Cleaning Up Project Server - When Does It Make Sense?
Jim UptonSr. Project Manager| ConsultantRedding, Ct, United States
The Background:
I'm a PM consultant working in a PMO at a company that has been using Project Server 2003 for three years. When they first implemented, there was a big push to get plans into Project Server; sadly many of those initial plans were never used to track progress. In the years since implementation, over 400 plans have built up and of those plans less than 100 have been active in the last year.
The Question:
Does it make sense to cull the plans that are old or have never actually been used to track progress? Does anyone have any experience in what a best practice might be regarding database cleanup for Project Server? Our thoughts have been to archive and delete the older plans but I want to make sure that we're not going to shoot ourselves in the foot if we do.
Thanks for your help! Saving Changes...
Kylie NelsonProject Manager| City of Jacksonville FloridaJacksonville, Fl, United States
Jim--We went through this with Primavera, so I can only answer to the process side vs. the technology side. For several months before the official cutover to Primavera (and this is after we'd been mandated to use it for at least 1 year), our PMO began providing metrics to senior management based on current information in the system. Of course, since so many PMs had created shell plans in Primavera but were using Project or Excel on the side to "really" track their stuff because they didn't understand the tool, most of the project data showed that everyone was over schedule and over budget, even if they weren't. This is a good first step to scare the you-know-what out of everyone and let them know you're serious (only, of course, if the nicey-nice approach hasn't worked!). Next, embark on a focused, "forced cleanup" of the old plans with the assigned project managers. Give them a drop-dead date by which their plans had better be updated--2 weeks is about right. The reason for this is that there could be seemingly inactive plans attached to active projects, and this needs to be brought to light. If they're tracking active projects in anything but Project Server, get senior management to support you in that only the Project Server project plans will be used to evaluate project (and PM!) performance. For plans that the PMs ask you to cut, require a reason from the responsible PM (e.g. duplicate plan, cancelled project with no actuals, etc.). Provide a list of cut projects with justifications to senior management and review it with them carefully before you let the axe fall. And of course, archive everything--cut or no. After the big cleanup, mandate that all PMs update their project plans at regular intervals--we do ours weekly--and by a certain day/time. Then follow up each reporting period thereafter (forever and ever, Amen) with updated project data to the PMs, their direct supervisor(s) and senior management. Customize your reports if you haven't already to show budget and schedule overages in an easy-to-digest format, like the red-yellow-green concept. It sounds like a lot, and it will take a few months to get level-set, but many times it's the only way to ensure accountability and effective project tracking. Saving Changes...
