project codes

Hi.



PROJECT CODES: - allow you to categorize projects in a project group. 10 categories (no more, no less). Unlimited project codes values.



This was developed because sometimes, all activities in a member project have the same activity code value and it would be tedious to assign the same value to all these activities. The shortcut then would be to assign Project Codes.



For example: Project Manager - usually, there’s just 1 project manager per project. So you would use Project Codes here.



Best,



Jorge

Hi, charles.



I’m aware of the nature and purpose of the WBS, which you stated clearly: describing project scope to a proper level of detail.

What i’m trying to say is that I can "simulate" a WBS using activity codes, and this in my opinion works better, because it gives me the flexibility to sort activities in different ways to get a better view of the logic i’m defining, without having to switch between codes and WBS.

What I’m talking about is a choice of tools in a program, not a choice of concepts.



Going back to the original subject which we missunderstood, project groups is a very interesting and powerful tool. One of it’s features I like better is that you can see each subproject’s critical path on it`s own, or the whole project’s critical path. This is useful to avoid missing each subproject’s priorities and goals.

Hi Ernesto,



WBS is the basic in project management as oppose to Activity code. Activity code give you flexibility but remember you are only grouping related activities in Activity codes.



A lot of people got confuse in using activity code and WBS. IMHO, I always use WBS before going to Activity Code.



If you are a reader of project management books, seldom you will encounter Activity Code, instead you will encounter WBS. Why is this so? IMHO, the fundamental of project management is to know your PROJECT SCOPE OF WORK. Having known your Project Scope of Work, you will be intimidated on the very HUGE HUGE Project Scope of Work. So, how are you going to manage your HUGE, HUGE Project Scope of Work.



The answer: WBS - Work Breakdown Structure. To manage this HUGE HUGE Project Scope of Work, break it into the lowest level of detail that you can manage the activities.



The above is not realistic if you are constructing a dog house 2ft x 2 ft, or you are involve as a wedding planner.



On the other hand my opinion is valid only to say Construction of Light Rail Project involving underground line with tunnels and above ground line that involve construction of viaducts with say more that 50 stations.



Another example is construction of Five Level Carpark Basement (200m x 100m), 2 level podium and arcade, with 15 Hig Rise Towers mixed residential, commercial and office blocks, 40 storey to 70 storey high).



Another example is construction of LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) Trains including upstream and downstream Facilities, Tank Farms, etc.



I hope you know what i mean.



Cheers,



Charlie

I’m Sorry, my explanation was related to Activity Code Not Project Code, since i read all the previous posts i was diverted from the original question which was what is Project Code while previous posts where explaning activity Codes.



Project Codes its used for defining the project with its other related projects under the same Project Group (define project codes at the project group level, Use project codes to categorize member projects into groups, such as division, funding

source, manager, team, and type of work. You can then organize member projects, combine multiple member

projects in a single band, or summarize, sort, filter, or report using the codes from the project group.)



In other words, when you are building projects under a certain group you can assign code for each project so as you can sort to the level of project not Activities.

Saif,



Project Codes to be used to facilitate for you the organizing of your project, in other words, if you need to see a certain activities under certain sorting because your are dealing with different intities then this issue will be helpfull. example:



you are the main contractor you are doing a program for a hotel, when you did your hotel structure, there was the following Hotel ------ 5 Floors ----- Front of house, & Back of House Areas.

Under Front of House areas you have the following:



Typical Bed Rooms, King Bed Rooms, & Queen Bed Brooms

this id spreaded under 3, 4 , & 5 th floors.



Under each type of the above mentioned bedrooms you have a certain ativites, like Mechanical , Electrical, finishes.



how can use the project coding to do better following up (Presentation)?



you will give each activity in the lower level all its codes that its follwing it, the Activity of Paint you will find that this activity is found under all bed rooms type, under FOH, & BOH Areas.



So if you organized the according to the paint Code you will see all the Areas & Types of bedroom under paint and you can give this print out in this sort for your Sub contractor of Paint.



While if yu want to give your supervisor of FOH area his print out you will sort by FOH areas and under it you will find all activites related to FOH not only paint.



If this Supervisor wants to give only a certain type of room for another engineer whom is responsible for only Typical Bed rooms, then you sort by typical bedrooms....... and you can use it inthis way to follow up and organize the way you want.



regards

Vladimir:



Sure, having several WBS available is much like organizing codes in different fashions. After all, what’s important to me is to have the flexibility to show and analize information from different angles.

Ernesto, you wrote:

"For organization purposes, I use codes in all my schedules, instead of WBS, because of their flexibility, as opposed to the later`s rigidness as an organizing tool."



If I understood properly you use codes for creating different WBS, based on your code structures. Why do you compare these tools? Isn’t it the same?



In Spider Project we can create any number of WBS for the same project or portfolio, basing on some codes or created manually. Organizing by codes you actually create additional WBS, isn’t it?



Vladimir

Codes are the application of database principles to scheduling. By categorizing activities by multiple criteria (codes), you can sort them at will, which makes the whole difference when you have more than a couple hondred activities in a schedule, specially in combination with filters.



For organization purposes, I use codes in all my schedules, instead of WBS, because of their flexibility, as opposed to the later`s rigidness as an organizing tool.

Project Codes are used to tag activities with attributes such as Phase, Discipline, Trade, Level (in a Building) location, responsibility, assignment, etc.



The Organize function is used to Group and Sort activities under their assigned codes.



Paul E Harris

Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd, Melbourne, Australia

Planning and Scheduling Training Manual & Book Publishers & Consulting

www.eh.com.au