Question on "Sync to Protected Actuals" function

[Skip W]

We are running MSP 2003 Project & Server SP2. We are tracking hours per day
and forcing PMs to use it, but we are not using managed time periods. Since
we are not using managed time periods, if I execute Sync to Protected Actuals
will the actuals in the plan be restored to those in PWA for the entire
duration of the project, or will the command do nothing?
Thanks

 

[Rene]

Hi Skip;
I am going to guess at this but I think I'm right. When you sync to
Actuals your project will sync to whatever has been updated from
timesheets to that project. That is, the PM has approved timesheet
inputs and updated his project.

So, let say you've been playing with the unprotected Actuals, or % of
completness and you save the project. To get back in sync you would
execute a Tools, Tracking, Sync to Protected Actual. That should get
you back to your last update.

However, if PWA is configured to Managed Timesheet Periods (MTPs), you
could not changed the Actual hours within the project because they are
protected. You could only do that with Permissions to Adjust Actuals.

One last point. If you're not configured for MTPs, your resources can
adjust their Task hours Willy-Nilly. Which means your resource may
decide that the hours they put in 3 weeks ago, 4 months ago, or
whenever was wrong and they can change it. A PM, asleep at the wheel,
can aprove those hours and then who knows what that will do to his
schedule.

That's my guess and I'm sticking to it.

Rene

 

[Marc Soester]

Hi Skip,

Even if you dont use manged period, you can sync the actual work with actual
work prot. as Rene discribed. Please note this will sync your whole Project
Plan, also the actual work value of local resources will change (to 0). so
before you do this, you want to make sure that you have no local resources
and that all time your PM received was from timesheets.

I hope this helps