Resource has left the company --> Inactive Resources --> SpoolerProblem

[Thomas]

Hi all,

anyway that this discussion is not the only one on the issue
"inactive" resources...I would like to bring it to an end
(as I am also looking for the best solution).

Situation as follows...

Resource ABC has left the company.
After some weeks I set the status to inactive ...assuming that no
remaing work is left. (did not check)

Afterwards our project managers get error messages from project server
spooler. (cannot build resource account / 0x8C040017)
This will be based on the fact that ABC still has remaining work ...

But how to proceed? How to set all remaining work to ZERO ... the
easiest way?

(A) Do I have to open all projects, where ABC has work to do or is a
team member and set
remaining work to zero...republish changes...? Afterwards set the
account status to inactive.

(B) What about the following approach?
Instead of deactivating the user, changing the logon to Project Server
Authentication, set all the remaining work --> 0
Sending ALL Updates...Waiting for project managers updates...and then
deactivate the resource!?

As I wanted to avoid project spooler messages I did not deactivate
accounts, but set them to
workgroup none...and erased the windows account. But then the managers
also get other spooler
errors...

Is there no easy way how to set remaining work to zero and set
resource status to inactive?

And finally...when inactive resources don't have remaining work...we
won't get the spooler error?

Help
Thomas

PS: We're using Project / Server 2003

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Thomas:

Each project manager should open their plans containing the resource and set
all remaining work values to zero and then republish.

--

Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
MSProjectExperts
For Project Server Consulting: http://www.msprojectexperts.com
For Project Server FAQS: http://www.projectserverexperts.com

 

[Thomas]

Gary,

thanks for quick response...but isn't there an easiert (faster) way?
Let's say the resource has already left the company....and now all
remaining work hast to be cancelled...

Regards
Thomas

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Thomas:

That depends. Is the work going away with the resource or is it getting
reassigned to other resources? Usually work does not evaporate because a
resource leaves. It is extremely easy to reassign remaining work from one
resource to another using Assign Resource dialog if a PM knows how to apply
the built-in "using resource" dynamic filter in a task view. The entire
process can take just a few clicks if you are making a one-to-one
substitution. Give it all of five or ten minutes if you need to think about
distributing the work to multiple resources. In any event, the Project
Managers have some work to do. Dealing with work reassignment is a
day-to-day maintenance task.

--

Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
MSProjectExperts
For Project Server Consulting: http://www.msprojectexperts.com
For Project Server FAQS: http://www.projectserverexperts.com

 

[Thomas]

Gary,

of course you are right and of course the work is not going away with
the resource and it has to be switched to the new resource.

But coming back to my question....is there a chance to set remaining
work to 0 by admin ... or in PWA of future inactive resource?

Thomas

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Thomas:

I suppose that you could write code to do this, but try to imagine what will
happen to the plans as a result. It will certainly "screw-up" the schedules.
I do not think this approach is advisable. It certainly would be nice if
Project Server could replace project managers, but we're nowhere close to
that happening at this point.

--

Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
MSProjectExperts
For Project Server Consulting: http://www.msprojectexperts.com
For Project Server FAQS: http://www.projectserverexperts.com