deltek insight 2012: microsoft project integration with mpm using msp link

Microsoft Project Integration with MPM using MSP Link

Barbara Gilson, Customer Care, DeltekGC-290

2 ©2012 Deltek, Inc. All Rights Reserved

MPM’s MSP Link Objectives

MPM’s MSP Link Process

MS Project Data Transfers

Keys to Successful Data Transfers

Conclusion

Q&A

Agenda


Optimize integration between the MS Project scheduling system and the MPM earned value/cost system

Utilize the MSP Link to summarize and normalize detail activity level resource and status data in MS Project for transfer to MPM work packages

Tips and tricks for setting up and successfully executing the transfer of project data between MS Project and MPM

Key Takeaways


Primary objectives of the MSP Link: Provide tools to transfer MS Project data into the MPM database Assist users with conditioning of MS Project data for use in MPM, i.e.,

summarization and normalization Provide MPM users with control of the cost/schedule integration

process Internalize the cost/schedule integration process within MPM

MPM’s MSP Link Objectives


MPM’s MSP Link Process

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Validation Report

Microsoft ProjectInterface Process

Transfer File .gen


Create the WBS in MPM

Transfer WBS descriptive data Descriptions Manager Organization department Charge numbers User definable “XREF” fields EV methods Other WBS information

Maintain and update WBS and descriptive data

MS Project Data Transfers – WBS Descriptive


Transfer WBS schedule dates Baseline start and completion dates ETC start and completion dates

Status and update WBS dates, including shifting of resources

Schedule dates may be summarized by WBS

MS Project Data Transfers – WBS Schedule Dates


Create EV milestones in MPM

Transfer milestone data Milestone IDs Milestone descriptions Milestone schedule and forecast dates Milestone EV weights

EV milestones in MPM can be mapped from both milestones and activities in MS Project

MS Project Data Transfers – Milestones


Create the baseline and ETC estimates in MPM

Transfer resource assignments from MS Project Time-phased estimates Autospread estimates

Transfer hours for labor resources

Transfer prime dollars for non-labor resources

Maintain and update baseline and ETC estimates to incorporate changes

Estimates may be summarized by resource, by WBS

MS Project Data Transfers – Estimates


Update EV status in MPM in two ways: Status milestones as complete or partially completed

Milestones Status work package with cumulative % complete or cumulative BCWP

amount BCWP

Status may be on a one-to-one basis, i.e., a MS Project summary task mapped to MPM work package, or

Status may be on a many-to-one basis, i.e., MS Project milestones or activities status are linked to EV milestones on a work package in MPM

MS Project Data Transfers – EV Status


Consistent project management business processes

MS Project templates featuring standardized, logical, WBS oriented plans and schedules

Complete and correct mapping files

Single point of entry of common data across both databases

Clean, complete data

Keys to Successful Data Transfers – General


Mappings WBS Descriptive

Do map the WBS ID for all data transfers Don’t use the WBS ID field in MS Project to map the WBS ID to MPM – it is

renumbered every time a task is deleted or inserted Do use a text field or the unique ID field for the WBS ID Do use custom text, number, or flag fields to store WBS descriptive data for

transfer to MPM Do map CLIN, recurring/nonrecurring, & fee% only to lowest level of WBS

required to segregate by those criteria Do map the parent WBS ID to create new WBS elements

Keys to Successful Data Transfers – Specific to MSP Link


Mappings WBS Schedule

Do set the baseline in MS Project and map the baseline schedule dates to MPM

Don’t use to create WBS baseline and ETC dates in MPM if loading resources in MS Project and transferring resource estimates to MPM

Don’t attempt to transfer WBS schedule data with estimates data



Mappings Milestones

Do map the completion of activities in MS Project to EV milestones in MPM Do map a MS Project field to MPM to turn “on” the milestone flag in MPM, or

else MPM will ignore the task for milestone information Do map milestones by using the milestone ID only Do weight MPM milestones using the MSP Link if resource assignments are

in MS Project, otherwise weight milestones using auto weighting in MPM Only hours can be used to weight milestones for labor, and only prime

dollars for non-labor weighted milestones Do set the BCWP Base in MPM to correspond to the hours or prime dollars

as appropriate – this can be done via the MSP Link WBS Descriptive transfer or directly in MPM via the Integrated Planning – Milestones UI



Mappings Estimates

Do verify and validate that the resource codes used in MS Project are exactly the same as the resource codes in the MPM resource library

Do plan labor in hours and non-labor in prime dollars in MS Project Do map the assignment record from MS Project to MPM for time-phased

estimates Do use MPM required codes

Example: 2 or B for hours or 3 or C for prime $ for mapping the estimate types

Example: 1 for Linear or 2 for Bell spread curves for autospread estimates

Do summarize resource assignments in MS Project at lower level activities to work packages in MPM by making the WBS ID, resource code, resource department and overtime factor the same in MS Project for each task

Do include an “estimate identifier” if transferring both time-phased and autospread estimates – “T” for time-phased and “A” for autospread



Mappings Earned Value Status

Do use the BCWP transfer to update work packages using the % complete or BCWP entry EV methods

Do use the Milestone transfer to update work packages using the milestone weights or milestone weights with % complete EV methods

Don’t use MS Project default “% complete” to status for earned value, this only measures passage of time

Do map a MS Project field to MPM to turn “on” the EV % complete flag in MPM, or else MPM will ignore the task for BCWP information

Do map the task BAC if cum percent complete is mapped and there are multiple tasks for the same WBS ID



Other tips and tricks Summarize MS Project tasks to a single work package in MPM by

assigning them the same WBS ID Use task filters in MS Project to pre-filter the data prior to executing the

MSP Link, especially for transferring milestone or BCWP status MS Project must be installed on the workstation A recommended best practice – after updating the MS Project file,

save and close prior to running the MSP Link MS Project must be structured properly to map summary tasks in MS

Project to work packages in MPM, i.e., resource assignments and status must be entered at the detail level and summarized to a summary task



Other tips and tricks Save MSP Link interfaces that will be used monthly or weekly to

update projects Batch saved MSP Link interfaces to run two or more processes Save mapping files for reuse Create a single mapping file to handle all data transfers Any data entered in MS Project and subsequently transferred to MPM,

should only be updated in MS Project and never directly in MPM



The MSP Link is a powerful interface between MS Project and MPM – it provides an easy to use method for linking MS Project data into MPM

In MPM, all detail planning is done at the work package level With MS Project, activities, milestones, and resource estimates are

typically planned at a lower level than the work package level Through use of the built-in interface the MS Project detail data can

easily be integrated with the work package level in MPM as this interface supports both types of integration – one task in MS Project mapped to one work package in MPM, and also many tasks in MS Project mapped to one work package in MPM

Conclusion


Six interface types are available with the MSP Link:1. WBS Descriptive2. WBS Schedule3. Time-phased Estimates4. Autospread Estimates5. BCWP6. Milestones

With these six interface types, the MSP Link will support any level of integration between the scheduling system and MPM

Conclusion


While the MSP Link facilitates the integration of schedule system data with MPM, success is also dependent on:

Consistent project management business processes MS Project templates featuring standardized, logical, WBS oriented

plans and schedules Complete and correct mapping files Single point of entry of common data across both databases Clean, complete data Disciplined compliance with business processes and use of the tools

Conclusion


Q&A

Thank You!

deltek insight 2012: microsoft project integration with mpm using msp link

Technology

ms project fortransfer

ms project schedulingsystem

thetransfer of project

status data

ms project82012 deltek

ms projectmilestones

ms projectsummary task

mpm users