3 Ways to Integrate Your Project Lifecycle Methodology into Microsoft Project

butterflylifecycleAs organizations work to improve their project management maturity level, they often develop and document methodologies that include standardized processes and best practices. However, incorporating these standards and processes directly into project planning and execution efforts can prove challenging because these materials aren’t always easily accessible. Instead, these artifacts frequently end up in a dusty binder or just floating around unused in a corner of the company’s intranet.

I’m going to share three quick techniques for integrating this critical information within Microsoft Project, so it’s available and easily accessible when you need it.


Watch Ira Brown as he dives deeper into this topic in the MPUG webinar, “Integrating Your Project Lifecycle Methodology with Microsoft Project,” on-demand. During this hour-long recording, Ira will describe how to use these and other tools effectively to boost your project management practices.


The Microsoft Project Notes field: When you copy methodology content directly into the Project Information Notes field, a Notes indicator is displayed. Hovering over the indicator provides a preview of the Notes text.Ira_Brown_figure_1

Hyperlink to documents: Another technique for integrating organizational methodology artifacts in the project planning and execution process is to embed methodology documents directly into Project and leveraging Project’s hyperlink capabilities.

Use this third-party app: The Knowledge Widgets application from Project Widgets takes the integration process to a new level by helping organizations integrate and deploy methodologies into Project. With Knowledge Widgets, when you click on a task, you automatically see that task’s methodology content, as well as links to all documents and templates associated with the task.

 

Written by Ira Brown
Ira Brown is a leader in the field of project management and a recognized Microsoft Project expert, Project Widgets is well-known for offering add-on products for Microsoft Project and Project Online, as well as for creating custom solutions that meet their client's unique business requirements.  This company continues to extend the scope and breadth of their offerings, thereby increasing the value they provide to customers, by creating Microsoft Project solutions that are tailored to an organization's unique needs.  They even have several free, downloadable widgets available on their website that you can begin using right away.
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  1. With Microsoft Project Server, the opportunities are even greater. In each MS Project schedule, you can use the notes and attachments, as listed above. With Server :

    1) each project has a SharePoint site where artifact documents can be managed per rules in the lifecycle.
    2) workflow can enforce rules of the lifecycle.
    3) reporting from MSPS can roll up projects and find variances from the lifecycle

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