Who should own the .mpp file in master projects?

B

Brian Lukanic

Let me explain my question:

* We are operating without Server today but are designing our deployment.
* Currently, all of our individual Project schedules have at least one work
package that is owned by a separate group (a cost center) that assembles of
of their tasks into their OWN project schedule.
* In our non-server environment, that cost center keeps all of their
deliverables on a single .mpp and adjust things similar to the way a queue is
managed. they then post the .mpp on a file server so that our PMs can get the
new dates on their particular items and them update their Project schedule.
* One on Server, I envision one of two things happening: A) All of my PMs
make use of the Master Schedule concept and essentially hyperlink to that
"queue PPM" so that when the cost center makes an update on their .mpp, the
changes will immediately cascade to the individuals' project schedules. OR,
B) The cost center's .mpp file goes away completely and they create either a
view or extract all pieces of the individual project schedules and have them
form what used to be their "queue model."

It is Part B that I want to know if it is possible. I would prefer that my
PMs own the schedules and the cost center simply create a view of all work
that is to be owned by them. However, this cost center needs more than just a
view, they really need to have it look and feel as if everything that they
own is on an .mpp file that they can make adjustments to, change resources,
change dependencies, etc, and do it as quickly and efficiently as they can do
today on a single mpp that they then publish.

Questions: Is the above possible? Can the cost center go so far as "extract"
a selection of tasks from individual schedules on Server and in effect create
their own .mpp to update? I want to avoid competing data authorities, but I
also want to ensure that the efficiencies my cost center has with their model
of a single mpp will still work once everybody is "talking to each other" on
Project Server. My hope is that the concept of an individually-managed mpp by
the cost center can cede to an extract from all individual schedules, but I
am unsure how best to pull this off.

Any help or thoughts would be appreciated.
 
D

Dale Howard [MVP]

Brian --

A couple of opinions:

A. You could use this approach and allow each cost center to manage their
own work packages in their own projects. Your PMs could then use a master
project in which their project tasks are linked to the work packages of
their relevant cost centers.

B. You might consider using the Deliverables functionality of Project
Server 2007 for this approach. The work packages would remain in each PMs
project schedule and the cost centers could see/manage the Deliverables for
each work package in the Project Workspaces of the relevant projects.

I hope others in this newsgroup will offer you an opinion as well. Hope
this helps.
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Top