Microsoft Project Integration

Celoxis is a great alternative to Microsoft Project. Celoxis' integration with Microsoft Project is one of the most comprehensive in the industry. If you understand how it works, you can achieve a perfect 2-way synchronization with Microsoft Project thus getting the best of both worlds.

Importing from Microsoft Project

You can create a project directly from a Microsoft Project file by clicking on (Top Menu ▸ ▸ Project ▸ Import Microsoft Project) or import tasks into an existing project (Project Options ▸ ▸ Import Microsoft Project).

When you import a Microsoft Project file (XML or MPP), Celoxis will import:

Parent-child relationships
Dependencies including lead-lag times
Constraints
Resource assignments
The default baseline

What is not imported:

Calendar options - e.g. hours/day, days/month, etc.
Resource list
Custom fields
Non-default baselines
Calendars and exceptions
Time-phased data

Import field mappings

While the field mappings in most cases are self-explanatory (they have the same name in MS Project and Celoxis), some fields deserve a special mention:

MS Project	Celoxis
% Work Complete	% Comp
Priority	Very High(700+), High(600+), Normal(500), Low(400+), Very Low(0+)
Task Mode	Manually Scheduled

Understanding Deviations

Celoxis and Microsoft Project while similar in many ways are different in certain areas (see the list of what is not imported above) and that can cause certain surprises. If dates do not match in Celoxis after importing, ensure that:

Work calendars and exceptions in MS Project and Celoxis match. Note that MS Project does not support time-zones or fractional non-working times.
You are not using any of the options or features in Microsoft Project that Celoxis does not import
You mapped the resources correctly during the import

If you are starting from scratch and intend to plan your project in MS Project, create a blank project in Celoxis first, export it to MS Project, and use that file for planning. You will avoid duplicate data entry and reduce the chances of deviations after import.

Exporting to Microsoft Project

When you export a project to Microsoft Project (Project Options ▸ ▸ Export Microsoft Project), the following will be exported:

Parent-child relationships
Dependencies including lead-lag times
Constraints
Resource assignments
The default baseline
Work Calendars and Exceptions
Resources and their individual exceptions

What is not exported:

Custom fields
Inter-project predecessors
Fields that have no corresponding field in Microsoft Project (e.g. workspace, budget, etc.)
Resource allocation in hours is changed to % because Microsoft Project does not support allocation in hours

Export field mappings

While the field mappings in most cases are self-explanatory (they have the same name in MS Project and Celoxis), some fields deserve a special mention:

Celoxis	MS Project
% Comp	% Work Complete
Very High(700+), High(600+), Normal(500), Low(400+), Very Low(0+)	Priority
Manually Scheduled	Task Mode
Celoxis Task ID	Number Field 10

Understanding Deviations

Celoxis and Microsoft Project while similar in many ways are different in certain areas (see the list of what is not exported above) and that can cause certain surprises. If dates do not match in Microsoft Project after exporting, ensure that:

Work calendars and exceptions in MS Project and Celoxis match. Note that MS Project does not support time-zones or fractional non-working times.
You are not using any of the options or features in Microsoft Project that Celoxis does not import
You have not allocated resources in hours and only used % in Celoxis. Microsoft Project does not support allocation in hours.

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