(1) Explain your problem, don't simply post "This isn't working". What were you doing when you faced the problem? What have you tried to resolve - did you look for a solution using "Search" ? Has it happened just once or several times?
(2) It's also good to get feedback when a solution is found, return to the original post to explain how it was resolved so that more people can also use the results.
I am looking for a solution that provides multi-project analysis and reportiing capabilities using Microsoft Project Server 2007 data files, similar to what is available in Primavera. This involves opening multiple projects, up to and including the entire portfolio (currently between 20-30 projects, and 20K to 30K total number of tasks) and performing analysis based in selected critieria, based on changing business needs. For instance, reviewing Mechancial Engineering tasks for all projects, analyzing projects assigned to a specific Project Manager or evaluating the impact of future (i.e. potential work) on the portfolio. Note: Although it would be ideal to achieve this functionality using MS Project, an Add-in appication or even a solution separate from MS Project (i.e. exporting MS Project data to another application) is under consideration as long as we get the functionality that we are looking for. Any ideas or expereiences, good or bad?
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Mark,
one more advise.
Managing portfolio you may need to schedule the whole portfolio taking into account common resource and financial restrictions and dependencies between the tasks of different projects.
You wrote that you need just reporting functionality but actually you may need much more if your project models are resource and cost loaded. Look at the presentation: http://www.spiderproject.com/images/img/pdf/Portfolio%20Planning%20Challenges.pdf
Mark,
Picking this up a bit late, (your initial post on May 16th) - several solutions are able to pick up data from PS Project to input. The fact is that custom project portfolio management solutions do enable you to do a lot more things - management things - than with MS Project. Good programs also offer specific view points, user rights, and enable browsing dynamic portfolios to look over
- risks levels and actions taken
- budgets, resources,
- tasks,
- ROI
- collborations / project log book history
- specific attributes, such as customer satisfaction...
- and of course milestones...
You may care to take a look at Project Monitor :
Mark,
Welcome to PP. For your information I am a Spider Project user as this is my preference but the use of MS Project is your decision and I respect that to the point I am against anyone who pretends to force you to manage contracted jobs using another tool. This is common at home in Government contracting, even when against the law some Local and Federal Government agencies insist on you using their choice to do your own management. I have seen brand name specification in federal jobs requiring SureTrak, P3 and lately P6.
It is a fallacy there can be 100% compatibility among different software, especially if two way.
I believe in standardization at the company level but not at the global level. Some companies invest a lot of time and training integrating their systems to accounting, job costing, time cards and so on and perhaps your company has done so.
If you are comfortable with MSP consider the following I got by searching using Google.
http://www.amsrealtime.com/products/documents/AMS_IMSP_US.pdf
I perceive you are discarding P6, which is no surprise to me because I do not like it at all, a very personal view. Take a look at other options that also claim to be integrating software such as Deltek Cobra. I would never expect 100% compatibility, if you are to stay with MSP I would recommend an add-on that uses MSP as their engine.
If your company is willing to consider changing their standard my obvious recommendation would be a move to Spider Project.
Take your best option for your particular needs.
Best Regards,
Rafael
Hi Steve, Thanks for getting back to me. The one constraint I have at this point is that my schedules must be creatred and maintained using Microsoft Project 2007 (Server Version). I only need a reporting engine that takes the data from MS Project and allows analysis and reporting similar to what can be accomplished using Primavera. It is not important that the data be linked in anyway to the source files, meaning we could do a data dump to another application, as long as, the functionality is there. Should I post this on another forum, as well?
Hi, Mark. Welcome to Planning Planet.
It sounds as though your primary question is if there is some way to upload MS Project 2007 server files in order to view and analyze them -- is that correct?
In general, most people here focus on Primavera, Asta or Spider, and since I'm not a software guru, I have no idea whether MS Project can be uploaded to any of them. I'm going to hazard a guess not. You might want to ask in the MS Project forum whether there's an add-on that will give you the view you want.
Would you be willing to change to an entirely new package? If so, I suspect Rafael, Mike, or Vladimir would be able to tell you about the views that Primavera, Asta or Spider can provide (although you might need to ask in those forums, too). I don't know, but I suspect they could all provide the sorts of views you want -- it's the uploading of MSP files that might be the sticking point.
Fraternally in project management,
Steve the Bajan
Email: PPadmin@planningplanet.com
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