Project Management Application Tutorial

1. Log into Autodesk PLM 360 as a project manager.

2. Click My Dashboard.

The dashboard summarizes several reports in the form of 3D, interactive charts.

3. Click Outstanding Work to see the items on which you are currently working. In this case, you are managing a new product introduction (NPI) for a headset flashlight. Click the link to view the NPI.

4. The NPI includes an Item Details tab, an Attachments tab, a Key Milestones tab, a Workflow Actions tab, and a Change Log tab. Let's review the milestones for the project. Click the Key Milestones tab.

5. As you look down the list of milestones, you'll see that each milestone is  based on the current workflow state of the NPI. The milestone list also indicates which milestones have been met, which milestones are pending, as well as the percent completion of the project. Click Workflow Actions. The states in the workflow map correspond directly to the key milestones.

By managing specific, traditionally isolated, departmental data such as that found within quality, that information is opened up to a much wider audience, making all stakeholders in the product development process better informed and more effective.

6. Click Item Details. This tab summarizes the details of the NPI for the headset flashlight. We are going to start an NPI for a new waterproof lantern. Because many of the details for the two products are similar, we'll clone the headset NPI to use as a template and change the necessary values. Click Clone.

7. Change the title of the NPI from Headset Flashlight NPI to Waterproof Lantern NPI.

8. The new product will need a new due date. Change Target Completion Date to a date several months into the future.

9. Because of the similarity of the two products, the same development team and the same approval team will be used. Make sure you are included in both lists.

10. That's enough to get started. The rest of the information can be filled in later. Click Save.

Again, this highlights further linking in the chain of processes related to this particular issue.

11. ClickWorkflow Actions.  Notice that when the new NPI was saved, it automatically began its journey through the NPI workflow. Let's move it to the first phase. Click the Start Phase 1 transition and then click Save to move the NPI to the Phase 1 In Progress state.

12. Now that the NPI for the waterproof lantern is underway, let's look at the due date and set some milestones for the project. Click Key Milestones and then click Add to begin adding milestones.

13. We'll begin at the end. From theWorkflow State drop-down, select [05] NPI Completed. From the Milestone Event drop-down select Enter State and then select a target date by which the NPI complete milestone should be completed. Pick a date far enough into the future that you can add more milestones leading up to the final state.  In the Workflow Progress (%) field, enter 100 because this milestone represents the completed NPI. Click Save.  

14. Now add a milestone for each of the following workflow states: 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, and 4b with corresponding workflow progress values of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 %.  Assign a target date by which each milestone should be reached.

15. Once milestones have been created for every significant workflow state, you have a countdown to the actual completion date. Now, let's make some progress on the NPI.

16. Click Workflow Actions. Move the NPI out of phase 1 and into investigation. On the map, click theSubmit for Gate 1 Review transition and then click Save. The NPI has now moved into the phase 1b - investigation.

17. Return to the Key Milestones tab. Notice now that the status of the second milestone is now complete.

The individual NPI s and their milestones can be rolled up into a single master project for overall tracking.

18. Select Main Menu > Program Management > Project Management. From the list of projects, select PR000001 - Custom Flashlight Model for Ultimate Flashlights.

19. Click the Scheduling tab to see the list of projects currently being tracked. Click the Gantt chart on the right to see a complete Gantt chart view of all the projects that you are tracking.

20. We need to add the waterproof lantern. Click Add. In the Title/Item field, begin typing NI. From the suggested list of values, select the waterproof lantern NPI. Because you have already entered milestones for the NPI, the start and end date and the duration of the project are automatically filled in.  Click Save.  The waterproof lantern NPI is now included in the project roll up and can be tracked on the Gantt chart as well. 

21. Return to your PLM 360 home page and expand My Outstanding Work. Notice that the waterproof lantern is now included in the outstanding work so you can access it directly from your dashboard.