how to set up duplicate sites on a plan

[Sheila]

Hi all,


I've created a detailed plan for a branch office which will be
identical for 250 sites but can't find the most easiest way to create
this in one plan. The only think i can think of is copy and past the
branch 250 times. The dates and possibly the resources will be the only

difference between the branch offices, everything else will be
identical.


My plan is set up so that for example, branch 1 is a task with a list
of subtasks. I hope that makes sense.

Sheila

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi Sheila,

An alternatibve is to create a "branch" file and in an overall file Insert
this Branch file the number of times needed.
If you uncheck "link to project" all branches will be in the same project
file.
HTH

 

[Sheila]

Jan,

Thanks for that. The dates and resources would be different for each
branch. If I change the date or resources on the one branch it will
affect all branches inserted in the main would it not?

At present I have a main project file and have a subproject called
'branch offices'.

I'm actually wondering if Excel will be easier to use to show 250
sites?

Regards
Sheila

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi Sheila,

First my answer to the Excel question.
Excel may be easier if you don't want the plan dates to be calculated by the
program.
If you do want a plan to be calculated forget Excel it doesn't do that.
And BTW I think Project is "easier" for what I need but that is probably
because I know some of it.

Project can be "difficult" if you don't learn its calculation rules.
Changing the start date of one branch will not affect the other ones unless
you explicitly link them.

Hope this helps,

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi Sheila,

A way of achieving this is to compress the Project tasks by clicking the
little minus sign in front of its name, so that you have just the one
summary. Now click in the ID cell for that summary to highlight the whole
of the task. Now hold down the Ctrl key, then click in the ID cell again
and drag downward until a grey indicator line appears immediately under the
summary, and let go of the mouse (a bit fiddly but you'll soon get the hang
of it!). That should give you a second copy of the file. Compress this
second project as above. Now click and drag in the ID cells to select both
files. Copy as before to give you 4 copies. This will build exponentially
until you have the required number of copies ( about eight copy procedures).
It's probably quicker to do than to explain!

FAQs, companion products and other useful Project information can be seen at
this web address: http://www.mvps.org/project/

Hope this helps - please let us know how you get on

Mike Glen
MS Project MVP