Linking pieces of information in Project to an excel sheet + drill down

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    • #408260
      Sylvie
      Guest

      Hi,
      I’m trying to link 2 files: MS project 2013 into Excel 2010 in a very specific way.
      In excel, I have shapes with text into that indicate let’s say activities. in mpp, I have the same activities but broken down into tasks and milestones. I have added % complete and WBS code to identify each activity, task and milestone.
      In the excel document with all the shapes linked to each other as in a hierarchy, I want now to indicate for each activity in a block/shape, the reference (I want to use the WBS code as the ref), the % complete, the delivery date (which is the finish date in my mpp).
      The objective is to have in each shape the basic information and add a drilldown-like link so that when you click on the ref # (the WBS code), you can view the details for this activity, i.e. tasks, notes,…
      How would you suggest I go about achieving this?
      Thanks

    • #408261
      Daryl Deffler
      Participant

      Personally, I can’t help you. However, I took a Webinar from MPUG a while back titled “MS Project and Visio Just like Fred and Ginger” that talked all about using the two together. I think that if you look at the previously recorded webinars section of the MPUG site, you should be able to find it rather easily.

      • #408263
        Sylvie
        Guest

        Thanks for your quick reply. Will check that out. Looks like Visio will be needed too? Hope to find a way to do this as I do not have Visio.

    • #408264
      Larry Christofaro
      Participant

      Daryl has probably the best Microsoft answer. Using Visual Reports with Visio is a good option. You will need Visio Pro to integrate the two. Another option if you want a more complete solution is a package called WBS Schedule Pro. That allows you to start the project visually (like you describe) and then build your schedule from the results (and synch to two). It is a bit expensive but so is Visio Pro so at least worth a try. There may also be other packages if you do some searching. Good luck…

    • #408346
      Sylvie
      Guest

      Thank you. Looking into WBS Schedule Pro now as recommanded. It seems from the summary description that it can use WBS layout in MS Project and generate charts? This will be a good thing too, as my entire document can be used as a project.
      Anyway, will look into it and update on why it helped me achieve.
      Thanks again!

    • #408347
      Larry Christofaro
      Participant

      Sylvie, glad we can help. Would love to find out what you end up doing. Good luck…

    • #408618
      Sylvie
      Guest

      Hi everyone,

      Thanks again for the tip on the WBS. It turns out to do exactly what I intended. However, I have two additional questions (one of them is a bit long but I need to explain in detail what I want to achieve):
      1. is it possible that multiple users work on one file at the same time?
      2. This is the tricky part. To guide your input, here’s the way I built my plan:
      – Ultimate objective is first level using the Gant chart in WBS
      – This objective is further broken down is sub-objectives
      – sub objectives are in turn broken in pieces with the KPIs and then the drivers. Giving me 5 levels so far.

      Now the drivers are linked to specific initiatives (levels 6). The Gant chart in WBS is linked to MS project.
      My goal is to have now the initiatives broken down in tasks with their start and finish date and completion %… so that from updating the % complete on the tasks, I can have the overall completion rate for the initiative in MS project which will in turn update the Gant chart in WBS. Then I can have on the WBS views all information about an initiative and how completion rate impacts delivery of the KPI.

      Based on the above, since initiatives are linked to various departments, and most are already outlined in a MS project Gant chart (but on a per department basis instead of per initiative basis; calling this the MSP master plan), I am wondering if there is a way for me to fetch information on each initiative in the MSP master plan and import into the WBS Gant chart.
      Or the only way for me is to copy paste from the MSP master plan into the WBS master plan? But by doing so, it will “crowd” my WBS views, so I’d rather go fetch from MSP. This way also, updates will be made in the MSP master plan and this will update the rest.

      Your guidance on achieving this will be priceless.

      Thanks in advance for any input you have.

    • #408619
      Larry Christofaro
      Participant

      Hi Sylvie. The answer to the first question is easy. Two people cannot work on the same Microsoft Project schedule at the same time.

      The second question I don’t understand…sorry about that. The one sentence “The Gant chart in WBS is linked to MS project” is very confusing. Are you working with one schedule, a master/sub project relationship (as defined in Microsoft Project), or something different. Not sure what is linked to what. Maybe the answer to the first question is all you need…??

      Also, it is better to start another question rather than piggyback off another. I believe initial questions are posted out to everyone monitoring the forum, while these are only being seen by Daryl and I who have marked to be notified of follow-up. Just FYI…

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