WebPMIntegrated Management Platform

Project Lab · Online manual v1.0.7

Tool and manual version 1.0.7 · Released 27/10/2026

A practical guide to access, the five work areas, local files and the Project Plan.

If you opened this manual from a project, return to its existing browser tab to continue working.

Getting started

Project Lab takes a project from idea to plan: setup, requirements and WBS, schedule, costs and risks share one project.

  1. Open Project Lab from the WebPM home page or the platform menu.
  2. If prompted, sign in with your verified email and the password you received. For your first access, open the email link and press the confirmation button.
  3. To resume work, use “Open JSON” in the top toolbar. For a new project, start in “Setup and AI”.
  4. Use the five buttons at the top to move between areas. They share the project while you work.
  5. Use “Save master JSON” before closing or refreshing the page.
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Access, password and newsletter

External Project Lab access is separate from WebPM administrator or teacher accounts. Enter your verified address in Email, not the username “admin”.

  1. The confirmation link expires after one hour. A new request may replace the previous one: use the latest email.
  2. “Remember me for 30 days” keeps access on that browser unless you sign out, access is revoked or cookies are cleared.
  3. “Forgot password” sends a new password. It replaces the previous password only after confirmation. Do not share your password.
  4. In “My access”, you can manage the newsletter, request a password and sign out. Newsletter subscription is optional and does not affect use of the tool.
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Language, version and manual

The top bar shows the Project Lab version. This manual matches the tool version published on the site.

  1. Choose Italiano or English on the home and access pages. In the workspace, use the “Lingua / Language” selector.
  2. “Online manual” opens this guide in a new tab. You can change the language here too.
  3. The version is highlighted beside the Project Lab title. Administrators can find opening counts in Project Lab Access: every opening or reload counts; switching areas does not.
  4. To find a word in the manual, use Ctrl+F on Windows or Cmd+F on Mac.
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Saving, opening and keeping your files

Your work stays in browser memory until you save it. Project Lab does not keep a project archive in the WebPM database; signing in does not save your project.

  1. Click “Save master JSON” in the top toolbar to save one file containing all areas. You can also use Ctrl+S or Cmd+S.
  2. If the browser opens a save dialog, choose the folder and filename and confirm. If a normal download starts, check your Downloads folder.
  3. Keep copies with recognizable names, such as Project_2026-10-19.json. Local files are not included in WebPM database backups.
  4. To resume work, click “Open JSON” and select your saved file. Wait for it to load and check the data before continuing.
  5. Save your current project before opening another file, loading an example or creating a new project. Do not edit the JSON structure manually unless you understand the format.
  6. Cancelling a save leaves your work in memory without saving it. Save again before closing.
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1. Setup and AI

This area describes the project and its context. Complete it before developing requirements and the plan.

  1. Enter project identification, classification and rationale.
  2. Define verifiable objectives, initial scope, constraints, assumptions and dependencies.
  3. Complete the economic and schedule profile, governance, stakeholders and relevant notes.
  4. Use completeness indicators and review findings as support: they do not replace the project manager’s assessment.
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2. Requirements and WBS

Organize what the project must deliver and the requirements it must meet. This structure feeds the later planning areas.

  1. In the requirements register, add descriptions, priorities, status and an editable date recorded. Use MoSCoW priority to distinguish essential needs from options.
  2. In Product WBS / PBS, create the main elements and break them down into more detailed elements.
  3. Drag an element onto another’s centre to change its parent; onto its left or right edge to insert before or after. Use empty space to move and order roots. Codes follow the new hierarchy, including descendants: save the master JSON to keep the changes.
  4. Check names, hierarchy and relationships: avoid duplicates and overly generic entries.
  5. Move to Schedule to develop activities from the project elements.
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3. Schedule, CPM and Gantt

Activities and dependencies determine the schedule. The calendar converts durations into working dates.

  1. Check inherited Work Packages and add activities with identifiers, durations and predecessors.
  2. Use unique identifiers. Predecessors must exist and must not create dependency cycles.
  3. Set the start date and working calendar: Monday–Friday is the default; Saturdays and Sundays are skipped automatically. A weekend start moves the first operational day to Monday (or the next working day if a holiday). Existing custom calendars are preserved.
  4. Run “Calculate CPM” or “Recalculate”, then check the critical path, float and Gantt chart.
  5. After changing durations, dependencies or the calendar, recalculate and verify the dates. Activity durations are expressed in working days.
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4. Costs and Earned Schedule

This area compares the baseline, progress and actual costs. It is separate from WebPM course receipt accounting.

  1. Complete activities and the calendar in Schedule first.
  2. Assign budgets to activities and use “Save budgets and update”. Check that required budgets are not missing.
  3. For the reporting date, enter progress percentages and actual costs, then confirm the records.
  4. Read the curves: PV is planned value, EV is the value of completed work, AC is actual cost. Forecasts depend on the input data and baseline.
  5. Review the Work Package summary and check dates, percentages and amounts before interpreting indicators.
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5. Risks and contingency

The risk register helps estimate project effects and compare conditions before and after responses.

  1. Add a risk, enter its date recorded and describe its probability, impact and relationship to activities where relevant.
  2. The WP follows the selected schedule activity. If a saved value differs, check the displayed WP and use Align WP to confirm; opening the area does not overwrite the saved value.
  3. Define the response and residual estimates. Keep units and assumptions consistent with the plan.
  4. Recalculate contingency and review the probability/impact matrix and schedule/cost comparisons.
  5. Distinguish the original baseline from the risk-adjusted plan: results are simulations based on estimates, not guaranteed outcomes.
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Optional AI review

The review helps identify gaps and inconsistencies in the active area. It is not required to edit or save a project.

  1. Open the AI review panel. For online review, enter your Gemini key and choose a model available to your account.
  2. To leave without enabling AI, use “Close AI panel”, the top “Close AI review” button, or Esc while inside the panel. “Cancel request” only stops a request already started and stays disabled when no request is running.
  3. Read and confirm the data-sharing information before starting. Required content is sent from the browser to Google.
  4. The default time limit is 3 minutes, adjustable up to 5. While waiting, you can see elapsed seconds and cancel. A timeout does not automatically retry the request. Model discovery has a separate 60-second limit.
  5. Check the response before using a proposal. Applicable proposals require confirmation; always verify the result.
  6. Availability, quotas and costs depend on your Google account. Do not send confidential or personal data without checking that it is permitted, and do not share your API key.
  7. If a model is unavailable, check its name, API enablement, restrictions and quotas in Google AI Studio. You can continue working without AI.
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Project Plan, printing and PDF

The Project Plan combines completed information into a readable, printable document; fields and sections without data are omitted without deleting anything from the JSON. A PDF is for reading; keep the JSON to continue editing.

  1. Open “Project Plan · Preview and print” and review sections, tables and charts.
  2. Click “Print Project Plan / PDF”. In the browser dialog, choose your printer or “Save as PDF”.
  3. Check the preview, orientation and available browser options before confirming.
  4. Save the master JSON separately: printing or creating a PDF does not save the editable project.
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Troubleshooting

Before refreshing or closing the page, try to save a copy of your current work.

  1. Cannot find the file: check Downloads and folders used in the save dialog. The site cannot recover a file you did not keep.
  2. JSON will not open: check that it is a complete master JSON, not a PDF or HTML file. The import limit is 20 MB.
  3. CPM reports an error: check duplicate identifiers, missing predecessors, invalid durations and activity cycles.
  4. Curves or indicators are missing: check the required activities, calendar, budgets and progress records.
  5. The browser warns before leaving: there are unsaved changes. Return to the project and save. Warnings depend on browser rules and do not replace saving.
  6. A feature does not respond: note the version, area, action and error message. Hide passwords, API keys and confidential data in any screenshots.
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