Certinia PSA-Sysadmin Exam Questions

Step-by-Step Comprehensive Detailed Explanation

Understanding the Timecard Approval Process in PSA

By default, the timecard approval process in Certinia PSA (formerly FinancialForce PSA) follows a specific hierarchy.

If the project is a billable project and the Project Manager field is filled, the Project Manager is automatically assigned as the approver for timecards.

If the Project Manager field is blank or the project is non-billable, PSA uses the resource's manager as the approver (based on the Manager field in the Salesforce User record).

How Flows Work in Assigning Approvers

If you have created a Flow to automatically assign the resource's manager as the timecard approver, it means you are trying to override the default approval process.

However, if the Assign Project Manager To Timecard Approver configuration option is enabled, PSA will still prioritize the Project Manager over the resource's manager, regardless of your Flow settings.

This would explain why submitted timecards are still being assigned to the Project Manager instead of the resource's manager.

Why the Other Options Are Incorrect

A . PSA requires that only Project Managers can approve Timecards

This is incorrect because PSA allows timecards to be approved by either the Project Manager or the Resource's Manager, depending on the project settings.

B . The process builder to assign the resource's manager is not active

While this could be a factor, the main reason is the configuration setting that forces the Project Manager to be the default approver.

Even if the Flow was working correctly, the Assign Project Manager To Timecard Approver setting would still take precedence.

How to Fix the Issue

Navigate to PSA Configuration Settings and check the Assign Project Manager To Timecard Approver setting.

If it is set to True, change it to False to allow the Flow to correctly assign the resource's manager as the approver.

Test by submitting a new timecard and verifying the assigned approver.

Reference and Verified Certinia PSA Documentation

PSA System Administration Guide: Timecard Approval Process.

FinancialForce PSA Approval Workflow: Default Approver Rules.

Understanding Utilization Calculation and Holidays

The Utilization Calculation process considers various factors, including work calendars and holidays.

The default behavior is to subtract holidays from the total work hours when computing utilization. This is controlled by the Configuration Option: 'subtract-holidays-from-total-hours = true'.

If the company does not want PSA to subtract holidays automatically, this setting must be changed to false.

How to Change This Setting

Step 1: Open the App Launcher in Salesforce.

Step 2: Navigate to Configuration Groups.

Step 3: Select 'Utilization' from the list of configuration groups.

Step 4: Locate the option 'subtract holidays from total hours'.

Step 5: Set this value to false and save changes.

Why This Works?

By setting 'subtract holidays from total hours' to false, PSA will stop deducting holidays from the available hours in the resource's utilization calculation.

This is useful for companies that manage leave differently, such as through a global PTO project instead of deducting from standard hours.

PSA Sys Admin Essentials Student Guide Fall 20 (2).pdf, Page 117-118.

Understanding Backlog and Utilization Calculation in PSA:

Backlog Calculation: Tracks the remaining work (revenue) on projects. It includes scheduled and unscheduled backlog.

Utilization Calculation: Measures how effectively billable resources are utilized, distinguishing between historical and scheduled utilization.

Options Analysis:

Option A: 'Feature Console' Incorrect. The Feature Console is used to enable/disable PSA features, not schedule backlog/utilization calculations.

Option B: 'PSA Administration' Correct! PSA Administration is used to schedule backlog and utilization calculations.

Option C: 'PSA Admin App' Incorrect. The PSA Admin App provides access to administrative tools but is not used for scheduling calculations.

Steps to Schedule Backlog and Utilization Calculation:

Navigate to PSA Administration Tab.

Locate Schedule Backlog Calculation and Schedule Utilization Calculation.

Configure the scheduling parameters (e.g., frequency, time period).

Save and monitor scheduled jobs in Apex Jobs in Salesforce.

PSA Sys Admin Essentials Student Guide.

To prevent Project Managers from creating Assignments, Resource Requests, or Milestones from the Gantt, the Gantt Global Settings must be configured:

Navigate to Custom Settings Gantt Global Settings.

Modify the settings to remove the ability for Project Managers to create Assignments, Resource Requests, and Milestones from the Gantt.

Save and apply the changes.

Option A (Project Task Gantt Global Settings) is incorrect because it does not control high-level permissions for assignments and requests.

Option C (Project Task Gantt Preferences) is incorrect because it only controls user-specific preferences.

Thus, the correct answer is B.

FF-PSA-v15-Customer-Overview_1.0

If approved timecards are not reflecting in Project Actuals, follow these steps:

Verify Actuals Calculation Mode:

Go to PSA Administration.

Check if the Calculation Mode is set to 'Scheduled'.

Check for Errors in Logs:

Navigate to Error Logs (App Launcher > PSA Administration > Logs).

Look for records where errors may have occurred.

Check the Message field to determine the cause.

Common Errors and Resolutions:

Unprocessed Transaction Delta Records:

If there are unprocessed Transaction Deltas, manually process them.

App Logs Indicating Failures:

If there are App Logs, review them and delete old logs if necessary.

Run Project Actuals Recalc:

If errors persist, run the Project Actuals Recalculation Job.

Use Actuals Verifier for Troubleshooting:

Run the Actuals Verifier tool to identify discrepancies.

Manually recalculate actuals if necessary.

Certinia PSA Project Actuals Guide

PSA System Administration Essentials