Maintenance Activities and How to Report

[Irish Gues]

Hi, we currently have a Microsoft Project Server 2003 install running. We are
struggling with how to deal with maintenance activities within the
department. We have about 100 different systems that we maintain and we want
to be able to track the time spent on each system. Are there any best
practices out there for this? Currently, we have a project plan with a task
line for each system and the appropriate resource assigned to each task. The
work effort is estimated and spread out evenly over the fiscal year. Of
course, as soon as anyone puts any time against it, Project recalculates the
duration and/or effort and it requires a lot of upkeep. We toyed with an
administrative project, but are not sure that is the way to go. Any advice
would be appreciated!

 

[Mark Everett | PMP]

Hi, we currently have a Microsoft Project Server 2003 install running. Weare
struggling with how to deal with maintenance activities within the
department. We have about 100 different systems that we maintain and we want
to be able to track the time spent on each system. Are there any best
practices out there for this? Currently, we have a project plan with a task
line for each system and the appropriate resource assigned to each task. The
work effort is estimated and spread out evenly over the fiscal year. Of
course, as soon as anyone puts any time against it, Project recalculates the
duration and/or effort and it requires a lot of upkeep. We toyed with an
administrative project, but are not sure that is the way to go. Any advice
would be appreciated!

I think that tracking the effort over a year is too long and makes it
diffiucult to plan and maintain the work. This is the method that
recommend - even to 2007 clients because the Activity with Resource
Plan tool is still pretty limiting.

- Make the system a summary task and under that 12,4 or 2 tasks (at
the month, or quarter or half-yearly level). Work assignments are
made and at the end of each period, the period is closed out by
zeroing out Remaining Work.

It would like this:

Operation Support Project
System 1
Task 1
Task 2
Task 3
System 2

etc.

Also, if these systems are "owned" by different people, you might have
them publish and maint the plans, since a big project schedule like
can be hard to work with.

Finally, to prevent too much movement with the tasks, after you create
the structure create an Actual Start date. That will prevent a, for
example, 30 day support item from extending to 35 days because no one
entered actuals until the 5th day. To do that:

Procedure The procedure described below should be carefully followed
to achieve proper results.

Step Action
1 Start Microsoft Office Project Professional and log into Project
Server.
2 Start a new project and enter the required tasks. Use Summary tasks
if necessary to organize the work.

3 Click Project „³ Project Information and enter the Start date of the
project.

4 For each task, enter the same duration.

5 Click View „³ Table „³ Tracking and for each task, set the Actual
Start Date. This will set the start date and prevent it from being
changed based on actual entries submitted by team members.


Hope this helps,
Mark Everett, PMP MCITP
www.catapultsystems.com