Project Server, anyway to import time from third party system

[Frank Trivoluzzi]

My company currently has two time keeping systems, one for fulltime and one
for consultants, is there anyway to import time from our fulltime staff into
MS Project Server?

 

[Rod Gill]

Yes there is, but it is complex handling all the different exceptions and
any "oddities" your system has. You can go full blown and write PSI code to
import directly into the PWA timehseet or you can import directly into
Project schedules using VBA.

You need an expert PSI or VBA programmer whichever way you go and it will be
much quicker and cheaper if they have done a timesheet integration program
before!

--

Rod Gill
Microsoft MVP for Project

Author of the only book on Project VBA, see:
http://www.projectvbabook.com

 

[Frank Trivoluzzi]

Hi Rod.

What the best way to go, if i want to have all employees in IT use Time
sheet in MS project server as 50% Consultants, and the other half are
Fulltime?

Thanks,
Frank

 

[Rod Gill]

Only you, your budget, your business stakeholders and available resources
can answer that question! My skills are heavily weighted towards VBA so I
would of course use VBA, but if you have skilled C# developers who know web
services then PSI may be the best route. If you must have an integrated
solution that doesn't have to go through Project Professional (to read in
data) then PSI is your only route, but probably the more expensive one!

--

Rod Gill
Microsoft MVP for Project

Author of the only book on Project VBA, see:
http://www.projectvbabook.com

 

[Gary Chefetz]

Frank:

This is one of the "classic conundrums" presented when you introduce an EPM
system to an enterprise that already has a timekeeping system. The most
significant problem you face is reconciling your time system data with
Project Server. In my near decade-long experience with this, I have yet to
see a timekeeping system that is designed to track time at the assignment
level, which is what you need to drive progress updates in projects using
time entry. The vast majority of timekeeping systems are not designed to
track time below a simple charge code level or by project. This "rolled-up"
data can be interesting to display in Project Server, but it rarely provides
a means to tracking progress.

This leaves you with two choices: 1) Use Project Server as your time
collection system and feed your existing system with the Project Server
collected data or 2) Replace your timekeeping system with an application
that is capable of fulfilling both requirements.

Neither of these choices plays well in the average enterprise. Making
changes to timekeeping systems is not a particularly popular thing to
propose and requires strong C-level support.

 

[Frank Trivoluzzi]

Thanks Rod and Gary for all your advice, i appreciate it