MSP 2007 - Update Project Plan

[Brian]

Can somebody shed some light on how to update a project plan with actual work
that has been submitted by resources via PWA in MSP 2007? I am specified as
my own Timesheet Manager and Assignment Owner on the Edit Resource page.
When I enter actual work in the timesheet view and submit, I get a message
that the system automatically approved it and I don't see anything similar to
the Updates tab in the 2003 version. Can somebody point me down the right
road?

Thanks,
Brian

 

[Marc Soester]

Bryan, on the PWA homepage, by default, you have the reminder web part.
Within this web part you have "approvals", there you can see outsanding
approvals.
Hope this helps
Marc

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Brian --

There are two components of tracking in Project Server 2007. The My
Timesheet page in PWA is used for time tracking for project work,
non-project work, and non-working time. Time entered on the My Timesheet
page is submitted for approval to the designated Timesheet Manager, which is
by default the team member him/herself unless the Project Server
administrator designates another person to be the Timesheet manager.

The My Tasks page is used for tracking project progress only. Progress
entered in the My Tasks page is submitted for approval to the project
manager. If a team member saves and submits time on the My Timesheet page,
he/she needs to do the following to import the numbers to the My Tasks page
for submission to the project manager:

1. Click the My Tasks link in the Quick Launch menu.
2. On the My Tasks page, click the Import Timesheet button.
3. On the Import Timesheet page, click the Timesheet pick list and select
the Timesheet in which he/she entered hours
4. Click the Import button.
5. On the My Tasks page, select the checkbox to the left of each task in
which the system imported progress from the Timesheet (each updated task
shows a red exclamation point to the right of the task name).
6. Click the Submit Selected button.

After the team member updates progress to his/her project manager, the PM
can see the task updates by clicking the Task Updates link in the Approvals
section of the Quick Launch menu. Hope this helps.

 

[Brian]

Dale,

This was a tremendous help. Thank you. As a result of this new knowledge I
was naturally led to the "Task Settings and Display" area of the "Server
Settings" tab. What effect does the "Tracking Method" have? I changed these
values and I still saw the percent complete field (uneditable) on the "My
Tasks" page and the Actual Work field on the "My Timesheets" page (without
the "Remaining Work" field).

Thanks,
Brian

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Brian --

The default method of tracking progress determines the fields into which a
team member can enter progress through the My Tasks interface n PWA 2007.
To see how these methods work, you click the name of any task on the My
Tasks Page, which gives all related details about the task on the Assignment
Details page. On this page, here's how the three methods of tracking
progress work:

1. % Work Complete - allows team members to enter progress in the % Work
Complete field and ajdust the Remaining Work value.

2. Actual Work Done and Work Remaining - allows team members to enter
progress in the Actual Work field and adjust the Remaining Work value.

3. Hours of Work Done per Time Period - allows team members to enter
progress in a daily timesheet grid and adjust the Remaining Work value.

Method of tracking #3 above is very similar to what you already see on the
My Timesheet page. As you noted, the Remaining Work field is not visible on
the My Timesheet page. Hope this helps.

 

[Brian]

Dale,

Thanks again. I may still be confused about this functionality. I have
gone into the "Server Settings" area then into "Task Settings and Display."
In the top section, I've changed the method between the three values that you
described below.

When I go back to the "My Tasks" page and click on a task, I consistently
see the following information regardless of which method has been chosen:

Total Work - Read Only
Percent Complete - Read/Write
Start - Read/Write
Finish - Read/Write
Remaining Work - Read/Write

I don't see a timesheet grid nor an actual work field. Is there something
that I'm missing?

Thanks,
Brian

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Brian --

After you change the default method of tracking, your PM's have to open and
republish each of their projects. Hope this helps.

 

[Brian]

Dale,

Thanks again. I remember reading that the only way to publish a file in
this version is by going to File > Publish as opposed to having the ability
to Republish Assignments, publish New and Changed Assignments, etc. in the
2003 version. When this option is selected, only the information that has
been changed recently is published. Is that correct?

This being the case, when you say that the PM's need to republish their
files, do the PM's need to make a change in each file and then use the
Publish option on the file menu or will simply opening the file, choosing
File > Publish, and then closing the file work?

Thanks,
Brian

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Brian --

Yes, the beauty of the Local Cache in Project Server 2007 is that only the
changes get saved or published to the Project Server database. If you
change the default method of tracking, I believe your PM's only need to open
and publish the project. You might try this with just one project to
confirm this. Hope this helps.