Project MOPS 2007 SP2 Import Wizard Resources frustration

[jremmc]

MOPS SP2, Project SP2, WSS 3.0 SP2 (no MOSS).

Tried importing an mpp file several times, from scratch, up to point of
Click Finish. The mpp file is one of our PMs and this is supposed to be our
pilot project. Same results: Step 1: All local resources (14 total) are
mapped to enterprise resources. Step 2: Resolve Conflicts: 9 local resources.
But those were among the 14 just mapped to enterprise resources! I'm no
Sherlock Holmes, but some of the tasks are marked x% (meaning, not 0%)
complete and the 9 local resources are (variously) assigned to these tasks.
Only these resources show up in Step 2. If I finish the Wizard (which I
finally did and I knew to change Import to No in Step 2), my saved project
shows both the local resource and enterprise resource for the same task and
same % work assigned.

Too, in Step 1 there are several "Task is marked 100% complete. Move actual
work to new resource?" (I know that means "Do you want to transfer the
already completed work?", and in cases where someone takes leave and
remaining work is reassigned, to typically click No. However, I tried both Ok
and No. (And anyway, What should I choose?))

Why is this happening and where do I look in the mpp file for issues? I did
see warnings in Resource Sheet view about some of the resources should be
leveled Day to Day but the resources did not correlate with the 9 showing in
step 2; that is, some of the 9 had a warning but others did not.

Also, if I have to -- I know you're not supposed to Save As an mpp file to
MOPS -- what about copying/pasting from mpp into new MOPS project, omitting
copying the resources and % complete but rather entering these manually. Just
to get this particular project over to MOPS one way or the other.


Thanks,
jremmc

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

jremmc --

Given the problems you are having with the Import Project Wizard, I would
recommend that you ditch this tool if you need to import a project that has
Actual Work against any task in the plan. Limitations of the Import wizard
make it difficult to import in-progress projects, as you have already found.
A better approach would be to do the following:

1. Launch Project Professional 2007 and connect to Project Server.
2. Click File - Open and then open the MPP project file.
3. Click Project - Project Information.
4. Click the Calendar pick list, choose an enterprise calendar, and then
click the OK button.
5. Click Format - Timescale - Nonworking Time.
6. Click the Calendar pick list, choose the same enterprise calendar
selected in step #4 above, and then click the OK button.
7. If you have any tasks with a Task Calendar assigned, double-click each
task, select the Advanced tab, click the Calendar pick list and choose an
enterprise calendar, and then click the OK button.
8. Click Tools - Build Team from Enterprise.
9. In the Build Team dialog, replace each local resource with an enterprise
resource, and then click the OK button.
10. If necessary, use the Assign Resources dialog to replace a local
resource with an enterprise resource on tasks that are 100% complete.
11. Save the project according to your company's naming conventions.

Using the above manual steps will pretty much substitute for the steps in
the Import Project Wizard, and will give you much more control over the
import process. Just my two cents' worth, but I think you will find the
above process will give much more predictable results, and will cause you
less frustration. I hope that others will give you their opinion as well.
Hope this helps.

 

[Gary Chefetz]

jremmc:

Sad to say but you're bumping up against unfixed bugs in the import wizard
where it doesn't back out of the import transaction gracefully when you fail
to complete the import based on resource conflicts and errors. What is
happening, is that the import wizard is actually substituting the resources
in the source plan and altering the source plan. There is no fix for this
but you can work around this by applying the Resource usage view and then
delete the resources that no longer have any assignments. After you do this,
the import will complete. As for your last question, in the context of the
Import Project to Enterprise Wizard, you want to select to move the actual
work as in this case you are moving the actual work from the same resource
represented as a local resource to the resource represented as an enterprise
resource.

 

[jremmc]

Thanks, Dale, much appreciated. I will give it a go. All of our projects are
in progress.

 

[Neil A]

MOPS SP2, Project SP2, WSS 3.0 SP2 (no MOSS).

Tried importing an mpp file several times, from scratch, up to point of
Click Finish. The mpp file is one of our PMs and this is supposed to be our
pilot project. Same results: Step 1: All local resources (14 total) are
mapped to enterprise resources. Step 2: Resolve Conflicts: 9 local resources.
But those were among the 14 just mapped to enterprise resources! I'm no
Sherlock Holmes, but some of the tasks are marked x% (meaning, not 0%)
complete and the 9 local resources are (variously) assigned to these tasks.
Only these resources show up in Step 2. If I finish the Wizard (which I
finally did and I knew to change Import to No in Step 2), my saved project
shows both the local resource and enterprise resource for the same task and
same % work assigned.

Too, in Step 1 there are several "Task is marked 100% complete. Move actual
work to new resource?" (I know that means "Do you want to transfer the
already completed work?", and in cases where someone takes leave and
remaining work is reassigned, to typically click No. However, I tried both Ok
and No. (And anyway, What should I choose?))

Why is this happening and where do I look in the mpp file for issues? I did
see warnings in Resource Sheet view about some of the resources should be
leveled Day to Day but the resources did not correlate with the 9 showingin
step 2; that is, some of the 9 had a warning but others did not.

Also, if I have to -- I know you're not supposed toSaveAs an mpp file to
MOPS -- what about copying/pasting from mpp into new MOPS project, omitting
copying the resources and % complete but rather entering these manually. Just
to get this particular project over to MOPS one way or the other.

Thanks,
jremmc

Dumb question time - what's wrong with using "Save As". I've done
this before with no apparent problems.

Thanks,
Neil.

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Neil A --

Excellent question!

The purpose of the Import Project Wizard is to guarantee that the local
project conforms to all of your organization's standards for enterprise
projects for the use of enterprise resources, enterprise Task fields, and
enterprise calendars. This includes making sure that the project uses
enterprise resources vs. local resources, importing information from local
task fields into corresponding enterprise task fields, and making sure that
the project uses only enterprise calendars. However, as Gary Chefetz noted,
there are still issues related to the use of the Import Project Wizard when
a project contains Actual Work on tasks, especially on completed tasks. For
this reason, I encouraged the original poster to do a manual version of the
Import Project Wizard, and use the Save As feature instead of using the
actual Wizard. Hope this helps.

MOPS SP2, Project SP2, WSS 3.0 SP2 (no MOSS).

Tried importing an mpp file several times, from scratch, up to point of
Click Finish. The mpp file is one of our PMs and this is supposed to be
our
pilot project. Same results: Step 1: All local resources (14 total) are
mapped to enterprise resources. Step 2: Resolve Conflicts: 9 local
resources.
But those were among the 14 just mapped to enterprise resources! I'm no
Sherlock Holmes, but some of the tasks are marked x% (meaning, not 0%)
complete and the 9 local resources are (variously) assigned to these
tasks.
Only these resources show up in Step 2. If I finish the Wizard (which I
finally did and I knew to change Import to No in Step 2), my saved project
shows both the local resource and enterprise resource for the same task
and
same % work assigned.

Too, in Step 1 there are several "Task is marked 100% complete. Move
actual
work to new resource?" (I know that means "Do you want to transfer the
already completed work?", and in cases where someone takes leave and
remaining work is reassigned, to typically click No. However, I tried both
Ok
and No. (And anyway, What should I choose?))

Why is this happening and where do I look in the mpp file for issues? I
did
see warnings in Resource Sheet view about some of the resources should be
leveled Day to Day but the resources did not correlate with the 9 showing
in
step 2; that is, some of the 9 had a warning but others did not.

Also, if I have to -- I know you're not supposed toSaveAs an mpp file to
MOPS -- what about copying/pasting from mpp into new MOPS project,
omitting
copying the resources and % complete but rather entering these manually.
Just
to get this particular project over to MOPS one way or the other.

Thanks,
jremmc

Dumb question time - what's wrong with using "Save As". I've done
this before with no apparent problems.

Thanks,
Neil.

 

[Gary Chefetz]

IMO, the biggest difference is the field mapping capability and the "forced
resource management" that comes with using the Wizard. With the Wizard, you
are much more likely to get a clean import of all of your data. This is
particularly important for first-time users who have no idea how "out of
standard" their schedules are until they experience the rejection of the
Import Project to Enterprise wizard which not so gently beats you into
submission and conformance by torturing you for your resource errors that,
itself, compounds as if to punish you for your indiscretions on the resource
sheet. By about the third schedule import, most people get the drill and it
no longer presents a problem.

 

[jremmc]

Dale, Gary,

Mapping and then deleting local before Save As seemed to have worked and
been easiest path to take, in that I just get the enterprise listed although
there's still a % showing for blank name (where local was listed), e.g.

(10%), Smith Joe (10%)

Before I saw Gary's post, I also, before importing, increased all tasks with
actual work > 0% but < 100% to 100%, then imported then decreased % back.
That seemed to have worked too. (I've walked thru import a number of times to
see what would work.)

I 've now got another issue. When I saved the project, the dates changed to
push out finish dates on a number of tasks so that project duration increased
by 10 days. These tasks that are marked Start-to-Finish with Contraint of
Start No Later Than. The PM had the Start Date the same date as the
Constraint Date, but after import the Start date is now a day later than the
Constraint date. e.g. PM had Start 10/14/2009 with Constraint Start No Later
Than 10/14/2009. The import changed Start to 10/15/2009 and if I try to
change back to 10/14 I get Conflict error due to Constraint. No way to get
out of either removing Constraint or leaving 10/15 date, that I see; am I
missing a setting? (Project Server enterprise setting?)

Thanks,
jremmc

 

[Gary Chefetz]

Jremmc:

The date shifts on import are usually attributable to calendar differences.
Check your base calendar settings against the local version. Perhaps you
have accounted for holidays in the enterprise server that were not captured
in the local plan?

 

[jremmc]

Hi Gary,

I did indeed find some holidays excluded in local, thanks. Still going thru
the project. I don't think accounting for holidays will resolve all changes.
Someone in office also suggested look at critical path, and I found MS Online
How To, so will take a look at that. I know the concept but not the
execution. And I am going thru the tasks one by one and writing down any
constraints, constraint date, whether fixed duration or units, whether
SF,FS,SS,FF, to learn and figure out. I am taking this as an opportunity to
get a better understanding of formal project management as well as MS Project
apps.

And still looking for time to fully go thru your books <g>.

jremmc