I wanted to get feedback on using the "Sub" project concept within MS Project.
How have you used the "Insert" of one "sub" project plan into a "master" project plan?
When dependencies are set up between projects, sub to master, master to sub, sub to sub are they maintained as each plan is being updated individually?
Have you also set up a "resource pool" project to be shared by all projects?
What should I watch out for when doing this?
What happens with reporting?
Any problems with reporting progress at the sub project level and having it reflected in the master plan?
Thanks for the feedback, as I always do receive very valuable feedback from this discussion forum.
Mike Saving Changes...
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Todd WethyProgram Manager| Volkswagen of AmericaAuburn Hills, Mi, United States
Mike,
I recently completed a project where we had 13 subprojects rolled into a master project (where we had some specific tasks as well) using MS Project 2002. It did take a while to understand all the quirks with this capability but once we understood what we could and could not do it worked well for us.
One thing that we learned early is that you cannot make copies of either your master project or subprojects for archive purposes - if you do MS Project likes to replicate all the project-to-project relationships creating an unholy mess! Yes, it does maintain relationship integrity between the master project and subprojects as you update progress but you have to make sure when you look at the master project you may have to expand all the subprojects before they reflect the current state. No, we did not use a resource pool. We started to but decided that we don't typically schedule using resource leveled projects so we chose to not pursue that functionality.
Take some time to experiment but I think once to understand what MS Project can and can't do you'll find it will be as useful as Project can be.
I'm trying to set up a sub-project to manage different workstreams for a project. I know that I can create dependencies across subprojects, and I've been trying for hours to do so in the master project, however I'm not able to. I'm having trouble because the task # restarts from 1 for every subproject, so when I try to put a predecessor in, it looks within the subproject, and not across.
Can anyone offer suggestions? Saving Changes...
George JucanManaging Partner| Organizational Perfomance Enablers NetworkWoodbridge, Ontario, Canada
In MS Project 2003 you can use "Links between projects" option under "Tools" menu. The simpler way (that works in previous versions as well) is to simply highlight the 2 lines / tasks you want to link (one in and click the "Link Tasks" button on the toolbar (looks like a chain). Saving Changes...
George JucanManaging Partner| Organizational Perfomance Enablers NetworkWoodbridge, Ontario, Canada
I appologize, my text was incomplete - here is all of it:
In MS Project 2003 you can use "Links between projects" option under "Tools" menu. The simpler way (that works in previous versions as well) is to simply highlight the 2 lines / tasks you want to link (one from a subproject and one from the other subproject) and simply click the "Link Tasks" button on the toolbar (looks like a chain). Saving Changes...
Anonymous
One of the things I read was that your resource sheet should be in a separate .mpp file that is shared by all subprojects.
But take care - like George said, creating versions; carelessly deleting schedules; can quickly wreck havoc on resource utilizations Saving Changes...
You have gotten great advice here. Sub-projects and resource pools are good features that can help with larger projects. Keep in mind that these features are "delicate". I always set up some test schedules with a limited number of rows, and make sure that I can produce the reports I want and make the updates I want, whenever I work with these features in MS Project.
Also, if you really need complex cross-project, multi-project views, Microsoft wants to sell you the MS Project Server family of products. The sub-project and inter-project links are all just small steps up from the desktop features. In the end, Microsoft wants to upgrade you to the Server features, where these features are a little less delicate.
Regarding the question on predecessors/successors between projects, it is possible to enter them, but not by typing simple numbers. Create a link using the methods George describes, and you will see that the project name appears, along with the task name, in the precessor and successor columns. If you really like to type the predecessor and successor items into the columns, then use that same notation, and you can type new relationships on your own. If you enter just a number, MS Project will create a link to the task within the current sub-project. To do a cross-project link, you need the special notation with the project name. Saving Changes...
ravi gehlorProject Control specialist| FluorUdaipur, Rajasthan, India
well i am facing one more problem in master project ..
when i add sub project in MASTER PROJECT then duration of master project is changing ...means my sub project have duration of 215 days ...& master project the overall duration is showing as 240 days ....can any one tell me where is mistake ?
Saving Changes...
Russell GeakeProject Management Consultant| Deciduous Partners LtdLostwithiel, Cornwall, United Kingdom
Ravi, what version of MS Project are you using? This thread was originally started in 2003 and there have been two major releases of MSP since then.
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Wai Mun KooPMO Director| Intergraph PP&MSingapore, Singapore
Ravi, there could be various reasons. Is it possible for you to share your MS Project file? That will easier for us to examine what could possible cause the change. Saving Changes...
