Project Server 2007: Why do my removed tasks keep coming back to my Timesheet?

re: Project Server 2007: Why do my removed tasks keep coming back to my Timesheet?

Panagiotis Kanavos — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:34:20 GMT

A user that deletes a task from his timesheet expressly and unambiguously notifies the system that he DOES NOT WANT the task in his tiimesheet. It is not the system's place to decide that the user should not do so. Why don't you remove the Delete action then?

A bug by design is a design bug, not a feature

re: Project Server 2007: Why do my removed tasks keep coming back to my Timesheet?

Brian Kennemer — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:14:49 GMT

Panagiotis,

The system is not deciding anything. The project manager decided the task should be on this weeks timesheet. The system is just enforcing the wishes of the project manager. If the team member feels that there is a mistake and that the task should not be worked on this week then the better route is to talk to the project manager instead of just not working on it and deleting it from their timesheet.

re: Project Server 2007: Why do my removed tasks keep coming back to my Timesheet?

Rick — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 23:02:14 GMT

If you have already saved data (i.e., hours on a specific task on a specific day), and you delete that line in your timesheet, the data is not deleted from the database. It will no longer show in the timesheet (even in the total hours), so it appears to resource and resource manager as though it does not exist. But it is still in the project. If the resource deletes and recreates their timesheet, the data will reappear on the timesheet. Same goes for using the delete key instead of changing the data entry to 0 (zero) hours. The timesheet shows no entry for that task, but the data is still in the project. Only by deleting and recreating the timesheet does this reappear. To resources (and, for that matter, to most people delete means deleted, gone, no longer in the database), deleting a line is the same as deleting data

How is this handled in SP2? Will this change in timesheets automatically being populated resolve the problem by always showing the true data on the timesheet?

And, I agree with Brian. Delete line is not very useful and causes confusion. If you don't want to get rid of this "feature", then give me control whether or not to display it. Same for add line. Top level tasks are a nightmare. They should not be selectable on add line.

re: Project Server 2007: Why do my removed tasks keep coming back to my Timesheet?

BriSmith — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:59:17 GMT

Thanks for the feedback Rick. With the lines "automagically" displaying this should hopefully overcome the "deleted or not" dilema. This can be a confusing area particularly where the timesheet and the project statusing are two completely different areas - and the time from one isn't used in both places. In that case the fact that there is time in the project but not the timesheet isn't an issue.

Best regards,

Brian.

re: Project Server 2007: Why do my removed tasks keep coming back to my Timesheet?

Michael M — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:52:50 GMT

Hi Brian,

We running Project Server SP2, but have noticed that only at creation will the task in the My tasks area be created. For us there is no syncing up(ie - new tasks after creation need to be manually added). Is there something we need to turn on?(we curently have the option to Current tasks assignmnents)

Michael

re: Project Server 2007: Why do my removed tasks keep coming back to my Timesheet?

RIck — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:08:51 GMT

Brian, thanks for answering. I'm a little concerned about the answer, however. You imply that it really isn't that important if the timesheet and project hours data tie. I must be misunderstanding your point because this adds error to the project hours and project cost. Under exactly what conditions are you suggesting they do not need to be in sync? To me, this is an enormous issue. And the system design requires an enormous reconciliation effort every week. We have to manage top level tasks by requesting resources recall, correct, and resubmit timesheets (all approvals have to occur again), we have to find and fix deleted data that doesn't match, we have to make sure no PM is changing tasks to 100% complete instead of changing remaining work to 0.... the procedural component of the tool is onerous. Synchronizing the data should be more controlled and managed by the application and not so dependent on manual procedure by dozens of project managers and hundreds of resources.

re: Project Server 2007: Why do my removed tasks keep coming back to my Timesheet?

BriSmith — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 22:54:56 GMT

Hi Michael,

I will check the expected behavior in that scenario - deleted tasks will come back and I thought new ones would appear too - perhaps I am wrong on that point.

Best regards,

Brian.

re: Project Server 2007: Why do my removed tasks keep coming back to my Timesheet?

BriSmith — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:02:06 GMT

Hi Rick - I certainly didn't want to alarm you, and it sounds as if for your organization you want and need to be in sync - and that is fine. The split between timesheet and my tasks was introduced in 2007 to allow those companies who wanted the data to be totally seperate to acheive this. The scenario might be that I book 8h on my timesheet to a task for my companies time recording purposes (I was at work and doing something) but for the purposes of the project task I was working on I might only have done 7h productive work - or perhaps 9h, and this is the value to go into the plan.

It really should be the product managers who are responsible for the plans - but I do take the point that it would be useful to have better ways of tracking or auditing what is going on.

Best regards,

Brian.