Project layout getting started.

[projectpupil7]

Hi All, i have been asked to build a program to track resources for all our properties.
Each property (about 800) has to have a number of statutory surveys carried out on it over a given period and there would be one staff member allocated to each survey type so for Survey1 = one staff member, Survey2 = one staff member etc. The frequency of the surveys could be once, twice or three times in a 12 month period.
As the client is adamant about using MS Project it is not going to be posible to use spreadsheet or database programs.

So my question on the above is this: due to the quantity of properties involved what would be the best way forward in setting this up. I don't want to be going in the wrong direction and then have to backtrack.

You professionals definitely know best.

Best regards

[JulieS]

So with 800 properties and several surveys you could have a project file with 2400+ tasks? As long as your computer is up to snuff that should not be a problem. It is easier to keep all the properties and surveys in one project file to avoid having to create resource pools to track the same resource across multiple files.

[projectpupil7]

What I was really curious about Julie was whether it is possible to have just the properties listed in the tasks and have the surveys as tables across the top.

[JulieS]

Sorry, no. Project is designed to plot tasks (surveys in your case) against time. One possible structure is to have the Properties as summary tasks with the specific surveys listed as subtasks. As it doesn't sound like there is any relationship between the surveys (they are no dependent upon one another) you might consider using Manually Scheduled tasks (assuming you have Projec 2010 or 2013).

I'd be curious as to why the client wants you to use Project? This does not, strictly speaking, sound like the classic use.

[projectpupil7]

My client is a surveyor and i believe he is so used to using Project to track his projects he may be out of his comfort zone to use anything else but that's his choice. I think i will have to respect that but maybe i'll try again to convince him. Having said that what i have got at the moment is along the lines you suggest but the print out doesn't really show much.
The ultimate goal is to be able to plot and track surveys for each property over time and to keep track of resources needed.

How would you deal with this scenario Julie?.

[JulieS]

I would use Project - although it's not a classic use. You can still derive value, particularly if one of the goals is to look at resource need.

I'd likely use Manually Scheduled tasks without links entering the properties as summary tasks and the surveys as sub tasks and assigning the start and duration. I wouldn't pay too much attention to durations at the summary level (Property) as it wouldn't make any sense.

The challenge will be that updating changes (you decide you need to move Survey 2 for Property 50 to another date) will be manual.