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From: CamJam on 18 Jan 2010 13:11

Alright, let me see if I can spell this out.

Bottom Line: Is there anyway to show the same task over multiple lines
in different sections and have the same task show % complete/costs
either over the whole project or by each section?

Additional Explanation:
We are building a pipeline and putting it in the ground. We are going
from 0+00 (Or 000 feet) to say 100+00 (or 10,000 feet). The client is
wanting to break down the project into smaller 2500' sections. (Going to
use a custom field - number - and then numbering each task between that
range of sections a 1-4). Since the job is from 0-10,000 feet I will be
doing the same tasks 4x ea.

Let's take one of the tasks, Grading. I'll be taking grading from start
(0) to finish (10,000 feet) yet there will be 4 specific sections in
this project so that we can break it down to these smaller sections. My
plan is to have 4 tasks names denoting Sections 1-4 and then just indent
for each of the 2500' sections with their tasks below.

Hopefully you all are still with me. If I'm going to have a task listed
4x is there anyway to (I hate to use the term link...but) link the tasks
to share the same information. IE % complete/cost. So say Grading
(Section 1), Grading (Section 2), etc will share a total % complete as
well as % complete or cost per section?

Let's say we are jumping around on the project. We started Section 2
Grading and we were 10% done. Then we jumped to Section 1 and Graded
20%...is there anyway to show 30% completion on that group of tasks...as
if they were one task.

What I'm trying to avoid is having to assign 25% costs to each task
Grading (Section 1), Grading (Section 2), Grading (Section 3), Etc.
Because the footage is much much different in my project and doesn't
work out evenly...and thus generating an invoice would be a nightmare if
we go off the schedule.

I hope that makes sense to someone...lol.

Thank you all,
Cam


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From: Andrew Lavinsky on 18 Jan 2010 13:36
This is a pretty standard request. I would handle this by using standardized
intelligent WBS codes and the grouping functionality.

Section1.GRADE
Section2.GRADE

Then you can develop a couple custom fields to identify the tasks with GRADE
in the WBS code, and group by those as needed.

Check out the options behind Project > Define WBS Code. I'll see if I can
dig up some WBS filtering formulas.

- Andrew Lavinsky
Blog: http://blogs.catapultsystems.com/epm

> Alright, let me see if I can spell this out.
>
> Bottom Line: Is there anyway to show the same task over multiple lines
> in different sections and have the same task show % complete/costs
> either over the whole project or by each section?
>
> Additional Explanation:
> We are building a pipeline and putting it in the ground. We are going
> from 0+00 (Or 000 feet) to say 100+00 (or 10,000 feet). The client is
> wanting to break down the project into smaller 2500' sections. (Going
> to
> use a custom field - number - and then numbering each task between
> that
> range of sections a 1-4). Since the job is from 0-10,000 feet I will
> be
> doing the same tasks 4x ea.
> Let's take one of the tasks, Grading. I'll be taking grading from
> start (0) to finish (10,000 feet) yet there will be 4 specific
> sections in this project so that we can break it down to these smaller
> sections. My plan is to have 4 tasks names denoting Sections 1-4 and
> then just indent for each of the 2500' sections with their tasks
> below.
>
> Hopefully you all are still with me. If I'm going to have a task
> listed 4x is there anyway to (I hate to use the term link...but) link
> the tasks to share the same information. IE % complete/cost. So say
> Grading (Section 1), Grading (Section 2), etc will share a total %
> complete as well as % complete or cost per section?
>
> Let's say we are jumping around on the project. We started Section 2
> Grading and we were 10% done. Then we jumped to Section 1 and Graded
> 20%...is there anyway to show 30% completion on that group of
> tasks...as if they were one task.
>
> What I'm trying to avoid is having to assign 25% costs to each task
> Grading (Section 1), Grading (Section 2), Grading (Section 3), Etc.
> Because the footage is much much different in my project and doesn't
> work out evenly...and thus generating an invoice would be a nightmare
> if we go off the schedule.
>
> I hope that makes sense to someone...lol.
>
> Thank you all,
> Cam
> http://forums.techarena.in
>


From: CamJam on 18 Jan 2010 14:33

That would be great, thank you!


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From: Jim Aksel on 18 Jan 2010 18:32
I remember this question being asked before. As another alternative, you may
want to try this. Get yourself a spare text field (Text1). In that field
you can type a single item that relates to what you are doing: Grading,
Welding, Laying, Testing... etc. This would be similar to a high level WBS.

Now use a custom grouping. Project/Group By/Customize Group By.... Select
Text1 as your criteria. You can add other levels as well by using different
Text fields.
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If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim Aksel, MVP

Check out my blog for more information:
http://www.msprojectblog.com



"CamJam" wrote:

>
> Alright, let me see if I can spell this out.
>
> Bottom Line: Is there anyway to show the same task over multiple lines
> in different sections and have the same task show % complete/costs
> either over the whole project or by each section?
>
> Additional Explanation:
> We are building a pipeline and putting it in the ground. We are going
> from 0+00 (Or 000 feet) to say 100+00 (or 10,000 feet). The client is
> wanting to break down the project into smaller 2500' sections. (Going to
> use a custom field - number - and then numbering each task between that
> range of sections a 1-4). Since the job is from 0-10,000 feet I will be
> doing the same tasks 4x ea.
>
> Let's take one of the tasks, Grading. I'll be taking grading from start
> (0) to finish (10,000 feet) yet there will be 4 specific sections in
> this project so that we can break it down to these smaller sections. My
> plan is to have 4 tasks names denoting Sections 1-4 and then just indent
> for each of the 2500' sections with their tasks below.
>
> Hopefully you all are still with me. If I'm going to have a task listed
> 4x is there anyway to (I hate to use the term link...but) link the tasks
> to share the same information. IE % complete/cost. So say Grading
> (Section 1), Grading (Section 2), etc will share a total % complete as
> well as % complete or cost per section?
>
> Let's say we are jumping around on the project. We started Section 2
> Grading and we were 10% done. Then we jumped to Section 1 and Graded
> 20%...is there anyway to show 30% completion on that group of tasks...as
> if they were one task.
>
> What I'm trying to avoid is having to assign 25% costs to each task
> Grading (Section 1), Grading (Section 2), Grading (Section 3), Etc.
> Because the footage is much much different in my project and doesn't
> work out evenly...and thus generating an invoice would be a nightmare if
> we go off the schedule.
>
> I hope that makes sense to someone...lol.
>
> Thank you all,
> Cam
>
>
> --
> CamJam
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> CamJam's Profile: http://forums.techarena.in/members/175542.htm
> View this thread: http://forums.techarena.in/microsoft-project/1294086.htm
>
> http://forums.techarena.in
>
> .
>
From: Andrew Lavinsky on 18 Jan 2010 22:53
Jim's approach is probably just as good, but for me, using the WBS approach
it's a bit less tedious to keep organized when adding new tasks - as the
WBS code cascades downward automatically to all subtasks. It's probably
a bit more work to set up though.

Using the following formula in a Flag field will flip it to yes for the required
parameter. In this case, I used "GRADE." Note that you'll want to set the
Flag field to use the formula for summary tasks.

IIf(INSTR([WBS],"GRADE"),Yes,No)

Other formulas would strip away the text and identify the first, second,
third, etc. elements in an intelligent WBS string. For instance the following
formula will strip away all of the WBS but the first tier (assuming you have
a Project code with a ":" in the prefix):

Example: PROJ1:Sect1.Grade

IIf([Outline Level]=0,"",IIf([Outline Level]=1,RIGHT([WBS],LEN([WBS])-INSTR([WBS],":")),Mid([WBS],INSTR([WBS],":")+1,INSTR([WBS],".")-INSTR([WBS],":")-1)))

Would return "Sect1" as a result. This would allow you to group by geographic
region.

To return the second tier in the WBS, you would use the following formula
in a text field. This will return the first four characters of the second
tier.

Example: PROJ1:Sect1.Grade

IIf([Outline Level]>1,MID([WBS],INSTR([WBS],".")+1,4),"")

Would return "Grad" as a result. You can modify the "4" to match the character
length of the second tier. There's probably a way to make this truncate
dynamically, but it's not coming to me right now.

For the third tier, I'd have to think about the formula....

Hope that helps.

- Andrew Lavinsky
Blog: http://blogs.catapultsystems.com/epm

> That would be great, thank you!
>
> http://forums.techarena.in
>


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