approving task updates

[anovak]

As I understand it, when a resource submits their time each week, it
first goes to the timesheet approver (who may or may not be the
project manager). Once the timesheet approver approves it, then the
task updates show up on the Project Manager's web page. Right?

OK...

I'm reading here that you can perform task updates either in PWA or in
Project Professional (benefit of using Project Professional is that
you can use the change highlighting feature).

Can one just choose to use PWA for updates and when that occurs does
the data automatically refresh in PWA? That is, going though Project
Pro, you have to publish again in order for the updates to display,
correct?

Thanks,
Andy Novak
UNT

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Andy --

Nope, you've got it all wrong. Timesheet updates are entered on the My
Timesheet page and submitted to the Timesheet Manager, who must accept or
reject the Timesheet updates.

Task updates are entered on the My Tasks page by team members, and can be
entered manually, or imported from the My Timesheet page. From the My Tasks
page, task updates are then submitted to the PM for approval. After
approving the task updates in either Project Professional or PWA, the PM
must still publish the project. Hope this helps.

 

[anovak]

Andy --

Nope, you've got it all wrong. Timesheet updates are entered on the My
Timesheet page and submitted to the Timesheet Manager, who must accept or
reject the Timesheet updates.

Task updates are entered on the My Tasks page by team members, and can be
entered manually, or imported from the My Timesheet page. From the My Tasks
page, task updates are then submitted to the PM for approval. After
approving the task updates in either Project Professional or PWA, the PM
must still publish the project. Hope this helps.

Dale,
Maybe I'm just using the wrong wording. It still sounds to me from
what you are saying that the Timesheet Manager and Project Manager are
still two different roles (or people) who perform two different
tasks. I'm still interpreting this as the Timesheet Manager approves
the timesheet, then updates are sent to the Project Manager for
approval and upload.

So, after all the updates are complete either via PWA or MSP2007, the
PM still has to open each and every dang one of their projects
individually and publish? Please tell me this isn't true. What is
the simplest way for them to accomplish all this without being
cumbersome?
Andy

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Andy --

Yes, I am telling you that the Timesheet Manager and the Project Manager CAN
be two entirely different people. And yes, I am telling you that your PM's
still need to publish the latest changes to their projects. Quite frankly,
what I understand is how a PM can process task updates and then NOT open the
project to study the results of the updates. Don't your PM's do variance
analysis to see if the project is on schedule or late, on budget or
overbudget, etc? And don't your PM's do plan revisions when their projects
fall behind schedule? If they are going to open the project to do these
things, then their final step in the updates process for each project should
be to PUBLISH the project.

Also, although it is possible to publish the project from the Task Updates
page in PWA, we DO NOT recommend doing this, as the publish process in PWA
will "clobber" values in enterprise custom fields. If your PM's don't like
publishing, they will really hate what happens when they publish from PWA.
Hope this helps.