Properties installed with Project Management
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Summary of Properties installed with Project Management
ServiceNow’s Project Management application includes several configurable system properties that control how projects and tasks behave. Access to configure these properties requires theppsadminrole. These properties can be managed underProject Administration > Settings > Preferences - Projectand within the system property table. They help tailor project planning, cost management, scheduling, and reporting to meet your organization’s needs.
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Key Configuration Properties
- Business Rules in Planning Console (com.snc.project.firebrsfromplanningconsole): Enables business rule execution during task inserts or deletes in the planning console. Default is false.
- Move WIP Projects (com.snc.project.moveproject.wip): Allows moving projects in Work In Progress state, moving only open or pending tasks with date rollup. Default is false.
- Return on Investment Calculation (com.snc.project.calculateroi): Automatically computes ROI (%) using net value and estimated cost on projects, available in advanced project view. Default is true.
- Planned Date Adjustment for Manual Projects (com.snc.project.changeplanneddatefromactualformanual): Recalculates planned end date based on actual start and planned duration for manual projects. Default is false.
- Project Cost Rollup (com.snc.project.rollup.cost): Updates parent task costs when child task costs change, enabling accurate cost aggregation. Default is false.
- Rollup Project Start Date (com.snc.project.rollupprojectstartdate): Controls whether project start date is derived from earliest task start date. Default is true.
- Auto-Close Milestones (com.snc.project.autoclosemilestones): Automatically closes milestone tasks when they move to work state, reducing manual effort. Default is false.
- Alter Planned Dates in WIP/Closed Tasks (com.snc.project.enablealterofplanneddates): Permits changing planned start dates for tasks even if they are Work In Progress or closed. Default is false.
- Cascade Date Changes (com.snc.project.datechangecascade): Updates resource, cost, and benefit plan dates when demand or project start dates change, except for benefit plans with 'None' offset. Default is true.
- Retain Resource Plan State on Project Move (com.snc.project.datechangecascadepersistresourceplanstate): Keeps confirmed or allocated resource states and bookings when projects move, ensuring resource plan consistency. Requires date change cascade enabled. Default is true.
- Auto-create Projects from Portfolio Demands (com.snc.project.portfolioworkbench.confirmtocreateproject): Converts selected demands to projects upon confirmation in portfolio workbench. Default is false.
- Additional Attributes Copy (com.snc.project.copy.additionalattributes): Defines extra fields to copy when duplicating project tasks beyond default short description and dates.
- Default Expense Type (snplngattcore.default.expensetype): Sets default expense type to Opex for new projects created in Project Workspace.
System Property Constraints and Controls
- Retain Start-on Constraint on Task Relations (com.snc.project.allowstartonrelations): Maintains a task’s Start on constraint after creating dependencies. Default is true.
- Max Task Duration (com.snc.project.task.maxtaskduration): Limits project/task duration in days (default 2600) to prevent memory issues; includes weekends and holidays for milestones.
- Max Date Span (com.snc.project.task.checkdatespanyears): Restricts how far planned dates can be set into the future or past (default 10 years) to maintain platform performance.
- Sync Planned and Original Dates (com.snc.project.syncoriginaldateswithplanneddates): Keeps planned and original dates in sync when creating or updating projects or tasks. Default is true.
- Status Report Default Template (snpw.projectstatusreportdefaulttemplateId): Specifies the default template used for generating project status reports; customizable by sys ID.
- Read-Only Status Reports (snpw.docstatusreportreadonly): Controls whether project status reports are editable; default setting is read-only (true).
Practical Impact for ServiceNow Customers
By configuring these properties, customers can optimize project workflows, improve data accuracy, automate routine updates, and control project planning constraints. For example, enabling cost rollup streamlines financial tracking, while date cascade properties ensure aligned scheduling across plans. Appropriate configuration helps avoid performance issues and supports consistent reporting. Administrators should carefully test changes—especially those affecting durations and dates—to prevent memory errors and ensure desired behavior.
There are several Project properties that you can configure.
You need the pps_admin role to access the Project properties.
Navigate to to configure the following properties.
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Enable firing of Business Rules on save from Planning Console. This property will be applicable only during insert and delete of tasks and relations. com.snc.project.fire_brs_from_planning_console |
If set to true, the project planning console triggers business rules. Note:
Reload the console if you make changes to this property. Default value: false |
| Enable move project for WIP projects com.snc.project.move_project.wip |
If set to true, this property enables you to move the projects which are in WIP state. Note:
When a project is moved, only tasks in open and pending state are moved and the project takes the rolled up dates from all the project tasks. Default value: false |
| Calculate ROI percentage based on a project's estimated cost and its net value com.snc.project.calculate_roi |
If set to true, this property calculates the return on investment using the (net value/estimated cost) x 100 formula. This field is only available from the Advanced view of the Project form. Default value: true |
| Enable alter of planned date with Actual for Manual Project com.snc.project.change_planned_date_from_actual_for_manual |
If set to true, the property recalculates the planned end date of a manual project from actual start date and planned duration. Default value: false |
| Enable project cost rollup (estimated and actual) – updating the cost of a project task will update the cost of its parent com.snc.project.rollup.cost |
If set to true, this property updates the cost of a parent project task if the cost of the child task is updated. Default value: false |
| Roll up project start date from tasks com.snc.project.rollup_project_start_date |
If set to true, the project planned start date rolls up from the planned start date of the earliest task. Disable this property if you want the project planned start date to remain the same despite the start date
of the earliest task. Default value: true |
| Automatically close project milestone tasks when they change to work state com.snc.project.auto_close_milestones |
If set to true, this property closes milestones automatically so you do not have to close them manually. Default value: false |
| Enable altering of planned date(s) for task in WIP/Closed com.snc.project.enable_alter_of_planned_dates |
When set to true, this property enables you to change the planned start date for tasks in Work in Progress or closed states. Default value: false |
| Change Resource Plan, Cost Plan and Benefit Plan Start Date with Demand or Project Start Date change. Benefit Plan Start Date will change only if the offset type for the plan is not
None com.snc.project.date_change_cascade |
When set to true, this property updates resource, cost, and benefit plan start dates when project or demand start dates change. Note:
The start date of benefit plans with the offset type
None does not change with the project or demand date change. Default value: true |
| Retain users & resource plan state as confirmed / allocated when project moves com.snc.project.date_change_cascade_persist_resource_plan_state |
When set to true, this property retains the confirmed or allocated state, booked resources, and planned daily contour when a resource plan is moved. When you move a project, the resource plan is reallocated or
reconfirmed based on resource availability in the new time period. Note:
This property is enabled only when the Change Resource Plan, Cost Plan and Benefit Plan Start Date with Demand or Project Start Date
Change property has been set to true. Default value: true |
| Create project(s) on confirming demands from portfolio workbench com.snc.project.portfolio_workbench.confirm_to_create_project |
If set to true, this property converts all selected demands in a portfolio to projects. Default value: false |
| List of attributes (comma-separated) that will be copied from the originating project task com.snc.project.copy.additional_attributes |
By default, the Copy Project and Copy partial project options only copy the short description, planned dates, and duration fields from source project to the target
project. If additional columns must be copied, they should be declared in this property. Default value: blank |
| Default the expense type for a new project. sn_plng_att_core.default.expense_type |
When a new project is created in the Project Workspace, expense type of the project is marked as Opex. |
The following project properties are available in system property [sys_properties] table. Only pps_admin can edit these properties.
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Retain start on constraint on tasks after adding relations com.snc.project.allow_start_on_relations |
The property keeps the Start on selection of a task even after you put the task in a relation to another task, for example, FS relation. Default value: true |
| Max duration (in days) allowed for a project/project task com.snc.project.task.max_task_duration |
The property governs the max duration of a project task or the overall project. Note:
If your project includes milestones, the duration is calculated taking holidays and weekends into account. Default value: 2600 Warning: Increasing the value of the property to more than 2600 will have an impact on memory usage of the platform. A very high value causes out of memory error, for example, if you try to create a
project or a project task with 15000 days duration. |
| Max date span into future or past from the current date for the project/project task com.snc.project.task.check_date_span_years |
The property governs the max date in future when entering the planned dates of a project or a project task. Default value: 10 Warning: Increasing the value of the property to more than 10 will have an impact on memory usage of the platform. A very high value causes out of memory error. |
| Synchronize the planned and original dates when creating or updating a project or task com.snc.project.sync_original_dates_with_planned_dates |
If set to true, this property synchronizes the planned and original dates. Default value: true |
| Use a predefined template when generating a status report sn_pw.project_status_report_default_templateId |
This property specifies the default template for generating project status reports. To change the default, update the sys ID in the value field with your preferred template's sys ID. |
| Generate the status report as read-only sn_pw.doc_status_report_read_only |
The property restrict edits in the status report. The property sets the status report to read-only. Default value: true |