Import data from MS Project to BigGantt

[danielahellman]

I need import data from MS Project to BigGantt, and make any issue in Project Gantt to Jira issues.

Thanks !

[Ericka Samuels]

If you're using SoftwarePlant's tool , BigGantt, then, unless you have some sort of Atlassian plug-in that sucks data out of MS-Project , you'll have to do it step by step.  The point is, BigGantt is for the most part, just another (very nice) front end over JIRA issues, so first you've got to get the data loaded into JIRA.

1. export the MS-Project to an Excel

2. clean up the Excel and add any fields you want to land in JIRA (Epic Link, IssueType, Component, etc.

3. Make sure your 'Work' field from MS Project is included, if you want to use it for Original Estimate on the JIRA issue.  Map the Task field to the Summary field.  

4. Make sure you have the Atlassian user name as the assignee (not the display name)

5. make sure your dates are formatted to match your Atlassian date format.  For me, Date fields must be in format dd/mmm/yy hh:mm AM/PM.  Change the date columns using the format command, custom format, and then enter the  string  dd/mmm/yy hh:mm AM/PM

6. Save the Excel as CSV

7. Use the JIRA importer

8. once the Issues are created, put a filter over them

9. Fire up BigGantt, create a new program, use the new filter as it's scope.

The only way there would be a short cut would be to get a plug in that sucks in MS Project files.  That would let you skip the saving to Excel step.

I know BigGantt can create JIRA Issues from scratch, but I don't think you can go straight from MS-Project to BigGantt.

[Narges Balouchestani Asli]

Thank you everyone for your responses. @Ericka Samuels :I also need to export from MS and import to Jira. I have followed all your steps and here is my questions:

How did you import the parent-child relationship between deliverable and tasks? So basically I do not have to use the terminology of stories-epics and I have deliverable and tasks. In this case how can I show that a set of tasks roll up to a deliverable? 

Thank you for your time. 

[Ericka Samuels]

Every Story in JIRA has an "Epic Link" field that holds the name of their parent Epic.  so if your deliverables are epics and tasks are stories, you can use that field to show children (your tasks/jira's stories) of parents (your deliverables/jira's epics).

If you're using JIRA Tasks (your Tasks) and JIRA Stories (your deliverables) I think there's a field on the sub-task that links it to it's parent Story, I am not sure the name of the field.  There's a Parent ID field, but it's JIRA's internal ID, rather than the public-facing IssueKey of the parent story.

Looks like there's a discussion this topic here:

https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-questions/CSV-Importing-of-sub-tasks-and-linking-to-existing-Story/qaq-p/224226

[somethingblue]

Hi Daniela,

I did some research and found the following resources to import data from MS Project to BigGantt:  Import from MS-Project

In regards to making an issue in Project Gantt to a JIRA Issue, you may have to do this via CSV import if the intent is to move the data from Project Gantt to JIRA.

Cheers,

Branden

[Ericka Samuels]

the only hierarchy you can control in BigGantt is in the Gantt-->Configuration-->Synchronization-->Task Hierarchy,

as long as the tasks and deliverables are included in your scope query, and they're set up in a way that BigGantt can fit them into the Task Hierarchy settings, it should work.

I'd have to play around with it, but if you're using the Epic construct it seems like it should work.

(may need the SoftwarePlant team to answer)

[Narges Balouchestani Asli]

@Ericka SamuelsThank you again. Just one more question for clarification:

Are you using cloud or server?

Thanks

[Narges Balouchestani Asli]

@Ericka Samuels: I followed the path you mentioned but there is no task hierarchy. Should I add this manually? I only have End to start and dependences like this but not task hierarchy, any suggestion?

Many thanks

[Ericka Samuels]

I'm using the cloud version, if the Task Hierarchy settings are not on that same screen then I don't know what to tell you.  maybe open a ticket with Software Plant.  Sorry I can't help more.

[Narges Balouchestani Asli]

@Ericka Samuels: Thank you for your response, I did contacted them and I figured it out. Now I am have 2 level of hierarchies.

But the problem is that the task progress or time tracking fields does not get updated for the parent when I change it for the child. This is not a capability of BigGantt?

So if a deliverable in my case has 2 tasks and these are both 100% complete, it does not show that this deliverable is now complete as all the child tasks are complete. I really appreciate if you have any insights on this issues.

Your time and response is greatly appreciated.

Narges

[Ericka Samuels]

that capability has nothing to do with BigGantt, it's a JIRA thing.  I don't know how it works, ask in the JIRA forums, I'm sure someone will know.....

[Narges Balouchestani Asli]

@Ericka Samuelsthank you Ericka. Will do and post the answer here when I have it for everyone's reference.

[Narges Balouchestani Asli]

Thank you @Ericka Samuelsfor you fast and informative reply.

So my tasks are Jira tasks and I created a custom issue type called deliverables and I want the tasks to roll up to deliverables. So if I am to use the Epic Link, how can I set that up in my CSV? Should I add the epic name in the file or have arbitrary issue id? Basically how to identify this epic link in the CSV file when I am importing?

Many thanks.

[Ericka Samuels]

I don't really know how to make sub task under deliverables.  It's probably possible , I just don't know how to do it.  I'm not a JIRA expert.  These questions are now out of the subject of the bigPicture topic.

You should ask over in one of the other Atlassian Community subject areas where they talk about JIRA customization  Search first, it may have already been answered.  I'm sure you'll figure it out! Good luck!

[Narges Balouchestani Asli]

@Ericka Samuels: Thank you. I already have this figured out in Jira. Also there is no sub-task here. There are only tasks and deliverables. My problem is actually very related to Gantt Chart, I want to know how to import hierarchy relationship into Gant Chart View. But thank you for your fast replies. I will try to pose the questions elsewhere. There problem is the hierarchies are really mostly used for Gantt chart views.

Many thanks