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The Newsletter of the Microsoft Project Users Group—National
Volume 3, Issue 2, Spring 1999
The Project NetworkAnnouncing First International Chapter
!!!Welcome Hong Kong !!!
MPUG is pleased to announce the foundation ofits first
international chapter. The Hong Kongcharter was established in
April 1999. Althoughmeetings will be held tri-annually in Hong
Kong, thechapter will encompass new members who wish tojoin from
the regions which use Chinese as the mainlanguage and cultural
background including China,Taiwan and Singapore.
“We believe as the project management conceptbegins to be
accepted in the region that the usage ofMicrosoft Project will
surge. As this tool becomes morecritical in the use of everyday
project operation, itbecomes essential that users benefit from its
advancedfeatures and capabilities through knowledge of thesoftware.
MPUG Hong Kong will encourage andfacilitate the network between
users,” explains ClalaCheng, President of the Hong Kong
Chapter.
The chapter’s mission is to set up a regionalservice center to
provide the installed user base ofMicrosoft Project with a forum to
exchange ideas,support and experience in order to improve
understanding and utilizationof all Microsoft Project related
products. Meanwhile, it will offer adifferentiated approach
according to the user’s needs in this particularregion with its
cultural background. This chapter will actively seek outrelated
organizations and collaborate with them to encourage theappropriate
exchange of information to MPUG membership for all levels
ofMicrosoft Project experience.
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The Hong Kong chapter is planningto launch its Inaugural Meeting
in June1999. Tentative arrangements are beingmade now. The agenda
and location of themeeting will be announced shortly.
Initially, the chapter will focus on threeareas of support for
MS Project users: • Microsoft Project and its use; • How Microsoft
Project can be used to support project management processes; and, •
High-end MS Project usage.
For instance, using Microsoft Projectto develop a schedule is
often less effectivethan it should be in many organizations.This is
because the project managementprocess is not clearly defined
orcommunicated. MPUG Hong Kong willemphasize promoting and
understandingof the project management process as abase to let
members enjoy the benefits ofthis professional tool.
In addition, other topics may include project management
concepts,techniques, how MS Project can help; resource management
using MSP98; how to reduce project management overhead with MS
Project 98; aswell as a MS Project new features demonstration.
We are looking forward to seeing you at our Inaugural meeting.
Pleasefeel free to contact me if you are interested in joining MPUG
Hong Kong, orif you just have questions about the chapter.
Clala Cheng, Hong Kong Chapter President35/7 Central Plaza, 18
Harbour Road
Wanchai, Hong KongTel: (852) 2593 1136 Fax: (852) 2593 1139
Email: [email protected]
In This Issue: 2 From the President. 3 Just for Fun. 4 MPUG
Meetings-Calendar and
Perspectives.
6 MPUG-Miscellaneous.
7 Thoughts from Scotland.
8 Scheduling & Avoiding Constraints.10 Workaround for MSP’s
Timescale Option
“Months from End”.
12 Assigning Baseline Resource Costs and/orWork.
14 Questions & Answers.
16 MPUG Application.
Check the Web at
www.mpug.org
Program PlanningProfessionals, Inc.Co
-Spo
nsor
s
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Page 2 The Project Network
Greetings,I was putting together an outline of
the topics I wanted to cover for this letter,and quickly noticed
a consistent theme –growth. In the past quarter, there hasbeen
growth in the size of the MPUGstaff, in the size of the National
Board, inthe number of Chapters and requests forChapter charter
materials, and in theinternational interest in MPUG. All ofthis
growth has led to one additionalgrowth experience – an increase in
the interest and commitment fromMPUG’s corporate sponsors,
Microsoft and Program PlanningProfessionals (Pcubed), in supporting
the organization’s efforts.
I don’t want to give a mistaken impression. Both of our
corporatesponsors are very generous in providing resources to
promote MPUG’sgrowth. Being realistic about this, though, both
sponsors expect to seeMPUG have an impact in order to justify their
investment. I think theircontinued, and increasing, interest is a
solid endorsement of the impact
that MPUG has had, and is continuing tohave.
MPUG now has three full-time staffmembers in the National
Office. GailStopar continues in her unwaveringefforts as
Communications Director,assuring that the goals of MPUG arebrought
to fruition. Dawn Propp isworking as Membership
Administrator,addressing the day-to-day operations ofMPUG, and
Christine Buonocore hasjoined as National Chapter Relations
Director, focusing on communications between the
Nationalorganization and both existing and new Chapters.
One thing that the National Office could use, though, is
memberexpertise. I know that many of you have joined to gain
moreunderstanding of Project, but I am certain that some of you are
quitecompetent with the software, and could help provide answers to
thequestions that other members have. What the Board would like to
do atthe national level is put together a list of people that could
serve as aninformation resource to help answer the questions that
we receive. Wedon’t have a particular format or model defined yet
for providing thesupport. We would like to get some volunteers
identified, and thendiscuss what type of approach would work best.
If you are interested insupporting this type of effort, please
contact the National Office, and wewill begin discussions with you
to define a format that you can support.
The growth in the size of the National Board has occurred from
twotypes of events. In one case, we have spun off Board positions
that were
Microsoft Project Users Group—From the President
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Pat McMurtryMPUG President
previously consolidated under one person to increase the number
ofBoard members. In the other case, we have filled positions that
werevacant. In the former case, we have Dawn and Christine,
mentionedabove, that are now Board members. In the latter case, we
now havesomeone in the office of Vice-President. Jeanne Dorle, the
former BoardSecretary, was ‘promoted’ to Vice-President, and
Kimberly Kasanic hastaken over the Secretarial duties. We hope that
the increase in thenumber of Board members will help the Board
implement moremember-focused features more quickly.
Regarding Chapter and international growth, the Board
recentlyreceived requests for Chapter Charter material from members
inAustralia and Hong Kong. We are hopeful that both requests will
result inactive chapters that will increase the impact and
influence of MPUG.
I will close this message with a notice to keep your eyes open
for anew set of Constitution and By-Law review and approval
material. TheBoard is reviewing practices from other, similar
organizations to try tocorrect what we might have done in a less
than effective manner the firsttime, in hopes of putting another
aspect of our formative stage behindus. Success with that effort
will free up the Board’s attention to focus onmore productive
matters.
Please keep the channels of communication to the Board open.
Weimprove our service to you by understanding your needs.
Warmest regards,
Pat McMurtryMPUG President
Christine BuonocoreMPUG Chapter Relations Director
Letters, Case Studies, or Wish List items intendedfor
publication in future issues of The ProjectNetwork should be
addessed to:Readers Insight, The Project Network3923 Ranchero
Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Letters may also be faxed to: 734-741-1343or E-mailed to:
[email protected] ...........
Please limit letters to one page and include a name, address,
anddaytime telephone number. Case Studies, of any length, are
alwayswelcome, and Wish List memos will be incorporated into
amembers’ list and discussed on the Web before publication. Entries
maybe edited for clarity and length. Due to the volume of letters
we mayreceive, we cannot guarantee a response.
The MPUG Newsletter is a quarterly publication dedicated
toinform, serve and entertain its membership. The
informationpublished herein is believed to be reliable; however,
the editor and otherindividuals associated with this periodical
assume noresponsibility for inaccuracies or omissions. Publication
ofadvertisements in this newsletter do not necessarily constitute
anendorsement. Signed columns are the opinion of its writer(s), and
notnecessarily the opinion of the publishers.
-
Volume 3, Issue 2, Spring 1999 Page 3
Feature Article—Just for Fun!
Be sure to check your answer againstthose on the MPUG Website
under“Check It Out” (www.mpug.org) From the Editors
In this puzzle you have to unscramble 46 words, all of which
relate to Microsoft Project in some way. 1. First, unscramble each
of the 36 words listed below and write them in the adjacent rows of
boxes. 2. Next, unscramble each of the 9 four-letter words which
appear vertically in the numbered columns, and write them in the
appropriate
columns (refer to the numbers). 3. Finally (if you haven’t given
up yet), unscramble the nine-letter word which appears horizontally
and write it in the answer space. 4. Be sure to check our Website
(www.mpug.org) for the correct answer! Look under “Check It
Out.”
ANSWER:
Project Word Scramble
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1
DILATE
TRIFLE
BLEAT
RUMYAMS
2
TEDBUG
PORTER
ZEOGRAIN
LEANCARD
3
DARKWOOL
PLIST
RAINCAVE
CLUESHED
4
SHAPE
OILTUNE
RECOURSE
LYCEC
5
CLASK
EVENGILL
LATECOLA
HISFIN
6
VENET
DUOTRAIN
RATCH
SINGAS
8
PHARG
ALLPEARL
TANGT
LEEPOP
7
RITEMOVE
SMORF
DOWNIW
ELKYEW
SNAILBEE
CICILRAT
ELADY
NAGTRICK
NOTE:All words need unscrambling, even if theyappear valid.
Submitted by David Stopar
9
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Page 4 The Project Network
MPUG Meetings—Calendar
Mark your 1999 Calendars!!!Refer to the MPUG Website for
directions and chapter meeting details. Be sure to contact the MPUG
office at (734) 741-0841 for your
reservation, as these meetings are sure to fill! If you don’t
have access to the Website, please feel free to call for more
details.
Rocky Mountain Chapter UpdateThe first Rocky Mountain region
MPUG meeting took place on
February 9 at the Microsoft office in Denver. We had a great
turn out withthirty-five people in attendance.
There were two guest speakers:Selena Wilson, Lead Product
Planner for
Microsoft Project at Microsoft, spoke about the
projectmanagement process used in the development effortsfor MS
Project and plans for the future of MS Project.
Roy Coleman from Capstone Planning andControl presented a case
study demonstrating howMS Project was used to bring in an IT
project early
and $20 million under budget. The effort included scheduling
down to theminute with resource loading in an integrated
multi-project environment.
The next meeting of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of MPUG has
beenscheduled for June 8, from 6-9 p.m., at the Microsoft
DistrictHeadquarters in Denver. Please see www.mpug.org for
detailsand directions.
Meetings for the other states in the region – Arizona, Utah, and
NewMexico, are also being planned and will be announced soon.
Anyoneinterested in participating can contact Norman Jennett.
The June meetingfocus is on helping peopleuse MS Project.
Speakerswill address specific userconcerns. During ourinaugural
meeting we decided that meeting topics should concentrate onhow to
use Microsoft Project, or Microsoft Project “Tips and
Tricks”,specifically addressing problems the users in the group are
encountering.We have identified several resources who are experts
in the use of Projectand are eager to speak on this topic. However,
we need your input toidentify specific topics for the experts to
address. Please send topics youwould like to have addressed, as
well as questions or comments about theRocky Mountain Chapter to
Norman Jennett.
The first topic we have scheduled for this meeting is
AdvancedFeatures of Project 98. What other topics would you like to
hear about? It’swide open, but we need your input so that we can
identify your areas ofconcern and address them in the meeting.
Some topics might be resource scheduling, risk analysis,
webpublishing, reporting, add-ons, graphics, database
interfacing,multi-project integration, and other topics.
Rocky MountainChapter Meeting6-9 p.m.
Texas (Houston)Chapter Meeting6-9 p.m.
SouthwestChapter Meeting6-9 p.m.
Texas (Austin)Chapter Meeting 6-9 p.m.
Hong Kong ChapterMeeting 2-6 p.m. (Tentative)
“Enterprise Meeting System:Using MS Project 98 to Manage
Meeting Madness”
Great Lakes ChapterMeeting 6-9 p.m.
Geri Hughes, Business Engine Software
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Selena WilsonMicrosoft
Norman Jennett, Rocky Mountain Chapter
President([email protected] 303-448-8859)
“Using MS Project 98Uncustomized with MultipleProjects-Team
Presenters”
Mid-Atlantic ChapterMeeting 5:30-9 p.m.
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Volume 3, Issue 2, Spring 1999 Page 5
Great Lakes Chapter ActivityYour reporter wouldn’t have believed
it possible, but these regional
MPUG gatherings keep getting better and better. And I’m not
justtalking about the refreshments. There can be one of two reasons
there wasso much to take home from this quarter’s Great Lakes
ChapterMeeting: either I’m getting a lot smarter and understanding
more, or thereis more information to be presented and the
presenters are really top-notch.
As always, we’ll start by noticing the nourishment options,
which thistime were truly outstanding. Great big veggie tray,
chocolate chip cookies,Pepsi and Slice (sorry, Coke-lovers), and
some kind oftortilla-wrapped things with a choice of meat or
vegetable filling that wereabsolutely scrumptious (I love that
word).
MPUG’s fearless leader Gail Stopar informed all that MS Project
has anew “home” at www.officeupdate.microsoft.com. She also
unveiled the newand improved MPUG logo: Bold letters riding a wave
of chains,“Linking Users Together”. Then attendees received a one
page,laminated MSP “Getting Started Guide” that has everything
you’d wantto know about putting together a project plan in 30
seconds or less.
Now, on to the presentations.Geri Hughes and Doug Stower from
Business Engine Software
(BE-formerly MicroFrame) showed how BE turns MS Project from
adesktop planning software product into a powerful
enterprise-wideintegration tool (no caffeine needed tonight,
folks). The system iscurrently being used by the likes of Lockheed
Martin, Boeing, Honeywell,NASA, The Hartford Insurance, EDS, Levi
Strauss, and Columbia HealthCare, to name a few.
Doug reviewed a recent teleweb conference (sponsored jointly by
BEand Microsoft) which highlighted Blue Cross/Blue Shield of
Florida’ssuccessful implementation of a BE/MS Project solution.
Audio tapes ofthe conference are available from Doug or Geri.
The actual demonstration of BE was masterfully handled by
Geri,who ran us through a huge laundry list of features that can
providetremendous value-add to companies, including:• Earned value•
“Resource Control Center,” central repository for project related
data• Resource Management, Resource Forecasting, Project Status,
Strategic Initiative• Integration with both Project 4.0/4.1 and 98,
central database, time-keeping capability, access to all plans’
status• Manage portfolio of projects & resources; integrate
project planning and CP processes; collect time & expense by
project• Auto sweep of MSP data, organizes other data into a single
repository, balances supply and demand of resources & projects,
“Skills Yellow Pages”…and more.
Geri also showed us practical applications of BE
templates,security features, database migration, resource
management…and more.I could go on and on, but that would bore those
who were actually there(and no doubt others). It would not punish
those who didn’t make itenough. Suffice it to say that if I had any
influence over this area in mycompany (remember, I said “if”),
orders would be in already for this stuff.
MPUG Meetings—Perspectives
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MPUG’s own Doug “The Wizard” Thiele addressed the topic
“MSProject and the Internet”. This guru of all things Microsoft,
showed howeasy and simple it can be to use the internet to work
with MS Projectinformation on the web. There are several ways,
apparently, to displayand manipulate it, and there are pros and
cons to using each.Depending on what you want and how you want it,
someone likeme can publish to the internet, or you may need to get
your ownwizard to perform the magic. Doug used a lot of words like
ActiveServer Pages, embedded server scripting, ActiveX Controls,
and other stuffI didn’t understand-but you might. There was quite a
lively Q&A sessionafterward.
Scores for this MPUG meeting:
Food & Drink…………………….:
Business Engine…......:
MSP & The Internet…….:
Overall ...........:Dave Schultz, our Great Lakes Critic
Mid-Atlantic ActivityThe Mid–Atlantic chapter dedicates
its sessions to providing qualitypresentations on topics voted
to beinteresting to the members andattendees. Responses to our
surveyafter the first meeting indicated that“Macros for
Organizational Use” was ahot topic, so we identified one of the
experts in the field, Brian Kennemer(Brian K to those of you who
frequent the MS Project Newsgroup). Brianworks for Pacific Edge, a
solution provider for Project, and he put a lot ofeffort into
producing a super show. The Power Point presentation, as wellas
sample macros, are available in MPUG’s Members Only section
underthe “File Library” selection, and will definitely add value to
yourunderstanding. Check them out.
We are in the process of identifying a presenter for our
upcomingsession, to be held on May 26 from 5:30 - 9:00. The topics
thatgenerated the most interest are “Microsoft Project 98 and the
Internet”and “Working with Multiple Projects”.
There was unanimous agreement that 30 minutes of the
meetingshould be devoted to an “open session” of questions and
answers to helpfolks with their immediate needs in working with
Project. We’ll have aformat developed and report on that after our
next meeting.
See you in May!
Brian KennemerPacific Edge
Ted Marcus, Co-founder of Mid-Atlantic Chapter
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Page 6 The Project Network
MPUG—Miscellaneous
The Project Network Newsletter, Spring 1999Editor in Chief Gail
StoparTechnical Coordinator Doug ThieleCopy Editors Dawn Propp
& David Stopar
Microsoft Project Users Group (MPUG) Board MembersPresident
Patrick McMurtryVice-President Jeanne DorleSecretary Kimberly
KasanicCommunications Director Gail StoparSales & Marketing
Director Jerry CusterWish List Administrator Doug ThieleTreasurer
Dawn ProppChapter Relations Director Christine Buonocore
Microsoft Project Users Group OfficeTelephone:
734-741-0841Facsimile: 734-741-1343
Correction noticeIn the Winter ‘99 issue of The Project Network,
we inadvertentlymade an error. In Gary Stoughton’s article, “MSP
4.0 Unique IDProblems,” all references to a “magic number” should
have beenthe number 9999. In one instance, the number 999 was
incorrectlylisted. We regret any confusion this may have
caused.
TO A MAN WITH A HAMMER,
EVERYTHING LOOKS LIKE A NAIL.
One size fits all may work for chewinggum, but its a recipe for
disaster when itcomes to managing the one thing that reallymatters:
your project.
As one of the worlds fastest growingproject managment services
firms, we canhelp you realize your dreams, whether youreworking on
a major automotive or aerospaceprogram or a smaller-scale IT new
productintroduction.
Our approach is as simple as it is effective.First, plan the
work. Then, work the plan.
We work with you to set concrete objectivesup front, and then
supply the resources youneed for success -- from arms
lengthmentoring to software development andtraining, to operating a
dedicated projectmanagement office or managing the totalproject, if
you prefer.
And because were a firm with a globalpresence, were able to
provide our uniquecombination of expertise and leadershipwherever
you need it.
DONT YOU DESERVE A CUSTOM
SOLUTION, INSTEAD?
3 Program Planning Professionals3923 Ranchero Dr., Ann Arbor,
MI
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The Program Management Technical Services SchedulingGroup is
employed by Harris Electronic Systems Sector located inMelbourne,
Florida. Harris is a Fortune 500 Corporation with $3.9billion in
annual sales. Harris Corporation is a globalcommunications company
employing 28,500 worldwide andprovides products and services to
more than 150 countries.
We are a team of schedule analysts who work through thedirection
of the Sector Program Management Executive Council.With over 25
years of combined experience in schedulingtechniques and
methodology, the team supports the needs of theSector by meeting
their scheduling requirements from proposalsubmittal and contract
award to job closeout. Schedulingconcepts and methodology workshops
are offered to program teams.The group also develops custom
solutions to handle any specialscheduling requirements.
We have been members of the MPUG since May 1997 and lookforward
to taking a more active role within the group. We joinedMPUG not
only to expand our scheduling knowledge but also toshare our
scheduling expertise with others in the MS Projectcommunity. The
MPUG has been a very beneficial organization forus and we are proud
to be members.
Left to Right: Cathy Russo, Midori Wiles, Lee Baker,
GingerPuterbaugh, Kay McNulty, Barbara Sella, Betsy Martin, and
SandraSchensky.
The “Real” Role of a Manager“Someone once defined the manager,
only half in jest, as that person
who sees the vistors so that everyone else can get the work
done.”—H. Mintzberg
Member of...
-
Volume 3, Issue 2, Spring 1999 Page 7
Thoughts From Scotland
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To Keep ya going...1. I noted in MSP 4.1 that if you are
editinga cell, but fail to complete the action whenthe screen saver
comes on, Project ‘undoes’ thechange leaving you back where
youstarted. Has any one else noticed this?
2. In large projects while one person may bethe owner of a task
and responsible for it,others wish to be aware of its
progress.Flagging both people as owner or responsibleparty doesn’t
seem right. By the use ofsuitable filters I produced 2 reports:
first oneshowing task ownership, second showingtasks of interest.
The first report is statusedand discussed in depth, the second
merelyreviewed to note changes that may havean impact.
3. An interesting feature occurred in a largeproject in 4.1
which contained a number of lags.At one state a previous Project
analyst hadchanged the days to minutes in asuccessful bid to reduce
the overall projectduration. This was fine until I selected the
date
view which showed Hours and Minutes duringan explanation. The
project theninsisted on calculating the minute durationlags,
resulting correctly in a duration of, forexample 63.88 days. This
was irrespective ofthe date/time format selected. The onlysolution
to this was to change the lags back todays and/or removing them
altogether.
4. Font Sizes. In the rush to present aquick overview of the
project on a large wallchart, the summary tasks were displayed
andtheir font size doubled from 8 to 16 in Ganttview. For whatever
reason it becameimpossible to change the fonts back globally,but
they could initially be changed in smallgroups. This eventually
became impossible,leaving a poor display. The solution I foundwas
to delete the Gantt view in the Organizerfrom the project, close
the project saving thechanges, then reopening and copying theGantt
from the Global.MPT file.
Best to ya... Philip Hartley
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Seeking AssistanceDo you have a technical talent you would
be willing to share? Would you like to help yourfellow members?
We are trying to put togethera list of “specialties” of our
members.
For instance, if we get a request from oneof our members for
assistance in automotiveproject management, we would like to
knowwho could help them.
If you are interested and have expertise ina particular area,
(i.e., Word, Excel, etc.) pleasecontact the MPUG office.
We hope to have a list together forinclusion in the next
publication ofThe Project Network.
[email protected]
WWWWWe’ve Moved!e’ve Moved!e’ve Moved!e’ve Moved!e’ve
Moved!Please update your records to show
our new address:3923 Ranchero Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Ph 734.741.0841 Fx 734.741.1343
-
Page 8 The Project Network
Feature Article—Scheduling & Avoiding Constraints Using the
YJ-TJ Process
In last quarter’s newsletter, I wrote about the importance of
using“Constraints” wisely. I demonstrated how easy it is to place a
Start NoEarlier Than (SNET) constraint on a task by typing in
Microsoft Project98’s “Start” and “Finish” fields. As a reminder,
constraints should be usedonly when necessary, not haphazardly.
In this quarter’s newsletter, I will lead you through a process
ofcreating resource assignments without adding unnecessary
constraints,and will accomplish this using what I have coined as
the “YJ-TJ” (YourJob-Tools Job) process. Let’s begin by making use
of a predefined viewfor the YJ-TJ process.
The Best View
The view of choice for the YJ-TJ process is the “Task Entry”
view, acombination view which places the Gantt Chart view in the
top pane andthe Task Form in the bottom pane. The Task Entry view
is ideal forentering all important resource information while
avoiding the need totype in the Start or Finish fields.
Let’s use the following steps to locate the Task Entry view:1.
Click on View…More Views2. In the More Views dialog, scroll to and
select Task Entry, then click Apply: see Figures A & B.
Now that the TaskEntry view is in place,let’s take amoment to
view somei m p o r t a n taspects of the TaskForm in the bottom
pane. In Figure B, the Resources and Predecessors details are
applied to theTask Form. It is important that one of the following
details are applied to theTask Form for the YJ-TJ process:
• Resources and Predecessors• Resources and Successors• Resource
Work
The reason one of the above details must be applied is to be
able to accessthe “Units and Work” fields for the YJ-TJ process. To
change details applied tothe Task Form, either right-click the
bottom pane or choose “Format” fromthe menu when the bottom pane is
activated to view the Details menu: seeFigure C.
Now that Task Entry view is in place, and the Resources
andPredecessors details are applied to the Task Form, we are ready
to
assign a resource toa task withoutadding the SNET(Start No
EarlierThan) constraint.
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Continued onpage 9
By Daniel T. Renier of Project AssistantsScheduling &
Avoiding Constraints Using the YJ-TJ Process!
Figure A: The “Task Entry”
view selected from the “More
Views” dialog.
Figure B: The “Task Entry” view includes the “Gantt Chart” view
in the top pane and the “Task Form” view in the bottom pane.
Figure C: Applying the
Resources & Predecessors
details by right-clicking the
bottom pane, or selecting
Format…Details from the
menu when the bottom
pane is activated.
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-
Volume 3, Issue 2, Spring 1999 Page 9
Feature Article—Scheduling & Avoiding Constraints Using the
YJ-TJ Process, Continued
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Continued from page 8
The YJ-TJ (Your Job-Tools Job) Process
In Microsoft Project 98, it is extremely important to
distinguish thedifference between “Your Job” and the “Tools Job”
when scheduling.Although at times it is necessary to cross the
boundaries, this simpleprocess will help you become a better
scheduler.
So what is “Your Job”?The following list describes your
responsibilities:• Determine which resource is best suited to work
on the tasks.• Determine what percentage of availability the
resource has to work on the tasks.• Determine the amount of work
(effort) needed to complete the task.
And what is the “Tools Job”? The following list describes the
toolsresponsibilities:
• Calculate “Duration” for the task.• Calculate “Finish” for the
task.
The YJ-TJ Process in ActionLet’s use the following steps to see
how well the YJ-TJ process works
from the Task Form:1. Determine which resource is best suited to
work on the task.2. Click in the Resource Name field and enter the
resource: see
Figure D.
3. Determine the percentage of timethe resource will be able to
devote tothe task.
4. Click in the Units field and enter thepercentage value: see
Figure E.
5. Determine the amount of work(effort) needed to complete the
task.
Figure D: Enter the resource best suited to work on the task
in the “Resource Name” field in the Task Form.
6. Click in the Work field and enter the work value, then click
“OK”:see Figure F.
7. Microsoft Project 98 completes its job by calculating
Durationand Finish without adding a SNET constraint: see Figure
G:
Conclusion
When building your initial schedule, it is very important to
useconstraints only when necessary. An example would be when a
resource is
not available to start work on atask until a specified date
andno earlier: crossing theboundaries. By following theYJ-TJ
process, you not only avoidunnecessary constraints, youbecome a
better scheduler in theprocess.
Figure E: Enter the percentage of time the resource will
devote to the task in the “Units” field in the Task Form.
Figure F: Enter the work hours the resource will perform
in the “Work” field and click OK in the Task Form.
Figure G: By following the YJ-TJ process, a SNET constraint is
avoided.○
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-
Page 10 The Project Network
Feature Article—Workaround for MSP’s Timescale Option “Months
from End”
Workaround for MSP’s Timescale Option “Months from End”We will
assume for the purposes of this exercise that product launch will
be Feb 1st 2000 and progress will be monitored on a monthly basis.
Follow these
steps to create a timescale-to-launch, e.g. months before Job-1,
workaround.1. In a new file, create a new task – Months before
Job-1.2. Create 12 tasks, 12,11,10 ~,2,1.3. Create a new task
Job-1.4. Select 12 through to Job-1
4.1. Indent them (therefore making Months before Job-1 a summary
task).4.2. Using the Task Information dialogue box, collectively
set the tasks’ duration to zero days (therefore marking them as
milestones) plus tick the
Rollup gantt bar to summary selection.5. Select Months before
Job-1 and using the Task Information dialogue box, tick the Hide
task bar and the Rollup gantt bar to summary selection.6. Enter the
dates of 12,11 ~ Job-1.
6. 1. E.g. 12 will be Feb 1st 19996. 2. 11 will be Mar 1st 1999,
etc.
(You will be prompted for dates that do not fall on a working
day, choose which option depending on your default calendars.)At
this stage you will have something resembling the example
below:
7. Select Format, Bar Styles. Highlight the framed milestone
(which is now the summary bar) from the selection and amend the
Shape and Text to yourrequirements, you would certainly require the
Name to appear, whether it is below or to one side of the milestone
is your choice. You will not have to
amend the ordinary (solid) milestone.(If this is an existing
program you may find it does not
work the first time; if this is the case, select ALL the
tasks,Format Bar and select Reset. This will revert to the
defaultsand will work.)8. Now roll up the summary bar, Months
before Job-1, and check your handiwork. You should see a single row
of numbers descending from 12 to 1 followed by Job-1. You can now
continue entering tasks as required.
NB for a comparison test, amend the Minor scale optionin
Timescale to Months from end.• The scale is about 18 months off
kilter.• There is no zero, i.e. Job-1.This workaround can of course
be utilised for any plan where
milestones need displaying as a single line.
Andy HollowayProgram Planning Professionals
What’s Your Fix?Send us your ideas & work-arounds...
-
Volume 3, Issue 2, Spring 1999 Page 11
-
Page 12 The Project Network
Feature Article - Assigning Baseline Resource Costs and/or Work
in Project 98
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Recently I was assigned to a project that wanted to spread
resourceson a monthly basis. There was some confusion on my part on
how toaccomplish this request. I am a relatively new user to MS
Project and wasunaware of how MS Project handles resources, cost
and work. Theinformation provided here is an attempt to clarify
these differences andhow to handle them.
Assigning Cost and Work information for a task is
handleddifferently than assigning Cost and work information for a
taskwith resources.
• Cost, Task Field is an entered or calculated field. (Cost =
Actual Cost + Remaining Cost + Fixed Cost)
• Cost, Resource Field is a calculated field. (Cost = Actual
Cost = Remaining Cost)
The same applies to Work.• Work, Task Field is an entered or
calculated field. (MS Project
calculates total work as the sum of the work that all assigned
resources are to perform on a task. This is based on the assignment
span, the number of resources assigned, and the assignment units
for the assigned resources. Work includes actual work and remaining
work, as well as overtime work.)
• Work, Resource Field is a calculated field. (MS Project adds
the amount of work the resource is scheduled to perform on all
assigned tasks.)
Baseline Task InformationBaseline Cost and Work for a TASK is
generated by entering Cost
and Work one of two ways: prorated and monthly. When you save
theproject with a baseline this information is then transferred to
theBaseline fields.
In MS Project use these views: Task Usage and Table Usage.Detail
Styles (right click in the Details area to modify): Cost,
Actual Cost and Work.1. To have MS Project spread Cost and Work
for a TASK A) Enter the information into the Cost and Work columns
in
MS Project. The amounts will be prorated over the duration of
the task.
2. To manually spread a TASK Cost and Work on a monthly basis A)
Enter the Cost information by month into the Act.Cost
columns. The information entered into the Act.Cost will be
automatically copied to the Cost columns by MS Project.
B) Enter the Work information by month into the Work columns. C)
Check the duration of the task and revise if necessary.
D) Save the project with a baseline - the information entered
for Actual Cost and Work will be transferred into the Baseline Cost
and Baseline Work fields.
E) After the project is Baselined, replace the entries for
Actual Cost ONLY with zeros.
F) Save the project - DO NOT RE-BASELINE.
Baseline Task With Resources InformationBaseline Cost and Work
for a TASK with Resources is generated by
entering Work information for each assigned resource. Costs
aregenerated by MS Project based on Work * Hourly Rate. When you
save theproject with a baseline this information is transferred to
the Baseline fields.
1. To have MS Project spread Cost and Work for a TASK with
Resources
A) Assign a resource to the task. B) Enter the information into
the Work column in MS
Project - the cost will be calculated.
C) In the Assignment Information box choose the work contour you
want to apply to the resource. The Cost and Work information will
be spread over the life of the task based on the selected
contour.
D) Check the duration of the task and revise if necessary. E)
Save the project with a baseline - the information entered for
Work and Cost will be transferred into the Baseline Cost and
Baseline Work fields.
2. To manually spread Cost and Work on a monthly basis for a
TASK with Resources
A) This is not available.
By Linda Cisco, Program Planning Professionals
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Assigning Baseline Resource Costs and/or Work in Project 98
-
Volume 3, Issue 2, Spring 1999 Page 13
Email from You!
From: Bunde, RichardSent: Thursday, February 25, 1999 11:12
AMTo: ‘[email protected]’Subject: Visual Basic for Applications -
Project Edition
A note which should be shared with other Project98 folks:
In the article regarding Visual Basic for Project, Doug Thiele
suggested that informationregarding the subject is tough to find. I
agree. However, one very tremendous source(approximately 650 pages)
is Microsoft Project 98 Visual Basic Environment availableas
download article PRJ98VBE.EXE from site
http://207.46.131.142/support/downloads/lnp146.asp. In addition,
the site provides volumes of training and reference materials.This
is one location I’ve been willing to bookmark. Unfortunately, I
can’t findPRJ98VBE.EXE on Microsoft’s OfficeUpdate/Download/.../
site. Perhaps MPUG willconvince the folks to copy all the documents
from support/.../inp146 to the downloadcatalog before the
support/.../inp146 closes.
Rick
http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/outlook/addcomp/addcom.htmThis
is an interactive Web site that offers the latest in Outlook 98
component updates and
add-ins. When you navigate to the Web site, Outlook 98 Active
Setup asks whether it’s OK todetermine what internet components are
installed on your computer. Click Yes to continue.When you do,
Active Setup determines which components are installed on your
system and
indicates such in the Web page’s Status column. You can download
as many components at atime as you like from the Outlook Component
Install site; simply select the check box of eachcomponent you wish
to download, then click Next. You’ll then be asked to select a
download
site. Simply select the site that’s nearest you and click
Install Now to begin the download.
Advertising is open to any member of the Microsoft ProjectUsers
Group—National who is an authorized MicrosoftProject Consultant or
Service Provider. Costing availableon request. For further details
of how to advertise yourservices in The Project Network newsletter,
send a note [email protected], or contact the Editor, Gail
Stopar,through the MPUG office.
Call (734) 741-0841 or Fax (734) 741-1343
Our Mission
To provide the installed userbase of Microsoft Project with
a
forum to exchange ideas, support, andexperience, to better
understand and utilize
all Microsoft® Project related products. MPUG is anindependent
users group formed with the support andrecognition of Microsoft®.
We will actively seek out relatedorganizations, both nationally and
internationally, andcollaborate with them to encourage the
appropriate exchangeof information to MPUG membership for all
levels of MicrosoftProject experience.
-
Page 14 The Project Network
Questions and Answers
Unlock your ProblemsThe following text is a selection of the
most commonly asked Questions and Answers addressed to
MicrosoftProduct Support and Authorized Microsoft Project
Consultants and compiled by Kelvin Kirby, editor of ProjectScope
(the Microsoft Project newsletter of the UK).
Post your questions to [email protected] and our technical staff
and wish list administrator will try theirbest to get you and the
rest of MPUG an answer.
I have a problem with changingworking hours in a resource
calendar. The base calendar has three setsof working times in
it. They are 12 a.m. to3 a.m., 3:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. to12
a.m. This base calendar is obviously forshift work.My problem is
that if I try and change aresources working day for one day
inparticular, so that they do not have to workfrom 11 p.m. to 12
a.m. for that particularday, that the system does not accept
itcorrectly. The “square” for the day turnsblue and the Mke Date(s)
option changesfrom Default to Working and the hours seemcorrect.
However if I click OK, to come backto a Gannt chart view and then
go back intothe calendar by using Tools, Changeworking time, the
day is still blue, it is stillmarked as working rather than default
BUTthe time scheduled from 11 p.m. to 12 a.m.which I previously
deleted is now backagain!!! No matter what I do I cannot seemto get
rid of this hour.Any Ideas out there?
This is a problem in Project 4.0. Itwon’t let you delete the 3rd
shift froma calendar once it’s been added (in
most situations) in the Change WorkingTime dialog.As a
workaround, you can clear the shiftusing a simple macro. Use the
followingcode to clear the 3rd shift from the date youspecify: Sub
ClearShift()
ActiveProject.Resources (100).Calendar._
Period(“5/23/98”).Shift3.Clear
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End Sub
This clears the 3rd shift for resource withID=100 on 23 May,
1998.
Is it possible to get the date in theheader/footer to be
formatted to the
Long style (e.g., 8 May 1998 rather then8/5/98)?
The date format used is controlled bythe Date Format setting
under Tools,Options, View tab. You can change it
there and then print.
Please can someone tell me why, inMSP 4.0, entering actual work
for a
resource against a task doesn’t change thetask % complete value?
This means thatthe Gantt bars do not show progresscorrectly.
If you look up in online help how %complete is calculated you
will findthat it is only calculated based on
Actual Duration and RemainingDuration. In theory a resource
could spenda lot of time working on a task but not beany closer to
completing the task. UpdatingActual Duration, Remaining Durationor
% Complete can update the Actual Workof the resource. Updating
Actual Work willonly update Remaining Work and the% Work
Complete.What you could do is either update theActual Duration or
update the ActualWork of the resource and then copy the% Work
Complete and paste it into the% Complete field.
This article reprintedwith the kindpermission of
Project Scope,the Microsoft Projectnewsletter of the UK.
©Project Scope —Issue 2
Autumn 1995
Q
Q
A
Q
A
AA
QA
Q When using the ‘Filter’ menu, if youselect Milestones, all
tasks except themilestones will disappear. When using
theShift/Filter Milestones, the tasks which aremilestones will be
highlighted. Whencreating tool bar button, the Filter[Milestones]
command will eliminate alltasks which are not milestones. How doyou
assign a command to a button whichis the equivalent to the
Shift/Filter[Milestones] command?
Create a toolbar button with thefollowing command:
FilterApplyName:=”Milestones”,Highlight:=True
Is there a way to change the timescale in the ‘Task Usage’
report to
Months’? MSP 4.0 currently uses weeks.Yes. Select View, Reports,
anddouble-click on Custom. Select TaskUsage from the list, then
choose Edit.
You can change the column period toMonths in the Definition
tab.
-
Volume 3, Issue 2, Spring 1999 Page 15
Reporting Microsoft® Project Problems
Download...Free Trial Version ofMicrosoft Project 98
http://www.microsoft.com/project/download/trial98.htm
Experience today’s foremostproject managementsoftware
program!
Reporting Microsoft Project ProblemsTo submit a problem (bug)
report to the Microsoft Project product group, follow the steps
provided here:
1) Go to the Microsoft Project Home Page
(www.microsoft.com/project).2) Select “Write Us” from the main menu
bar across the top of the page.3) Choose “Report a bug in Microsoft
Products” and then choose the product.4) Read the introduction and
fill out the form provided to the best of your ability.5) When
finished, submit the query form by selecting the “Submit” button at
the bottom of the form.
Could your projects use a little help from the Microsoft ®
Project experts?Project Assistants is the premiere provider of
expert consulting, training, custom application
development and companion products for Microsoft Project.
Our portfolio of Microsoft Project offerings includes:
8 Open enrollment and on-site training that integrates Project
Management best practices, such as PMBOK, with theuse of Microsoft
Project.
8 Developing customized Microsoft Project solutions designed
specifically to meet the needs of your organization. Ourdevelopers
are experts in the use of Microsoft Project's programming language,
Visual Basic for Applications.
8 Consulting offerings that can help your organization implement
Microsoft Project's email and web-based workgroupfeatures, build
resource pools, consolidate multiple projects, and create resource
availability and utilization reports.
8 Integration of Microsoft Project with other systems, such as
cost accounting and time tracking software.
8 Automating and integrating your organization's methodologies,
documentation, and best practices with MicrosoftProject.
Establishing a Project Office based on the use of Microsoft
Project.
Need Project Assistance? …Call Project Assistants!Give us a toll
free call at:
(800) 642-9259or visit us at: www.projectassistants.com
projectassistants
-
Page 16 The Project Network
Microsoft Project Users Group3923 Ranchero DriveAnn Arbor, MI
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Application to Join TheMicrosoft Project Users Group (MPUG)
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*Make checks payable to“Microsoft Project Users
Group” or “MPUG”
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