Forums

Hello,

I am using Microsoft Project 2007 for managing multiple project plans. Is there a way to update multiple project plans with common field or add common task to multiple project plans together? I went through the help documents but seems like MS Project does not support something like this (though I am not 100% sure myself). Appreciate if you could help me with some tool name which can help me achieve this.

Thanks for your help.

Gayatri

markbyantaylor's picture

I doubt that Project will do it out of the box (happy to be proved wrong).

I'd suspect that you would need to write a macro to do it (I think from memory you can do macro's in Project).

 

ChrisBakerPM's picture

 I don't know how to do this automatically either, but the very  thought makes me nervous. <Shiver> - some automatic process rippling information through multiple MS Project schedules, having effects that might not be accurate or might be hard to notice.  if things are changing I'd rather force myself to stop and check and think, and be sure that my inputs and assumptions are credible. 

How I usually handle links between projects is as follows:

Imagine that Project A has a task that can't start until a database has been made ready by Project B. My schedule for Project A contains a milestone "DEPENDENCY - database completed by Project B". I schedule this Manually in Project A. The "DEPENDENCY" tag helps the milestone stand out. Manual handling may sound inefficient, but it introduces the opportunity to manage the dependency. It reminds me that I am relying on checking about the delivery from Project B - are they on schedule? Am I going to be forced to move that milestone? If so, by how much? (an estimate I agreed to, not some information coming in automatically from another project, which might or might not be credible enough for my purposes). 

It helps a lot to have regular status meetings that focus on the status of all current or upcoming tasks, as per this podcast http://www.manager-tools.com/2011/11/project-status-reporting-simple-feedback-part-1 That stops the team forgetting that it needs that database from Project B or forgetting to ask firmly and repeatedly for credible info as to whether it is on schedule. 

I expect it can be done technically, but take care!

 

gayatri_gadre's picture

Thanks for your replies. Chris, I understand the implications but at the moment that is the business need.

Could you please suggest me any tool if you happen to know any to achieve this?

naraa's picture
Training Badge

 I don't think Microsoft project lets you do that.  We use primavera but it is also not that easy to see all projects in one, and the software is expensive.  For smaller but multiple projects you can try the software wrike, you pay a monthly fee but they administer all the data for you.  The gantt chart in this software is beautiful and really intuitive to use.  The other option, which i actually use at the moment is activecollab.  The gantt chart is not as nice but the project reports are Nícer and project documentation tools better than wrike.  Tasks dependency are better in wrike than activecollab.  Take a look and if either software seems to fit what you are looking for i am happy to share more of what i know about both.

Nara

ChrisBakerPM's picture

If you need to stick with MS Project rather than the alternatives that NARAA suggests, perhaps also try asking this  question at more specialised forums, such as:

http://www.msofficeforums.com/project/

 

or

http://www.gantthead.com

Perhaps other Manager Tools users can suggest other places where MS Project ninjas hang out.

That (and my Awful Warning" ) is all I can do to help, I'm afraid. Best of luck in finding a satisfactory answer.

 

hilary_neth's picture

In Wrike you can update multiple items at once http://www.wrike.com/wiki/help/edit-multiple-tasks  and  add one task to several projects. http://www.wrike.com/wiki/help/fs-include-a-task-in-many-folders

Just one more remark: I fully share Naraa’s opinion on Wrike’s Gantt chart.  It’s one thing when a chart shows just project duration, and quite another when it visualizes all details including task dependencies, date constraints, overdue tasks etc. All in all, Wrike works fine for me J

Hope, it’ll  help.