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Does Project Server handle Inter Project Dependencies effectively ?

Answered Does Project Server handle Inter Project Dependencies effectively ?

  • Wednesday, 29 February, 2012 4:44 AM
     
     
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    Environment is EPM 2007

    Scenario:

    I have a Program Level Master Schedule that has about 25 Projects in the Program. A number of these projects have interdependencies. The normal way that this is handled (I imagine) is to open the Master Schedule and setup dependencies between Tasks across the projects.

    There are situations where Projects have interdependencies when not part of a Master Schedule.

    Issues Faced:

    1. While we can easlily link one project with another in the schedule MS Project, the individual PMs managing the sub projects need to have access to the Master when they open their sub projects. This is not ideal. Is there anyway we can limit the PMs to see just their projects. The PMs then have the ablitity to break the links because they do not have edit permissions on the Master. What is the best way to manage this.

    2. Is there anyway of acheiving a single view through the PWA for executives could see just the interdepency between the projects or even the programs by themselves. For Example if a Project is having an link to another project not part of a Master schedule. 

    Given the above what is the best approach?

     

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  • Wednesday, 29 February, 2012 5:43 PM
     
     
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    Have you looked at using Deliverables?

    http://blogs.msdn.com/b/project/archive/2007/02/24/deliverables.aspx

    Prasanna Adavi, PMP, MCTS http://thinkepm.blogspot.com

     
  • Thursday, 1 March, 2012 12:55 AM
     
     
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    Hi Prasanna,

    Yes I have tried to look at this option and Deliverables does not cut it. Again where it fails it does not give a good representation of the Project to Project dependency. If you look at the picture below I am looking for a view of interdepedencies betwwen projects. Currently the only way I am acheiving this is by a Master Schedule and linking projects in A with Projects in B. In real essence I do not want to create a Master Schedule and was hoping EPM thru PWA provides me with an ability to view interdepdent Projects without the need to create a Master as this is not a very effective way in terms of Performance and usablity given the number of projects. I fear that this sort of basic functionality is lacking in EPM 2007 and EPM 2010.

     
  • Thursday, 1 March, 2012 8:44 AM
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    So what don't deliverables do for you. What are you looking for? Deliverables allow you to drive the date of a task in one file from a task in another file, so what else do you need?

    Rod Gill

    The one and only Project VBA Book Rod Gill Project Management

     
  • Thursday, 1 March, 2012 5:19 PM
     
     
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    While I echo Rod's questions, I did want also to see if you used the "Links Between projects" option. You will not require to create a master project but can still have links.

    Generally, I do not prefer this approach, because as the no. of links keeps increasing, there is more scope for inadvertent circular dependencies, and corruption as well. But if you have just a few, this might work.

    Prasanna Adavi, PMP, MCTS http://thinkepm.blogspot.com

     
  • Thursday, 1 March, 2012 7:54 PM
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    What I see missing from the vanialla 2007 implementation of dependencies is the report showing "giving" and "consuming" projects.  This was in the reporting pack, and is one of the OOTB reports for 2010.  When this is used, Project Deliverables and dependencies make a lot of sense.

    Ben Howard [MVP] blog | web

     
  • Friday, 2 March, 2012 1:25 AM
     
     
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    Thanks for all the answers,

    But I think what I was looking for was the ability to look in PWA like a Project Centre view, where I can see all the projects, their deliverables/milestones and the links to the dependent projects. The reports do not give executives that visual visibility of Project dependencies across.

    I am currently getting that visual visibility using a Master Project to do that which is cluncky.  

    While the Reporting Pack report gives some of that information it is as I might say somewhat disconnected. Does not have the visual representation or WOW factor.

    Hopefully new version.

    But thanks for all the suggestions.

     
  • Friday, 2 March, 2012 7:27 AM
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    Hi villager21,

    I would look at a visio solution for this, perhaps something like http://visibility.biz/visualizationpdfs/Project%20Swim%20Lane%20Timeline.pdf.  I know these guys can link into projects in Project Sever, so it might give you something closer.  If this doesn't work for you, then I think you will have to go down the custom development route.

    Ben Howard [MVP] blog | web