How do I populate the Status Manager fields - 2007

[Monique]

HI,
I am trying to use the Status Manager field. I am not able to populate the
drop down list with other names. How do I do that? I am an admin on the
server side.

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Monique --

I think the following is how Microsoft envisions that we use the Status
Manager field in a project:

1. Three project managers (PM1, PM2, and PM3) are the co-managers of a
project and each manager will manage a section of the project.
2. PM1 creates the project, saves it and publishes it (the system makes PM1
the Status Manager for every task in the project because he/she published it
initially).
3. PM1 closes the project.
4. PM2 opens the project and sets him/herself as the Status Manager of only
the tasks he/she will manage (he/she can see his/her name on the Status
Manager list because he/she has the project open, and he/she can also see
PM1 on the list as well).
5. PM2 saves and publishes the project and closes it.
6. PM3 opens the project and sets him/herself as the Status Manager of the
tasks he/she will manage (he/she can see his/her name on the Status Manager
list because he/she has the project open, and he/she can also see PM1 and
PM2 on the list as well).
7. PM3 saves and publishes the project and closes it.
8. When a team member submits task progress for the project in PWA, the
system routes the task update to the correct Status Manager for the task.

Based on my experimentation, this seems to be the way the system works.
Does this square with your experience so far? If I am mistaken, I gladly
invite someone else to correct me.

Also, there is a bug in Project Professional 2007 that will not allow PM2 or
PM3 to use the "fill handle" (or Edit - Fill - Down) in the Status Manager
field to rapidly copy his/her name down a list of tasks. Because of this,
PM2 or PM3 will need to copy and paste the Status Manager information ONE
TASK AT A TIME. I have reported this bug to Microsoft, who has confirmed it
and logged it into their bug fix system. Hope this helps.

 

[Monique]

HI,
Thanks. Not very convient, but it helps alot. It would be nice the status
field could be set up on the servers side, a group created, and then on the
Project Pro side, available as a global resouce drop down list.

One last question:
What if the tasks are already created and published by another project
manager? How do you reassign the status manager?

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Monique --

Re-read my last post. Steps #4-7 document what the other managers have to
do to set themselves as the Status Manager for tasks in the project. Hope
this helps.

 

[Monique]

HI,
Thanks for pointing that out. Great!

Monique --

Re-read my last post. Steps #4-7 document what the other managers have to
do to set themselves as the Status Manager for tasks in the project. Hope
this helps.

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Monique --

You are more than welcome, my friend!

 

[Michael Brown]

Dale,

I've been experimenting with this as well in order to resolve an issue I'm
having with changing the Plan Owner through PWA. I have a number of
resources on my project - all set up at the appropriate level. I can open
the plan up as one of the other resources, but the ONLY name I see in the
drop down list box in the status manager field is my own (i am the current
owner). I'm trying to find a way to either change the entire plan owner
(which does not seem to be working properly), or at the least, change the
status owner of a task to another project manager. Is this all tied to a
similar bug that's been reported?

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Monique --

When a PM opens an enterprise project, he/she can only see the following
names in the Status Manager field pick list:

1. His/her own name
2. The names of any other PM who opened the project, selected a value in
the field, and then saved and published the project.

Given those two points, doesn't that explain what you are seeing? Let us
know.

 

[Char]

Hi,

Can you assign more than one Status manager to a task? I would like it that
In case if one status manager is not able to approve time the other status
manager assigned would be able to for that task.

Tnanks!

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Only one at a time, but you can change it quickly and the new status manager
gets any pending updates.

--

Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
MSProjectExperts
For Project Server Consulting: http://www.msprojectexperts.com
For Project Server FAQS: http://www.projectserverexperts.com

 

[Char]

Thanks!

Only one at a time, but you can change it quickly and the new status manager
gets any pending updates.

--

Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
MSProjectExperts
For Project Server Consulting: http://www.msprojectexperts.com
For Project Server FAQS: http://www.projectserverexperts.com

 

[Avi]

Dale,

The steps do not seem to work for me. As I understand, a Project can only
have one 'owner' aka PM at all times. The project was originally created,
saved, published by a PM and he was status manager on all tasks. Now, he
made me the 'owner' and then I opened the project and tried to make myself
the status manager but it does not work. only one status manager comes in the
drop down that is the original owner. I created new tasks, same issue.
I part of the project team.

Basically, I am unable to add anyone other than the original owner as the
status manager. This project was not created from a template.

Avi

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Avi --

When you open the project, the system should show your name on the pick list
of names in the Status Manager column. If that is not happening, I cannot
even begin to speculate why your name isn't there. Do know this, however:
the original manager cannot open the project and make you the Status
Manager. You have to open it to complete this operation. Let us know.