S
Stephan Steiner
Hi
We've had this strange disconnect between different data in our Project
Server 2003 system for a while. It seems to affect a small number of
assignments but is still very annoying as it has to do with how tasks are
being closed (remaining work = 0).
Bottom line.. the resource reports actuals, and at some point is done with
the work so remaining work is set to 0. Actuals are approved by the project
manager as usual. Now what happens in a small number of cases is that after
the approval process, the resource finds the tasks they closed re-opened
with remaining work set back to the last value the field had prior to
closing the task, and work being set back to the previous value as well (the
delta between the remaining work and 0 is precisely the change made to
work). So the resource sets remaining work back to 0 and after approval,
it's back up.. (and consequently the same also happens for work).
I've looked at the assignments (only one resoure on them) and task pre and
post approval and noted the following:
Timesheet:
Work = 33h
Actual work = 33h
Remaining Work 0h
Project Client:
Work = 37.5
Actual Work = 37.5
Remaining Work = 0
Then after the approval
Timesheet:
Work = 37.5
Actual work = 33h
Remaining Work = 4.5h
Project Client
Work = 37.5
Actual Work = 37.5
Remaining Work = 0
So, it seems to me that by looking at the timesheet project client concludes
that the change has been on work, thus reads that value from the timesheet,
then recalculates remaining work and publishes that. What I find curious is
that actual work is not touched at all.. shouldn't the timesheet be the
master and thus upon approval, the actual work value be read into project
client? After all.. how else is the project manager to know about the actual
progress?
And as a sidenote: Actual Work is wrong in both systems.. the resource
reported 29.5h hours. Fortunately our time reporting and biling isn't
affected as we read out the actuals from the MSP_WEB_WORK table (thus the
timesheet) but this wrong value gives the resource the wrong impression on
hours used / hours available as well as to the project manager.
Does anyone have an idea why actual work isn't updated in the client upon
approval and how the whole disconnect and infinite loop can happen in the
first place (I'm going to republish the tasks manually after approval.. in
the hopes that the values from the project client will overwrite everything
in the timesheet.. so we'd still have a wrong actual work value but at least
work and remaining work would be synched up and the task should be closed
and not reappear).
Regards
Stephan
We've had this strange disconnect between different data in our Project
Server 2003 system for a while. It seems to affect a small number of
assignments but is still very annoying as it has to do with how tasks are
being closed (remaining work = 0).
Bottom line.. the resource reports actuals, and at some point is done with
the work so remaining work is set to 0. Actuals are approved by the project
manager as usual. Now what happens in a small number of cases is that after
the approval process, the resource finds the tasks they closed re-opened
with remaining work set back to the last value the field had prior to
closing the task, and work being set back to the previous value as well (the
delta between the remaining work and 0 is precisely the change made to
work). So the resource sets remaining work back to 0 and after approval,
it's back up.. (and consequently the same also happens for work).
I've looked at the assignments (only one resoure on them) and task pre and
post approval and noted the following:
Timesheet:
Work = 33h
Actual work = 33h
Remaining Work 0h
Project Client:
Work = 37.5
Actual Work = 37.5
Remaining Work = 0
Then after the approval
Timesheet:
Work = 37.5
Actual work = 33h
Remaining Work = 4.5h
Project Client
Work = 37.5
Actual Work = 37.5
Remaining Work = 0
So, it seems to me that by looking at the timesheet project client concludes
that the change has been on work, thus reads that value from the timesheet,
then recalculates remaining work and publishes that. What I find curious is
that actual work is not touched at all.. shouldn't the timesheet be the
master and thus upon approval, the actual work value be read into project
client? After all.. how else is the project manager to know about the actual
progress?
And as a sidenote: Actual Work is wrong in both systems.. the resource
reported 29.5h hours. Fortunately our time reporting and biling isn't
affected as we read out the actuals from the MSP_WEB_WORK table (thus the
timesheet) but this wrong value gives the resource the wrong impression on
hours used / hours available as well as to the project manager.
Does anyone have an idea why actual work isn't updated in the client upon
approval and how the whole disconnect and infinite loop can happen in the
first place (I'm going to republish the tasks manually after approval.. in
the hopes that the values from the project client will overwrite everything
in the timesheet.. so we'd still have a wrong actual work value but at least
work and remaining work would be synched up and the task should be closed
and not reappear).
Regards
Stephan