Some Best Practices Advice and HelpDesk

[Steve Lundwall]

I've been reading and reading in these forums and have picked up a great
deal of information. Thank you all for your wonderful advice and input. Now
I have to get a little more specific about our particular situation as we
proceed forward. You may want to answer this here or you may want to direct
me to a book or two (and I may already have). I realize I'll be asking for a
large body of knowledge to be consolidated into an email reply and if it was
that easy then everyone could do this. So, I guess I'm asking for very high
level advice.



We are running Project Server 2003 on Windows Server 2003 and Sharepoint
Services connected to SQL Server on a different machine. All is set up and
running fine. Our division is comprised of myself (Project Manager), 3
business analysts, 6 developers (FoxPro, .NET, Crystal and Dreamweaver), an
Oracle/SQL DBA, a security administrator and a couple of LAN Techs. We are
supporting 'Twilight' technology (old FoxPro 2.6 and 6.0 applications) and
are starting to replace them with new technology (.NET - Oracle)
applications. In addition we will be bringing in a consulting team to start
an Oracle Financials development process on 7/1/2005. We have divided up
into two teams. Unfortunately we can't stop all new development in FoxPro
and simply maintain these applications until such time as we can switch over
to new technology so there are considerable development projects on both
teams. We try to keep resources focused on their own areas but there are
some projects that we are required to do out of logical order because of
some directive from some 800 lbs gorilla. These can 'mix' technologies -
using views in Oracle of FoxPro data for example.



As project manager my experiences have always been with stand alone versions
of Project. This is our first effort into a collaborative tool and from what
I see Project and Sharepoint can be really helpful but will also require
proper planning and set up on my part to make this work correctly. It is my
intent on the new development effort to set up a master project but only
publish the sub-projects so that resources can put time and other items
against these. The older technology projects are much more fluid. We have a
few larger twilight technology development efforts which I can and will set
up as projects with proper resources and time frames but then fires happen
which can take considerable resources for a day to a week to address as
these are still mission critical applications.



So I have several questions. This may be too much for this forum so I'll be
happy to go where ever you tell me for help, advice and input. (Believe me,
people tell me where to go every day!) What I don't have the luxury of is
time and money to go to courses and attend formalized training. This is
going to have to long nights, reading, web casts, experimenting and effort
on my part.



1.. I know these forums are great sources of information. What other
places on the web offer good 'best practices' advice - especially to Project
Server newcomers?
2.. Is my new technology understanding of master projects and sub-projects
correct?
3.. How should I best set up these older technology efforts?
1.. Is it reasonable to use Project, Project Server and possibly the
Issues capability as a form of HelpDesk?
2.. Should I set up what I know about the larger projects and then 'drop
in' these emergencies (essentially 'help desk' tickets) that require
immediately analyst and developer time as sub-projects so I can show the
resulting effect on resources?
3.. Is it even reasonable to attempt to incorporate these help desk
items in Project with Sharepoint? (I like the idea of including these
significant ones in order to show effect on time and so we can use the
document sharing capabilities of Sharepoint for these efforts.)


I know this may be way too much in this forum and I'm sorry if it is. But
even just writing this out helped me understand some of the significant
learning curve I have in front of me. I'm excited by the challenge in front
of me but I know if this is set up write then management will have the views
into status, resources and utilization that they've always wanted. Thanks
again.



Steve

 

[Reid McTaggart]

Steve, I feel your pain! Fortunately, you already know a lot. I will not
try to address all your questions. but will touch on two.

First, why, exactly, are you using a master project? It is good that you
are not publishing the master project, but sometimes it's not even necessary
to save one. Many users simply use the Project Center to group related
projects and then select and open the group into a temporary master project
that they do not save.

Second, for recording and analyzing help desk and other ad hoc work, look
into Administrative projects. These can greatly reduce the management burden
while still capturing the work that people do.

I have no doubt that you will soon receive outstanding answers to your other
questions. Good luck!

-Reid

 

[mark.everett]

Steve -

Welcome! Great questions. I am sure that Dale will weigh in on this
also, but I will give you my thoughts:

1.. I know these forums are great sources of information. What other
places on the web offer good 'best practices' advice - especially to
Project
Server newcomers?

If you have not already done so, download and study this set of

learning documents from Microsoft:
http://www.microsoft.com/techn­et/prodtechnol/office/proj2003­/reskit/d
- - they are free. Also, I also suggest that you order these books
right away: http://www.msprojectexperts.co­m/?D - The Admin book and
the PM book. These are not free but are well worth the price. They are
loaded with Best Practice advice. Lots of gems of information. No, I
don't work for MSprojectexperts, but I have the books and have attended
training taught by Dale and Gary.

I would also recommend frequent use of the help files in Project Pro -
they often provide valuable links to informative documents, as well as
help files.

2.. Is my new technology understanding of master projects and
sub-projects
correct?

Most people will tell you to avoid Master Projects, and PWA has a

setting that allows prevention of the use of Master Projects. Using
Master Projects will very quickly screw up your resource allocation
(they will be allocated by the sub and master project). I would set up
"real" projects, for the new work (like Oracle Financials) and the new
..NET and Oracle work. For the FoxPro or legacy technology that is
being sunsetted, you might consider setting up operational or support
projects, using an admin type plan. Do NOT use the Microsoft Admin
Plan functionality.

3.. How should I best set up these older technology efforts?

See below:

1.. Is it reasonable to use Project, Project Server and possibly
the
Issues capability as a form of HelpDesk? -

Project Server wasn't set up for this, but it could be used for it.
There are tools that do this available....but if you can get support
from the people using the tool and management, you could do it. One
way would be to have a project with several subphases that would
represent broad categories of trouble calls. So Project name is
Support, Subphase might be FoxPro, .NET, Crystal, Dreamweaver. A task
under each might be "general support" or something, with each team
member set up as a resource with 0 units (see below for steps). If you
enable allowing team members to add tasks, they could add a task for
each "significant" issue they spend time on. Or you could set up tasks
based on the kinds of issues they tell you they commonly work. Then
they could add tasks for exceptions.

2.. Should I set up what I know about the larger projects and then
'drop
in' these emergencies (essentially 'help desk' tickets) that require
immediately analyst and developer time as sub-projects so I can show
the
resulting effect on resources?

See above

3.. Is it even reasonable to attempt to incorporate these help desk

items in Project with Sharepoint? (I like the idea of including these
significant ones in order to show effect on time and so we can use the
document sharing capabilities of Sharepoint for these efforts.)

That could work - it would be interesting to try to exploit the

technology you have already invested in.

Work with your users to determine the kinds of tasks people want in

the
plans. If you have operational work (bug fixes, server support, etc)
then group them in a way that makes sense to your organization. If you

want to list time away from work, I would use a separate admin plan for

that, but composed the same way.


Once you have collected the task data, and the resources that should be

assigned to those tasks, do this:


1. Start Project Professional.
2. Set project start date.
3. Create summary task and subtasks.
4. Set Fixed Duration and Non-effort driven for all tasks.
5. Assign resources with 0 units.
6. Set duration to 90 days or whatever period you decide (but 90 days
or one calendar quarter is a good place to start).
7. Save and publish.


Please note that if you use this method, once a resource enters time in

a task, it will go to 100% complete and will disappear from the current

view. Train your users to use "All Tasks" when they need to enter
non-project time.

Hope this helps. Let us know.

Mark S. Everett | PMP

 

[Steve Lundwall]

Reid,

Thanks for the reply. I guess your questions do a good job of showing my
ignormance and inexperience. But, to answer your questions, as for Number 1,
I thought the proper way to do all of the smaller projects within a larger
Master project was as I read from a thread on 3/1/2005 - Master Project
Advice in forum: microsoft.public.project.pro_and_server. I guess I need to
check out the project Center instead. My goal is that I can keep an
understandable 30,000 foot overview handy for the high level business
stakeholders. They want to see the progress on the entire project - not hte
subprojects. So, I'll check out Project Central and see if that does it for
me.

As for Number 2, I'll check out Adminstrative Projects. That might be a good
way to go.

Thanks again.

Steve

 

[Steve Lundwall]

Mark,

THANKS for all the great advice and direction. This is exactly what I needed
but you've given me a lot to investigate - especially when some of it sounds
like a foreign language . I'll be checking things out and slogging
forward. Every day I realize there is more I don't know. Thanks again. I
hope someday I can move into the 'competent' user range and then move up the
scale until I too can help and advise others.

Steve




Steve -

Welcome! Great questions. I am sure that Dale will weigh in on this
also, but I will give you my thoughts:

1.. I know these forums are great sources of information. What other
places on the web offer good 'best practices' advice - especially to
Project
Server newcomers?

If you have not already done so, download and study this set of

learning documents from Microsoft:
http://www.microsoft.com/techn­et/prodtechnol/office/proj2003­/reskit/d
- - they are free. Also, I also suggest that you order these books
right away: http://www.msprojectexperts.co­m/?D - The Admin book and
the PM book. These are not free but are well worth the price. They are
loaded with Best Practice advice. Lots of gems of information. No, I
don't work for MSprojectexperts, but I have the books and have attended
training taught by Dale and Gary.

I would also recommend frequent use of the help files in Project Pro -
they often provide valuable links to informative documents, as well as
help files.

2.. Is my new technology understanding of master projects and
sub-projects
correct?

Most people will tell you to avoid Master Projects, and PWA has a

setting that allows prevention of the use of Master Projects. Using
Master Projects will very quickly screw up your resource allocation
(they will be allocated by the sub and master project). I would set up
"real" projects, for the new work (like Oracle Financials) and the new
..NET and Oracle work. For the FoxPro or legacy technology that is
being sunsetted, you might consider setting up operational or support
projects, using an admin type plan. Do NOT use the Microsoft Admin
Plan functionality.

3.. How should I best set up these older technology efforts?

See below:

1.. Is it reasonable to use Project, Project Server and possibly
the
Issues capability as a form of HelpDesk? -

Project Server wasn't set up for this, but it could be used for it.
There are tools that do this available....but if you can get support
from the people using the tool and management, you could do it. One
way would be to have a project with several subphases that would
represent broad categories of trouble calls. So Project name is
Support, Subphase might be FoxPro, .NET, Crystal, Dreamweaver. A task
under each might be "general support" or something, with each team
member set up as a resource with 0 units (see below for steps). If you
enable allowing team members to add tasks, they could add a task for
each "significant" issue they spend time on. Or you could set up tasks
based on the kinds of issues they tell you they commonly work. Then
they could add tasks for exceptions.

2.. Should I set up what I know about the larger projects and then
'drop
in' these emergencies (essentially 'help desk' tickets) that require
immediately analyst and developer time as sub-projects so I can show
the
resulting effect on resources?

See above

3.. Is it even reasonable to attempt to incorporate these help desk

items in Project with Sharepoint? (I like the idea of including these
significant ones in order to show effect on time and so we can use the
document sharing capabilities of Sharepoint for these efforts.)

That could work - it would be interesting to try to exploit the

technology you have already invested in.

Work with your users to determine the kinds of tasks people want in

the
plans. If you have operational work (bug fixes, server support, etc)
then group them in a way that makes sense to your organization. If you

want to list time away from work, I would use a separate admin plan for

that, but composed the same way.


Once you have collected the task data, and the resources that should be

assigned to those tasks, do this:


1. Start Project Professional.
2. Set project start date.
3. Create summary task and subtasks.
4. Set Fixed Duration and Non-effort driven for all tasks.
5. Assign resources with 0 units.
6. Set duration to 90 days or whatever period you decide (but 90 days
or one calendar quarter is a good place to start).
7. Save and publish.


Please note that if you use this method, once a resource enters time in

a task, it will go to 100% complete and will disappear from the current

view. Train your users to use "All Tasks" when they need to enter
non-project time.

Hope this helps. Let us know.

Mark S. Everett | PMP