Integration with Project Portfolio Management

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Integration with Project Portfolio Management

    This integration enables ServiceNow customers to link project tasks from Project Portfolio Management (PPM) with work orders in Field Service Management (FSM). It facilitates managing installation or deployment projects by allowing multiple tasks assigned to field service agents to be connected directly to work orders. This link helps synchronize scheduling and status updates between project tasks and work orders, improving coordination and visibility across teams.

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    Key Features

    • Create and View Work Orders from Project Tasks: Users can create a work order directly from a project task using the "Create Work Order" link on the Project Task form, and view active linked work orders via the "View Work Order" link.
    • Multiple Work Orders per Project Task: A project task can have multiple linked work orders, but only one work order can be active at any given time.
    • Date Synchronization: Planned start and end dates flow one-way from the project task to the linked work order and its tasks. Work order tasks inherit fixed window start and end dates based on the project task’s planned dates. Updates to project task dates propagate to linked work order tasks unless those tasks are in “Work In Progress” or “Closed” states. Changes on work order tasks do not affect project task dates.
    • State Synchronization: State changes flow from the work order to the project task. Updating the work order’s state updates the project task’s state accordingly, including closing project tasks when a work order is closed. If a project task’s state update fails (e.g., due to dependencies), a note is added to its Work Notes. State mappings between work orders and project tasks follow predefined rules, with customization available.
    • Customizable State Transition Map: System administrators can customize how work order states map to project task states to fit organizational processes.
    • Required Plugins: Activation of the "Field Service with Project Management" plugin (com.snc.wmppm) is needed, which depends on the Field Service Management plugin (com.snc.workmanagement) and the PPM Standard plugin (com.snc.financialplanningpmo).

    Practical Benefits

    • Improves alignment between project planning and field execution by keeping dates and statuses synchronized.
    • Streamlines the creation and management of work orders from project tasks, reducing manual tracking.
    • Enables better tracking of field service progress within project portfolios, ensuring timely updates and closures.
    • Provides flexibility for administrators to tailor state transitions to their business workflows.

    Link project tasks to work orders to assist with managing installation or deployment projects in the field.

    A project can have multiple tasks that are assigned to field service agents. Using the Field Service Management integration with Project Portfolio Management, you can create work orders directly from project tasks. Linking project tasks to work orders in this way:
    • Synchronizes the planned and actual dates between the project task and the work order.
    • Synchronizes the states between the project task and the work order.

    To create a work order from a project task, click the Create Work Order related link on the Project Task form. To view an active linked work order, click the View Work Order related link on the Project Task form. Project tasks can have more than one linked work order, but only one work order can be active at a time.

    Dates

    Dates are synchronized in one direction, from the project task to the linked work order and to any work order tasks.
    • Work order tasks created for a linked work order have fixed Window start and Window end dates that are based on the planned start and end dates of the project task.
    • Updates to project task dates are also updated in the linked work order tasks for tasks that are not in the Work In Progress or Closed states.
    Note:
    Changes to the dates on a work order task do not change the dates on the linked project task.

    States

    State changes are synchronized in one direction, from the work order to the project task.
    • Updating the work order state also updates the state of the linked project task.
    • Updating the state of a project task add a note to the Work Notes field on the linked work order.
    • Closing a work order also closes the project tasks.
    If an update to the state of a project task fails, a note is added to the project task Work notes field about the corresponding work order update. Updates can fail with project tasks that have dependencies.
    Work order and project task states are updated as follows.
    Table 1. Synchronized states of work order and project task
    Work Order State Project Task State
    Work In Progress Work In Progress
    Close Complete Close Complete
    Close Incomplete Close Incomplete
    Canceled Close Skipped

    Plugins

    Activate the Field Service with Project Management plugin (com.snc.wm_ppm) to use this feature. This plugin requires the Field Service Management plugin (com.snc.work_management) and the PPM Standard plugin (com.snc.financial_planning_pmo).