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Microsoft Project Suggestions (the rich client like Excel)

  1. Project 2010 - Support change highlighting *FIXED IN PROJECT 2010*
  2. (Hinders TFS Integration – but MS Project) - I don't want to close and reopen to get updates
  3. Help me easily add sub items in Microsoft Project
  4. Column Mapping – Show just the TFS fields *IMPORTANT*
  5. Column Mapping – These should be in the same order
  6. Column Mapping – Show the missing ones too
  7. (Hinders TFS Integration – but Project Server) Help me cost my projects - it is not ok to lose my resource rates upon closing the file
  8. Enable more rates for a developer
  9. (Hinders TFS Integration – but Project Server) Help me find out when I can open my project after a read only message
  10. (Hinders TFS Integration – but MS Project) - Let me save resource cost information
  11. Give us this cool visualization control from the MS Project Team
  12. TimeLine - Don't make me calculate the days
  13. Project Professional - Help me see days in hours

  1. Project 2010 - Support change highlighting *FIXED IN PROJECT 2010*

    The change highlighting in MS Project does work when working with TFS.

    For more information of the 'Change Highlighting' feature missing, see MS Project 2007 Change Highlighting and the Interim Plan

  2. (Hinders TFS Integration – but MS Project) - I don't want to close and reopen to get updates

    When changes are made in TFS and synchronized to Project Server, the Project Manager needs to close MS Project and reopen it to get the new changes. MS Project should automatically prompt when there are new changes. This helps the project manager not work with stale data.

  3. Help me easily add sub items in Microsoft Project

    Say I want to enter some tasks to User Stories, it is easy in Excel. However I watched a user get stuck today.
    To fix this Microsoft Project needs to be consistent with Excel

    Nothing On Toolbar
    Figure: Bad example - Nothing on the toolbar, you need to get to the right field, and then right click
    Easy Find Toolbar
    Figure: Good example - Easy to find on the toolbar

  4. Column Mapping – Show just the TFS fields *IMPORTANT*

    Insert column error
    Figure: When you "Insert Column" it is horrible... The lists go on and on and on...
    Need an option - Insert TFS Column
    Figure: When adding a column, we need a new one "Insert TFS Column"
    Need an option - Edit TFS Column
    Figure: When editing a column we need a new one "TFS Columns"

  5. Column Mapping - These should be in the same order

    • These should be in the same order.
    • Add that dialog should be resizable.
    The work items should be in the same order.
    Figure: These should be in the same order

  6. Column Mapping – Show the missing ones too

    Unmapped items
    Figure: It would help if you show the ones that are unmapped too

  7. (Hinders TFS Integration – but Project Server) Help me cost my projects - it is not ok to lose my resource rates upon closing the file.

    Losing data is unforgivable. If you don’t give a warning, it is treachery.

    To Repro:

    1. In MS Project (integrated with TFS), go to the Resource Usage view and enter a Standard Rate for my resource
    2. Click on File for the backstage view and click Publish
    3. Reopen MS Project with the same project – my rates are lost!
    The Standard Rate field is lost when I close MS Project
    Figure: The Standard Rate field is lost when I close MS Project – even if I publish to TFS

    The Solution:

    1. Save the data
    2. Clearly indicate the difference between a local resource and a global resource
    3. Put a hyperlink "Change rates for global resources" to http://tfspsdemo/pwa/_layouts/PWA/Admin/AddModifyUser.aspx
    Save the data
    Figure: Save a user from losing data and give them an easy way to get to the global resources and change the standard rates

  8. Enable more rates for a developer

    You should be able to set more than 5 rates per developer. This is too limiting when you have resources working on many client projects, and varying rates.

    Figure: Can only set 5 different rates for resources.

  9. (Hinders TFS Integration – but Project Server) Help me find out when I can open my project after a read only message

    When I publish changes to Project Server using Excel or Visual Studio integrated with TFS, I can't immediately open the Project file in MS Project without getting a warning dialog.

    1. This warning should have a link to the Jobs Queue in PWA so I know when I am safe to open the Project file.
    Read Only Error
    Figure: Read only error shown when there are Pending Jobs in the Queue
    Read Only Message
    We need a link that takes us directly to the "Manage Queue Jobs" page in "Server Settings" of PWA. This will show me the jobs that are stopping the file from being opened

  10. (Hinders TFS Integration – but MS Project) - Let me save resource cost information

    When I set or update the rate of resources in MS Project Professional, these rates are not persisted. The next time I open Project the rates are zero again.

    Note: We can set the default rates of each resource in Project Web Access, but Project Managers will use MS Project Professional 99% of the time.

    Let me save resource cost information
    Figure: Let me save resource cost information

  11. Give us this cool visualization control from the MS Project Team

    Dreaming away... I love seeing the progress of the work items in Microsoft Project

    Unmapped items
    Figure: See in Microsoft Project I can visually see that this task has started
    Unmapped items
    Figure: Boy in the VS grid I would love that control

  12. TimeLine - Don't make me calculate the days

    Please add the number of days
    Figure: Add the number of days

  13. Project Professional - Help me see days in hours

    I would like:

    • to be able to hover and see it in hours
    • to right click and change the format from days to
    • to fix the below bug with 'Project Options' | 'Duration is entered in' | 'Hours'
    Seeing Days
    Figure: I changed the setting, so why am I seeing days?
    I want to see hours (like I am used to in TFS)
    Figure: I want to see hours (like I am used to in TFS)

Acknowledgements

Adam Cogan