Creating Enterprise Project Outlines

[Dan]

Despite much searching, studying MSPROJECTEXPERTS "Managing Enterprise
Projects", I'm having difficulty establishing enterpise outline codes for our
initial foray in EPM.

The Headings I'm after include "FY07 Strategic Plan" (5 projects beneath it)
and then "Department Names" headings (with each departments projects beneath
each of those).

Can anyone point this somewhat naive dummy to a solution?

Appreciatively,
Dan

 

[Samer Beano]

Dan,

You create Outline Codes to use them in Views.

Just create an Enterprise Project Outline Code by the name of Departments.
Then Define the code Mask, And then Edit lookup table and add all your
departments.

Now logging to PWA as an admin go to manage views, Add a view or modify an
existing view (Project Center view), from Available fileds add the created
outline code (Outline Code), from "Default Group, Sort (Optional): Specify
the default group and sort the view" section, in Group by filed drop down
list selectv the outline code (Departments).

For this to work when you are saving a project to the Project server you
have to select a department from the drop down list.

Hope this Works

 

[Dan]

Samer:
Thanks for the thorough response, I appreciate it!

I will try your solution and report back here, one way or t'other.

Dan

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Dan --

Why don't you set up the following enterprise Project outline codes:

FY07 Strategic (lookup table values are Yes and No)
Department (list the departments in the lookup table)

I believe you would want to set each of the above as Required. For existing
projects, you will need to ask your PM's to open each project and click
Project - Project Information to enter the new required outline codes.

After your PM's do this, you could create a custom Project Center view that
includes those two outline codes in the View, and you could apply Grouping
on one or both outline codes in the View (for example, Group by FY07
Required and Then by Department). You could also create one or more
Portfolio Analyzer views using them since the will appear automatically as
dimensions the next time the OLAP cube rebuilds. Just some thoughts. Hope
this helps.

 

[Dan]

Dale:
Thanks for the direction!

(For some reason, I cannot get Samer Beano's suggestion to work (no doubt
"operator error" <g>))!

I did input your ideas, but I am not getting the results I'm after, no doubt
because I didn't clearly express myelf. I was able to go to PWA, then my
Projects tab and then "edit" and did get the tables you had me input, but
there was no selection of the new headings under "group by". (I hope that's
not too confusing an explanantion??)

Let me clarify what I'm trying to do:

When one of my PM's opens PWA, I'd like them to see a hieirarchy, which at
the top level is:

+ FY07 Strategic Plan
+ Departmental Projects

When they click on the "+" on #1, up will come:

1_Sales Actions
2_Operations Actions

and so on.

When they click on the "+" on #2, up will come:
Sales Projects
Operations Projects

and so on.

Please undertsand you're dealing with a newbie here and your help is very
much appreciated, Dale.

Dan

 

[Samer Beano]

Dan,

Editing your Project is for changing the attributes not for viewing the
projects. Use editing for the exisiting projects to map them to a department
(the outline code that you created).
You can achieve the second result as I have instructed you to do before
(Group By Department). Log on to PWA as an Admin, click Admin Tab, Manage
Views, and from Project Center views add a new view. from the left column
(Available Fields)add the outline code that you have created (Departments).
you can add any other available fileds like % complete, Duration, etc...
Then from "Default Group, Sort (Optional): Specify
the default group and sort the view" section, in Group by filed drop down
list selectv the outline code (Departments)
I forgot to tell you this Important step in my last post which is to add the
My Projects category from "Available Categories" at the end of the page.
Click save and the view is ready.

If you have done this already, to test it on an existing project you have to
open the project in project professional first and then from collaborate,
publish click All information. Don't forget you have to edit the project from
the PWA first to map the project to a certain department.
From PWA click Projects, from choose a view click the view you have created
earlier. You will notice that now your projetcs are grouped by department.

Let me know if it works

 

[Dan]

Samer:
OK, thanks for all the help!! It is really nice of you and I will try it,
but not until tomorrow (my brain is getting a bit fried today and needs some
rest <g>).

I will be sure to post my results using both your suggestions and Dale's.

I really appreciate your time and your advice!!

Dan

 

[Dan]

Samer and Dale:
Between the two of you, you gave me an education in Project Server!! My main
problem was simply ignorance of the terms, views, codes and the need to
coordinate between PWA and Project Professional 2003.

Both of your solutions worked to perfection (!!) and became a matter of
personal choice as to which is better to use. I can't express my appreciation
strongly enough (Dale: I did buy your book <g>).

You two are really making this non-technical manager really look good. I
must say how much I admire men who volunteer their time to help those less
schooled.

THANK YOU DALE AND SAMER!! (I did write this entire process out in a
bulleted, step by step format, for any who might not intuitively know the
command sequences and would be delighted to share it).

Dan

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Dan --

You are more than welcome for the help! And thanks for buying our book.
By the way, we find that many Project Server administrators are
non-technical folks who are "pressed into duty" in that role. That is why
we wrote the "Administering an Enterprise PMO..." as a non-technical guide.

 

[Dan]

Dale:
You describe my situation exactly. As a line manager, I have to get the
projects done, and our technical guys, heavy with technical background,
simply don't look at the issues from a line manager's perspective. Thusly,
"pressed into service" is what has to happen.

I purchased the "Managing" book and will look over the "Administering" book.
Some of your training may also be in order for us. Right now, I'm working my
way through the one I have and have to say it is definitely written for a
non-technical manager ... very easy to understand and well written.

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Dan --

Feel free to contact us about training by clicking either link in my
signature block. If you hire us to do training for your people, you will
probably get to see "little ol' me" since I handle most of our training
assignments!

 

[Samer Beano]

Dan,

Thank you for your kind words.