Imports and Exports

Import Types

You can import your programme if your Tasks already exist outside of Aphex.

There are two supported file types, XML and CSV:

.XML
.csv (copy + paste)

Task Name

Start / End Dates

Packages

-

Folder Codes

Subcontractor

Calendars

-

Shift

Assigned based on the activity's start / end time in P6

Relationship Links

-

Owner

-

Location

-

Activity ID

-

Notes

.XML

Your import file must be exported from Primavera P6, Microsoft Project or Asta PowerProject in order to be in the correct format for import.

There is a limit of 200 working days for Tasks that are included in the Master Schedule Import, Tasks that exceed this will not be imported.

Existing Tasks

Once a Task has been imported, it's treated as the most up-to-date version, meaning that if it is imported again, the Task won't be overwritten. Only new Tasks are included in imports - imported Tasks that match an external ID that already exists within the plan are ignored.

Importing Tasks from Microsoft Project follows a similar logic, however the external ID is generated differently as Microsoft Project files tend to follow the same ID structure:

external id = <projectname>_ID

This allows multiple different Microsoft Project files to be imported as each should have a different set of IDs.

When new Tasks are imported, the system will check against existing Tasks to find any predecessors.

Unsupported Data and Mitigation Variance

Given the complexity of some task types, properties & logic supported by P6 and other Master Schedule tools, the Aphex import process will guide you to make informed decisions regarding the handling of unsupported data to mitigate any date variance between your source program and your Aphex program.

Unsupported Task Types

The first check the import will perform will be to identify any unsupported task types within your import scope.

Supported:

  • Task Dependant

Unsupported:

  • WBS Summaries

  • LoE (Level of Effort)

If any Unsupported Task Types are identified in your import scope, you will need to make a decision on how you want to proceed:

  • Ignore from Import (recommended)

  • Import as Tasks with or without relationship links (risk of introducing schedule variance)

Driving Predecessors

Your import scope will be scanned for any predecessors that may be filtered out of your current selection that would be directly controlling the true start date of the imported activity.

If any driving predecessors are identified as missing, a decision will need to be made in order to proceed:

  • Add driving predecessors to the import scope (recommended)

  • Remove non-driving links between tasks

  • Do nothing (risk of introducing schedule variance)

Actual Dates

Your import scope will be scanned for any Tasks that have Actual Dates. If any Actual Start or Actual Finishes are identified in your import scope, a decision will need to be made in order to proceed:

Actual Starts

  • Import without Predecessor Links (recommended)

  • Import with Predecessor Links (risk of introducing schedule variance)

Actual Finishes

  • Set Task Status to Done (recommended)

  • Do nothing (risk of introducing schedule variance)

Milestones

Start or Finish Milestones imported from P6 or MS Project will automatically be converted to 0 day Milestone Tasks in Aphex. Target Dates can be automatically set to match the Finish Date.

Project Assets

You can include Location, Owner, Notes and Subcontractor in your .XML import.

If the imported Project Asset already exists within the Project, imported Tasks will be assigned to the existing asset. If the imported Project Asset doesn’t exist in the Project, it will be created and assigned to the relevant Tasks.

You can import Owners of Tasks so that imported Tasks are pre-assigned to an Owner.

If the email address that owns an imported Task is not a User on the Project, the User will be added to the Project as a user and will receive an email informing them of this.

Calendars

Any custom calendars assigned to imported tasks will automatically be created during the import.

From the date of the import, all working & non-working day exceptions that fall within five years forward and one year back, will be added to the calendar created in Aphex.

As the shortest Task duration in Aphex is one day, hourly calendars cannot be imported or created in Aphex.

Shift

Tasks imported from P6 will be assigned the shift Day, Night, or All based on the start and finish time of the Task.

Shift
Task planned to start and finish between

Day

06:00:00 - 17:59:00

Night

18:00:00 - 05:59:00

All

06:00:00 - 17:59:00 AND

18:00:00 - 05:59:00

.CSV

Your import file can be exported from spreadsheet programmes that support .csv exports, including Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets.

Tasks imported from a CSV file will be automatically assigned to the Project default calendar.

Data from spreadsheets can also be copy and pasted into Aphex during Project setup.

Migrate Tasks to Existing Projects

Tasks imported from a CSV file will be automatically assigned to the User that imported them, with Project’s default calendar.

Every single Task in the uploaded .csv file will be imported. If the same file is imported more than once, all Tasks will be created again, and will not replace the original Tasks.

If the Subcontractor assigned to an imported Task already exists in the Project, it will be pre-assigned to the imported Task. If the Subcontractor assigned to an imported Task doesn’t currently exist in the Project:

  • Project Admins - Subcontractor is created and pre-assigned to the imported Tasks

  • Standard Project member - The Task will be imported with no Subcontractor, no new Subcontractor will be created

Packages assigned to imported Tasks will always create new Packages on the Project. The created package will be a Public Package and will be owned by the user that imported the Tasks.

Import Folders

The Folder structure created in Aphex will reflect the order of the Folder codes in the .CSV import file. If imported Folders are branches of an existing branch that already has children, the new Folders will be added below existing ones.

Imported Folders will be created with the Default protected state.

Folder codes are unique. Folders will not be imported if their Folder code:

  • Already exists within the Project's Folder System

  • Appears more than once in the import

Export

Live Plan

You can export data from Gantt, Map, Board & List enabling you to pull live data from within Aphex. The data included in the CSV is defined by active Filters & Dates selected at the time of export.

Download Data will download a compressed file containing two CSV files, one contains your Project’s Tasks, the other contains delay data.

Published Versions

You can export data from a Published Version to input the data into a Project management/analysis tool. The data included in the CSV is defined by active Filters & Dates selected at the time of export.

Download Data will download a compressed file containing two CSV files, one contains your Project’s Tasks, the other contains delay data.

Resources

Resource Data can be exported from the resource overlay section. The data included in the CSV is defined by active Filters, Dates & Resource Type selected on the Resource Overlay at the time of export.

Download Data will download a compressed file containing two CSV files, one contains your Project Utilisation (Daily Quantities) and the other contains Total Task Utilisation (amount of tasks those resources are allocated to each day)

Export Folders

Exporting a Project's Folder structure will generate a downloadable CSV file with two columns for each Folder's name and code.

Export Blockers

Blockers can be exported from the live Gantt, using the Blockers Panel.

Exporting Blockers will generate a CSV containing all Blockers that are visible in the user's Blockers Panel at the time of export. Blockers that are not shown in the panel will not be included in the output.

Export Milestones

Milestones can be exported from the live Gantt, using the Milestone Summary Panel.

Exporting Milestone will generate a CSV containing all Milestones that are visible in the user's Milestone Summary Panel.

The 'Comparison End Date' column will be based on what the User has selected in the ‘Compare To’ menu at the time of export.

Milestones that are not shown in the panel will not be included in the output.

Last updated