Resource Leveling Problems

[Jim Sipe]

I am using PWA to open multiple projects (10) that have the same resources
assigned across all 10. This opens all 10 in a Master Project.
Individually, each of the 10 projects have a different Project Priority
assigned. I am assumuning that these unique project priorities are carried
across to this Master Project. In the Master Project, my first step has been
to move all uncompleted work forward to yesterday's date. I then resource
level, again using yesterdays date as the starting point. All resources have
been set to be able to be resource leveled. Looking at a single resource, I
am finding that work associated with a project that has a low priority is
starting earlier that work associated with a project that has a higher
priority (e.g. resource leveling does not seem to be happening between
projects). Work within a single project appears to be resource leveled
correctly.
Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Jim --

Does it make a difference if you open all ten of the projects individually,
instead of opening them in a master project?

 

[Jim Sipe]

The short answer to your question is "No". Its just quicker to open in PWA
and based on your help last week, I have been using the "PWA/Master Project"
method. This way, I can look at the whole combination of projects in
Enterprise Gantt Chart, filter on a particular resource, and see where my
problems are.

Since I do not want to save the opened Master Project after resource
leveling, how do the individual projects get "published"? Do I have to go
back to Project Professional, open the projects individually, and then
publish them?

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Jim --

Here's the trick to open all 10 projects quickly and easily without having
to use a master project:

1. Open each of the 10 projects individually in Microsoft Project
Professional using File - Open
2. Click File - Save Workspace
3. Select a folder in which to save the workspace and then give the
workspace file a name
4. Click the Save button

To actually use the saved workspace, do the following in Microsoft Project
Professional:

1. Click File - Open
2. Click the Open from File button
3. Navigate to the location where you saved the workspace file
4. Select the workspace file and click the Open button

After doing this, attempt to level with all 10 projects open and let us know
what happens. Also, you can publish the projects more easily since they are
all open.

--
Dale A. Howard [MVP]
Enterprise Project Trainer/Consultant
Denver, Colorado
http://www.msprojectexperts.com
"We wrote the books on Project Server"

 

[Jim Sipe]

Well, the process using Workspace "kinda" worked. I was able to open all 10
schedules, update, resource level, and save/publish individually within the
workspace. When I went to exit, I got save reminders again, indicated "Yes".
About half way through, Project quite, sent error reports to MS. It left
two of the schedules open that I had to close through PWA.

Are you sure that this is a sanctioned method? I am a little worried that
there may be some issues with this.

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Jim --

I searched the KB for problems related to using the workspace in Microsoft
Project 2003 while using Project Server. There are no articles, but then
again, this doesn't mean there are no problems related to this. Therefore,
I would invite others to share their experience with saving a group of
projects as a workspace in Microsoft Project 2003.