Customization is the best, when its is done by experts !
For each job we execute (200-300 ongoing), we produce a weekly report containing the following:
1) Progress summary with key issues & risks
2) Detailed tabular report
3) S-curve (site, shope, overall)-(Planned , actual, forecast)
4) Manhour histogram (site, shope, overall)-(Planned , actual, forecast)
5) Productivity report , curves (Weekly & overall)
6) Updated schedule (baseline , actual)
We start our update on Saturday and finish it by Monday morning.(We have Friday holiday)
This wont be possible , if we dont have the software solution !
Yes buddy , new age planners need to have the edge of s/w expertise too apart from mugging PMBOK !
Hi All!
The P3 V/s MSP debate will go on for ever !
I see MSP as a bar charting software only.
It may be offering facility to enter resource , cost ..etc
But using those feature in our projects will be like Fitting elephant into bottle because we have got a bottle with us !
But Primavera enterprice V5 /V6 is complete project management package rather than a scheduling software. It is highly customizable and with add on tools like chart maker , it stands out as the prettiest babe in town !
How ever , medium enterprises cant afford maintaining such high end data and tools. P3E V5 is almost an ERP by itself.
When there are more and more features , data entry and maintenance increases. This will force people to compromise, assume and skip data , which will inturn kill the original intention of the additional feature.
I have achieved great success in oil/gas/petrochemical projects (dur <6 months) using a combination of MS project and a custom made progress/manhour/productivity tracker.
We have more than 300 small / medium scale projects running simultaneously and some of the jobs include shop fabrication & site erection.
The tracker uses the programming and formula features of excel extensively and leverage on the excellent charting and graphical capabilities of excel.
All of our clients (TOTAL , MAESRK OIL ..ect)like these reports very much since it just give them what they want.. and not just adjusting to the features given by MSP / P3.
I have got repeated appreciation from clients that , this tracker gives "Most realistic" progress reporting.
I have standardized the template , and now all my subordinates are experts in creating such trackers for our projects.
The tracker stores activities exactly as shown in the MSP schedule. Planned % for each activities & sub groups are shown against each week, when ever an activity records 100% completion , the corresponding week is entered in the "actual completion column.
We are able to enter weightings for each activities based on estimated manhour (effort) and s-curves are generated on the fly!
since the weightings are based on manhours , its very easy for us to calculate productivity on a weekly basis and plot the trend on a graph.
Certain activities are linked with a sub tracker , which provides facility to enter "step-by-step" progress.
I can send screen shots of the tracker , to those who are interested.
E-mail me at : sreejith.gce@gmail.com
Regards,
Sreejith Nair
Manager-Planning
MG WLL
{I am a mechanical engineer by education and writes professional quality software apart from my usual job as a planning manager for an Oil & Gas contracting firm}
I think it is possible to show graphs for all resources.
You need resource sheet open in the top pane and resource graph in the bottom.
You need to alter bar properties to show bar for selected resources and dont show for resource. Then select resouces as required in the resource sheet and the graph shows work for the selected resources.
When you use the Resource Graph view you get to see the Work or Cumulative Work for all of the resources one at a time.
For a graph (histogram) of the Work or a graph of Cumulative Work for all Resources, or a selected set of Resources, use the Analyse Timescaled Data In Excel Button on the Analysis Toolbar. Just make sure you are in the Resource Sheet View and select the Resources before you run the wizard, then when it asks if you want the entire project or just the selected resources, click on just the selected resources.
Jon,
it is not possible to have a resource graph showing all resources at the same time in MS Project
resource graph only displays one resource, that you can scroll thru the whole project, at a time
Alexandre
RE: HISTOGRAMS
Yep,
Brad ,but it was good idea , isnt it?
Customization is the best, when its is done by experts !
For each job we execute (200-300 ongoing), we produce a weekly report containing the following:
1) Progress summary with key issues & risks
2) Detailed tabular report
3) S-curve (site, shope, overall)-(Planned , actual, forecast)
4) Manhour histogram (site, shope, overall)-(Planned , actual, forecast)
5) Productivity report , curves (Weekly & overall)
6) Updated schedule (baseline , actual)
We start our update on Saturday and finish it by Monday morning.(We have Friday holiday)
This wont be possible , if we dont have the software solution !
Yes buddy , new age planners need to have the edge of s/w expertise too apart from mugging PMBOK !
Cheers !
RE: HISTOGRAMS
Hi All!
The P3 V/s MSP debate will go on for ever !
I see MSP as a bar charting software only.
It may be offering facility to enter resource , cost ..etc
But using those feature in our projects will be like Fitting elephant into bottle because we have got a bottle with us !
But Primavera enterprice V5 /V6 is complete project management package rather than a scheduling software. It is highly customizable and with add on tools like chart maker , it stands out as the prettiest babe in town !
How ever , medium enterprises cant afford maintaining such high end data and tools. P3E V5 is almost an ERP by itself.
When there are more and more features , data entry and maintenance increases. This will force people to compromise, assume and skip data , which will inturn kill the original intention of the additional feature.
I have achieved great success in oil/gas/petrochemical projects (dur <6 months) using a combination of MS project and a custom made progress/manhour/productivity tracker.
We have more than 300 small / medium scale projects running simultaneously and some of the jobs include shop fabrication & site erection.
The tracker uses the programming and formula features of excel extensively and leverage on the excellent charting and graphical capabilities of excel.
All of our clients (TOTAL , MAESRK OIL ..ect)like these reports very much since it just give them what they want.. and not just adjusting to the features given by MSP / P3.
I have got repeated appreciation from clients that , this tracker gives "Most realistic" progress reporting.
I have standardized the template , and now all my subordinates are experts in creating such trackers for our projects.
The tracker stores activities exactly as shown in the MSP schedule. Planned % for each activities & sub groups are shown against each week, when ever an activity records 100% completion , the corresponding week is entered in the "actual completion column.
We are able to enter weightings for each activities based on estimated manhour (effort) and s-curves are generated on the fly!
since the weightings are based on manhours , its very easy for us to calculate productivity on a weekly basis and plot the trend on a graph.
Certain activities are linked with a sub tracker , which provides facility to enter "step-by-step" progress.
I can send screen shots of the tracker , to those who are interested.
E-mail me at : sreejith.gce@gmail.com
Regards,
Sreejith Nair
Manager-Planning
MG WLL
{I am a mechanical engineer by education and writes professional quality software apart from my usual job as a planning manager for an Oil & Gas contracting firm}
RE: HISTOGRAMS
Brad
I almost thought you were with us no go MSP folk
But then you spoilt it by mentioning Primavera
Oh Dear
Raf
PS Why dont you try X-Pert for Windows from www.microplanning.co.uk
Raf
RE: HISTOGRAMS
Guys,
I think it is possible to show graphs for all resources.
You need resource sheet open in the top pane and resource graph in the bottom.
You need to alter bar properties to show bar for selected resources and dont show for resource. Then select resouces as required in the resource sheet and the graph shows work for the selected resources.
RE: HISTOGRAMS
This is not a work-around. Its how it should be done. Have you tried it?
RE: HISTOGRAMS
When you use the Resource Graph view you get to see the Work or Cumulative Work for all of the resources one at a time.
For a graph (histogram) of the Work or a graph of Cumulative Work for all Resources, or a selected set of Resources, use the Analyse Timescaled Data In Excel Button on the Analysis Toolbar. Just make sure you are in the Resource Sheet View and select the Resources before you run the wizard, then when it asks if you want the entire project or just the selected resources, click on just the selected resources.
RE: HISTOGRAMS
Jon,
it is not possible to have a resource graph showing all resources at the same time in MS Project
resource graph only displays one resource, that you can scroll thru the whole project, at a time
Alexandre
RE: HISTOGRAMS
Brad Lord = LEGEND!!!