How to Create or Import Activities into Shape

Introduction

This guide explains how to set up Activities in Shape, either by creating them manually or importing them from project scheduling tools like Asta or P6.

What are Activities?

Activities are how work is organised in Shape. Everything you log — progress, issues, diary entries, weekly plans — is tied to an Activity. Keeping your Activities aligned with your programme ensures consistent reporting and lets you export data back to your scheduling tools later. Once set up, Activities can be used across Shift Reports, Issues, Weekly Work Plans and more.

Creating Activities: Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Access the Activities tab
Navigate to the Activities tab located in the left-hand control panel.

Step 2: Create a New Activity
Select + New Activity in the top right corner.
Input activity Name and Task ID.
Select Add Location to link this Activity to a project Location.
Select Add Organisation to assign this Activity to a team within your Organisation.
Assign the Activity a current Status (Not Started/In Progress/Completed) and Mark as Critical if required.
Input Planned/Actual Start/Finish dates and click Create.

Importing Activities: Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Access the Activities Tab
Navigate to the Activities tab located in the left-hand control panel.

Step 2: Download the Activities Import Template
Click the Import button in the top-right corner of the Activities tab.
Select Download XLSX Template to download a pre-formatted Excel file ready to be populated with your activity details.

Step 4: Populate the Excel Template
Open the template and populate it with the necessary activity details:

• Task ID, Name, Status, Organisation, Planned Start, Planned Finish, Expected Finish, Actual Start, Actual Finish, Current Progress, Critical?
  Note: You can easily populate these headings directly using an export from your programming/scheduling software to avoid manually having to populate these fields.

Step 5: Save and Upload the File
Once you have finished populating the XLSX template, save the Excel file.
Return to the Import menu in Shape and select Import from XLSX.
Review the imported activities now integrated into your Shape project, accessible to all relevant modules.

Activities Insights

By clicking on a specific Activity that has been created from the Activities tab in the left-hand control panel you will be taken to the Activities Overview page. This page gives a comprehensive overview of all activity details, including the below:

Activity Details
Review activity details including title, start/end dates, status etc.

Activity Readiness
Manage prerequisites and identify potential project delays.

Gallery
Review any documentation which relates to this Activity.

Weekly Planning
Visualise which Weekly Work Plans this Activity features in.

Daily Progress
Visualise all Shift Reports or Progress Logs recorded for this activity.

Resources Used
Visualise all Resources used in Shift Reports which reference this Activity.

Utilising Imported Activities

Once imported, these activities can significantly enhance project management:

• Weekly Work Planner: Seamlessly integrate activities into weekly scheduling.

• Shift Reports: Enable efficient logging of daily progress and resource utilization.

• Readiness Requirements: Keep activities on track by managing and marking readiness prerequisites.

Exporting Activities

You can export Activities and all associated information within Shape. To do this, refer to the ‘How to Export Activities from Shape’ helpdesk guide.

Summary

This guide empowers users to leverage the full potential of the Activities module in Shape Construction through precise and efficient importing processes. For any additional assistance, please refer to the related sections or for further assistance you can contact the Shape support team at support@shape.construction.