Is Portfolio Analyzer unstable?

[LTS-PSO]

We use MS Project Professional 2003. I don't understand why we can't retain
our original filtering in Portfolio Analyzer. Having filtered for certain
projects and/or resources and/or time periods, when the original 'view' is
revisited the filtering has changed to include other projects/resources/time
periods.
A reply from an expert to another query posted indicates additional project
plans being added to the list of required plans is nothing to worry about
because the data is not being added in. I don't believe this to be correct.
When I deselect the 'extra' plans the Grand Total figure in the data changes
sometimes decreasing and more oddly, sometimes increasing.
Would be grateful for any assistance.

 

[Marc Soester]

Hi LTS-PSO,

well, not sure what you are after, but I try to answer to "overall" question
whether PA is unstable.
I implement EPM Solutions to many clients and PA for us is a great
Analytical Tool which allows for standard and ad hoc reports. We have not
experienced the issues you are having and our experience has given us great
confidence in PA. Therefore I would answer the question No, it is not
unstable

by saying this, you probably need to know how PA works. I assume that you
know that PA is based on so called OLAP cubes, which are rebuild on a regular
bases. This rebuild re-creates the cube each time. This means should
somehting has changed in Projects between the cube builds, it could well be
that the figures are different to what they used to be.

I would monitor a project where you have the feeling that PA is not working
correct, and would try to find out where the values differ. I would suggest
working with the Project Manger together since he knows what he had changed
in the Project. I believe that you will find that the project was actually
changed, not that the OLAP cube was not build correctly ( not that this cant
happen this can happen as well of course).

I hope this will help you a little. Please let me know ifyou have a specific
question where I may be of assistance

 

[LTS-PSO]

Marc

Many thanks for your response but I think you have missed my point. I
understand how PA and the OLAP cube work and would expect project plans that
are constantly being updated to show different results after a rebuild. What
I don't understand is random project plans and/or resources that were not
previouly selected being added to the filtering automatically, i.e. items
that were never part of the original filtering process. Clients do not trust
the information when they are having to review the filtering and particularly
when they remove the 'extra' project plans and figures in the data increase
(??)
Incidentally, we are doing this using the data extract into Excel with the
automatic refresh enabled.
Hope this makes sense.
Thanks and regards