Non-billable activities/tasks in TimeSheet?

[Haris]

Hi,

I'm working on the deployment of MS Project Server in my organization.
Currently we're maintaining our employee timesheets in excel where different
attributes related to an activity/task (Project Name, Client Name, Activity
code, Billability, Activity Description, actual hours spent) are already
defined. Employees select the activity from the respective category drop down
menu and give a description and fill in actual hours worked on the activity.
This way we have a uniform definition for all the activities whether billable
or not. During a project, its not neccessary that a resource would be
spending all his work time on project related/billable activities. There
might be some supporting activities (eg: self study etc) for the project as
well. This has been managed well in the excel timesheets.
Now moving to project server, where the activities come from the project
schedule, how can we define a uniform set of activities that could be common
for all projects, so that employees may assign themselves such a task under
any project?
Is there any specific way to track non-billable or non-project related
activities of the employees?
Thank you for your time.
Regards,
Haris

 

[Haris]

One more question: Is there a way to customize TimeSheet feature such that we
can create custom fields like drop down text items?

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Haris --

Yes, you can do something in Project Server that is similar to what you are
doing currently in Excel. To create a stand list of tasks for all team
members, your project managers should create each new project using an
enterprise project template that contains the standard list of tasks. Team
members will be able to see the tasks to which they are assigned in the View
My Tasks page in Project Web Access. Beyond working on the tasks to which
they are currently assigned, team members will also be able to propose new
tasks to their project manager, but the PM must approve these new tasks
before they are active on the user's timesheet.

Regarding your custom fields, such as Project Name, Client Name, etc:

1. Project Name is already included with each task in the View My Tasks
page
2. All of your other custom fields should be created as custom enterprise
Task fields in the Enterprise Global file by your Project Server
administrator (depending on your needs, he/she can create a value list from
which users can select a value in each of these custom fields on their PWA
timesheet)
3. The Project Server administrator will need to add these custom fields as
Published Fields in every enterprise project template (Tools - Customize -
Published Fields)
4. If you are not already using enterprise project templates, your project
managers must complete step #3 in every project they manage
5. After completing steps #3 or #4, your PS admin or your PM will need to
click Collaborate - Publish - Republish Assignments to "push" the custom
field values to each user's timesheet in PWA
6. Your Project Server administrator will also need to add these custom
fields to the default Timesheet view so that team members can select or
enter values in them

Hope this helps.

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Haris --

Yes, you can do something in Project Server that is similar to what you are
doing currently in Excel. To create a stand list of tasks for all team
members, your project managers should create each new project using an
enterprise project template that contains the standard list of tasks. Team
members will be able to see the tasks to which they are assigned in the View
My Tasks page in Project Web Access. Beyond working on the tasks to which
they are currently assigned, team members will also be able to propose new
tasks to their project manager, but the PM must approve these new tasks
before they are active on the user's timesheet.

Regarding your custom fields, such as Project Name, Client Name, etc:

1. Project Name is already included with each task in the View My Tasks
page
2. All of your other custom fields should be created as custom enterprise
Task fields in the Enterprise Global file by your Project Server
administrator (depending on your needs, he/she can create a value list from
which users can select a value in each of these custom fields on their PWA
timesheet)
3. The Project Server administrator will need to add these custom fields as
Published Fields in every enterprise project template (Tools - Customize -
Published Fields)
4. If you are not already using enterprise project templates, your project
managers must complete step #3 in every project they manage
5. After completing steps #3 or #4, your PS admin or your PM will need to
click Collaborate - Publish - Republish Assignments to "push" the custom
field values to each user's timesheet in PWA
6. Your Project Server administrator will also need to add these custom
fields to the default Timesheet view so that team members can select or
enter values in them

Hope this helps.

 

[Haris]

Dale:

Thank you for the help. Sorry for getting back late, i was overloaded with a
project work. I've just tried following the instructions you gave. I've been
able to add a filed (Enterprise Task Outline Code. Named 'Activity'. This
code defined all the standard activities perofrmed by resources in our
organization, whether billable or not. No additional activities can be added
by a resource himself.)into the enterprise global template. Now its a
multi-level code. I have added it to the Timesheet view of the PWA as well.
But the field appears in the timesheet view as greyed and cannot be edited.
- How can i make this field editable?
- Since this is a multilevel code, can i make it a drop down list or
something like that? so that resources select the standard activity and fill
in the hours worked?

Looking forward to your response.
Regards,
Haris

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Haris --

Your PM's must add the custom outline code to every project and then
republish the assignments using Collaborate - Publish - Republish
Assignments. I indicated this in steps #4-6 in my original response. Did
your PM's do those steps?

 

[Haris]

Dale:

Thanks a lot for your guidance. I've successfully updated the project and
the information is available as a drop down list. Thanks once again
Now going further (I hope I'm not bugging you too much) there is one more
issue that i am facing right now. I, as a project manager, assign a task to a
resource using MS Project 2003 & publish assignments. The resource performs
more than one activities to accomplish that task but in the PWS timesheet,
there is only 1 space for the task to fill in, where as, i want the resource
to key in all the activities they perform using the standard activities from
the drop down list.
Now if i ask the resource to create a new task, it again requires the
approval of the PM.
- How can i allow resources to key in separate activities (Selected from the
drop down list i just created using your instructions) for one task assigned
to them?
- Is there a way to disable the approval from the PM for a new task and
straight away sending the completed task details to PM for approval?
- How can resources Key in ACTUAL HOURS WORKED? because the ACTUAL WORK
field appears disabled to the resources.

Looking forward to your response.
Regards,
Haris

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Haris --

1. They cannot select multiple items from the list. Sorry.
2. The manager must approve new task requests. There's no way to bypass
this. Sorry.
3. Refer to the following FAQs about tracking methods and how to change
them:

http://www.projectserverexperts.com/Shared Documents/trackingmethods.htm

http://www.projectserverexperts.com/Shared Documents/ChangeTrackingMethod.htm

Hope this helps.

 

[Haris]

Dale:

Thanks a lot for your patience and guidance. You've been a great help! (Y)

Regards,
Haris

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Haris --

You are more than welcome, my friend!

 

[JFB Bunbury]

Hello this is the closest topic I could fiind to the query I have. I am a
sole practitioner and would like to be able to track just in terms of an
''active'' timesheet what i do throughout the day. Does anyone know of a
simple way to do this. I propose to use the headings Client Number (drop down
or appears as you type or list most recent etc), Client Name (drop down or
appears as you type or list most recent etc), time Started, Time Finished
(both set in 6 minute increments so no in betweens), number of units (total
of time started to time finished e.g. 2.00 - 2.12 = 2 units), code with drop
downs to select work types e.g. DWG, TAO, TAI, CW, ATT, CSG, LT, PSG PTC RES
SET SUP, TRA, T, AL, PH, SI, SEM, PRO, ARC and ACC), Solicitor Code,
Solicior's Rate and description of work. And want all this to be able to be
called up by inputting a client name or number as a summary from the first
time work was done. I have seen things that offer this but they are too
complex for just one person who wants to track time day by day and then be
able say at the end of a month to see a list that shows the work. A function
to add up units heading at the end of each day and for summaries would be
great would also be great etc. Any tips (well I need much more than tips lets
be hones)...anyone have anything that could be modified? I am extremely new
and have been trying to develop from scrathc in Excel and Access but having
little success. Cheers from Jamie WA Australia.

 

[Leon Milbeck]

The statement "Team members will be able to see the tasks to which they are
assigned in the View My Tasks page in Project Web Access." implies that when
you create the task you have to assign all resources to that task that may do
work on it ... correct? What if two resources do work on that same task then?
I have a post in another group about this same issue and am looking very
hard to find a solution.

http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...d645&catlist=&dglist=&ptlist=&exp=&sloc=en-us

Thanks
Leon Milbeck

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Leon --

If you want to assign a team of resources to a task so that any of them can
work on it, or any one of them can take over the task personally, your
organization would need to use the new Team resource functionality in
Project Server 2007. Refer to the following FAQ for the steps your Project
Server administrator will need to follow to set up Team resources in your
system:

http://www.projectserverexperts.com/ProjectServerFAQKnowledgeBase/CreateTeamResource.aspx

Assuming your Project Server sets up Team resources that represent the
various teams in your company, you can then add a Team resource to your
project team using Tools - Build Team from Enterprise and assign this Team
resource to tasks. When you publish the project, the task will appear on
the My Tasks page for each resource assigned to the task. Any of them can
do work on the task. If one of them needs to take over the task completely,
he/she can use the Self-Assign Team Task functionality, and this will then
remove the task from the other resource's My Tasks page.

That's one way to handle your situation. Hope this helps.

 

[Leon Milbeck]

Thanks for the reply ... we are very close ... except ... one area still does
not work.

Where it breaks down is in the following:
"... you can then add a Team resource to your project team using Tools -
Build Team from Enterprise and assign this Team resource to tasks."

So I created a Team Resource called DEV and linked 5 users to it following
the instuctions from the link.

"When you publish the project, the task will appear on the My Tasks page for
each resource assigned to the task. Any of them can do work on the task."

The task does not appear at all.

"If one of them needs to take over the task completely, he/she can use the
Self-Assign Team Task functionality, and this will then remove the task from
the other resource's My Tasks page."

This worked ... I was able to login as that user and Self-Assign the task.


Thoughts?
Thanks
Leon Milbeck

 

[Leon Milbeck]

More information found.
In
http://www.projectserverexperts.com/ProjectServerFAQKnowledgeBase/UseTeamResources.aspx
The following is stated:
"When you publish a project with a Team Resource assigned to tasks in the
project, the Team tasks do not appear on the My Tasks page of each resource
that is represented by the Team Resource. Instead, the resources represented
by the Team Resource must click the Self-Assign Team Tasks button on the My
Tasks page to display the Team Tasks page. From there, the resource can
select the tasks that he/she will work on and then click the Assign Task to
Me button. This action removes the selected Team tasks from the Team Tasks
page for all team members and moves the selected Team tasks to the resource's
My Tasks page, so that he/she can report progress toward the selected Team
tasks."

So I guess they need to do a Self-Assign in order to see them. Shoot.

Leon Milbeck

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Leon --

Several questions:

1. Did you create a Teams lookup table and populate it with the names of
each team? And did you attach the Teams lookup table to the Team Name
field? I am assuming so, let's just make sure. And did you specify a Yes
value in the Team Assignment Pool field for the DEV team resource? And did
you select the same Team Name value for the Team resource and the people on
that team? Again, I assume so, but let's just make sure.

2. What is your organization's Service Pack level for Project Server 2007?
To be current, you should have SP1, Infrastructure Update, and August 2008
cumulative update applied to WSS, Project Server 2007, and Project
Professional 2007. I ask because this is our current SP level and I can see
the team tasks just fine on the My Tasks page for the team tasks to which my
Team resource is assigned.

Let us know.

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Leon --

I believe you found a reference we have not updated. Given the current
functionality of Project Server 2007, the tasks assigned to Team resources
should show up on the My Tasks page for each resource that is represented by
the Team resource. Hope this helps.

 

[Leon Milbeck]

Leon --

Several questions:

1. Did you create a Teams lookup table and populate it with the names of
each team? LM = Yes
And did you attach the Teams lookup table to the Team Name
field? LM = Yes
I am assuming so, let's just make sure.
And did you specify a Yes value in the Team Assignment Pool field for the DEV team resource?

LM = Do you mean did I check the check box in the Edit Resource Page?

And did you select the same Team Name value for the Team resource and the people on
that team? Again, I assume so, but let's just make sure. LM = Yes

2. What is your organization's Service Pack level for Project Server 2007?
To be current, you should have SP1, Infrastructure Update, and August 2008
cumulative update applied to WSS, Project Server 2007, and Project
Professional 2007. I ask because this is our current SP level and I can see
the team tasks just fine on the My Tasks page for the team tasks to which my
Team resource is assigned.

All are good on this end.

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

LM --

Well, I'm running out of ideas. Perhaps someone else can give you another
potential cause for your problem. One final thought: Are you assigning the
Team resource to tasks in an enterprise project, as opposed to a Proposal or
an Activity Plan? Let us know. Thanks!

 

[Leon Milbeck]

Yes. I am doing it through a project I created in MSO Project 2007.
Leon