Cost Plans not being copied error for some ideas

Products

• Clarity PPM SaaS
• Clarity PPM On Premise

Issue/Introduction

This happens even though Fiscal periods are set up correctly. When converting an idea to a project using the Project Template option, sometimes receive the below error and the cost plan is not copied:

ALERT:Cost plans not copied because active fiscal periods could not be found for one or more start periods or end periods

This error occurs even though fiscal periods are set up correctly and active.

Environment

Release :  All Supported Releases

Component : Clarity SAAS FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

Cause

This issue can happen if the cost plan target finish date in the project being created is outside the active fiscal time periods. During idea conversion, the application looks at the difference between the idea start date and idea cost plan start date along with the project start date to determine the cost plan start/finish dates. The algorithm for determining the cost plan start date for the project is based on the difference between the idea start date and idea cost plan start date

Formula: Idea start date (A) - the idea cost plan start date (B) = Project start date (Y) - Project cost plan start date (X)

A-B = Y-X where X is determined based on the other 3 values set

Example:

1. Idea cost plan Start date is 1/1/2020
2. Idea cost plan Finish date is 12/31/2024 (5 year annual cost plan)
3. Idea start date is 3/19/2018

In this case, there is a gap of about 1 year and 9 1/2 months between the idea start date and idea cost plan start date for the idea. So when converting, if your project start date is 2/28/2020, the cost plan FY is going to start in the year that is 1 year and 9 1/2 months after the project start date which is the end of the 2021 year. The cost plan duration is retained, so when the cost plans are copied and have later start dates because of this algorithm, the finish date of the cost plan gets pushed out.

Resolution

Option 1: Add additional active fiscal year(s)

Add additional active fiscal year(s) based on how far the cost plan finish dates for the project may get pushed out to based on the above formula

In this scenario, the cost plan data is pushed out based on the cost plan start date in the project versus the idea

Option 2: Temporarily change the Idea Start/Finish Dates to match the project that is being created

Use this option if you want cost plan start/finish dates to match for the Idea and project

1. Make a note of the Idea start and finish dates
2. Change Idea start date to match project start date (Example Today's date)
3. Update Idea Finish date to be out past updated start date
4. Convert idea to project using option of new from template (with project start date of today)
5. Observe that the Cost Plan start date matches that of the cost plan in the idea, so planned cost is listed in correct years as well
6. Change idea start/finish dates back to what was listed in step 1

One idea to help with the manual steps needed in Option 2 would be a custom process that when you click convert, start / finish dates are updated based on today's date. Then once the conversion completes, the start and finish dates revert back to the dates prior to conversion.