If you are managing multiple projects with lots of interdependencies is it better to use Microsoft project or excel or a combination of both? For example have the sub project managers submit schedules with excel and overall project manager use Microsoft project? Not all sub project managers know Microsoft project and these are the only two tools we have access to. Saving Changes...
Excel involve lot of manual activities - data calculation, maintaining timelines and deadlines, creating milestones, tasks, and phases, etc.
Thanks Saving Changes...
Drew CraigSr. Agile & Product Coach| VanguardPhiladelphia, Pa, United States
Agree with Anupam.
You can manage multiple projects within Microsoft Project by utilizing sub-projects within a master project file. Microsoft Project has a significant amount of functionality, but only by using it, will the PM's better learn how to leverage its offerings.
Good Luck. Saving Changes...
AKSHAY JAINPlanning Group Leader| YOKOGAWA, BahrainGwalior, Mp, India
Excel can be used as reporting tool with MSP, you can import data from MSP to excel to present and analyze properly. Saving Changes...
Michael CollinsSenior Director, PMO| InforRaleigh, Nc, United States
Does everyone have Microsoft Project, or just the overall PM? If they all have it, then would seem its best long term to get the training needed to allow them to all use it. That said, a master project and sub-projects can be complex. What is the complexity of the work we are talking about, and how many tasks are the sub-project managers managing? If each of the sub-projects can be separated in the WBS, you could have the overall PM expert each subproject into separate Excel sheets for each of the sub-PMs. These could be sent out to the PMs each Monday, and then they complete filling in updated actuals, ETCs, and any other changes and send back on Friday. The overall PM would manually input all of this into MS Project and then regenerate the new sheets for the sub-PMs. If it was consistently done, this could work.
If things are more complex, and you don't have Project Server, then you'd do essentially the same thing but use a master project and sub-projects in MS Project. It would save the manual input time by the overall PM, but everyone would still need to wait for updates to get the full picture. They'd just be able to have better control of their sub-projects in the interim.
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1 reply by Heather Carolyn Boyd
Oct 30, 2016 6:26 PM
Heather Carolyn Boyd
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Just the overall PM has Microsoft project right now, but I could get it for the sub-project managers, but they don't know how to use it. I do like the idea of using excel for their inputs and then once I input it into microsoft project, I could export the sub-projects to excel weekly and have them provide updates from that file each week. It is a very complex project (building a new system and upgrading another system), with lots of interdependencies even between the sub-projects. I am not sure how many tasks the sub-project managers will have to manage, as we are still in Stage 1 idea generation, but even though they may have a WBS that goes 4 levels deep, I will only copy over the level 1 and 2 deliverables into my overall project schedule. Thanks for your thoughts.
When you plan a Project, MS Project automates a lot of information that in Excel are not automated. By using Microsoft project, when things change in your schedule you will instantly display all affected dates. This will enable you to make better informed decisions as to what corrective action to take and thus have a more effective and up to date project schedule.
Always give preference to the Project, even if you do not know how to use very well. Saving Changes...
Elizabeth HarrinDirector| RebelsGuideToPM.comLondon, England, United Kingdom
I agree with the comments here - from the complexities you describe, MS Project is definitely your best choice. Saving Changes...
Does everyone have Microsoft Project, or just the overall PM? If they all have it, then would seem its best long term to get the training needed to allow them to all use it. That said, a master project and sub-projects can be complex. What is the complexity of the work we are talking about, and how many tasks are the sub-project managers managing? If each of the sub-projects can be separated in the WBS, you could have the overall PM expert each subproject into separate Excel sheets for each of the sub-PMs. These could be sent out to the PMs each Monday, and then they complete filling in updated actuals, ETCs, and any other changes and send back on Friday. The overall PM would manually input all of this into MS Project and then regenerate the new sheets for the sub-PMs. If it was consistently done, this could work.
If things are more complex, and you don't have Project Server, then you'd do essentially the same thing but use a master project and sub-projects in MS Project. It would save the manual input time by the overall PM, but everyone would still need to wait for updates to get the full picture. They'd just be able to have better control of their sub-projects in the interim.
Just the overall PM has Microsoft project right now, but I could get it for the sub-project managers, but they don't know how to use it. I do like the idea of using excel for their inputs and then once I input it into microsoft project, I could export the sub-projects to excel weekly and have them provide updates from that file each week. It is a very complex project (building a new system and upgrading another system), with lots of interdependencies even between the sub-projects. I am not sure how many tasks the sub-project managers will have to manage, as we are still in Stage 1 idea generation, but even though they may have a WBS that goes 4 levels deep, I will only copy over the level 1 and 2 deliverables into my overall project schedule. Thanks for your thoughts.
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1 reply by Drew Craig
Oct 31, 2016 6:47 AM
Drew Craig
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It's important for Project Managers to understand the basics of using a Project Management tool, whether Microsoft Project, or Project Libre. Just as much as a handyman is expected to know how to use their tools. Understandably, mid-project is not the ideal time, but future training should be a consideration.
Maybe the sub-project managers can use ProjectLibre (http://www.projectlibre.org/) an opensource alternative to MS Project, that shares information with it. Saving Changes...
Drew CraigSr. Agile & Product Coach| VanguardPhiladelphia, Pa, United States
Oct 30, 2016 6:26 PM
Replying to Heather Carolyn Boyd
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Just the overall PM has Microsoft project right now, but I could get it for the sub-project managers, but they don't know how to use it. I do like the idea of using excel for their inputs and then once I input it into microsoft project, I could export the sub-projects to excel weekly and have them provide updates from that file each week. It is a very complex project (building a new system and upgrading another system), with lots of interdependencies even between the sub-projects. I am not sure how many tasks the sub-project managers will have to manage, as we are still in Stage 1 idea generation, but even though they may have a WBS that goes 4 levels deep, I will only copy over the level 1 and 2 deliverables into my overall project schedule. Thanks for your thoughts.
It's important for Project Managers to understand the basics of using a Project Management tool, whether Microsoft Project, or Project Libre. Just as much as a handyman is expected to know how to use their tools. Understandably, mid-project is not the ideal time, but future training should be a consideration. Saving Changes...
Markus KopkoAI Enabler for Project & Program Mgmt | Founder PMotion.ai / The PM
AI Coach| PMotion.aiHamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Hello Heather,
i do totally understand your situation since i was part of a big project with the exact same situation for more than two years.
Even if you have MS Project available for all potential users, often there are some guys who didn't want to use it cause of it's complexity (and we are not talking about just building up a schedule here).
Mostly somewhat "older" and experienced project managers who have always done their projects with excel want to use it further ...
So what about putting a PMO specialist in place who consolidates all the sub-project plans to one overall project plan for the program manager and may be upper management?
This specialist have to put a process in place where the sub project managers maintain there excel plans and then the maintained version will be transferred in an overall MS Project plan.
Yes, it is somewhat complicated and yes, it needs some Visual Basic expertise, but it could be done. ;)
