I need help with this:
I work for an Owner. I have several Project Schedules from different subcontractors and contractors using different databases that i want to integrate into my Master Schedule which contain major milestones and owner activities. I understand that one of the best option is to get these schedules from contractors through .XER and then import them into my own EPS and then opened all the schedules and my master together in order to link them together. After this, I will then schedule them together with same data date.
My question is, during update, do I need to create a reflection project for each contractor and get them update this reflection and send it back to me for me to retain interproject relationship or how do I make sure that the master schedule I scheduled together will reflect on the contractors side if they are using different databases? What is the best practice on this? And what schedule settings do I need to watch out for?
1. just give everyone the same data date. Tell them you want the update to refect progress thru a certain date.
only give the subcontrators THEIR activites to update.
2. During the import process you can choose to update the whole existing project or during the import process you can choose what to update and select update existing NOT INSERT NEW
Thanks for your reply Zoltan.
My worries are:
(1) I am not working in the same database with any of the contractors. After updating my copy of the schedule with the XER updates they sent me through import and then opened all projects with my master and schedule them together, how do the contractors' current schedules be updated for the date differences resulting from my scheduling all the projects and master together? Definitely their schedule will not update authomatically since we are in different databases. Do I have to send a copy of their respective schedule to them to re-update theirs after scheduling the master or what is the best practice?
(2) Do I have to make a project template at project onset with all the scheduling settings and options i want and ask the contractors to use this? How do I enforce this? Also what are the best import configuration options for importing the contractors XER file for the first time? Should I choose Insert New for everything?
you can change your setting during the import process and choose to update the existiing project as opposed to over writing the existing project. This way the interproject relationshipd should remain intact.