PSI Web Services Question

[Ali Aziz]

Hi,

We're starting a customer project and wanted to confirm a few things on the
capability of the Project Server Interface web services before we began. The
following points set the context:

* We will create a project in MS Project and publish it on the Project Server

* Say, the project has 6 phases, each phase has 1 task line and 1 milestone
line

* We want to allow project team members to submit time against the tasks via
SMS (text message). We already use a web services enabled SMS gateway so are
able to receive SMSs. Once the SMS is received, we imagine the TimeSheet
webservice and its operations will allow us to update a particular task line
e.g. put percentage complete to 100%. Is this assumption correct?

* We are using an external BPM platform that maps the 6 phases of the
project into a workflow with 6 milestone/tollgate steps. Each time a
milestone/tollgate step is approved in the workflow, we want to update the
milestone step within the project, so that when the project is opened again
in MS Project, the milestone appears as 100% completed. We imagine the
Project webservice and its operations will allow us to update a particular
milestone line e.g. put percentage complete to 100%. Is this assumption
correct?

Would really appreciate any pitfall warnings etc. before we embark on this
effort. Also an indication of API operations to call and and any "setup"
calls to make before invoking other operations e.g. authentication/login
calls etc.

Thanks in advance,

--Ali Aziz

 

[Rod Gill]

Your biggest problem is going to be identifying the task to update. PSI can
certainly update tasks but if a team member enters a wrong task name (even
one character wrong is enough) or enters a wrong ID number, then your system
fails. For reliability you will need a program written for the mobile phone
that has the list of possible tasks to update so there are never any wrong
task names or ids to update. This also assumes that the task names and IDs
in Project never change. The unique ID is better than an ID, but if someone
cuts and pastes in Project the Task gets a new Unique ID and again the
system breaks. You will need careful training plus rigid and audited
processes for PMs and phone users.

A project with 6 tasks in not a project schedule worth putting in Project. I
suggest this sort of data belongs in a database? Overall this looks like
massive expense for a very simple project: 80% of effort for 20% of results?

--

Rod Gill
Microsoft MVP for Project

Author of the only book on Project VBA, see:
http://www.projectvbabook.com

 

[Ali Aziz]

Hey Rod,

Thanks, your thoughts on associating updates to the right task are very
accurate.

This ofcourse is a PoC activity - the actual project template will be more
than 6 lines

The objective is to demonstrate our BPM platform (its an ActiveVOS BPEL
engine) adapts and integrates into our customers infrastructure - you know,
service enabling an enterprise and all that BS.

Regards,

--Ali