Background Information
When you apply the Resource Usage view in Microsoft Project Professional, the system displays resource assignment information for all projects in which each team member has assignments. This feature is useful for determining resource availability during specific time periods for a particular resource, but it makes it difficult to determine resource assignment information such as Work and Cost for the active project only.
Resolution for Project Server 2002
There are two methods for viewing resource assignment information for only the active project in Microsoft Project Professional 2002. One method involves the project manager, while the other method involves the Project Server administrator.
The project manager can save the project in Offline mode using File - Save Offline (do not click File - Save As). After applying the Resource Usage view, the project manager can analyze resource information for the active project only. After completing the resource analysis, the project manager must save the project in Online mode by clicking File - Save Online.
The Project Server administrator can create a custom enterprise Group and View for this purpose as well. To create the custom Group, the Project Server administrator should complete the following steps:
1. Launch Microsoft Project Professional 2002 and log into Project Server with administrator permissions.
2. Click Tools - Enterprise Options - Open Enterprise Global.
3. Click Project - Group By - More Groups.
4. Select the Task option at the top of the dialog and then click the New button.
5. Give this Group a name, such as "Project Work by Resource" and select the "Show in menu" option.
6. Select the "Group assignments not tasks" option.
7. Set the Group By values to Field Name = Name, Field Type = Assignment, and Order = Ascending.
8. Set the Then By values to Field Name = Name, Field Type = Task, and Order = Ascending.
9. Click OK and then click Close.
To create the custom View, the Project Server administrator should complete the following steps while the Enterprise Global is still open for editing:
1. Click View - More Views.
2. Click the New button.
3. Select the Single View option and then click OK.
4. Give the new View a name such as “Task Usage by Resource.”
5. Set the Screen option to Task Usage, the Table option to Usage, the Group value to the new Group created in the previous set of steps, and the Filter value to All Tasks.
6. Select the “Show in menu” option and click the OK button.
7. Click the Close button (do not click the Apply button).
8. Save and close the Enterprise Global file.
9. Exit and then relaunch Microsoft Project Professional and log into Project Server again.
After the Project Server administrator has created the new View and Group, all users of Microsoft Project Professional will need to exit and relaunch the software and then log into Project Server again. After doing so, they can apply the new custom view by clicking View - Task Usage by Resource. Once they have applied the new view, they should click the Show button on the Formatting toolbar and select Outline level 2 from the Show pick list.
Resolution for Project Server 2003
To view resource assignment information for only the active project in Microsoft Project Professional 2003, the project manager should complete the following steps:
1. Launch Microsoft Project Professional 2003.
2. In the Project Server Accounts dialog, deselect the “Load summary resource assignments” option.
3. Click the Connect button.
4. Open an enterprise project.
5. Click View - Resource Usage.
When you deselect the option specified in step #2 above while logging into Project Server, and then open an enterprise project, the system loads only the resource assignment information for team members in the current project. When you select this option while logging into Project Server, and then open an enterprise project, the system loads the resource assignment information for both the current project and all other projects to which the project team members are assigned. In the Resource Usage view for the current project, you see the assignments for other projects as a single summary line for each other project.
Resolution for Project Server 2007 and 2010
To view resource assignment information for only the active project in Microsoft Project Professional 2007, the project manager should complete the following steps:
1. Launch Microsoft Project Professional.
2. In the Login dialog, deselect the “Load summary resource assignments” option.
3. Click the OK button.
4. Open an enterprise project.
5. Click View - Resource Usage.
When you deselect the option specified in step #2 above while logging into Project Server, and then open an enterprise project, the system loads only the resource assignment information for team members in the current project. When you select this option while logging into Project Server, and then open an enterprise project, the system loads the resource assignment information for both the current project and all other projects to which the project team members are assigned. In the Resource Usage view for the current project, you see the assignments for other projects in an Other Projects and Assignments section at the end of each resource's list of assignments.