PS 2007 outline tasks greyed out in timesheets

[AndyS]

Hi

I have come across a situation where users cannot add time to summary tasks
in timesheets.

This requires the following to be true to reproduce.
1. Resource is assigned to a summary task
2. The finish date of the summary task is in the past

As the task is in the past the user has to use 'Add lines' to add the task
to their timesheets. When the user adds a summary task to their timesheets
they are unable record any time for this task, when the task is not a summary
task (but still having finish date in the past) the user can add time to this
task on their timesheets.

Can anyone tell me if this behaviour is a result of a recent service
pack/update as I haven't noticed this before and can anyone tell me how
(without altering the task or assignments) I can change the behaviour of an
outline task to be the same as a task.

Thanks in advance
Andy

 

[Andrew Lavinsky]

This doesn't quite answer your question, but I point out that it's generally
considered bad practice to assign resources to summary tasks. I would recommend
to stop doing so and have them update the subtasks.

- Andrew Lavinsky
Blog: http://blogs.catapultsystems.com/epm

 

[AndyS]

Hi Andrew

Thanks for your reply,

I agree with you about it being bad practice to add resources to summary
tasks. The resources in question have been added to summary tasks at 0% to
allow them to record in timesheets unplanned work on projects in unforeseen
circumstances (help resolving technical issues as they arise etc.). As this
particular work on these tasks it is not planned, it is a convenience to add
the resources to a level of granularity required for accounting rather than
at the more detailed level required for resource planning.

What I don’t understand is the logic behind this distinction between being
able to record time spent on tasks and summary tasks, why should Project
Server allow one but not the other. I’m sure there is a logical reason for
it but I can’t think what it could be.

Regards

Andy

 

[Ben]

I think you'll have to find a process that works for you, either by allowing
users to create tasks within a project, and then report their time on that
task (rather than a summary task), or have your user track their timesheet at
the project (rather than task) level.

IMHO MS should not allow resources to be assigned to tasks, for lots of
reasons, but also because of the inconsitencies you are finding.

 

[AndyS]

Hi Ben

Unfortunately allowing resources to book time to the project level doesn't
give us sufficient accounting detail, we require that resources book to level
at which the project has been financially costed - the work package - so we
have prevented resources from booking time to the top level.

We user SQL Server Reporting Services to produce automated reports of
timesheet bookings showing aggregate values for each work package (summing
data where the task name begins with the same chars (e.g. WP1.1.2 ).
Allowing resources to add their own tasks will run the risk of these
timesheet entries not being captured in aggregate reports at a work package
level if the new task names aren't constructed in a way that allows the
aggregate queries to function. I know that there would be other ways to
create an aggregate report (task level custom field etc.) however once the
project has been deleted reporting using these other methods stop working.

I haven't come across this inability to book to summary tasks before, I
suspect that it is a result of a recent update/service pack, possibly SP2
which has brought other changes in the behaviour of timesheets.

To be honest this isn't a great problem, I was more curious as to whether
this was a recent change or I just hadn't noticed this before.

Thanks for your help,

Regards

Andy

 

[Andrew Lavinsky]

It very well could be an SP2 issue. The challenge is that since not many
people book resources to summary tasks, it's hard to find anyone on this
newsgroup who may have noticed if the functionality went away. Sorry I can't
be more helpful.


- Andrew Lavinsky
Blog: http://blogs.catapultsystems.com/epm

 

[AndyS]

Andrew

I'm also not entirely sure whether this is an SP2 change or whether it's
always been around and I just haven't noticed. It's no show stopper for me
really there are many ways to work around this feature/issue.

Thanks to both you and Ben for your input.

Regards

Andy

 

[Gary Chefetz]

Andy:

It's like the guy who finds an injured snake, nurses it back to health and
the thing turns around and bites him after all that kindness. The moral of
the story is that assigning resources to summary tasks is like saving a
snake, eventually it's going to want to bite you.