Using Consolidated Projects for Establishing Lead Times

[jerschwab]

Hey all,

I have the following problem I have been using MS Project for:

We are a seller of framed art and when our customer orders a large
enough quantity, we will have our Manufacturer in China make the order
and ship it back to us for distribution. We send some materials from
here, and some is sourced by them in China.

Roughly, it looks like this:

Order Receipt
Prepare Materials
Manufacturing
Inbound Logistics

However, based on the customer and based on the supplier we choose in
China... some of the tasks in the Prepare Materials and possibly the
Inbound Logistics grouping change. This affects the overall time the
project will take. There are around 24 standard ways we could run the
orders (with the options in materials, manufacturing, and logistics)
for which I want to create timelines for.

Basically, I'm trying to create a template for which we can plug future
orders in to monitor the progress. Also, we are trying to establish
lead times to promise to our customers.

I'm using consolidated projects to create the "sub" projects withing
the materials, manufacturing and logistics functions to reduce the need
to do double data entry...

For example... the consolidated project is:
Scenario (1)
- Order Receipt
- Prepare Materials (2)
- Manufacturing (1)
- Inbound Logistics (3)

Where the number in brackets is the option for that grouping.

My problem is that the consolidated master project changes the start
date on the sub project so that if I use that sub project in another
scenario... it creates a lag between the previous task.

Is MS Project the solution for my problem? I'm trying to use it to
plan "relative days", not "absolute days". The sub projects I'm trying
to use are not actual tasks... just standard options that I don't want
to have to change for 24 different project plans. Is it as simple as
just saying NO to updating the sub projects when I save the master
project?

Thanks for any help, it is much appreciated!

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

You are on the right way; only the way to insert the prohjects has to
change.
When you insert a project, the default option is to create a link (tnhe
checkbox is calles Link to Project)
Uncheck this when inserting and you will have your unoique projhect without
disturbing links back to the template.
If your inserts are already done, double-click on the inserted Project's
"summary task", select the Advanced tab and uncheck "Link to Project"
HTH

 

[jerschwab]

Thanks... so you're saying to insert the project instead of link it.
That would work if the sub project tasks never changed.

However, if I want to adjust the timelines of one of the subprojects I
would have to go back into all the main projects and insert them all
over again. That's what I was trying to avoid.

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

Well, they are linked or they aren't.
And when they are linked, they are linked both ways.
A master project with inserted (linked) projests is just a shell containing
the inserted proijects.
I would say you simply can't change anything in the master without it firing
back to the source because you are actually working in the source itself.

Hope this helps,