What version of Microsoft Project do I need?

Please review the table in Technical information.

Does Altus for Project support Project Online/Project Server Projects?

Altus for Project can use mpp files that have been saved locally and cannot be used on mpp files still connected to Project Online/Server.

To integrate with these projects there are two options:

1. Use the Dataflow based integration available for Project Online.
2. Save your project as an MPP file and then proceed to use the Altus for Project Add-in

I have made a copy my Project plan by using Save As and my Altus Resources are no longer mapped. Why?

You should avoid using Save As on your mapped mpp as it will create a completely new version of your mpp with new task and assignment IDs.
If you publish this mpp against the mapped Altus project it will delete and re-create all the tasks and Resource mappings and disconnect any previously completed timesheets. To back up your Microsoft Project file, avoid using Save As, and instead use Windows Explorer to make a copy.

I have Baselines set in my .mpp what happens to them when I publish my tasks to Altus?

Baselines created in your .mpp are not published into Altus.
Once your project tasks have been published into Altus, the Altus Baseline feature can be used to set Baselines on the tasks.

Can I transition an Altus Project from Project Online integration to Project Desktop integration?

Yes. To do this, save the .mpp file locally. Ensure any required resources also exist in Altus. You should then be able to reconnect the .mpp file and resources, and continue managing the project through Altus.

Does Altus for Project require a Project Online environment?

Altus for Project uses mpp files that have been saved locally. There is no requirement to host these files in Project Online. If the mpp is connected to Project Online, it cannot be published to Altus.

I cannot see the project I want to connect to in the project list

This might be because of the following reasons:

1. You do not have access to the project in Altus. Check the project in Altus and make sure you are part of the project group.
2. The Project has already been linked to an external scheduling tool, if this is the case you will be able to see the project if you select Show unavailable projects.
3. There are already tasks within this project, if this is the case you will be able to see the project if you select Show unavailable projects.

I have Published my Microsoft Project plan to Altus, and I can see my tasks within the Altus Tasks tab, but I am unable to edit them in Altus

This is correct behaviour. Any tasks published from Microsoft Project need to be maintained within Microsoft Project. The tasks within the Altus Tasks list are read-only. To make changes update the tasks within Microsoft Project and Publish them to Altus.

I have a copy of the Microsoft Project plan that was linked to Altus, but do not have the original plan, can I use this to continue managing my project?

If you have a copy of the Microsoft Project plan that was made after it was linked to Altus, it will contain all the linking details, so you can continue to manage your project with this Copy. If you have a copy of the Microsoft Project plan that was made before it was linked to Altus, it will NOT contain all the linking details, so Altus will see it as a new Microsoft Project file unlinked to Altus.

I have a milestone in Microsoft Project that has turned into a task when I publish it to Altus. Why?

If you have milestones in Microsoft Project that do not have a duration of 0 days Altus will interpret them as tasks. You will need to change your milestone in Microsoft Project to duration of 0 days to bring the items in line.

Why is my Duration weekdays value rounded in Altus?

Altus stores Duration weekdays as whole days and as a result we round the incoming value.

Why aren't my resource assignments for milestones and summary tasks flowing through to Altus?

Because milestones and summary tasks should not have timesheet Actuals assigned to them, their assignments are removed when the tasks are published to Altus. If you would like a resource to timesheet to these tasks you will need to create a task for these items and not use a summary or milestone task.

I have inactive tasks in my Microsoft Project plan. They are coming through in Altus as Active. Why?

Altus Tasks does not have a feature comparable to Microsoft Project's Inactivate Task feature. These tasks will not be published into Altus.

I have inter-project dependencies in my Microsoft Project plan what will happen when I publish them to Altus?

Altus Tasks does not have a feature comparable to Microsoft Project's Inter-project dependencies feature. Any tasks showing in your plan due to inter-product dependencies will not be published into Altus. Any sub-projects that display in your plan in Microsoft Project will not be published to Altus.

Why do my task details change when I unlink my Altus for Project schedule from Microsoft Project?

Microsoft Project allows for detailed task assignments within your project plan, but the Altus scheduling tool does not offer the same level of control. When you unlink your Altus for Project schedule and leave your tasks in Altus, the Altus scheduling tool may recalculate the tasks. This can result in changes to your task details compared to what you originally set in Microsoft Project.
The Altus scheduling tool recalculates effort, duration, and resource assignments based on the Task Type and the percentage of resources assigned. For more information on how Task Types work, click here.

External Schedule Owners Table

The External Schedule Owners table is an internal resource used to manage MPP file ownership and associated metadata. It plays a critical role in scenarios where multiple copies of an MPP file are distributed to users who also have write access to the project. To prevent data loss, it is essential that only one person at a time has publishing rights to the project. This table helps coordinate ownership and publishing permissions accordingly.

To maintain data integrity, the table has been removed from the site navigation, as it is not intended for direct user modification.

What happens if a resource records timesheet hours against a task and is then removed from that task?

If a resource records time against a task, submits their timesheet, and the hours are approved, those hours will still be retained in the Altus Timesheet even if the resource is later removed from the task.

When importing actuals from timesheets into the MPP, the system checks assignment details. If the resource has been removed from the task, the import will generate a warning indicating that the resource is no longer assigned.

To import the hours into the MPP, the resource must be reassigned to the task. Once the assignment exists again, the actual hours can be applied correctly.

The resource does not need to be assigned for the exact dates of the timesheet, but they must be assigned to the task for the import to work.