Microsoft EPM - Managing Programs/Master Projects, Part8 – Creating the Program Structure

The following example illustrates the process for creating a Master Project/Program Structure following best practices;

· Login to the Enterprise using Project Professional.

· Create a 'new' Program structure/outline using an Enterprise Template.

Note: the Enterprise template will have all the required default options for scheduling tracking. The Enterprise Template will also have the appropriate Program activities and Milestones.

Fig - New Enterprise Templates

Fig - select Enterprise Template

Fig - New Program activities

· Set Project Start date and appropriate attributes for Program.

· Update Program work structure/activities as necessary.

· Build Team and assign Enterprise Resources to Program activities/tasks as necessary.

· Save Program using an appropriate naming convention.

For example, use a common prefix for all components, say Project number or Project Keyword e.g. P001 Sat Rem Program, P002 Sat upgrade Design. This is so that all the components of the Program appear together when opening via Project Professional > FILE > OPEN and also with PWA > Project Centre view when sorting by file name. See example below, showing Program and Sub-projects;

· Next, Publish the Program schedule to the server. This will prompt the creation of a SharePoint Services site/workspace.

Note: If you use WSS for EPM2007, then create the WSS site when you publish the programme. Publishing the Program and then the projects in the right order is paramount so that the project WSS sites can be created as WSS subsites. Note at this stage we've not yet set up any sub projects.

In the next post, we will review creation of individual sub-projects.