Show/Hide specific WBS Elements

[fxs]

Hello,

I'm working with MS Project Professional 2003 Desktop version (no Project
Server).
My top-level project tasks are: Planning, Construction and Advertising. Each
of these has 10-15 sub-tasks.

Is there any way that I can distribute the MS Project file to my
'Construction' team and have them look at just the 'Construction' tasks, and
not the others.
Similarly, I'd like to distribute the MS Project file to my 'Advertising'
team and have them look at only the 'Advertising' tasks, and nothing else.

Is this doable?

thanks,
Fxs.

 

[fxs]

Is there a way to customize my WBS codes?
For example, I want all WBS #1 to show up as #100;
1.1 to show up as 100.1.
i.e.
1 ==> 100
1.1 ==> 100.1
1.2 ==> 100.2
1.2.1 ==> 100.2.1
2 ==> 200
2.1 ==> 200.1

How do I do this?

 

[Ian Coletti, PMP]

Hi,

Since you're not using Server, I'll assume that you're going to distribute
tasks either in hardcopy or via file like Excel.

Either way, you may want to create a task filter that filters on Resource
Group. Set the Resource Group for each of your resources to their respective
group (Contruction, Advertising, etc). You can use this filter for either
printing out a hardcopy of a Gantt chart view or Task Usage view and filter
for only those groups. A quicker way is to use the Autofilter function, add
the Resource Group field to a Gantt or Task Usage view and the use the drop
down in the column header to select which tasks you want to see.

Another way to distribute tasks is using a map and saving to Excel and or
saving as a web page (HTML). These can be less "pretty" than the hardcopy
view.

Yet another way is to save as a picture, which takes a bit of fiddling with
to make it usable.

.... and last but not least, you can use what my company uses, which is a
macro that extracts resource assignment data into an Excel template. This
output was designed to mimic Server from a desktop only perspective. For
this, you'll need someone familiar with VBA to help you out.

Best of luck!

Ian

 

[John]

Is there a way to customize my WBS codes?
For example, I want all WBS #1 to show up as #100;
1.1 to show up as 100.1.
i.e.
1 ==> 100
1.1 ==> 100.1
1.2 ==> 100.2
1.2.1 ==> 100.2.1
2 ==> 200
2.1 ==> 200.1

How do I do this?

fxs,
Yes. However are you looking at the WBS field or are you looking at the
Outline Number field? If it truly is the WBS field then a simple macro
can be used to modify the prefix to show hundreds. This code should do
it.
Sub TweakWBS()
For Each t In ActiveProject.Tasks
If Not t Is Nothing Then
If InStr(1, t.WBS, ".") = 0 Then
t.WBS = t.WBS * 100
Else
pre = Mid(t.WBS, 1, InStr(1, t.WBS, ".") - 1)
mainpart = Mid(t.WBS, InStr(1, t.WBS, "."))
newpre = CInt(pre) * 100
t.WBS = CStr(newpre & mainpart)
End If
End If
Next t

Hope this helps.
John
Project MVP

 

[fxs]

Ian,

Thanks for the reply.
I was hoping to distribute just the MPP file but the excel sounds intriguing
as well. How would I export the filtered contents to excel?

Do you mind sharing the macro, please?

thanks,
fxs.

 

[fxs]

Neat, Thanks. The way this works, looks like what I'll need to do is create
the tasks with the default wbs codes, and then run this macro.
So, on new tasks added after the macro was run, I wonder if it'll retain the
default numbering, or pick up the 100s style of numbering....

 

[John]

Neat, Thanks. The way this works, looks like what I'll need to do is create
the tasks with the default wbs codes, and then run this macro.
So, on new tasks added after the macro was run, I wonder if it'll retain the
default numbering, or pick up the 100s style of numbering....

fxs,
To answer your basic request I kept the code as simple as possible. If
it is run a second time, the WBS prefix will get more "00s", and the
code will need to be modified to handle WBSs for added tasks.

If you have a little VBA experience, modifying the code to be more
flexible would be a good exercise. If you do not have any VBA experience
but would like to get the added functionality, write me direct and tell
me what you want the WBS to look like (i.e. default WBS, a custom WBS
structure, etc.). For example, if a task is added between existing WBSs,
should the WBS renumber from the added task on (Project default) or
should existing tasks retain their original WBS?

John

 

[fxs]

Sorry, I dropped off teh list for a while. I really need some help with this
macro that exports to excel. Or, any macro that exports to excel. Once I get
a basic hang of things I can find my way around the VBA code.