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Import Plans/Tasks from External Sources

  1. Plans/tasks can be imported from external sources such as AI-generated lists (Copilot etc.), Excel, Dashboard reports, emails, etc., using the Scratch Task List (STL).
  2. Click the Scratch Task List icon in the Game Plan.
    Scratch Task List icon
  3. You are first prompted to select a summary task in which to paste the new tasks.
  4. If there are tasks in the project, you will be asked to select a subtask to insert the new tasks after.
  5. There are two areas in the STL window...
    1. Grid
    2. Graphics (Gantt)

      Scratch Task List Grid and Graphics Areas
  6. To import plans/tasks, open the external file and select one or more of the following: Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), Title, Duration (weekdays), Predecessors (using WBS values), Description, and Start Date, then Ctrl+C (copy to clipboard). Note: Do not select the column headers.
  7. There are two modes in the STL: Select and Edit.
    1. Select Mode - cell is highlighted, and a fill handle icon appears in the bottom-right corner of the cell.
      STL - Select Mode
    2. Edit Mode - cursor, displayed as a vertical line, blinks in the cell. Note: To exit Edit Mode, click the Esc-key or click in the Gantt area (not in the grid).

      STL - Edit Mode
  8. Click the appropriate cell in the STL, ensuring you are in Select Mode, then Ctrl+V  to paste from the clipboard.
    1. Check to verify that the order of the columns you're copying matches the order of the columns in the STL. If they don't match, fix one or the other.
    2. If paste isn't working, you may need to configure your browser to allow it to copy to the browser's clipboard.
      1. Chrome instructions
      2. Edge instructions
    3. Depending on what app you are copying from, you may need to paste into Excel first, then copy from Excel to the STL. This is entirely dependent on the app you are copying from.
  9. Watch this video [~ 2 min] for a demonstration of the basics.
     
  10. Pasted summary task's start dates and durations are generally ignored because they will automatically be adjusted by Playbook based on the summary's subtasks.
  11. When pasting tasks with lead/lag, start/start, or finish/finish dependencies (constraints other than finish/start), things may change, or these dependencies might be ignored. Revise these tasks after clicking Ok as needed.

  12. Entries can be manually entered using Edit Mode and typing.

    1. Tasks are created only for rows with Title cells that contain values (not empty).
    2. Predecessors must reference the WBS values, and multiple predecessors must be separated by a semicolon. 
  13. The order and/or the hierarchy of tasks can be changed using the drag handles in the STL grid. 
    Scratch Task List - Drag Handles
  14. Multiple rows can be selected at the same time by selecting multiple drag handles using the Ctrl-key or Shift-key. 
  15. The hierarchy can also be modified for one or more tasks using right-click, then select Indent or Outdent.
  16. Links can be created in the Gantt area using Link Successor (same as Game Plan). 
  17. Links can be deleted in the Gantt area using Delete Link (same as Game Plan).
  18. Non-summary tasks with Duration = 0 are created as milestones (same as Game Plan).
  19. Warnings, if any, are indicated in the column to the left of WBS. Be sure to check the Warnings column to the far right for details. Click here for details.
  20. You cannot save while the STL window is open. Best Practice: Click Ok to complete the import into the Game Plan. Then you can save and make use of all the Game Plan features.
  21. To delete, select one or more tasks, right-click, then select Delete.
  22. Watch this video [~4 min] for a demonstration of the items above.
  23. Zoom in/out using Ctrl+mouse scroll wheel (same as Game Plan).
  24. Undo Ctrl-Z and Redo Ctrl-Y can be used in the STL.
  25. If you have entries in the STL and click Cancel, you can save your entries for the next Scratch Task List during this session of Playbook. Otherwise, your entries will be lost.
    Scratch Task List - Cancel - Save entries
  26. If you open the STL and have saved entries, the saved entries will be used by default. Otherwise, you can choose to start fresh and forget the saved entries.
    Scratch Task List - Use Saved entries
  27. The tasks might move after you click Ok due to non-working time and days off, and because this is when the standard Game Plan's start and end date calculations are applied (they are slightly different than the logic used in the STL).
  28. Watch this video [~2 min] to see how to import a project plan with tasks, hierarchy, and links.
  29. Need a hand? Contact a Customer Success Engineer today!
  30. Use these links to learn more about...