Bulk Change in Modeling

In this video you will learn how to use the Bulk Change rule as a condition in a Scenario to see the impact of possible schedule changes you are thinking of making.

Bulk Change allows you to create a Scenario by selecting a set of activities based on criteria and then appling changes to those activities. 

Note: When you apply a Bulk Change, SmartPM applies the change to the Planned vs. Actual SPI metrics as well as the Grade. Bulk changes will not affect Delay and Acceleration metrics.

Before you make a Bulk Change, be sure to rebaseline if there have been a significant amount of changes since the original baseline schedule.

There is a two step process. First you create the condition or rule and then you apply to condition to a model.

Create a Bulk Change Condition:

SmartPM gives you the ability to model data within your schedule files to gain a deeper understanding of your project. Modeling can be done by using Scenarios with Scenario Conditions.

1. Click on the project name from the Company Dashboard to get to the Project Workspace
2. Click on the "Conditions" puzzle icon on the right side menu bar  
3. Click on Bulk Change:
   
   1. Step 1 Schedule: Select the radio button to the left of the schedule you would like to change and click Next
   2. Step 2 Filter: Click on “+ Add New Filter”
      1. Select a Parameter from the Parameter pulldown menu, for example “Activity Name”. In the “IS” Box select the filter option from the pull down menu, for example “Contains” then in the “VALUE” box enter the Name of the activity, for example, “punch” to find all activities that contain the word punch. Click on "+ Filter Criteria"
      2. To can add another filter you can Click on “+ Add New Filter” and repeat the process
      3. Click Next
   3. Step 3 Changes: Click on “+Add Change Item” and select a Parameter from the Parameter pull down menu, for example, “Calendar” and select an item from the  “VALUE” box pulldown menu. For example, you could select your 6-day workweek calendar. Click Next.
   4. Step 4 Exclusions: You can review the activities that SmartPM has identified with the criteria you set. For example it will show you all of the activities with the word “punch” that are  incomplete and you have the option of excluding any activities that you don’t want as part of the analysis. Check the box to the left of any activities you would like to exclude. Click Next.
   5. Step 5 Review: In the “Rule Name” box, enter the name of your Bulk Change Rule. For example, “Punch List on a 6-day Calendar” and click on the "Create" box.

Now that you have built this condition or rule, you need to apply it by creating a scenario or Model.

Create a Model and Apply the Bulk Change Condition Rule

1. Click on the project name from the Company Dashboard to get to the Project Dashboard
2. Click on “Advanced Model” from the Modeling menu on the left-hand side
   
   
   1. Step 1 Create Advanced Model: In the “Model Name” box, type the name of the Model you are creating and type in a 
      1. Type in a model description
      2. Click Next
   2. Step 2 Schedules: Select the schedules to which you want to apply the condition or rule  
      1. Click Next
   3. Step 3 Conditions: Click the checkbox next to the condition you want to apply to your model
      1. Click Save

SmartPM will start the analysis and you will get an email when the analysis is complete.

Analyze the Impact of the Bulk Rule

1. Click on the project name from the Company Dashboard to get to the Project Workspace
2. Click in the "Model" box on the upper right
   
3. Click on the radio button to the left of the Bulk Changes Model you created and click "Select" 

You can toggle back and forth between the Originals Scenario and the Bulk Rule Model to compare the differences in End Dates. You can compare and contrast that original analysis with your “What If” scenario using the Bulk Change rule. For example, you could look at the impact of adding a six-day calendar on the critical path and end date.

Export a Native Schedule File of Your Bulk Change Scenario

1. Click on the project name from the Company Dashboard to get to the Project Workspace
2. Click in the "Model" box on the upper right
3. Select the radio button to the left Model you want to export and click "Select"
4. Click on the "Gantt Chart" icon from the right-hand menu
5. Click the "Export" below the Gantt Chart