Release Notes

The following are the release notes for Project Publisher Build: 1.0.3019.29370 that was released on 4/28/08 at approximately 2:30pm PST.

- Project Publisher bug fixed where, when using Vista, Microsoft Project 2007 crashes when Microsoft Project 2007 is closed.  This bug only affects Vista users.  This bug does not affect the use of the product and only throws an error when the program closed.

Modifying the Quick Launch Menu in your Workspace

With EPM Live you have the ability to modify the headings and links in your quick launch menu.  The quick launch menu is located on the left hand side of your site.  To modify the quick launch follow these instructions.

1.  Click “Site Actions” and then choose the “Site Settings” option.

2.  Click the “Quick Launch” link in the “Look and Feel” section.

3.  On this page you have the ability to add, edit, and delete links and headers as well as change the order of the links and headers.

Note:  Headers are the bolded titles and links are the indented titles underneath the headers.  To delete a link or header click the icon of the one you want to delete then click “Delete” on the page that follows.  You also have the ability to edit headers and links from this page.

Customize your Workspaces by Adding Web Parts to your Pages

1.  From the page that you want to add new web parts to click “Site Actions” button and then the “Edit Page” option.

2.  Click “Add a Web Part” in the section that you want to add your web part to. (For this example we are using the homepage)

3.  Check the boxes next to the web parts that you want to add to your site and click the “Add” button.

4.  Click the “Exit Edit Mode” link in the top right corner of the page.

5.  You should now see your new web part(s) that have been added to the page.

Note:  You also have the ability to move web parts in the edit mode from within zones and across zones by dragging the web part to the desired position in the list on the page.

Creating New Fields in Project Center and other List

With EPM Live you have the ability to modify and customize your SharePoint lists.  You can add custom columns that allow you to have custom data for grouping and KPI (Key Performance Indicator) information. 

1.  Navigate to the list you want to add a custom column in  (For Example: Project Center list). 

2.  Click the “Settings” button and choose the “List Settings” option. 

3.  In the Columns section, click “Create Column”.  Select the column type and In the “Additional Column Settings” section you can choose to make this column have required information, max characters allowed, add a calculated value, and choose whether or not you want the column added to the default view or not.

4.  Click the “OK” button when finished.  You should now see your custom column in your list.

Effective Project Management Requires Teamwork and Collaboration

Projects are happening at every level and in every department of the modern organization.  Companies invest heavily in the successful completion of these projects, yet even with the support they need, many of these projects are unsuccessful in fulfilling their defined goals. A study done by The Standish Group reports that 51% of all projects come in over budget or run past the original deadlines.

 

Strategic planners and project managers develop plans that have a strong likelihood of success, gather the right people to implement that plan, and then guide that work toward project completion.  But as every project manager knows, having the best plan and the highest performers onboard isn’t nearly enough. Ineffective communication and lack of team collaboration will cause even the best plan to fail. Emails and Spreadsheets are important, but insufficient tools to ensure project success across the organization.  Project managers need tools that parallel a more effective Enterprise Project Management (EPM) methodology and enable them to manage their projects within a the dynamic cycle of planning, communicating, tracking, and analyzing projects toward a defined goal.

 

EPM Live Workgroup solutions respond to this need for collaboration and communication tools by offering a lightweight version of Enterprise Project Management functionality to the workgroup level of the company.  The EPM Live Workgroup solutions are a lightweight version of project planning and collaborative tools that have been tried and tested in enterprise level workplaces. This brings high level coordination technology options down into the day-to-day work level of the office workspace.  These tools transform the world’s leading project planning software, Microsoft® Office Project 2007, into a living, working, and interactive landscape.

 

The EPM Live Workgroup solution works in a three step dynamic methodology:

 

1. Planning. Develop successful project plans with Microsoft® Office Project 2007. This industry preferred tool brings the right blend of usability, power, and flexibility to create a roadmap to success. Create schedules, tasks, project timelines, and milestones that help teams work together toward important goals. Use industry specific project templates that help jumpstart the project management process.

 

1. Communication. Collaborate with new or existing plans using the Project Publisher add-on for Microsoft® Office Project 2007 and any Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 site or users who don’t own SharePoint can select an online hosted version.  Share responsibilities using the flexible Task or Assignment based publishing. Individual contributors can update and share key information in a collaborative work environment.

 

1. Tracking and Analyzing. Project managers use reporting tools to guide the project toward a successful outcome from the centralized Workgroup dashboard. Track project-specific information with reports that allow quick access to needed information. Identify risks and issues, formulate course corrections, and instantly communicate project adjustments to the entire team.

 

This cycle repeats until the project is successful!

 

EPM Live Workgroup completes this winning cycle linking proven desktop technology to online collaboration functionality.  This “EPM Workgroup” solution empowers individual contributors to take greater responsibility for their roles in the project and enables the project manager and planner to guide the entire team in more collaborative ways than have been possible before. The tools allow the project manager to loop in valuable but hesitant performers, better leverage the strengths of top performers, and improve the workflow of all involved.  By standardizing project information flows, everyone on the team can update the status of their individual contributions, understand key issues and risks, and maintain up to date ownership of their responsibilities so that the project stays on course. 

 

Leveraging the EPM Live Workgroup solution will help Project Managers plan effectively, communicate the plan with the team, and track and analyze success.  Using this iterative process and the collaborative tools that go with it allows the plan to be adjusted to keep the projects on track to completion.

 

The EPM Live Workgroup solution is available with two affordable deployment options:

 

• EPM Live Workgroup SaaS or Software + Service. Organizations looking to combine the power of online services with the richness of their everyday Microsoft® Office Project 2007 application can leverage the EPM Live Workgroup service.  Visit www.epmlive.com for more information and a 30 day free trial

 

• EPM Live Workgroup On-premise. Organizations already using Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 and Microsoft® Office Project 2007 can leverage the power of collaboration with the Project Publisher add-on. A quick and easy installation adds a publishing menu to Microsoft Office Project’s menu bar creating a simple one-click step to synchronize .mpp files with Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 sites.

 

Visit http://www.epmlive.com for more information and a 30 day free trial

 

 

 

How to Create a Site Template

With EPM Live you have the ability to create your own site templates.  This allows you to use the templates you created as templates for future sites.  You must be a site Administrator in order to complete the following steps.

1.  Create and edit the site that you want to become your new template.

2.  Click the “Site Actions” button and chose the “Site Settings” option. 

3.  Click “Save site as template” in the “Look and Feel” section.

4.  Enter in the file name (Calendar View for demo purposes) and template name.  The template description is optional.  Check the “Include Content” box if you wish to include any content that you have added to the site.  Click “OK“ 

Note:  Templates are saved into the top level site template gallery.  Once a site is saved as a template it will show up in the list of templates to choose from the next time you create a site.  See the “Create a Project Workspace” in the Site Collection Administrator section of the help for information on how to create a site.

Adding New Features to Your Sites

In EPM Live you have the ability to add custom features to your sites.  You must first add the feature to your site collection from the top level site before you have the ability to add it to any sites in the collection.  You must be a site collection administrator in order to perform the next steps.

1.  From the top level site in the site collection click “Site Actions” and choose the “Site Settings” option.

2.  Choose the “Site collection features” option in the Site Collection Administration section.

3.  Click the “Activate” button to activate the feature you want.

4.  Once you have activated all your features that you want click the “Site Actions” button and then “Site Settings” option again.

5.  In the “Galleries” section choose “List Templates“.

6.  You should now see a list of the EPM Live Features that you activated in step 3.  Click the edit icon next to the feature. 

7.  Provide a Title and Description (optional) for the feature and click the “OK” button

8.  Now, if you click the “Create” link from the “Site Actions” menu, you will see your Feature in the list of available templates.  Keep in mind that depending on the type of Feature it is, the Feature will show up under different sections on the create page.

Release Notes

The following are the relase notes for Project Publisher Build: 1.0.3019.29370 that was released on 4/7/08 at approximately 3:00pm PST

- Bug fixes to address task update issues
- Added Proxy Server Support
- Once pending tasks are Accepted or Rejected in the Project Publisher, only the status is updated in SharePoint, as opposed to Start, Finish, Actual Start, Actual Finish and Percent Complete as it was with the previous release
- Updates remain in Pending state until either Rejected or Accepted
- Notification when you attempt to publish to a Site Collection