Use of Project Server for Tracking Time

[Steve]

Can anyone give me their opinion or point me to infomation about
considerations for using PS2003 for time tracking? Our organization is
seriously considering it but is concerned about performance and ease or use.
Some of our concerns include:

We know about admin projects - but can you assign everyone (we have over
1000 people) to the same project?
How can we letfunctional managers approve time instead of Project managers -
especially for admin time.
Some projects are very detailed - it would be nice to be able to report tie
at a higher level
What's the performance hit if 1000+ people are entering time on Friday
afternoon? What of 100+ approvers on monday morning?

Thanks

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Steve --

There is nothing terribly complicated about using the PWA timesheet page to
enter time. The major issues with entering time in PWA are "people" issues,
such as the culture change required to get people to enter time, getting
people to accurately enter time in the system, and dealing with people who
refuse to enter their time or enter their time in a "half-assed" manner.

For what purpose would you want to use administrative projects? If you want
to do so to capture nonworking time such as vacation and sick leave, then
you should be aware that using an admin project for this purpose WILL NOT
cause Project Server to automatically reschedule project work around those
nonworking time periods. If you want Project Server to automatically
reschedule project work around nonworking time periods, you must enter the
nonworking time on each resource's personal calendar in the Enterprise
Resource Pool.

If you use Managed Timer Periods with Project Server 2003, functional
managers can approve time and then the project managers can update the
approved time into the appropriate project. Be aware, however, that this
timesheet approval feature allows project managers to update time even when
the functionl manager HAS NOT approved the time. Therefore, you would need
to address this issue with a process which must be followed by both the
functional managers and the project managers.

Your concerns about performance need to be addressed BEFORE you install and
configure Project Server 2003. Performance will depend largely on your
network infrastructure, the speed and capacity of the servers used, and how
you install Project Server and its various components.

Just some thoughts. Perhaps the others will have some ideas, too.

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi Steve,

Try posting on the server newsgroup. Please see FAQ Item: 24. Project
Newsgroups. FAQs, companion products and other useful Project information
can be seen at this web address: http://www.mvps.org/project/.

Mike Glen
Project MVP

 

[Pratta]

Hi Dale and Steve
Given Dales response why would you want to use Project Server at all?
Surely you go to Project Server for this purpose, to be able to use a
project management tool as a enterprise tool. It is sold as an enterprise
tool.
I think I would stay on the std version.
I use Std across many (100s) of multiple projects and with a number of
resource pools covering 200+ resources. Project does the job here, but lacks
an integrated timesheeting facility. We do process the timesheets, but it
requires a double entry back into Task Usage views in order to generate
integrated and timely management and executive reporting..
Project Server claims to be a PMIS at an enterprise level, but it doesn't
sound like it does it very well. Dales comments confirm impressions/feedback
gleaned about PS2003. It appears to not be an effective and maintainable
enterprise solution.
To gain an integrated timesheeting functionality across the suite of
projects of an organisation or department, both administrative and
functional, and to have startegic reporting and drill down capabilitry I
would suggest Steve migrates to a real enterprise tool, such as NIKU or
Primavera Teamplay.
Is the impression that I have correct - re the complex maintainability and
quetionable functionality of PS2003 as an enterprise tool?
Will we be able to stay on Std, or will be forced along the PS2003 path?
Will there always be a Std version with multi-project functionality
available to industrial strength users?
I would appreciate your input/advice.



Regards............Pratta

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Pratta --

I think there are thousands of companies world-wide would disagree with your
assessment of the capabilities of the Project Server. Furthermore, I hardly
consider the stand-alone version of Microsoft Project to be anywhere near
the capabilities of Project Server. Did you even read my response to Steve?
How in the world could you come with an assessment such as your statement,
"Given Dale's response why would you want to use Project Server at all?"
You are being silly, my friend.

 

[Steve]

Will do. Thanks, Glen

Hi Steve,

Try posting on the server newsgroup. Please see FAQ Item: 24. Project
Newsgroups. FAQs, companion products and other useful Project information
can be seen at this web address: http://www.mvps.org/project/.

Mike Glen
Project MVP

 

[Steve]

Dale/Pratta:

First of thanks for your replies.

I have to agree with Dale that PS2003 certainly has the capability to handle
enterprise timekeeping. Having worked with many of them, I know there are
many products which do a superior job, but also at a much higher cost. To
date we have not seen a product which does an exemplary job of time
keeping/costing and PM at an acceptable price point.

Also, I've seen Project Proffesional do its resource management using
Server, and while not elegent, it does the job. The hourly cost of PMs using
std far outweighs the cost of professional and server.

The bottom line is that the company will not consider other tools - we
either stick with our current timekeeping system and match plan and actuals
manualy, or migrate timekeeping onto PS2003.

Keeping to that point, the decision whether to use administrative project
needs exploring. I thought it could hold vacation holiday, trainnig etc. It
wouldn't permit work planing arund those times, but I am looking to make tie
entry as simple as possible for the 1000's of potential PWA users. Where
would these task best fit? and what about people who are mosting involved in
operations? If this doesn't stay simple, the resistance will be too high to
overcome.

Regards,
Steve

 

[Dave]

I don't know what you'd call a "much higher cost". But in case it helps put
things in perspective, a "Named User" (CAL) licence of the most expensive
Primavera tool in its enterprise solutions is $2400, and that of a
(real-time) integrated timesheet licence $156. Both including the first
year of maintenance (upgrades and support) and priced at the smallest volume
level (highest cost).