Project Management
- Program Area
- Project Numbering Seqence
- Project Cloning
- Add/Edit Projects
- Audit Trail
- Small features on Project View Page
- Approvals Module in BMS
- FR-48 Report – Issue / Workaround Documentation
- Tags in Work Packages
Program Area
This grouping within BMS is introduced to align with COG's Overarching Project Structure & 2024 Naming Conventions. It's a new structural element to aid with grouping Projects under a specific Program Area, and to assign a Manager who is responsible for this area of work. This will help in both R&D and JP&S Workflows that call out a Program Area Manager for approvals.
ü Screen 1: Program Area Management Module
ü Screen 2: Program Area View
To view each program area, users can click on the program area name or select "View" from the action menu on the right.
ü Screen 3: Add Program Area
Only users with permission to add a program/program area can see this button and proceed with adding a program area.
ü Screen 4: Edit Program Area
Only users with permission to edit a program/program area can see this button and proceed with adding a program area.
Project Numbering Seqence
As part of our ongoing efforts to improve our project management capabilities, we are introducing a new six-digit project numbering system starting March 17, 2025. This change is designed to address the limitations of our current four-digit system and provide a more robust solution for managing projects.
The new system will retain the same formatting as the old system but will append two additional digits to avoid collisions. For example:
- R&D (2xxx) project numbers will now be in the format 200001, 200201, 200301, etc.
- CIQB (5xxx) project numbers will now be in the format 500001, 500201, 500301, etc.
Here are a few examples to illustrate how this new system works:
- If you try to clone or manually enter a project number that already exists, such as 4744, the system will check for the availability of numbers in the sequence 474401-474499. For instance:
- If 474401 is available, the system will assign it.
- If 474401 is not available (e.g., because someone has already cloned or created a project with that number), the system will check if 474402 is available.
- This process continues until all numbers in the sequence are exhausted. If no numbers are available, the application will report that no more numbers are available for 4744.
- For manual entry, the input field will only allow 4 digits, and the system will automatically append the next available two digits to avoid collisions.
We recommend familiarizing yourself with the new format and testing the clone feature before the deadline. The IT department has a testing environment, which can be found at http://bms-qat2.services.candu.org/ where this change can be tested.
Important Notes:
- The new system cannot be rolled back once it takes effect on March 17, 2025.
- Manual entry of project numbers is still allowed, but the system will check for availability and assign the next available number in the sequence.
Project Cloning
The Project Cloning feature helps you save time by allowing you to quickly duplicate projects and work packages, rather than manually creating them from scratch.
You can also track the original project of any cloned project by checking the "Cloned From" field.
Step 1: Accessing the Clone Project Feature
You can access the Clone Project feature in two ways:
- From the Project List:
- Open the menu for the project you want to clone.
- Select "Clone Project".
- From Within a Project:
- Inside the project, click on "Clone Project" to initiate the cloning process.
Step 2: Review and Customize the Cloned Project
Once you've accessed the Clone Project feature, you'll be presented with a summary of the project you are about to create.
- Project Title: You can modify the title at this stage or wait until the cloning process is complete to change it later, along with other fields.
- Work Packages: Select or deselect the work packages you want to clone along with the project. Only the work packages you select will be included in the cloned project.
The following fields from the work packages will be cloned. There are no tasks, dates, contacts, or budgets attached.
- WP Number
- WP Name
- Quality Program
- Description
- Scope
- Community Benefits
- Technical Objective
- Status
- Working Group
- WP Issue
- Conexus Operations
- Comments
- Closure Criteria
If you want to exclude any of these fields (except for WP Number and WP Name), you can switch to Manual Mode. For example, in the screenshot below, you may choose to deselect the Description field if you do not want the cloned work packages to carry over the same descriptions as the original.
Note: Any fields you select or deselect will apply to all the work packages being cloned. You cannot choose different fields for individual work packages.
Step 3: Save and Confirm
After reviewing your selections, click Save. A confirmation prompt will appear, showing you a summary of the work packages and fields you’ve selected.
- If you need to make any changes, click Cancel to return to the previous screen.
- If everything looks correct, click Confirm to proceed. The cloned project will then be created.
Error Scenario: Cloning Process Failed
If the cloning process fails and you receive an error stating that the project number has been taken, this means another project was created while you were creating your cloned project, and it has already been assigned the project number that was originally chosen for your cloned project (first come first serve).
To resolve this:
- Click on "Click to Reset".
- A new project number will be automatically assigned to your cloned project.
Once the reset is complete, you can proceed with the cloning process.
Tour Feature on Clone Project Page
For additional guidance on the Clone Project page, click the question mark icon to open the “Guide me through the page” feature. This tour will walk you through the locations of buttons and fields on the page.
Add/Edit Projects
New Projects, created in BMS now have six digit numbers, and to make it simple we are appending the two digit year before the remaining four digit project number you are used to. So new Projects would be: 246074 (rather than just 6074).
All newly created project should use New Calculation Method (by default). Double check with your manager or finance department before switching any project to Old Calculation Method.
ü Screen 1: Add New Project
When user selects a program, project number will automatically suggest a pattern that is usually used for that program. However, user can choose another pattern by their own choice. Users can view information of the pattern by mousing over the info icon.
User can choose to manually enter the last 4 digits of Project Number or let the system automatically finds the next available number in database using the pattern.
ü Screen 2: Edit Project
Feature supports both 4 digits and 6 digits projects
Audit Trail
The Audit Trail feature is currently available for Projects and will be implemented for other components soon. Wherever you see an anti-clockwise arrow icon, you can click on it to view the editing history (audit trail) of that specific item.
In the example screenshots below, you can see the Audit Trail for a project.
Click on each record to open its panel
Mouse over a new value to see the old value of that field
Small features on Project View Page
1. Collapsible Project Information Sections
Users can collapse/expand any info sections to save space
2. Hide/Unhide Columns for Work Packages
The number displays the total number of columns currently in view.
Click on each column’s name to hide/unhide it. The user’s selection is saved and used across all WP views.
Mouse over the (+Number) to see the list of columns in view
Similar feature is also available for some other pages, e.g., Work Package Management Module
3. Show PO Commitments against Work Packages
Mouse over each WP’s number to see approved-PO commitments
Approvals Module in BMS
An important addition to BMS, is a built-in Approvals Module, that can be linked to Projects & Work Packages, or can be used as a stand-alone Approval platform to capture digital approvals, and make them searchable and easy to find as required.
Based inside the Project Management Module, you can access it by clicking on Approval in the left-hand quick launch bar (see below).
Approval workflows can be started, by clicking the Add Approval Info on the top right-hand side of the Approval screen above, or directly from your Project or Work Package Screen by accessing the associated Approval tab (See below):
When adding an approval directly from your Project screen, Simply fill in the necessary fields. You can choose your approval category from the drop down field, and attach any files that may be required for the Approval workflow. Under the Staff section at the bottom, add the necessary approvers, in the order you'd like them to be notified.
Note: if you would prefer a parallel-type approval, where all approvers are notified together and approve independently... then turn on the Hierarchy Feature, and add all approvers at Level 1.
Once the approval has begun, each "Approver" listed will be notified by Email, that they have an approval waiting in BMS.
An In-Progress Approval will look like this (see below):
If any of the approvers do not receive the email notification, you can resend them by clicking on the little envelope next to the users name (see above):
The Approval Email will look like this (see below):
Clicking the link above will take you to the approval page, where the approval can see all of the necessary information they'll require to approve the request:
Approvers can add comments before they approve or disapprove the request.
Approvers can also access the approval, directly from the Approval module in the left-hand navigation quick-launch bar (see below):
Note: If an approval request is awaiting your response, you'll see the dashboard at the top of the screen indicate that there is an Approval you need to action!
Clicking the action button in this view, provides the Approver the ability to submit their decision (see below):
Completed Approvals:
Once an Approval Request is complete, an approval report will become available from the Approval Module screen (see below):
Clicking the Completed Report button will download a PDF copy of the Approval Report. Electronic signatures, from each users My Profile page will be automatically applied to the Approval Report (see below):
FR-48 Report – Issue / Workaround Documentation
Issue Summary
When generating the FR-48 report, the output contains entries that are unclear and included in the report.
Findings
- If a staff member modifies their timesheet after initial submission, the timesheet status changes to “Re-submitted.”
- Timesheets in the “Re-submitted” state are currently being included in the FR-48 report.
- This results in additional rows appearing in the report that do not accurately reflect finalized or approved data.
Current Impact
- The FR-48 report may display incomplete or misleading information.
Temporary Solution / Workaround
- All re-submitted timesheets must be approved by the staff member’s supervisor.
- Once approved, the data will be correctly reflected in the FR-48 report.
Tags in Work Packages
Tags are a flexible way to organize and manage work packages (and can be extended to other models in the future). They allow you to group related items, highlight priorities, or capture information and states that are not formally supported by the system yet.
Tags can be applied in a systematic, agreed-upon way (for example, standardized status-like tags defined by PMs), or used personally to help you identify and organize your own work packages in a way that works best for you.
In the example screenshots below, you can see the Tags for a Work Packages.
A Work Package may contain many tags, mouse over on "plus tag" to reveal hidden tags
When you are viewing a specific Work Package, if that Work Package has tags, a list of those tags will be visible
When editing a Work Package, choose available tags in tag selector, scroll through the list or type in to search
If you need to create a new tag, there are 2 ways to do it:
- Type in your tag, press "Enter" or click on result that is shown
- OR: Click on "Add New Tag" to open a modal to create a tag with ability to put in description and colour:
