Scheduling with Microsoft Project


Overview

Tasks

Included with

Tivoli Change Management user

Overview

Scheduling with Microsoft Project

Tivoli Change Management supports a dynamic data exchange (DDE) interface between Tivoli Change Management and Microsoft Project for users who want to take advantage of the advanced project scheduling functions in Microsoft Project.

Before you begin working with a Microsoft Project file and a change, you must initialize the DDE link. Initializing the link simply involves having both the change and the related Microsoft Project file open at the same time.

Understanding initializing the DDE link process Each time you create a link from the current change to a Microsoft Project file, you are initializing the DDE link. By initializing the DDE link, you are creating an open line for data to pass from Tivoli Change Management to Microsoft Project.

Upon initialization, Microsoft Project performs a search to see whether a project file already exists for the current change in your designated Microsoft Project folder. If not, it creates a new project file for the change and each activity. If, during initialization, Microsoft Project finds one or more project files linked to the current change, Microsoft Project opens those files.

By default, all Microsoft Project file names consist of the Microsoft Project path, followed by CHG_changeID.MPP.

Microsoft Project creates a sub-project for each activity in the change. Each sub-project has its own file in Microsoft Project. Activity and sub-project naming conventions are the same as for schedules and projects.

Modifying projects and schedules Once you initialize the DDE link between Tivoli Change Management and Microsoft Project, the DDE periodically updates the data in the data exchange fields of Microsoft Project. To accomplish this, the DDE determines the fields you have modified in Tivoli Change Management and passes those values to the corresponding fields in Microsoft Project.

The frequency of synchronization is controlled by the DDE timer value set by your system administrator. If your DDE is updating too frequently, or not frequently enough, contact your system administrator.

Note: If you add a resource in Microsoft Project that does not exist in the User list, Tivoli Change Management prompts you to add the user.

Data exchange fields Data is passed to Microsoft Project as shown in the following table.
Tivoli Change Management Microsoft Project
Change Name Project
Task Name Name
Task Scheduled End Date Scheduled Finish
Task Scheduled End Time Scheduled Finish
Task Scheduled Start Date Scheduled Start
Task Scheduled Start Time Scheduled Start
Activity (Task) Name Sub-Project File
Task Relationship Predecessors Successors
Task Actual End Date Actual Finish
Task Actual End Time Actual Finish
Task Actual Start Date Actual Start
Task Actual Start Time Actual Start
Resources Resource Name
Resource Actual Hours Actual Work
Actual Fixed Cost Actual Cost
Actual % Complete Percent Complete

Tasks

Initializing the DDE link with Microsoft Project

You can initialize a DDE link with Microsoft Project.

To initialize a DDE link with Microsoft Project:

  1. Close all open changes and Microsoft Project files.
  2. Start Microsoft Project.
    Note: Do not try to start Microsoft Project from Tivoli Change Management. The Microsoft Project button is unavailable if Microsoft Project is not running.
  3. Open the change for which you want to initialize a DDE link.
  4. From the Tasks tab in the Change dialog box, choose Microsoft Project.
    Result: The DDE Initialization dialog box appears.
    If a file already exists for the change, Microsoft Project opens the file.
    If no file exists for the change, Microsoft Project creates a new project file for the change schedule and transfers as much information about the tasks and activities as possible.
  5. Make modifications to the Microsoft Project file and the change as needed.

Terminating a DDE link with Microsoft Project

You can terminate a DDE link with Microsoft Project.

To terminate a DDE link with Microsoft Project:

  1. From the Change dialog box, do one of the following:
    • Choose OK to save your changes.
    • Choose Cancel if you do not want to save your changes.
      Result: The Change dialog box closes.
  2. Switch to Microsoft Project.
  3. From the Microsoft Project File menu, choose Save.
  4. If there are sub-projects, repeat step two for each sub-project.