The Project Network - MPUG · 2020. 8. 20. · Beat Mom at MSP Submitted by David Stopar My mother,...

G’Day Australia and Welcome Atlanta !!!MPUG is pleased to announce the New South Wales (NSW), Australia

Chapter, founded in March of 1999, as the first chapter to be approved bythe MPUG Board of Directors for outside the United States. Although HongKong beat them to the punch for the first inaugural meeting outside the US,NSW was the first approved. Sponsors to date include Program PlanningProfessionals, (Pcubed) and Project Management Partners (PMP).

The new chapter will have its inaugural meeting September 14th atthe Microsoft corporate office located at 65 Epping Road, North Ryde. Themeeting will commence at 7:00 p.m. and is expected to last two hours.Future chapter meetings will be held quarterly. A schedule includingproposed topics will be announced shortly.

At our first meeting we expect to have a representative from Microsoftexplain features to be included in upcoming releases. And we will have anindustry professional explain how Microsoft Project was instrumental on acomplex and interesting project.

Our mission is to provide a forum for our members to exchange ideas,obtain technical support, and network together to improve understanding

and utilization ofMicrosoft Project andrelated products. Weexpect our memberswill have a wide rangeof experience withMicrosoft Projectfrom the new userwho was just handeda copy of the software,to the experienced

user who is already integrating other software. The wealth of knowledgeand experience at the MPUG central headquarters in Ann Arbor,Michigan–and available to us online or by telephone–means that allmembers will have access to the technical support they require.

We also expect our membership will represent diverse industries withone thing in common–project management is core to the way they dobusiness. This will mean that techniques and ideas that were born ofnecessity in one industry will quickly find their way to other industrieswhere they can also be beneficial. As project management grows,uses of Microsoft Project will also grow. And as the projects it is applied tobecome more complex, users will need to become more proficient in thetool’s advanced features.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions about our chapter.MPUG–NSW, AustraliaLevel 67 MLC Centre, Martin Place, Sydney, NSW, 2000 AustraliaPhone: 02 9238 6267* Fax: 02 9238 7633*Eric Wilson & Nick Wilde, Chapter Co-PresidentsE-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]* For international callers the country code is 61.

Check the Web at

www.mpug.org Program Planning

Professionals, Inc.Co-S

pons

ors

The Newsletter of the Microsoft Project Users Group—Global Volume 3, Issue 3, Summer 1999

The Project NetworkAtlanta Chapter with Inaugural Scheduled

for October 26, 1999MPUG is also pleased to announce the inauguration of the Atlanta

Chapter. Founded in July of this year, the chapter will support greaterAtlanta and the surrounding metropolitan region. Located in the heart ofone of the richest and most rapidly growing business communities inthe nation, the Atlanta Chapter will welcome members from a broadarray of industries including Information Technology, Construction,Transportation, Aeronautics, Government and others.

The chapter’s focus will be to capitalize on the wealth of knowledgeavailable locally, specifically related to the use of Microsoft Project andassociated software tools. The diverse business environment in Atlantapromotes cross-industry knowledge sharing and provides an opportunityfor each member to benefit from lessons learned by peers and experts inthe community through experience and practical application of the tools.

It is clear that Project Management is alive and well in Atlanta. It isalso clear there is an abundance of knowledge and experience regardingthe practice of Project Management and the use of Project Managementtools right here at our doorsteps. We are very excited about the foundingof this chapter and look forward to the information sharing opportunitiesits forum will provide. To be honest, most of us can afford to learn a greatdeal more about the tools available to us, no matter what our skill level.This is truly an exciting opportunity.

In This Issue:

2 From the President. 3 Just for Fun! 4 MPUG Meetings-Calendar. 4 Hong Kong Inaugural a Success. 5 Chapter Relations Director’s Report. 6 Case Study of Toyota Sales Company.10 MPUG Meetings-Perspectives from the Chapters.12 Doug Thiele’s Tips & Tricks: Macros in MS Project 98.14 Using MSP 98 to Track Overtime.19 MPUG Application.

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

Continued on page 2

The Project Network

Greetings,The theme of my last letter was

growth. This time, it is change on a moreunspecified level. Our MembershipAdministrator, Dawn Propp, has moved onto a new job. We wish her the best of luckin her new position, and regret the lossof her exemplary service. By the timeyou read this, there will probably be anew Administrator, but until then MPUGwill be using temporary help to continuesupport for our membership.

The Texas Chapter is also undergoing change. It seems that Texas isjust too much territory for one chapter, so the chapter is reorganizing intoseveral, smaller, local chapters. If you live in Houston, Dallas-Ft. Worth,San Antonio, or Austin, keep your ears open for news of the new chapter,if you haven’t heard about it yet. The Board hopes that the new structurewill provide better service to the members in each area, with morefrequent meetings in each city.

Speaking of chapters, if you have expressed an interest in starting achapter, or have previously looked at starting one, the new process, forms,and supporting documentation should make the effort clearer and moreeffective. Our Chapter Director, Christine Buonocore, has put a lot of timeinto reviewing the chartering process. She has collected comments fromthose who have applied previously, and has restructured the process.There is a clearer form for applying, and FAQs to answer many of thequestions that you have.

I would also like to thank the people that responded to my request forMS Project support. Ravi Advani and Ted Marcus sent in e-mail since thelast newsletter to offer their knowledge in answering member’s questions.The Board is very grateful for their response, and I hope to hear fromothers, as well. The more people who volunteer, the less the burden fallson any one member.

I hope you are attending local chapter meetings, and checking in onthe Web site regularly. Please stay in touch. The Board needs yourfeedback and input to make this group work at its best. Do not hesitate toe-mail me, or any other Board member, with a question or concern. Youcan also submit articles for publication in the newsletter. Let MPUG beyour communication channel for all of your MS Project needs.

Warmest regards,

Microsoft Project Users Group—From the President

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

Pat McMurtryMPUG President

Pat McMurtryMPUG President

Welcome Atlanta!!!The Atlanta chapter will meet three to four times each year and is

planned to be a forum for problem solving as well as informationsharing. While formal talks, presentations and panel discussion will behosted by the chapter, time will be set aside at each meeting for reviewand discussion of specific problems encountered by chapter members.Our goal is to ensure that each meeting presents an opportunity tosurface, examine and hopefully resolve at least one technical problemencountered by our membership. For those of us who have experiencedparticularly challenging or elusive problems, this presents real promise.

The chapter’s chartered mission is to provide a forum in Atlanta andthe surrounding metropolitan area for idea sharing, technicalreviews, problem solving, technical support and interpersonalnetworking for project managers, program managers, ProjectManagement Professionals and practitioners who use Microsoft Project(MS Project) and related software tools. Additionally, the chapter is opento members with all levels of interest and will serve Project Managers,Program Managers and practitioners regardless of skill or industry.

A carefully drawn chapter scope and subject matter base willenhance the chapter’s ability to serve the community. Meetings willtypically cover one or more of four specific areas of interest: MicrosoftProject and Its Use (end-user modifications, add-on products,interfaces, etc.); Microsoft Project Management Processes and BestPractices; Microsoft Project Problems and Solutions; and finally,New Technology and Microsoft Project (MS Office 2000, Web access,the Internet, etc.). Currently, the agenda for the inaugural meeting, whichwill be held Tuesday evening, October 26, 1999 from 6-8:30 p.m.remains open, though plans for future meetings include a discussionand preview of the next release of a much anticipated MicrosoftProject. Additional detail regarding the chapter’s inaugural will beavailable shortly.

We look forward to the kickoff for MPUG - Atlanta and encourage allof you living in Atlanta and the surrounding metro area to participateand join this vital forum. Please contact Eric Norman if you havequestions about the chapter’s schedule, planned activities, guest speakersor MPUG organizational membership.

Eric Norman of Wang Global, Chapter PresidentEmail: [email protected]: (770) 618-8906 Fax: (770) 303-8705

Continued from page 1

WWWWWe’ve Moved!e’ve Moved!e’ve Moved!e’ve Moved!e’ve Moved!Please update your records to show

our new address:3923 Ranchero Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48108

Ph 734.741.0841 Fx 734.741.1343

Volume 3, Issue 3, Summer 1999 Page 3

Could your projects use a little help from the Microsoft ® Project experts?Project Assistants is the premiere provider of expert consulting, training, custom application

development and companion products for Microsoft Project.

Our portfolio of Microsoft Project offerings includes:8 Open enrollment and on-site training that integrates Project Management best practices, such as PMBOK, with the

use of Microsoft Project.

8 Developing customized Microsoft Project solutions designed specifically to meet the needs of your organization. Ourdevelopers are experts in the use of Microsoft Project's programming language, Visual Basic for Applications.

8 Consulting offerings that can help your organization implement Microsoft Project's email and web-based workgroupfeatures, build resource pools, consolidate multiple projects, and create resource availability and utilization reports.

8 Integration of Microsoft Project with other systems, such as cost accounting and time tracking software.

8 Automating and integrating your organization's methodologies, documentation, and best practices with MicrosoftProject. Establishing a Project Office based on the use of Microsoft Project.

Need Project Assistance? …Call Project Assistants!Give us a toll free call at:

(800) 642-9259or visit us at: www.projectassistants.com

projectassistants

Just for Fun!

From the Editors

The Project Network Newsletter, Summer 1999Editor in Chief Gail StoparCopy Editor David Stopar

Microsoft Project Users Group (MPUG) Board MembersPresident Patrick McMurtryVice-President Jeanne DorleCommunications Director Gail StoparMarketing Director Jerry CusterWish List Administrator Doug ThieleChapter Relations Director Christine Buonocore

Microsoft Project Users Group–Global OfficeTelephone: 734-741-0841Facsimile: 734-741-1343E-mail: [email protected] Member of...

Beat Mom at MSP Submitted by David StoparMy mother, who recently celebrated her 80th birthday, loves word games and was eager to help with the puzzle for

this newsletter issue. The object is to make as many words as you can, using the letters contained in “MicrosoftProject.” Mom came up with 130 words. That may seem like a lot, but see if you can beat her!

Here are the rules:• Each word must contain at least five letters and appear in an English dictionary.• Proper names, acronyms and abbreviations are not allowed.• Prefixes of “re” and suffixes of “er” are not allowed for words already used.• Plurals using “s” are not allowed.• There is no time limit (unless your boss happens by!).

Mom’s list of words can be found on our Web site (www.mpug.org) under“Check It Out.”

90

10

30

50

130

70110

150

WORD-O-METER

“Warming Up”

“Insanity Level”“Just Starting”

“Mom’s Score”

“Very Good”

“Pretty Good”

“Keep Trying”

“Not Bad”

Advertising is open to any member of the MicrosoftProject Users Group—Global who is an authorized

Microsoft Project Consultant or Service Provider.Costing available on request. For further details of

how to advertise your services in The Project Networknewsletter, send a note to [email protected], orcontact the Editor, Gail Stopar, through the MPUG office.

The Project Network

MPUG Meetings—Calendar

Mark your 1999 Calendars!!!Refer to the MPUG Website for directions and chapter meeting details. Be sure to contact the MPUG office at (734) 741-0841 for your

reservation, as these meetings are sure to fill! If you don’t have access to the Website, please feel free to call for more details.

NSW (Australia)Chapter Meeting

7-9 p.m.

SouthwestChapter Meeting6-9 p.m.

Great LakesChapter Meeting

6-8 p.m.

Hong KongChapter Meeting6-8 p.m.

Rocky Mountain(Phoenix) ChapterMeeting 6-9 p.m.

Atlanta (Georgia)Chapter Meeting

6-8:30 p.m.

Texas (Dallas)Chapter Meeting 6-9 p.m.(TENTATIVE)

Mid-AtlanticChapterMeeting 6-9 p.m.

“Macro Writing in MSP 98”By Doug Thiele, Pcubed

Ann Arbor, MI

“MSP 98 & MSP Futures & anIndustry- Specific Case Study”Microsoft Office, North Ryde

“PM Culture & Technical Tipsand Tricks of MSP 98”

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office“MSP 98 and MSP Futures”

By Microsoft

“MSP 98” By MicrosoftMicrosoft Office, Phoenix, AZ

“Multi-Projects and MSP”

Hong Kong (HK) Inaugural Event is a Success By Clala Cheng, MPUG HK Chapter PresidentWith the support of the Microsoft HK office in helping deliver an MPUG press release and an MPUG flyer in their Office 2000 launch information

packages, MPUG HK began marketing. With the resources and time invested by Program Planning Professionals (Pcubed), the first international chapter ofMPUG was successfully opened in Hong Kong on the 14th of June 1999. To celebrate this important occasion, special guest speakers from Ford UK, PcubedInternational, and MPUG-Global were specially invited to provide a well-rounded view of the project management world today.

Besides the Ford presentation by Andy Holloway (most praised) demonstrating an example of a success story in a world leading company, and PaulDriver’s (of Pcubed) successful ice-breaking skills for user involvement, the highlight of the event was when one user stated, “The reason I’m here is becauseMPUG really helps us!” We had a very good return rate of survey cards full of good suggestions, and several of them expressed their interests in contributingto future articles for the newsletter or helping with future meetings. Thank you so much! Oddly enough, the winner of the lucky draw was actually the onewho wrote the most comments and suggestions–well deserved!

MPUG is a user organization, and there is no doubt that your concerns and wishes are our priorities. When asked who was happy with projects theymanaged so far–no one raised their hand (I know there were some shy people). There is always room for improvement–the way we organize MPUG will alsochange and improve over time. It has been said that people only remember 20% of what they hear, 50% of what they hear and see, 70% of what they say, and90% of what they do. Involve yourself; we can learn from each other and be successful. In order to shape the future of the HK Chapter more closely to yourand other member expectations, we will be including MSP tips and tricks, blind theory and technical aspects. We will also be bringing you industry relatedcase studies at future meetings. Be sure to keep us on your calendar!

HK Presenters: Howard Cheng,Clala Cheng, Paul Driver, AndyHolloway, Christine Buonocore

September

November

Microsoft Office2700 Colorado Ave., 3rd Floor

Santa Monica, CA


MPUG Meetings—Chapter Relations Director’s Report

Chapter NewsBy Christine Buonocore, MPUG Chapter Relations Director

This past Spring was burgeoning with MPUG activity. We launched theHong Kong Chapter, held the spring round of local meetings, and evenconducted a Member Feedback Tour of Texas. This is not to mention the seveninquiries we received for prospective new chapters. And, the Atlanta andAustralia chapers will be rolled-out this fall. As MPUG becomes more known,around the country and around the globe, the level of interest and growthdefinitely reflects this.

Great LakesThe Great Lakes Chapter meeting was held May 26 at the Detroit Medical

Center in Troy, MI. Thanks to David Karpinski for graciously providing thelocation and ever-cheerful support inplanning the details. Patrick Colbeck,with Pcubed, gave a comprehensive andhumorous talk on “Managing MeetingMadness with MS Project 98”sprinkledwith anecdotes and solutions forside-stepping chaos. During the openforum, Deb Proen stumped the groupwith a problem regarding trackingactual hours and finish dates. MPUGlater posted this to the discussion groupand went through our “back door”

technical support contact at Microsoft headquarters to get her the answer.Look to the web for more info. Unfortunately, attendance was not as high asusual. As a result, we are polling themembership regarding their preferencesfor the next meeting location. A sidebar:we missed David Schultz and hispost-meeting “shovel report.” Dave, makesure you’re at the next one! P.S. Foranybody interested in a leadershipopportunity, we are looking to fill officerroles within this chapter.

Texas Member Feedback TourIn mid-May, Gail Stopar and I embarked on a Member Feedback Tour of

Texas (five cities in three days!). We met with various individual andcorporate members from companies in Dallas, Ft. Worth, Houston, Austinand San Antonio. Many thanks to all those members who gave us an hour ortwo of your valuable time to provide new ideas and critical improvements forMPUG—both at the local level and for the national organization. Onemessage was unanimous. The Texas members want their own local chapters.Specifically, the Texas Chapter is too large formembers to attend meetings and network,which they cited as prime reasons for joiningMPUG. And, after driving all over the state inTexas traffic, we agree! As a result, MPUG islooking for people who want to charter/officerchapters in the following areas: Austin,Dallas/Ft. Worth; Houston, and San Antonio.

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

Texas MeetingsTexas hosted two meetings this Spring.

Natalie Harrison, with PlanView, wasinstrumental in making the May 17 Austinmeeting happen. Attendees were obviouslysatisfied with the program she planned andprovided glowing feedback to each of thespeakers in between breaking into their presentations to ask amultitude of questions. Carl Howard, with Chase Bank of Texas, flew infrom Houston to speak about how Chase has used MS Project toexecute project management methodologies. Jim Spiller, of Critical

Tools, gave a hands-onpresentation on how WBSChart and PERT ChartExpert can facilitate use ofthese functions in MSProject 98. Jim alsogenerously donated a

package of each of these tools, which were raffled off at the end of themeeting. Pat Durbin, with PlanView, gave a case study regarding howthe data exchange module interacts with MS Project. The open forumwas lively with the speakers fielding and providing solutions to thosenagging MS Project questions. Attendance was low; attributed to thefirst-time-in-Austin for a meeting. However, attendees agreed thatAustin definitely had enough users to support an Austin Chapter andreiterated the need to charter one locally.

The Houston meeting was held a monthlater, on June 17. Artemis ManagementSystems graciously donated the meetingfacility and helped plan the catering. TadHaas, with Artemis, also informed membershow to leverage desktop projects in anenterprise environment. In addition, TommyLee, with Chase Bank of Texas, shared his expertise on“Managing Technology Projects.” Gail Stopar, with MPUG-Global,facilitated the open forum and conveyed feedback that members wanta Houston Chapter. Again, MPUG-Global supports the initiative todevelop local chapters in Texas. Anyone interested should [email protected] or call (734) 741-0841.

Show me the MPUG!We’ve had a flood of inquiries from folks interested in starting new

MPUG chapters. Areas include: Chicago, IL; the NYC metro area;Rochester, NY; Southeast Louisiana; Tampa, FL; Wake Forest, NCand Monterrey, Mexico as well as the Texas cities mentioned above. Inorder for these inquiries to turn into real charters, each chapter needs

a founding board, sponsors, and ten foundingmembers. If interested in seeing an MPUGchapter created and/or you would like tosupport one in any capacity, please [email protected] or call(734) 741-0841 for more information. I canput you in touch with other users who want to

form a group. Help me to help you link users together!

David Karpinski

Patrick Colbeck

Natalie Harrison

Tadd Haas

Tommy Lee presenting in Houston

The Project Network

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

Feature Article—Toyota Case Study

A Project Management Solution: Case Study of Toyota Sales CompanyBy Karl Williams, Program Planning Professionals

BackgroundThe Toyota Automotive Sales Company employs around 200 people and is responsible for

the distribution of all vehicles and parts for the particular country, as well as being responsiblefor supporting the dealer franchise network. A key aspect of the Sales Company’s business is the parts operation that was recently recognized as one ofToyota’s best spare parts distribution operations worldwide.

As part of their systems transformation program, the Sales Company were required to implement SAP R3 by January 4th 1999, to replace both theirexisting Logistics and Finance operations. This deadline was business critical for launch, in order to support Year 2000 compliance and more importantlybe able to operate their Logistics operation during 1999. An outside software supplier was responsible for the design and implementation of the new SAPsystem. The initial project kick-off was October 1997. In May 1998, Program Planning Professionals were invited to help manage the development andimplementation phase to ensure that SAP R3 was launched on time and minimize the risks & issues associated.

ProblemSolution

ProjectManagement

Overall Pcubed ApproachFollowing an initial review of the project, Program Planning

Professionals (Pcubed) proposed the following improvements to theproject management process:

1. Produce an integrated plan for development.2. Upgrade from MS Project 4.0 to Project 98.3. Tie key risks and issues affecting project delivery directly to

project plan(s).4. Ensure all areas of the program were clearly understood by

all key stakeholders.

Traditional Approach to Project Management

Pcubed Approach to Project ManagementProgram Planning have developed a generic project management

process that can be applied to all projects. This defines projectmanagement as a series of levels. The highest level is described in thediagram below.

Breakdown of Project Management Process

The systems transformation program was split into two key projectdelivery phases, Development and Launch. Using the Pcubed projectmanagement process, three key areas were addressed for each of the twoproject phases:

a. Scoping; this details the work breakdown structure (WBS)and organizational breakdown structure (OBS) of the projectas well as outlining the risks and overall timing of the project.

b. PCS implementation (Project Management ControlSolution); detailing the control process, which tools are to beused, and training required to launch the tools effectively.

c. Planning; detailing the plans to be developed, the means ofreporting and the methods used for tracking, escalating, andresolving issues.

Phase I Development – Integrated PlanningScoping: Work Breakdown Structure

Spare Parts & Finance

SAP Project

Customisation Cut Over Optimization

Integration

Acceptance

Introduction(Prepare toGo Live!)

SolutionDesign

ProjectPreparation

Cycle 1

Cycle 2

Cycle 3

Cycle 4

Init ial area planning focus

Continued on page 7

We describe how the implementation of a Microsoft-basedproject management solution enabled the successful launch

of the world’s fastest growing software solution, SAP.

6. CONTROLLING PHASE

7. CLOSE OUT PHASE

3. PCS IMPLEMENTATION PHASE

4. PROCUREMENTPHASE

2. PLANNING PHASE1. SCOPING

PHASE

5. EXECUTION PHASE


Feature Article—Toyota Case Study, Continued

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

PCS Implementation: Project Control SolutionOnce the project scoping work had been completed, the PCS was put in

place consisting of the following components:• Incorporate an integrated development plan and a shared

resource sheet.• Implement MS Project 98 with the service release patch 1.

This was probably the first time this version of MS Project wasused anywhere in the world.

• Track issues using an MS Access 97 database.• Produce a weekly planning report for executive management.

PCS Implementation: Toyota Project Control Process

PCS Implementation: Tools and TrainingToyota used an NT4-based client-server platform with everyone

having access to MS Office. This made a Microsoft-based solution themost suitable.

The control process was driven by an integrated customer and softwaresupplier development plan using MS Project 98 including the June ’98service release patch. The process required the development of MSExcel-based status reports and variance reports for input into the weeklystatus meeting and the modification of an existing Pcubed MS Access Issuemanagement database to log and track issues arising during thedevelopment phase.

The workgroup feature of Project 98 was to be used for project taskupdates and training was easily provided to the project members on how torespond to Team Status timesheets.

Planning Process: Integrated Project PlanThe MS project plan was based around the WBS established in the

scoping phase.The tasks for the key users from Toyota Belgium were resource-driven

tasks. This means that the effect of a task would be affected by the resourceassigned to it and a more accurate picture could be determined for resourceavailability. The software suppliers’ tasks were fixed duration, as no view


○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

was available on the resources assigned to tasks because much of the coreprogramming effort occurred off-site in the software development‘factory’, a key feature of SAP projects.

Planning Process: Issues ManagementUsing an MS Access 97 database, issues were tracked on

the project. These were linked to individual deliverables bycross-referencing the respective issue number and also byreferencing them on the project plan.

Using Project 98 as a Database & ReportingIn order to provide the maximum amount of information in a variety

of forms to the key stakeholders of the project, text fields were customizedto include things such as WBS descriptions and an automated method ofproducing them, and business process descriptions.

A Pcubed utilities function was created which contained reportgeneration features, a set of different views and tables applicable to thisspecific project and a number of filters to allow the project to be easilymanaged.

Continued on page 8

Produce MS98 based

Timesheets

IssDat

Finalise New MS 98Plan(s) for the

Production of newTimesheets

Document New Risks &Issues

using Access DB

Collect StatusUpdates

ViaCustomer/Supplier

Timesheets updates

Update MS 98 Plans withActuals

and new Targetsreview consolidated

resource & dependent

deliv erables status

Produce EXCEL basedProgress/Variance

Reports

Agenda

1. Confirm Project Status2. Conflicting deliverables/resources3. Open Risks/Issues4. Plans for next week

WeeklyStatus

Meetin g

The Project Network


○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

Using Project 98 as a Database & Reporting:Tracking the Project Plan

A baseline of the development plan was created on inceptionand the project was scheduled weekly after the update process. Thisallowed the production of a variance tracking report using baselinefigures against the latest delivery status.

The variance report was produced on a Microsoft Excelspreadsheet and generated directly from data in the project. Colorcoding variances provided an instant insight into all developmentson the project, using red for variances of greater than one week,yellow of variances up to one week, and green for no variance.

Several reports were produced for senior management,distributed by e-mail.


Phase II Launch – MultiplanningThe aim of the launch phase was to ensure that the new SAP

system for Spare Parts and Finance would be launched on the 4th

January ‘99, and any associated risks and obstacles to this launchwere addressed in a controlled and effective manner.

ScopeA set of initial milestones were identified from the key tasks

required for launch. The launch phase was best managed bysplitting it into several different workstreams and assigning each aworkstream leader who would create a plan and assign resources tothe plan. A program management support office was set up tosupport the definition and management of workstream plans,administer and track issues, and maintain a program view.

Scope: Work Breakdown StructureAs the WBS shows, the launch phase consisted of eight different

workstreams which required simultaneous project management.

PCS Implementation: Control ProcessThe control process for the launch phase was very similar to that

of the development phase, but driven by a weekly launchmanagement meeting between the workstream project leaders whowere tasked with resolving key risks/issues blocking progress. MS 98plans were used by workstream leaders to track and show progress,using a milestone driven view to focus on key deliverables andcompletion dates.

PCS Implementation: Tools and TrainingTo track overall progress of the project, a high-level milestone

plan was produced. Each individual project monitoreddependencies on others using links. A shared resource pool ensuredscheduling conflicts were highlighted.

Continued on page 9

○

○

○

○



○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○


The workgroup feature and team status function was to be usedfor all resources across the program. A training workshop wasrequired for each major group, the supplier, the customer andinformation systems teams.

PlanningThe plans were produced by the person responsible for each

workstream, the workstream leader. The main feature of theplanning process involved:

• Resource Scheduling• Consolidated Plans• The Update Process

The consolidation feature of MS Project 98 could only be usedwhen the service release one patch was in place, otherwise the planswould not consolidate.

Planning: Resource SchedulingTo eliminate resource conflicts across multiple projects, resources

were coordinated using a shared resource pool. The projectcalender monitored working time of individual resources,accounting for any form of unavailable time.

Planning: Consolidated PlansSeveral different workstreams were combined into a single project

plan using the consolidation feature of MS Project 98. Thedefinition of a consolidated plan is a plan which incorporatesseveral other plans as sub-tasks.

To monitor status of progress on the plans, the team statusfunction from the workgroup option is used. The team status formwas customized by implementing new text fields into theconsolidated project to incorporate the following:

1. Work Breakdown Structure descriptions were added tothe form.

2. A description of the workstream was added to the form.3. A target finish column was added to the form, with the

finish date of each task.

Planning: Update ProcessEach team member received a team status form from each

workstream they were involved on.The plan was updated from the team status replies. All updates

were done in one go. Scheduling conflicts that arose were dealt withafter all updates had been completed. If the file was saved in theinterim, it was possible that further updates couldn’t be added to theconsolidated plan.

An advantage of using the consolidated plan technique was thatall updates were reflected in each individual plan.

A summary view of all plans was put in place. Key milestoneswere highlighted in each plan, placed in a new plan and reported.

Planning: Issue ManagementIssues were logged by the PMO, using the MS Access issue

management database. The database was modified to represent eachwork stream for the launch phase.

BenefitsThe result of the project management solution was that the project

was delivered on time and met the expectations of the stakeholder.The project management solution was Microsoft-based and the

main reason for this was the easy access to all of Microsoft Office’scomponents on a Windows NT4 network. A summary of the keysolution components is as follows:

Benefits: Microsoft ProjectThe 98 version proved essential for both the development and

launch phases where plans were easily consolidated and shared acommon resource pool. The workgroup function was used effectivelyin tandem with Microsoft Outlook and it’s ease of use was criticalto maintaining the accurate status on the project(s). The abilityto use Project 98 as database made availability of informationeasy to communicate and simplified the task of reporting todiffering requirements.

Benefits: Other Microsoft ComponentsProducing supplier update reports on Excel in conjunction

with the Pcubed utilities function allowed updates to be made tothe project without using the workgroup function. This provedextremely effective, as in many projects where some teams donot use MS Project an Excel update report can be used as analternative to the workgroup function.

Status reports were produced on Excel, as data can easily betransferred from MS Project to Excel and can be sorted rapidly.

A customized database was the answer to tracking issuesthrough the project. Being able to tailor the MS Access databaseand create specific reports linked to MS-Word showed theversatility of the product.

There are probably many different combinations of softwarethat can deliver a similar management solution. However noneare likely to have widespread commonality of use that theMicrosoft suite has. Users are comfortable with the product anddevelopers are happy customising the product to their own ends.

The Project Network

MPUG Meetings—Perspectives from the Chapters

Mid-Atlantic ActivityThe Mid–Atlantic chapter recently held our third meeting, with a

non-inaugural meeting record of 40 attendees! We started off with dinnerand socializing, then everyone attending introduced themselves to thegroup. This was followed up by a general Q&A session, where the group as

a whole attempted to providesolutions to problems. Ted Marcusand Deborah Cohen addressedthe topic of Working withMultiple Projects with MSP98“off the shelf.” Ted’s part of thepresentation was extended dueto a lot of interaction by theaudience. Deborah’s presentationwill be presented in its entirety ata future meeting. The groupagreed to meet again in themonth of September. The topic

isn’t finalized as of yet, but Ted and I are open to the idea of discussing theorganizational use of MSP 98 from an activity/task perspective again, dueto the limited amount of time at the Spring meeting. It is suggested that ifyou have questions for the Fall Mid-Atlantic meeting, you e-mail yourquestions to either myself or Ted ([email protected] [email protected]) so that we can take the proper time torespond. All the feedback obtained to date suggests that it was a verysuccessful meeting!

Eric B. Allen, Co-founder of Mid-Atlantic Chapter

Ted Marcus

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

Rocky Mountain Meets AgainThe second meeting of the Rocky Mountain Chapter, held on June 8 in

Denver, Colorado brought many new faces and new perspectives to ourgroup. We keep growing, and are excited at the interest from users in avariety of industries.

At our first meeting, many members requested that we include speakerswho would address members’ questions in a Tips session. We responded bye-mailing our members, surveying for questions in advance, and locatingspeakers who could address these areas.

The meeting kicked off on a friendly note, with MPUG-GlobalCommunications Director, Gail Stopar, who introduced the goals andstructure of MPUG and illustrated how our chapter connects to theglobal organization.

The first speaker wasKaren Sherman, of CapstonePlanning and Control, LLC,a corporate sponsor of theRocky Mountain Chapter.Karen presented “Tips andTricks with Project 98”to demo several techniquesbased on member requests.The topics coveredExporting Data to OtherMS Programs, Tracking

ID Numbers Throughout the Life of a Project, Working with ProjectCalendars, and Adding Tasks After Baselining. The topics brought outa lot of interaction from the audience, who had experiences andperspectives to relate. Some members added their own tips and tricks totackle the topics!

After a short break, where our members met each other and snacked onsandwiches and salads, we rejoined to hear Al Sargent and Todd Maurer, ofBusiness Engine, speak on how their software interacts with MS Project tostreamline Resource Management within a project. Resolving resourceallocation issues is a frequent question among MS Project users. Al andTodd demonstrated on how Business Engine can be used with Projectto do up-front resource planning across multiple projects, create

visual means (usingvisual olap) ofexploring different“what-if” scenarios inresource leveling, andhow it can be used togenerate detailed andhigh-level resourcereporting.

We wrapped upthe meeting with a

Members Roundtable/Open Forum. Gary Hoffmann brought in examplesof work he has done using PERT Chart Expert software, which plugs intoMS Project to offer greater flexibility in creating PERT charts from Projectfiles. This got everyone talking and getting to know each other. Ourmeeting survey overwhelmingly stated that the opportunity to network with

Gary Hoffmann and Karen Sherman

The White Shirts: Al Sargent & Todd Maurer

other users is one of the strongest reasons for attending the meetings, alongwith learning techniques and the future of the product.

We have enjoyed the participation both from newcomers to projectmanagement and MS Project and from experienced users who have“pushed Project to the limit.” Our next meeting in Denver will be inOctober, and we are planning an inaugual meeting in Phoenix inSeptember. We look forward to seeing you there!

Karen Sherman, RM Chapter Coordinator

Gary Hoffmann with his PERT Chart examples

The Project Network

Doug Thiele’s Tips & Tricks

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

Macros in MS Project 98In a previous column (the Winter 1998 issue, for

those keeping score at home!) I showed you how to makecustom toolbars and custom menu items in

Microsoft Project 98. That article received a lotof positive feedback, and I’d like to thankeveryone for their comments. I also got a lotof requests from users who wanted to knowhow to perform the same tasks, but over the

past year I’ve seen a dramatic rise of interest in macros for the whole MicrosoftOffice suite of applications, including Microsoft Project 98. Let’s face it. There area lot of things that we’d like Project 98 to do for us automatically, but it just doesn’t.How about some special reports? What about automatically creating a web page?What about a feature that Microsoft Project 98 doesn’t have, but that you’d just killfor? These are just three of the kinds of things that Visual Basic for Applications(VBA), the macro language of Microsoft Project 98, can do for you. It just takes alittle time, practice, and know-how. In this article, we will discuss some of thebasics of VBA, and even do a simple example or two.

What is VBA?Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is the macro language of Microsoft

Project 98. Wait, I already said that, right? OK, but what you may not know yet isthat this is the same language that is used in the other office tools, such as Word,Excel, Access, Powerpoint, and as of Office 2000, Frontpage 2000 and Outlook2000. This means that by learning VBA for Project 98, you’ve got a jump onlearning VBA for any other application, since much of the language is the same. Italso means that you can re-use code from Microsoft Project 98 in other applicationswith a minimum of changes.

There are really two parts to Visual Basic for Applications. Part 1 is the corelanguage, which is the language used in Visual Basic (a programming tool fromMicrosoft that is used for corporate development). It contains all of the basickeywords, syntax, and tools for programming your macros. Part 2 is the stuff that isspecific to the application in which you are working. For example, in MicrosoftProject 98, we have Projects, Resources, Tasks, etc. This makes perfect sense, sincethese are the things that we work with as project management professionals.However, in Excel, these things wouldn’t make sense. In Excel, they haveworksheets, workbooks, charts, and cells.

Basic ConceptsWell the previous discussion now gets us into a sticky discussion. What do we

call these Projects and Tasks and Resources? In VBA, we call them objects. So, inMicrosoft Project 98, we have a Project object. Well, that’s great, you’re saying.What does that do for me? It has three sets of attributes: properties, methods, andevents. The best way of thinking about these attributes is to talk about examples.For example, if you had an object called a Tyrannosaurus Rex, the properties wouldbe its height and weight. Its methods would be turn, bite, move and roar.Correspondingly, for a Project object, the properties would be CurrentFilter,CurrentTable and CurrentView (among others). A Project object has a fewmethods, such as Activate and AppendNotes. It also has some events that it canreact to, such as Calculate and BeforePrint.

Visual Basic for Applications is easy to use, so if you’ve ever programmed inBasic, or any other language for that matter, you should feel right at home. Let’sprogram a simple example that takes the name from an input box and shows theuser a message box. Now, for those who don’t know what I’m talking about, aninput box is a little box that appears on a screen, in which you can type text. A

message box is a box that shows you some information, but you can only click abutton, like OK or Cancel. Figure 1 shows the code.

Figure 1: Simple VBA Code ExampleSub Example1()

Dim sName as stringsName = inputbox (“Please enter your first name.”)msgbox “Thanks “ & sName, vbOKOnly, “Simple Example”

End Sub

To enter the code, go to the Tools menu in Microsoft Project 98, click on Macro,then Macros from the submenu, and create a new macro called Example1. Clickon Create, and the Visual Basic for Applications editor will come up and let you typein the code above. Once you have done so, run it by either clicking on the Runsubitem on the Run menu, or press F5. This will run the code as long as there areno errors.

That wasn’t very hard, was it? Actually, all we did in our code from Figure 1 isset aside some room inside the computer for a string variable (“Dim sName asstring”). A string variable is a series of text characters, such as a name. We thenused an input box to take the name from the user and store it in our sNamevariable. Finally, we used a function called msgbox to display a message to the userthat included the name that was entered.

Our Last ExampleNow that we’ve done a simple example, let’s try something else that might help

you get a feel for Visual Basic in Microsoft Project98. Why don’t we do somethingsimple, like find out some useful information about the currently opened project.The code for it is in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Name of the Current ProjectSub CurrentProject()

Msgbox activeproject.nameMsgbox activeproject.numberoftasksMsgbox activeproject.currentviewMsgbox activeproject.currenttableMsgbox activeproject.currentfilter

End Sub

To run this macro, go to the Tools menu, click on Macro, then on Macros fromthe submenu, and double-click on the macro name to run it. You should see fivesuccessive dialog boxes that tell you what the name of your project is, the numberof tasks, the current view, current table and current filter applied.

ConclusionThere are some fantastic books and tutorials around, many published by

Microsoft Press. A great book that just became available is Learn Visual Basic 6Now! which is a fantastic introduction to Visual Basic, and even includes a standardedition of Visual Basic for the reader’s use. Another great book is Doing Objectsin Visual Basic 6, by Deborah Kurata. A lot of the information about objects that Iwas talking about earlier in the article is covered in depth in this book, and it’s aninvaluable reference for anyone interested in programming in Visual Basic.

I’m also going to be doing a macro workshop at the Great Lakes meeting onOctober 5, where we will cover the basics of Visual Basic for Applications in moredepth, as well as work on more complex examples. Please either stop in for thatmeeting, or check the MPUG Web site out after the meeting for my slides and demos.

The Project Network

Feature Article—Using MSP 98 to Track Overtime

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

The Problem ScenarioAny experienced project manager will admit that not all elements of a project

plan will execute the way they are planned. It is impossible, before a projectbegins, to accurately plan (and budget) all of the tasks associated with the project,or even a single phase of a project in the case of very long projects. There is alwayssomething that will execute differently (Positive or Negative) in the project, whichwill require an alteration to the project plan in mid-stream. When thesealterations to the original plan occur in a negative way, requiring additional effortto complete the task(s) and stay within the original project guidelines, it is myexperience that most project teams will work the extra effort required to get back tothe original schedule. The project team will not, however, repeat this time aftertime on project after project, especially if the underestimated tasks are the sameeach time. The project manager needs the ability to recognize that these tasks havebeen historically underestimated. This can be done by historically recording the“REAL” time spent on the task for use by the project organization in planningsimilar projects in the future. Otherwise, if this data is not captured and used, theproject organization is likely to fall into the same trap, again and again, ofoverworking the project team to complete tasks and maintain unrealisticschedule constraints.

The ProblemDuring the time periods when these extra effort (overtime) hours are being

worked, some project team members work uncompensated, others arecompensated at the same rate as regular efforts, and still others are compensated ata different (overtime) rate. If you are using Microsoft Project 98 for tracking statusof your project schedule and tracking project costs, the problem is as follows. “Howcan I record the extra effort hours worked by project team members, so thathistorical task trend data can be captured for use in future project planning,without incorrectly reporting the actual costs on the project.”

The Solution SummarySimply put, the solution to this problem is for each project team member to

have two compensation rates. One “standard” rate for regularly scheduled andbudgeted efforts and one “overtime” rate for the extra effort hours worked tocomplete the under-estimated tasks. Then, when tracking project progress,enter both the regular hours worked and the overtime hours worked alongwith the status (% Complete and Actual Duration) for each task.

The standard rate would be the individual employee’s normal hourly rateloaded with all company burdens and factors to arrive at a true “cost” for theindividual. As an alternative to individual rates for each employee, especiallyin an environment where sensitivity to salaries is an issue, a common “Group”rate can be used instead. In this case, a single, fully burdened rate representingthe average compensation rate for the “programming group” or the“engineering group” could be used. In this way, reasonably accurate projectcosts are collected without disclosing the company salary structures.Remember, in Project 98, the resource rates entered are fully visible to anyonewith access to the project schedule file.

The overtime rate would be the individual’s fully burdened overtimecompensation rate or group average overtime rate. In cases where theovertime compensation is at the same rate as regular compensation, then thestandard rate would be used as the overtime rate as well. In cases where the teammember is not compensated for overtime efforts, this rate would be set to zero.

Setting Up Project 98 to Implement the SolutionImplementation of this solution into Microsoft Project 98 can be tricky

because of several “Default” settings and options in the application. These optionscontrol the way Project 98 calculates the Task Duration, the Actual Task Duration,the Resource Work, the Actual Resource Work, the % complete, and the % Work for atask in the schedule. Before we discuss the changes to the option settings, a betterdefinition of these terms is required.

• Task Duration (Duration) is the amount of time (calendar time) requiredto complete a task. This is related to but not the same as the amount ofeffort (work) required in completing the task. A more detailed discussion ofthis difference will follow these definisions.

• Actual Task Duration (Actual Duration) is the amount of time (calendartime) that has elapsed in the progression of the task.

• Resource Work (Work) is the amount of effort required by the resource(s)completing a task.

• Actual Resource Work (Actual Work) is the amount of effort expended bythe resource(s) to the project status point in the progression of the task.

• Percent Complete (% Complete) is the actual duration expended on a taskdivided by the total duration of the task. This percentage deals only withthe time duration of the task and is unrelated to the effort expended toreach that point.

• Percent Work (% Work) is the actual effort expended (actual work) by theresource(s) as compared against the total effort (work) required by theresource(s) completing the task.

The effort associated with the completion of a task (work) is not the same asthe duration of the task. As defined above, the work is the amount of effort requiredby the resource(s) to complete a task. An example of this is a task requiring oneweek to complete that has two full time persons (resources) assigned to it to performthe effort. Assuming the two resources are available at the same time to perform thetask, the task’s duration would be 40 hours whereas the work associated with thetask would be 80 hours (2 persons at 40 hours each).

As previously discussed, in order to set up Project 98 to track overtime for a taskwithout altering the task’s duration and correctly reflecting the project’s status, two

“ C a l c u l a t i o n ”options must bechanged from thedefault settings. Tochange these optionsin Project 98, select“Options…” fromthe main tools menu(Tools, Options…).

Then select the“Calculation” Tabas illustrated inFigure 1 to viewand set the options.The followingcalculation optionchanges are made

using this dialog screen.(1) The “Updating task status updates resource status” option must be

turned OFF.

Using Microsoft Project 98 to Track Overtime Worked by the Project Team By Steven Edwards

Continued on page 15

Figure 1 - Calculation Option Settings○○

○

○

○

○

○


Feature Article—Using MSP 98 to Track Overtime, Continued

(2) The “Edits to total % complete will spread to the status date” optionmust be turned ON.

For item (1), Project 98 by default updates tracking values (% Work, ActualWork, etc.) for the assigned resource(s) when the tracking values (% Complete,Actual Duration) are updated for a task. What this means is if status for a task isentered in as 50% complete, Project 98 assumes that 50% of the work associatedwith the task is also completed and automatically fills in the resource’s “ActualWork” accordingly. The relationship also works in the other direction as well. Ifthe actual work for a resource is updated, then the task % complete also changes.If the resource(s) are working at different rates, are at different levels ofcompletion for the same task, or are working extra effort (overtime) to completethe task within the scheduled time, this interaction can cause problems in thereported values. To correct this and make the tracking values for the resourceindependent, or mutually exclusive, from those of the task, (i.e.; Letting yourecord… “I am 75% complete on this task but I spent 65 hours instead of the 40originally planned”) this option must be turned OFF.

For item (2), by default in Project 98, the total percent complete entered for atask is evenly distributed though to the current end of the task’s duration so far.What this means is that a task’s percent complete and the actual work associatedwith the task may be distributed beyond the current status date under which thestatus was captured. If the percentage complete value entered representsmore than the distributed time to the status date on the current taskduration, then the actual work associated with the task will be spreadbeyond the current status date, indicating work being performed in thefuture. To setup Project 98 to distribute the percent complete and actualwork only to the entered status date for which the status is being reported(i.e.; I am 75% complete on this task as of April 17th), then this optionmust be turned ON.

It should be noted at this point that the parameters changed in thecalculation option settings will address only the schedule currently open in Project98. By default these are not global settings, which will be changed in otherexisting Project 98 files. These settings will need to be setup in all other existingProject 98 files if tracking of the overtime worked on these projects is desired. Thesesettings can, however, be set up as the default values for all NEW project schedulescreated by clicking the “Set as Default” button on the calculation options dialog asshown in Figure 1.

Setting Up Your Project Schedule to Implement the SolutionBefore overtime information for resources can be entered on tasks worked in

the project schedule, the resource’s calendar and cost accrual rates must be set up.First the resource’s individual calendar is set up. In Project whenever a resource iscreated, the standard, or project base calendar is copied as a dedicated calendar forthat resource. This resource calendar is then used to setup that resource’sindividual work schedule (e.g.; shift work) as well as for vacations, sick leave andany other differences to that resource’s work schedule verses the base projectcalendar. Once the resource has been initially entered in Project, the resource’scalendar can be viewed by selecting “Change Working Time…” from the maintools menu (Tools, Change Working Time…). This will cause the project base(Standard) calendar to be displayed. From this view, select the desired resourcefrom the “For:” drop-down menu located at the top of the “Change WorkingTime” dialog.

Using the resource calendar as illustrated in Figure 2, enter in any alterationsto the normal working time established in the main (Standard) project calendar.Examples of alterations would be working a different shift, working different daysof the week, a planned vacation or leave of absence. Company Holidays and other

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

work alterations that are observed by the entire company or project team should beentered in the base (standard) project calendar and not in the resource calendars.

Once the resource calendar is updated, the resource standard and overtime ratesneed to be entered. To enter this information for each of the resources on the project,select the “Resource Sheet” view from the main view menu (View,Resource Sheet). Enter in the standard rate (Std. Rate) and overtime rate (Ovt. Rate)for each project team member in the Resource Sheet view as shown in Figure 3.

The overtime rate entered for each resource in the resource sheet should reflectone of the following conditions.

(a) If the resource is NOT compensated for overtime efforts worked, enter$0.00 for the Ovt. Rate.

(b) If the resource is compensated for overtime at the SAME rate as regulartime, duplicate the Std. Rate in the Ovt. Rate column.

(c) If the resource is compensated for overtime at a DIFFERENT rate thenregular time, enter that different rate in the Ovt. Rate column.

Your project schedule is now set up to track the actual overtime worked on theproject.

Entering Overtime and Status Data into your ScheduleNow that the schedule has been set up correctly to track the actual overtime

worked on the project, the steps to entering status into your project schedule shouldbe performed. The steps that should be followed in entering status, including theactual work performed by each of the resources, to the schedule are as follows.

1) Set the project Current Date.2) Set the project Status Date.3) Select the project task to status.4) Select “Update Tasks” and enter the reported status.

a) Enter the cumulative % Complete for the task.b) Enter the cumulative Actual Duration for the task.

5) Change the View to the “Task Usage” View.6) Enter “Actual Work” (regular and overtime) for each resource

assigned to the task (follow the specific order listed below).a) First Enter Base Hours Worked (non-overtime) for the reporting period in “Actual Work” field.


Figure 2 - Resource Calendar

Figure 3 - Entering Rates (Resource Sheet View)


○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

The Project Network


b) Next Enter any Overtime Hours Worked in “Actual Overtime Work” field.

7) Repeat this procedure back to Step 3 until status for all the tasksreported on is completed.

8) Communicate the updated project status to the projectteam members.

For the purposes of illustrating these steps in tracking overtime worked on aproject, the following example is being used. Status will be entered for anon-going task, “Design Part B” (Task ID 6) in a schedule entitled “Building aWidget”. The status for this task was collected as of Friday, March 26, 1999, and isbeing entered into the schedule on the following Monday, March 29, 1999. Theresource assigned to this task, Mr. John Jones, has reported that during thisreporting period, consisting of 1-week, the % completion on this task hasincreased from 60% to 75%. Mr. Jones also reported that he worked 60 hoursduring this period to achieve the reported status increase. Of the 60 hours workedon the task during this reporting period, 40 hours were regular hours and 20hours were extra effort (overtime hours). This 60 hours, when added to the 96hours worked on this task prior to this reporting period, indicates that 156 hourshave been expended on this task to achieve the reported 75% completion status.The task was originally planned at 160 hours total, so it is fairly obvious that thetask is behind schedule, which is why Mr. Jones worked 20 hours of overtimeduring the reporting period. Mr. Jones is an exempt employee and does not receivecompensation for his overtime worked. This uncompensated overtime is reflectedin Mr. Jones’ overtime rate of $0.00/hr in the Resource Sheet of Figure 3.

Steps 1 and 2: The project “Current Date” and the project “Status Date” areentered using the Project Information dialog box. To view this screen, select“Project Information” from the main project menu (Project, ProjectInformation…). The Project Information dialog box will appear as illustrated inFigure 4. Enter the current date (usually the present calendar date) asindicated below (3/29/99) in the “Current date:” field. Next enter the status date(the date to which project status is being reported) as indicated below(3/26/99) in the “Status date:” field. Once this is completed, click the“OK” button.

This will enter the current date and status date into the project and,depending on how the gridline options are set up, may draw a vertical lineacross the schedule (Gantt Chart view) indicating where the status and currentdates fall.

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

Step 3: From the “Gantt Chart” view of the project schedule, select the task forwhich status is to be entered.

To select the entire task, place the cursor over the Task ID number in column 1 ofthe table portion of the Gantt Chart and click the mouse button once. The task rowwill darken as shown in Figure 5.

Step 4: Once the task is selected, the status for that task should be entered usingthe Update Tasks dialog screen. To view this dialog screen, select update tasks fromthe main Tools menu (Tools, Tracking, Update Tasks…). The dialog screen asillustrated in Figure 6 will appear.

Using this screen, the % Completion, the Actual Duration, and the Actual Startdate will be entered for the selected task. When entering status for a task, always enterin these three elements so that Project can accurately calculate both the currentstatus of the task and determine what effort will be required to complete the task.

For task ID 6, Design Part B, since the task is an on-going task with prior statusentered, the Actual Start Date has already been entered. The % Complete and theActual Duration, however, do need to be input. The % Complete is entered in as 75%,which represents the cumulative status on the task to date. The Actual Duration isentered in as 156 hours which represents the total cumulative duration expended todate on the task (96 hours + 60 hours). With the status now entered for the task, thes c h e d u l eshould looksimilar toFigure 7.

P l e a s enote that theschedule usedfor thisdiscussion inFigure 7 uses a display template, which differs from that of the default Microsoft Project98 template. For more information on how to modify MS Project display templatesand the benefits of modifying these templates, contact the author. See About theAuthor at the end of this article.

Step 5: Now that the status is entered in for the selected task (Task ID 6), next theactual work by the assigned resource, Mr. Jones, must be entered. To enter thisinformation on Mr. Jones, the Task Usage view will be used. This view and a similarview, the Resource Usage view, are new and represent a major enhancement in theResource and Cost Management capabilities of Microsoft Project 98. Thisenhancement provides the ability to view and edit time-phased information onresources and tasks.

As mentioned above, the Task Usage view will be used to enter the actual workperformed by Mr. Jones during this reporting period. To initiate the Task Usage view,select Task Usage from the main View menu (View, Task Usage). The Task Usage viewwill appear similar to that of Figure 8. The data items (Baseline Work, Work, etc)shown in the “Details” column of the Usage view are user-definable and will notinitially appear the same as in Figure 8. By default, “Work” is the only detail datathat appears in the views.


Figure 4 - Enter Current Date and Status Date

Figure 5 - Select the Task for Status

Figure 6 - Update Tasks Status Entry Screen

Figure 7- Task ID with Updated Status




○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

correspond to the “John Jones” section of the table, which isindented under the task to which Mr. Jones is assigned, DesignPart B.

First, as shown in Figure 11, we need to enter in the regularhours worked by Mr. Jones on this task. To do this select the cell for“Actual Work” corresponding to the week beginning 3/21. Thenenter 40h into that cell.

Second, enter the overtime worked. To do this select the cellfor “Actual Overtime Work” corresponding to the week beginning3/21. Then enter 20h into that cell. When the 20 hours is enteredas overtime, the Actual Work cell is re-calculated to be 60 hours forthe total work expended on the task during the reporting period.

The “Actual Cost” cell for the reporting period only reflects the cost associated withthe regular hours worked (40) since Mr. Jones is not compensated for the overtimehe works.

It is important to remember that the regular hours worked must beentered first since this forms the basis for the actual work performed during theperiod. Refer to Figure 11 for a view of the Task Usage view with the actualwork entered.

With the task status information entered in Step 4 and the ActualWork (including overtime work) entered in Step 6, status is completed for the task,Design Part B (ID6). With all thestatus informationentered, the taskreflects that ofFigure 12.

The financialinformation on thetask has also been updated as is reflected in the Project Statistics dialog illustratedin Figure 13. This dialog is viewed by clicking the Project Statistics button in thetoolbar of Project 98.


Figure 8- Task Usage View for Design Part B

Figure 9 - Resource Usage Detail Menu

Figure 10 - Resource Usage Detail Styles Dialog

Figure 11 - Task Usage with Actual Hours Entered

Figure 12 - Task ID 6 with Complete Status

Figure 13 - Project Statistics

To setup different data items to be displayed in this Usage view, placethe cursor in the time-phased data area(yellow shaded area in default view)and click the right mouse button. Adrop-down menu will then appear

similar to that illustrated inFigure 9.

From this menu, select thetop entry “Detail Styles…” andthe Detail Styles selectiondialog will be displayed similarto that of Figure 10.

From this selectiondialog, select theinformation (Detail DataItems) to be displayed foreach resource and eachtask from the “Availablefields” selection window.Multiple selections canbe made by holdingdown the keywhile selecting thedesired fields. Once thedesired field(s) areselected, click the “Show>>” button to move the selection(s) to the “Show these fields:” window. Similarly,fields can be removed from the Usage views by selecting them in the “Show thesefields:” window and then clicking the “

The Project Network


○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

Help Us Find YouThe following members seem to be lost... We’ve tried E-mail, Phone

and Snail Mail without success. We want to clean-up our membershipdatabase and find you. If anyone knows the whereabouts of anyonelisted here, we would appreciate it if you would contact the MPUG officeand help us confirm their status.

[email protected] or 734-741-0841

Jeff Chestnut Cliff Rosser Buz SteeleJulie Jensen David Swanson Chuck Bullock

Our Mission

To provide the installed user base ofMicrosoft Project with a forum toexchange ideas, support, and

experience, to better understand and utilize allMicrosoft® Project related products. MPUG is an

independent users group formed with the support andrecognition of Microsoft®. We will actively seek outrelated organizations, both nationally and internationally, andcollaborate with them to encourage the appropriateexchange of information to MPUG membership for alllevels of Microsoft Project experience.

About the AuthorSteven Edwards is a member of the Mid-Atlantic chapter of MPUG. He is also

the founder and president of Edwards Industries, a project management andelectrical engineering design firm specializing in project managementconsulting and training. For more information on Edwards Industries, they canbe contacted by phone at 1-800-556-2506, by e-mail at [email protected] see their company advertisement in this publication.

Steps 7 and 8: This procedure should now be repeated for each of theremaining tasks reporting work performed during this status period. Once statushas been entered for all the tasks, the updated schedule should be communicatedto the project team.

ConclusionsThe reality on a project is not everything will execute according to the

original plan and at times, unscheduled overtime will be required. As long as thesame task(s) are not underestimated in the same manner time after time and onproject after project, the team will typically support the project and the projectmanager in working the required overtime to ensure the project is successful. Itis incumbent on the project manager and the project management organizationto capture the real hours required to complete these underestimated tasks andcorrect them on future projects. This article provides a method for capturingthese real hours using Microsoft Project 98 without distorting the cost trackingand reporting side.

Comments and suggestions are encouraged on this article. If you have acomment concerning this article, please send it to the author [email protected].



Application To Join Us!

(Please print in the space provided.)

YES! Please enroll me/my company in the Microsoft Project Users Group for one year.

Name of Member/Company Contact: ___________________________________________________

Job Title: ________________________ Nature/Type of Business: _________________________

Company Name & Address: ___________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Telephone Number: ____________________ Fax Number: ____________________________

E-Mail Address: _____________________________________________________________________

Self-employed? _______ How did you hear about us? __________________________________

I agree to have my name, address, and work phone number included in the MPUG AnnualMembership Directory available to all MPUG members (circle one). Yes No

I enclose a check* for (circle one) Individual, Student, or Corporate Membership as stated on this application.

Credit Card Information** Number: ____________________________ Exp Date: __________

Card Holder Name (if different than applicant): _________________________________________

Signed: ________________________________________ Date: ________________

Application to Join TheMicrosoft Project Users Group (MPUG)

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

Categories of Membership

Individual - For a single named user ofMicrosoft Project. Member willreceive regular copies of The ProjectNetwork and be able to attend UserGroup meetings. ($75 U.S.)

Corporate - Corporate membership allowsup to ten named people from yourcompany to attend user meetings andthe receipt of that many copies of TheProject Network. ($295 U.S.)

Student - Student membership is for asingle named individual who iscurrently a full-time student at anaccredited institution. Proof ofcurrent enrollment must be providedat time of application. ($35 U.S.)

Note - All memberships will benefit fromfuture newsletter publications,tri-annual professional meetings, anda viable and informative Web site.

I received a letter of invitation. I understand I will be billed for dues on the date indicated in the letter.

No thanks. I don’t wish to become a member at this time and prefer not to receive further communications from MPUG.

Mail or fax to:Microsoft Project Users Group, 3923 Ranchero Dr., Ann Arbor, MI 48108Telephone: 734-741-0841 Facsimile: 734-741-1343

E-mail: [email protected]

Please answer the following questions to help us assess your needs more accurately:

1. I use the following system(s): Mac Windows UNIX Other (specify) _________________________________________________

2. What project management software do you use? MS Project Primavera Other (specify) ______________________________________

3. What professional organizations do you currently belong to? ____________________________________________________________________

4. What areas would you be willing to take part in to assist our organization? (Check all that apply) Writing Testing Speaking

Advertising Hosting Editing Sponsorship Consulting Other (specify) ____________________________________

5. Over the course of one year, will you specify, recommend, buy, or approve new software, consulting or contracting services?Yes No

6. If you answered Yes to question #5, estimate the following based on U.S. dollars:

Software: less than $5,000 $5,000 to $9,999 $10,000 to $49,999 $50,000 to $149,999 $150,000 or more

People (number of resources): 1-5 6-10 11-20 more than 20

*Make checks payable to“Microsoft Project Users

Group” or “MPUG”

**Payment by credit card(VISA, Master Card orAmerican Express) can be doneby faxing or phoning details tothe MPUG office.

Payment mustaccompany applications!

If choosing Corporate Membership, please attach a listing of all members, their job titles, andE-Mails. Also indicate if the member agrees to have his/her name, address and work phone numberincluded in the MPUG Annual Membership Directory available to all MPUG members.

The Project Network

The Newsletter of the Microsoft Project Users Group—Global

The Project NetworkTO A MAN WITH A HAMMER,

EVERYTHING LOOKS LIKE A NAIL.

One size fits all may work for chewinggum, but its a recipe for disaster when itcomes to managing the one thing thatreally matters: your project.

As one of the worlds fastest growingproject managment services firms, we canhelp you realize your dreams, whetheryoure working on a major automotive oraerospace program or a smaller-scale ITnew product introduction.

Our approach is as simple as it is effective.First, plan the work. Then, work the plan.

We work with you to set concreteobjectives up front, and then supply theresources you need for success -- fromarms length mentoring to softwaredevelopment and training, to operating adedicated project management office ormanaging the total project, if you prefer.

And because were a firm with a globalpresence, were able to provide our uniquecombination of expertise and leadershipwherever you need it.

DONT YOU DESERVE A CUSTOM

SOLUTION, INSTEAD?

3 Program Planning Professionals3923 Ranchero Dr., Ann Arbor, MI

Good Managers Find Peaceful SolutionsTwo people had adjoining farms. One raised wheat and had

children and large dogs. The other raised sheep.The sheep farmer was in a quandary because the dogs next

door were running into his pastures and frightening the sheep. Hespoke to his neighbor but the forays continued. He thought abouttaking the neighbor to court. He even thought about poisoningthe dogs. Then one day he found a solution.

Some new lambs were born and the sheep farmer gave each ofhis neighbor’s children a lamb as a pet. They were delighted!Because of the pet lambs, the father could no longer let the dogsrun amok. He restrained them and taught them to leave the lambsand the sheep alone... and everyone lived happily ever after.—Adapted from The Best of Bits and Pieces (The Economic Press)

Download...Free Trial Version of Microsoft Project 98

http://www.microsoft.com/project/download/trial98.htm

Letters, Case Studies, or Wish List items intendedfor publication in future issues of The ProjectNetwork should be addessed to:Readers Insight, The Project Network3923 Ranchero Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48108

Letters may also be faxed to: 734-741-1343 orE-mailed to: [email protected] ...............

Please limit letters to one page and include a name, address, anddaytime telephone number. Case Studies, of any length, are alwayswelcome, and Wish List memos will be incorporated into amembers’ list and discussed on the Web before publication. Entries maybe edited for clarity and length. Due to the volume of letters we mayreceive, we cannot guarantee a response.

The MPUG Newsletter is a quarterly publication dedicated toinform, serve and entertain its membership. The informationpublished herein is believed to be reliable; however, the editor and otherindividuals associated with this periodical assume noresponsibility for inaccuracies or omissions. Publication ofadvertisements in this newsletter do not necessarily constitute anendorsement by MPUG. Signed columns are the opinion of its writer(s),and not necessarily the opinion of the publishers.

Bulk RateU.S. Postage PAID

Pe

The Project Network - MPUG · 2020. 8. 20. · Beat Mom at MSP Submitted by David Stopar My mother,...

Documents

Transcript of The Project Network - MPUG · 2020. 8. 20. · Beat Mom at MSP Submitted by David Stopar My mother,...