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MS Project Svcs Productivity
Transcript of MS Project Svcs Productivity
10/14/08 1
Taking the Blinders off MS Project
byEd Mahler [email protected]
President, Project Administration Institute
Taking the Blinders off MS Project
andThe case for 3rd Party Scheduling Services
Taking the Blinders off MS Project
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Contents Purpose The Schedule Basic building block of the schedule Enhancing MSP out of the box Customized fields Customizing the toolbar Execution Slippage, the ripple effect, and recovery Status summary, what changed Reporting via pdf Lessons learned The case for 3rd party scheduling service
References Benefits of 3rd party scheduling service
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Purpose
Planning - being able to see why the timing is what it is.
Execution - being able to see the effects of change and what can be done to stay on schedule.
This is not an MS Project class.
To illustrate how the MS Project schedule can be made more visible for
Contents
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Why so much interest in the schedule?
+ SME’s =
Sponsor
Schedule
’s vision
Project Manager
Cost
Tim
e
Scope
Project
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Team/sponsor communicatio
n+ Contract
negotiation
=
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Why do we need a schedule/contract?
Sponsor Stakeholders
Will assume a schedule you may not like
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Project team Project team’s managers Project office
So everyone agrees to what must be done by whom and when
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The Schedule
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Must be visible so the parties understand what they are
agreeing to
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Task
Building block of the schedule
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Task/Resources
Successors
Duration
Predecessors
FS
Its attributes
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Task/Resources
Successors
PredecessorsFF
Its relationships
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Task/Resources
Successors
PredecessorsSS
Its relationships
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Task/Resources
Successors
Predecessors
Lag
Its relationships
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Task/Resources
Successors
Predecessors
Overlap
Its relationships
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Task/Resources
Successors
PredecessorsSF
Its relationships
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Task/Resources
Successors
External Dependenc
y
Its relationships
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Task/ResourcesDuration
Predecessors
Deliverables
Its relationships
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Understanding the schedule
Description (task name) How long it will take (duration)? Who will do it (resources)? What has to happen before this task can be done (predecessors)? What can’t happen until this task is done (successors)? External date constraints (constraint type and date)? – Must have
at least one! What are the project’s external deliverables (no successors)? –
Must have at least one! A picture of the schedule (Gantt diagram) – Nice to have If you want to be able to quantify and balance work load you need
to estimate how much of each resource’s time will be spent on the task?
Contents
For each task in the schedule what do you need to see?
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Where the schedule originates
An template created for the type of project being constructed
A prior plan for a similar project A list of tasks in text format that can be
copied into MS Project SME interviews An MS Project schedule for a project
that is already under wayContents
A schedule is constructed from any combination of the following
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MSP out of the box
Gantt diagram
The Gantt Chart view
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Gantt diagram
The Gantt Chart view
The Entry Table
The View menu
MSP out of the box
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The entry table
Gantt diagram
Task nameTask duration
Task start Task finish
Predecessors
Resources
The Gantt Chart view
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all FS except this one is FF+
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The entry table
Indicator
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Indicator
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The entry table
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Indicator
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The entry table
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Summary tasks
Summary tasks
Overall durationEarliest
start Latest finish
Summary tasks
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Adding a project summary
Tools
Options
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View tab
Select Project Summary Task
OK
Adding a project summary
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The project summary is task 0
Project Duration
Project Start
Project Finish
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Tools
Options
Changing summaries from days to weeks
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Schedule tab Change “Duration
entered in” from days to weeks
OK
Changing summaries from days to weeks
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All summary durations now in
weeks
Changing summaries from days to weeks
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Description (task name) How long it will take (duration)? Who will do it (resources)? What has to happen before this task can be done
(predecessors)? A picture of the schedule (Gantt diagram) – Nice to have What can’t happen until this task is done (successors)? External date constraints (constraint type and date)? –
Must have at least one! What are the project’s external deliverables (no
successors)? – Must have at least one!
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For each task in the schedule what do you need to see?
MSP out of the box
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Adding the Successors column
Right click the column heading
and Insert Column
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Select Successors from the pull
down
Adding the Successors column
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Added Successors column
To find missing successors click the filter
pull down and
Use a No Successors Filter to identify missing
successors
What can’t happen until this task is done?
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What can’t happen until this task is done?
Only lines with blank
Successor cells appear
but without the rest of the schedule can’t see where to
connect them
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Changing the filter to highlight tasks
By editing
the viewand turning on the Highlight
filter
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One can see the missing Successors in
the context of the whole schedule
Highlighted missing successors
No Successors Filter
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Add the missing
Successors
This missing successor is a
project deliverable
Adding missing successors
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Missing Predecessors
Use the No Predecessors Filter to
identify missing predecessors
What about missing predecessors
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Inserting constraint type and date columns
Contents
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And running the “Tasks w constraints” filter
Use the Tasks w Constraints Filter to
identify date constraints
with date constraints confirms
they are external dependencies
Missing Predecessors
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Description (task name) How long it will take (duration)? Who will do it (resources)? What has to happen before this task can be done
(predecessors)? A picture of the schedule (Gantt diagram) – Nice to have
Contents
For each task in the schedule what do you need to see?
MSP out of the box plus
What can’t happen until this task is done (successors)? External date constraints (constraint type and date)? –
Must have at least one! What are the project’s external deliverables (no
successors)? – Must have at least one!
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Inserting a column for notes
Indicator
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Add the Notes
field
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Use tools/options to reduce column width req’ts
Reduce duration and date formats
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Now reduce column widths
Then reduce column widths
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Reduced column widths
and eliminate unneeded
column
and eliminate unneeded columns
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The team now has what they need to understand the schedule except.....
What should be under way or done
by 11/18?
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What should be under way or complete by 11/18?
Adding columns to indicate what
should be under way or done by a
status date
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Defining customized fields
Right click on the column
heading Select
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The logic behind the field
Select
Rename the field
Create a formula for
the field
Select the graphic to display for each value
of the formula
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As of Sunday 11/18 status
date
What should be under way or complete by now?
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1 task should be executing, starting 11/1,
finishing 12/12
What should be under way or complete by now?
This project is under way
Total to do count
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Making the Gantt more informative
Project start date line
Status date line
Slack or float
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Saving the baseline plan
Gray bars are the baseline plan
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Customizing the toolbar – menu shortcuts
Views
Tables
Filters
Project Informatio
n Baselining and un
Baselining the plan
Baselining and un
Baselining a task
Task on schedule button
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Customizing the toolbar – macro buttons
Open, link, and unlink the common resource DB
Highlight the predecessor chain to a
task
Prefix the external dependencies and
deliverables
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The team reviews the initial schedule and to do’s and determines changes if any
The PM and PA revise the schedule The team reviews the revised schedule
and determines changes if any When no further changes are required the
project is executing and tracking begins For a large project tracking may begin for
near term activities while the later activities are still under construction.
Planning iterations
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Execution
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Contractual parties must have visibility into what’s happening so
they can agree to the changes
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Execution visibility
The next status date is in 2 weeks, Sunday, 12/2
A view of the to do’s for 12/2 is provided for team to focus on over the next 2 wks
The PM and PA meet for the 12/2 status update
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In the following example the initial plan for status date 11/18 is approved by the team and tracking begins
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1 To Do as of 11/18
Initial Plan table
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Status update for 12/2
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The Status Report table
Status Report table
To do & to do count columns
Reschedule & reschedule count columns
Baseline finish
Finish variance
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Change the Status Date
from 11/18
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Changing the Status date
Project information button
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to 12/2
OK
to 2 weeks later
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3 to do’s are flagged
Red balls indicate the tasks are on the critical
path
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12/2 to do’s
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Status reporting recommendation PM’s are better at estimating when a task will
finish than what % complete it is
Contents
If a “to do” is on schedule for the planned completion date
Tell MS Project its on schedule, MS Project calculates the % complete for it to be on
schedule for this status date, and The to do flag disappears
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the to do flag disappears
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MS Project is told that task 2 is on schedule
MSP calculates the task is 92% complete as of 12/2
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Task 5 now 6 weeks, is going to
9 weeks
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MS Project is told that task 5 needs 3 more wks
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Slippage and the ripple effect
If the task is not on schedule The PM supplies the new duration or completion date Arrows appear in the Reschedule column indicating
the direction finish dates moved The Finish Variance column shows how much the
finish dates moved from Last Finish We accept the new schedule by telling MS Project the
task is on schedule for the new finish date MS Project calculates the % complete for it to be on
schedule for the new date and the to do flag disappears
Contents
PM’s are better at estimating when a task will finish than what % complete it is
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Arrows indicate
which tasks moved from
baseline
Finish Variance
indicates how much each
task moved
Task 17 moved into the future and is no longer a to
do
21 tasks have changed their finish
dates
Contents
Stretching task 5 to 9 weeks and the ripple effect
Vertical arrows are on the critical path Gantt
bars illustrat
e changes from
baseline
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MSP calculates task 5 is 51% complete
The Gantt bar shows progress to the status
date
Project finish date slipped from 3/6 to 3/27, 3 weeks
Contents
MSP is told task 5 is on schedule for new date
The to do ball disappears
to do’s goes to 0
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Switch to the Planning table
Contents
Recovering from slippage – step 1
Changes to critical path (blue) tasks will affect the project end
date
Turn on the Critical Path filter
Objective: Deliverable finish variance back to
0
Reduce task 23 from 2 wks to 1
wk
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Reduce task 23 from 2 wks to 1
wk
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Recovering from slippage – step 2
Deliverable finish variance goes from 3 wks to 2 wks
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TC production, task 6, can be reduced to 1 week
duration
Contents
Rerun the Critical Path filter after each
change
Recovering from slippage – step 3
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Reducing task 6 to 1 week took it off the
critical path
Contents
but didn’t change the deliverable finish
variance
Recovering from slippage – step 4
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Another candidate for reduction is Procurement,
task 21
Contents
PM reduces it from 5 weeks to
3
Recovering from slippage – step 5
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Procurement is now off the critical
path
Contents
Recovering from slippage – step 6
Reduce Samples from 4 weeks to
3
but Samples, task 7, is back on the critical path
and deliverable finish variance is down to 1 week
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Samples is now off the critical path
Contents
but project finish variance is still 1 week
Recovering from slippage – step 7
The PM reduces Issue beverage docs, task 15, from
5 weeks to 4
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Note that almost everything is now back on
the critical path.
Contents
Recovering from slippage – step 8
Deliverable finish variance is back to
0Original
schedule is restored
Reducing, task 15 from 5 weeks to 4
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Switch to the Status table
Status summary – what changed?
Duration change filter
Changes from
baseline
6 duration changes
(blue highlights)
Project duration change
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Status summary – what changed?
16 finish variences
(blue arrows)
Project 15% completeStatus summary
notes
Remaining project to
do’s
Project finish variance
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Reporting via pdf Project Reports
Status summary for the team For marketing with Gantt diagram For marketing without Gantt diagram For project team with Gantt diagram For project team without Gantt diagram For those who only like pictures Portfolio management summary
Contents
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Status summary to team – what changed?
Finish variance & duration change filter
Status as of date
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Basic report for marketing
Contents
DurationWho
Start
Finish
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For marketing
people that don’t like Gantt
charts
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More detail for project
team
Contents
PredecessorsSuccesso
rsConstrai
nt
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For project teams that don’t like
Gantt charts
Contents
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Milestone Gantt
Contents
For those who only
like pictures
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Portfolio management DB
Contents
Project namecontact date
status update notes
risks
PM
PM’s Mgr
deliverable target date status
code
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Portfolio management DB
next status update %
completeWks to next updateMtg date for next
updateWk of this status update
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Portfolio management DB
Number of tasks in the schedule
Number of days deliverable movedTo do’s for next
update
Number of rescheduled tasks
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Lessons Learned
Managing the critical path Increasing the duration of a single task on the
critical path will delay the project finish date It may be necessary to reduce the duration of
multiple tasks to improve the project finish date Every change to the schedule may produce a
new critical path. Its possible to take the blinders off MS Project so
that everyone can understand the project schedule
Contents
Even a small project can contain complex relationships
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The case for 3rd Party Scheduling Services
byEd Mahler [email protected]
President, Project Administration Institute
Contents
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Two kinds of companies
Contents
Companies that do projects as their primary source of revenue, i.e. construction, engineering, defense, architecture
Companies that sell products and services as their primary source of revenue and only do projects for themselves
If they don’t do project management efficiently they are out of business
Use a scheduling service. PM’s rarely touch the project management tool
If they don’t do project management efficiently they still survive on their products and services
Managers rarely recognize the skills and effort required to build and maintain project schedules
Managers believe they are saving money by not using a scheduling service
Why don’t companies that do projects as their primary source of revenue save money by not using a scheduling service
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What is a scheduling service? Translates the activities that must
be done into a schedule/contract Maintains schedule currency as the
project proceeds Provides reports needed for
coordination
Contents
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Can service all projects or only major initiatives
Can be in house, usually in a PO, or external contractor
What is a scheduling service?
Contents
Performed by a specialist who works with the tool full time and gets really good at it
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• Project manager and Project Administrator skills complement each other.
Aptitudes
Project Manager
Scheduler
Compu
lsive
Doer
Lead
erMot
ivato
rPo
litica
lCo
mmunica
tor Goo
d w
tools
Multita
skin
gOrg
anize
rAdm
inistr
ato
rPlann
erObs
essiv
e
Contents
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In many industries, such as engineering and construction; the development and maintenance of the project schedule is the responsibility of a full time scheduler or team of schedulers, depending on the size of the project.
Wikipedia
Contents
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The project management bible
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Kerzner on scheduling
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Benefits of a scheduling service over PM’s doing their own
Daily backups prevent project data lossContents
1)
2)3)
4)5)
6)
7)8)9)
Money saved on Microsoft Project tool training and product licensesNew PM’s are productive soonerPlanning, tracking, and reporting are consistent in format, terminology, and quality across the organization’s projects. PM standards training and policing is eliminated
Administers formal tracking process to ensure plan currency, helps the PM manage changeMaintains a common resource DB ensuring consistent resource naming across projects and enables cross project resource loading analysisProvides portfolio rollup reporting for managementProvides one stop reporting source for interested partiesMaintains the organization’s project history
Reduces the ability of the PM to hide slippage until its too late
10)
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Taking the Blinders off MS Project
byEd Mahler [email protected]
President, Project Administration Institute
Taking the Blinders off MS Project
andThe case for 3rd Party Scheduling Services