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Using MPulse to Manage Projects

The MPulse Work Order Management System can be used as a project management tool. True, it isn't marketed or sold as such, but the components and processes of project management are very similar to managing work orders in MPulse.
    The primary components of a Project are:
  • The project name
  • The project milestones
    • Their due dates
    • The tasks or steps that need to be done to complete the milestone
      • The parts, pieces, and things (resources) necessary to complete these tasks
      • The personnel assigned to these tasks
  • Tracking the status of the project by managing the individual tasks and milestone due dates
  • The ability to adjust due dates when outside events or improper planning necessitate
  • The ability to estimate the costs by milestone and by the project
  • Tracking the cost of the project
Let's do a simple project using MPulse as the Project Management Tool. The project we will use for this article is building a maintenance storage shed next to the Warehouse.
    The milestones for the project are:
  • Engineering drawing approvals
  • Permitting
  • Site preparation
  • Foundations and footings
  • Framing
  • Interior Finishing
  • Exterior Finishing
  • Landscaping
  • Inspection
To put this project into MPulse, you need to first add the project name as a value in the work order Group field. For the example, I created "08-Build Maintenance Shed". Prefacing the project name with "08" identifies the year the project was done. This will allow an easy way to get costs for all the Capital Projects for the fiscal year '08.

You may also want to create a work order Type, something like "Capital Projects." This will allow you to easily identify how much of your work is dedicated to Capital Projects as opposed to other things, such as corrective and preventive maintenance.

I also added the new maintenance shed as a building. This way, the cost of construction will be reported when I run reports by asset.

The next step is to build a work order for each milestone. Using the record Copy function in MPulse makes this process go very fast. There are multiple ways to represent tasks for each milestone. Here are three distinct methods:
  1. Link a generic Maintenance Task record to the MPulse work Order and identify the milestone tasks as instructions on the MPulse Maintenance Task record.
  2. Create specific MPulse Maintenance Tasks for each milestone task. If you need to track time and materials against a specific task on a milestone, then using a specific MPulse Maintenance Tasks for each milestone task is the way to go.
  3. As an alternative to multiple tasks, you can make sub-work orders for each milestone task. You do this by creating a new work order and then editing the work order number to be the same number as the milestone, but then append the number with a designator for each milestone task, such as T1, T2, and so forth. As an example, the Work Order record for a milestone might be WO-09876 and the two milestone task work orders would be numbered WO-09876-T1 and WO-09876-T2. Using separate work orders, with appended work order numbers, is sometimes easier to track than having one work order with 10 maintenance tasks on it.
These are all MPulse work order screens (Click on an image to view full-size):



This screen shot is a list view, filtered to only show those work orders with the Group as "08-Build Maintenace". This view is excellent for managing the project. I have included the Start, Due, and Done dates for each milestone on the grid. I have also brought over actual hours on each milestone, so I can see if there is progress being made, as well as if a milestone is completed. Then, I added the Estimated Cost and the Actual Cost columns so I can track costs and see if the project is staying in budget.



This slide shows the milestone for Building Construction — Carpenters. Notice all the individual Maintenance Tasks (at the bottom) linked to this work order for the various milestone tasks to be accomplished. Also note in the upper right that MPulse can track Start, Due, and Done dates for each task, as well as the entire Milestone (work order due, start, and done dates).



This screen shows using the Inventory module in MPulse to track costs for materials. In this case, I used the Supply records for building materials and then linked how many 2x4s, etc., were used on the job. There is also a Supply record for Miscellaneous Construction Materials that I can assign to the work order to account for the costs of glues, nails, screws, saw blades, and etc.



This screen shows the Task Tree for a multiple Task work order. Using the task tree, you can see the labor craft needed for the job, the crew size, the estimated labor hours for each task, and which tasks are completed.

Don't be afraid to use MPulse outside of its box! True, MPulse is a world-class work order management system. However, the processes involved with managing work orders are very similar to many other applications.

If you have any questions on this topic, or would like to discuss your unique situation, feel free to give me a call.

Steve Brous,
800-944-1796 x1465
MPulse Maintenance Software © 2008 PO Box 22906 | Eugene, Oregon | 97402   •   800-944-1796 | www.mpulsesoftware.com