ProPoc Description
==================

This document gives a short description of the main
features of ProPoc V2. It does not intend to replace
the printed user manual which is shipped with the product.

Explanation of terms:

File
----
 Each file can contain up to:
   15 projects
  224 activities (and summary tasks (PROF))
   56 milestones
   15 resources
    7 locations + global (PROF)
    1 set of preferences(alarm, mode, calendar)

 Time base (PROF):
    Days: default, for long term projects
    Hours: for short term projects (weeks)
    Minutes: for very short term projects (1-2 days)


Project
-------
 Name: 
    a unique name
 Description: 
    up to 255 characters of text
 WBS:
    Work breakdown structure specification.
    To edit WBS move the cursor to the description field
    and press Enter.
 Rank:
    1 for high, 15 for low
    Ranks are unique! 
    High ranks wins in resource conflicts.
 Disabled: (PROF)
    Set to YES to study the effect of dropping the project.
            
    Disabled projects are not considered in overall cashflow analysis,
    or overall resource schedules. They are not used as prerequisites,
    and do not allocate resources. They are not printed with
    "print all projects" functions, are not exported to spreadsheeds.
 Start Date:
    Official project start date.
 Location: (PROF)
    A specific location can be assigned to a project.
    If a non-global location is specified, constant load resources
    are not allowed to be used on different locations during the
    same time interval.
 Alarm:
    Set to YES for a second screen to specify which events
    will generate alarms.

 End date:
    Computed end date for project.
 Total duration:
    Given in absolute dates and workdays
 Critical:
    List of critical activities
 Hot milestones:
    List of milestones where the actual date is
    higher or equal the planned date.
 Links:  
    Links to prerequisite projects
 Depending:
    Projects depending from this project
 Total costs:
    Accumulated fix costs and resource costs.
 Budget:
    Planned total costs for project.

    Two budget figures will be shown in the project statistics:
      1. Budget as entered for project
      2. Budget computed from activity budgets.

        	    
Outline mode (PROF)
-------------------
  The outline mode shows all projects in graphic or table mode, similar
  to activities in detail mode.
  Navigation in outline mode is similar to navigation in detail mode.
  Most operations that are available in detail mode can be applied
  in outline mode as well.
  
  - Link a project to another project. The start of the project
    will depend on the end of the prerequisite project.
    The project statistics display prerequisite and depending projects.
  - Attach a document to a project
  - Attach a HyperPoc card to a project
  - Find projects by name, description, prerequisites, or resources.
  - Use graphical resource schedule and cashflow analysis.

  Switch between Outline and Detail mode with CONTROL-TAB.
  

Task
----
 Can be an activity, a milestone, a subproject, or a summary task

 Name:
    must be unique within a project
 Description: 
    up to 255 characters of text
 WBS:
    Work breakdown structure specification
    To edit WBS move the cursor to the description field
    and press Enter.
 Subproject file:
    Names the file containing the subproject details and
    Time and date when the subproject file was last saved.
 Lead, Lag:
    A number of workdays before/after the
    task actually begins/ends.
    No resources are allocated during the lead/lag time.
    A negative lead/lag value can be used
    to overlap depending activities.
 Constraint:
    Start No Earlier Than
    As Late As Possible
    Must Start On
    As Soon As Possible
    Finish No Earlier Than
    Start No Later Than
    Must Finish On
    Finish No Later Than
 Target date:
    To edit the target date move the cursor to the constraint field
    and press Enter.
 Duration:
    Duration of Activity in workdays (hours,minutes).
 Priority:
    Used to resolve resource conflicts within a project.
    (1 is high, 99 is low).
 Scheduling:
    Duration driven:
      The activity lasts for the defined duration and allocates
       its resources for the whole duration.
       When resource overload occurs the activity is postponed.
    Effort driven:
       The activity lasts no longer than the defined duration.
       When resource overload occurs the activity is postponed.
       When resource underload occurs the activity increases
       its load on the resource and reduces the actual duration,
       i.e. the activity will end earlier.
                  
       Example: An activity with 10 days duration and 50% resource
         load and no competition from other activities will
         actually last only 5 days and will use 100% of the resource.
         
 Load of:
    Percentage (0-100) of how much the resource is used by the task.

 Fix Costs:
    Setup costs for activity. Arithmetic expression allowed.
 Budget:
    Planned total costs for activity. Arithmetic expression allowed.
 Links:
    List of tasks the current task depends on.

 Start date:
    Computed start date for an activity.
    Activites in other projects with higher
    priority can influence the start date
    when they compete for the same resources.
 End date:
    Computed end date.
 Slack:
    Number of days, the activity is allowed to float.
    Activites in other projects with higher
    priority can influence the slack days
    when they compete for the same resources.
    An task with zero slack is called critical.
    A task with a negative slack is called overdue.

Links
-----
 To define a link to a prerequisite activity or subproject
 use the Link function. Then navigate to the desired activity
 and press Enter. ESC will cancel the link mode.
 Specify Finish to Start (FS) or Start to Start (SS) and a
 lag value.
 To remove or modify links, use the Unlink function.
 You can also use the link function to place a task
 into a summary task.

Subprojects (PROF)
------------------
 Subprojects are defined with the Insert function and
 selecting subproject. The subproject file must have been
 declared previously as a subproject (Preferences, File Links)

 A subproject is updated during each Open of the main file.
 To open the subproject file, position the cursor
 on the subproject and press PSION-O.

 Note: Subprojects can impose a workload on resources.
   However, resource clashes cannot back-influence the subproject.
   The subproject file does not contain information about resource
   competition - when a subproject file is calculated it has
   all resources for itself.

Masterfiles (PROF)
------------------
 Master files can be used to inherit Calendars and Resources.
 (Preferences, View).
 This includes weekdays, holidays, calendar exceptions,
 all resource data including resource calendars.

 If a master file is set, its Calendar and resource information
 will overwrite the local information during each Open.


Attached documents
--------------------

 Tasks and projects can have attached WORD documents.
 
 Press PSION-+ or Shift-ENTER to activate the WORD processor and open
 the associated document (a new document is created if it did not exist).
 Then edit the document in the usual way (you may even print it).
 Leave the WORD processor with PSION-X and you are back in ProPoc.
 You can delete an associated document with PSION--.
 Associated documents are deleted, too, when the task or the whole project
 is deleted (PSION-D or PSION-V).
                
 Associated documents are stored under the following pathname:

   project_folder\project_file\itmname.WRD

 for instance, an associated document for task REGIST in project PROPOC
 would be stored in

   LOC::M:\PROJ\PROPOC\REGIST.WRD.
                        
 Identical named tasks will access the same document.
 
 If the task name contains characters other than letter, numeric digit or
 underscore, the task is identified by a unique task ID. In this case
 identical named tasks will access different documents.
 
 ProPoc PROF can merge associated documents into its own WORD output documents.


Resources
---------

 Name:
    Unique resource name
 Capacity: (PROF)
    Capacity of resource, e.g. number of staff members
      
    Specify a capacity for each resource (0.1-100.0),
    for instance the number of staff members in a group.
 
    The capacity is displayed in project schedules
    in paranthesis. The default capacity is 1

    Example: Changing the capacity from 1 to 2 will divide
      all load values for that resource by 2.

 Load: (PROF)
    - constant. The workload of a activity will be applied
      as a constant load. When the utilisation exceeds 100%
      the activity is postponed.
    - flexible. When the utilisation exceeds 100%, the work-
      load for that day is reduced and compensated for at
      other days. The activity is only postponed if the
      compensation fails. This allows to interrupt and resume
      activities that do not use the resource for 100%.

    Example:
      Proj1, Activity 1: Start: Day 5, Duration:  2, Load: 80%
      Proj2, Activity 2: Start: Day 1, Duration: 10, Load: 50%
           
      Using "constant" mode Activity 2 would have to wait until day 7.
      Using "flexible" mode Activity 2 starts at day 1, with a load
      of 50%. During Day 5 and 6, it only gets 20%. This is
      compensated with a 100% load at day 7 and a 60% load at day 8.

      Flexible mode resources can be used for effort driven
      activities, too. In this case the activity will use as
      much as it can get from the resource and will finish as
      soon as all work is done. In case the nominal duration
      would be exceeded, the activity is postponed.

      Note:  In resource schedules flexible resource can have peak
        utlisations of more than 100%.
  

 Cost per workday:   Resource costs in cost per day

 Overtime surcharge: (PROF)
    The surcharge is defined in percent and is applied
    to all periods where a availability of more than 100%
    has been defined.
    Example: Availability has been set to 120%.
      Overtime surcharge was set to 50%
      Nominal day rate was set to 1000
      Resulting day rate is 120%*1000+20%*50%*1000 = 1200+100 = 1300

 rated:    
    - full time (100% during when used)
    - shared in project (100% but shared between activities)
    - shared overall (100% but shared between activities)
    - part time (as defined in Resource load)


 Cost per activity:   
    This is amount is charged once for each
    activity that uses the resource.

 Note: You can enter arithmetic expressions into all Cost fields.

Resource calendar (PROF)
------------------------

 Define up to 40 calendar events for each resource. Note, that public holidays
 and weekends are defined in the global calendar, not in the resource calendar.

 The resource calendar can define changes to the availability of a resource
 in for repeating weekdays or for defined periods.
        
 It is possible to define reduced availability (<100%)
 for vacations, sickness, etc. and increased availability (>100%)
 for overtime work (up to 150%).

 Activities are not charged for times of inavailibility.
        
 It is possible to create resource calendar entries from the PSION AGENDA,
 to reflect the inavailibility for project work due to meetings, etc.

 The function will evaluate the average percentage of availibility
 in specified intervals. All appointment
 type entries including crossed out ones are considered.
 The percentage is computed from the length of the appointments compared
 to the amount of "work hours per day" specified.
 You can update the calendar entries by reapplying the function. You can make
 the entries permanent by editing them - they will loose the remark "Agenda".
        
 Define the AGENDA file used in Preferences (AgendaLink).
              
Preferences
===========
        
The preferences are file specific.


Mode
----

 Reorder:
    For small projects choose "automatic".
    For big projects it is better to use "manual"
    and to call the Reorder function from time to time.
 Resource:
    Set to "yes" to resolve resource conflicts (resource levelling).
    Set to "no" to compute project plan without resolving resource
      conflicts. This may result in resource utilisations far beyond 100%.
    "Ignore for slack": same as "yes", but slack days are computed without
      looking for possible resource conflicts.
    Charge all/completed work:
      Affects cost evaluation.
    Warning on constraint violation:
      A warning can be given if the constraint date is violated with
      the following constraints:
	 Must Start On
	 Start No Later Than
	 Must Finish On
	 Finish No Later Than
	 
View
----
 Show:
    all/activity/milestone/subproject
    This filter restricts the set of displayed items. (PROF)
    It works for each display mode separately.
 but only:
    critical/closed/open/in progress/cost > budget/constraint violation
    This filter restricts the set of displayed tasks in table mode (PROF)
				
 PERT-1:
 PERT-2: Display options for PERT mode.

 Show Links:
    Yes/no
    When set to "yes", links between tasks are shown.
 Show Grid:
    Yes/no
    Shows gridlines at weekstart when set to "yes"

Format
------
 Date format: alpha/numeric
    Alpha displays month name (3 letters).
    The order (DMY,MDY ...) is taken from the system settings.
 Currency:
    File specific currency to be displayed with costs and budgets.
 Font:
    Different screen fonts to be selected
    small/normal/big (S3), 13 system fonts (S3a)

Table definition
----------------
 Define the columns of up to 8 tables:
  Screen display, printer output, text file output, WORD file output.
  One set for each detail/outline mode.

Table styles
------------
 Load/save all current table definitions, filter and font settings
 from/to file. Table style files are exchangable between different
 project files.

Alarm
-----
 Alarm handler: (PROF)
    Use the S3a-agenda instead of Morpheus to generate alarms.
    The advantage is that the alarms are shown in the agenda.
                
 Agenda file: File name (PROF)
    AGENDA file for import of resource calendar events
    and export of project alarms.

File links
----------
 Subproject:
    Set to yes if you plan to import this file
    into another file as a subproject. Closing a file
    will take more time.
		        
 Masterfile:
    See above. Specify the name of the master file.

Weekends
--------
 Define which days are restdays and which days are workdays.
 By default the system workdays/weekends are used.
        
Holidays
--------
 Define which of the custom holidays are restdays in this project.
 By default all global holidays are disabled. (see Public holiday file)

Exceptions
----------
 Overrides weekend and holiday definitions.

Global holiday file
-------------------
 A selection of nationalised holiday settings is contained
 in the installation package.
 Use this function to "roll your own". The global
 holiday file is valid for all project files on the same machine.
        
 Set holidays to "Always", "Never", "Custom".
 "Custom" days can be set individually in each project. (see above)

 Algorithm: (see user manual)

Locations
---------   
 ProPoc PROF allows to set up 7 different locations.
 Activities can be either global or can be assigned to a specific
 location. ProPoc will make sure that resources are not used in
 different locations at the same time.

                
Display
=======
 The screen shows a window to the current project or an outline of all projects.
 Switch projects with PSION-T or the TAB key.
 Switch between outline and detail with CONTROL-TAB
 Switch resource display with CAPS-TAB
 Switch the Statuswindow on or off with CONTROL-MENU.
 Switch the Display mode (normal/condensed/table/PERT) with DIAMOND.
    
 If a task has an associated document the cursor is displayed
 as a rectangle, otherwise as a triangle.
    
 Graphic mode (normal/condensened)
 ---------------------------------
    Navigate along the time axis with the cursor keys.
    The PSION key accelerates. PSION-Shift goes to the begin or end.
    The CONTROL key scrolls without moving the cursor.
    CAPS will restrict navigation to critical tasks.

    Little arrows in the bottom/top left corners indicate if there
    are more lines outside the window.

    The project name is found in the bottom right corner of the main
    window.
    
    Activities are displayed as horizontal solid 1-pixel lines, if critical as
    solid 2-pixel lines. The name of the activity is found below the line.
    Projects are displayed as solid 2-pixel lines (1-pixel line if disabled).
    
    The completed part of a task is displayed grey.
    

    Milestones are displayed as vertical dotted 1-pixel lines, if critical
    as solid 1-pixel lines, if overdue as solid 2-pixel lines. In this case
    a dotted line to the left at the bottom of the vertical line indicates
    the delay. The name of the milestone is found to the right at the bottom
    of the vertical line.

    A calendar is displayed at the bottom and top of the screen.
    The week start is marked. 
    Restdays (weekends and public holidays) are greyed out. 

    During link mode a line is drawn between source and target.

    If the cursor sits on an activity you can use the <> keys
    to modify the activity duration.

 Table mode 
 ----------
    Navigate along the time axis with the up/down cursor keys.
    Scroll with the Left/right cursor keys.
    The PSION key accelerates.
    Modifiable fields are highlighted when the cursor moves.
    Press ENTER to modify a field.


    You can restrict the set of displayed tasks in table mode
    using filters (Preferences, View). (PROF)

    You can customise the table setup with Preferences-Table definition.

 PERT mode
 ---------
    Navigate along the time axis with the cursor keys.
    The PSION key accelerates.
    The CONTROL key scrolls without moving the cursor.
    CAPS will restrict navigation to critical tasks.

    Little arrows in the bottom/top left corners indicate if there
    tasks outside the window.

    The project name is found in the bottom right corner of the main
    window.
    
    Activities are displayed as plain boxes, milestones as boxes with
    an additional vertical line at the end. If the task is critical, the
    name is printed in bold.
    
    Two attributes are shown above and below the box.
    By default these are start and end date, but you can select any attribute
    via Preferences, View (separately for Detail and Outline mode).
    If you select "Resource" the resource most used by the activity is shown.

    Closed tasks are crossed out. Partially closed tasks are crossed with
    a single line.

    During link mode a line is drawn between source and target.


Reporting
=========

 Resource schedule, task list
 Resource schedule, cumulated list
   Lists resource utilisation for tasks or events.
   Use Zoom function and left/right cursor keys to adjust time window.
 Cashflow analysis (PROF)
   Lists Budget and Costs cumulated over time.
   Use Zoom function and left/right cursor keys to adjust time window.
 Bottleneck analysis (PROF)
   Lists delays per resource
     -  whole file (last project)
     -  current projects
     -  current task (detail mode only)
 Baseline review (PROF)
   Lists changes in start/finish (workdays) and costs for
     - each task (detail mode)
     - each project (outline mode)


 All reports are shown on screen in a scrollable window.

 All reports can be printed to printer, TXT or WRD-file.
 When printing to WRD-file, associated documents can be merged in (PROF)

 All reports can be exported to spreadsheet (WKS, SPR, SPR with graphics) (PROF)
 ProPoc will choose the most appropriate graphic format.

 All reports are hotlinked. Position the cursor on an item in the list, press
 ENTER to jump to that item, or enter a hotkey or menu function.
 ESC leaves the report.


Troubleshooting
---------------

You cannot change the status of a task.

  Check the prerequisites of the that task. As long
  as they are not 100% completed you cannot modify
  a tasks status.

Costs do not appear in project statistics or cashflow analysis.

  Check Preferences-Mode: Charge all/completed.

Resource levelling does not work.

  Check Preferences-Mode for the resource option.

Alarms are not ringing or are ringing at the wrong time:

  Alarms are only updated when ProPoc is exitted,
  or when a new project file is opened. Please exit
  ProPoc and restart.

Removing all alarms:

  We recommend not to delete file ALRM.$$$. This would
  also delete alarms set with other ...Poc applications such
  as HyperPoc. ProPoc would also recreate the file in the
  next session.
  Instead, go to Preferences-Alarms and switch the alarm
  handler off.

A dialogue box with an error message appears:

  Try to continue work by pressing Enter.
  If the dialogue box appears repeatedly, abort
  ProPoc by pressing ESC.
  Restart ProPoc.

Error messages occur when a file is opened.

  The file may be damaged.
  Try to open a backup copy of your file.

ProPoc freezes (does not respond any more).

  Press the system button, and use the Kill-function
  to stop ProPoc. You will not loose data as ProPoc
  saves all modifications immediately.

The system freezes (does not respond to System button).

  You have to soft reset your system.
  Use a pin to press the reset button.
   (Small hole above the ESC key).
  After resetting press Esc.
  You will have to reinstall applications, lists and groups,
  but you will not loose data.
  Never remove the batteries. This would wipe out your
  internal disk.

