Creating Recurring Meetings in Project

[Linda]

We know how to use Insert, Recurring Task... and use it for identifying
weekly status meetings within a project. The question is how to assign
resources to each meeting globally (enter once and it poplulates the
remaining recurring tasksl)... or do we have to add the resources per
recurring task.... also will Project schedule the meeting task assignment in
email for each resource assigned so we don't have to create a recurring
meeting in Outlook to match the recurring task in Project? (there was a
mouthful)...

We have tried the Outlook add-in and it doesn't do what we need.... we would
prefer that all assigned tasks are placed in the resources Outlook Tasks
window and not the calendar with exception to a scheduled meeting task....

 

[Gérard Ducouret]

Linda,
<<how to assign resources to each meeting globally (enter once and it
populates the remaining recurring tasksl)>>
That's very easy : something you never do on ordinary summaries :
Select the Recurring summary and assign the resource...

Gérard Ducouret

 

[Linda]

Thanks,
I tried what you said and it only shows my name in the summary task line and
does not populate the remainder of the meetings... I saved the project, came
out of MS Project and reopened the project and still it does not show me as
the assigned resource to the other scheduled meetings..

Am I missing a step?...

Weekly Meetings (summary line)
==> Weekly Meetings1
==> Weekly Meetings2
==> Weekly Meetings3

I was just informed that this worked in Project 2002 and now that we have
Project 2003 it doesn't... Project Managers have local install of version
2003 and we have Project Server 2003...

Thanks,
Linda

 

[Gérard Ducouret]

Linda,

I tried again , connected or not on Project Server : it works fine for me
(2003)

Gérard Ducouret

 

[mark.everett]

Linda -

One thing to consider (after you get it working, of course) is the
effect of doing this on your resource's timesheets. Assuming this are
one hour project team meetings, your team will have a whole series of 1
hours tasks on their timesheet in the Task view. In my experience,
project team members consider this to be a real pain in the .....errr,
very annoying.

You might consider assigning everyone a fixed duration/non-effort
driven task called Project Team Meetings and giving every the number of
hours you expect to use in the meetings.

The one time I did use this, I did it this way:

1. Set up a recurring task, including the number of times the tasks
occur.
2. Assigned resources to the first task for the proper number of hours.
3. Used the Fill Down feature to copy the resource assignments to each
additional occurence.
4. Published.

Having done that and experienced the team's feedback, I think the other
method works better.

Mark

 

[Linda]

OK, so the steps are as follows then:
Click Insert
Click Recurring Tasks
The window displays and you set
The name of the task
The duration (day, Week, Month, year)
Every (click day of week)
Set the dates
Set the calendar
Click OK
Once back in Project you:
assign the resource(s) using the drop down menu in resources colum
It does not populate the rest of the recurring meeting tasks..

Would you please outline your steps for me...? It shouldn't matter where
the resources come from - Enterprise or local, right?

What Service pack is your local MS Project on? I am SP2 on my local
install...

This isn't rock science I know, so confused about it's not working...

Thank you

 

[Gérard Ducouret]

Wooh... I know !
don't assign the resource(s) using the drop down menu in resources colum!
Use the Assign Resource dialog !!!

Gérard Ducouret

 

[Linda]

Mark,
Thank you... I did what you suggested and agree that the fewer timesheets to
fill out the better... however - forgive my lack of experience here... when I
did the Fixed Units / Effort Driven it does not show up anywhere for the
assignee... where is it supposed to be reflected, versus the individual task
showing up in My Tasks...

Linda

 

[Linda]

Thank you for your patience on this one... I got it... and see the difference
right away... now can you answer the second half of this question... that of
how the recurring meeting shows up in the resources Outlook to reflect the
recurring meeting, or do I have to schedule the meetings in Outllook as a
recurring meeting and invite the assigned resources...

():->

 

[mark.everett]

Linda -

I am not sure which method you used. If you used a recurring task in
Project Pro and published it to Server, then the resources should see
it in their Outlook tasks (assuming you have enabled Outlook
integration).

If you used the method that puts one task on their timesheet that says
Project Team Meetings, then you would still need to use Outlook to
schedule a recurring meeting to the same people who have the task
assignment. The benefit is that you can use that recurring meeting
reminder to reinforce where they should charge that time.

Mark Everett

 

[Linda]

Thanks again Mark.. I appreciate it... and now fully understand what you are
suggesting... I agree the multiple tasks thingy is a pain to be sure...