Transcript Introduction to Sequence Advisors

Update Anomalies: How to get yourself
into and out of trouble with resources in
a Project Server World
Mark Read
Agenda
The Second Law of Thermodynamics
Project and Process Management
Examples of Data Challenges in Project Server
Introduction to Sequence Advisors
Questions
The Second Law of Thermodynamics
states that all work processes tend towards a greater
entropy (disorder/lower energy density) over time.
Project Management: Order out of Chaos
Thermodynamics
Chaos
Project Management
Order
Process Development: Order out of Chaos
Feedback
Problem
Process
Solution
Project Server: Order out of Chaos
Tasks
Users
Actuals
Project
Manager
Common Resource Naming Issues
Same Resource, Different Resource Names
Hand Typing Resources
Project Managers not used to a resource pool
Duration with Multiple Assignments
The Gantt chart view won’t help you understand what
part of a task with multiple assignments is causing
your duration to be longer than anticipated.
The task usage view, when coupled with the
Assignment Units column, can help sort out which
assignment is pushing the duration.
Smart Tags
When editing tasks, they help remember the
rubberband (duration/work/units relationship)
They are only effective during the editing of a task. If
you edit another task, they are gone
Can help you wrestle with the scheduling engine.
Resource Usage Summaries
Include work for all plans, not just the plan you’re
looking at.
Use the Project Team Members filter, but remember
that the summary task still includes everyone’s
time for all tasks.
Complex Rollups
Used to be there
were regular
calculation
errors on
multiple
group bys, but
Microsoft has
fixed some of
these in SP1.
Needless to say,
they are hard
to read.
Multi Value Fields
1.
2.
3.
4.
Great for skills,
not for costs
Two Different
Groupings with
Outline Code 20
and MV 20
Flat or
Hierarchical with
OK rollups
Group takes first
data instance only,
filter for others
Data Levels
Resources are the only level have
multi-value fields
Any multi-value data that needs
to be rolled up or down
should be stored at the
assignment level
Assignment level fields are hard
to get compliance on because
there are so many of them…
Enterprise
Project
Resource
Task or
Assignment
Maximum work per day
The PWA timesheet will warn about a single cell being
over the predefined limit, but it won’t warn about
someone working more than 24 hours a day over a
group of tasks.
Published Fields in PWA
You can add fields to your
plan and to the PWA
timesheet
You must set them to be
Published fields
(Tools>Customize>Publis
hed Fields)
You can make them user
settable, or NOT
May need VBA on client or
SQL on the server to
populate formula based
fields
Portfolio Analyzer
Great multiple
filter
capability.
The largest
challenge is
readability
Permissions
Resources inherit rights
from their (multiple)
group membership(s)
and selectively use
the RBS
This comes in handy with
complex permission
requirements
Use View Effective
Rights to diagnose
issues
Summary
There is a whole lot of functionality in the base
product.
With great power comes great responsibility
The key is to focus on getting the users trained to get
the numbers right
Don’t Panic
…there is help out there…
Introduction to Sequence Advisors
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Focus on Microsoft Project Management and
Knowledge Management Solutions
Expertise in MS Project, Project Server and Office
Products including Sharepoint products and
MapPoint
Background in Financial Services, Information
Technology, Healthcare, Manufacturing,
Professional Services, Consulting, Startups,
Telecommunications, Construction
Microsoft Certified Partner with Information
Worker Competency
Team Members – Skill Matrix
Mark Read – Principal
Pablo Aguilar - Director of
Technology, MCSE
Jean Thompson - Senior
Consultant
David Luper - Senior
Consultant
Lisa Leung - Senior
Consultant
Angel Lance – Consultant,
PMP
Dyelan Grace - Senior
Software Engineer,
MCSE
What do we do?
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Project and portfolio management consulting
Installation and configuration services (Server
products including Project Server, Sharepoint)
Custom development and integration services
(.net, c#, VB)
Infrastructure assistance (Exchange, domain
admin, backups, SUS, etc)
Training, Training, Training
Long-term support
What don’t we do?
We don’t provide or license MS software
We don’t sell hardware
Quantitative Evaluation – 30 Plans
SQL Reporting Services
Issues (Summary)
Date:
09/01/2005
Workstream:
Customer
Initiative:
ALL
Priority:
Critical or High
Customer
Issues Impacting, but not assigned to Customer
ID:
None
Date
Originated:
07/20/2005
Estimated
Resolution
Date:
08/19/2005
None
07/20/2005
08/19/2005
None
07/20/2005
08/19/2005
None
Date
Originated:
02/27/2005
Estimated
Resolution
Date:
08/18/2005
In Progress 2. High
None
07/27/2005
08/25/2005
In Progress 2. High
None
05/17/2005
08/26/2005
In Progress 2. High
None
06/27/2005
08/25/2005
Training Environment (Data)
In Progress 2. High
None
08/02/2005
08/18/2005
Non-resources
In Progress 2. High
None
07/22/2005
08/25/2005
EDI Estimates
In Progress 2. High
None
08/08/2005
08/25/2005
IVR
In Progress 2. High
None
08/08/2005
08/18/2005
Description:
Status:
Need to define source of record for information
In Progress 2. High
When cost goes into service, where is maintenance plan defined and stored?
In Progress 2. High
How is work referenced within document prior to the end-state customer being defined in document
In Progress 2. High
Description:
Status:
Escalate:
How will we manage freezing regulatory changes and SRs?
In Progress 2. High
RED SOX issue around servers and software
IVR and SoftPhone Changes
LDL Deliveries
Initiative Name
Priority:
Escalate:
Assigned Individual:
Assigned Initiative Team:
X
Assigned
ID:
Priority:
Assigned Individual:
Assigned Initiative Team:
Recent Projects
Utilities
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Insurance
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Financial
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Project Server 2003 for major reengineering effort (25 PMs and 500 users) at large utility.
15 SQL Reporting Services reports covering issue, risk, variance and milestone reports.
Project Server 2003 and Project Professional 2003 for 400 people at insurance provider in San
Francisco. Financial integration, posting, audit and specialized permissions.
Project Server and Project Professional 2002 for 220 people at a large financial company in
southern California. Integration with Project Request system. Upgrade to 2003 this week.
Medical Products
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Project Server 2003 and Project Professional 2003 for 80 person Research & Development division
for company in Sunnyvale.
Government
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Conversion of legacy data in eLabor system to Project Server 2003 for 80 users in state agency,
including conversion of Crystal Reports to Microsoft Reporting Services.
Manufacturing
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Project Server 2003 for a waste water control system manufacturer field service in the North
Bay.
Network Services
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Project Server 2003 and Sharepoint Services for 150 people at a leading broadband services
provider.
Consulting
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Project Server, Sharepoint Services for a sales program company in the North Bay for 5 Project
Managers and 40 Team Members at different IT vendors. We manage their network, servers and
desktops as well.
Last but not least…
We are part of the Project 12 Technology Adoption
Program and will be involved in the beta process
for the next version.
We think Project 12 rocks, and will have some major
functionality enhancements that you will get
excited about.
Contact Information
Contact us at:
Sequence Advisors
1512 La Loma Ave
Berkeley CA 94708
510 406-4645
[email protected]