One more question:
If I am just creating the consolidated master project 'on the fly'
and
not
saving it, what happens to my reports and views?
Thanks in advance for all your advice
:
Hi Joel,
My answers are embedded.
I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.
Julie
Project MVP
Visit
http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional
information
about Microsoft Project
We are in agreement up until the point where you say:
If you choose the last option, the master project is
created.
All
tasks
from all sharer files are combined into one file. From
that
file you
can do reporting. The master project already has the pool
file
connected as it was the pool file which allowed you to
create
the
master
project.
IF I were to choose the 3rd option... what is meant by 'combined
into
one
file'? Are they only combined for reporting purposes?
I do not want ONE BIG
file with all my projects in it... unless the file is only
created
temporarily for reporting purposes.
[Julie] You do not have to save the master project and can use
that
for
reporting purposes only.
I want to be able to keep my subprojects
in separate files. What happens after the report is printed?
Can
I
close
the new super-duper master file and then reopen the subprojects
as
I
used to?
[Julie] Yes.
Or does the act of combining the files (using the 3rd option)
permanently
merge the files together?
[Julie] No. The master project is created "on the fly" and you
can
close and not save the master project. The individual projects may
still
be open separately and unless you create links between the
projects,
are
not impacted by the other project files except for the resource
pool
connection. You may easily re-consolidate the files again as need
be.
I hope this helps.
I think many of your questions may also be answered by taking a
look
at
Mike Glen's articles (#17 & #18) that he mentioned in his post to
this
thread on 6 October.
:
Hi Joel,
Perhaps we need to just start back at the beginning as we seem
to
have
some miscommunication
.
I am assuming you have several project files (software releases
or
phases.) I assume that among the multiple projects going on
within
your
organization that it is the same resources performing the work
on
those
several projects. I assume you need a way to see all
assignments
for
resources across several project files to see what resource
demand
issues there may be.
To that end, I assume you have created a resource pool file
(pool.
mpp)
which contains no tasks, just resources.
You have created several project files (Project A, Project B,
etc.)
which contains tasks, no resources.
You have opened the resource pool file (pool.mpp) and one of
the
project
files (Project A) and gone to Tools > Resource Sharing > Share
Resources, Use resources from the pool. This creates the
pool/sharer
file relationship. You then assign resources in the project
file
as
usual.
The pool file then holds all resource assignment data. If you
then
connect other project files (Project B, Project C) to the pool
through
Tools > Resource Sharing > Share Resources, use resources from
the
pool
you can continue to assign the same resources to the tasks in
each
project. The resource pool file then holds all assignment data
(tasks +
resources) in all project files connected to the pool.
There is no need to create a master project file of the
Projects
A,
B, C
through Insert Project. If you close all project files and
then
open
the pool, a prompt will appear with three options:
"Open the resource pool read-only allowing others to work on
projects
connected to the pool."
"Open resource pool read-read so that you can make changes to
resource
information (like pay rate, etc.), although this will lock
others
out
of
updating the pool with new information."
"Open resource pool read-write and all other sharer files into
a
new
master project file. You can access this new master project
file
from
the Window menu command."
If you choose the last option, the master project is created.
All
tasks
from all sharer files are combined into one file. From that
file
you
can do reporting. The master project already has the pool file
connected as it was the pool file which allowed you to create
the
master
project.
In the scenario you describe, you have essentially two
connections
to
the pool -- never a grand choice. As a number of posters on
this
ng
will attest -- resource pool files are fickle objects. If you
do
not
treat them with care you increase the possibility of creating a
corrupted file.
Please let me know if any of my assumptions about your setup
and
the
method you used to create the resource pool and the sharer
files
are
wrong.
I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.
Julie
Project MVP
Visit
http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional
information
about Microsoft Project
message
Julie,
So would it be better if I removed the link then deleted the
file I
am
currently using as the Master ('MasterCC.mpp') and then
renamed
the
'resourcepool.mpp' and called that the master? I suppose I
would
have
to
make sure I copy any reports, tables, or views in the master
to
the
global
file before deleting. Anything else I should be aware of
if I
do
it
like
this?
P.S. Why is there a concern with file corruption doing it the
way I
did it?
It makes sense to me that an organization would have one
resource
pool
that
they would want to link to several master projects (ie
different
software
development projects) and that one or more master projects
may
have
one or
more subprojects (ie a subproject for each software release
or
phase).
I am
in software development and I use Project 2003 standard
edition.
:
Hi Joel,
Yes. If you stop sharing the resource pool file to the
master
project,
you will need to type in the resource name into the filter.
You may certainly continue to work as you wish with having
the
subprojects sharing resources and again the master project
sharing
resources. However, as both Mike and I have mentioned,
sharing
the
resource pool to the master file is not necessary nor
recommended.
You
risk corruption in the pool file and potentially the master
and
sharer
files as well.
I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.
Julie
Project MVP
Visit
http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional
information
about Microsoft Project
message
If I break the link for sharing resources between the
master
and
the
resource
pool, am I going to have the problem you mentioned where
the
names
of
the
resources are not populated in the drop-down box?
My goal remains where I can print a calendar view (or a
to-do
list)
from the
master level that will print all tasks "using resource..."
and
it
will
pull
tasks from all of the subprojects for that resource. I do
not
want
