My Tasks and Enterprise Fields

[PG]

We ran into a problem in PS2007 SP1 that users on PWA My Tasks view do not
see populated values of enterprise fields. The fields are visible if a user
opens the project and drills down to tasks. Essentially, enterprise fields
are correctly populated in a task view. But, our users go to My tasks to
update their workcomplete.

MS has confirmed this is a problem by independently reproducing this. If and
when we get a fix we will post the fix.

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

PG --

Thanks for sharing this information. I hope that others will report bugs
that they are finding as a result of applying SP1.

 

[DG]

This bug isn't a "result of applying SP1".
We've noticed it in "before SP1" version.

MS has confirmed this is a problem, but no action...

thx.

 

[PG]

I remember many times saying "It isn't a bug, it is a feature!" On the issue
of enterprise fields not showing on My Tasks (which are in reality NOT tasks
but assignments), we put in an incident report with MS. (We have large
organization support with special account managers.) The first response we
got from support was India and all he did was "take notes" and not forward
all the backup we sent. Next we got some deeper level of support -- who blew
us off. This person never told us anything except -- "you can't access Task
level data from assignments" Duh? But the point we made is that we were given
a drop down on the assignment level My Tasks customization that allowed us to
pick enterprise fields. In other words, you were allowed to do something that
is wrong. We sent them documentation that explained their own structure --
there are tables in Tasks published DB and also there are Assn tables. We see
our enterprise data in tasks but not in assignments. Additionally we see the
fields appear in views of the reporting DB but not populated. This "error"
appeared regardless of field type -- text, flag, etc or the new pick list.
After being blown off, we raised the issue higher up the feeding chain
because the answer was unacceptable -- how could we be allowed to pick data
and not see the data we picked. We moved the issue to senior account
representatives, who moved the issue deeper, and finally from Redmond we got
an answer. It took a week and it took being "pushy" because you we got blown
off.

The answer eventually came as a setting. If you want the enterprise fields
you input at the tasks level to be "pushed" to the assignment level then go
to EDIT CUSTOM FIELD, fin the "Calculation for Assignment Rows", and select
"Roll Down". Problem solved. Of course, you would think rolling down would be
a defaul. And for DB design if you are just pushing data that is the same as
a task -- then why not use SQL to get the task level data using the ASSN_UID
link. But, such is life at MS.

Besides now saying "it is not a bug, it is a feature", besides getting the
"answer", what we mainly learned is you have to really push hard and not
accept an first or second level MS answer.

Merry christmas.

 

[DG]

Thanx.

I remember many times saying "It isn't a bug, it is a feature!" On the issue
of enterprise fields not showing on My Tasks (which are in reality NOT tasks
but assignments), we put in an incident report with MS. (We have large
organization support with special account managers.) The first response we
got from support was India and all he did was "take notes" and not forward
all the backup we sent. Next we got some deeper level of support -- who blew
us off. This person never told us anything except -- "you can't access Task
level data from assignments" Duh? But the point we made is that we were given
a drop down on the assignment level My Tasks customization that allowed us to
pick enterprise fields. In other words, you were allowed to do something that
is wrong. We sent them documentation that explained their own structure --
there are tables in Tasks published DB and also there are Assn tables. We see
our enterprise data in tasks but not in assignments. Additionally we see the
fields appear in views of the reporting DB but not populated. This "error"
appeared regardless of field type -- text, flag, etc or the new pick list.
After being blown off, we raised the issue higher up the feeding chain
because the answer was unacceptable -- how could we be allowed to pick data
and not see the data we picked. We moved the issue to senior account
representatives, who moved the issue deeper, and finally from Redmond we got
an answer. It took a week and it took being "pushy" because you we got blown
off.

The answer eventually came as a setting. If you want the enterprise fields
you input at the tasks level to be "pushed" to the assignment level then go
to EDIT CUSTOM FIELD, fin the "Calculation for Assignment Rows", and select
"Roll Down". Problem solved. Of course, you would think rolling down would be
a defaul. And for DB design if you are just pushing data that is the same as
a task -- then why not use SQL to get the task level data using the ASSN_UID
link. But, such is life at MS.

Besides now saying "it is not a bug, it is a feature", besides getting the
"answer", what we mainly learned is you have to really push hard and not
accept an first or second level MS answer.

Merry christmas.

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Let's hope that the bugs around the roll-down feature have been rectified in
SP1.

--

Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
MSProjectExperts
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