Projectmates Construction Software Blog

Importing with Excel

The ability to import Excel sheets into Projectmates can save you tons of time that would otherwise be spent in data entry, but it can also give rise to some unexpected errors.  If you've ever encountered difficulties when trying to import Excel files into a budget, schedule, punchlist or any other module with this time-saving feature, these suggestions should alleviate some of your concerns and have you importing like a pro in no time.

Here are some of the most common reasons why an import will fail and what you can do about it.

1.  Some of the required fields are missing.  Check to make sure that all of the required columns are completely filled out for every row. Required fields are marked in green on the template.  Sometimes empty rows at the bottom of the table will cause this error if any of the cells contain spaces, tabs, or other invisible characters.  Try highlighting several rows at the bottom of the table, starting with the first empty row, and deleting the rows (Right-click and select delete to do this, rather than just hitting the Backspace or Delete key)

2.  Dates or numbers are not in the proper format.  Make sure that all dates are displayed in the format of 01-Jan-2010 and fields that require a number do not contain any letters or special characters including dollar signs and commas (Note: decimals are ok for currency fields)

3.  Cell Formats are incorrect.  All fields should be formatted as TEXT in Excel.  If you are attempting to use formulas in your spreadsheet, you must copy and paste those cells using 'Paste Special' then select the option to paste 'Values' so that the formatting can be changed to Text.  Sometimes Excel will AUTOMATICALLY AND WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION change the formatting of a column to 'Number' if the first few rows happen to contain numbers.  To force Excel to recognize these as Text fields, you will have to add an apostrophe in front of the number in the first row.

And finally, if all else fails, copy all of the non-header cells in the table (Select the cells, don't just highlight the entire table or entire columns/rows) and paste them into a fresh Projectmates template, which can be downloaded from the same page where you would import the Excel file. This will solve many formatting issues that can occur while working in Excel.

I.E. 8.0 and Projectmates

ISSUE: The XSS filter feature in the new version of I.E. comes enabled and seems to distort the return images from Projectmates when a file is uploaded in certain modules. So far I have noticed this in document management uploads and document attachments to RFI and Submittals. The good news is that the files do get uploaded even if the return page is distorted.

RESOLUTION: If you notice a return message that is unclear or distorted you will need to add Projectmates as a trusted site in your internet options and enable XSS filter for your trusted sites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**If you are using Projectmates Version 9.0 or later, this resolution is not necessary**

An unexpected error has occurred!

Does this image look familiar?

If so, you've experienced a technical glitch that may have a very simple solution.  Anytime, you see an error like this, rest assured that it is logged and emails are sent to the necessary administrators.  If you cannot resolve the error yourself, it is best to call support, since the emails they receive have more detailed information regarding the error.  If you would like to see this detailed information for yourself you can click on the far bottom right corner of the page where the error is displayed, and select 'view source.'   Look at the top of the page for a line that starts 'Error='.  This will describe the error in more detail; however, if you are not an IT specialist, this may not make much sense to you.  To try to resolve the issue on your own first do exactly what the message suggests, and closeall of your Internet Explorer windows and try again.  If the error still occurs, this can often be because of a special character or you are exceeding a character limit on a form you're trying to fill out.  Check for any special characters such as percent signs, quotation marks, etc or especially length text.  If you are getting this error while trying to import something from Microsoft Excel, you will want to check your spreadsheet for any errors, such as incorrect date formats or empty required fields.  If this doesn't help try re-downloading the Projectmates Excel template and copying and pasting your data into it.  This can fix many formatting issues that can cause errors during import.

If none of the above help, make sure to call support and inform them of exactly what you were trying to do when you received the error.

Import a Schedule from Microsoft Project into Projectmates

Did you know you can import a schedule from Microsoft Project into Projectmates?  It's simple! Just make sure your schedule is saved as a 2003 Project file (the extension should be .mpp).  In Projectmates, use the 'Import/Export MS Project' link to browse for that file, check the box to confirm all existing items will be deleted, and click 'Import.'  That's it.  All of your scheduled tasks, dates, predecessors, baselines, etc. are now stored in Projectmates.  (Note: Currently resources are not able to be imported into Projectmates)  If you receive an error that stating 'An unexpected error has occurred!', you've probably tried to import a file that was not created with Microsoft Project 2003.  If you have the 2007 version, you can save the schedule as a 2003 mpp file and import it into Projectmates.

Now you want to export your schedule from Projectmates to Microsoft Project?  No problem.  Similar to importing, you can click on the 'Import/Export MS Project' link and click 'Export' with Microsoft Access selected as the file type.  You can open this Access file using Microsoft Project. 

Attached Files in Email Notifications

As a follow-up to last week's blog topic, 'Projectmates Email Notifications and Reminders,' I would like to make a few comments about file attachments and email notifications.  When sending any type of email notification through Projectmates, if the item contains file attachment(s), Projectmates will send a link to that file in the email.  Emails from Projectmates will never contain attachments.  This will prevent emails from being rejected due to file size or type.  If a user's username and password is saved (They have selected the 'Remember Login:' option on the login page), they will automatically be prompted to either open or save the file after clicking the link in the email.  If this is not the case, they will be prompted to enter their login information before being able to save the file; therefore, any one you are sending an email to will be required to login to open attachments.  Keep this in mind when sending emails to non-users via the Send To Email option discussed last week.

Email Notifications and Reminders

Projectmates offers numerous opportunities to send email notifications to others. Knowing the different types of notifications that are sent may help you decide who should receive them and when.

Automated Reminders: Projectmates will automatically send out email reminders to users who are responsible for completing a task once that task becomes overdue. (This only applies to tasks that have a due date)  In certain modules, such as Action Lists, Schedules, and Meeting Minutes, you can override this by setting a reminder to go out at a specified time such as 1 day before the due date.  Note: Projectmates will not send reminders if the task has already been completed.

Copy To/Notify Options: When creating, editing, or responding to various items in Projectmates, you will often be given the option to Notify or Copy other users of the project.  Checking user's names here will immediately send those users an email with a copy of the item as a notification.  This does not assign the item to that user, but strictly servers as a means to notify him/her that something was added or changed.  Only existing users of the Project can be selected.  Optionally, you can choose to 'List by Roles' to send an email notification to all users in a selected role instead of selecting individual user names. (Selecting 'List by Roles' will refresh the page, so choose this option before entering in any data into the item)

Send To Email Option: On nearly every page in a Project you will see a 'Send To' drop down in the top right corner of the screen.  Selecting the 'email' option will allow you to select users, contacts, or manually type email addresses to send emails to.  The email that is sent will look almost identical to what you are seeing on the screen at the time you clicked the send to email option.  This means that any sorting or filtering options that were selected at the time will still be intact on the email that is sent out.  This is an excellent option to send emails to non-users of Projectmates or to send emails of log pages.  For instance, you can open a Punchlist log, filter it by contractor, and then send an email of the log to the contractor(s) who are responsible for completing those items.

As as a side note, please be considerate when sending email notifications..only send emails to the people who absolutely need to see the information.  If users begin getting too many unnecessary emails from Projectmates, they may decide to mark these emails as Spam.  It only takes one person to mark Projectmates emails as spam to create a problem for multiple users receiving these valuable email notifications.

Projectmates Ball-in-Court (BIC)

Projectmates' Ball-in-Court (BIC) provides a list of the logged in user's assignments.  From within a project, the BIC summary displays a list of any items that are due today or are past due.   Checking or unchecking the 'Overdue', 'Upcoming', and 'No Date' check-boxes on this summary will update which BIC items are displayed.  You can also filter items by a particular module such as RFIs or Change Orders, simply by selecting that module from the drop-down menu. 

Additionally, you can send your assignments to your Outlook calendar by clicking the calendar icon to the right of the task.  Simply open the file when prompted, make any desired changes to the task such as adding a reminder, and then click 'Save and Close'

Customize Your Projectmates Site

The easiest way to simplify Projectmates for your users is to customize the site layout.  This will allow you to emphasize the modules that users will be using more frequently and group or hide those that will not be used as much.  These options are avialable under the Site Admin tab for site administrators (Sorry, asp clients will not have access to these options since they are sharing the site with others).

For those of you with access to the Site Admin area, you can begin customizing your site by clicking on the Custom Content menu and choosing 'Manage Site Layout.'  Here you will find each module and group of modules listed.  You can change the names of these modules (For instance, if you'd rather call 'Invoices' 'Pay Apps' or vice versa). You can remove modules from a grouping so that it has it's own button and is more obvious to users.  This may be useful if, for instance, your users will be using the Budget, but not the other contract modules such as change orders and invoices. You can simply change the Budget uncheck the 'hide?' box so that the budget Button appears by itself on the menu, and, if desired, hide Const Subcontracts module.  You can then drag and drop modules so that they appear in the desired order and change the icon that is displayed for each button.

Customizing the site layout will help your users navigate through Projectmates more smoothly and help new users adjust to the system with minimal difficulties; however, you should think through how you want the site layout setup very carefully before making any changes.  Changing the site layout frequently or doing so after users have already become adjusted to Projectmates can cause confusion and frustrate existing users.

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Projectmates University!

We have recently updated our Projectmates University page to include a more in-depth variety of coursework and programs.  These include programs for both Retail and Construction users as well as Admin trainings.  Our training videos now conclude with a brief quiz to help evaluate your progress.  At the end of each course, you will have the option to send an email to Projectmates including your quiz results.  Make sure you send this email and include your name in the body, as this is how Projectmates documents each users progress for certifications.  Once an entire Program is completed, Projectmates will send you a certificate in the mail.  Administrators can now require that new users get "Projectmates Certified", by taking certain courses and completing the online quizzes.

To check out this new page, go to www.projectmates.com/projectmatesuniversity and click on the "Attend Webinar" link next to a course you would like to view.  You will be prompted to login to view the presentation.  This login is NOT the same as your typical Projectmates login.  If you have not already done so, you will have to register for an account to access these training courses. Just click on "Register here" and fill out the required information.  Once you recieve an email confirming your account has been activiated, you will be able to login and view these seminars.