Release Notes for itd Advanced Resource Planning

We are continuously working to optimize our most popular add-on for Clarity PPM.

itd Advanced Resource Planning is the most popular tool for efficient resource planning in Clarity PPM – developed by itdesign. In order to adapt itd Advanced Resource Planning to your specific requirements, we are continuously developing new features and fixing bugs. We include your feedback in our new releases to achieve the best fit between your wishes and the tool.

Are you missing a function or would you like to develop an existing function of the itd Advanced Resource Planning add-on? We look forward to hearing from you.

Release 12.1.0

The new version 12.1.0 of itd Advanced Resource Planning offers exciting new features: With the beta version of the innovative hierarchy mode, improved functions for the roadmap scenario mode and additional usability features, operation is even more intuitive and efficient. Find out how these updates will take your planning processes to the next level.

1. Resource Planning Meets Hierarchies

You can now integrate itd Advanced Resource Planning in the Hierarchies module for hierarchies of the Investment type.

  • As for the Roadmap Scenario Mode, to implement this integration, add an itd Advanced Resource Planning channel to a hierarchy blueprint, passing the hierarchy ID via the URL.
  • In this mode, the view is automatically filtered to display only investments included in the hierarchy.
  • You can display and sort by the new Hierarchy Level field, which displays an investment’s hierarchy level.
Integrate and use the itd Advanced Resource Planning within Hierarchies
Note: BETA-Feature

Note: This mode is currently in the BETA phase. We look forward to your feedback! Your suggestions and experiences will help us to further improve the functionalities and tailor them to your needs.

2. Roadmap Scenario Mode Improvements

In this popular feature, you can simulate and compare different planning scenarios, taking resources into account. Version 12.1.0 provides you with additional functionalities for this mode:

2.1 Separate Utilization Filter for “In Plan” Field

The In Plan field of roadmap items is no longer mapped to the Investment Status field and therefore no longer affects a utilization filter by that field.

Instead, we have added a separate utilization filter for the In Plan field, such that the utilization can be filtered directly by this field. To make this transparent, it is now also possible to display this field as a column in Roadmap Scenario Mode and filter by it.

When updating to the current version of itd Advanced Resource Planning, configurations with utilization filters by Investment Status will be migrated to filter by the corresponding In Plan value instead.

Set investments In-Plan or Not-in-Plan within Roadmaps
2.2 Collaborative Work on Roadmap Scenarios

Previously, roadmap scenarios were saved per roadmap and user in itd Advanced Resource Planning. As opposed to roadmaps in Clarity, it was therefore not possible for multiple users to work together on a roadmap scenario.

This will be changed for all scenarios created in the future, such that all users now share the same roadmap scenario in itd Advanced Resource Planning for the same roadmap.

Work together within Roadmap scenarios
2.3 Synchronization of Allocations with Roadmap Scenario

Changes made to allocations in roadmap scenario mode are now synchronized back to Clarity, such that they’re displayed under Capacity in the regular roadmap view.

This synchronization is unidirectional from itd Advanced Resource Planning to Clarity.

3. Improved Usability
3.1 Customization of the Availability Popup
  • You can now configure the columns displayed in the Availability popup in your Preferences, under Utilization – Columns > Availability Popup Columns.
  • As usual, ARP Admins can add available Team fields via the itd AE Attributes configuration.
  • Additionally, you can now sort the list by a column by clicking on the associated column header.
Further options in the availability pop-up
3.2 Share Views via Links

You can now share views via URL links. This is only possible for views that are not set to Private.

Share views via link
3.3 Support for Virtual Attributes

Admins can now configure virtual attributes via the itd AE Attributes configuration.

Currently, the following restrictions still apply:

  • Virtual attributes on custom investments are not yet supported.
  • Virtual attributes on other virtual attributes are not yet supported.
Solved Issues
  • Starting processes in the action menu: now also works from Clarity version 16.2.2
  • Gantt bar and utilization filter: optimized performance for server requests
  • Rights management: no more erroneous error messages for investments
  • Assignment and allocation grid: reliable, immediate reload after changes in the settings
  • Time slices in the roadmap scenario: correct transfer of the configuration
  • Utilization view: changes to values without histogram now possible
Requirements
  • For technical reasons, itd Advanced Resource Planning 12.1.0 requires Clarity 16.1.1 or newer.
  • Clarity version 16.1 or newer is required to use the roadmap mode in itd Advanced Resource Planning.
Download Manual

Release 12.0.0

The new release includes many new functionalities such as additional resource fields in the utilization view, custom utilization filters for assignments, and trend arrows for comparing left and right cell values. In addition, there are further usability features such as global filters for investment types, an optional color scheme with high contrast, and custom OSP fields that can be displayed or edited.  

Show Resource Fields in Utilization View

In the investment views, additional resource fields can now be displayed as columns in the utilization view. By default, the columns Department, Department OBS, External Resource, Location and Manager are available. ARP admins have the option of activating additional columns via the itd AE attributes. 

The columns to be displayed can be added in the views by investment under Settings > Utilization – Columns. 

Optimized Functionalities
1. New Utilization Filter for Allocations

Previously, the workload was only visible in the settings tab. In the new version, a separate utilization filter can now be selected as an alternative to the resource filter. The buttons in the filter area can be used to switch between the normal resource filter and the utilization filter.   

You can now use the buttons above the filter area to switch between the regular resource filter and the utilization filter. In the Allocation by investment mode, these settings are in the lower filter area next to the resources. In Allocation by Resource mode, the corresponding filter settings can be found in the upper filter area of the main view. 

As the previous utilization filter for Staff OBS unit also influences the availability of resources and teams, this function is still available as a separate availability filter in the tab under Settings > Utilization. This allows you to filter utilization and availability independently of each other according to the Staff OBS unit field. 

Existing configurations in saved views are migrated accordingly.  

As a result of this change, ARP admins can now add additional fields for the utilization filters in addition to the filters available by default via the configuration of the itd AE attributes. The new option Include in Utilization filter is available for this purpose. Currently, fields of the type Search Option list and Boolean are available for the Investment and Team objects.  

Unlike other column configurations, there is no separate option to show or hide these filters. If the Include in Utilization filter setting is activated, the corresponding filters are always visible. 

2. Trend Arrows for Comparing Left and Right Cell Values

Trend arrows can now be used in the release to compare left and right cell values.  For example, trend arrows can help to compare the actual times with the originally planned times 

Where both values are available and differ, a small arrow on the left edge of the cell indicates a negative or positive deviation of the left cell value from the right.  

The trend arrows can be displayed and activated under Visualization > Trend Arrows. The threshold value above which the trend arrow is used can be adjusted under Layout > Settings. 

Optimized Usability
1. Global Filters for Investment Types by View Mode

ARP admins now have the option to define specific investment types for each view mode. This is done via a specially created search option list. Admins can then define appropriate values for each investment type to be displayed and specify in the description in which view modes this investment type should be displayed.   

View modes for which at least one investment type has been configured in this way then only display the defined investment types. All other investment types are automatically hidden in these views.  

For view modes for which no specific investment type has been defined, all investment types remain visible.  

This setting only applies to global standard views; individual investment mode and Roadmap mode are not affected. 

2. Optional Color Scheme with High Contrast

To adapt the color scheme to your needs, a color scheme with high contrast can be set in the new version. Stronger contrast colors can be activated under Layout > Settings and help to better differentiate between actual values and plan values. This option is browser-specific and therefore affects all views 

3. Display and edit your own OBS fields

You can now display and edit your own OBS fields.

Solved Issues
  • The vulnerability that allowed SQL injection has been closed.
  • In some cases, the scroll bar jumped to the left when entering assignments. This has been fixed.
  • In some cases, the expansion of investments did not work as expected. This has been fixed.
  • In some cases, the dialog for collapsing was not closed correctly. This has been fixed.

Important Note: A Pentest revealed the possibility to execute an SQL injection via itd Advanced Resource Planning. We are now preventing this. Although an actual SQL injection required an active Clarity session, we strongly recommend upgrading to itd Advanced Resource Planning 12.0.0. 

Requirements
  • For technical reasons, itd Advanced Resource Planning version 12.0.0 requires Clarity version 16.0.3 or higher.
  • Clarity version 16.1 or newer is required to use the roadmap mode in itd Advanced Resource Planning.
Download Manual

Get Your Upgrade Now!

Do you want to further simplify your resource planning? We would be happy to advise you on the options that the new version of itd Advanced Resource Planning makes available to you and upgrade you to the latest version.

Clarity Vertriebsteam von itdesign
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