Create a new project to form the basis of the project schedule. In the Work Plan, build out the work breakdown structure (WBS) by adding work items such as sub-projects, milestones, tasks, and sub-tasks. As part of this step, you can define the project start and end date, duration, and dependencies.

The project schedule consists of any elements in the WBS that exist below the project level in the hierarchy, such as projects, milestones, and tasks, as well as effort, dates, and durations. The WBS can be displayed as a grid or as an Interactive Gantt view; this view also provides alternative project schedule views in the Gantt settings, such as critical path, baseline, or baseline vs. actuals.

For more information:

• Create a New Project Using a Template
• Work Items Overview
• Use the Relations Panel
• Project Management 101—Part 1: Building Projects and Templates

Determine the dates and durations of work items and establish logical relationships between work items in the project schedule you defined in the previous step, such as establishing a successor or using Shortcuts to add inter-project dependencies to the plan.

As a best practice, update the Work (effort) or Duration column in the Work Plan for each work item, and have the system automatically calculate the work item start and due dates.

For more information:

• Best Practices for Inter-Project Dependencies

Estimate the effort required to deliver the work at the project-level or for individual work items; define resource effort in the Work (effort) column using the Work Plan grid view. Use the Work Plan Resource Planning view to check resource availability and assign resources to projects.

For more information:

• Plan Resources at the Project Level
• Project Management 101—Part 2: Planning, Staffing and Activation

Create a Work Plan baseline to capture a snapshot of the project's schedule as it proceeds into execution.

This schedule baseline provides a record of the planned work tasks, milestones, dates, and durations to be monitored and compared to actual progress.

To view baseline values and variances, add them to Work Plan columns, or search for them in the project Property Card.  Baseline variances can also be viewed on the resource level in the Resource Planning view in the Work Plan.

View resource availability and assign resources to work items using the Work Plan Related Panel, or the Resource Planning View, where project managers can detail out resource assignments by day, week, or month. If multiple resources are assigned to a work item, by default effort is spread equally across the resources, but can be adjusted on an individual basis.

Note: the project work load is automatically assigned to the project manager until it is assigned to a resource.

Risks identify and track things that may happen, including their impact and likelihood, and require a response or mitigation plan to address them.

Create standalone risk case types in the Risks module. Add details to the Risk Properties card to describe and categorize the risks (e.g. risk rating), then associate the risks to one or more work items in the Add Related Panel. 

For more information:

• Project Management 101—Part 4: Basic Case Management
• Case management tutorial

Issues identify and track things that are happening now that require an owner to take action.

In the Issues module, create and record the issues associated with the delivery of the work, including additional details to describe and categorize the issues.

Changes are alterations to a project's scope or expected deliverables. Changes can be the result of addressing a risk or an issue, or the result of changing needs from the customer or management.

In the Requests module, create requests then associate them to the delivery of a work item in the Request Properties card. Include additional details to describe and categorize the request.

Requests that capture changes to project scope, timeline, or budget can be converted into a change request once approved.

Requests that are used as an idea intake can be converted into a project request once approved—however, the most efficient method is to create a new project then mark its state as Requested. Managers can view all projects by type (requested, approved, etc.)

Convert a change, risk, or issue from one case type to another (for example, from a change to a risk) or move a change, risk or issue from one project or work item to another as needed.

Risks, issues, and changes can be associated to projects or work items as well as converted to other case types in the Property card.

Close changes, risks, and issues when appropriate in a timely manner to help maintain a current overview of the factors affecting a project's progress. Establish automatic workflow rules to automate resolving a case once a work item is complete.

Use the following guidelines to close changes, risks, and issues:

• Changes—When all associated actions are finished.
• Risks—When they are no longer determined to be risks and have not been escalated or otherwise changed.
• Issues—When they have been resolved or mitigated.