We can open the template to look at the schedule by clicking on the schedule name, or by clicking on the 'View' button - doing so will display:
- The template name and the schedule type/icon to the top left
- The radio buttons allow you to change the schedule type - if you've subscribed to Advanced or Enterprise scheduling
- The key details display the number of milestones and tasks
- The approximate schedule duration
- The source project - the project this schedule was saved from
- Who the schedule template was created by
- When it was last updated
- Then the buttons to Add a Milestone and upload a CSV template
Then we display the schedule by milestones and tasks.
Edit a Schedule Template
NOTE: You have more schedule editing functionality in the project sub-tab rather than the templates section i.e. access to a Task Gantt view, the ability to link progress payments, and more control with linked tasks if you have 'Advanced' and 'Enterprise' scheduling - but, you can do some editing in the schedule templates section.
To edit the schedule via the templates sub-tab, click on the pencil icon to the right of the template name, this enables you to:
- Change the schedule template name
- If you have access to other schedule modes, you can change the template schedule mode here also
- You can add a milestone via the button to the left
- You also have the ability to upload your own schedule via a CSV schedule template
Within a milestone, you can add, edit/manage, and delete tasks - including the management of Key Tasks.
NOTE: You do not have the ability to link progress payments or manage notifications here - they are editable at the project level. This is because schedule templates are not linked to live projects with an active ‘Progress Payment’ sub-tab or live for the notification switches.
Create a Schedule Template via a CSV Upload
You can upload your own schedule to RAVE, though the data needs to be laid out in a very specific way, and you must use our CSV Schedule Template format/layout i.e. any old schedule exported as an excel file won't upload into RAVE without some massaging first! We made it easy by including a 'Sample CSV File' link for you to use - as you'll discover in the below process.
To upload your schedule to RAVE:
- We first click on the 'Site|Build' button, then the 'Templates' sub-tab
- Click on the ‘New Template’ button - to the top right of the page
- From the new template screen, we click on the 'Upload CSV Template' button
This will launch the ‘Upload CSV Template’ pop-up, detailing what scheduling data is able to be loaded via CSV, with a link to download the 'Sample_CSV_File'- Click on the link to download the 'Sample_CSV_File'
- Then open that file
The 'Sample_CSV_File' schedule template, has a very simple and clear layout - displaying- The Task column - where our milestone names and task descriptions go
- The Start Date column - displays a number of acceptable date formatting options
- The Duration column - also displays a number of valid formatting options
Note: The reference to ‘hours’ is only applicable to those with the advanced scheduling module) - The ‘Assigned To’ column - where we can upload the primary assignee for this task
Note: The person or company needs to be in your RAVE system already - The milestone color in 'HEX' format
RAVE Help TIP: Use the 'Sample_CSV_File' as the template to copy and paste your schedule into, and resave for upload.
- Click on the ‘Upload CSV Template’ pop-up's 'Template CSV' field to find your file and select it for upload
- Then click the 'Submit' button to confirm.
- After a few moments, your schedule will load, and the process will complete
Reasons Why your 'Sample_CSV_File' Upload May Fail
If your schedule 'Sample_CSV_File' upload fails, check out the list of potential causes and solutions below:
- Firstly the file needs to be saved as a CSV (plain text comma delimited) file - an excel file will not work.
- Milestone headers must only have a milestone name (column A) and the optional milestone color field completed (column E) i.e. If you add a start date plus a duration to a milestone line, Rave will treat it as a task.
- All tasks need to be listed under a milestone header and each task must have a valid start date, and duration.
- All task assignees must already be in your system - as a staff member, a site manager, a site staff member, or as a contractor (by name, email or company name) Furthermore, the assignee's name must match the format as it appears in RAVE.
NOTE: If all these conditions are not met, your schedule upload will fail, and your RAVE session might time out.
If you have a problem with a failed upload:
- Go back to your CSV template and check that all the conditions above are met. Once you have corrected any data issues, have another go at uploading your CSV.
- If you have checked for data issues, and are still experiencing problems uploading your CSV schedule file, email us on [email protected] with your CSV file attached for us to check that out for you.