export contact in CSV format.4. Click on O K to export contact in CSV file or else click on Cancel.


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2.7. Administration

User Administration enables you to manage user roles and access permissions easily andeffectively. Assign accessibility permissions to the users in the system through useradministration. You can also easily assign users to a project and make announcements for anygroup of project members. To access User Administration, follow the steps listed below:

1. Click on 'User Administration' link in 'Administration' on the Dashboard.2. A new window for Administration appears having three separate tabs for user,

company and project administration.3. Select the 'User Administration' tab.4. The user administration lists down all the user details like user ID, email address,

last login date & time, address and permissions.5. Double click a row to view detailed information of that particular user which isdisplayed in a separate window.

6. Quick Search enables you to search the users in the system as soon as you starttyping.


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2.7.1. Add Project Resources

The 'Add To' feature under user administration enables the administrator to assign usersto any of the active projects. This feature can be used in the following manner:

1. Select 'User Administration' from the Dashboard.2. A new window for user administration appears where all the users in the

system are listed.3. Select a user to whom you wish to assign project.4. Click on 'Add To' button on the right bottom of the page.5. A pop-up window appears listing all the active projects.6. Click 'Add' to assign the selected user to a project, else click 'Cancel' to

discard.


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2.7.2. Assign Permissions

'Assign Permissions' feature enables the administrator to set user roles and activities to

view, manage and edit project, user and company details. You can easily assignpermissions related to managing projects, moderating messages and company settings.

1. Click on 'User Administration' under 'Administration' on the Dashboard.2. A new window for user administration listing users in the system appears.3. Select a user from the list to assign permissions.4. Permissions related to user, project and company can be set by clicking on the

check boxes.5. Click 'Apply' to assign user permissions or else click 'Cancel' to discard the

action.


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2.7.3. Make Announcements

The administrator can make announcements to either all or selected members in theproject. The announcements made are visible on the dashboard of the user to whom itis made. The display date range and time can also be set by the administrator. Makeannouncements by following the steps listed below:

1. Click 'User Administration' on the Dashboard.2. A new window displaying all the active users in the system appears.3. Click 'Make Announcements' if you want to make announcement to all the

users.4. If you want to announce only to few, simply select the users and then make

announcement.

5.

A pop-up window appears when you click on 'Make Announcements'button.6. Enter the announcement in the box provided and select the date range for

which you want the announcement to be displayed.7. Click 'Announce' to publish the announcement to users, else click 'Cancel' to

discard the announcement.


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2.7.4. View User Profile

To view detailed information of a particular user, double click on the user whose profile

is to be viewed. The user profile will be displayed in a separate window. Follow the stepsgiven below:

1. Click 'User Administration' on the Dashboard.2. Select a particular user and double click to view his / her profile.3. A new window displaying the user profile appears.4. You can view the all the members in the user's network and view their profiles

by clicking on any of them.

In the user profile, you can carry out various functions like edit the tag(s), sendmessage(s) to which you want to and add a member to any project.


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Drop from NetworkYou can remove a person from your network by clicking on 'Drop from Network' at the bottomleft corner of the screen. The prompt message asking your confirmation will appear. Drop themember, which you want to, from your network.

Edit TagsAdd labels to your profile and also edit them as and when needed. You can edit tags in thefollowing manner:

1. Double click on any of the users to view profile in the 'User Administration'.2. A new window displaying the user profile appears.3. Click 'edit tags' on the left bottom of the screen.4. A pop-up window will appear.5. Edit the tag for user profile and click on the green tick to save the tag.


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Send Message'Send Message' enables you to interact with other project members by sending them messages.This can be done in the following way:

1. Double click on any of the users to view profile in the 'User Administration'.2. A new window displaying the user profile appears.3. Click 'send message' on the left bottom of the screen.4. A new window to send message(s) will appear.5. Enter your message in the window and also attach file(s) if you want.6. Click 'Send' to send the message to a particular user.


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Add ToThe 'Add To' feature under user administration enables the administrator to add this user to a

project. This feature can be used in the following manner:

1. Double click on any of the users to view profile in the 'User Administration'.2. A new window displaying the user profile appears.3. Click 'Add To' on the left bottom of the screen.4. A pop-up window will appear to add members to a project.5. Click 'Add' to assign that particular user to a project.


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3. Project Administration

Project Administration enables you to manage all your users, and details related to projects andcompany, at one single location. You can also control user access by assigning them permissions tocarry out various changes in the project(s), add users to project as members, drop them fromprojects, manage your projects by creating new or editing the existing ones, archive the projectswhich are no longer relevant, set them active as and when required, make announcements andselect person(s) to whom you want to make the announcements and also update the companydetails. The active and archived projects are displayed separately. Simply double click on a project toview its details in another window. The most important feature of Project Administration is that youcan import projects from another Project Management software - Basecamp and start working onthem immediately.


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3.1. Import from Basecamp

The most important feature of Project Administration is that it allows you to import your

existing project(s) from other Project Management software like Basecamp so as to enable youto start working on your existing projects instantly with Deskera Project Management. Followthe steps given below to import your project(s) from Basecamp:

1. Click on 'Project Administration' under 'Administration' on the Dashboard.2. A new window for Project Administration appears where all the projects, whether

active or archived are listed.3. Click on 'Import from Basecamp' at the bottom of the page.4. A pop-up window will appear.5. Browse the location of your existing project file in .xml format in Basecamp.6. Click 'Import' to import the contents of your project into Deskera Project Management

and start working on them instantly.


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3.2.1. Create Project

Add new project to the existing list of projects by creating a new one in the followingway:

1. Click on 'Project Administration' on the Dashboard.2. A new window listing all the projects appears.3. Click on 'Project Management' at the bottom. The menu lists various options like

create project, edit or delete projects and manage users.4. Select 'Create Project' from the Project Management menu.5. A pop-up window will appear.6. Fill in the project related details in the pop-up window like project name and

description. Also, upload a picture if you want to.7. Click 'Create' to add a new project or else click 'Cancel' to discard adding new

project.


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3.2.2. Edit Project

You can easily carry out changes in the existing projects by following the below listedsteps:

1. Click on 'Project Administration' on the Dashboard.2. A new window listing all the projects appears.3. Click on 'Project Management' and select 'Edit Project' from the menu.4. A pop-up window will appear.5. Carry out the changes in the project fields which you want to.6. Click 'Edit' to save the changes made, else click 'Cancel'.


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3.2.3. Delete Project

You can delete the project from the list of projects if it is not required anymore. Select

the project which you want to delete from the list and click 'delete project'. A promptmessage asking your confirmation is displayed. Click 'yes' if you want to delete it, elseclick 'cancel'.


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3.2.4. Manage Members

Manage the members in the project by adding new or removing the existing ones easilyfrom here. Use the arrows to allocate the members to a project from a list of availablemembers.


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3.3. Archive / Set Active

The projects which are no longer active but could be required in future are preserved in the listof archived projects. You can refer to them at any point of time but cannot carry out anychanges until and unless the project is unarchived. In other words, unarchive the project if youwant to modify the project details. Archive / unarchive the project in following manner:

1. Click on 'Project Administration' under 'Administration' on the Dashboard.2. A new window listing both active and archived projects appears.3. Click on a particular project under active projects to archive.4. Click 'Archive' from the bottom of the page.5. A prompt message asking your confirmation will be displayed.6. Select 'Yes' to archive the project, else click 'No'.7. Similarly, select a project under archive projects and click on 'Set Active' to unarchive

the project.


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3.4. Make Announcements

The administrator / project manager can make announcements to either all or selectedmembers in the project from here. The announcements made are visible on the dashboard ofthe user to whom it is made. The display date range and time can also be set by the

administrator. Make announcements by following the steps listed below:

1. Click 'Project Administration' on the Dashboard.2. Select a project to make announcements to its members.3. Click 'Make Announcements' to announce to the members of selected project.5. A pop-up window appears.6. Enter the announcement in the box provided and select the date range for which youwant the announcement to be displayed.7. Click 'Announce' to publish the project announcement to users, else click 'Cancel' todiscard the announcement.


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3.5. View Project Details

You can view a project in detail by double clicking on a project from the list of projects. The

project details are displayed in a separate window where you can effectively manage yourprojects. You can manage the project plan, carry out discussions, maintain to - do lists andproject calendars, upload documents, subscribe it to RSS feeds and view project progress withthe help of interactive and easy to understand Gantt Charts.


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3.5.1. Project Plan

Plan your project activities by making use of schedules such as interactive Gantt Chartsand effectively manage complete development and maintenance of your project plan. Ithelps you to analyze how long a project should take to finish, lays out the order in whichthe tasks should be carried out and also lets you see immediately what should havebeen achieved at any point in time. It also enables you to develop task structures, assignpriorities and define multiple milestones using interactive Gantt charts, manage teamtasks along with deadlines and performance credits through the Task Manager,individually track project status and maintain to-do lists, and send out milestonereminders based on project calendar entries. You can also embed project plan anywhereon the web. You can access and make effective use of Project Plan in the following

manner:

1. Click on the project either directly from the Dashboard or through ProjectAdministration.

2. A new window will appear listing all the features.3. Select 'Project Plan' tab out of various other features.


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4. The tasks with its details are displayed on the left side of the screen andcorresponding Gantt Charts on the right.

5. You can carry out various activities on the task grid like create new template,insert a template, view task priority and tasks overdue and also view task

progress.6. Also, import your existing projects to Deskera or export your projects to an

external location.7. Define baseline, generate reports, notify all or few and resolve resource

conflicts.

The Task Grid lists out all your project tasks along with their duration, dates,predecessors and resources. Now it not only looks like an Excel sheet, but acts like onetoo allowing you to edit task easily.

On the right, you have an interactive Gantt chart where you can drag and drop tasks andlinks much like Microsoft Project. It is truly collaborative all project members can keeptrack of project plan in real time i.e. any changes to the project plan can besimultaneously viewed by any project member.


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Now lets move on to the toolbar :

New template: Many projects within a company tend to have a set of common tasks, hencethe inclusion of templates. Templates not only make it easier to enter the same tasks acrossprojects, but at the same time ensure consistency across projects, making it easier tocompare performance. So select those common tasks in the plan and click New Template,give it a name and you are done.

Insert Template: To insert tasks from a template into you plan, select a blank row, clickInsert Template and select the one you want.

New Task: Adds a blank row in the grid where you can start keying in the informationdirectly


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Indent and Outdent: Indenting a task pushes it to a lower level while outdenting itpromotes the task to a higher level. So when you indent a task , itll become a sub task ofthe task above it and outdenting it would make it a parent task of the one below it.

Move a task up/down: Move a task up/down by one index in the task grid. You can alsomove parent and their child tasks either up or down.

Show Progress: Displays the progress (% complete) of all the tasks on the Gantt chart.

Overdue Tasks: Highlights only the tasks which are overdue on the Gantt Chart.

Show Priority: Displays the priority level(High/Moderate/Low) of all the tasks


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Show Resources: Displays color-coded resources for all tasks on the Gantt Chart

Task Information: You can update and edit task information by clicking here. Update thetasks % completion and attach notes as well.

Import/Export Plan: Import/export your existing plans from Microsoft Project. Both .mppand .mpx files are supported.


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Reports: Generate extensive reports on your projects status. You can generate reports onactivities, resources, milestones and you can also track your project costs.


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Embed Project Plan: It allows you to embed your project plan anywhere on the web.

o Get the embed code from the Export option in Deskerao Paste it into your website, blog or any HTML editoro You can change the dimensions of the plan to suit the destination

Sync Project Plan: You can sync your project plan with team calendar so that all individualtasks are displayed on a collaborative calendar interface.

Baseline: Baselines are a set of project tasks which have been idealized for their schedule.You can select and save baselines for making them as a point of reference for othertasks/activities. This also enables you to get a quick and comprehensive comparisonbetween the baselines and project tasks.

Resource Conflicts: Resource conflicts arise when more than one resource is assigned tomore than one task at the same time. Here, you can view the conflicted tasks with theirdetails and also resolve them by assigning different resources or changing the task dates.


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3.5.2. Discussion

You can discuss project related tasks with the project members. The discussion helps ineliminating the communication gap and hence project can be completed in an effectivemanner. You can create new message and send it to the concerned person, reply to themessages received, delete messages and search messages from the list. The discussionforum can be accessed by following the steps given below:

1. Click on the project either directly from the Dashboard or from ProjectAdministration.

2. A new window for all features will appear.3. Select 'Discussion' from the list of features.4. You can view all the messages received and can reply them by creating a new

message.5. When you click on a message, the message contents are displayed below on the

same screen.6. Delete the messages as and when required.7. Flag / unflag the messages for easy navigation.


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3.5.3. To - Do List

Manage many concurrent activities effectively by adding to - dos. You can also arrangethese to - dos in groups for easy accessibility, send to - do notifications to all orconcerned persons and import to - dos in CSV format. You can access and use to - doseffectively in the following manner:

1. Click on a project either from the Dashboard or from Project Administration.2. Select 'To - Do List' from a list of features.3. Create new to - dos, add to - dos in specific folders, notify to-dos to all or few,

subscribe to RSS and import tasks.4. You can mark the to-do as complete by clicking on the 'tick' icon. A strike-

through will also appear once the to-do is marked complete.5. Edit / Delete the to - do either by double click or right click.

3.5.4. Team Calendar

Maintain calendars effectively by entering events either on a daily, work weekly, weeklyor monthly basis. Simply select the time range and date and enter the details in the pop-


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up that appears, to add a new event. You can also export / import the calendar entriesand notify events to the members. Follow the steps listed below to access the calendar:

1. Click on a project either directly from the Dashboard or from ProjectAdministration.

2. Click on Team Calendar' tab to view calendar .3. Add events to the calendar either day wise, week wise or month wise. Fix the

agenda for the day and notify the events to all or selected members.4. Also, export your events to an external location or else import your existing

events to Deskera team calendar.

1. Add New Calendar

This tool lets you add a new calendar in which you can add details like calendar name, anddescription. Use vibrant colors and also share calendar events with others. Follow the simple

steps listed below to create a new calendar:

1. Click on a project either directly from the Dashboard or from Project Administration.2. Click on Team Calendar' tab to view calendar.3. Click on New and select Calendar to create a new calendar.4. A new window for creating calendar appears wherein you can add details like

calendar name, description, select country, select time zone, set color and sharewith others.


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5. Click on 'Create Calendar' button to create a new calendar.

2. Create New Event

Add new event either in a new calendar or in an existing calendar. Follow the steps listed belowto create a new calendar event:

1. Click on a project either directly from the Dashboard or from Project Administration.2. Click on Team Calendar' tab to view calendar.3. Click on New and select Event to create a new event.4. A pop up will appear. Specify all the details and click on OK or else click on Cancel.


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3. Days ViewYou can view the complete day view in the time slot from 12 am to 11 pm and schedule thedays work on a time scale. The steps to follow for day view are listed below:

1. Click on a project either directly from the Dashboard or from Project Administration.2. Click on Team Calendar' tab to view calendar.3. Select your preferred date from the calendar given on left side and click 'Days' to view the

calendar for a particular day.


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4. Work Week View

It provides you with the option of adding data only on the working days, excluding weekends.The steps for the same are listed below:

1. Click on a project either directly from the Dashboard or from Project Administration.2. Click on Team Calendar' tab to view calendar.3. Select your preferred date from the calendar given on left side and click 'work week' to view

the calendar for a particular day.


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5. Week View

It lists all the events entered in a week and schedules your tasks for the entire week fromSunday to Saturday. Follow the steps listed below to view events in week view format:

1. Click on a project either directly from the Dashboard or from Project Administration.2. Click on Team Calendar' tab to view calendar.3. Select your preferred date from the calendar given on left side and click 'Week' to view the

calendar for a particular day.

6. Month View

This option displays all the days in the month and the events added in days for a month arehighlighted in different color. Follow the simple steps listed below to view month view:

1. Click on a project either directly from the Dashboard or from Project Administration.2. Click on Team Calendar' tab to view calendar.3. Select your preferred date from the calendar given on left side and click 'Month' to view the

calendar for a particular day.4. Click 'Month' to view the calendar for a month.


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7. Agenda

'Agenda' feature allows you to add and edit events on the priority basis and keep a track of allthe ongoing events. All the events with their time, date, location and priority are displayed.Follow the steps given below to set an agenda:

1. Click on a project either directly from the Dashboard or from Project Administration.2. Click on Team Calendar' tab to view calendar.3. Select your preferred date from the calendar given on left side and click 'Agenda' to view

the calendar for a particular day.

4. All the details of your agenda are displayed with their start and end time, day and date,location, resources and priority.5. Select any row and click on 'Edit' to carry out changes in the events of agenda.6. You can also delete the event(s) which you want to.


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8. Export Calendars

Deskera PM allows you to easily export the calendars created in iCal format. You can easily syncthese calendars with popular calendars including MS Outlook, Google, Yahoo, Blackberry,iPhone and more. To export the calendar in iCal format, follow the steps mentioned below:

1. Click on a project either directly from the Dashboard or from Project Administration.2. Click on Team Calendar' tab to view calendar.3. A new window displaying the calendar with events will open.4. Click Export from the top panel.5. A pop-up window with the calendar names to be exported will be displayed.6. Select the URL and use it to access your calendars from other applications.


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9. Internet CalendarInternet Calendar allows you to sync your other online calendars with Deskera ProjectManagement calendar. It helps you to view details of events and manage your project activitiesaccordingly. Follow simple steps listed below to sync your internet calendar in Deskera.

1) Click on the project either directly from the Dashboard or through ProjectAdministration .

2) A new window will appear listing all the Project features.3) Select 'Team Calendar' tab to view calendar.4) Click on New button and select Internet Calendar to add new internet calendar. 5) Create New Calendar window opens. Specify the iCal URL of your other internet

calendar, complete details and click on Create Calendar to add new calendar. 6) Clicking on Create new Calendar calendar gets save and appears in left hand side panel. 7) Saved calendar gets added in the calendars list on the left hand side. Select the newly

created calendar to view calendar details.8) Double Click on any event to view its details.


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a) Delete Calendar

Delete calendar allows you to delete existing calendar. Follow simple steps listed below todelete existing calendar.1) Click on the project either directly from the Dashboard or through Project Administration.2) A new window will appear listing all the Project features.3) Select 'Team Calendar' tab to view calendar.4) Select calendar from left hand side panel to view calendar details.5) In the Calendar list, click on down arrow icon next to calendar name and select delete. 6) A confirmation message appears asking you to delete calendar.7) Select Yes to delete Calendar or else No.


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b) Change Calendar Settings

Change calendar settings allow you to change calendar details. Follow simple steps listed belowto change calendar settings.

1) Click on the project either directly from the Dashboard or through Project Administration . 2) A new window will appear listing all the Project features.3) Select 'Team Calendar' tab to view calendar.

4) Select calendar from left hand side panel to view calendar details.5) In the Calendar list, click on down arrow icon next to calendar name and select Settings.Calendar settings appear on right hand side.

6) Specify changes and click on Edit Calendar to save all the changes or else click on Cancel.


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c) Add/Remove Calendar

Please follow simple steps to add/remove calendar.

1) Click on the project either directly from the Dashboard or through Project Administration . 2) A new window will appear listing all the Project features.3) Select 'Team Calendar' tab to view calendar.4) Select calendar from left hand side panel to view calendar details.5) In the Calendar list, click on down arrow icon next to calendar name and select Display only

this calendar. 6) The other calendar gets removed from the project.7) If you want to display it back then select it from left hand side panel.


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3.5.5. Documents

Manage documents related to the project effectively by adding files and managing themin groups. Sort the documents on the basis of name, type, size, modification date orauthor. You can also download the document and quick search allows you to search oneyou are looking for, from a list of documents. Follow the steps given below to managethe documents:

1. Click on a project either directly from the Dashboard or from ProjectAdministration.

2. Select 'Documents' from the list of features.3. Upload documents to the project by clicking on 'Add Files'.4. Manage these documents in folders for easy access and also download them

whenever required.5. Click 'Show' to view the contents of the uploaded document which is displayed

in a separate window.6. Add tags to easily locate the document(s).


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10. Click on 'Resolve' to resolve conflict or else click on 'close'.

4. Company AdministrationCompany Administration enables you to key in basic company details, define company holidays, andsubscribe to various modules and more, to personalize Deskera. The Project Management can bepersonalized from company administration. You can also select the HQ time zone and currency forcompany transactions. The Company Administration can be used by following the steps given below:

1. Click on 'Company Administration' under 'Administration' on the Dashboard.2. A new window listing 3 tabs for project, company and user appears.3. Select the 'Company Administration' tab.

4. A new window to personalize Deskera will appear.5. You can personalize it by adding company details, company holidays and contactinformation.

6. Change the notification settings and also manage the features which you want to displayand which you want to hide.

7. Subscribe / unsubscribe to various modules.8. Click 'Update' on the left extreme corner at the bottom of the screen to save the changes

done.


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5. Team-Project Relationship'Team - Project Relationship' feature enables you to create a team of members to be allotted to aparticular project. The first step is to create a team of members by selecting the resources from thelist. The list of resources is on the basis of roles performed by these resources in the projects. Thenext step is to give a name and description to the team created. Finally, assign the recently createdteam to a project by selecting a project from the list.

Following steps are to be followed to manage the 'Team-Project Relationship':

1. Click on ' Team-Project Relationship' from the Dashboard.2. A pop-up window listing all the resources with their details will appear.3. Select the required resources to create a team of members.4. Click 'Next' to move forward, else click 'Cancel' to discard.5. A new window will appear if you click next, to create a team of selected members.6. Enter a name and description of the team. The selected resources are also displayed.7. Click 'Next' to create a team, else create 'Cancel'. Click 'Previous' to go to the previous step

and change the resources at any point of time.8. All the active projects are listed, click on any of them to assign the recently created team to

the selected project.


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9. Click 'Finish' to create a team - project relationship, else click 'Cancel'.


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6. Network'Network' feature enables you to view all the members in your network with whom you cancommunicate and interact in real time. My network under Project Management displays all themembers in your network whose profiles can be viewed simply by clicking on that member. You can

view the network either in icon view or detail view. Detailed view is more comprehensive and listsdown details of the users like contact details, description about them and also their current status -i.e. whether they are a friend in the network or your request is yet to be accepted. You can viewdetail profile of the member by double clicking on them. You can perform various other activitieslike drop them from network, add tags, send message and add the user to a project.

You can access 'Network' by following the steps listed below:

1. Click on 'Network' on the Dashboard.2. A new window for 'My Network' appears.3. All the members in your network can be seen.4. You can view the members either in iconic view or detailed view by clicking on 'Icons' and

'Details' on the extreme right side.5. The detailed view of members lists down details like their email address, contact no.,

address, description and status.6. Search box allows you to search the members by their names from a list of members.7. Click on any member to view his / her complete profile.8. Carry out various activities on the member from profile like adding tag, sending message(s)

and adding them to a project.

6.1. Iconic View


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6.2. Detailed View


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6.3. View Profile

Double click on any of the members whose profile you wish to see. The profile is opened in anew window wherein you can add tags to it, send messages, add member to a project and alsodrop the member from your network.

7. My Documents My Documents' feature enables you to effectively store, retrieve and manage your documents incontext with the projects. You can view the document details by clicking on them and also downloadthem. A list of document is displayed on the left hand side of the screen. Add new documents,arrange them in groups, download them activate versioning and more. These features of 'MyDocuments' are explained below:


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7.1. Add Files

Add new files to the existing list of documents by following the steps listed below:

1. Click on 'My Documents' from the Dashboard.2. A new window displaying list of all your documents is displayed.3. Click 'Add Files' from the bottom of screen.4. A pop - up window appears.5. Mention the file path for the document which you want to upload.6. Add a comment in the text box provided.7. Click 'upload' to add files in 'My Documents', else click 'Cancel'.


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7.2. Show in Groups

Arrange the documents systematically in specific folders. The documents uploaded can be

either seen in a list format or in groups. The documents are arranged in specific groups to makethem easily accessible. To view the documents in groups, click on 'Show in Groups'. Thedocuments in groups can be sorted on the basis of their type, name, size, modification date,permission, author etc.


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7.3. Other Features

The other features of 'My Documents' are as follows:

Download the document by clicking on them to be used as and when required.Click 'Show' to view the contents of the document which appears in a separate window.Activate the document version of an inactive document by clicking on 'ActivateVersioning'.'Revision List' allow you to revise the active document for which versioning has beendone in the past.The tag(s) assigned to a document are visible in a box below. These tags ease thesearch process of document from a list of files.

8. Archived Projects'Archived Projects' is a list of all the projects which have been either completed or are no longeractive, but could be required in future for reference. The projects thus archived cannot be editeduntil and unless they are unarchived. You can view the archived projects either in iconic view ordetailed view. The 'Archived Projects' can be accessed in the following way:

1. Click 'Archived Projects' from the Dashboard.2. A new window listing all the archived projects is displayed.


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10. ReportsFollow simple steps listed below to view all the reports.

1. Click on the project either directly from the Dashboard or through Project Administration.2. A new window will appear listing all the features.3. Select 'Project Plan' tab out of various other features.4. The tasks with its details are displayed on the left side of the screen and corresponding

Gantt Charts on the right.5. Click on Reports icon to view all the reports. 6. Clicking on Reports icon a pop up appears showing list of all the reports categories.7. Click on any category to view all the reports under it.8. Click on the graph icon to switch between report view and graph view.

10.1. Export

You can easily save these reports to an external by exporting them in the following way:


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1. Click on the project either directly from the Dashboard or through ProjectAdministration.

2. A new window will appear listing all the features.3. Select 'Project Plan' tab out of various other features.

4.

Click on View Reports under the project plan and select Project Charts.5. The other way by which you can access the Project Chart Reports are by clicking on

Reports icon from the toolbar. A pop -up with all the reports will appear. Click onOverview reports and then select Project Charts.

6. A new window will appear showing you selected report7. Go to 'Export'. Click on 'Export to CSV file' or 'Export to PDF file ' or E mbed Report

Graph according to your requirements.

10.2. Overview ReportsOverview Reports give you description regarding some specific categories of tasks suchas Milestones, Top-Level Tasks, Cash Flow, Project Charts and Overdue Tasks etc. Thesereports are useful in determining current progress and project scope.

10.2.1. Cash FlowCash Flow report gives an overview of the tasks on which cash has been spent alongwith the dates on which it is done.

10.2.2. Top Level Tasks


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A comprehensive list of all the top level tasks with start and end date, percentagecompletion, total cost and total work in hours can be viewed here.

10.2.3. Project Charts

Project charts helps in effective monitoring of all project tasks with consolidated ProjectChart Reports. It enables the project manager to keep close watch on the happenings inthe project in real-time and efficiently manage all the project activities. Follow simplesteps listed below to view Project Charts.

1) Click on the project either directly from the Dashboard or through ProjectAdministration.

2) A new window will appear listing all the Project features.3) Select 'Project Plan' tab out of various other features.4) Click on View Reports under the project plan and select Project Charts.5) The other way by which you can access the Project Chart Reports are by clicking on

Reports icon from the toolbar. A pop -up with all the reports will appear. Click onOverview reports and then select Project Charts.

6) The Project Chart Report is displayed in a new window with graphicalrepresentation of Project Progress Chart and Project Time Chart. You can view thetasks completed, tasks in progress and pending tasks in the project progress chart.

7) The Project Time Chart displays the tasks which will start in future (Future Start),which have been completed (Completed), which need attention by the projectmembers (Needs Attention) or which are pending or overdue (Overdue).


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10.2.4. MilestonesMilestone report gives you an overview of the milestones achieved in the projects tasks.

10.2.5. Overdue tasks

Report explains overdue delay and expense of every overdue task.

10.3. Activities ReportsActivities reports are prepared according to the task progress and their start and enddates. These reports include Task Completion, Tasks being in progress Report etc. TheReports based on these values concentrates on representing all the basic informationabout these tasks and are useful for understanding the progress and the continuity ofProject plan.

10.3.1. Completed tasksCompleted tasks report is a comprehensive report showing all completed tasks.

10.3.2. Tasks Ending SoonThis report shows list of all the tasks which will end shortly.

10.3.3. Un-started TasksThis report shows list of tasks which are not yet started.

10.3.4. Task In ProgressThis report shows list of tasks on which work is still being carried out.

10.3.5. Tasks Starting SoonThis report shows list of all the tasks which will start shortly.

10.4. Workload ReportsThis report provides summary of work carried out by your Resources under the tasksthey have been assigned on. Workload reports allow to demonstrate timeline baseddetailing per Resource and per task.

10.4.1. Resource UsageThis report gives you list of all the resources utilized in a task/activity and the date onwhich it is done.

10.4.2. Resource AnalysisThis report gives you a comprehensive analysis of the resources utilized in a task/activityby selecting a particular date range.


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10.4.3. Task UsageThis report gives you list of the costs incurred in the tasks on a day to day basis.

10.5. Baseline Reports

These Reports will compare the ideal set with the actual ones. This comparison yieldsVariance which tells about the difference in scheduled values and the actual ones.

10.5.1. Project SummaryThis report compares dates, duration, cost, work and resource of current project withthe selected baseline.

10.5.2. Duration CompareThis report helps you to compare the actual scheduled duration of a schedule activitywithin the approved schedule baseline.

10.5.3. Resource CompareThis report compares actual resources utilized in a project with those of the baseline setprior to project start.

10.5.4. Date CompareThis report does a quick comparison of the actual dates and the dates set as standard inthe project plan.

10.5.5. Cost CompareThis report compares the actual costs involved with that of the standard costs set asbaseline in the project and tasks involved therein.

10.5.6. Resourcewise Tasks CompareThis report compares all the tasks of the project on the basis of resources utilized inactual by these tasks with that of the baseline set.

11. DiscussionThe messages received and their replies in the project are displayed under 'Discussion'. You can viewthese discussion threads here but cannot edit / reply to these messages as they are archived. Youwill have to unarchive the project if you want to carry out the discussion threads. Click on a messageto view its content on the same screen.


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12. Other FeaturesYou can view all the project details of archived projects but cannot carry out any action on it. Theseare used for reference purpose only and can be set active at any point of time, if need arises. Theother features under archived projects are:

View the project to-dos in the to-do list.

View events entered under project calendar.View all the documents uploaded and download them if required.

Administration tab enables you to view members in your network, invite new, addresources and view events under project calendar.