Create a Calendar Structure

Once you create a new base calendar structure, you can define related reporting calendars and resource calendars. A calendar structure may be unique to a project or you can establish a global calendar with global rate and resource structures projects can share.

  1. Select Project Data > Calendars in the Navigation Menu. The Manage Calendars tab window displays.

  2. Click New in the Ribbon Menu.

    Notice the top tabs within the Manage Calendars tab window as you move through the set up process. Click Next or Back to move forwards or backwards through the set up tabs. You can modify any of your settings before you click Save in the Ribbon Menu.

  3. Name tab. Enter a Name and Description and click Next.

    Tip:

    Never check or uncheck the Global box. This is automatically set when you create the related global rate and resource structures.

  4. Dates tab. Select the Mode from the dropdown. The options are: Dates or Interval.

Tip:

When you define your first calendar period, set it to the end date of the previous month. For example, let's say every accounting month begins on the first day of the month and you would like your calendar to start with January 2019. For the first accounting month, you would set the end date to December 31, 2018. The next accounting month end date is January 31, 2019; this becomes the first full accounting month with calculated productive hours.

Dates. Select this option to set the period end date for each calendar time frame.

  1. Dates tab. Select a period end date in the monthly calendar view and click Add Period.

  2. While you are setting the period end dates, also identify any holidays for the month. Select the applicable date and click Add Holiday. Or, click Import Holidays to select from a list of other calendar structures to import the dates.

    Tip:

    To delete a period end date or holiday, click on the applicable date in the list below the calendar view and click Remove. Each Date includes a Type label of "Period" or "Holiday" for reference.

  3. Click Next when you have completed setting up your calendar end dates and holidays.

Interval. Select this option when there is a pattern to the accounting calendar time frames. For example, a common pattern is 4 weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks for each quarter.

  1. Interval tab. Enter a Frequency number. Using the example of a 4, 4, 5 pattern, enter "4" for the first interval.
  2. Select the Interval from the dropdown. Using the example of a 4, 4, 5 pattern, select Week(s) and click Add. Add two more intervals to the list. The second one is 4 weeks and the third one is 5 weeks. The other interval options are: Day(s), Week(s), Quarter(s), Year(s) or Month End(s). Use the option that works best for you. Notice the up and down arrows. Use these arrows to change the order of the intervals. Or select an interval and click Delete to remove it.
  3. Enter a Repeat Interval number. This determines the End Date for the calendar based on the Start Date and the number of Repeat Intervals. Once you enter a Start Date, you can increase or decrease the number to change the calendar End Date.
  4. Enter a Start Date or click in the cell to use the calendar view and select a date.
  5. Optional. Click on Import Holidays to select from a list of other calendar structures to import the dates.
  6. Click Next.
  1. Hours tab. Set the number of working hours for each day of the week. The default is 8 hours for Monday through Friday. Click Next.

  2. Labels tab. Select the preferred date format you want to use and click Next.

    Tip:

    Select this format with care. Once you save the calendar, you cannot change this date format.

  3. Periods tab. Notice the two tabs within the Periods tab window labeled Hours Sets and the Reporting Sets. Toggling between the two tab windows, the top left pane displays a list of Hours Sets or Reporting Sets, the bottom left pane displays the list of Holidays, and the right pane displays a list of Periods. A new calendar structure includes a default hours set and a basic reporting set.

    1. Hours Sets tab. Select this tab to display the number of productive hours per period in the right pane. Productive hours are determined based on the working hours per week day and identified holidays. Use this tab to Add a Resource Calendar.

      Tip:

      To modify the number of working hours per week day, click Set Hours at the bottom of the right pane. Update the Set Hours in the dialog box and click OK. The number of productive hours per period updates to reflect your changes.

    2. Reporting Sets tab. Select this tab to display the list of the calendar period end dates and date labels in the right pane used for reporting. Modify the period date Labels if desired. All periods are assigned a default "fixed" flag. Use this tab to Add a Reporting Calendar.
    3. You can add holidays for the base calendar in the bottom left Holidays pane in either tab. Select the next empty row and enter the date or click in the cell to use the calendar view to select a date.
  4. Click Save in the Ribbon Menu.
  5. Optional. Close the Manage Calendars tab.