Creating baseline for multiple projects

[Sebastián Armas]

Hello:

I've have a one server installation of Project Server 2007, with ~400
projects already stored on the database (not all of them actually published
on PWA).

Almost all of said projects haven't got their baselines created and we need
to create these baslines now.

Other than editing/saving/publishing each and every single project via
Project Professional 2007, is there a massive/batch procedure/feature/tool to
create the corresponding baselines for all of the ~400 projectss tored on the
database?

Thanks in advance for your kind reply,

 

[Marc Soester [MVP]]

Hi Sebastian,

Technically, you should be able to achieve this using a little bit of VBA
code, but generally (from a business point of view) , I would not recommend
this. A Baseline is your benchmark for the project. A Project Manager should
be comfortable with the baseline and manually baseline the proejct. I
understand that this may need some time, but at least the PM would take
responibillity of the baseline.

Anyway, I am sure technically you should be able to do this in a little VBA
script
Hope this helps

 

[Sebastián Armas]

Hello, Marc:

Thankyou for your quick and thorough reply. My comments go between yours.

Hi Sebastian,

Technically, you should be able to achieve this using a little bit of VBA
code, but generally (from a business point of view) , I would not recommend
this. A Baseline is your benchmark for the project. A Project Manager should
be comfortable with the baseline and manually baseline the proejct. I
understand that this may need some time, but at least the PM would take
responibillity of the baseline.

In a more loosely run situation, I'd agree with you, specially considering
the PM's responsibility on the baseline, which of course is the most sound
consideration from a business point of view.

In this stage of development of our EPM solution, however, with many of our
PM learning both to use the Project Server tool and with the PM acquiring the
niceties of project management, we are having a very stringent control over
baseline generation and modification; by the way, this is understood and
accepted by the PM in our organization at large.

Anyway, I am sure technically you should be able to do this in a little VBA
script

Yes, that should be the case.

Hope this helps

Yes, verily so. It does point outthe main issue behind our own EPM drive and
any EPM effort: the need for the PM to be responsible on his own efforts and
the effects of said efforts on his fellow PM; otherwise, it doesn't make any
sense at all to install an EPM solution.

Marc Soester [MVP]
http://marcsoester.blogspot.com

Sebastián Armas
Software Engineer & Project Manager

 

[Gary L. Chefetz]

In addition to using VBA automation in the client, you can also use the PSI
to develop a solution.

--
----------
Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
MSProjectExperts
Project Server Consulting: http://www.msprojectexperts.com
Project Server Training: http://www.projectservertraining.com
Project Server FAQS: http://www.projectserverexperts.com
Project Server Help Blog: http://www.projectserverhelp.com

 

[Sebastián Armas]

Yes, using the Project Server Interface is also another approach... if I had
time to spare to R&D a software solution.

Has this ever been done before elsewhere, i.e. hass anyone else ever
developed a simliar package?

Thanks in advance,

Sebastián Armas
Software Engineer & Project Manager

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Sebastian --

Allow me to jump into this tread with a comment. In the time you have taken
to get your original question answered, your project managers could have
opened each of their projects, baselined the projects, and published them.
I don't understand why you need an automated solution when your project
managers should be doing this themselves. I think this is a training and
performance issue, not a software automation issue. Just my two cents'
worth. Hope this helps.

 

[Gary L. Chefetz]

Sebastián:

One would think that someone has done something similar, but unfortunately
there's no registry of such things. Certainly there have been many who have
developed automatic publishing routines and setting a baseline isn't that
much more development work.

--
----------
Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
MSProjectExperts
Project Server Consulting: http://www.msprojectexperts.com
Project Server Training: http://www.projectservertraining.com
Project Server FAQS: http://www.projectserverexperts.com
Project Server Help Blog: http://www.projectserverhelp.com

 

[Marc Soester [MVP]]

Hi Sebastian,

evnethough the PSI is excellent and allows you to do ALMOST everything, from
what I understand it does not allow you to baseline a project

I believe you require MS Project for baslineing. If you download the SDK and
check out the exclutions of the PSI, I believe baslineing is an excluded
part. Alternetafly you may want to post this question to the project server
devevloper user group. They may have found ways to do that
Hope this helps