Automating weekly date entry to Project from Mapics

[Ranjana Mehta]

Hi all:
We have been struggling with the reporting phase for Earned Value into
Project 2003. Our first and basic choice was to enter data manually (Physical
% complete, actual start and finish dates and actual hours) for the trial
project. This is expected to be entered by the task performers. But we want
to automate this in the near future as we move Earned Value to all projects
in the company.
Please let me know what variables CAN be imported to Project 2003. I know
that actual work and physical % complete fields can be imported from excel.
But how do we import the dates?
Thanks
Ranjana

 

[Rod Gill]

For earned value, by far the best way to get good accuracy is to have a time
sheet system that updates your project schedules automatically. There are a
number on the web and of course there's Microsoft Project Server.

 

[Ranjana Mehta]

Hi,
Thanks for your reply. We are just finding our way around Project without
wanting to get into the details of the server option. We have the antiquated
method of downloading stuff from Mapics! I am being constrained to use it. Is
there any way that we can have weekly update of values in Project without
being too manual in our work?
Thanks
Ranjana
--
Master''''s in Industrial Engineering
State University of New York at Buffalo

For earned value, by far the best way to get good accuracy is to have a time
sheet system that updates your project schedules automatically. There are a
number on the web and of course there's Microsoft Project Server.

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi Ranjana,

Dates can be imported through VBA the same way as figures.
HTH

--
Jan De Messemaeker
Microsoft Project Most Valuable Professional
http://users.online.be/prom-ade/
+32-495-300 620

Hi,
Thanks for your reply. We are just finding our way around Project without
wanting to get into the details of the server option. We have the antiquated
method of downloading stuff from Mapics! I am being constrained to use it. Is
there any way that we can have weekly update of values in Project without
being too manual in our work?
Thanks
Ranjana

 

[Rod Gill]

However, the whole tasks will be fraught with exceptions and errors, unless
Mapics can pass the Unique Task, Resource or Assignment IDs for you to use.
Otherwise, any change in task name, or duplicate task names etc will cause
problems.

You need a closed weekly loop for accuracy. Project sends current tasks to
pre-fill the time sheets with, along with unique ID's.
Mapics sends time sheet data back (along with Unique IDs and you or a VBA
macro updates Project.

 

[Ranjana Mehta]

Hi:
Thanks for the info. The timesheet idea really helped. We are planning to
create an Access dbase for filling in timesheets that would have options of
selecting project numbers, tasks, start and finish dates, phy. % completes,
etc which would be then routed to each task of each project through macros.
Please let me know if this is a feasible task.
Thanks
Ranjana