Inserting subprojects into a Master project

[aho200]

I am creating a subproject and have inserted this into a master project. The
master project is going to be very large for an $80 million dollar
implementation. I have tested inserting a subproject into a master and
seeing how dependencies can work in the master between subprojects. It seems
to work well. However, another senior project manager has said that the use
of subprojects in a master does not work well in MS Project and is not
recommended generally. Is this true? Are there any problems inserting
subprojects into a master as far as identifying the critical path, leveling
resources, etc.
Also currently both the master and subprojects are local projects.
When I import each of these into project server will I need to reinsert the
subproject into the master? Thanks

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

aho200 --

You can safely save a master project in the Project Server database, but you
should never publish a master project. The default settings in Project
Server do not allow you to publish a master project anyway, because doing so
can cause duplicate assignments for every resource assigned to tasks in each
subproject.

I would strongly recommend that you break all cross-project links between
subprojects in your master project, and then import each .mpp project
individually into the Project Server database using Tools - Enterprise
Options - Import Project to Enterprise. After you do so, you can recreate
the master project and then set the cross-project dependencies. Hope this
helps.

 

[Aileen_H]

Dale,

Our master project is composed of the main project tasks with my subproject
link inserted. We will want to publish the master project so that resources
can receive assignments and then log hours through PWA. Does that mean I
should not insert subprojects into our main project, so that our main project
does not become a master project which cannot be published?
Would it had been better for all our team Project Managers to insert
subprojects as links in a master project, then publish just the subprojects?
Thanks.

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Aileen_H --

I would recommend that you open each individual project and publish the
assignments. Under no circumstances can I recommend that you open and
publish the master project.

Also, when you create cross-project links from one project to another
project, the system saves those links each each SUBPROJECT and not in the
master project. Therefore, this means you do not need to publish the master
project. You only need to publish the subprojects. Hope this helps.