How to Keep Resources???

[Mike Haddon]

I am just trying to decide if I want to use MS Project.
I manage a research unit for the State of Utah. I am
looking for something to assist me in managing a small
staff on several projects. I am using the eval version
of Project 2003 and working through a book to help me
figure it out. One thing that would be helpful is to
have a common file or something that contains my staff so
I don't have to re-enter their information for each
project. Is this possible? I was thinking of using a
template. Is that the best way to go? Our office is far
too small to use the Enterprise version and a server
product. I only have myself and two staff as resources
on projects. I don't want to re-enter the three of us
for every project. Those who know about using Project
for such a small office, let me know how it works for
smaller project situations. Thanks!

 

[Rob Schneider]

You are heading in the right direction ... Re sharing resources, suggest
you do just that. Create a new Project file and name it something like
"resources.mpp". List all your resources there. Save it. Keep it open
(for convience). Create a new Project file to represent a new project.
Menu: Tools/Resource Sharing, pick "Use Resources" and pick the other
open file called "Resources". Voila. Resources from "resources" will
show up on the pull down list boxes for making assignments.

Read more about this in "help" (or in a good book on Project that are
available in most larger bookstores), or in Help (see word "share" in
the index).

To supplement the book(s) you read on Project, it may also help you if
you were to take a 1 or 2 day course on the tool. Project Management is
not an easy profession, and Microsoft Project is not necessarily simple
to use; especially when not used "correctly" (despite it's similarities
with Excel).

Hope this is useful to you. Let us know.

rms

 

[Steve House]

Hi Mike:

Look up Resource Pools in help and the book you have. What you want to do
is common practice. In short, you create a project file that contains all
your resource information but usually no task information. You also have a
file for each project that contains the task information but usually no
resources. With *both* files open simultaneously and the tasks file the
current window, go to the Tools menu, Resource Sharing, and link the two
files together. Now the resource information from your resource pool file
will appear on the resource sheet of the tasks file.

How are things along the Wasatch these days? Lived in SLC downtown on East
2nd and then down in Holladay from '85 until '95. Did a lot of programming
work for Kennecott back in those days.