Future Versions of MS Project Server

G

Guest

Anyone have info on new features/changes for the next version of MS
Project Server? We're just about ready to dump 2003 due to:
incredibly confusing layout, poor time sheet system, problematic
updating of actual time into MS Project, reporting periods not lining
up with time sheet periods, assorted glitches, among many other
things. However, we've put so much time into it we're hesitant to
throw it away if there's some significant improvements in the next
release. Any info on features-release date would be appreciated.
 
I

Ian Wolstenholme

Hi,

Firstly information about the next version is unlikley to be made public in
the next 9 months or so.

Secondly, did you engage with a Microsoft Project Partner for your
deployment, because I am sure they would be able to address all of your
issues. You don't specifiy the exact nature of the issues you were having
but are these issues post SP1 ?

Our experience is that the timesheet layout can be configured, and since you
can design the layout and filter options to suit your own requirements this
has never been an issue - but you need to understand the options avialable
to you. On the subject of updating, you don't state the issues you are
having so I can't comment further other than to say a lot of issues that
many customers have had were resolved in SP1. Please be specific about your
issues and chances are that they are solvable. I think you might be better
to resolve the issues in the current version than having to wait for a new
version which may still be some time off (although I don't know for sure).
My guess would be you won't see it before this time next year though.

As for reporting periods lining up with time sheet periods - often this
isn't the case but the time sheet periods (usually weekly) do not dictate
the way in which people complete their timesheets. Think about it - would
you really want someone to stop reporting on a Wednesday just because that
happens to be the last Friday of the month (reporting cycle). If you are
referring to a need to report against specific periods in the Portfolio
Analyser then this can be done and their are add-on tools for Project Server
to extend this capability (e.g. Portfolio Analyzer Extender)

Talk to your engagement partner in more detail. And if you don't have one,
then you should. A key element in reducing the risk of your EPM deployment
is to engage with a qualified Microsoft Project Enterprise Solution
Provider.

Hope that helps

Regards

Ian
 
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