How do I create a live link between Excel and Project

[Kevin]

Hi,

I'm trying to set up Project so that I can have a linked
excel spreadsheet that allows me to update Project when I
make changes to the excel doc. Is this possible to do?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Mark Durrenberger]

Have you tried a "paste link"
Open your excel spread sheet and your project file
Find the cell/cells in Excel and select and copy them
Switch to Project, find your destination for the selected cells,
on the edit menu select "Paste special"
You'll be given several options
Choose Paste link and "text"

HTH, let us know how it works for you.

Regards,
Mark


--
_________________________________________________________
Mark Durrenberger, PMP
Principal, Oak Associates, Inc, www.oakinc.com
"Advancing the Theory and Practice of Project Management"
________________________________________________________

The nicest thing about NOT planning is that failure
comes as a complete surprise and is not preceded by
a period of worry and depression.

- Sir John Harvey-Jones

 

[John]

Kevin,
Just a precautionary note to what Mark said. Paste Links do work but
they are fragile. That is, if not handled carefully, they can easily get
corrupted. Also, Paste Links do not generally follow a file if its
location is moved (e.g. the Project or Excel file is put in a different
directory).

John

 

[Kevin]

Hey guys thanks for your help.

I'm still running into some problems when I copy and paste
special, all of my data ends up in the calendar section of
my Gannt Chart. Any ideas?
Thanks.

 

[John]

Kevin,
What exactly is the "calendar" section of the Gantt Chart? The left side
of a Gantt has the tabular data (i.e. ID, Task Name, Duration, etc.) and
the right side has the graphic data (i.e. Gantt bars and links).

I forgot, what data are you trying to link (i.e. what Project fields)?

John

 

[Steve House]

I'll bet when you "paste special" you're saying the data is "Excel
Worksheet." That tries to paste the entire page from Excel into the Project
plan and it won't go except as an icon. If you're trying to paste data from
Excel it will be in one cell there, say, the total expenses for a trip that
is part of a task that you now want to drop into the fixed cost cell of
Project's task list entry for that task. Select the cell in Excel and copy
the contents to the clipboard. Switch to Project, click in the target cell
where you wish to paste the data and "paste special." When it asks you the
data type you're pasting, choose "Text Data" and it will work fine.