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MS Project for Support Related Task?

14 replies [Last post]
Sun, 2005-04-03 22:26
Jarvis Ka
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Hi there,

I used MS Project for several large scale project. Currently I’m more involve with Production Support Related Task, and I’m struggling to decide whether it’s worth my time to use MS Project to plan and track the support related task. The task hours could go from 4 hours to 100-200 hours....

Have any of you experienced this? Could you share your throughts on this?

Thank you!
Jarvis
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Replies

Tue, 2005-04-12 05:30
#1
Raj Maurya
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Resource library is something you could say list of available resources that you can share with multiple projects. Here suppose you have different tickets from from different projects(software)then you can creat different schedule for each project and link with the resource library. Then you can analyse your resource availability to alocate for new tickets.
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Tue, 2005-04-12 01:23
#2
Jarvis Ka
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Hi Raj,

Thanks for your hints.

Do you mean start a brand new (blank) project with available Resource assigned, and then start entering task (Production Support Ticket) to it and then track the resource from there? (I never think of it that way!)

What do you mean by Resource Library?

Thanks,
Jarvis
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Tue, 2005-04-12 00:15
#3
Raj Maurya
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Jarvis,
I don’t know if you have found any software that would help you to develop your schedule.
If I understood correctly, you mean that once job comes (production support issue the ticket)your responcibility is to assign the resource to do it?
I think you can manage this with MSP or any other planning tool, I know that there is no straight way to do it but you could do using your skill and analysis with the available software.
With MSP, You should start with resource library then start listing the production support tickets issued and then assign resource. Before assigning resources you can check resource distribution.
I don’t know if this would going to help becasue I never worked for Software Industry.
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Wed, 2005-04-06 22:54
#4
Jarvis Ka
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Philip,

Thanks for your response. I feel the same way! That’s why I raised my question here hoping to get somebody’s opinion, who has uses MSP to manage the type of tasks that I was talking about.

To be honest, I found MSP not the right answer for my situation, and I would like to confirm my thought.

Thanks,
Jarvis
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Wed, 2005-04-06 14:03
#5
Philip Jonker
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Hi Jarvis,
I Think I understand your problem. In the past, I have had various experiences with MSP, the most amazing was a project where we had to use the software despite the fact it could not handle the job, and we decided to bring in an MSP wizard, when we spoke about manhours, this wizard was clueless. MSP was developed for a niche in the marketplace, as a result it cannot perform, the basics required by normal project scheduling, when it comes to bigger stuff, hence, horses for courses.

When you work in the production industry, there is specific software for the purpose, and the same with projects. Do not think one tool is the answer to all questions. The problem is cost related, as the better tools is more expensive, due to the limited markets, and the amount of effort of input into the software. Decide whether you want a Porsche or a Volkswagen beetle.

Regards
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Wed, 2005-04-06 00:54
#6
Jarvis Ka
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Hi there,

Thank you for your efford and help. I think you don’t really understand my question and you probably didn’t work in the Software industry. Thanks for your help though.
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Tue, 2005-04-05 04:55
#7
Sukumaran Subaram...
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The best way is discuss with your manager and engineers. Get them to brief you on the work sequences. Use this information to develop the preliminary schedule.

Once completed, print and circulate to your manager and engineers for their feedback. You got to do this few times to improvise and finalise the schedule.
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Tue, 2005-04-05 01:56
#8
Sukumaran Subaram...
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How about:

a) www.primavera.com for P3
b) www.astadev.com for Power Project / Team Play
c) www.welcom.com for Open Plan

Good Lucks.
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Tue, 2005-04-05 01:33
#9
Jarvis Ka
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I get to that link already. None of those templates suit my needs... Are there any other place that provides sample template?
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Tue, 2005-04-05 01:31
#10
Sukumaran Subaram...
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Go to http://office.microsoft.com

Under Products (Home Page) click Project.

Under Browse Project (Project Page) click Templates. You can download all the related templates to develop your schedule.


Regards.
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Tue, 2005-04-05 00:58
#11
Jarvis Ka
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Thank you for your response. I had been searching through the net to try to find some sample Project Plan files that show how to efficiently setup Software Support Related Task. But I didn’t have much luck.... Can you point me to some resource that I can see some samples?

Thanks,
Jarvis
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Tue, 2005-04-05 00:55
#12
Sukumaran Subaram...
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Yes. MS Project is an user friendly tool. It is easy to setup the system and develop the schedule, as long as you keep the schedule simple.

If the task is to long i.e. 200 hours, then try to work out some details. Apply summary bar followed by detail tasks.
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Mon, 2005-04-04 21:16
#13
Jarvis Ka
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My question is relate to Production Software Support. For example when user raise an issue, a production support ticket will be created for me to assign resources to resolve the issue. Do you think MS Project is suitable to plan and track this type of task?
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Mon, 2005-04-04 04:33
#14
Sukumaran Subaram...
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Hi Jarvis,

Production Support Related Task. Could you please elaborate about this project. Is it construction related work or production planning in industrial plant.

May be it will give some clear picture to other PP’ers and can give you a proper advise.

Regards.
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