Time it takes to deploy Project Server 2003

[spage7]

Can anyone who has done this before give me an estimate as to how long it would take to deploy Project Server 2003 with everything for a large deployment (i.e. enterprise project management solution)? Also, we are probably talking about at least 2 of each server and everything done by one person.

planning
project 2003 server
sharepoint server
windows 2003 server
sql server 2000

Also, does anyone have a project schedule document for doing this?

Thanks a lot.
-Steve

 

[Bartolini]

How many users?

~TS

Can anyone who has done this before give me an estimate as to how long it

would take to deploy Project Server 2003 with everything for a large
deployment (i.e. enterprise project management solution)? Also, we are
probably talking about at least 2 of each server and everything done by one
person.

 

[spage7]

Like 50 users

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Steve:

Project ships with a template deployment plan.

Can anyone who has done this before give me an estimate as to how long it

would take to deploy Project Server 2003 with everything for a large
deployment (i.e. enterprise project management solution)? Also, we are
probably talking about at least 2 of each server and everything done by one
person.

 

[Brian K - Project MVP]

Like 50 users

From the time you started planning to the time you had everyone
comfortable with the new processes and using the tool to it's full
extent might be something like 2 or 3 months. More if you have to do
MAJOR process overhauls on your org.

This estimate is of course from left field. It also includes a lot
of planning and working with your users to make sure that their needs
will be met and then a phased rollout where at first only a few people
pilot the system for a few weeks and then changes get made based on
their use and then you add a few more and a few more, etc. So it is not
3 months of solid "deploying" but rather a slow rolling wave.

 

[John Beamish]

I've read other replies and think they are somewhat optimistic because
they are assuming you are at a different stage -- much further along --
than you actually are.

There is considerable research that you have to do to determine just how
you're going to configure the operations. Moving from standalone,
desktops to an enterprise environment is non-trivial.

When you've done the research, you'll want to implement a proof-of-concept
implementation. You've got to find a group that will bang away on your
implementation because, no matter how much research you do, you're going
to have to be ready to revisit your implementation guidelines.

The roll-out to 50 PM's is not just a rollout to the desktops. It's a
rollout of Proj to 50 desktops and PWA to probably 3-4 times that number.
This means training and support. Support generally has two peaks: one
immediately following the installation and one several weeks/months later
when staff have become accustomed to the software and now start trying
different things to get more value from it.

If you're rolling out to 50 PMs, I'd say from the day you first start
doing internal investigations to determine how you're going to do it until
all 50 are in a production mode, you're looking at 6 months.

JLB, PMP

Can anyone who has done this before give me an estimate as to how long
it would take to deploy Project Server 2003 with everything for a large
deployment (i.e. enterprise project management solution)? Also, we are
probably talking about at least 2 of each server and everything done by
one person.

planning
project 2003 server
sharepoint server
windows 2003 server
sql server 2000

Also, does anyone have a project schedule document for doing this?

Thanks a lot.
-Steve

--

 

[Bartolini]

John makes some excellent points here...

Here is just a taste of a planned rollout that I am supporting on the
back-end which is in production now.
I have 4 platforms using the same number of servers and similar
configurations.

a) Test
b) Development
c) Production for Research
d) Production for Corporate


*Once in full swing I will have:
- Approx 4500+ users to use PWA
- Approx 700+ PM's

It has taken 18 months of planning + 2 pilot runs to expose the system to
the user community.
We had help from MS + outside sources and that is still going on since
through discovery different departments are realizing they need
customizations to suit their needs.

- Training is mandatory which is handled by a separate team associated with
the deskside group.
- Enterprise Templates are customized by the same group.
- All SOPs, SLA's were agreed upon 12 months ago but being tweaked to
compensate.
- Support is positive all the way up to the executive top level.
- I have about 80% of the documentation ready for the 1rst & 2nd level
support groups. Final SOPs will come from that source
which must be signed-off again by me and others.

The only parties I speak with are the directors and the leads for each team.
Which makes it a little easier since I have an excellent manager who handles
that communication. Even so users find out that I am the Administrator and
call me directly....but that is part of IT...

To throw the last straw on the camels back....... my environment is
"validated".
That means to make a simple change I have to prove and sign off the
change....starting in my test domain....then onto > DEV Platform (where the
deskside team runs scripts and has to sign-off){that's another 20 days
minimum} .....only then can I move that change into Production.

So you can see even with lots of preparation "Murphy's Law" always is a
factor....
I can not imagine getting this far without all the preparation ...any other
way is surely a recipe for disaster.

~TS

 

[rilez5]

How did you develop the organization's project management maturity? Did you roll out to the org after the 1 pilots? or did you pilot each time you added features to the deployment? It seems to me that convincing the exec of value is the easy part, but getting users to buy-in and work with it is tough. Can you speak to that too

thanks

----- Bartolini wrote: ----

John makes some excellent points here..

Here is just a taste of a planned rollout that I am supporting on th
back-end which is in production now
I have 4 platforms using the same number of servers and simila
configurations

a) Tes
b) Developmen
c) Production for Researc
d) Production for Corporat


*Once in full swing I will have
- Approx 4500+ users to use PW
- Approx 700+ PM'

It has taken 18 months of planning + 2 pilot runs to expose the system t
the user community
We had help from MS + outside sources and that is still going on sinc
through discovery different departments are realizing they nee
customizations to suit their needs

- Training is mandatory which is handled by a separate team associated wit
the deskside group
- Enterprise Templates are customized by the same group
- All SOPs, SLA's were agreed upon 12 months ago but being tweaked t
compensate
- Support is positive all the way up to the executive top level
- I have about 80% of the documentation ready for the 1rst & 2nd leve
support groups. Final SOPs will come from that sourc
which must be signed-off again by me and others

The only parties I speak with are the directors and the leads for each team
Which makes it a little easier since I have an excellent manager who handle
that communication. Even so users find out that I am the Administrator an
call me directly....but that is part of IT..

To throw the last straw on the camels back....... my environment i
"validated"
That means to make a simple change I have to prove and sign off th
change....starting in my test domain....then onto > DEV Platform (where th
deskside team runs scripts and has to sign-off){that's another 20 day
minimum} .....only then can I move that change into Production

So you can see even with lots of preparation "Murphy's Law" always is
factor...
I can not imagine getting this far without all the preparation ...any othe
way is surely a recipe for disaster

~T

 

[J Baird]

There a "PSRV2002: Overview of Microsoft Project Professional Enterprise
Implementation Framework (EIF)" download that's very useful (I don't know if
there an EIF for MSP 2003) at
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;325956 This file
extracts several different implementation files, and it contains a sample
implementation schedule file that covers items from Define Requirements,
Design, Prototype, pilot, Rollout 1,2 & 3, and even Assess and Refine
System.

There's also the "Project Server 2003 Technical Library - Installation
Guide"
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/office/proj2003/reskit/servinst
..mspx

How did you develop the organization's project management maturity? Did

you roll out to the org after the 1 pilots? or did you pilot each time you
added features to the deployment? It seems to me that convincing the exec
of value is the easy part, but getting users to buy-in and work with it is
tough. Can you speak to that too?

thanks,

----- Bartolini wrote: -----

John makes some excellent points here...

Here is just a taste of a planned rollout that I am supporting on the
back-end which is in production now.
I have 4 platforms using the same number of servers and similar
configurations.

a) Test
b) Development
c) Production for Research
d) Production for Corporate


*Once in full swing I will have:
- Approx 4500+ users to use PWA
- Approx 700+ PM's

It has taken 18 months of planning + 2 pilot runs to expose the system to
the user community.
We had help from MS + outside sources and that is still going on since
through discovery different departments are realizing they need
customizations to suit their needs.

- Training is mandatory which is handled by a separate team associated with
the deskside group.
- Enterprise Templates are customized by the same group.
- All SOPs, SLA's were agreed upon 12 months ago but being tweaked to
compensate.
- Support is positive all the way up to the executive top level.
- I have about 80% of the documentation ready for the 1rst & 2nd level
support groups. Final SOPs will come from that source
which must be signed-off again by me and others.

The only parties I speak with are the directors and the leads for each team.
Which makes it a little easier since I have an excellent manager who handles
that communication. Even so users find out that I am the Administrator and
call me directly....but that is part of IT...

To throw the last straw on the camels back....... my environment is
"validated".
That means to make a simple change I have to prove and sign off the
change....starting in my test domain....then onto > DEV Platform (where the
deskside team runs scripts and has to sign-off){that's another 20 days
minimum} .....only then can I move that change into Production.

So you can see even with lots of preparation "Murphy's Law" always is a
factor....
I can not imagine getting this far without all the preparation ...any other
way is surely a recipe for disaster.

~TS

I've read other replies and think they are somewhat optimistic because
they are assuming you are at a different stage -- much further along --
than you actually are.

There is considerable research that you have to do to determine

just how
you're going to configure the operations. Moving from standalone,
desktops to an enterprise environment is non-trivial.

When you've done the research, you'll want to implement a

proof-of-concept
implementation. You've got to find a group that will bang away on your
implementation because, no matter how much research you do, you're going
to have to be ready to revisit your implementation guidelines.

The roll-out to 50 PM's is not just a rollout to the desktops.

It's a
rollout of Proj to 50 desktops and PWA to probably 3-4 times that number.
This means training and support. Support generally has two peaks: one
immediately following the installation and one several weeks/months later
when staff have become accustomed to the software and now start trying
different things to get more value from it.

If you're rolling out to 50 PMs, I'd say from the day you first

start
doing internal investigations to determine how you're going to do it until
all 50 are in a production mode, you're looking at 6 months.

JLB, PMP