How to share views, tables, forms, reports, calendars across projects?

How to share views, tables, forms, reports, calendars across projects?

In this post, you would find how the following elements can be shared among projects
1. Fields
2. Groups
3. Calendars
4. Toolbars
5. Maps
6. Forms
7. Tables
8. Filters
9. Views
10. Reports
11. Modules

Microsoft Project uses the Organizer to help you share the elements more among projects.

1. To display the Organizer, choose Tools > Organizer (or) choose Views > More Views … Organizer.
2. When a blank project created, its elements are copied from Global template (Global.mpt). So, any custom elements created in your project can be copied to Global template using Organizer.
a. Choose the appropriate tab in Organizer, say "Calendar"
b. Select the element(s) to be copied from the active project on the right hand side
c. Ensure "Global.mpt" is selected under "Calendars available:" on the left hand side.
d. Choose "<< Copy"

3. If element(s) needs to be copied from your active project to another project, then
a. Open the both the projects, say "eShop Application" and "Inventory Management" in Microsoft Project
b. Select the active project, say "eShop Application" by choosing Window > "eShop Application"
c. Open Organizer and choose the elements to be copied on the right hand side
d. Select the target MPP file under "Calendars available:" on the left hand side
e. Choose "<< Copy"

Next Post: How to view the dependencies between activities in your schedule?

Quote: "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Theodore Roosevelt

How to assign codes to tasks that are not tied to the outline structure?

Last post (visit http://onlyaboutprojectmanagement.blogspot.com/), we saw how WBS codes can be used effectively to number the tasks in your project. If you don't want the WBS codes to change, even if you move tasks around then use Outline Codes.  Benefit of Outline codes is, it is customizable and it is not tied to the outline structure of your project.

To define outline code,

1. Choose Tools > Customize > Fields. Project displays the Customize Fields dialog box.
2. Click the Customize Outline Codes tab.
3. Choose an outline code to customize and click "Define Code Mask …" button. This displays the Outline Code Definition dialog box.

4. For each level in outline, do the below steps.
4.1. Sequence: In the Sequence column, select the type of character that you want to use for each level of the outline code. If you choose Characters (unordered), Project inserts an asterisk at that position of the outline code.
4.2. Length of Outline Code part: Select the list box in length column and choose the length of the level of Outline code.
4.3. Separator: In the separator column, use the list box to select period (.), dash (-), plus (+) or slash (/) or any character that is not number or a letter

5. To restrict the use of outline codes to a specific list, click the "Edit Lookup Table …" button. This displays the Edit Lookup Table dialog box
6. Provide the list of values allowed for Level 1, Level 2, till Level N. Use the Indent button (right arrow) at the top of the dialog box to outline the levels provided and click on "Close" button
7. Click OK to finish.

In Gantt chart view,

1. Insert the "Outline Code1" column, to select (or) provide the outline code for each task.
2. You will see a list box arrow; if you asked Microsoft Project to restrict the outline codes provided.

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