Viewing & Working with Projects

PensionPro isn't simply an application to store information about retirement plans. Using Projects, the TPA firm can distill its administration processes into clear, consistent steps that ensure predictable and accurate results. The article details how to work with Projects and view their Tasks, and links to additional resources to help make the most of this feature.

Compatible Tiers

Business, Enterprise

Article Contents

Overview of Projects
Opening a Project
The Project Tab Header
Project Views & Data
Other Views on the Project Tab
Editing Multiple Projects & Tasks via Power Tools
Additional Project Actions & Features

Overview of Projects

A Project is a standard process used by the firm to ensure work is completed consistently and on-time. Projects are used to service Plans, with each launched and performed for a chosen Plan. Every Project consists of one or more Tasks, or steps completed by the firm's Employees. A Project will often change hands multiple times as the Employees with the appropriate expertise complete each Task.

For a more in-depth introduction to Projects, refer to the article Projects: An Overview.

Opening a Project

There are many ways to open a Project in PensionPro. The following list, though not exhaustive, represents the most common methods of finding a given Project:

Double-click an entry in the My Tasks Dashboard or any Worktray to open the Project at the Workflow view.
Use the search field at the top of the page to search by the corresponding Plan name; locate the Plan record and expand its Projects.
With a Plan record open, double-click to open an item listed in the Projects view.

The Project Tab Header

The tab header is displayed at the top of the tab, above any selected view. The header of the Project tab contains the following items, presented from left to right:

The corresponding Plan name. Selecting this breadcrumb link opens the Plan record.
The Project name and its Period End date, if applicable.
A Progress Bar displaying the completion percentage of the Project based off of completed Tasks. If the Project has been completed, the Completed Date displays instead.
The Add Time Slip icon; select to display the Add Time Slip window. Time Slips created in this way will be linked to the Project automatically.
- If selected while in the Workflow view, this action automatically fills the Task Grouping/Task that is currently in focus.
The Help option, which opens this article in a new browser window.
The More menu, which contains options for the following actions:
- Sending a Fast Blast
- Aborting the Project
- Creating Merge Documents
- Reassigning Tasks
- Adding Form 5558 in ftwilliam.com
- Using ftwilliam.com Navigation Assistance

Project Views & Data

The following sections detail the views and functions unique to the Project tab, such as the Project's Workflow, Associated Projects, and Data Collection.

Note: In many cases, adding or editing data on the Project tab requires the Add/Edit Project Security Right.

General

The Project Summary grid on the Project tab contains details about the Project, such as its Project Type, Period Start/End dates, and its current Status. Use Edit at the top-right of the grid to make changes to this information.

⤷ Show/hide General Project fields

Description	A brief summary of the Project. Only available for Non-Recurring Projects. This field is only visible when editing the Project. The description will be appended to the Project's name to distinguish it from similar Projects.
Project Status	The current status of the Project. This can be set manually; it will also update upon completion of a Task or when the Project is completed. If the Project is shown on the Projects tab on PSL, the Plan Sponsor can refer to this status to track the Project's progression.
Project Type	The Project Type used to categorize this Project. This field cannot be edited.
Project Manager	The Employee currently assigned to oversee the progress of this Project. The Project will be included in this user's My Projects Dashboard.
Project Frequency	Indicates how often this Project is performed (annual, daily, etc.). This field cannot be edited.
Priority	Indicates the urgency of this Project; options are Normal or Critical. If set to Critical, this Project's Tasks will be displayed at the top of any applicable Dashboards alongside a Critical icon.
Period Start	The first date of the period of time covered by this Project. For example, if this is an annual Project, Period Start may be the first day of a plan year.
Period End	The last date of the period of time covered by this Project. For example, if this is an annual Project, Period End may be the last day of a plan year. If the Project includes Annual Data Collection, any updates to Period Start and Period End will also update the corresponding Plan Cycle and Employer Data records.
External Deadline	The date the entire Project should be completed by; this can often correspond to a government deadline. Also called the Project Due Date.
Project Start	The date that work will begin on the Project. This is not the Created On date. Instead, setting Project Start to a future date will hide its Tasks from Dashboards/Worktrays until the chosen time—meaning that a Project can be launched ahead of its Start Date.
Budget	The estimated cost of this Project.
Enable to Show on PSL Projects Tab	Determines whether this Project can be shown on the corresponding tab in PlanSponsorLink. This option does not override the Enable Projects on PSL Projects Tab setting found on the Plan tab. That setting must be enabled before this preference is used. This option does not impact Data Collection tasks on the My Active Tasks tab.
Require Web	Indicates whether this Project includes a Web Data Collection element on PlanSponsorLink. This field cannot be edited.
Extension	Indicates whether this Project is a 5558 Extension that extends an associated Annual Administration Project. This field cannot be edited.
Extendible	Indicates whether this Project can be extended by launching a 5558 Extension. Only applicable to Annual Administration Projects.
Marked for Deletion	When enabled, the Project is added to the Data Deletion Manager for review and possible removal. A completed or aborted Project cannot be marked for deletion. The Project is not deleted immediately upon enabling this option. Marked for Deletion may be cleared at any point prior to the Project's removal.
Created By	The name of the Employee who launched the Project.
Created On	The date the Project was launched.

Fields on the Project Summary grid

Projects using Annual Data Collection which have Extendable set to Yes will include a Create Extension option in the grid, below the Extendable field. This option is used to launch a 5558 Extension and increase the External Deadline by 2½ months. For more information, refer to 5558 Extension Projects.

Workflow

The Workflow view is the most-used portion of a Project, as it contains the Tasks that users will complete. This view is divided into three levels based on the Project hierarchy: one each for Task Groupings, Tasks, and Task Items. These are detailed below.

The Project's Workflow will open to one of the following levels, depending on how the user accesses it:

The Task Item level, when opening a Task from a Dashboard or Worktray
The Task Grouping level in all other cases

For greater detail on the Project Workflow and Task management, refer to the article Tasks and Workflow.

Task Grouping level

The Task Groupings grid displays the name of each of the Project's Task Groupings, which break the Project into broad steps or objectives. The grid also includes a Completed On column; a Task Grouping is considered complete once all of its contained Tasks are complete or otherwise overridden.

Double-click a Task Grouping in this grid to drill down to the Task level.

Task level

The Tasks grid on this level lists all Tasks in a given Task Grouping. This grid also contains additional information about each Task, such as its assigned Employee and status.

⤷ Show/hide Task fields

Name	The name of the Task.
Employee	The Employee assigned to this Task. Reads Unassigned if an assignment has not yet been made. Users with the Reassign Tasks Security Right will see a button instead of a static name in this column for all incomplete Tasks. This contains a menu with the Assign to Me and Reassign options; refer to Reassigning Tasks.
Date	The date the Task was completed or otherwise overridden. Users with the Task Override Security Right will see an Override option in this column for any Tasks which are active but incomplete. Select this option to override the Task and activate the next Task in the Project.
State	Identifies the current state of the Task. PensionPro updates this to one of the following values automatically as needed: New: The Task is still in its initial state and has not yet been activated. Activated: The Task is currently active and can be worked. Completed: The Task has been completed. Returned: This Task was previously completed, but has been returned to the user during a Review Step for rework. Overridden: This Task was overridden instead of being completed normally. Aborted: The Project was aborted before this Task could be completed. State may be blank in cases where completion is removed from a Task.
Task Status	A user-set status for this Task. Blank by default.
Follow Up Date	A user-applied date that indicates when this Task should be revisited.

Columns on the Tasks grid

Use the breadcrumb link above the grid to return to the Task Grouping level. Double-click a Task in the grid to drill down to the Task Item level.

Task Item level

The Task Item level of the Workflow view is divided into 3 or 4 subtabs relevant to the selected Task. Expand the following items for details on each of these subtabs.

Task Items

The Task Items subtab is used to record Task Item answers and perform other Task-related actions. This is the default subtab for the Task Item level.

The grid on this subtab displays each Task Item under this Task. If applicable, fields will be present to enter Task Item answers. These fields can only be used when the Task is active; they cannot be edited in any of the following circumstances:

The Task has not yet been activated
The Task is complete
The Task is not assigned to the user

When finished, use the Complete option below the Task Items list to complete the Task.

This subtab also includes the following functionality, found directly above the Task Items grid:

Breadcrumb links to return to the Task or Task Grouping levels.
The Assignee badge, which displays the assigned Employee's initials (or U if the Task is unassigned).
- Users with the Reassign Tasks Security Right or an appropriate Worktray role (if the Task is assigned to a Worktray) can select the badge to access the Assign to Me and Reassign options. For more information, refer to Reassigning Tasks.
The Save option, which saves Task Item answers without completing the Task.
The More menu, which contains options for activating, returning, or reopening the Task. For details, refer to the article Tasks and Workflow.

Summary

The Summary subtab includes details about the selected Task, including its due date and which Employee and/or Worktray it's assigned to. Use Edit at the top-right of the grid to make changes to this information.

Tip: Some fields in this grid—such as Follow-Up Date and Task Status—will typically be blank by default and won't be updated by PensionPro. However, since these fields can be added as columns to Dashboards and Worktrays, they can be great ways to communicate information without needing to open the Task directly.

Assigned To	The Employee the Task is currently assigned to, if applicable.
Worktray	The Worktray the Task is currently assigned to, if applicable.
Time Code	The default Time Code used for this Task when creating a Time Slip. This field cannot be edited.
Task Active	The date the Task was activated. If the Task became active multiple times (for example, when the Project is returned to a completed Task via Review Step), this will be the most recent occurrence.
Due Date	The date this Task should be completed by.
Follow-Up Date	A user-applied date that indicates when this Task should be revisited.
Category	A generic option for categorizing Tasks that the firm can use as needed.
Task Status	A user-set status for this Task. Blank by default.
Event	The Event used to track completion of this Task; refer to Event Management.
Returned	Indicates whether the Task is in the Returned state; in other words, if rework is required after it (or an earlier Task in the Workflow) was returned to the user. This field cannot be edited; it will revert back to No once the Task is completed.
No. of Returns	The number of times this Task entered a Returned state; see above. This field cannot be edited. Note: This field will increment even if the Task is not the one that was sent back.

Fields on the Task Summary grid

Time

The Time subtab contains the Time Entries grid, which displays any Time Slips that have been linked to the selected Task. The grid is similar to that found on the Project's Time view; for more information, refer to the article Recording & Tracking Time.

Review

The Review subtab is generally used to perform quality control on previous Tasks. This subtab is only available when the following conditions are met:

The selected Task is a Review Step, and
The selected Task is currently active

When using the Review subtab, PensionPro will display each previous Task in the current Task Grouping, including their Task Item questions and answers. Each prior Task's completion date and assigned Employee are also included. This provides an all-in-one location for users to review responses for accuracy and completeness.

If a Task fails review, the Project Workflow can be reset to that Task and reworked using More > Return on the Task Items subtab.

Data Collection

Certain Project Types may include a Web Data Collection element, which requires Plan Contacts to submit information via PlanSponsorLink. On the Project tab, the Data Collection category of views help the TPA review and manage the submitted data. These views will each correspond to a single Data Collection step.

For information on working with each of these steps, refer to the article Overview of Web Data Collection.

Assoc. Projects

Associated Projects grid displays other Projects that are associated with the current record. Generally, this will only apply to Annual Administration Projects to show a launched Extension. This does not apply to the Extension itself; its parent Project does not display in this view.

Double-clicking an Associated Project will open it in a new Project tab.

Other Views on the Project Tab

Projects also use the following views/features which are common to multiple record types. Refer to the linked articles for more information on working with these views:

Editing Multiple Projects & Tasks via Power Tools

Requires Security Rights: Access Power Tools

PensionPro includes two Power Tools for mass edits of Project-related data:

The Projects Power Tool, for editing details on the Project Summary
The Tasks Power Tool, for editing details on the Task Summary

These Power Tools can be used to update a single field across one or more Projects or Tasks. This is a good option for simple but otherwise repetitive changes.

Note: These Power Tools are only intended to be used in cases where a field should be updated to the same value for multiple Projects/Tasks.

Tip: The Tasks Power Tool is a good option to consider in cases where multiple Tasks need to be reassigned to a different Employee or Worktray.

To get started, navigate to Power Tools > Field Update and select either Projects or Tasks. The corresponding Power Tool opens to Step 1. For assistance in completing the Power Tool, expand the instructions below.

Step 1: Options

PensionPro first asks which field should be updated. The Projects Power Tool can be used for the following fields from the Summary view:

Budget
Due Date
Enable to Show on PSL Projects Tab
Extendable
Marked for Deletion
Priority
Project Manager
Project Start

The Tasks Power Tool can be used for the following fields found on the Task Item level of the Workflow view, in the Summary subtab:

Assigned To
Category
Event
Follow-Up Date
Status
Task State
Worktray

Once a field is chosen, enter or select the new value. All Projects/Tasks selected in later steps will be updated to this value.

Select Next to continue to Step 2.

Step 2: Filters

To limit a potentially large dataset, filters can be applied in Step 2 that will reduce the number of Projects/Tasks returned in Step 3.

By default, the data grid will include the Plan name, Project Name, Task Name (if applicable), and the field chosen in Step 1. Additional columns can be added using the Column Selections pane on the left. A column needs to be added before it can used for a filter.

For more information, refer to Applying Columns & Filters. When satisfied, select Next.

Step 3: Selections

The grid on this page displays the Projects or Tasks that meet the filter criteria applied in the previous step. For more information on working with this grid, refer to Selecting Records.

Choose the Projects/Tasks to update, then select Next.

Step 4: Review

PensionPro displays a summary of the changes to be made. Review the information provided; when ready, select Execute. The Projects/Tasks chosen in Step 3 will be updated immediately.

Step 5: Finish

When this step is reached, the Power Tool is complete. Use Start Over to restart the Power Tool from Step 1.

Additional Project Actions & Features

The following is a list of additional articles that discuss managing Projects and other associated functionality:

Article	Includes
Launching & Managing Projects	Adding a new Project, abandoning a Project, reopening a completed Project, and Project deletion.
Project Templates	Creating a Project Template and definitions of Project-related terminology.
Tracking Projects & Distributions	Setting a Project Status per Task in the Project Template so the status updates automatically as the Project progresses.
Extending Project Deadlines	Updating a Project's External Deadline, either manually or by launching a 5558 Extension Project.
Distributions	Information on specialized Projects used to help process participant distributions.