PPM Express Digest: What’s New in June 2023?

5 min read

We are thrilled to present the June edition of PPM Express, showcasing our latest enhancements!

Our dedicated team has invested significant time and energy into refining our platform, bringing forth a range of new features and functionalities. These additions are specifically tailored to simplify your project management responsibilities and provide valuable support in reaching your objectives.

In this month’s release, we proudly unveil six extraordinary updates for PPM Express:

• RAID+ Registry report pack is now available for download and configuration on the Reporting page.
• Task Summary tiles have been enhanced for improved navigation and quick access to user data.
• Azure DevOps connection now supports linking a PPM Express project with multiple parent work items.
• Jira connection offers the option to calculate Project Progress by Story Points and Effort.
• Jira connection now allows selecting issues for Project Status auto calculation.

We’ll provide detailed information about each update and guide you on how to maximize the potential of our platform. 

Let’s have a closer look!

RAID+ Registry report pack is now available for download and configuration on the Reporting page

For more details about the pack, please refer to this article section: RAID+ Registry report pack. 

Task Summary tiles have been enhanced for improved navigation and quick access to user data

Task Summary tiles will be updated for the PPM Express tasks page, Planner, Project Online, Monday.com, Smartsheet, and Project for the web. For the Jira connector, the tiles will be redesigned in the same way as for Azure DevOps in one of the nearest releases. 

The Summary tiles will now include the My Assignments section, where users can review information for their tasks. All the numbers are clickable and will filter data in the table below accordingly. 

Also, the ‘All’ option will be added to the cards to review the full list of tasks. The buttons to go back to the project or open tasks from the connected system, if any, will be moved to the top right corner. 

These changes will also apply to the card view of the Schedule Project section. 

Using the ‘Configure’ menu you can turn on data sections that you want to make visible on the page. Drag and drop is available to reorder the position of these sections. These changes can be saved to Project layouts and views. 

Azure DevOps connection now supports linking a PPM Express project with multiple parent work items

Before: it was possible to link only one work item from Azure DevOps to PPM Express and manage it as a separate project. 

Now: it is possible to link a PPM Expres project to one or several work items from Azure DevOps and manage them as a separate project. 

If you link the project to several Azure DevOps items, the whole project will be opened by clicking the Azure DevOps icon. If you link the project to one Azure DevOps item, it will be opened by clicking on the Azure DevOps icon. 

It is also possible to link PPM Express Program to several Azure DevOps items. 

Jira connection offers the option to calculate Project Progress by Story Points and Effort

Before: The Project Progres was calculated by the Elements Count without the possibility of changing this setting. 

Now: There are three options available for progress calculation when the items are selected:

• Elements count
• Sum of Story Points
• Sum of Efforts

For the Sum of Story Points and Sum of Effort calculation, the progress will look like a ratio of the number of Story Points/Effort in issues marked as Closed to the total number of the Story Points/Effort in all issues. 

Field mapping is configured for the ‘Story Points’ and ‘Effort’ PPM Express fields to be used in the Project Progress calculation. 

Jira connection now allows selecting issues for Project Status auto calculation

Before: Only Bugs and Tasks were considered when calculating Resources and Schedule Project Status automatically. 

Now: It is possible to include other issue types when calculating Resources and Schedule project statuses. 

Essential improvements and fixes that make all the difference

At PPM Express, we are continuously dedicated to enhancing our platform to provide our users with the best experience possible. 

In addition to the major updates we have already announced, we have made numerous small yet impactful improvements and fixes. 

These enhancements encompass various areas, such as streamlining workflows, bolstering data security, and improving accuracy. 

Key improvements you don’t want to miss

Discover the latest enhancements we’ve made to PPM Express that can help streamline your workflow and enhance your productivity:

• The Project Details section now displays rolled-up values from PPM Express schedule, effort, and progress through newly added read-only fields.
• Users can now add document links to ideas on the Idea dashboard with the introduction of the ‘File Integration’ option.
• The Tasks page within the Azure DevOps connector has updated the filter criteria for Iteration and Type ‘User Story’.
• In the Budget section, the ability to delete and recreate budgets from templates has been enabled.
• Within the Budget section, it is now possible to create custom cost category types within existing budgets.

Crucial fixes you need to know about

We’ve made some crucial fixes to PPM Express recently that ensure the security, accuracy, and reliability of your data:

• We resolved the issue of tags no longer being highlighted on hover.
• The inaccurate calculation of the group counter on the Tasks page upon deletion of a parent task has been fixed.
• We addressed the issue where all projects couldn’t be unchecked after selection on the ‘Import projects’ page.
• Projects are now displayed as linked with PPM Express Time after connection.
• The visibility problem of tasks on the Timeline view after expanding a section to full screen has been fixed.
• We resolved the issue where newly added key dates and iterations weren’t visible on the Timeline view after expanding a section to full screen.
• The incorrect behavior when outdenting tasks has been fixed.
• We addressed the 500 error that occurred on the ‘Import Resources’ option in a specific case.
• The issue of the Lane or Group color not being displayed in the corresponding drop-down menu has been fixed.
• We resolved the problem of the Create/Edit panel being cropped when expanding the section to full screen.
• The display of a Start Date for a key date in a specific case on the Roadmap page has been fixed.
• We addressed the 500 error that occurred when replacing a resource in a cloned project.
• The cropping of the filter icon on My Space and Workload pages has been fixed.
• We resolved the 500 error that occurred when deleting a custom field.

If you would like to receive an email notification with an extended features overview a few days before the upcoming release, please fill in the PPM Express Release Notification Form. 

Final words

We’re thrilled to share these exciting updates to PPM Express with you! 

Our dedication to enhancing our platform remains unwavering, ensuring we deliver the features and functionality necessary for efficient and effective project and portfolio management. 

Whether seeking streamlined workflows, deeper progress insights, or enhanced organization, PPM Express is here to fulfill your needs.

And with our trial, it’s easier than ever to try out our platform for yourself and see how it can benefit your team.