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Using MS Project - When Projects Deliver Multiple Products

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Nathan Schandl Project Manager IV St. Louis, Mo, United States
Does anyone have extensive experience (or recommendations) when it comes to best-practices for setting up and managing a project in MS Project (2013); when there are multiple products (with different deadlines) to be delivered within the project?

Best to:
- Create a project plan for each product?
- Create a project plan for each product (using "Sub-Projects")?
- Make every attempt to keep all tasks on one plan (perhaps structure the products as phases)?
- Other?

Thanks!
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Stéphane Parent Self Employed / Semi-retired| Leader Maker Prince Edward Island, Canada
Your decision on how to break down your Microsoft Project files should be at the project, not product level.

I've managed quite a few multi-product projects in a single MSP file. It is always preferable over managing multiple MSP files.
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1 reply by Nathan Schandl
Oct 12, 2017 10:51 AM
Nathan Schandl
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This is the approach I have been taking. That said, I am eager to tap into the knowledge of those in this network...to confirm there is not a better way. Thank you very much for your input!
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Nathan Schandl Project Manager IV St. Louis, Mo, United States
Oct 12, 2017 10:40 AM
Replying to Stéphane Parent
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Your decision on how to break down your Microsoft Project files should be at the project, not product level.

I've managed quite a few multi-product projects in a single MSP file. It is always preferable over managing multiple MSP files.
This is the approach I have been taking. That said, I am eager to tap into the knowledge of those in this network...to confirm there is not a better way. Thank you very much for your input!
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Vincent Guerard Coach - Trainer - Speaker - Advisor| Freelance Mont-Royal, Quebec, Canada
Agree with Stéphane comment one single file is the way to go.
Unless it is a real complex product/project and you have thousands of activities, then context may change the decision.
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1 reply by Nathan Schandl
Oct 12, 2017 1:01 PM
Nathan Schandl
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Thanks Vincent. Not in the thousands (yet). I appreciate your feedback as well.
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Kiron Bondale Retired | Mentor| Retired Welland, Ontario, Canada
Nathan -

I'd also support the recommendation provided by Stéphane & Vincent - the one thing you might do is to add a custom text field to help you easily filter tasks out which relate to a specific product so that you can do filtered reporting for stakeholders who are only interested in a given product.

The standalone version of MS Project (i.e. not the enterprise, database-housed one) tends to struggle when you start to insert and update too many project schedules into a master schedule...

Kiron

Kiron
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1 reply by Nathan Schandl
Oct 12, 2017 12:56 PM
Nathan Schandl
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Love the idea of the custom "Product" Column. I will definitely incorporate this into my plans moving forward. Thank you!
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Nathan Schandl Project Manager IV St. Louis, Mo, United States
Oct 12, 2017 11:15 AM
Replying to Kiron Bondale
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Nathan -

I'd also support the recommendation provided by Stéphane & Vincent - the one thing you might do is to add a custom text field to help you easily filter tasks out which relate to a specific product so that you can do filtered reporting for stakeholders who are only interested in a given product.

The standalone version of MS Project (i.e. not the enterprise, database-housed one) tends to struggle when you start to insert and update too many project schedules into a master schedule...

Kiron

Kiron
Love the idea of the custom "Product" Column. I will definitely incorporate this into my plans moving forward. Thank you!
avatar
Nathan Schandl Project Manager IV St. Louis, Mo, United States
Oct 12, 2017 10:59 AM
Replying to Vincent Guerard
...
Agree with Stéphane comment one single file is the way to go.
Unless it is a real complex product/project and you have thousands of activities, then context may change the decision.
Thanks Vincent. Not in the thousands (yet). I appreciate your feedback as well.

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