Cannot Import Top Level Task Updates From Timesheet - Right?

B

Bill Busby

We've discovered that Project Server 2007 will allow a user to add lines for
a project's top level and record time against it. Then when the user attempts
to import the timesheet these top level updates are not included or posted to
the project plan. Can anyone confirm the behavior?

If this is correct it looks like a substantial size process hole in project
updates since we can't prevent users from adding top level projects as lines
on the timesheet. If it's allowed people will do it. In this case the PM
won't get an update or know that time is being charged in this fashion.
 
G

Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]

Bill:

This is the price of flexibility. Do you really need to use the timesheet
feature or will updating in the My Tasks page work just as well? If you need
to use timesheets, you need to make this a training and performance issue.

By the way, it's not a process hole, it's a purposeful disconnect between
timesheets and task updating, so that you can use either/or, and deploy
Project Server for timesheets only without projects.

--

Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
MSProjectExperts
For Project Server Consulting: http://www.msprojectexperts.com
For Project Server FAQS: http://www.projectserverexperts.com
 
B

Bill Busby

I get what you're saying and I respect the level of expertise you bring to
the table but I've got to stick with my original assessment of this
introducing a hole in the process of updating project data. We have two roles
involved, the project resource who is given the option of populating their
timesheet is just about any fashion they desire including just adding the top
level project name. This will happen and the resource believes they're doing
the 'right thing'. The other is the project manager who is blissfully
ignorant that their resouce is tracking time that will never show up. I've
learned from extensive experience that getting 300 people to act in a
consistent manner makes training squirrels to dance look easy. Many of our
projects involve dozens of people who have sporatic time tracking periods
(busy in Jun but nothing to do until Oct, etc.). In an ideal world the PM
would know that time isn't being recorded as planned but then we realize our
time is better spent training more squirrels.

Since you can't assign resources to the project summary task, which I
presume would correspond to the top level in the timesheet, why allow the
behavior in timesheet assignments? I don't have a solution, just an
expectation that Microsoft would at least look at the impact of this and
change it if the community at large feel it's an inconsistent behavior with
negative impact.

I do appreciate you taking the time to weigh in on the topic, we all need
more of your expertise as we move towards rolling this behemoth out. I'm
generally positive about the tool but there are opportunities for improvement.
 
G

Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]

Bill:

All that I'm trying to say is that it sounds to me that the timesheeting
system in Project Server 2007 is not a fit for you. I strongly advise you to
use the My Tasks sheet instead to capture your project work. If you need a
heavy-duty timesheeting system, look elsewhere. The PS2007 offering is about
as miminalistic in design and functionality as timesheets go.

--

Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
MSProjectExperts
For Project Server Consulting: http://www.msprojectexperts.com
For Project Server FAQS: http://www.projectserverexperts.com
 
Top