Microsoft Project Link

Use DOVICO Timesheet's Microsoft Project Link to link project and task assignments created in Microsoft Project to DOVICO Timesheet. When a link is created, employees use DOVICO Timesheet to track time on the task assignments created in Microsoft Project. When time entries are submitted and approved, the actual hours worked are updated in Microsoft Project files.

Click here to see an overview of the information transferred using the Microsoft Project Link.

This topic describes the 3 fundamental steps required to setup and synchronize data from Microsoft Project to DOVICO Timesheet. Details on how to send time entries from DOVICO Timesheet to Microsoft Project are described in Send time to Microsoft Project.
 

STEP 1: Create a resource pool (list of employees) using Microsoft Project.

STEP 2: Create the project and tasks and assign resources to each task using Microsoft Project.

STEP 3: Use DOVICO Timesheet to synchronize projects, employees and task assignments from the Microsoft Project file.

Prerequisite:

• The Microsoft Project link requires ActiveX controls and therefore only web browsers capable of supporting ActiveX controls can be used to link Microsoft Project files to DOVICO Timesheet. The Mozilla Firefox browser does not support ActiveX (verified January 2008).

This topic describes how to create a link to a new Microsoft Project file. If you are creating a link to an existing Microsoft Project file, follow the instructions found in Creating a link to an existing Microsoft Project file.

STEP 1: Create a Resource Pool

To prepare employee project and task assignment files used for time entry, you must first create a list of employees who will be assigned to those projects and tasks. The employee list is created using a resource pool in Microsoft Project. Resources (or employees) entered in the pool can be shared between all Microsoft Project projects. When a Microsoft Project resource pool is linked to DOVICO Timesheet, employees assigned to each project are automatically added to the DOVICO Timesheet database.

1. Start Microsoft Project.

2. Select File, New.

3. Select View, Resource Sheet.

4. Create the employee names for all resources. Names should be entered as First Name then Last Name. Employee names must include both a first and last name to be successfully imported into DOVICO Timesheet.

5. Select Tools, Resources Sharing, Share Resources.

6. Select Use own resources and click OK.

7. Save the file (example: Resources.mpp). If this resource pool file is to be shared, it should be saved in a shared folder on a network accessible to all managers using DOVICO Timesheet.

8. Close the file.

STEP 2: Create a project and tasks, and assign employees to each task

1. Start Microsoft Project.

2. Select File, Open and select the resource pool file previously created in Step 1.

3. Select File, New and create a new (blank) project.

4. Select Tools, Resources Sharing, Share Resources.

5. Select the Use resources option and select the resource file (opened in step 2 above) from the drop-down list and click OK.
   
   

6. Create the project plan and its tasks.

7. For each task entered, assign an employee from the resource pool. Assign employees to bottom level tasks only and do not leave any blank rows in the Gantt chart view. Additional details

   DOVICO Timesheet only supports the lowest level task assignments in Microsoft Project. Assignments made to group level tasks are not supported. Assignments made at the lowest task levels are supported.   Assignments made at the group level are not supported.     DOVICO Timesheet does not support blank rows in a Microsoft Project file. Any blank rows within a Microsoft Project file must be removed prior to creating the link.

    

8. Save the file. This file should be saved in a shared folder on the Network accessible to all managers using DOVICO Timesheet.

9. Exit Microsoft Project.

STEP 3: Create a link in DOVICO Timesheet

When a link is created:

• The project (with an mpp extension) is added to the list of projects in DOVICO Timesheet. You can edit project information in DOVICO Timesheet without affecting the link or Microsoft Project files.

• The employees are added to the list of employees in the DOVICO Timesheet database.

• Tasks are not added to the list of tasks in DOVICO Timesheet. However, the tasks are displayed in the Project Assignments view and are available to employees entering time.
  
   

1. Exit Microsoft Project if it is currently running. This step is very important to ensure that the link is properly created.

2. Select Microsoft Project from the Integration section of the side navigation bar.

3. Select the Project Link tab.

4. Click the Add Resources button located below the Resource list box.
    

5. Locate and open the resource file.
   
   Windows 2000, 2003 or XP
   In the Look in box, use Network Neighborhood or My Network Places to find and open the resource file created in the previous steps. Do not use a Mapped Network Drive to locate the file. Using Network Neighborhood or My Network Places creates a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) and ensures that the file is accessible by everyone.
   
   Windows Vista
   Use Network to find and open the resource file. Do not use a Mapped Network Drive to locate the file.
    

6. Click Open.
   
   The employees listed in the resource pool file are displayed in the Resource list and are added to the Project Assignment view's employee list.
    

   Microsoft Project/Project Server		DOVICO Timesheet
   Resource first name		Employee first name
   Resource last name		Employee last name
   Resource email address (optional)		Employee email address

7. For each employee added, you will need to edit their User ID and Password information as random data is entered in these fields when an employee is added from the resource pool. You will also need to modify the Software access field for each new employee as 'None' is selected by default. Use either the Project Assignment view's employee list or the Items List - Employees view to edit this information.
   
   
   The employees have now been imported into DOVICO Timesheet. The next steps involve importing the Microsoft Project file and its tasks.
    

8. Click the Add Project button located below the Project list box.

9. In the Look in box, use Network Neighborhood or My Network Places to find and select the project file created in the previous steps. Do not use a Mapped Network Drive to locate the file. Using Network Neighborhood or My Network Places creates a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) and ensures that the file is accessible by everyone.

10. Click Open. The project, its tasks and assignments are added to DOVICO Timesheet. The project (with the mpp extension) and its tasks are displayed in the Project Assignments view. Changes to assignments can only be accomplished using Microsoft Project.
     

The project assignments are now created in DOVICO Timesheet and employees can begin tracking their time against this project.

Click here to see how to send time from DOVICO Timesheet to the Microsoft Project file.