Merge Two Versions of a Project Schedule

Compare and Merge Two Schedule Versions Video

After reviewing potential changes to activities made by a source schedule, you can selectively merge these changes into the comparison schedule from the Schedule Comparison page using Merge Mode. This is useful for a scheduler who would like to create a schedule version to analyze time impact from status updates, scope changes, or errors and corrections made to a project schedule for a continuously evolving project without permanent impact. Once the impacts are accepted, they can be merged from the source schedule into the comparison schedule. Optionally capture a backup of the comparison schedule immediately prior to the merge process in the event of an unwanted outcome or data changes that need to be reverted.

View a consolidated list of activities that show variances in Merge Mode. Noted differences are indicated by Change Type color in the Activities List on the Schedule Comparison page. See Understanding Change Types in the Schedule Comparison Activity Table.

Note: You cannot run a merge process if another merge is already in progress, or if a Set As Current Schedule process is already running. Those processes must be complete before a new merge can be done.

The following activity-related data is included in the merge process:

• Activities
• Activity codes
• Activity configured fields
• Resource assignments
• Relationships
• Risk assignments
• Scope assignments
• Task assignments
• WBS

  Note: Users must have at least one of the following project-level privileges to trigger the merge process from the Schedule Comparison page:

  • Merge Activities to Current Schedule - Enable
  • Merge Activities to Baseline - Enable
  • Merge Activities to Scenario - Enable

    The Merge toggle will be hidden on the Schedule Comparison page for users who do not have at least one of these privileges.

To merge two versions of a project schedule:

1. In the object selector, select ﱆ Project, select View Projects List, and then select a project name.
2. From the  Main Menu, select  Schedule, and then select Schedule Comparison.
3. Select two versions of the project schedule that you want to compare in the Compare Schedule Versions dialog box, which opens automatically when you navigate to the page:
   1. Select the Source schedule.
   2. Select the Comparison schedule.
4. Select Compare to run the comparison analysis.
5. In the Schedule Comparison toolbar, select the Merge Mode toggle.
6. In the Select Schedule Versions for Merge dialog box, confirm your schedule selections:
   1. Merge From: This is the schedule that determines the activities displayed in the grid.
   2. Merge To: This is the schedule that will be updated based on the activities selected in the grid. Only activities with variances between the two schedules will be displayed.

      Note: You must have at least one valid baseline or scenario option available for selection to initiate Merge Mode.

7. Select Continue to enter Merge Mode.
8. Select the  check box beside each activity that you would like to include in the merge. You also have the option to select all from the column header.

   Note: Activity check boxes do not display in the Schedule Comparison table unless Merge Mode is active.

9. After making activity selections, select Merge Selected Activities from the Actions  menu, or use the  Merge Selected Activities button in the toolbar to open the Merge Selected Activities dialog box and view details about the merge.
10. In the Merge Selected Activities dialog box, apply additional merge settings:
    1. Determine a schedule backup type by selecting Scenario, Baseline, or No Backup.
    2. Create a custom backup name, or use the default information provided by the application. The field defaults to the name Merge Backup - YYYYMMDDTHHMM-Name (of the Scenario, Baseline, or Current Schedule).
    3. Enter notes into the Merge Notes field as needed. This information will appear in the Merge Log for the process and in the backup scenario or backup baseline description field.
    4. Download an activity report with a complete list of all activities in the Activities List that includes both selected and unselected activities prior to the merge.
11. Select Merge to begin the merge process. This process could some take time to complete depending on the number of activities being merged.
12. When the merge process is complete, you will receive a notification in the Notifications Panel and user Inbox about its status. Click on the following available options to view more information:
    • View Activities: Select this option to navigate to the Activities Page in the current schedule view where you can see the merged list of activities in the updated schedule version.
    • View Log: Select this option to navigate to the Merge Log where you can view job results and settings information.
    • Archive: Select this option to move the notification into the Archive folder in the user Inbox.

Tips

• You must reschedule the project and recalculate project costs to ensure that all updates are included with existing project data.
• You can only merge visible activities. Applying new quick filter criteria after you've already selected activities will only clear activity selections that are hidden by the new criteria. You will be prompted to confirm new quick filter selections before they are applied.
• Refreshing or navigating away from the page after selecting activities will cause you to lose activity selections; however, schedule selections will be saved after you select Compare.
• Activities associated with resource assignments that have approved timesheets will not be deleted, edited, to delete those resource assignments, or edited to change the resource name during a schedule merge. Timesheet fields for those activities will not be edited if the target schedule is the current schedule.