Managing Project Schedules in Mastt

Objective

By the end of this guide, you'll be able to:

• Import schedules from Microsoft Project or Primavera
• Create and edit activities in your schedule
• Visualize your schedule in different formats
• Track delays and make schedule adjustments

Prerequisites

• Access to a Mastt project
• Optional: Microsoft Project file (exported as XML) or Primavera P6 file

Video Walkthrough

 

Step-by-Step Schedule Management

Importing Schedules

1. Initial Setup Options

• When first accessing the Schedule Module, you'll see options to:
  • Import a Microsoft Project file (must be XML format)
  • Import a Primavera P6 file
  • Create your own schedule
  • Utilize pre-built templates

2. Importing from Microsoft Project

• Important: Microsoft Project files must be exported as XML
• Click Import to begin
• If needed, click Show me how to see how to export from MS Project
• Click and drag your XML file or use the file selector

3. Selecting Activities to Import

• Unselect the default first line
• Open each item and select specific items to import as activities
• What you select becomes the activity, and its parent becomes the phase
• Choose the most important items for reporting in Mastt
• Click Import to complete the process

Managing Activities

1. Setting Key Milestones

• Set starting activities and completion activities
• For example, mark "Project Handover" as the completion activity

2. Making Bulk Changes

• Select multiple activities using the checkbox to the left
• Click Bulk Edit in the top right corner
• Choose from options:
  • Move dates: Adjust dates forward or backward
  • Set status: Change activity status
  • Set phase: Reassign to a different phase
  • Delete: Remove activities
  • Select/Unselect all: Quick selection options

3. Adjusting Dates

• When moving dates, specify:
  • Number of days/months earlier or later
  • Which date to apply changes to (e.g., planned completion date)
• Click Move Dates to apply changes
• Save your changes

Visualizing Your Schedule

1. View Options

• Activities Chart: Lists activities in table format (default view)
• Gantt View: Displays the schedule in standard Gantt chart layout
• Schedule Worm: Shows activity status, phase, and delays/gains
• Phases Chart: Displays phases instead of individual activities
• None: Removes visualization

2. Understanding the Schedule Worm View

• Activities show as:
  • Completed, In Progress, or Not Started
  • Organized by phase
  • Delays appear to the left in red (showing days)
  • Gains appear to the right in green (showing days)

Re-importing and Sorting

1. Re-importing Schedules

• To update with new data, click Import again
• Warning: Re-importing will override existing data
• Select activities and confirm the overwrite

2. Sorting Options

• Sort activities by:
  • Start date
  • Baseline completion date
  • Planned completion date
  • Status

Creating Schedules Manually

1. Using Templates

• Select from standard project or construction templates
• Enter project start date
• Import the template

2. Editing Activities

• Click into any activity to change:
  • Name
  • Phase
  • Status (Not Started, In Progress, Complete)
  • Start date
  • Baseline and planned completion dates
  • Activity icons (for highlighting important activities)
  • Associated tasks

3. Adding New Activities

• Click the blue plus button at the top
• Fill in the activity details
• Assign to an existing phase or create a new one
• Set status and dates
• Add activity icons if needed

Common Pitfalls and Solutions

• Issue: Can't import Microsoft Project file
  • Solution: Ensure it's saved as XML format
• Issue: Activities missing after import
  • Solution: Check that you selected all necessary items during import
• Issue: Can't make changes to the schedule
  • Solution: Ensure you have appropriate permissions
• Issue: Data lost after reimporting
  • Solution: Remember that reimporting overwrites existing data

Next Steps

Now that you've learned how to manage your project schedule, explore the Risk Module to understand how to track and manage project risks in Mastt.