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Revision Control and Microsoft Project History and Practices Mark Read President, Sequence Advisors President, MPUG-SFBAC. Disclaimer. This is not a hands on, not a tutorial This does not have material non-public information, simply observations over a few decades

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  1. Revision Control and Microsoft ProjectHistory and PracticesMark ReadPresident, Sequence AdvisorsPresident, MPUG-SFBAC

  2. Disclaimer • This is not a hands on, not a tutorial • This does not have material non-public information, simply observations over a few decades • Many thanks to Technet and all our clients who teach us every day • Other titles considered: A random walk down Project Server street, and Zen and the Art of Project Server Architecture

  3. Agenda • What do Project 14 and Project 4 have in common? • Some Version History • Architecture Orientation • The Challenge • Tool Considerations • Snapshots and other views • Supporting Processes • What Project 15 could help with

  4. What do Project 14 and Project 4 have in common? • (Project 14 is now Microsoft Office Project 2010) • …Neither contain revision control as is commonly thought of in the document or code control worlds

  5. Some Version History • Project debuts on DOS • Microsoft buys Project • Version 1 for Windows • Project Central, v1 of collaboration platform • Microsoft buys E-Labor, rebrands Project Server • Project Server 2002/2003 based in SharePoint • 2005 Microsoft buys UMT Portfolio Server product • Project Server 2007 introduces queue/cache • 2010 Introduces ribbon, integration of Portfolio Server?

  6. Computing Context • Transition from DOS to Windows • 640K memory • Graphical User Interface • Relational Databases • Object Oriented vs. Procedural Programming • XML • Collaboration • 64 bit – Multi-Core • Oh yeah… and the Internet

  7. Hmmmm…. • In testing of recursive insertion, virtually all significant parameters scaled linearly. The limiting factor on depth is memory usage — for example, at 16 levels, the large project, which contained approximately 10,000 tasks, approached 32-bit virtual memory limits. Even in this example, however, save operations executed very quickly. Other operations, such as closing and then reopening the master project, inserting new layers, and forcing recalculation, were significantly more time-consuming. A 64-bit server platform would significantly increase the number of projects that you could insert, but projects that would require such depth are not common. • Project Server 2010 will be 64-bit ONLY and Windows Server 2008 ONLY

  8. Word Expectations

  9. Some Common Definitions • Version Control (SHAREPOINT): Whole file Check In Check Out, Timestamps, Last Modified By • Track Changes (WORD): Calling out changes within a document • Archives (PROJECT SERVER): Whole file, time stamps, individual restore • Baselines (PROJECT): Snapshot of 5 fields: Cost, Duration, Work, Start and Finish

  10. What are your thoughts on the matter? • Do your clients understand the gaps between system approaches? • Are you happy with your ability to control the past? • What is the accuracy of your forecasts? • Is there a connection between last quarter and this one? • Why do you care about project performance? • Can you demonstrate where you’ve succeeded?

  11. Process Alignment with Time and Data • Everyone may be working off of the same sheet of music, but they all want to see it from their own perspective Data Complexity Time

  12. Priorities, Focus and Value • Baselines are useful because they are focused on data, and that data areyour project values • Revision control would be nice, but its not here yet • Paying attention to features without value is futile

  13. Phase Gate and Baseline Alignment • Baseline Policies and Common definitions can help to tie metrics together • What triggers your baseline? • Absolute Date? (Quarters?) • Phase Gate? • You can compare apples to oranges, you just need a broader vocabulary.

  14. Baselines Comparisons Have you ever played Concentration?

  15. Entities Relationships and Definitions Really Matter But preserving these through process and dataflow?

  16. Key Architecture Context

  17. Data Flow • I got an error message, what does it mean? • Do I have to redo my work? • What does the queue say? • What is the number supposed to be?

  18. Overview Of MS Project 2007 Queue

  19. Archive Database • Five (or more) versions with individual items for restore • Look at the order of the timestamps and dates:

  20. Multiple points of entry to the system • Timesheet Queue • PSI • Project Professional

  21. Guidelines

  22. The Project Management Challenge • Focus on hard dollar savings • Optimize schedule to save time • Organize managers to act on task completion and gap reduction • Preempt hill and valley staffing

  23. Supporting Processes EPM

  24. Tool Considerations

  25. More Tool Considerations • Project Professional • Cubes on the client and Pivot diagrams • Gantt Charts • Project Web Access • Rows and Columns, Pivot Tables • SharePoint WebParts • SQL Reporting Services • PerformancePoint Server / Business Data Catalogs • Others?

  26. Audiences • PMs themselves: What do they need to see and correct issues with their plans? • Resource Managers: How can they see overallocation and priorities? • Program Managers: 1st level summarization • Executives: 2nd level summarization and pictures • “If it’s not in color I won’t read it, and if its not a picture, I won’t understand it”

  27. Milestones Codes, with links,

  28. Milestones Comparison

  29. Mind the Gaps

  30. Work by Work Type

  31. Snapshots

  32. Can subscriptions drive behavior?

  33. Audience Fit • EPM Solution • Project on SharePoint • Stand Alone Project

  34. What could Project 15 help with? • Tracking Changes within a Project file to help show structural changes over time • Labeling of baselines and versions • Multiple scheduling methodologies • Critical Chain • Event Management • Easier cross entity joins • Workflow integration • Deeper search integration

  35. Conclusion • Large datasets with multiple transformation steps are fragile and require the precise control of the Microsoft EPM solution • Large projects with multiple transformation needs are stubborn and require the leadership of management • Engaging with experienced partners is a recommended best practice • The value of competent execution is under appreciated!

  36. Who are Sequence Advisors? • MS Certified Professionals • MCSEs • Methodology agnostic • Flexible service model • Hosting • Project Facilitation • Over 50 MS EPM implementations • Custom development • Process Architecture CONTACT: Mark Read mark@sequenceadvisors.com 510 540-7875 (o) 510 406-4645 (c)

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