Creating Excel Templates to Request Resources

The resource planning template in Excel can be assigned to a deliverable or activity, allowing the document owner to request project resources and manage the project's resource plan.

To set up an Excel template to request resources:

Note: The following procedure assumes you are familiar with basic Excel functionality.

Save the Resource Plan Template - Basic <version>.xlsx file to your computer using a file name that clearly identifies the purpose of the template.

Ensure that the master Resource Plan Template - Basic <version>.xlsx file is kept in a safe place, such as the template library, with no modifications to it.

The file contains one worksheet, SGM_ResourcePlan. You can add additional worksheets to the resource plan template; however, the SGM_ResourcePlan worksheet must exist.

Enter one or more custom properties in the template to define the template's behavior:

Property	Description and Notes
SGM_RP_AutofitColumns	Controls whether column widths of columns containing data are automatically set wide enough to display all of the data in the column. Type: Yes or No Default Value: Yes
SGM_RP_PromptForPeriods	Controls whether the Refresh Project Data dialog box displays to a user downloading the document. The dialog box prompts the user to specify which time periods in the document are refreshed. If this property is set to No, the user cannot choose to refresh the document and you should add the Date Range and End Period Padding properties to the template to configure automatic time period refreshing. Type Yes or No Default Value: Yes
SGM_RP_DateRange	Controls how date ranges are refreshed. If this property is set to Yes, this determines which date range displays by default in the Refresh Project Data dialog box, otherwise this property determines which time period window displays in the refreshed document. Type: Text Accepted Values: COMPLETE, FUTURE, FIXED Default Value: COMPLETE Complete is from the first day to the last day of the projects current resource plan. The last period can be modified. Future is from the current time period to the last day of the project's resource plan. The last period can be modified. Fixed is from the first day to the last day of the project's current resource plan. The first and last periods can be modified.
SGM_RP_EndPeriodPadding	Specifies how many time periods are automatically added to the end of the default time period window. This property is ignored if SGM_RP_PromptForPeriods is set to Yes. Type: numbers Default value: 0
SGM_RP_Stages	Identifies the project stages for which resource data is imported or exported. If the property is not defined, all resource plan data is retrieved. Type: Text Accepted Values: The possible values include a comma separated string of the following: The string "[Project]" - Retrieves the resource plan for the project as a whole. Whole numbers - Retrieve the resource plan for each stage whose absolute number is listed. For example, the number 3 retrieves the plan for the third stage in the project. Positive or negative numbers - Number such as +1 or -2 retrieve the resource plan for each stage whose relative relationship with the deliverable's stage is specified. For example, "+1" would specify the stage following the deliverable's stage.
SGM_RP_StartCell	Controls where on the spreadsheet the data is displayed. The value specifies the top, leftmost spreadsheet cell in which resource data displays. The data includes the header row. Type: Text Accepted Values: The value must specify the valid address of a single cell in Excel. Default value: A1
SGM_RP_GetRequestedResourcesOnly	Controls whether assigned demands are excluded from the document on refresh, and ignored on demand update as a result of document publish. If the property is not defined, both assigned and requested resources are included and updated on document publish. Type: Yes or No Default Value: No

For information about adding custom properties to an Excel document, see the Excel online Help.

Save the file and add the template to the Template Library.
Add the plan to a deliverable or activity within a model.

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