How to get the planning to the engineers?

[Abel MacAdam]

Hi,

The other day I started as Resource Planner for my company. What I would
like to know is what is possible with the Microsoft product line. If I plan
using Project Professional 2007, is it possible to write tasks from the
project plan in PP2007 to Outlook? Or do I need Project Server 2007 AND
Project Web Access?

TIA,
Abel

 

[Andrew Lavinsky]

There's not a great way to integrate with Outlook in the 2007 product, even
with PWA. To communicate with resources, most people use PDF's, built in
reports, the Copy Picture to Office Wizard, or read only MPP files.

There's also an option to send them updates (under the File menu I believe),
but I haven't seen so many folks use it.

Best option IMHO is to use PWA and direct them to a specific site which lists
all of their tasks. That site can be integrated with an Outlook folder.

- Andrew Lavinsky
Blog: http://blogs.catapultsystems.com/epm

 

[Ben Howard]

Hi Abel,

depending on the size of your resource plan you can do all of this in
Project. Then use either the reports in MSP, or cut and paste the relevant
sections into Excel, word.... and use good old fashioned email.

Project Server will do some of what you want, but integration into Outlook
is not great. There are no silver bullets here...