PSA-Sysadmin PSA System Administrator 2023 Questions and Answers

To generate a report on a Project's Margin, Revenue, and Costs for a specific period , the best approach is:

Use the "Project Actuals" object , as it contains real-time financial data for projects.

Include the fields: Billings, Margin, and Total Costs.

Group by Project to summarize data per project.

Filter by Time Period to ensure reports show data for a specific timeframe.

Option A (Using the "Project" object) is incorrect because it lacks direct financial calculations.

Option C (Using "Backlog Detail") is incorrect because backlog relates to future revenue rather than actuals.

Thus, the correct answer is B .

References:

PSA Sys Admin Essentials Student Guide Fall 20

To update the Milestones related list on the Project page with the most useful fields:

Go to Setup → Object Manager.

Find and open the "Project" object.

Navigate to Page Layouts and select the active layout.

Scroll to the "Milestones" related list.

Modify the fields displayed (e.g., Target Date, Amount, Status, etc.).

Save the changes and refresh the page.

Option B (Updating the Milestone Page Layout instead of Project Page Layout) is incorrect because the Milestone object does not control related lists on the Project page.

Option C (Updating the Project Field Set on the Milestone object) is incorrect because field sets control default field visibility, not related lists.

Thus, the correct answer is A .

References:

PSA Sys Admin Essentials Student Guide Fall 20

Recommended PSA Admin Best Practices

FinancialForce PSA Community : Provides product updates, discussions, and Q & A .

Trailhead Modules : Helps admins stay certified and learn new skills .

Release Previews & Webinars : Covers upcoming changes, best practices, and new tools .

PSA Documentation : Includes release notes, feature console changes, and support guides .

Why Not Other Options?

Option A (SF User Group Instead of Trailhead) : Trailhead is directly tied to PSA product updates , while SF User Groups focus more on general Salesforce topics .

Option C (FinancialForceX Summit Events) : While valuable, they are not the primary source for ongoing PSA updates.

PSA Sys Admin Essentials Student Guide Fall 20 (2).pdf , Page 134-137​.

References:

If the PSA Workspaces package is not installed , follow these steps:

Verify PSA Workspaces Installation:

Navigate to Setup > Installed Packages .

Search for "PSA Workspaces" to confirm if it is present.

If Missing, Request Installation:

PSA Workspaces cannot be manually downloaded from the FinancialForce (Certinia) Community .

Instead, you must submit a support ticket to Certinia to request installation.

How to Submit a Support Ticket:

Go to Certinia Support Portal .

Submit a request for PSA Workspaces package installation .

Provide details about your PSA version and organization needs .

PSA Sys Admin Essentials Student Guide

References:

Understanding RPGPR (Region, Practices, Groups, Projects, and Resources) Updates:

The Current Time Period in PSA must be updated regularly to ensure accurate reporting and forecasting.

RPGPR entities are used for structuring project and resource hierarchies, making it essential to maintain updated time periods.

Options Analysis:

Option A: "Schedule the RPGPR Maintenance Batch in PSA Administration" ✅ This is the correct answer because the RPGPR Maintenance Batch resets the Current Time Period to the default value (usually "All Time Periods") and ensures all RPGPR records remain synchronized​.

Option B: "Manually update the Time Period on all RPGPR records" ❌ This is inefficient, error-prone, and impractical for large organizations.

Option C: "Enable the RPGPR Time Period auto-update feature in Setup" ❌ No such direct feature exists in PSA to auto-update the RPGPR Time Period.

Steps to Schedule RPGPR Maintenance Batch:

Navigate to PSA Administration .

Locate the RPGPR Maintenance Batch option.

Configure the job to run at a set interval (e.g., daily or weekly).

Monitor the job execution via Apex Jobs in Salesforce.

References:

PSA Sys Admin Essentials Student Guide ​.

Understanding the System Administrator Workspace:

The System Administrator Workspace provides tools for PSA admins to manage system-wide tasks, including user access, permissions, and system maintenance.

Options Analysis:

Option A: "Transaction Reconciliation" ❌ Incorrect. Transaction reconciliation is a finance-related task, not a frequent system administration function.

Option B: "User Management" ✅ Correct! User management, including creating, updating, and deactivating users, is a core task in the System Administrator Workspace​.

Option C: "Manage Accounts" ❌ Incorrect. Managing accounts is typically a function performed in Salesforce CRM , not a frequent task in the System Administrator Workspace.

Steps for User Management in the System Administrator Workspace:

Open System Administrator Workspace .

Use User Management tools to:

Assign permissions.

Activate/deactivate users.

Manage PSA access.

References:

PSA Sys Admin Essentials Student Guide ​.

Understanding PSA Resourcing Component Field Set

The PSA Resourcing Lightning Component displays a list of resources with key attributes such as name, role, availability, and cost rate.

The fields displayed are determined by a Field Set , which is a predefined group of fields configured on the Contact Object .

The "Default Cost Rate" column is controlled within the Field Set configuration .

How to Remove "Default Cost Rate" from the Component

Step 1: Navigate to Setup in Salesforce.

Step 2: Search for Object Manager and open it.

Step 3: Locate and select "Contact" object.

Step 4: Navigate to Field Sets under the Contact Object .

Step 5: Identify the Field Set used for the PSA Resourcing Component .

Step 6: Edit the Field Set and remove the "Default Cost Rate" field.

Step 7: Save changes and refresh the component in the Lightning App Builder.

Why This Works?

The Lightning Component dynamically retrieves its columns from the Field Set .

Removing the "Default Cost Rate" from the Field Set ensures it will no longer be displayed.

This prevents unauthorized users or managers from seeing cost-related data directly within the Resourcing Component.

PSA Sys Admin Essentials Student Guide Fall 20 (2).pdf , Page 85​.

References:

To automatically generate two separate invoices —one for Timecards & Expenses and another for Misc Adjustments , follow these steps:

Navigate to Configuration Groups → Billing.

Locate the setting "separateMiscellaneousAdjustments" .

Set the value to "True" to ensure Misc Adjustments are separated into a different Billing Event.

Save and apply the changes.

Option B (manually selecting checkboxes in each billing cycle) is incorrect because it requires manual intervention and does not automate the process.

Option C (changing the "Include Misc Adjustments" setting in Billing custom settings) is incorrect because this setting does not control the separation of billing events.

Thus, the correct answer is A .

References:

PSA Sys Admin Essentials Student Guide Fall 20

To customize your workspaces in Certinia PSA, you can use the following tools:

Navigation Configuration Builder:

Allows you to configure the workspace navigation and define available links.

Customizes the layout and sections of workspaces.

Lightning App Builder:

Enables customization of Lightning pages , including adding/removing components.

Used to adjust the UI and layout of the workspace.

PSA Administration Tool:

Allows administrators to configure PSA-specific settings.

Used for advanced PSA configurations and settings.

These tools help tailor workspaces to fit business needs by adding relevant data, reports, and quick access links.

PSA Sys Admin Essentials Student Guide

References:

PSA allows for the creation of multiple work calendars to accommodate different regional working hours. The best approach to handle the 35-hour work week for French Resources is:

Create a separate Work Calendar specifically for France with a 35-hour work week .

Define the correct daily working hours (e.g., 7 hours per day for a standard 5-day workweek).

Include French holidays in the work calendar to ensure scheduling accuracy.

Assign the work calendar to all French resources so that utilization calculations and resource assignments reflect the correct working hours.

Option A (PSA only allows one work calendar) is incorrect because PSA supports multiple work calendars.

Option B (using a 40-hour calendar and adjusting utilization calculations manually) is incorrect because it leads to inconsistent resource utilization and planning errors .

Thus, the correct answer is C .

References:

PSA Sys Admin Essentials Student Guide Fall 20

Understanding Expense Editing in PSA:

Once an expense is approved and the "Include in Financials" field is selected, expenses are locked for modification.

However, managers can still edit expenses before a billing event is created with the correct permission control ​.

Options Analysis:

Option A: "Expense Ops Edit" ✅ Correct! Grants edit access to approved expenses before they are included in billing events.

Option B: "Expense Entry" ❌ Incorrect. This allows expense creation, not modification of approved expenses.

Option C: "Expense Edit" ❌ Incorrect. This general permission does not override locked expense records .

Steps to Enable Expense Editing for Managers:

Go to Permission Controls in PSA Administration .

Create a new Permission Control for the manager.

Assign Expense Ops Edit permission.

Save and test the ability to edit approved expenses.

References:

PSA Sys Admin Essentials Student Guide ​.

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​.

References:

To update Resource Roles in PSA , you need to modify the picklists of two objects :

Contact Object – This contains the primary Resource Role field, which determines a resource's default role.

Assignment Object – This ensures that resource role updates apply to assignments where resources are staffed.

Option B (Work Calendars) is incorrect because Work Calendars define availability, not Resource Roles.

Thus, the correct answers are A and C .

References:

PSA Sys Admin Essentials Student Guide Fall 20

If you cannot see the "Navigation Configuration Builder" in the App Launcher , possible reasons include:

Missing Permission Set:

You must have the "FF Configuration Builder" permission set assigned to your user profile.

Without this, the Navigation Configuration Builder will not be accessible.

How to Assign the Permission Set:

Navigate to Setup > Users > Permission Sets .

Locate FF Configuration Builder and assign it to your user profile.

Other Possible Causes:

If permissions are correct but it's still missing, check user roles and profiles to ensure proper access.

Ensure that the Configuration Builder feature is enabled in PSA settings.

PSA Sys Admin Essentials Student Guide

References:

Understanding Missing Timecards Notification in PSA:

PSA tracks missing timecards to ensure compliance with time entry policies.

The system can automatically notify resources who have not submitted their timecards​.

Options Analysis:

Option A: "Use the Missing Timecards Scheduled Job and Email Alert" ✅ Correct! PSA provides a scheduled job to detect missing timecards and send automated email alerts .

Option B: "Use the Time Variance Scheduled Job and Email Alert" ❌ Incorrect! Time Variance is used to compare planned vs actual hours worked.

Option C: "Use a Salesforce Report based on Monthly Estimate vs Actuals Records and subscribe the Resource to receive the report by email" ❌ Possible, but not the best method since it requires manual intervention.

Steps to Schedule Missing Timecards Notification:

Go to PSA Administration Tab .

Find Missing Timecards Scheduled Job .

Configure the job:

Week End Date: Auto-filled.

Include Sublevels: Yes (for hierarchical reporting).

Type: Last Week (ensures past week’s time compliance).

Schedule Frequency: Weekly (e.g., Monday 9 AM).

Set up an email alert template to notify employees.

Monitor missing timecards via reports.

References:

PSA Sys Admin Essentials Student Guide ​.