Migrate from Output Time to Microsoft Project

Output Time Projects map directly to Microsoft Project files or Project Online projects. Project name, description, start date, target end date, and status (active, archived) migrate to the destination Project Summary Task fields. Custom fields on the project level (Client, Department, Priority) map to custom fields on the Project Summary Task or to Project-level custom columns in Project Online. We validate the export against our expected project schema before loading and flag any project missing required summary dates.

Output Time Tasks map to Microsoft Project Task records within the project. Task name, description, start date, finish date, duration, priority, and status transfer directly. We map Output Time task status (not started, in progress, completed) to Microsoft Project PercentComplete or Status fields. Subtask hierarchy from Output Time maps to a WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) hierarchy in Microsoft Project where each level is a subordinate task with proper Summary Task relationships.

Output Time Subtasks maintain their parent-child relationship as Summary Task and subordinate task rows in Microsoft Project. We preserve the hierarchy by setting the Outline Number and WBS fields during import so that the task tree structure matches Output Time. Any subtask with a missing parent task is flagged and inserted as a standalone task under the project root.

Output Time time entries (hours logged per task per user) convert to Microsoft Project resource Assignments. Each time entry becomes an Assignment row for the resource on the task, with the Work field set to the logged hours. The billable flag from Output Time is preserved as a custom Assignment field (Flag1 or a custom number field) because Microsoft Project does not have a native billable/non-billable attribute on assignments. If Output Time logs multiple entries for the same task-user pair, we aggregate them into a single Assignment with summed Work.

Output Time Milestones map to Microsoft Project milestone tasks. A milestone in Microsoft Project is a task with Duration = 0 and Marked as Milestone = Yes. The target date from Output Time becomes the Start and Finish date of the milestone task. Milestone ordering within the project is preserved by inserting them at the correct chronological position in the task list.

Output Time Users map to Microsoft Project Resources. We create Resource records with the user's name and email address. By default, users are created as Material Resources; if the customer provides a cost-rate table during scoping, we configure them as Cost Resources with the applicable hourly or per-use rates. Active and inactive users both migrate so that historical assignments on closed projects remain valid.

Microsoft Project has no native Client or Account object. Client names from Output Time migrate to a custom Text field on the Project Summary Task (e.g., Text1 = ClientName). If the customer also uses a CRM or ERP connected to Project Online via Power Automate, we document the custom field mapping so that the connection can be configured post-migration.

Output Time custom fields are key-value pairs per record. We extract the custom field definitions and values, infer the destination field type (Text, Number, Date, Flag) from the stored values, and create matching custom fields in Microsoft Project. Where type inference fails (e.g., a text value that could be a date), we create a Text custom field and flag the record for the customer's admin to correct post-migration. Custom fields on projects and tasks migrate separately with their respective record associations preserved.

Output Time Tags applied to tasks or projects export as string arrays. Microsoft Project does not have a native tag object. We map tags to a custom Text field (e.g., Text2 = Tags) with semicolon-delimited values, or to a Flag field if the tag represents a binary status (e.g., Billable = Yes). The customer selects the preferred strategy during scoping.

Output Time stores file attachments on tasks and projects in an internal file system with no download API. We inventory all attachments at the start of migration, record their original filenames and the tasks or projects they are attached to, and provide a re-attach instructions document. The customer manually re-uploads attachments to SharePoint or the Project Online document library post-migration. We do not migrate attachments as binary data because there is no API path to extract them.

Output Time invoice records (line items, totals, and status) do not map to Microsoft Project, which has no billing or invoicing module. We extract invoice data as a structured CSV summary (client, project, line items, totals, status) and deliver it alongside the migration. The customer recreates invoices in their accounting tool of record (QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite) using the CSV as a reference. This is outside the scope of a project management migration.