�� From the President.

�� Noteworthy Changes.

�� MPUG Meetings-Calendar.

�� Chapter Relations Director’s Report.

�� Implementing Enterprise-wide Project Management Software.

�� Ask Brian? MSP Questions and Answers.

� Dwight Was Right, But Is He Still?

�� Specifying a Cost Rate Table for an Assignment.

Chicago Chapter Launches June 20, 2000: Microsoft® Project Expert to Speak

The Chicago Chapter of MPUGlobal (Microsoft Project Users Group) is kicking off its inaugural event with a free symposium on Tuesday, June 20,2000. A Microsoft® Project expert will present “Microsoft® Project 2000: An Overview & Demo.”

The location of the event is TBD. Registration and refreshments start at 5:30 p.m., and the program runs from 6:00-7:30 p.m. The event is free, butseating is limited, so please register early. To reserve a seat, call Miiko Squires at 312-836-7845 or e-mail to Miiko1@access1.net with your name, phonenumber, e-mail, and place of business. Visit www.mpug.org for more information and directions.

The Chicago Chapter is being launched in response to the demand from local individuals and corporations who seek a resource that enhances andsupports their use of Microsoft (MS) Project. The Chapter is being sponsored by eLabor.com, Omicron, and Sargent and Lundy, LLC. This symposiumis open to all current or prospective users of MS Project.

More than five million people use MS Project throughout the world. The MicrosoftProject Users Group intends to provide a forum to draw upon that user communitysharing of MS Project knowledge and advice. MPUG directly benefits three categoriesof people:• End users become more productive users of MS Project. They gain furtherinsight into the product as part of their business solutions, leverage the experience oftheir colleagues, and increase their ability to provide solutions to their employersand clients.• Corporate decision-makers are able to leverage their companies’ investment inMS Project and Microsoft-related tools.• Project management professionals increase their proficiency with the MSProject skill set and come to a greater understanding of the opportunities MS Projectaffords them to develop their business and professional growth.

The Chicago Chapter will hold at least three meetings per year to ensure thesebenefits are realized. Members will

also receive MPUG’s quarterly newsletter, and have access to the “Members Only” section of theMPUGlobal Web site which offers feature articles, file library up/down-loads and other resources.

In This Issue:

The Newsletter of the Microsoft Project Users Group—Global Volume 4, Issue 2—2000

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Program PlanningProfessionals, Inc.Co

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�� A Book List for MS Project 2000.

�� MPUG Meetings-Perspectives from the Chapters.

�� Prorating Fixed Cost.

�� Just for Fun.

�� Changing the Task Actual Start.

�� Web Messaging in MS Project 98.

� MPUG Application.

Check the Web at www.mpug.org

Page 2 The Project Network

Greetings,It was two years ago last November

that I was appointed to the position ofPresident of the Board for the fledglingMicrosoft Project Users Group. Atthat time, MPUG was a regionalorganization with aspirations of goingnational, and not too many ideas of howto get there. In fact, a lot of the drive toexpand the scope of the group camewhen people across the country who hadobtained an MPUG application via the Web site or while attending someevent in the Great Lakes area, sent the application in requesting tobecome a member. Both corporate sponsors, Microsoft and ProgramPlanning Professionals, were supportive of the move to increase thescope, and no one on the Board knew enough of what it would take, torealize what we were getting ourselves into. In the ensuing two years,MPUG has become a global organization, thanks to the hard work of allof the Board members, but especially Gail Stopar and ChristineBuonocore.

Gail and Christine have carried the largest part of the load innegotiating with the corporate sponsors, pulling together thenewsletters, managing the Web site, and managing and mentoring thechapters. Their contributions have had the greatest impact on theMPUG services that provide the most direct benefit to the membership.Both Board members are deserving of my deepest gratitude, and thegratitude of every member of MPUG.

The reason for the retrospective approach to this installment of themessage “From the President” is that I am stepping down from the

Microsoft Project Users Group—From the President

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Pat McMurtryMPUG President

�����������MPUG President

Letters, Case Studies, or Wish List itemsintended for publication in future issues ofThe Project Network should be addessed to:Readers Insight, The Project Network3923 Ranchero Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48108

Letters may also be faxed to: 734-741-1343or e-mailed to: info@mpug.org

Please limit letters to one page and include a name, address, anddaytime telephone number. Case Studies, of any length, are alwayswelcome, and Wish List memos will be incorporated into amembers’ list and discussed on the Web before publication. Entriesmay be edited for clarity and length. Due to the volume of letters wemay receive, we cannot guarantee a response.

The MPUG newsletter is a quarterly publication dedicated toinform, serve and entertain its membership. The informationpublished herein is believed to be reliable; however, the editor andother individuals associated with this periodical assume noresponsibility for inaccuracies or omissions. Publication ofadvertisements in this newsletter do not necessarily constitute anendorsement by MPUG. Signed columns are the opinion of itswriter(s), and not necessarily the opinion of the publishers.

position of President of the Board, effective April of this year. When I tookthe position, I felt that two years would be ample time to accomplishsomething, but not quite enough time to get burned out. My estimationwas pretty good. I feel fortunate and honored to have been associatedwith the Board during these years of tremendous growth, but I also feelthe need to turn over the stewardship of the organization before myperspective becomes too stale. It is with great confidence that I handover the responsibilities of President to Jeanne Dorle, the current BoardVice-President. Jeanne has been a guiding light for MPUG since shejoined the Board in February of 1998 as Board Secretary. Herknowledge, skills and energy will keep the pace of growth anddevelopment in MPUG at or beyond what has been achieved so far.

Maintaining organizational growth and development means notshort-changing the Board on resources. Tim Grenis, erstwhile Presidentof the Southeast Michigan Chapter of MPUG, joins the Board in thevacated Vice-President position. Tim showed well-developedorganizational skills in guiding the SE-MI Chapter to two outstanding,and well-attended, Chapter meetings in the past half-year. With Gailand Christine still on board, the MPUG Board should be well positionedto guide the continued development of MPUG into the premier softwareuser-support group.

My term as President of the MPUG Board has been entertaining, aswell as educational. If nothing else, it prompted me to read a book onRobert’s Rules of Order, just in case. Working with the other Boardmembers has been a pleasure, and their efforts allowed me to take alargely ceremonial approach to my position. I got a lot of practice atstaying out of the way saying well done. I look forward to continuedinvolvement with MPUG as a member of the SE-MI Chapter, andlearning more about MS Project from the newsletter and e-zine. It hasbeen an honor to serve.

Warmest regards,

Tip: Custom filters are easier to spot from predefinedfilters if you type them in all caps or initial caps.

Volume 4, Issue 2—2000 Page 3

Noteworthy Changes

Edwards Industries provides comprehensive project management training and consulting services to the U.S.Government, Government agencies and commercial clients. Consultation and training provided in the following areas:

� Program/Project Management Support� Program/Project Planning

• Setting Up Project Work Packages• Earned Value Tracking Systems

� Program/Project Scheduling• Project Schedule Development• Schedule Updating, Review, and Analysis

� Program/Project Execution and Analysis• Action Item Tracking• Project Review Support• Earned Value Analysis Systems

� Program/Project Management Training Programs� Program/Project Management Processes

• Project Planning and Scope Management• Project Time and Cost Management• Project Communication and Risk Management

� Program/Project Scheduling• Planning and Scheduling for a Successful Project• MS Project 98, A Scheduling Tool to Successfully

Manage your Projects� Program/Project Execution and Analysis

• Project Metrics and Earned Value Analysis Systems

For more information about how the project management professionals at Edwards Industries may be able to assist yourorganization, please contact us at.

Voice: (800) 556-2506 (Toll Free) � (410) 313-9370 (Baltimore MD Area) � Fax: (410) 313-8133Email: info@Edwards-Ind.com � Website: http://www.Edwards-Ind.com

The Project Network Newsletter, Spring 2000Editor-in-Chief Gail StoparCopy Editor David Stopar

Microsoft Project Users Group—Global Board of DirectorsPresident Jeanne DorleVice-President Tim GrenisExecutive Business Director Gail StoparCommunications Director Kirk VantineSecretary Joseph HughesIT Director David MyersChapter Relations Director Christine Buonocore

Microsoft Project Users Group–Global OfficeTelephone: 734-741-0841Facsimile: 734-741-1343E-mail: info@mpug.org

Member of...

Advertising is open to any member of the MicrosoftProject Users Group—Global who is an authorizedMicrosoft Project Consultant or Service Provider. Cost-

ing available on request. For further details of how toadvertise your services in The Project Networknewsletter, send a note to info@mpug.org, or contactthe Editor, Gail Stopar, through the MPUG office.

Changes By Gail StoparAlong with the President and Vice President positions changing,

MPUGlobal has added a few new positions (people) and changedsome titles to hopefully bring more understanding for themembership toward their duties.

Please take note that Kirk Vantine has joined the MPUGlobalfull-time staff as of April 10th, 2000. Kirk will be your front-linecontact. He will be handling all membership inquiries, questions,and financials. Feel free to send Kirk a brief e-mail to say welcome viainfo@mpug.org.

In addition, we want to welcome and thank Joseph Hughes forvolunteering to help the BOD as Secretary. As Patrick told you in his“From the President” column, Jeanne knows, along with usold-timers, just how much we can use him to keep our recordsstraight and our meeting minutes timely. His first BOD meetingis this April.

With Kirk handling membership communications, I have beenprompted by the BOD to take on a new title as Executive BusinessDirector. My role has always been to oversee, run and manage thedaily operations of MPUGlobal. All full-time staff and volunteers areultimately my responsibility, along with the operational stabilityof the organization. As I see it we are a great team, and the success ofthe team is then the success of MPUGlobal.

Thank-you to all who have contributed and continue todemonstrate their commitment!

Page 4 The Project Network

MPUG Meetings—Calendar

Mark Your 2000 Calendars!!Refer to the MPUG Web site for directions and chapter meeting details. Be sure to contact

the MPUG office at (734) 741-0841 for your reservation, as these meetings are sure to fill! Ifyou don’t have access to the Web site, please feel free to call for more details.

Schedule of Events

• April 6 — Dallas/Ft. Worth (Addison)Chapter Meeting.• April 17-20 — COMDEX, Chicago.• April 25 — Atlanta Chapter Board Meeting.

• May 1 — MPUG Rocky Mountain Chapter at Mile-High PMI Meeting, Denver.• May 1-2 — Project Management 2000 (Toronto) Canada.• May 3 — New South Wales (Australia) Chapter Meeting.• May 4 — Melbourne (Australia) MPUG Introduction.• May 15-19 — Project World, Boston.• May 18 — MPUGlobal invited to PMI Chapter Meeting, Phoenix.• May 23 — Western New York (Rochester) Chapter Meeting.• May 25 — Los Angeles-Metro (Santa Monica) Chapter Meeting (tentative).

• June 1 — Southeast Michigan (Southfield) Chapter Meeting.• June 5-8 — Tech Ed 2000, Orlando.• June 20 — Atlanta Chapter Meeting.• June 20 — Chicago Chapter Inaugural Meeting.

• July 25 — Hong Kong Chapter Meeting (tentative).• July 27 — Southeast Louisiana Chapter Meeting (tentative).

Our chapter has arrived. Many MicrosoftProject practitioners expressed a strong interestin a local chapter by attending our inauguralmeeting and by joining as members. On Febru-ary 3rd, eighty (80) practitioners participated in our inaugural meeting which showcased MicrosoftProject 2000. Since this meeting, our chapter has grown from 30 members to over 80 members.

We feel we are on the right leadership track by organizing and providing technical, hands-onmeetings and communication, and we are always open to hear your personal comments.

As a full-pledge chapter, we will conduct elections of chapter officers by our members this fall. Comeparticipate and share in our celebration!

Please join us on Thursday, April 6th for our next meeting. Darrel A. Raynor will be speaking onthe topic of Defining a Project Plan Through Microsoft Project. Darrel is a Project Manager and ProjectTurn-around Consultant. He consults, speaks, delivers training, and writes on software applicationdevelopment project management and other use of technology in business. He is a Project ManagementProfessional (PMP), a Certified Computer Professional (CCP), with an MBA. Darrel’s passion isbuilding and leading software application development project teams, specializing in project planning,requirements, and project execution. Mr. Raynor’s core beliefs include full disclosure, adherence toprofessional society codes of ethics, open communication and teaching. Mentoring project leads andmanagers is Mr. Raynor’s delightful specialty.

The event will tentatively be held at the Microsoft office, 5080 Spectrum Drive, Suite 115E inAddison, TX from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Registration begins at 6 p.m. Please e-mail dfw@mpug.org to reserveyour space. We look forward to seeing you there!

Matt PiazzaChapter President

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Volume 4, Issue 2—2000 Page 5

Chapter Relations Director’s Report

Chapter NewsBy Christine Buonocore, MPUGlobal Chapter Relations Director

New Chapters in Hot DemandWith triple the chapter growth rate and more than five times the

volunteer chapter leaders since a year ago, MPUGlobal members haveexperienced a new plateau in the level of service and activity across theUnited States and abroad. This heightened level of value to members,along with the much-anticipated release of Microsoft Project 2000, helpsexplain the ongoing demand for new chapters. Specifically, we continueto receive inquiries from folks interested in starting new MPUG chapters. Inorder for these inquiries to turn into real charters, each chapter needs thefollowing:• Founding Board (President, VP, Secretary, Treasurer—at

minimum; other officer roles such as Membership, Programs,Communications, etc. are also available)

• Corporate Sponsor(s)• Ten Founding Members (minimum)

These chapters are now in the planning stages and are seeking localsupport to help fulfill the minimum charter requirements. To get involvedor find out more, contact the local chapter organizers listed here.• Cincinnati::::: Yelena Rice at yrice@eesus.jnj or (800) 766-8667 and

Lynn Frock at lmfrock@one.net• Dayton: : : : : Bob Hazlett at hazlettr@dma.org• Denver: : : : : Karen Sherman at ksherman@capstone.cc or

(619) 249-6223• NYC Metro::::: Laura DiLaura at ldilaura@att.com or

(908) 658-7475• San Diego::::: Tonya Bowers at tonyabowers@yahoo.com or

(858) 695-3757• St. Louis: Linda Zanadelli at lzanardelli@mindspring.com or

(314) 512-2434• Tampa, FL::::: Naomi Gee at naomigee@valueworks.com or

(813) 994-0275• WDC Metro::::: Ted Marcus at tmarcus@UB.ubalt.edu or

(410) 328-2936 and Eric Allen at eallen@va.selfware.com or(703) 506-0400If you are interested in chartering an MPUGlobal chapter and would

like more information, please contact MPUGlobal’s Chapter RelationsDirector, Christine Buonocore, at cbuonocore@mpug.org or call(734) 741.0841 to request a Chapter Charter Application package.

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Local Chapters Want YOU!In order for the existing chapters to continue and expand the quality

of service to members, they always welcome additional leadership support.If you want to get involved by volunteering for a Board position,sub-committee or even chapter sponsorship, these chapter leads wouldlove to hear from you! Also feel free to contact them with your ideas,suggestions and to find out more about local activities.• Atlanta::::: Eric Norman at Eric.Norman@getronics.com or

(770) 618-8906• Chicago: Beth Church at bhchurch@mindspring.com at

(847) 884-9929 and Sally Noble at sally.noble@eds.com• Dallas/Ft. Worth: : : : : Matt Piazza, dfw@mpug.org or (972) 353-5802• Hong Kong: : : : : Clala Cheng at hk-asia@mpug.org or 852 2593 1136• Houston: : : : : Gary Smith at gary_smith@genisystems.com or

(281) 820-0200• Los Angeles Metro: : : : : Beverly Barnett at la-metro@mpug.org or

(310) 575-1144• New South Wales, Australia: : : : : Eric Wilson at

Eric.Wilson@pcubed.com or 02 9238 6267• SE Louisiana: : : : : Laura Williams at laurawms@mindspring.com or

(504) 288-8150• SE Michigan: : : : : Alban de Bergevin at alband_se-mich@mpug.org

or (313) 337-5318• Western New York: : : : : Ken Jamison at kjamiso1@rochester.rr.com or

(716) 724-4462

Page 6 The Project Network

Feature Article—Implementing Enterprise-wide Project Management Software

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Critical Success Factors for Implementing Enterprise-wide Project Management Software By Rich Murphy, eLabor.comAbstract

This document addresses the Critical Success Factors related to theimplementation of enterprise-wide project management software. It does so strictlywith respect to the software capabilities and functionality required, and does not coverthe training and educational aspects of such implementations.

Some HistoryBefore discussing the implementation of project management software across

the enterprise, it is useful to discuss the history of this software area itself tounderstand how systems have evolved.

Project management software as a category has existed for a long time. In fact,PM software was one of the very first commercial applications. There are severalnotable milestones in this history:

1. 1960s – First project management software introduced. These systems wereavailable on several mainframe hardware systems. And these early packages wereviewed as strictly analysis tools, to be used by specialists who understood thecomplexities of the Critical Path Method upon which they were based.

2. Mid 1970s – Introduction of minicomputer-based PM systems. Anothermajor capability introduced with these packages was customization and interfacingthe PM with external systems. Also notable was the ability to build a total projectinformation system with these PM “languages.”

3. Early and Mid 1980s – The introduction of the PC brought with it the firstPM systems for this platform. Following closely were multi-user systems based onlocal area networks. These systems were the first that were oriented to end-usersrather than the specialists.

4. Late 1980s – The first GUI-based PM systems were introduced. Thesepackages allowed an even larger community to utilize PM principles.

5. Early 1990s – PM systems added functionality to address the manage byprojects approach, which accompanied the re-engineering wave. Most of thesesystems were extensions of existing multi-user/multi-project LAN and database PMpackages. Also notable was the move to SQL databases as the project data repository.

6. Late 1990s – three prevalent directions emerged in the PM system area:a. Dominance of Microsoft® Project 98 as the desktop planning tool of

choice.b. Web-based product offerings.c. PM systems becoming “strategic information systems” like Financials

and Human Resources.

Observations and Analysis–So where does this history lead us?First, we can observe that commercial offerings of project management

software have almost exclusively been derivations of CPM-based schedulingsystems. It is only recently that there has been a trend to viewing projectmanagement as a “strategic information system” as noted above. There are firmswho have implemented such systems, basically developing a custom informationsystem that is usually centered around the use of some desktop planning tool thatdrives the base dates for projects and tasks. But such systems have tended to be“project/task statusing systems” which don’t address the resource planning needs ofthe organization. They are essentially historical tools rather than proactivemanagement aids.

Another observation that can be made is that the commercial offerings havetended to confuse multi-user and multi-project capabilities, and/or the use of acentralized SQL database, with “enterprise” functionality. While suchcapabilities are certainly important, they alone don’t make a system capable ofbeing used as an enterprise-level information system.

A final observation is that most project management software offeringsignore the fact that different users in an organization have different roles. Anexecutive should not need to understand the complexities of scheduling in order toanswer the simple questions, “what’s late?” or “what’s over budget?” His/herrequirements differ from those of a detail project planner, and also fromrequirements of staff who perform work but have no planning responsibilities.There have been attempts to address this issue by some vendors, but most haveresulted in modular systems that look and operate differently for the various roles.This isn’t ideal since many users can have multiple roles, and in the view ofa multi-role user, such a project management system really appears to bemultiple systems.

How to Have a Successful ImplementationSo what are the keys to implementing project management across the

enterprise? Some of the basic functionality that is essential in any software underconsideration includes:

1. Comprehensive project, task, and resource planning tools – easy to use2. A SQL database repository for all data3. Customization capability4. A role-based system5. A proactive approach to data presentation6. A consistent user interface for all functions7. Modern technical architectureWe’ll discuss each of these in detail.An enterprise project management information system (referred to as EPMIS

from here on) needs as its foundation accurate project, task, and resource data. Amanager who wants to check on project status must know that the dates his queryis based on were properly calculated on a timely basis. In today’sresource-constrained environment, it is critical that any project planning toolhave comprehensive resource management facilities. This does not just meanresource leveling capability. Obviously such capability is required, but so is theability to easily identify resources on a project team, resource skills functionality,and the ability to evaluate resource loads and alternatives easily and quickly.

Above all, the planning tool must be easy to use. If the system is difficult to useor has a non-standard interface, the planning staff won’t utilize the tool effectively.And the occasional user will avoid the system completely or provide only sketchyplans. The result corrupts the very foundation of the EPMIS.

Not much needs to be said about the EPMIS utilizing a SQL databaserepository. Such an approach is not only best as part of the technicalfoundation of the EPMIS itself, but becomes even more important when the issueof interfacing with other corporate information systems is considered.

Perhaps one of the most critical requirements of the EPMIS is customizability.Many systems claim this capability because tools are provided that allow users tochange the appearance of screens, menus, or toolbars. While such capabilities arenice, this is not the critical customizability. That functionality refers to the abilityof the EPMIS to adapt to the implementing organization’s way of doing business.

The organization should not be required to change to fit the EPMIS!The most essential capability in this regard is an extremely flexible coding

structure—one that allows for the identification of program/project structures,organization structures, skills, locations, etc. Unless there is a compellingreason for doing so, the EPMIS should not dictate fundamental changes tocurrently-used identification schemes. This means that it should be possible to

Continued on page 7

Volume 4, Issue 2—2000 Page 7

Feature Article—Implementing Enterprise-wide Project Management Software, Continued

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Continued from page 6

have “System Design” and “Code Development” report to “InformationSystems” without using “1.2.4,” “1.2.5,” and “1.2” notation. The use ofdigit-significant coding structures should not be a requirement. (Whohasn’t been through a re-organization recently?) As part of the EPMISimplementation, comprehensive coding structures need to be established;however they should always be meaningful.

The previous discussion of roles needs some elaboration. In anorganization committed to good project management practices, the ideal systemwould be one that everyone uses to obtain and analyze project and resourceinformation, from the project planner and resources assigned to tasks, upthrough the management chain to the CEO. But obviously their specific needsare different. When asked in a survey, “how do you get accurate project status?”most managers replied, “I call the person I think has the information I want.”This is a disturbing commentary on the state of project managementinformation systems. Certainly the same managers wouldn’t give that answer ifthey were asked about how they get financial or human resource data. Most likelytheir answer would be, “I just use my PC and query the finance or HR system.”There are two reasons for this differing approach:

1. The managers have come to trust the accuracy and timeliness of thefinance and HR systems.

2. Those systems are very oriented to getting the manager the data hewants easily. He/she doesn’t have to be an accountant to get the answer.

Unfortunately, most project management system implementations assumethat a manager must use the project scheduling tool to get answers to “what’slate?” Or they assume that some standard report will answer the question. Mostmanagers aren’t going to take the time to learn how to use a scheduling package,and while standard reports do help answer the questions managers ask, themanager has to run the report just to find out if there are any projects that arelate. Contrast this with the financial system again, which usually alerts him/herimmediately when certain conditions occur.

This brings us to the next item of functionality, namely a “proactive”orientation. Why shouldn’t the manager always have some immediateindication of “what’s late?” or “who are my critical resources?” when viewingdata in the system? Why shouldn’t the system portray the appropriate data in theappropriate format when the manager wants project status or resourceinformation? Again, he/she shouldn’t have to run a standard report or set a lotof parameters just to get a simple answer. If the manager wants project status,a comparison barchart most likely will provide the necessary information. Ifresource information is required, a histogram will most likely answer thequestion. A default display that provides the answers to the most commonquestions would be appreciated—especially if it were easy to “drill up/down” theorganization, resource, or program/project structure, and also to easily changethe exact display format. For the most part, managers have become accustomedto having such capabilities when reviewing financial data; why not project data?

The next item to be considered is consistency of the EPMIS user interface. Asthose who have previously been involved in project management softwareimplementations will attest, the software itself is not the major cost of theimplementation. Training users accounts for a considerable portion of theoverall implementation expense. And training continues forever, as staff is addedor roles change. For this reason, it is extremely desirable that the EPMIS featurea simple and consistent user interface. In practice, regardless of their specific jobfunctions, users know two things when they want to access the system. First, theyknow what data (department, project, group of projects, resources, etc.) theywant to access, and second, they know what they want to do with that data(report, analyze, edit, etc.). The EPMIS should be structured to let them easily

specify those two things, and if possible, to present them with the result they requirewith as few additional keystrokes or selections as possible.

The critical element is that the interface presented to each user should be thesame regardless of role. This minimizes training costs and also is a tremendousbenefit to users with multiple roles or those who move from one job function toanother over time.

The final critical factor is a modern technical architecture. The EPMIS will bea major strategic information system for the organization for many years to come.As with any major systems implementation, the technical foundation is crucial toassuring this long-term utilization and minimization of maintenance costs. Someof the questions to be answered include:

1. Can the system efficiently handle the data volume now and in the future?2. Does the system allow for remote users, traditional client/server users, and

Web-based users?3. Is the processing mechanism efficient? All client-side? All server-side?4. What client platforms are supported?5. Is the system based on technical standards that will survive?6. Is the system “open”? Can it be integrated easily with other systems?These are just a few of the technical architecture issues. But the EPMIS can

only be strategic and long-term if its foundation is strategic and long-term.

ConclusionAs noted in the abstract, this document only addresses the Critical Success

Factors related to the EPMIS software itself. Organizations committed to the EPMISconcept should carefully review their design or package selection against the factorsidentified here.

While the software is a crucial element, there are many other factors whichaffect a successful implementation, including organizational awareness of generalproject management principles, management commitment, and the actualimplementation planning and execution itself. In that regard, we alwaysrecommend a pilot project approach to implementation, starting with arepresentative group and implementing for sixty to ninety days before rolling thesystem out across theenterprise. This pilotproject implementationshould be one of thefirst projects to beentered and tracked bythe EPMIS!

About the AuthorRich Murphy has

more than 25 yearsexperience in theseareas, and has beeninvolved in the creationof several successfulproject managementproduct lines. He haslectured and writtena number ofpublished works onthis subject.

The MPUGlobal Mission

To provide the installed user baseof Microsoft Project with a forumto exchange ideas, support, andexperience, to better understand andutilize all Microsoft® Project relatedproducts. MPUG is an independentusers group formed with the supportand recognition of Microsoft®. We will

actively seek out related organizations,both nationally and internation-

ally, and collaborate withthem to encourage the

appropriate exchangeof information toMPUG membership

for all levels of Microsoft Projectexperience.

Page 8 The Project Network

Ask Brian?—Microsoft Project Questions and Answers

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Ask Brian?How do I save a Project Gantt Chart asHTML?

There are really two steps to this process:1. Use the Copy Picture button on thetoolbar to create a GIF image of your

tasks. There is a help topic on this that can help youstep through the options. Also, experimentation isimportant for figuring out the best ways tocapture what you want.2. Use the File > Save as HTML menu item. This willhelp you save the table data you want into an HTMLformat. It is important to select the “Export to HTMLusing standard template” in the Export Formatdialog box then click on “edit”. On this dialog tabyou will select the button checkbox marked“Include image file in HTML page.” Make sure youare pointing this to your GIF image you just created.

This will create a table that contains variousdata as defined in the other tabs of the ExportFormat dialog with your gif image at the top of thepage.

How can MS Project calculate costswithin a certain time frame?

Let’s say you want cost by Month. Let’salso say you want to see it for tasks and forthe project as a whole.

1. Tools>Options2. Check the box to show the Project Summarytask3. Go to the Task Usage View4. In the right hand pane, right-click and selectCost from the list that pops up5. Right-click on the timescale “header” at the topof the right pane6. Pick Timescale from the pop-up menu7. Change Major Units to something like Years orQuarters8. Change Minor Units to Months

You should now see cost broken down by Monthfor each task, summary task and for the project ifyou look at the Project Summary task (Task 0).

If you need it by week or quarter, etc., you canjust change the timescale major and minor unitsto fit.

Is there any way of keeping or identifyinga baseline plan (or tables), after many

editions have been saved?

Q

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Q

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AIf you mean many editions of the Baseline,then no. There is only one true baseline.

You can use the feature called Interim Plansto save Task Start and Finish dates. There are tenInterim plans you can use.

Is it possible to make certain columns in atable view-only, whilst allowing others to

be read/write?

No. Project Central that ships with MSP2000 will address some of this, but in 98

there is no way other than manipulatingthe NT permissions of the server share where theproject resides, but this will control all fields in thefile, not just some.

I have created a “Master” project, whichcontains approximately 140 individualprojects, not linked to each other. When my

“Master” contained ~10 projects, I could highlightthe rows (each “task” represented an entire condensedproject) and hit the “+” button and they would open.

My problem is with the “Master” that contains140 projects. It takes > 8 hours (could be more, wegive up at the end of the working day) to open thesubprojects which make up the “Master” !! This isunacceptable from a workflow perspective.

My objective is to open the “Master” and apply anumber of filters that I have written in order toaccomplish planning activities. Can you help mewith this? Is there a better way to create the“Master”? Is there a faster way to open thesubprojects? Is there a way to apply the filters beforeopening so that we open only the tasks we need toanalyze?

Any help would be most appreciated, as we areconsidering moving our company from MS Project95 to 98 or 2000 and this exercise is important in ourdecision.

There are a number of reasons why youmay be seeing poor performance. Whenyou have a master project that has collapsed

inserted projects, and you open it, just the masterproject is opened into memory. When you expand theinserted projects, however, each of the inserted projectsis opened into memory. With 140 projects, this can bea lot of memory. Therefore, if the machine doesn’thave sufficient memory, then its going to thrash awayfor a long time trying to get everything opened.

Another thing that could be happening is that all

A

of the inserted projects share resources from acommon resource pool. Depending on the numberof resources in the pool and the number actuallyallocated, this can add a significant amount oftime to the “opening” process.

The last thing you’ll want to check is to seewhether or not you have Project 98 SR-1. SR-1uses less memory for the same number of projects.Therefore, the first issue will be better. There wasalso work done in SR-1 to make the whole processgo faster. In the case of having a resource pool,Project 98 SR-1 should help a lot, but as you getmore and more resources in the pool, performancecould still lag considerably.

Look into 2000; considerable performance workwas done in these areas, and so what may havetaken hours before can literally now take minutes.

I’m interested in getting anyinformation/publication(s) for MS Project

using Visual Basic Code.

Check this link:http://support.microsoft.com/support/

downloads/LNP146.asp for the VBAtraining materials. They are the ONLY Project 98VBA reference materials AT ALL.

Can anyone come up with a solution tothis one (I have done it with Primavera

using Hammock Tasks)?Is there any way to make one task concurrent

with another—in other words, it starts andfinishes at the same time, and the duration/effortis adjusted accordingly whenever the first taskchanges.

PRJ: Q141733 Knowledge BaseHow to Build a Hammock Task

This information applies to:• Microsoft Project for Windows• Microsoft Project for Windows 95, versions

4.1, 4.1a• Microsoft Project for Windows, versions 3.0,

3.0a, 4.0• Microsoft Project for the Macintosh, versions

3.0, 4.0

SUMMARY

A “hammock” task is dependent on externaldates for BOTH its start and finish dates and,

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Continued on page 9

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Volume 4, Issue 2—2000 Page 9

Ask Brian?—Microsoft Project Questions and Answers, Continued

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Continued from page 8

Project Management for Business ResultsThe beta versions of Microsoft Project 2000

and its companion product, Microsoft ProjectCentral, are now available on CD. TheMicrosoft Project 2000 Beta CD also containsthe Product Enhancements Guide, a templatefor Microsoft Windows® deployment projects,and the Enterprise Planning Workbook forWindows 2000.

Visit the Microsoft Project 2000 Beta CDpage (http://www.microsoft.com/office/project/Beta2000/default.htm) for more informationon how to register and order the Beta CD.

What’s on the MS Project 2000 Beta CD:• Microsoft Project 2000 Beta offers

collaboration functionality, flexibleanalysis, new viewing features, andimproved performance to provide a totalproject management solution that cangrow with your organization. We’ve alsomade it easier for managers who don’thave extensive project managementexperience to begin using MicrosoftProject 2000 without expensive trainingor coursework.

• Microsoft Project Central, the newWeb-based companion product forMicrosoft Project 2000, helps teammembers provide input in projectplanning and tracking, and providessenior management with an easy way tolook at the status of multiple projectsunderway in their organization—allwithout having to become projectmanagement experts. Be sure to check outthe Microsoft Project Central white paper.

• Product Enhancements Guideprovides a comprehensive overview ofthe new collaboration, analysis, andviewing features included in both MicrosoftProject and Microsoft Project Central. TheProduct Enhancements Guide is alsoavailable for download.

Reprinted from http://www.microsoft.com/office/project/Beta2000/default.htm

This column will cover questions that haveappeared in the Microsoft Project SupportNewsgroup. It is being brought to The ProjectNetwork newsletter in an attempt to makeall users aware of the type of informationand support available through the MSPnetwork of users. The newsgroup is a placeon the Internet where people with questionsabout how to use Project can come and “post”their problems or issues and other people readthem and post answers or solutions. It is agreat interactive community working to helpeach other use Project better.

Brian Kennemer, the author of this column,has been and continues to be a wonderfulvolunteer contributor to MPUGlobal and toMicrosoft Project. Brian has been availablefor presentations in both the Mid-Atlantic andSoutheast Michigan Chapters for informativesessions on Microsoft Project 98 tips andtricks and has been available as a technicalsupport MPUG representative whenmembers have asked for help directly to us.

Brian is an MS Project MVP and ProgramManager for Pacific Edge Software.

Thank you Brian for all your continuedcontributions and all those to follow!!

ultimately, its duration. The name, hammock task,is derived from the way a hammock’s shape isdetermined by the distance between the points towhich it is attached.

As scheduled dates in other tasks change, theduration and start and/or finish dates of thehammock task change as well. In other words, giventhree tasks A, B, and C, task B must start on somedate from task A (date A) and task B must finish onsome date from task C (date C). For an illustrationof this task B, see Example 1.

Example 1—Hammock Task B

A | C |——B——|

The span of time between dates A and C dictatethe available time to accomplish task B. As Date Achanges, the start date for task B changes as well; ifdate C moves, task B must finish appropriately. Thedifference between dates A and C is the duration fortask B. See example 2.

Example 2—Date A Late, Date C Early

A

| C |—B—|

MORE INFORMATION

To build a hammock task between two othertasks, follow these steps:• Create or determine three tasks that correspond

to A, B, and C in the example above.• Highlight the cell that contains date A (the date

that will determine when task B starts).• On the Edit menu, click Copy (Cell).• Highlight the cell that contains the Start date

for task B (the hammock task).• On the Edit menu, click Paste Special, and click

Paste Link.• Highlight the cell that contains date C (the date

that will determine when task B finishes).• On the Edit menu, click Copy (Cell).• Click the cell that contains the Finish date for

task B (the hammock task).• Click Edit, click Paste Special, and click Paste

Link.

NOTES AND CAUTIONS

• Do not specify a predecessor for a hammocktask. Only Paste Linked dates will determinestart and finish. You may specify predecessors

for the tasks from which dates are paste linkedinto the hammock task.

• A negative duration (finish date is before start)is not allowed. Depending on the source of thedates, the hammock task may turn into amilestone (zero duration) or erroneouslycalculate duration before the finish date orafter the start date.

• An OLE update is different from a calculation.You may not see expected changes in thehammock task after calculating project. Fromthe Edit menu, click Links to edit/update OLElinks (Paste Links). Alternatively, press the F9function key twice.

• Because the hammock task relies on other tasksfor start/finish information, anything thataffects those other tasks (resource leveling,constraints) will ultimately affect thehammock tasks dates.

• If the hammock task is a child to a summarytask, it may inherit predecessor behavior fromthe summary task that may affect itsduration and/or start and finish dates orcreate a circular relationship.

Page 10 The Project Network

Feature Article—Dwight Was Right, But Is He Still?

Dwight Was Right, But Is He Still?President Dwight D. Eisenhower once said: “In preparing for

battle, I have always found that plans are useless, but planningis indispensable.”

I had to think about this statement for quite a while. Being a trainerwho helps people create plans, I had some difficulty admitting to thetruth of it. Eventually, I concluded that Dwight was right…

In the time in which Dwight Eisenhower lived (1890-1969), theproject plans only existed on paper. Paper plans are static andtherefore dead. They are a snapshot of the project and its vision of thefuture when the plan was written. At best, written plans are“history-books-written-ahead-of-time”. In his time Dwight was right.

In this age we still create project plans and we also print them. Butmore and more project management professionals realize that what wereally need is living models of our project. We need models that canpredict the future. We need models that allow us to develop scenarios. Weneed models that can easily be kept up-to-date and maintained. Themaintenance of the models needs to be so easy that when one thingchanges, we change one thing in the model and it is up-to-date. Whenwe are already very busy running the project, we should not have tospend much time on our schedules.

A schedule is a model of the project and a schedule should be adynamic model of the project. Only a dynamic model will help usmanage our project. Which requirements do we have for a schedule as adynamic model? Here is my list of requirements:1. The project model has to be alive.

As obvious as this requirement may seem, I have encountered manyplans that were shelved once they were made. The Gantt charthelped to get the contract and was never looked at again. A modelhas to be updated. If it is not updated, the model is dead. A scheduleor a budget that is not updated does not help you any longer tomanage your project.

2. The project model needs to be flexible and responsive.If you change one of the parameters of the model, the entire modelshould update itself and should show a new forecast of the projectcost and end date. This poses some requirements for a schedule:• The schedule has to have all its dependencies. Dependencies

link the tasks that affect each other. Nowadays, I reject projectschedules from planners that do not set the appropriatedependencies. I can’t be bothered any more with schedulesthat will die an early death.

• The project model needs to have as few schedule constraints aspossible! A schedule should update itself entirely when youenter the one thing that changed. If there are manyconstraints, you may have to revise the constraint dates. Themore constraints, the less dynamic our model is and the moremaintenance it needs.

3. The project model has to have predictive power.If a schedule has predictive power, it predicts the project end date

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and the final cost. It is nice to have a prediction that holds true in,let’s say, nine out of ten cases. This requires the model to useempirical data, that are translated into parameters and algorithmsthat provide the predictive power. An example of such analgorithm is the 15%-rule on Earned Value from Fleming andKoppelman1 . The 15%-rule states that if you are 15% into yourproject, you should be able to predict the final cost of your projectwithin a margin of plus or minus 10%.

4. The project model has to be accessible to decision-makersfor scenario development.This means that the plan has to be made available on-line. It alsomeans that the predictive features of the plan have to be madeaccessible to decision-makers. And it means as well that executivesshould proceed learning to use these business-intelligence tools.

With the advent of computers, we can now create plans that arealive and are kept alive. The project-plan-of-the-past is a writtendocument printed on paper. Let us start thinking of a project plan as anelectronic online database that contains current status data andprediction algorithms. This project-plan-of-the-future has a model ofyour project that is up-to-date and that allows you to make predictionsto forecast the final numbers on the project at any time during the life ofthe project.

The project-plan-of-the-future is such a powerful tool for projectmanagers that, if Dwight were still alive, he would likely say: “Inpreparing for the global marketplace, I have found that planning isindispensable and that on-line plans are the critical success factor.”

Eric Uyttewaal, PMPDirector of MS Project CertificationInternational Institute for Learning, Inc.(613) 692-7778www.iil.com

1 See their book “Earned Value – Project Management”, PMI, 1996

No battle wasever won according

to plan,but no battle was won

without a plan.

Dwight Eisenhower

Volume 4, Issue 2—2000 Page 11

Feature Article—Cost Rate Tables

You can define up to five different Cost Rate Tables, labeledA through E, for each resource in the Resource InformationCost tab. When a resource is assigned to a task, rate table A isused by default. To change which rate table is used for aspecific assignment, do either of the following:• Insert the Cost Rate Table column in a table in a Usage

view and use the cell dropdown to choose a rate table forthe assignment.

• Display the Assignment Information for an assignment bydouble-clicking the assignment record in a Usage view, orby clicking Assignment Information on the Project menuor the assignment shortcut menu. Then select a rate tablefrom the Cost Rate Table dropdown at the bottom of theAssignment Information dialog General tab.The picture here shows the result of double-clicking an

assignment record in the Task Usage view. The picture showsthe Cost Rate Table column as well.

Double-clicking assignment in Task Usage displays theAssignment Information dialog...

Note that when you double-click a resource name in an assignment record in a TaskUsage view, it displays the Assignment Information dialog. If you double-click a resourcename in the Resource Sheet, it displays the Resource Information dialog.

Specifying a Cost Rate Table for an Assignment from the MS Project Support Course, 1998

Page 12 The Project Network

General Information—Book List for Microsoft Project 2000

A Book List for MS Project 2000 from Diane Talmadge, MicrosoftFYI—a book list for all the reading you do in your spare time . It is very interesting to see that so many books are already lined up...

(Source: http://www.amazon.com)

1 Complete Idiot’s Guide to Project Management with Microsoft Project 2000Ron Black, Reich Gardner / Paperback / Published 2000 Amazon Price: $18.95 (Not Yet Published)

2 Effective Executive’s Guide to Project 2000 :The Eight Steps for Using Microsoft Project 2000 to Organize, Manage and Finish Critically Important ProjectsStephen L. Nelson, et al / Paperback / Published 2000 Amazon Price: $19.96

3 Managing with Microsoft Project 2000Lisa A. Bucki / Paperback / Published 2000 Amazon Price: $33.99

4 Mastering Microsoft Project 2000Gini Courter, Annette Marquis / Paperback / Published 2000 Amazon Price: $27.99

5 Microsoft Project 2000 BibleElaine Marmel / Paperback / Published 2000 Amazon Price: $31.99

6 Microsoft Project 2000 for DummiesMartin Doucette / Paperback / Published 2000 Amazon Price: $19.99

7 Microsoft Project 2000 for Dummies Quick ReferenceNancy Stevenson / Paperback / Published 2000 Amazon Price: $11.04 (Not Yet Published—On Order)

8 Microsoft Project 2000 Introductory Concepts and Techniques :Thomas J. Cashman, Paula Velluto, Gary B. Shelly / Hardcover / Published 2000 Amazon Price: $22.95 (Not Yet Published)

9 Microsoft Project 2000 Step by StepCarl S. Chatfield, Timothy D. Johnson / Paperback / Published 2000 Amazon Price: $23.99 (Not Yet Published—On Order)

10 New Perspectives on Microsoft Project 2000 (New Perspectives Series)Rachel Biheller Bunin, Lisa Friedrichsen / Paperback / Published 2000 Amazon Price: $30.95 (Not Yet Published)

11 Sams Teach Yourself Microsoft Project 2000 in 24 Hours (Teach Yourself—24 Hours)Tim Pyron / Paperback / Published 2000 Amazon Price: $24.99 (Not Yet Published)

12 Special Edition Using Microsoft Project 2000 (SE Using)Tim Pyron / Hardcover / Published 2000 Amazon Price: $31.99 (Not Yet Published—On Order)

13 Teach Yourself Microsoft Project 2000Vickey L. Quinn / Paperback / Published 2000 Amazon Price: $16.99

NOTE: INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTYREPRESENTATION OR CONDITION OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUTNOT LIMITED TO CONDITIONS OR OTHER TERMS OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR APARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE USER ASSUMES THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE ACCURACY AND THE USEOF THIS DOCUMENT.

Volume 4, Issue 2—2000 Page 13

MPUG Meetings—Perspectives from the Chapters

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SE Louisiana Inaugural Attendees Travel Far

The Southeast Louisiana (SELA) Chapter of the Microsoft ProjectUsers Group (MPUG) held its inaugural meeting in New Orleans, onMarch 16, 2000. The meeting attracted about 100 attendees from all ofSELA, with some attendees traveling from as far away as Lafayetteand Baton Rouge! Enthusiastic interest was readily apparent fromthe participants.

Christine Buonocore, of MPUGlobal, presented the benefits ofMPUG to the group. She highlighted the purpose of MPUG along withthe goals of the organization. MPUG currently has 11 existingchapters, with ten more chapters to be chartered soon.

All attending the meeting enjoyed the keynote address provided byJeff Spencer, of Genisys, Inc., from Dallas, Texas. Jeff presented “What’sNew with MS Project 2000”. Everyone was curious as to what the newrelease would offer, and the details he provided elicited very positiveresponses from our experienced attendees.

We owe a warm, southern “Thanks” to Jeff, and to MicrosoftCorporation for sponsoring his attendance at our inaugural meeting.Also, more thanks to MPUGlobal for sending Christine as theirambassador to our meeting.

We also want to thank the Louisiana TechnicalCouncil for providing our meeting space, and fornotifying its members. The multiple announcements byThe Louisiana Technical Journal in their Internetpublished newsletters were crucial to notifying others inthe area, and is greatly appreciated.

Thank you to the GNO chapter of PMI for includingour meeting announcement in its newsletter.

Also, thanks go to PMCC and PMM, the localcorporate sponsors, for providing the legwork and hoursto put the details of the meeting together.

With such a great attendance for the first meeting,the SELA Chapter is on its way to being a strong presencein the MPUG community.

The next meeting is tentatively scheduled forThursday, July 27th, 2000, with details currently being confirmed.

For more information, contact either:Laura Williams, PMP, President –SELA MPUG Chapter, at504-288-8150,lwilliams@p-m-m.com, orRichard Marcotte, Vice President –SELA MPUG Chapter, at225-346-3920,rmarc90@entergy.com, or throughPMCC, Inc., via 504-641-0477, andsstuart@pmcctech.com

Come join us and help put SELA on the MPUGlobal map!

Joseph Grace, President,Louisiana Technology Council

Laura Williams, President,SE Louisiana ChapterOpening Remarks at Launch

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Houston Demonstrates Management ReportingMethodology with Real Life Examples

The Houston Chapter had its second official meeting on February 17th

and the attendance was great. Based on the evaluations and commentsfrom the attendees, everyone enjoyed Chuck Brom’s presentation. Chuckdemonstrated how he and his staff at Raytheon Services Corporation havedeveloped Management Reports from very detailed schedules in MicrosoftProject 98.

Attendees stated that it was very helpful to see real life examples of howan organization handles its scheduling and reporting requirements. Also,attendees commented on how much they are appreciating theopportunity to learn about features and functionality available inMicrosoft Project, that they had no idea was available out of the box. Theenvironment of these meetings provides for the free flow of questions,answers and general discussion that provides access to information youcould never get in a training class.

Microsoft has successfully developed a scheduling tool that is relativelyeasy to use out of the box, but it also offers powerful features many users are

not aware of, especially the upcoming release of Project 2000. And bythe way, Project 2000 is really going to be cool. At Genisys, we arecurrently working with the release candidate and it is great. Thescheduling community is gong to love this product.

To get a first hand look, don’t miss our next meeting which isscheduled for May 18

th. Microsoft Guru, Jeff Spencer has been out on

the road demonstrating Project 2000 for Microsoft to some of theirbiggest customers. The response has been terrific. Jeff will be here inHouston on the 18th with an update on the release and he is going todemonstrate the accompaning product release, Project Central.

This meeting will be hosted by Microsoft at their brand new officeslocated at Briar Lake Plaza, 2000 W. Sam Houston Parkway South,Suite 350, Houston, Texas 77042. Microsoft will be open at this newlocation on May 1. And in spite of the fact that they will probably still

be unloading boxes, Adam Reed at Microsoft said they wereanxious to host our next meeting and encouraged us to usetheir new facility. Thanks Adam and Microsoft!

Don’t miss the opportunity to get this new information and enjoy thediscussions. To RSVP, contact Gary Smith by e-mail atgary_smith@genisystems.com or by phone at (281) 820-0200.

Article submitted by Gary Smith

SE Louisiana Audience at their Inaugural Meeting March 16, 2000

Continued on page 14

Page 14 The Project Network

MPUG Meetings—Perspectives from the Chapters, Continued

Continued from page 13○

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Western NY Communicates

The Western New York Chapter of MPUG launched the evening ofJanuary 24 with a demonstration of Microsoft’s Project 2000 Beta. Overeighty people, from Buffalo to Syracuse, attended the inauguralmeeting. The evening started with networking and plenty of food.

Chapter President Ken Jamison started the meeting by introducingthe evening’s speakers, Christine Buonocore of MPUGlobal and JimFong of Microsoft; and the local chapter sponsors, Keith Partington ofMicrosoft, Earl Shepherd of Project Solutions of Rochester and ScottShoemaker of Lionsgait Solutions. The first presentation by ChristineBuonocore, MPUGlobal’s Director of Chapter Relations, coveredMPUGlobal’s history and operations. Next, Jim Fong, MS ProjectProduct Manager, presented an overview of Project 2000 and ProjectCentral. He announced Microsoft’s planned release date is thebeginning of April. Following questions, Jim also gave a presentationon Microsoft’s developing knowledge management system, Ignite.After all presentations, attendees’ feedback forms were used to draw fora copy of Project 98 (with an upgrade to 2000 when released) andProject 2000 T-shirts. Thanks to MPUGlobal and Microsoft for theprizes. A copy of the evening’s presentation is in the members’ section ofthe MPUG Web site (www.mpug.org). Reaction to the meeting wasvery positive and we look forward to the next meeting this spring.

The 100 beta copies of Project 2000 that Jim had sent to Microsoft’sRochester office did not arrive in time to distribute at the meeting asplanned. However, the next week they were distributed to all those inattendance who expressed an interest. Thanks again to Maureen Palmerand Project Solutions for the extra effort.

More and more, we need to communicate project information toan ever-widening range of stakeholders. Our next meeting, tentativelyscheduled for April 24, will cover reporting MS Project (98 & 2000)data using the Web. There are numerous ways to extract MS Projectdata and publish reports to a variety of user types. This presentation, byJohn Pagan of Project Solutions, focuses on an efficient way to deliverviewed and printed reports that require only a Web browser. John willdemonstrate reporting of multiple projects at all levels, includingcustomers, individual team members, project managers, companymanagement, vendors, contractors, and the general public. Access tothe right information by the right person pertains to any version ofMS Project and is a universal issue for nearly everyone in projectmanagement today.

As with any user group, our ability to deliver interesting, useful andhigh quality meetings is directly dependent on the participation of themembership. We need your contributions of ideas and assistance. Ifyou are interested in hosting a meeting or participating as a chapterofficer or a guest presenter, or would like to express your ideas orconcerns, please contact Ken Jamison at kjamiso1@rochester.rr.com

Article submitted by Ken Jamison

SE Michigan Unveils MS Project 2000

Our second meeting brought a bigger crowd than last time! Nearly100 members and soon-to-be members joined us for this event at theMicrosoft office in Southfield. Our new officers (Katie Clark, Alex Zayachkov,Ilko Stoev and Mark Lawrence) were invaluable in preparing for thisevent. Jeff Spencer, Vice President of Genisys Information Systems based inHouston, TX, traveled again to Michigan to unveil MS Project 2000 withhis insider knowledge as a member of the development team.

The feedback from Jeff ’spresentation was wonderful. Commentsincluded: “the speaker wasoutstanding” and “this past MPUG

meeting was my very first and I couldn’t have been more impressed.”But enough with the congratulations… Jeff spent a great deal of thepresentation showing us the new features that will be available on MSProject 2000 as well as giving away software and shirts for the mostvaluable questions of the evening. After your feedback from the lastmeeting, we decided that Jeff could hold a meeting by himself; indeed, hewas up to the challenge, presenting the new material resources, theenhanced reliability of that tool and the increased possibilities forimproving the team productivity.

Team Productivity—these two words lead us to the topic for the nextmeeting. On June 2, the main topic will be applied examples of ProjectCentral, the companion software of Project 2000. We are still working onthe location for our next event. Our chief goal is to schedule a centrallocation with enough space to accommodate such a large crowd. The SEMichigan MPUG officers are dedicated to making each meeting betterthan the last one. Our challenge is ahead of us, and I encourage you to getinvolved. We had a good response to our two first meetings, but there isalways room for more people to help us. At the same time, I want to thankour two sponsors, Program Planning Professionals and Microsoft, whohelped us with everything from marketing the meeting to hosting theevent.

Article submitted by Alban de Bergevin

Microsoft Project 2000 Technology GuaranteeIf you acquire Microsoft Project 98 between November 1, 1999, and April 30, 2000,you can upgrade Microsoft Project 98 to Microsoft Project 2000 for the cost ofshipping and handling (approximately $5.00 US/$7.50 CAN), plus applicable tax.Your Technology Guarantee request must be received no later thanMay 31, 2000.

To take advantage of this special offer:

1. Acquire Microsoft Project 98 between November 1,

1999 and April 30, 2000.

2. Download the MS Project 2000 Technology Guarantee

coupon, print it, and fill out the requested information.

3. Mail in the completed coupon, your proof of purchase, and the cost of

shipping and handling and applicable sales tax (see coupon for amounts).

Volume 4, Issue 2—2000 Page 15

MSP 98 Feature Article—Prorating Fixed Cost

In Microsoft Project 98, the Fixed Cost can be prorated overthe task Duration. Fixed Cost is prorated by default rather than byaccruing at the End.

Default Fixed Cost AccrualYou can change the default Fixed Cost accrual on a per-project

basis. The Default fixed costs accrual setting in the Tools OptionsCalculation tab allows you to set the default Fixed Cost accrual for allnew tasks in the project, and the Set as Default button changes thedefault setting for new projects.

New setting in Tools Options Calculation tab...

The field has three values: Start, Prorated and End. The defaultvalue is prorated after Microsoft Project is installed. When you changethe value, all new tasks created after the setting is changed have theirFixed Cost accrual property set to the default value.

Fixed Cost Accrual Setting for Individual TasksThe task Fixed Cost Accrual field allows you to set the Fixed Cost

accrual for each task independently. This field is in the default taskCost table.

From the default task Cost table...

Accrual Choices• Start: The entire Fixed Cost is allocated at the beginning (first

minute) of the task. It is added to the Actual Cost as soon as thereis an Actual Start date.

• End: The entire Fixed Cost is allocated at the end (last minute) ofthe task. It is added to the Actual Cost as soon as there is an ActualFinish date.

• Prorated: The Fixed Cost is uniformly allocated over all projectcalendar working days within the task, including over split taskgaps, and regardless of resource calendars.These settings also affect the way the task timephased Fixed Cost

is distributed in the Task Usage view.

ExampleThis example illustrates how timephased Fixed Cost is distributed

for the different accrual types. In each of the pictures, the Gantt Chart

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Prorating Fixed Cost from MS Project Support Course, 1998view is in the top pane, and the Task Usage view is in the bottom pane,formatted to show timephased Fixed Cost.

The task has a split gap on Thu, and is not scheduled on the projectcalendar nonworking days Sat and Sun. Note that the Fixed Cost in theprorated example includes the split gap in the calculation, spreading the$10 over four days instead of the 3d task Duration.

Prorated Fixed Cost Contribution to Actual CostThere is no separate Actual Fixed Cost field.When Fixed Cost is prorated, the % Complete of each task is used to

calculate the portion of Fixed Cost to be added to Actual Cost for the task.Actual Fixed Cost = Total Fixed Cost * % Complete

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Tip: Format timescaled portions of the Resource Usageview and Task Usage view to display other work values byselecting the Format menu and clicking on Details. Otherpre-formatted values will then be displayed.

Page 16 The Project Network

Feature Article—Tracking Changes

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Just for Fun!“Name that Decade”

This historic gem is reprinted from the AnnArbor Huron Towers, January 2000 Newsletter.Be sure to check your answers against those on

the Web site www.mpug.org in “Members Only, Check it Out.”

Choose the decade in which the following events occurred:

• President Dwight D. Eisenhower is in office.• People are listening to bubblegum rock and Elvis Presley.• The U.S.S.R. launches Sputnik 1.• Telephone booth cramming is popular on college campuses.• The Korean War is being fought.

1) the 1940s 2) the 1950s 3) the 1960s

• Franklin Delano Roosevelt is President.• John Wayne and Greta Garbo are starring in box office hits.• The country is in the midst of the Great Depression.• People are dancing the Jitterbug, and some are even swallowing goldfish.• Slightly more than half of the population owns a car.

1) the 1920s 2) the 1930s 3) the 1950s

• The Watergate scandal leads President Nixon to resign.• “The Waltons” is a popular television series.• Pet rocks are the current fad.• The first “Star Wars” movie opens.• The speed limit is reduced and there are long lines waiting for gas.

1) the 1960s 2) the 1970s 3) the 1980s

• Pearl Harbor is attacked.• Glenn Miller and the Andrew Sisters are singing war songs on the radio.• “Casablanca” is playing at the movies.• The Hula Hoop is a raging fad.• The first McDonald’s opens.

1) the 1930s 2) the 1940s 3) the 1950s

• President John F. Kennedy is assassinated.• The Vietnam War begins.• Bell bottom pants and psychedelic colors are popular.• “Doctor Zhivago” and “The Sound of Music” are favorite films.• The Civil Rights Act is signed into law.

1) the 1950s 2) the 1960s 3) the 1970s

From the Editors

Changing the Task Actual StartIf you change the Actual Start date of a task, any existing

timephased % Complete values move relative to the new taskActual Start date.

Changing the “...Spread to the Status date” settingIf you change the Edits to total task % complete will be

spread to the status date setting after you start tracking,previously entered values will be preserved. However when younext update a task total % Complete value, the rules associatedwith the new state of the setting are applied.

Changing Duration After Entering % Complete ValuesIf you edit the Duration of a task, the task total % Complete

values changes. If there are no assignments, then it’s a simpleinverse relationship. For example, double the Duration andthe % Complete is cut in half. If assignments are involved, it’sstill a simple inverse relationship if you increase the Duration,but if you reduce the Duration, some Actual Work mightbe truncated.

Changing the task Duration also effects timephased %Complete. The result depends on whether you edit thetimephased % Complete values or if they are calculated fromedits to task total % Complete. When you edit the timephased %Complete, Microsoft Project remembers the location of the lastedits. Microsoft Project tries to distribute changes to task total %Complete over the period from the last timephased edits to thenew Stop date (or Status date if the Edits to total task %complete will be spread to the status date setting is selected).

ExampleThis example illustrates how the effects caused by changing

task Duration depend on whether timephased % Complete isedited or not. The Edits to total task % complete will be spreadto the status date setting is not selected in this example.

Both cases start with the following Gantt Chart over TaskUsage, with the Task Usage details formatted to displaytimephased % Complete. In this simple example, there are noassignments.

Volume 4, Issue 2—2000 Page 17

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Our portfolio of Microsoft Project offerings includes:� Open enrollment and on-site training that integrates Project Management best practices, such as PMBOK, with the

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Page 18 The Project Network

Web Messaging in MS Project 98Microsoft Project 98 lets you specify the Web as the messaging transport for your resources, either as the default transport or on

a resource-by-resource basis.In order to do so, there must be a Web server on your intranet, there must be read/write access to a share on the Web server, the

Web server must have Execute permissions set to on, and the resource needs to have a Web browser.

To set up the default messaging transport for your project workgroup:1 On the tools menu, click Options.2 On the Workgroup tab of the Options dialog box, select Web or Email and Web as your Default

workgroup messaging for resources.3 Enter the Web Server URL in the appropriate box and the Web Server UNC path as the Web

Server root.4 Select any other options (such as hyperlink color and whether or not to send hyperlinks in

Email notes), then click OK. At this point, all necessary files (including Mspjhttp.exe, theWebgroup executable) are copied to the Web server share location given in the UNC path.

5 The resource now should type the address to the Web server share in the browser (the URLentered in step 3, above) and append the name of the Webgroup executable (Msphttp.exe).This will enable your resources to logon in order to communicate with the project manager.

To change messaging transport protocol on a resource-by-resource basis, simply changeWorkgroup specification on the General tab of the Resource Information dialog.

Feature Article—Web Messaging in MS Project 98

Volume 4, Issue 2—2000 Page 19

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(Please print in the space provided.)

YES! Please enroll me/my company in the Microsoft Project Users Group for one year.

Name of Member/Company Contact: _____________________________________________________

Job Title: ___________________________ Nature/Type of Business: _________________________

Company Name & Address: ____________________________________________________________

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I enclose a check* for (circle one) Individual, Student, or Corporate Membership as stated on this application.

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I received a letter of invitation and understand I will be billed for dues on the date indicated in the letter.

No thanks. I don’t wish to become a member at this time and prefer not to receive further communications from MPUG.

Mail or fax to:Microsoft Project Users Group, 3923 Ranchero Dr., Ann Arbor, MI 48108