Daptiv in CSS

Assuming that eProject's PPM6 is adopted by IS&T at the end of its pilot in October 2007, this document explores how CSS will ramp up to use it where applicable in CSS businesses.  The project pilot team identified a five-layer structure for progressively more integrated use of the tool.

1. Project metadata is maintained in PPM6 (and not in itinfo.mit.edu/work).
2. XDPP projects with CSS involvement are fully represented in PPM6 and CSS cooperates fully as needed.
3. Project snapshot reports are created within PPM6 (and not the Excel snapshot templates, which are retired).
4. Active project management of CSS projects use PPM6 as the tool (and not Fastrack, or MS-Project, etc).
5. Resource Modeling is fully supported in PPM6, with resources actively managed within PPM, and management reporting is done from PPM data and not the separate

This table sketches the timeline of likely adoption of the tool:

A special case of PPM in CSS is its prospective use by DCAD.  DCAD now uses three and possibly four different tools to manage their interaction with clients and developers in getting projects done and paid for.  DCAD would be more of a soup-to-nuts user of PPM and might require their own project type to handle their unique metadata needs for reporting and tracking.  (More on that as the requirements develop.)

Planning for PPM   

Achieving these milestones will take some study, matching needs of the work involved with the features available in the tool.  Futher experimentation may change our approach, but for now, the sections below articulate our understanding of what need to do to make it happen at each of these levels.

0. Organizing CSS People around PPM Roles

Project Managers will include at least each of the CSS managers who have metadata to maintain and any other staff with a project to manage.   Some managers will want to be able to isolate their view of all the work so they only see their own. 

Resource Managers will include all the CSS managers and all the CSS team leaders. 

Timesheet-only Users will include any CSS staff that are part of SAIS projects and any others that require work actuals to be submitted. 

Project Services Office (PSO) takes on super-Project administrative duties on behalf of PMs (organizing custom fields, fixing permissions, creating reports).  Also monitors IS&T projects within PPM to foster communication out and around about work that's organizing and how it might affect others.

Executive viewing allows visibility into multiple projects at a summary level. 

Workgroups in PPM will organize multiple PPM roles around particular lines of business.  DCAD, for instance, will be a workgroup with filemaker developers and usability consultants and so on, who work independently of others in CSS who have similar roles.

1. Project Metadata

This is entry level use of the PPM tool. 

• All the managers of projects in CSS are involved.  They need:
  • user accounts in PPM
  • training in how to create project instances with metadata filled in.
  • be able to create and view the list-of-projects report and see detailed data about

2. XDPP

All CSS projects mentioned on the XDPP sheet need to be homed somewhere in Daptiv.  Rob took over XDPP when Jane White left in April 2008; all the XDPP projects are indeed in daptiv.

3. Project Snapshots

All CSS projects (indeed, all IS&T projects) are generated from data in Daptiv.

4. Active Projects

Big Initiative projects will track their work in PPM. 

• Hermes -- Oliver is ready to sign up; Barbara Johnson actively working with the tool.
• Mobile Devices -- Andrew Yu is already using the tool.
• Software Licensing system -- Jon Hunt actively using the tool.

5. DCAD Projects

The DCAD team is live in Daptiv.  Jeff Reed is trickling old projects out of dotProject and will pilot new ones in Daptiv beginnng in Q4 of FY08.

6. Resource Model