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MS EPM Tools - Latest Version: MS Project Server 2007
MS EPM Tools – Evolutions:
- Porject Central
- Project Server 2002 & Project Server 2003
- Project Server 2007
MS Project Central: Released in 2002 and it was a companion product to Microsoft Project 2000/2002; MS Project Central was the first version of Microsoft EPM toll and it offers web based collaboration, so project team members can exchange and work with project information through a Web site. MS Project Central provides timesheet functionality, status reporting and shared resource pool.
MS Project Central stores the information on SQL Server/Oracle databases.
Limitations:
- Single user mode: Certain administrative functions such as deleting items from database and merging user accounts, you must put the Microsoft Project Central Server in single-user mode. During the single-user mode, all users can not connect to Project Central.
- Shared Pool: Resource pool has been maintained by using Shared Resource file, so manually we have to link each project plan with resource pool. (Tools -> Sharing Resources option)
MS Project Server 2002/2003: Released in 2002 and it is a companion product to Microsoft Project Professional 2002/MS Project Professional 2003;
Enterprise global template was introduced, so organizations can distribute and maintain project and resource management standards for items such as project plan fileds, views, resource breakdown structure (RBS) codes, and calendar settings.
Enterprise Resource Pool also integrated within Enterprise global. Also have the time sheet functionality, resource Usage and allocation views and status reporting capability.
Portfolio Analyzer OLAP cube was introduces to provide the multi dimensional view on resource and project information across the organization.
Application interface (Project Data Service) also available to automate and further customization of project and resource management activities.
MS Project Server 2003 can use Windows SharePoint Services 2.0 for document libraries, issue tracking, and risk management, so Microsoft Project 2003 users can easily create, link, and track documents, issues, and risks.
When you create a project, you can also automatically create a SharePoint site for project documents, issues, and risks. Additionally, you can store project documents in document libraries to take advantage of the version tracking and document check-in and check-out features of Windows SharePoint Services.
Limitations:
- Master projects are not supported on the server
- Instant reporting is not possible, as view processor may be required some additional time to process the updates/published queue prior to populate the data in view tables
MS Project Server 2007: Released in late 2006 and it is a companion product to Microsoft Project Professional 2007; all the features of the MS Project 2003 are retained and have enhanced system architecture comparatively 2003 version.
Many new features are introduced like "Master projects, Timesheets also support billable/non-billable organization specific fiscal periods; Cost resources to manage the budgets at project/program level; PMs can create the ad-hoc reports by using built-in Visual Reports at Project professional, live reporting database is available to create organization specific custom reports, improved performance by having active cache mechanism at project professional.
Enhanced application program interface (PSI) allows us to automate and extend the project server functionality to meet the custom requirements. The server-side Event Model can trigger workflow for business processes defined with Windows Workflow Foundation.
MS Project Server 2007 has been integrated with Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, so Microsoft Project 2007 users can easily create, link, and track documents, issues, and risks. When you create a project, you can also automatically create a SharePoint site for project documents, issues, and risks.
Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 also supports the team collaboration and making it easy for users to work in shared environment on documents, events, wikis and issues/risks etc.
Note: All EPM versions are completely integrated with Microsoft office products (MS Outlook, MS Excel and MS Word etc.)
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