can project do this 1

[tubbzzzz]

I am trying to use Project2003 to shedule the parts we manufacture in our Engineering company.
We have our route card on an excel worksheet
I have set up a resourse pool project
How do I "auto assign" a resourse to a workstation in our sheet so it is allocated to a task on import
Also is it possible to make Project shedule the task based on our delivery date
We have an inspection operation after every operation which we allow 2 days can I set up Project to auto insert
those operations (the amount of operations varies from job to job).

 

[PDQBach]

Just because you can use a wrench as a hammer doesn't mean you should.

You could develop a map to import your spreadsheet and you could set it up so that tasks are set up with dependencies and lags so that the schedule gives you the appropriate start date to meet your completion date.

But this is one of the many cases where you will be fighting project almost all the way. Part of me wants to tell you to spend your time making the spreadsheet, macros and equations do all the work in Excel. Part of me wants to tell you to research process scheduling (not _project_ scheduling) software.

You know how much time and money you have. In the end, it's your call. Choosing Project to provide the solution for this problem is the wrong call here.

 

[Maximizer]

Greetings from The Great White North!!

And I always thought that the American hammer was a screwdriver

Cheers!!

James Keep, A.C.E.
Crystal Reports(tm) Certified Consultant 8.5 (CRCC)
CMRC
Crystal Decisions Business Partner
Montreal, Qc, Canada

http://www.cmrc.qc.ca

 

[mbuell]

PDQBach:

I like your verbal description: Process vs project. It very cleanly and simply describes the difference between a production rate environment vs a project delivery environment.

Two comments tho:
One - could you be more specific about process sked software? I did the search you suggested, and a couple of others on Google, and came up with garbage - CRM solutions, medical field solutions, meeting room schedulers! fer cryin out loud! Maybe you already know of something? I did get some possibilities searching on "production or process planning".

Two - a project based critical path management scheduler, such as project, can be useful in a production environment. The key is whether or not the "Project" has a start, a finish, and a critical path between. If they have a critical path - produce x widgets in b hours, then use x y's to make x y-widgets, assemble and ship by such and such a date to make deadline delivery, then Project may be helpful. If this is the case, then a template project, with some macros to automate some of the mentioned tasks. Using the mapping, as you suggest, to import/export. This could predict a delivery date, or tell him how much resource is required to produce by a delivery date.

Those comments aside, for this person's job, you may be right, and Excel or Access - or something else, may be better.

Best Regards;
Mark

Mark
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[mbuell]

Re: my earlier post, same thread.
Subject: Process vs Project, continued

I spent some time chasing down the leads I got from Google when I searched on "production or process planning". At least some indeed do seem to directed at a production environment. Just FYI.

BR
Mark

Mark
<O>
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[PDQBach]

To Mark Buell: I'm a project kinda guy not a process kinda guy. Software to support process (not project) is a blank spot in my knowledgebase. I tried a few Google searches and didn't find anything that seemed appropriate for the original problem. Just a guess: perhaps his company is in an industry that has user groups or conferences. He doesn't actually have to attend the conference, he just needs a list of exhibitors so that he can search through it looking for a software solution.

As for using Project in the manner you suggested ... yes, it's possible. The question that has to be asked, though, is "how much effort does it take to make Project work (including developing macros)?" vs "how much time (including developing macros) to do it in Excel?" My experience with Project is that it will fight back (simply due to its internal workings) while Excel will simply lie there and let you do what you want.

BTW, Mark, could you please post the urls that were useful. It will help fill in the blankspot in the knowledgebase that is my mind.

To Maximizer: I'm smart enough to know that this time of the year the only things you'll find white are pictures of last year's blizzards! "Maximizer" ... isn't that a personal scheduler software package from BC?

 

[mbuell]

The only two that looked promising were

http://www.giraffeproductionsystems.net/gsshowtouse.htm

and SAP. Almost all the hits seem to be specifically for software production or IT issues. Of what's left over, much is back to project planning.

It's kinda tuff. I'm on a project now that is really a production environment, and I'm trying to find ways to wrap Project around our issues so that it does the work it is supposed to, instead of being a reporting tool that I feed.

I'm getting better results for forecasting and planning from Excel right now, but there has got to be a better way. I am stuck with using Project tho - client requirement.

Best

Mark
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[mbuell]

I just ran across another possible production tool:

http://www.pmcorp.com/asprova.shtm

Mark
<O>
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[mbuell]

When talking about process scheduling, we may be talking about ERP - Enterprise Resource Planning. Now this topic gets LOTS of hits, and lots of software solutions.



Mark
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