Planisware course

Lesson 1 • Planisware Overview and Use Cases

Covers Planisware's history, product editions, and industry applications. Establishes context for why organisations adopt it for portfolio and resource management.

Lesson 2 • Navigating the User Interface

Guides learners through menus, dashboards, and workspace layouts. Proficiency here accelerates all subsequent hands-on exercises.

Lesson 3 • Platform Architecture and Data Model

Explains the underlying object model, database structure, and module relationships. Provides the mental model needed to understand how data flows across the system.

Lesson 1 • Creating a New Project Record

Walks through project initiation forms, mandatory fields, and project templates. Correct setup here prevents downstream data quality issues.

Lesson 2 • Project Lifecycle and Status Workflow

Maps project phases to lifecycle stages and configures status transitions. Lifecycle governance ensures projects follow approved review gates.

Lesson 3 • Project Calendars and Working Time

Configures base calendars, exceptions, and resource-specific calendars. Calendar accuracy directly affects schedule calculations.

Lesson 4 • Defining Project Attributes and Metadata

Covers custom attributes, classification codes, and metadata standards. Consistent metadata enables accurate portfolio-level reporting.

Lesson 1 • Task Types and Duration Estimation

Distinguishes fixed-duration, effort-driven, and milestone task types. Choosing the correct type ensures the scheduler calculates dates accurately.

Lesson 2 • Baseline Creation and Schedule Tracking

Saves schedule baselines and compares actuals against planned dates. Baseline tracking is the primary mechanism for schedule variance reporting.

Lesson 3 • Dependencies and Logical Links

Covers finish-to-start, start-to-start, and lag/lead relationships between tasks. Correct dependency modelling is essential for valid critical path analysis.

Lesson 4 • Scheduling Engine and Constraints

Explains how Planisware calculates dates using constraints and calendars. Understanding the engine prevents unexpected schedule shifts.

Lesson 1 • Resource Pool Configuration

Defines named resources, generic roles, and resource attributes in the pool. A well-structured pool is the prerequisite for accurate capacity analysis.

Lesson 2 • Overallocation Detection and Resolution

Detects overallocated resources and applies levelling or reassignment strategies. Resolving overallocations protects schedule integrity and team well-being.

Lesson 3 • Assigning Resources to Tasks

Covers assignment methods, effort distribution, and contour profiles. Correct assignments link schedule and resource data for integrated planning.

Lesson 4 • Resource Forecasting and Scenario Planning

Projects future resource needs and models what-if staffing scenarios. Forecasting supports strategic workforce planning at the portfolio level.

Lesson 1 • Actual Cost Entry and Tracking

Records actuals via timesheets, invoices, and direct entry methods. Timely actual entry is critical for meaningful variance analysis.

Lesson 2 • Cost Forecasting and ETC

Calculates estimate-to-complete using remaining work and rate data. Accurate ETC enables reliable project completion cost predictions.

Lesson 3 • Financial Reporting and Variance Analysis

Generates cost reports, variance charts, and period-over-period comparisons. These outputs support executive decision-making and audit readiness.

Lesson 4 • Earned Value Management in Planisware

Implements EVM metrics including BCWS, BCWP, and ACWP within the platform. EVM provides objective schedule and cost performance measurement.

Lesson 1 • Portfolio-Level Dashboards and KPIs

Configures portfolio dashboards displaying health, cost, and schedule KPIs. Dashboards give executives real-time visibility into portfolio performance.

Lesson 2 • Portfolio Selection and Optimisation

Applies budget and resource constraints to select the optimal project mix. Optimisation balances strategic value against available capacity.

Lesson 3 • Portfolio Review and Rebalancing

Conducts periodic portfolio reviews and adjusts the project mix based on performance. Regular rebalancing keeps the portfolio aligned with shifting strategy.

Lesson 4 • Portfolio Structure and Hierarchy

Defines portfolio containers, sub-portfolios, and programme groupings. Correct hierarchy enables aggregated reporting and governance at each level.

Lesson 1 • Dashboard Design and Layout

Assembles multi-widget dashboards with role-specific layouts and interactivity. Well-designed dashboards reduce the need for ad hoc reporting requests.

Lesson 2 • Graphical Charts and Visualisations

Creates bar, line, bubble, and Gantt chart visualisations from project data. Visual formats accelerate stakeholder comprehension of complex data.

Lesson 3 • Tabular and Matrix Report Design

Designs tabular summaries and cross-tab matrix reports for financial and schedule data. These formats satisfy most standard management reporting needs.

Lesson 4 • Report Builder Fundamentals

Uses the built-in report builder to select data sources, fields, and filters. Mastering the builder is the gateway to all custom reporting capabilities.

Lesson 1 • Performance Tuning and Troubleshooting

Diagnoses slow queries, configuration errors, and data inconsistencies. Tuning skills minimise downtime and maintain user productivity.

Lesson 2 • System Administration and Maintenance

Manages user accounts, system settings, and scheduled maintenance tasks. Proper administration ensures platform stability and data integrity.

Lesson 3 • Workflow Design and Automation

Builds automated workflows for approvals, notifications, and status transitions. Workflows reduce manual effort and enforce consistent process execution.

Lesson 4 • Integration with External Systems

Configures connectors and APIs to synchronise Planisware with ERP, HRIS, and other tools. Integration eliminates duplicate data entry and improves data accuracy.