Migrate from Z-Stream to Microsoft Project

Z-Stream Projects map directly to Microsoft Project project files (.mpp), Project Online projects, or Project for the Web projects depending on the destination tier selected during scoping. We preserve project name, description, start date, finish date, and project-level custom fields. If the destination is Project Online PWA, we provision the project via the PWA REST API and set the project-level Enterprise Custom Fields from the Z-Stream export. If the destination is Project Desktop Plan 3/5, we generate an .mpp-compatible file structure. Projects are the first object imported to satisfy task and resource lookup dependencies.

Z-Stream Tasks map to Microsoft Project tasks with Name, Start, Finish, Duration, and assigned Resources. Z-Stream priority values map to Microsoft Project Priority field (integer 0-1000). Description migrates as task Notes. If Z-Stream Tasks have estimated hours, we set Duration as a fixed-duration work entry or as time-phased hours in PWA. Task-level custom fields from Z-Stream map to Enterprise Custom Fields on the Task entity in PWA, or to custom columns in Project Desktop. Summary tasks in Microsoft Project represent Z-Stream Tasks that have child Subtasks; we convert the hierarchy by indenting the child Subtask rows under the parent Task row.

Z-Stream Subtasks attach to a parent Task and carry the same field set (title, description, assignee, due date, priority, status). Microsoft Project has no separate Subtask object; Subtasks are child Tasks indented under their parent Task in the outline structure. We preserve the parent-child relationship by setting the Outline Level and Parent Task fields. If the destination is Project Online PWA, we handle outline hierarchy via the TaskHierarchy endpoint. If the destination is Project Desktop, we reconstruct the WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) by setting the WBS code format to match the Z-Stream parent-subtask ID chain.

Z-Stream Milestones are standalone objects tied to Projects with a name, date, and optional description. Microsoft Project represents milestones as tasks with zero duration and the Milestone flag set to Yes. We create a task with the Z-Stream milestone name, set the Finish date to the Z-Stream milestone date, set Duration to 0d, and set the Milestone field to Yes. If the destination is Project for the Web (Planner), which does not have a native milestone object, we represent milestones as Tasks with a custom milestone_flag checkbox custom field set to true and the task marked as a milestone in the Planner timeline.

Z-Stream Users map by email address and display name to Microsoft Project Resources. In Project Online PWA, Resources correspond to Enterprise Resources in the PWA Resource Center; we provision them via the PWA REST API and set the email as the Res.Email value. In Project Desktop Plan, we add them as Resources in the Resource Sheet. Role and permission levels from Z-Stream carry as custom Resource fields (e.g., Resource_Skill or Resource_Department). Archived or inactive Z-Stream Users migrate as inactive Resources to preserve historical assignment data.

Z-Stream Time Entries are tied to Tasks and Users with hours, date, and optional notes. Microsoft Project Desktop and PWA track time differently: in PWA, timesheet entries map to Project Online Timesheets via the PWA REST API; in Project Desktop, time entry data migrates as Assignment Actual Work on the relevant Task-Resource assignment. We map the Z-Stream hours, date, and notes to the corresponding Assignment fields. If the destination is Project for the Web (Planner), which has no native time-tracking object, we carry time entry data as Task Notes or as a custom time_entry JSON property on the task for admin reference.

Z-Stream Attachments are stored as file references with a filename, blob or URL, and parent object association. We download all exported attachment files, rename them using a Z-Stream-project-prefixed convention, and upload them to the destination. In Project Online, attachments attach to tasks via the PWA REST API or are stored in the associated SharePoint document library. In Project for the Web, attachments upload to the underlying Dataverse storage. We reconstruct the Z-Stream folder structure by project as SharePoint folders or Planner buckets and flag any binary files exceeding 50 MB for chunked upload.

Z-Stream supports custom fields on Projects and Tasks. We discover the full custom field schema during scoping and generate a mapping table against the destination custom field definitions. In Project Online PWA, Enterprise Custom Fields are defined in PWA Server Settings (Custom Fields and Lookup Tables) and require provisioning before data import; we do this as a prerequisite step. In Project Desktop, custom columns map directly as text, number, or date columns without schema provisioning. Dropdown (picklist) custom fields in Z-Stream map to Lookup Tables in PWA or drop-down columns in Project Desktop. Multi-select values map to text fields with comma-delimited values unless a multi-value lookup table exists in PWA.

Z-Stream Gantt layout is derived from task start dates, end dates, and Kanban ordering. Microsoft Project requires explicit dependency links (Finish-to-Start by default, or Start-to-Start where the Z-Stream sequence implies a lag). We extract the Z-Stream task sequence order from the Kanban board export or from the Gantt view data, then reconstruct dependencies by linking each task to its predecessor in the sequence with Finish-to-Start links. Any milestone dependencies map as finish-date constraints. We do not import Z-Stream dependency type labels (e.g., Finish-to-Start vs Start-to-Start) because Z-Stream does not expose explicit dependency type in its export; we infer from task ordering and set FS links by default with a 0-day lag unless date overlap implies SS.

Z-Stream Kanban columns correspond to custom status values on Tasks, with column-specific color labels. Microsoft Project Tasks have a Status field (Scheduled, In Progress, Completed, Delayed, Cancelled) and a custom Percent Complete. We map Z-Stream column names and color codes to Microsoft Project Task Custom Fields as a picklist column_custom_status__c. Column order is preserved as the display order value. If the destination is Project Online PWA, we use a Task Custom Field with a lookup table matching the Z-Stream column names and color hex codes stored as the lookup table's description field.

Z-Stream Budget amounts and risk entries are stored as structured fields within Projects or as separate list objects. Microsoft Project does not have a native risk register or budget tracking object; these are represented via custom fields or as separate SharePoint lists linked via the project. We map Z-Stream budget amounts to a custom numeric field (Budget_Cost__c) on the project, and risk entries to a custom task group or a linked SharePoint list. If the customer has a large risk register in Z-Stream, we recommend a parallel SharePoint list with a risk_id cross-reference stored as a custom project field. We do not migrate risk scoring matrices as they cannot be represented in Microsoft Project without a custom Power Apps integration.

Z-Stream Comments attach to Tasks with an author, timestamp, and body. Microsoft Project Tasks have a Notes field (rich text) but no threaded comment object. We import Z-Stream Comments as Task Notes, prepending each comment with the author name and timestamp in a quoted block to preserve attribution and chronology. If multiple comments exist on a single task, we append them in chronological order separated by a horizontal rule. We flag any task with more than 10 comments for manual review post-migration to verify readability in the flattened Notes format.