PM UPdate Process

[John]

I need some assistance in understanding the overall update process. Based on
materials I have read from Microsoft once a PM accepts and updates actual
hours from their team members the correct process to finalize the process is
to then save and republish (Collaborate\Publish\Republish assignments –
checking off email notification and leaving overwrite actuals entered by
resources and Become project manager blank). I recall being told the reason
for this was so that the Views and OLAP tables would be updated with the
information the PM accepted. I have provided the page reference and text
from Microsoft’s PS 2003 training manual, page 276:

“If the project manager is happy with the changes made in the Microsoft
Project Professional plan, they should republish the plan to Project Server
and save the project plan. Once this has been done, the updated tasks are
removed from the project manager’s update task sheet and the update
information in the resources task sheet is changed from red text to black
text.

I have read in the News Groups that the only time one should use the
Republish Assignments function is to (1) overwrite actuals, and/or (2) become
the PM for the selected tasks or project. If this is the case, what is the
correct closing process once a PM updates actuals from the team? Is it simply
update and then save the project and close or is it update and then use
Collaborate\All Information (which sends an email out to all resources on the
plan) or Update then select Collaborate\New and Changed Assignments?

Thanks for the assistance.

 

[Gary L. Chefetz \(MVP\)]

John:

It's unfortunate that Microsoft's authors were so casual with their language
as the passage you quote is mighty confusing. During the normal course of
updates, your PMs should use Publish New and Changed to push the plan
changes to resources based on the updates just processed. The only time you
need to specifically use "Republish," in addition to the circumstances you
mention, is when you need to update information that doesn't affect the
schedule of the task. For instance, you can published new and changed all
you like, but it will not push a task name change to the timesheet. In this
case, you must use republish to push a new task name to the timesheet.

--

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

-

 

[John]

Gary,
Thanks for the claification. I have a few PM's to go back and retain.
John