Enterprise Custom Outline Codes/Fields vs. local fields

[Sally]

I understand the idea of Custom Outline Codes and fields. I understand the
concept of local customizable fields. The fields that can be added using
Insert>Column on the project plan appear to contain both.

To practice paranoia, may I assume that it is correct to use only the
enterprise customizable outline codes and fields should be used when defining
fields to be used across the enterprise and that I should ignore the
customizable fields in the Insert>Column drop down.

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Sally --

You should use custom enterprise Project, Resource, and Task fields and
outline codes in the Enterprise Global file to make these fields and outline
codes available to every user of Microsoft Project Professional in your
organization. You can also include these custom fields and outline codes in
custom Views in Microsoft Project Professional and in Project Web Access as
well. Custom enterprise Project and Resource outline codes show up
automatically as dimensions in the OLAP cube and in any custom Portfolio
Analyzer views you may wish to create.

You should avoid the use of custom local fields and outline codes entirely.
Hope this helps.

 

[richardsantink]

Custom enterprise Project and Resource outline codes show up
automatically as dimensions in the OLAP cube and in any custom Portfolio
Analyzer views you may wish to create.

This is great - however, is there a manual way to add TASK outline codes to
the cube as well? I see plenty of documentation regarding resource, and
project level, but not task.

Our management would like to have reports that include types of tasks
performed, across all of our projects.

Thanks again,

Richard Santink

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Richard --

To add Task dimensions to the OLAP cube, you must extend the cube to include
this information. There are two ways to extend the OLAP cube:

1. Do it yourself. Refer to the following URL to download Bob Segrest's
excellent white paper on this subject:

http://www.projectserverexperts.com/Downloads/Forms/AllItems.aspx

2. Purchase a project to extend the cube for you. Refer to the following
URL for a company that sells such a product:

http://www.bogdanov-associates.com/eng.asp?rubr_id=484

Hope this helps.

 

[richardsantink]

a-ha! now this makes sense!!

Thanks very much..

RAS

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

RAS --

You are more than welcome, my friend!