Web Access task sequence

[Steve V.]

We use Project Server Web Access for recording time on tasks. Currently tasks and summary items appear on team members' web access page grouped by project. Many of our team members have dozens of tasks within each proejct, each getting a hour or two per day, and the tasks are very difficult to find on the page. Suppressing the summary lines doesn't help much; the tasks appear to be in a useless order. None of the standard columns will produce a sequence that will be helpful. We use OutlineCode1 for task reference numbering, so that would be best, but even sequencing by MSProjectID would be helpful. We don't want to have to put numbers at the beginning of the TaskName, so how do we control the sequencing of tasks on the web access page?
=/steve V

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Steve:

Usually grouping tasks by project is the most convenient way for resources
to find tasks. Beyond that, it's helpful to apply the current tasks view
rather than the all tasks view when updating the timesheet. Resources can
change the sort order of the tasks by clicking on the column headings in the
timesheet, so clicking task name column heading will sort the tasks within
the groupings in alphabetical order and so on. Does that help at all?

We use Project Server Web Access for recording time on tasks. Currently

tasks and summary items appear on team members' web access page grouped by
project. Many of our team members have dozens of tasks within each proejct,
each getting a hour or two per day, and the tasks are very difficult to find
on the page. Suppressing the summary lines doesn't help much; the tasks
appear to be in a useless order. None of the standard columns will produce
a sequence that will be helpful. We use OutlineCode1 for task reference
numbering, so that would be best, but even sequencing by MSProjectID would
be helpful. We don't want to have to put numbers at the beginning of the
TaskName, so how do we control the sequencing of tasks on the web access
page?

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Steve:

How about pushing your custom outline code to the time sheet? In Project,
Tools > Customize > Published fields. Would that help?

Thanks, Gary.
No, it's not much help. But you seem to be quite good at this, and I for

one appreciate your postings. (My organization may have use for your group's
expertise soon, when we upgrade the whole organization from Project Server
2002 to 2003. But meanwhile, our problem...)

The problem is the software's definition of "current". Our folks don't

necessarily work on the next scheduled task, or even the one that they
started yesterday. These guys won't take the time to search each one out
based upon some remembered fragment of task name. We need the flexibility
to find and charge time to any task appearing on the Web Access page, and
the easiest way to find them is usually in the order that they appear in the
project plan. That suggests a sequence by either the MS Project ID or the
Task Number or our own task number in OutlineCode1. How can we make the Web
Access page sort the tasks so that we can find them?

 

[Steve V.]

Thanks, Gary
No, it's not much help. But you seem to be quite good at this, and I for one appreciate your postings. (My organization may have use for your group's expertise soon, when we upgrade the whole organization from Project Server 2002 to 2003. But meanwhile, our problem...)

The problem is the software's definition of "current". Our folks don't necessarily work on the next scheduled task, or even the one that they started yesterday. These guys won't take the time to search each one out based upon some remembered fragment of task name. We need the flexibility to find and charge time to any task appearing on the Web Access page, and the easiest way to find them is usually in the order that they appear in the project plan. That suggests a sequence by either the MS Project ID or the Task Number or our own task number in OutlineCode1. How can we make the Web Access page sort the tasks so that we can find them
=/sr

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Steve:

Reread my previous post and open Project and try what I suggested.

No joy.
The OutlineCode1 that we use for task numbering is published to the Task

View, but doesn't appear in the Web Access page. Can it be made to appear
there, and if it did appear, how could we sort by it? thanks for your help.

 

[Steve V]

No joy
The OutlineCode1 that we use for task numbering is published to the Task View, but doesn't appear in the Web Access page. Can it be made to appear there, and if it did appear, how could we sort by it? thanks for your help
=/

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Steve:

After you add the column by using the method I suggested, you need to
republish your project plan to get it to show up. Use Collaborate >
Republish

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Steve:

The users need to do this for themselves by clicking on the column heading.
You need experiment with the combination of grouping and sorting to come up
with the optimal combination for your needs and then provide the guidance to
your users. You also need to have your PMs each push the field into their
projects and, of course, publish!

Hold on. We were able to get TaskNum to appear in the Web Page after

PUBLISHING. Nice work Gary. Now how do we get the tasks sorted by this new
column on the Web Page?

 

[Steve V.]

Tried what you suggested again.
OutlineCode1 still does not appear in the Web Access page for the project.
You seem to have experience with this problem... has anyone else ever reported it?
=/steve V.

 

[steve V.]

Eureka. Sort of.
Task Num appeared in the Views drop-down for GROUP BY.
Selecting this field sorted the page.
Very ugly.... every task is now separated by a dark gray line containing the TaskNum. But hey, when the gods want to punish they deliver exactly what was asked, eh?

We'll re-consider getting the TaskNum and the Task Name into the same column.
=/srv

 

[Steve V.]

Good advice
And by way of reward, a little trick we just discovered
Send me your eddress.
=/sr