Hi again.



I have 2 timelines. A main timeline, and, what I refer to as my internal timeline. The Main timeline is our Master list of tasks between our client and us. It's the high level information that we all care about- and also what I export on a weekly basis for review between myself and the client. However, what I care about in addition to that high level timeline- is an internal timeline. A timeline that mirrors tasks on the Main, but only to those that my Team is responsible for.

So, as an example of a task on the Main Timeline, we'll keep it simple: Team Approves Budget Proposal. The team has 5 days to do this and the Start date is 6/2, and the Finish is 6/6.
Now, internally, that task has 3 steps to complete. So, let's say:
Team Reviews Proposal - 2 days - Start 6/2; Finish 6/3.
Team Submits PO Request - 1 day - Start 6/4; End 6/4.
Approval - 1 day - Start 6/5; End 6/5.
We'll have a 1 day cushion in the event review takes longer, the PO submission is delayed, or the approval is delayed.


What I would like to do, is create an internal timeline of the tasks my Team is responsible for (pulled from the Main timeline), list the steps taken to complete those tasks (I envisioned listing steps, and having a summary task that mirrored the task contained on the Main along with its duration/start/finish, and subtasks of the tasks needed to complete), and assign resources to those steps.

I know how to link tasks externally, but doesn't appear you can link a Task as a Summary Task to another project.
I know you can also generate SubProjects that, visually, appear the same as what I described above (a summary task that you can expand to see the steps involved to complete). However, I feel the SubProject idea would overcomplicate things. I would have numerous SubProjects! Plus, the task on the Main Timeline contains links to other tasks, and if that task was actually a 'SubProject', I don't know how the links would work (?).
I know if I went that route, the resources would be fine, because I could always create a Resource Pool that is linked across the main and sub projects.

I could always manage the internal timeline independently from the Main, but I was trying to limit the room for error. If something was delayed and I change the dates to reflect the delay on my internal timeline, and not on the main- it would cause mass confusion with management and our client. Or the other way around!

Your thoughts/suggestions would be great!

Thank you so much!
E

Do you need to share the Main timeline with your client as a project file? If not, I'd keep everything in one file, use flag fields and filters for the main tasks you need to share with the customer. When you need to present to the customer, filter only for those flagged tasks and print to a PDF.

Presently, no. However, I do believe the client is obtaining licenses for Project in order to view. Right now I export to Excel, and format for their viewing pleasure. I know I could likely convince them to get Project Server- but it is a hefty chunk of change. But Server would take care of everything I would imagine. Viewing restrictions etc.

You cannot hide parts of a project file if the client has the actual file - even through Server. I think the plan of either printing to PDF or exporting selected data to Excel is a good option.

good to know! until I get the company to migrate to project, I will have to bother you here!
I will work on determining view filters

Sounds good. Add a spare Flag field to the view and set the tasks you want to see to "yes". Click the Autofilter in the column heading and filter for "yes" tasks.

good idea. rather than starting another discussion- quick question: is there a way to set a resources number of hours by week? Is it under: Resource>Assign Resources>Resource Information> Resource Availability (??). And choose, by specific time frames, their availability? Reason I ask, is based on this project, certain points of the project require more time per week than others. Therefore, one week I may have someone for 20hrs, another I may have them for 30hrs, another week I may only have them for 10hrs. I think this runs into your other suggestion of leaving working times alone (at the resource level) and instead saying they are only available 50% of the time (4hrs).

You have two choices in setting resource availability - one by changing the resource's max units over time through Resource Information under availability. However, changing this on a weekly basis is going to be a lot of work. Also, if you assign a resource to tasks that span more than one week, Project will not automatically adjust the assignment units up or down if the availability changes per week.

You can also change a resource's calendar - but again, this is going to be painful.

Explain a bit more why you cannot get a firm commitment from the sponsor regarding resource availability. It is going to be very difficult to manage a project where the resource's ability to work is going to vary by week. For example - if I have a resource assigned at 20 hours for a week - but then the task shifts into the next week - are you going to be expected to recalculate the task duration based upon the resource's change in availability?

we have a process that we follow. We log, by week, how many hours we need a particular resource (for budgeting purposes). The requirements are based on different phases of the project itself. certain phases are heavier labor requirements than others (usually the reporting phase and presentations are the biggest committments). For the most part, everyone is available for 20hrs per week- and during heavy periods, 30hrs a week. Toward the end of the project, they are not required at all, or they taper off to 15, to 10hrs etc.

I happened to look at these requirements shortly after I asked the question. For the most part, say, John, is available 20hrs a week from June 2nd to August 29th. Then from September 2nd to November 28th, 30hrs per week. From December 1st to Feb 27th (completion) he goes back down to 20hrs a week. So, I would only have to set 3 lines of what he is required for (50%, 75%, and 50%). You're saying, that if he is working on something August 29th, and it flows into September 4th, Project won't realize he can work more hours on a particular task, from Sep 2nd-4th ?

I felt the Resource Information>Availability would be perfect if I set up their availability ahead of time. But if Project doesn't recognize the change in assignment units in the event a task is scheduled to carry over from their 50% availability into their 75% availability- then maybe it will be a little difficult once I have all 10 of my resources logged and in place. To keep track of them all, and their availability and where their tasks lie- it becomes a semi-manual process...

To answer your question directly - no Project will not automatically increase John's assignment units to the task.


It sounds more like you need to vary resource's assignment units based upon the work requirements not necessarily dates. If you know you need resources at 75% for the reporting and presentation phases, assign them at 75% to those tasks. Don't worry about attempting to time-phase their availability. Assign the resources based upon the phases - not upon dates.

I hope this helps.

It certainly does. I can sometimes overthink/overcomplicate things. Assigning units at the time I assign a resource to a task should work out just fine.
As always, thank you!

You're most welcome and thanks for the feedback.