Document Sharing Problems

R

Ryan

Hi all. I could use some advice on how to approach some document sharing
issues I've come across using Project Professional 2003 and Project Server.
First of all let me explain how our users use the software. We have 1
primary project manager who uses Project Professional 2003 exclusively. He
would prefer to stick with that and not have to use PWA for any reason.
There are then about 10 users (resources) who use PWA and do not have
licenses for Professional 2003. Here's my list of issues:

1) Attachments or links that the project manager adds to tasks using
Professional 2003 do not appear in PWA.
2) Documents uploaded to the PWA document library and then attached to tasks
do not show up in Professional 2003.

So you see my problem here. The project manager cannot see documents that
users add, and users cannot see documents that the project manager adds.

Also not all files can be stored on the project server because they are
created by and used by other departments who do not use Project and have no
desire to do so. Ideally I would like to be able to attach links to tasks
that are viewable through both PWA and Project Professional. Is there any
way to do this? Also I would like documents that are uploaded to PWA and
linked to tasks to also be viewable through Professional.

Thanks for any help,
Ryan
 
D

Dale Howard [MVP]

Ryan --

I believe your project manager should use the Documents library
functionality available in Project Server. The project manager can access
project-related documents in PWA directly through the Microsoft Project
Professional interface by clicking Collaborate - Documents. By doing so,
he/she will navigate directly to the Document library associated with the
active project. Hope this helps.
 
G

Gary L. Chefetz \(MVP\)

Ryan:

In order to use the software as designed, your PM *has* to use PWA. If your
culture is such that it allows a PM to choose what part of the corporate
system he's willing to use, then you have bigger problems than the
limitations of Microsoft's EPM platform.

--

Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
"We wrote the book on Project Server
http://www.msprojectexperts.com

-
 
R

Ryan

It's not that he can't use it. It just doesn't make sense to us that he
should have to. Project Professional appears to have everything he should
need.
 
R

Ryan

Dale,

Thanks for your advice. Using the Collaborate - Documents interface does
make things a bit easier. Are there any fields in the regular project view
that will show whether there are any documents linked to a task on PWA? The
Project Manager will primarily use the regular Project View to modify tasks,
run reports, etc. and it would be nice if he could see which tasks have
linked documents at a glance. Also, is there any way to link to a file
somewhere other than on the PWA document center (for files that are to
remain on a different file server)?

Ryan
 
D

Dale Howard [MVP]

Ryan --

It doesn't make sense that your organization would think the project manager
should not have to use Project Web Access. After all, how will the project
manager receive and update task progress from team members without using the
Updates page of PWA? I mean no offense to you or your organization, but why
in the world are you using Project Server if you don't intend to use the
functionality provided therein? It seems like you have probably already
wasted a lot of time and money using the system incorrectly, as indicated by
your questions in this newsgroup.

In regards to your question in an earlier post, there is no field in the
Microsoft Project plan that will reveal whether documents are linked to the
project or to tasks in the project. On the other hand, in the Project
Center page in PWA, there is an Indicators column to the left of every
project that shows whether the project has linked Risks, Issues, or
Documents. The PM in question can access this page simply by clicking
Collaborate - Project Center while in Microsoft Project Professional. Hope
this helps.
 
R

Ryan

Dale,

Thanks for your help. I think you've gotten the wrong idea based on my
questions. Our organization have every intention of using PWA to it's full
capabilities. It's just some of the features that don't make sense. Why
does PWA not allow you to add external links for one? It's standard in
Project Professional and just seems to me this would be common sense to have
with PWA. Since some files are shared across departments that do not use
PWA, it's not practical for us to upload all those files to PWA. Also, when
the PM gets an email stating some resources have updated tasks and "would
you like to update the project", the project opens in Project Professional,
so it's not like the application is trying to force him to use PWA for all
collaboration. Why would Project Professional not show linked documents,
risks, issues in the notes field in project professional? The link could
simply open up a page with PWA, this would be fine. It's the fact that
there is no indicator whatsoever that a task has linked documents, risked,
issues that is confusing to us.

So I take it, because these features have been overlooked apparently, that
the correct way for our PM to approach the project is to use PWA as his
standard for viewing projects? Only use the Project Professional view to
create new projects, reports, etc? This is the main thing we are trying to
determine: what processes the PM needs to establish once a project gets
underway.

Thanks,
Ryan
 
Top