Assigning resources to an Activity in PWA 2007

[Greg DC]

Our Microsoft Software group does three types of activities: Projects
(software requiring a project plan and manager), Enhancements (improving
installed software products that may require a plan and manager), and Repair
(repairing installed software products to perform according to original
specs, rarely requires a plan or manager).

I was hoping to use MS Project 2007's Activity to track the resources being
applied to the Enhancement and Repair acitivitys. However, while I can
create the Activity, I am unable to assign resources to it. What authority
or setting might I not have correct?

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Greg DC --

You have to build the team for the Activity plan first. Are you doing that?
Regardless, you are going to be disappointed with how Microsoft has
implemented the Activity plan feature. It has two severe limitations:

1. You can only assign one resource per task.
2. The system assigns each resource at 100% Units (full-time work)
automatically, and you cannot change the Units value.

Given these limtations, wouldn't you be better off creating enterprise
projects for your Enhancements and Repair activities? Hope this helps.

 

[Greg DC]

Dale,
Actually I tried to Build the team, but the ADD is grayed out. I check
the people that are in the team, but ADD stays gray. That is why I suspect
that it is a setting or authority issue.
As to the fact that I will be dispappointed, that is no surprise, either.
MS Project is a work in progress that at time is slower than ....... To be
polite, it hasn't done what it really could as an Office product or an
Enterprise product. We do both SCRUM for development, MSP does nothing for
us there. We us MOSS for colaboration, MSPS says it intergrates well, it
does not. I am very dispappointed in MSP and MSPS.

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Greg DC --

I believe the default permissions for the Project Managers group will allow
you to build a team in both an enterprise Project in Microsoft Project 2007,
in a Proposal, and an Activity Plan. Can you build a team in an enterprise
project? Let us know.

Also, sorry about your disappointment with the tools.

 

[Greg DC]

Dale,
I just tried again. I added a new Activity. Tried to build the team and
the ADD button was grayed out. I added some tasks to the activity, then
tried to build the team, some thing.
I have both Admin and PM listed on my security group. All the items are
checked in the Global Permissions list. I am about to revert to the Excel
to do this but that is a real set back in my mind.
Thanks for any help you can give me.

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Greg DC --

You didn't answer my question: Can you build a team in an enterprise
project in Microsoft Project Professional 2007? I need to know if the
problem is related only to building a team in an Activity plan, or to
building a team in any situation. Let us know.

 

[L8rdays]

Greg,

This suggestion may be too obvious... but...

After you clicked on build team. Did you actually put a checkmark in the
box next to a resource name? That is the only time the "ADD" button appears
to be enabled for me.