1. Integrating Data From Multiple Schedules
Michelle Colodzin, PMP, PMI-SP
Sr. Project Manager
MetaVista Consulting Group
June 5, 2012
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

2. When Would You Integrate Data from Multiple Schedules?
MetaVista Consulting Group
May 12, 2018
When Would You Integrate Data from Multiple Schedules?
On projects that have multiple teams and/or depend on work from external organizations
Each group should have its own schedule to manage its own work
This can be in the form of an Excel file, MS Project file, other scheduling tool file, Word doc, etc...
In this case, PMs need to have a master schedule in order to have an overview of all the project’s activities
This master schedule should be made up of key information from all of the detailed schedules
It should include key tasks as well as milestones
It should contain only the details that effect overall project performance
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum -Meeting - June 5, 2012

3. What Type of Information Should Go Into the Master Schedule?
Discussion
What Type of Information Should Go Into the Master Schedule?
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

4. What Type of Information Should Go Into the Master Schedule?
Deliverables
Any deliverable listed in a contract, project charter or scope statement
Any work product that contributes to the completion of a deliverable
Any ‘hand-off’ point
Between teams, vendors, external organizations
Both when the project provides as well as when it receives information, deliverables, etc. from external sources
Tasks/deliverables that depend on specific, scarce, resources (people, equipment, etc.)
All information that will be required in reports, particularly to executives and key stakeholders
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

5. What Type of Information Should Go Into the Master Schedule?
In short:
All information a PM needs to manage the project – but not so much that it becomes unmanageable
No two master schedules will contain exactly the same information
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

6. Key Elements for Maintaining the Master Schedule
Control over the information coming in to preserve data integrity and ensure reporting capability
A repeatable, well-defined and documented task status update process that defines:
Who submits updates and when
Specific data to be provided
Format for submitting data
Excel, MS Project, Word, etc.
How data from other schedules/plans relates to the master schedule
I.e., how do you know where the data goes?
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

7. Manual vs. Automatic Updates
The master schedule can be updated in the following ways:
Manually
Automatically via dynamic linking
A combination of the two
Each method has its own challenges and benefits vs.
The ideal method for a particular project will depend on:
The maturity of the organization
Availability of a common network or system
Skill level of those responsible for maintaining master and detailed schedules
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

8. Pros and Cons of Manual Updates
Maintain full control of what is in the master schedule
Can be used in any environment
Provides flexibility in the tools used for detailed schedules
Allows for very detailed individual schedules
Cons
Requires more time to manage and update
Requires closer control over what is in the detailed schedules
Particularly when new hand-off points are created
Need to ensure detailed schedule structure is aligned with the master schedule
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

9. Pros and Cons Dynamic Linking
Less work to update the master schedule (done primarily through detailed schedule updates)
Master schedule is always showing current information
Resource assignments are always current
Cons
Requires use of the same tool (e.g., MS Project, etc.) and network
Less control over what is in the master schedule
data may not have been validated; resources may be overloaded
Will pull in everything in detailed schedules
Requires strong coordination across groups and external organizations
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

10. MANUALLY UPDATING THE MASTER SCHEDULE
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

11. How do I Know What and Where the Data Goes in the Master Schedule???
There are two parts to managing a manual schedule update process:
Knowing what data to pull from the detailed schedules
Knowing where it goes in the master schedule
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

12. Knowing What To Pull and Where to Put It
Develop a template or sample crosswalk that detailed schedule owners can use to build their schedules that includes:
The structure their schedule should follow (WBS)
An easy way to identify the information that goes into the master schedule
An easy way to add details above and beyond what goes into the master schedule
Templates / samples can be in one or more of the following formats:
MS Project (.mpp or .mpt) files
MS Excel
MS Word
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

13. Sample MS Project Template
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

14. Sample Crosswalk using MS Excel
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

15. Sample Crosswalk using MS Word
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

16. MetaVista Consulting Group
May 12, 2018
What About Resources?
With manual updates, resources can be managed in one of two ways:
Using a shared resource pool
Updating manually
Sharing Resources
Can be done only if all detailed schedules are developed and maintained using MS Project
All detailed schedules must connect to the shared resource pool
Detailed schedules should not have local resources (unless they are external to the project)
Updating Manually
Recommend assigning team instead of individual resources
Must include resource data when submitting updates
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

17. AUTOMATICALLY UPDATING THE MASTER SCHEDULE
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

18. Setting Up An MS Project Master Schedule
Setting the Stage -
For this presentation, the following is assumed to be complete:
The detailed schedules have been built
Resources have been identified
Resources have not yet been assigned
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

19. Building the Master Schedule
Build a resource pool
The master and detailed schedules must use the same resources from the same resource pool
Connect the resource pool to the master .mpp file and detailed files
Use the INSERT menu to insert each detailed schedule into the master
Click on PROJECT
Navigate to the .mpp file you want to add
Ensure the “Link to Project” box is checked
Click INSERT
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

20. Build the Resource Pool
To build the resource pool:
Open a new .mpp file
Go to the Resource Sheet View
Enter resources
Save the file
A few things to keep in mind:
Only resource information should be in this file (no tasks)
Think about how you’re going to want to report on resources
This will drive the resource data you enter
You can use custom resource fields to add data such as the team a resource is on, expertise, organization or group each resource reports to, etc.
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

21. Example of a Resource Pool
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

22. Connect to the Resource Pool
Open the detailed file (MS Project refers to this as a “sharer” file)
From the Tools Menu select Resource Sharing
Under Resource Sharing select Share Resources
In the Share Resources dialog box
Make sure the “Use resources” and “Pool takes precedence” radio buttons are selected
From the drop-down list below “Use resources” select the resource pool file name and click OK
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

23. Connect the Master and Detailed Schedules to the Resource Pool
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

24. Connect the Master and Detailed Schedules to the Resource Pool
Select the name of
the resource pool
file from the drop-down
list
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

25. Insert the Sharer Files Into the Master
Open the master schedule
MS Project will prompt you to open the resource pool
Recommend opening the resource pool as read only for this process
From the Insert menu, select Project
Navigate to the first sharer file
Select the file
Make sure the “Link to Project” box is checked
Click Insert
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

26. Insert the Sharer Files Into the Master
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

27. Insert the Sharer Files Into the Master
Be sure the “Link to Project”
box is checked
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

28. Master Schedule Before Insert
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

29. Master Schedule After Insert
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

30. Working with Linked Master and Sharer Files
Changes made to a sharer file will be automatically reflected in the master schedule
Changes made to the master schedule will be reflected in the sharer files
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

31. PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012
QUESTIONS??
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012

32. Don’t hesitate to contact me with questions or for further information
THANK YOU!
Don’t hesitate to contact me with questions or for further information
Contact Information:
Michelle Colodzin, PMP, PMI-SP
Phone:
PMI-SVC Scheduling Forum Meeting - June 5, 2012