Automate task approval in Project Server 2003

M

Mike

I am working my way through the labyrinth that is licensing for MS Project.
Is there a way to automatically approve tasks submitted through Project Web
Access? I'd rather not to require project managers constantly go through
and approve basic tasks from team members, nor do team members need to have
Project Pro.

Mike L
 
D

Dale Howard [MVP]

Mike L --

Your PM's can create Rules to process task updates, but they still must
click the Run Rules Now button to actually run the rules. Hope this helps.
 
B

Brian K - Project MVP

Mike said:
I am working my way through the labyrinth that is licensing for MS
Project. Is there a way to automatically approve tasks submitted through
Project Web Access? I'd rather not to require project managers constantly
go through and approve basic tasks from team members, nor do team members
need to have Project Pro.

Mike L

Well team members already dont need pro. they just need PWA. if you have
licensing questions post them here. The only time it gets a little
confusing is when you have a combination of User CALs and machine CALs or
if you have a bunch of external users and need the external connector. In
general it is that people that need to create schedules and manage updates
to schedules need Pro. Everyone else needs PWA.
 
M

Mike

Dale,

This helps a bit, but I am still hoping there's a way to do this
server-side. The problem is that the PM's may not be at their machines, or
already have too many things to do, and accepting these tasks is just one
more thing to get in the way. Also, having to wait for tasks to be accepted
means that project information may not be current. If all tasks are going
to be accepted, why add the extra step (and delay the process) by forcing
interaction?

It seems that with CALs being so limiting, and Project Pro being vastly more
than most people need, that there would be something in the middle. I'm
finding it very difficult to recommend Project based on the information I
have now. It's either going to be very expensive ( to license everyone with
Project Pro - overkill but the only way to *ensure* they can actually enter
tasks in a project) or very limiting for data entry (having to wait for
approval) and very time consuming for PM's having to daily (or multiple
times per day) go in and accept tasks.

Mike L
 
G

Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]

Mike:

Fast or accurate? Sounds like you want both. You could hire some support for
the PMs if they're too busy to manage their own projects.
 
P

Per Hagdahl

I have exactly the same problem - as soon as one or two PM are gone for a
couple of days, all reports are delayed. We have a system where team members
are supposed to see there own earned value and they gets really pissed of
when thet cant see how much money they have created because the PM have not
approwed there time...

To bad there is no solution to this...

/Per


"Mike" skrev:
 
A

Andrew Curtis

Well it seems that Im not the only person to have this issue, I wonder if
there will be something done about this in a Service Pack or in the next
version of Project Server...

I quess theres no way we can interact with the SQL Server database directly?
Couldnt we manipulate the table that stores the relevant data?

Cheers
 
A

Andrew Curtis

Well hopefully Microsoft will add some sort of optional automation to the
next version of their EPM solution, our PM is going to get annoyed constantly
having to accept time worked on projects but obviosly theres nothing that can
be done about it *sigh*

Cheers for your help Gary
--
Andrew Curtis
Waugh Consultants Ltd


Gary L. Chefetz said:
The solution is to use the system as it was designed. When a PM goes on
vacation, the plan management must be turned over to a surrogate for the
length of the vacation. This is a very simple process:

http://www.projectserverexperts.com/Shared Documents/changeprojmgr.htm
 
G

Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]

Andrew:

Remind the PM that before Project Server, he/she would have to key in all
the data. Now it's simply a matter of accepting it. Remember also, that you
can use the rules to process everything in one button push. If that's, too
much work, then....
 

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