Data Management Capabilities > Managing Projects > Projects and Programs > Project Planning Preferences
  
Project Planning Preferences
Preference settings determine some project, program, and plan behavior. For more information, see Preference Management.
The visibility of preferences is determined by how you access the Preference Management utility:
• Some preferences can be set at the user level.
To view and modify your individual user preferences, select Quick Links > My Settings > Preferences. Expand the Project Planning preferences group.
• Some preferences must be set at context, organization, or site level by an administrator.
From the Navigator, select Utilities under a specific context, organization, or site. Click Preference Management under the Business Administration utility category. Expand the Project Planning preferences group.
If a preference is visible but cannot be edited, then this preference has been locked at a higher level.
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In the tables below, “Visibility” indicates the lowest level at which the preference can be set. For example, “Site” means that only site administrators can view or set the preference. “User” means that an individual user, context administrator, organization administrator, and site administrator can view or set the preference. However, your local administrators might change the default preference visibility.
To change a preference, select Set Preference from the right-click actions menu of the preference you want to change. For more information, see Setting a Preference.
Preference Management > Display
Automatically Start Project and Program Check Box
Default
Yes
Visibility
Organization
Description
When you create a new project or program, you have the option to automatically start the project or program and immediately send invitations to team members. This behavior is controlled by the Start project and send invitations to team checkbox. If you do not select this option, then the context owner can manually start the project at a later date.
This preference determines whether the Start project and send invitations to team checkbox is selected by default.
For more information, see Create a Project.
Hide Program
Default
Yes
Visibility
Site
Description
This preference determines whether programs are hidden in the Navigator:
• To hide programs, select Yes.
• To show programs, select No.
Project Utilities Page
Default
No
Visibility
Organization
Description
When set to No, only site and organization administrators can access the Utilities page under a project or program.
When set to Yes, all project managers can access the Utilities page.
Validate Project/Program Name
Default
Yes
Visibility
Site
Description
Determines if the project or program name is to be validated for the following special characters: / \ : * ? < > | " ,
When set to Yes, special characters are not allowed.
To allow special characters, set this preference to No.
Preference Management > Project Planning
Currency Decimal Digits
Default
0
Visibility
Site
Description
This preference determines the default number of decimal digits that are displayed for planning costs. Project managers can later customize this value by editing the plan. Possible values are 0, 1, or 2. For example, if the cost is twenty-five dollars:
• 0 = 25
• 1 = 25.0
• 2 = 25.00
The default value is 0.
Currency Placement
Default
Before
Visibility
Site
Description
This preference determines the default placement of the currency symbol in relation to the cost amount. Project managers can later customize this value by editing the plan.
Currency Symbol
Default
$
Visibility
Site
Description
This preference sets the currency symbol that is used by default on project planning pages. Project managers can later customize this value by editing the plan.
Default Activity Constraint Type
Default
As soon as possible
Visibility
Project, Program
Description
The constraint type that is selected by default when creating a new activity.
For more information, see Activity Date Constraints.
Default Resource Assignments
Default
No
Visibility
Project, Program
Description
When set to Yes, a default resource assignment is added when you create an activity that does not have an explicitly assigned resource. If the activity has an assigned owner, then that user is assigned as the default resource. If there is no activity owner, then the user who creates the activity is assigned as the default resource.
When set to No, then no default resource assignments are created.
For more information, see Resource Assignments.
Date Display Format
Visibility
User Only
Description
Specify the format for displaying dates in project plans.
Delete Linked Deliverable or Activity
Default
No
Visibility
Project, Program, Product
Description
When set to Yes, when you delete an activity with a linked deliverable, you are given the option to automatically delete the linked deliverable as well. Similarly, if you delete a deliverable that has a linked activity, then you have the option to automatically delete the linked activity.
Duration Change for Fixed Duration Task Type
Default
Update work
Visibility
Project, Program
Description
Controls whether work or resource units are updated when the duration of a Fixed Duration assignment or activity is modified.
For more information, see Task Types and Effort Driven.
Enable Create Plan for Product
Default
Yes
Visibility
Product
Description
When set to Yes, the Create Plan action is enabled for products.
For more information, see Create a Product Plan.
Keep Actual Work
Default
No
Visibility
Project, Program
Description
Controls whether the Actual Work value is preserved when an assignment or activity is completed:
• No—The Actual Work value is updated to match the Work value.
• Yes—The Estimated Work value is updated to match the Work value.
For more information, see Complete Activities.
Program Completion and Health Status
Default
Yes
Visibility
Site
Description
Controls how the health status of a program is calculated:
• Yes—Program completion and health status is calculated from its plan status.
• No—Program completion and health status is calculated based on the status of projects within the program network.
For more information, see Project Status.
State Change Notifications
Default
Yes
Visibility
Project, Program
Description
Controls whether a notification is sent to the activity owner when the execution state of that activity changes. This preference only applies to project plans that are automatically executed.
For more information, see Automatic Execution.