Hi Folks
I am wondering if anyone has had the same issue that I am facing where I currently work. Basically we have a total of 12 workstreams making up a Program of work. I know how to build Master and Sub Projects in order to produce a Program Level view. However my issue is that most Workstream Leads work on local copies of the project plans so the latest copy is not always on the server. This is due to the very slow nature of the network. So my query is has anyone else had a similar issue and how have they resolved/managed it.
My thinking is that all workstream plans should have a unique name which should never be changed. They then upload those updated plans on a daily basis to the network shared area. These workstreams plans will already be contained in a Master and Sub Project structure. Does the issue of overwriting existing files wigth the same name have any adverse affect on the Master and Sub Project data files?
I want to create cross project links but I dont want to set it all up only to find that links and updates will not be reflected correctly when existing files are overwritten.


Any advice/guidance would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Tony

If your network is slow I would not save the master project as any hiccup in the network may lead to file corruption. Moving, copying, deleting any file in a master will lead to corruption. Create a consolidated master as needed and do not save.

I second what JulieS has stated. I have had to re-invent schedules multiple times due to file corruptions as she has stated above.

Sorry to hear you have personal experience with the corruption issue Leah.

Hi Julie
Thanks for your response. What I was thinking of is creating a Master and Sub Project structure locally. Then when workstream plans change I replace the local workstream plans with the updated ones (with the same name of course). I would welcome your views on this approach.
Thanks
Tony

Are you sharing resources through a pool or does every plan have its own resources? Swapping project files is a definite worst practice if you have resource pools involved. I still have some hesitations about the process even outside a pool. Are you planning on manually disconnecting the old and then reconnecting the new or just saving over the old?

Hi Julie
Thanks for your response. For some strange reason resources are managed separately, however that is a separate issue :-).
My thinking was to unlink each sub project on weekly basis and replace them with the updated plans then turn the links back on.
I would welcome your views.
Tony

Thinking about it that idea is not going to work because if new tasks are inserted into the updated workstream plan then some links would be incorrect.
Unless there is any way to create links to a UID rather than an ID?

As far as I know, you cannot link to a GUID instead of a task ID. What precisely are you using the master project for?

Hi Julie
The Master Project picks up all of the key Milestones from all of the sub projects. Normally I would consolidate and filter on Milestones but they want the Master in a pre-defined format and layout.
Tony

Is it possible to create a template for the master project and then just create the master project each time for reporting?

Hi Julie
I already have the master template but I still have the issue of linking each of the 12 workstreams key milestones to the master template.

The best I can suggest is try it. John (who helped you on the Programming forum) is also of the opinion that trying to swap out files is risky at best. Are you using paste link to link to the milestones or predecessors and successors?

I have successfully used external linkages to Child Projects, stored in a reporting folder. At pre-determined intervals the Project Manager of the Child Project saves a copy of his (working) copy to the reporting folder, overwriting the one that already sits there. The external linkages are retained, not with standing any additional tasks that may have been added to child plans etc.
It's fairly easy to test this locally with a few simple test files, 1 x Master and a few Child projects (but ensure you have a different name for the working copy of the child MSP plan, and just save it over the file already stored in your reporting folder)