D
David
Just purchased MS Project 03, and need consulting help ASAP setting up
- ideally someone in So Cal, USA. Can pay.
Thank you.
- ideally someone in So Cal, USA. Can pay.
Thank you.
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D
David Wang
• Microsoft Office Project Server 2003 Installation Guide
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=20233
Microsoft Office Project Server 2003 Online Books Series
• Microsoft Office Project Server 2003 Configuration Planning Guide
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=20235
• Microsoft Office Project Server 2003 Disaster Recovery Guide
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=20234
• Microsoft Office Project Server 2003 Installation Guide
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=20233
• Microsoft Office Project Server 2003 Application Configuration Guide
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=20237
• Microsoft Office Project Server 2003 Administrator’s Guide
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=20236
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=20233
Microsoft Office Project Server 2003 Online Books Series
• Microsoft Office Project Server 2003 Configuration Planning Guide
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=20235
• Microsoft Office Project Server 2003 Disaster Recovery Guide
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=20234
• Microsoft Office Project Server 2003 Installation Guide
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=20233
• Microsoft Office Project Server 2003 Application Configuration Guide
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=20237
• Microsoft Office Project Server 2003 Administrator’s Guide
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=20236
S
Steve House
Are you asking about MS Project, the desktop application, or MS Project
Server?
Server?
D
David
Thank you for the links to information; however, what we really need
is a human being familiar with the software to get us set up quickly.
Do you know of anyone, or better url to post this request?
Thank you.
David
is a human being familiar with the software to get us set up quickly.
Do you know of anyone, or better url to post this request?
Thank you.
David
G
Guest
The desktop application.
-----Original Message-----
Are you asking about MS Project, the desktop application, or MS Project
Server?
--
Steve House [MVP]
MS Project Trainer/Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs
.
D
David
The desktop application.
Steve House said:Are you asking about MS Project, the desktop application, or MS Project
Server?
S
Steve House
There's good news and bad news. While I'm sure there are a number of people
who can help you set up the software and get familiar with the menu's etc
there's really no reason to pay someone to do it for you, it is easily done
yourself in just a matter of an hour or so at most. The setup of the
software for the desktop is so simple as to be trivial. (Project Server is
another matter). The bad news is that the really important part of the
equation is something that no one else can come in and do for you unless you
plan to keep them on staff or on a consulting retainer as a project manager,
and that is, the person(s) using the software absolutely must have a
thorough foundation in the discipline of formal project management,
especially critical path and PERT methodologies. And there's only two ways
you can get that knowledge in-house - either buy it or make it. You can buy
it by hiring someone who is an experienced project manager or you can make
it by sending yourself and the appropriate others on your staff on a proper
training course of at least 2 days duration - that's what I believe is the
rock bottom minimum having spent 10 years now teaching such courses and over
the last few years I've been coming around to thinking something on the
order of 5 days is more suitable. Without it, you are going to have a great
deal of difficulty using the software effectively. It is just not something
that can be set up as a turnkey, pump in the data and crank out answers,
type of application. MS Project is a tool for the project manager, the
person on whose shoulders lies the ultimate responsibility for the success
or failure of the project, to use to develop and model the schedules and
budget of the projects for which he or she is in charge - it is not
something for a data entry clerk to passively pump data into. Every project
is unique and so it is impossible for anyone to set up a standard set of
file that users can subsequently plug data into because every project will
have its own set of challenges and constraints. The necessary intelligence
is NOT built into MS Project and CANNOT be built into a set of templates or
what have you that someone might set up for you - all the tools are there
but installing Project and showing them how to work the software will no
more make the person using it a Project Manager than does installing Excel
on someone's computer magically make them into an accountant.
Just my .02 worth ...
--
Steve House [MVP]
MS Project Trainer/Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs
who can help you set up the software and get familiar with the menu's etc
there's really no reason to pay someone to do it for you, it is easily done
yourself in just a matter of an hour or so at most. The setup of the
software for the desktop is so simple as to be trivial. (Project Server is
another matter). The bad news is that the really important part of the
equation is something that no one else can come in and do for you unless you
plan to keep them on staff or on a consulting retainer as a project manager,
and that is, the person(s) using the software absolutely must have a
thorough foundation in the discipline of formal project management,
especially critical path and PERT methodologies. And there's only two ways
you can get that knowledge in-house - either buy it or make it. You can buy
it by hiring someone who is an experienced project manager or you can make
it by sending yourself and the appropriate others on your staff on a proper
training course of at least 2 days duration - that's what I believe is the
rock bottom minimum having spent 10 years now teaching such courses and over
the last few years I've been coming around to thinking something on the
order of 5 days is more suitable. Without it, you are going to have a great
deal of difficulty using the software effectively. It is just not something
that can be set up as a turnkey, pump in the data and crank out answers,
type of application. MS Project is a tool for the project manager, the
person on whose shoulders lies the ultimate responsibility for the success
or failure of the project, to use to develop and model the schedules and
budget of the projects for which he or she is in charge - it is not
something for a data entry clerk to passively pump data into. Every project
is unique and so it is impossible for anyone to set up a standard set of
file that users can subsequently plug data into because every project will
have its own set of challenges and constraints. The necessary intelligence
is NOT built into MS Project and CANNOT be built into a set of templates or
what have you that someone might set up for you - all the tools are there
but installing Project and showing them how to work the software will no
more make the person using it a Project Manager than does installing Excel
on someone's computer magically make them into an accountant.
Just my .02 worth ...
--
Steve House [MVP]
MS Project Trainer/Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs
D
davegb
As usual, I agree with Steve about most of what he said. I don't think
setting up project is quite that easy. I think there are several traps
one needs to avoid to get it to operate effectively, and that it can
take a very long time (read years) to figure them out yourself.
But scheduling software is just the beginning. To paraphrase Lewis
("Project Planning, Scheduling & Control"), using scheduling software
without an understanding of Project Management will assure an
organization will precisely and accurately document it's failures. I
have witnessed this more times than I care to remember. It's wise to
get a good consultant who can help you on an ongoing basis, not just
with setting up Project, but with helping you understand how to get
meaningful input (the old data processing concept, GIGO, garbage in,
garbage out, applies here as well) and to interpret the output and put
it to good use. Contrary to popular belief, using scheduling software
by itself is not practicing Project Management. To a degree, it can be
acquired by experience, but at tremendous cost and time. Courses help,
but still can't replicate experience. You really need to find someone
good to get you started and keep you on the correct path.
That said, you have to be careful that you find someone who really
knows Project Management. I've followed on the heels of PM consultants
who've told clients that Network Diagrams are a waste of time, a tool
that I believe is essential to getting schedules properly linked. Like
in most professions, there are a few who are really good, and the
rest. You want one of the really good ones.
Hope this helps you along.
David G. Bellamy
Bellamy Consulting
setting up project is quite that easy. I think there are several traps
one needs to avoid to get it to operate effectively, and that it can
take a very long time (read years) to figure them out yourself.
But scheduling software is just the beginning. To paraphrase Lewis
("Project Planning, Scheduling & Control"), using scheduling software
without an understanding of Project Management will assure an
organization will precisely and accurately document it's failures. I
have witnessed this more times than I care to remember. It's wise to
get a good consultant who can help you on an ongoing basis, not just
with setting up Project, but with helping you understand how to get
meaningful input (the old data processing concept, GIGO, garbage in,
garbage out, applies here as well) and to interpret the output and put
it to good use. Contrary to popular belief, using scheduling software
by itself is not practicing Project Management. To a degree, it can be
acquired by experience, but at tremendous cost and time. Courses help,
but still can't replicate experience. You really need to find someone
good to get you started and keep you on the correct path.
That said, you have to be careful that you find someone who really
knows Project Management. I've followed on the heels of PM consultants
who've told clients that Network Diagrams are a waste of time, a tool
that I believe is essential to getting schedules properly linked. Like
in most professions, there are a few who are really good, and the
rest. You want one of the really good ones.
Hope this helps you along.
David G. Bellamy
Bellamy Consulting
S
Steve House
I must have been fuzzy when I typed <grin> beause your notes are exactly
what I was trying to say. The original poster sounded like he wanted
someone to come in for a day or so and get them up and running, then go away
with them continuing on without their having to bother acquiring all the
knowledge necessary to really do project management right. MSP is
deceptively easy to install and figure out how to find things in the menus,
enter data, etc. Using it *correctly* and *effectively* to do useful work
is another matter entirely and requires a lot of knowledge the user of the
software must bring to the keyboard himself. MS Project happily lets you
create project plans that have no relationship to reality whatsoever and
provides damn little handholding to help the user do it right. Unlike what
I call an "appliance application" like MS Word, (which, for instance, does
not require you to be a professional writer to know everything there is to
know about Word), Project requires a great deal of professional smarts on
the part of the user to use it properly - it's not something an expert
consultant can set up and then turn over to a naive user whose lacking that
background knowledge to use from that point forward. At least that was I
was trying to say <grin>.
--
Steve House [MVP]
MS Project Trainer/Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs
what I was trying to say. The original poster sounded like he wanted
someone to come in for a day or so and get them up and running, then go away
with them continuing on without their having to bother acquiring all the
knowledge necessary to really do project management right. MSP is
deceptively easy to install and figure out how to find things in the menus,
enter data, etc. Using it *correctly* and *effectively* to do useful work
is another matter entirely and requires a lot of knowledge the user of the
software must bring to the keyboard himself. MS Project happily lets you
create project plans that have no relationship to reality whatsoever and
provides damn little handholding to help the user do it right. Unlike what
I call an "appliance application" like MS Word, (which, for instance, does
not require you to be a professional writer to know everything there is to
know about Word), Project requires a great deal of professional smarts on
the part of the user to use it properly - it's not something an expert
consultant can set up and then turn over to a naive user whose lacking that
background knowledge to use from that point forward. At least that was I
was trying to say <grin>.
--
Steve House [MVP]
MS Project Trainer/Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs
D
davegb
You did say it, Steve. I find that sometimes, when I am trying to
understand a difficult concept, or am just being obtuse, that to hear
it from different perspectives helps. Sometimes we help the newbie and
each other to say the same thing in slighty different terms. The task
at hand is to help people who are not as far on this particular path
as we are. We both serve that end, in our own way. For one person,
yours will make more sense, for another, mine will. That's what makes
these forums so helpful and so much fun to participate in.
David G. Bellamy
Bellamy Consulting
understand a difficult concept, or am just being obtuse, that to hear
it from different perspectives helps. Sometimes we help the newbie and
each other to say the same thing in slighty different terms. The task
at hand is to help people who are not as far on this particular path
as we are. We both serve that end, in our own way. For one person,
yours will make more sense, for another, mine will. That's what makes
these forums so helpful and so much fun to participate in.
David G. Bellamy
Bellamy Consulting
P
Piyush
Hello David:
We understand what you are looking for. We have several ways we can assit
you including an accelerated deployment with a guarantee. We just finished an
assigment in So CA and will be happy to discuss your needs. Let me know via
an email: (e-mail address removed)
Piyush Srivastava
CMD Corporation
www.cmdcorp.com
We understand what you are looking for. We have several ways we can assit
you including an accelerated deployment with a guarantee. We just finished an
assigment in So CA and will be happy to discuss your needs. Let me know via
an email: (e-mail address removed)
Piyush Srivastava
CMD Corporation
www.cmdcorp.com
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