Propagating project level custom fields to assignment level - ANISSUE - please help.

[anovak]

I have a few custom fields at the Project Level that I wanted to
propagate to the assignment level so that users can produce some
meaningful reports based on the Assignment View with the Resource
Center.

I created Task-Level Equivalents of the Project-Level fields and just
used a formula that was simply the name of the custom field at the
Project Level. So far so good.

I also picked the Roll-Down option when creating the task level custom
field so that the value would propagate down to the assignment level -
which it appears to do from the Task View for newly created projects.
So far so good.

However, having 300+ projects already out there, the only approach I
could think of to make sure that information is propagated down in
those as well as new ones was to create a client macro for MS Project
that runs through each project in the database and does the following:

1. Open
2. Recalculate
3. Save/Checkin

That's it. It seemed to do the trick, BUT

1. It takes a long time
2. THE BY-PRODUCT IS THAT I BECOME THE STATUS MANAGER FOR AT LEAST
SOME OF THE TASKs OUT THERE ON OTHER FOLKS PROJECTS.

1. What's the best way to undo this other than work with each PM to
pick themselves again as the status manager in their projects

AND

2. Would there have been a better and/or easier way to propagate that
information down to the assignment level in all existing projects?

Thanks
Andy Novak
University of North Texas

 

[Gary Chefetz]

Andy:

I think you took a logical approach, building a macro is certainly an
option. I does sound like you went from test to production a little too
rapidly though. I think you should fix the status manager mix up by hand
because the logic you'll need to automate that safely will surely be much
more dangerous than the logic you used to create the problem you now have.
Besides, it's a good chance to have your PMs clean up the assignments in
their plans.

 

[andy.novak]

Andy:

I think you took a logical approach, building a macro is certainly an
option. I does sound like you went from test to production a little too
rapidly though. I think you should fix the status manager mix up by hand
because the logic you'll need to automate that safely will surely be much
more dangerous than the logic you used to create the problem you now have..
Besides, it's a good chance to have your PMs clean up the assignments in
their plans.

--
Gary L Chefetz, MVP, MCT, MCITP
msProjectExpertshttp://www.msprojectexperts.com
FAQs and Referencehttp://www.projectserverexperts.com
BLOG:http://projectserverhelp.com

What if there was a new requirement - for a new custom field for
reporting? Seems you should always have the option of an enhancement.

 

[Gary Chefetz]

Andy:

I'm not understanding your follow-up. Maybe it has been a long day... but
I'm not connecting.